History of Markdale

Markdale was founded in 1846 by George Walker and Joseph Price and settling began in 1849. One of the settlers was Mark Armstrong, who arrived with his family in 1852.

This family played a major role in the community, organizing the Armstrong Brothers firm. A veneer plant, a furniture factor, cheese box factory and a foundry were all established by the Armstrong Bros. and it is said the Village was named after Mark Armstrong.

In its beginnings the Village name changed from East Glenelg to Corabus and, finally to Markdale. It was incorporated into a Village in 1888 with a thriving business center, 3 churches, school, bank, wagon shop and drug store.

By 1896, electric lighting was installed, a waterworks system was in place in 1905 and street paving came in 1933.

Downtown Markdale still maintains a 'turn of the century' feel while offering contemporary products and services. The Village is served by 36 retail stores.

The Markdale area has become a favorite among artists and artisans, spinners and weavers. Professional crafts persons, attracted by the reasonable real estate prices, have made Markdale their permanent home or weekend retreat.

The Village of Markdale is a vibrant agricultural center of some 1,400 residents. The Village serves the needs of a large agricultural community. Cattle, sheep and grain are the chief crops.

Just a few miles to the east is the beautiful Beaver Valley with its excellent ski slopes and recreational and conference facilities. The beauty of the countryside continues to draw people to the area both as occasional visitors and weekend dwellers.

A network of bed and breakfast hotels has been established to supplement the existing hotel/motel and resort facilities in the Village and the surrounding area.

The Village of Markdale and the surrounding area is suitable for many types of enterprise. Small business predominated the industrial development.

The community supports five primary industries, a furniture factory, ice cream manufacturer, safety footwear manufacturer, leather label manufacturer and a aluminum extrusion manufacturer. The work force is drawn from the Village itself and a surrounding 40 km radius.

The Toronto International Airport is two hours away, the Owen Sound Airport is 1/2 hour away and the USA border five hours away.

The construction of a new Library began in October , 2000. It is located in the corner of the King Edward Park complex.

The only local community with factories producing both ice cream and pickles, Markdale adds its own flavour to the Grey County feast. Attractive parks, a main street that hosts festivals right on the pavement, and a new residence for seniors enliven this village.