Atwood, Ontario


Atwood is a small town located in Perth County, Ontario, Canada. Nearby centres include Listowel and Elmira. Atwood is located on Highway 23 between Perth Line 75 and Perth Line 72.
The population is between 500 and 1000 inhabitants.
There are 2 churches in Atwood, The Atwood United Church and Atwood Presbyterian Church, as well as the Elma Township Cemetery.
The Atwood/Coghlin Airport is located here.

History

The settlement dates back to 1854. In 1877, the railway arrived. Prior to 1881, the town was known as "Elma Centre" and "Newry Station".
A Campbell Soup Company factory was the town's main employer until it closed in 2008.
In 2011, Kenneth Rea, a volunteer firefighter from Atwood, was killed battling a fire in Listowel when the roof of the building collapsed.

Notable people

Mary Vallance, OMM C.D. Officer of the Order of Military Merit. Mary was a colonel in the Canadian Forces serving from 1954 to 1976. Mary implemented the Status of Women Commission Rulings which allowed Service Women to assume any military position. She was directly responsible for all women personnel. Mary holds the distinction of being the first female Colonel and served as Aide-De-Camp to the Governor General. A Street in Atwood bears the Vallance name after her.