Teeswater, Ontario, is a quaint community nestled in the municipality of South Bruce, Bruce County, Canada. This charming town is situated 12 kilometres west of Mildmay, 16 kilometres north of Wingham on County Road 4, and 25 kilometres southeast of Ripley on Bruce Road 6. As of 2016, the population stood at 995, making it a peaceful and intimate destination for visitors.
Teeswater, Ontario, is steeped in history, with its roots tracing back to the mid-19th century. The community is located on the Teeswater River, a tributary of the Saugeen River. The river was named by surveyors after the River Tees in England, and the settlement subsequently took its name from the river.
The first settlers, primarily of English and Scottish descent, arrived in 1856, and the post office was established in 1855. Teeswater was incorporated as a village in 1875 and remained a separate municipality until 1998 when it amalgamated with Culross Township to form the Township of Teeswater-Culross. In 1999, Teeswater-Culross further amalgamated with the Township of Mildmay-Carrick to form the new municipality of South Bruce. Today, Teeswater serves as the administrative centre of South Bruce and is the largest community in the municipality.
Teeswater, Ontario, was home to a weekly newspaper, The Teeswater News, from 1871 until 1996. After the building where the newspaper was published burned down, The Kinsman Memorial park was established in its place, completed in October 2008.
As Teeswater grew, it nurtured a rich musical tradition, supporting a string orchestra and later a flourishing concert band. The town is home to the Highlanders Pipes and Drums (established in 1961), which regularly presents concerts on the lawn beside the Town Hall.
According to the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Teeswater had a population of 1,030 living in 455 of its 484 total private dwellings. This represented a change of 3.5% from its 2016 population of 995. With a land area of 2.52 km2 (0.97 sq mi), it had a population density of 408.7/km2 (1,058.6/sq mi) in 2021.
The Teeswater-Culross Fire Hall, a key piece of the community's infrastructure, occupies the former British Petroleum Canada (BP) service station. In 1959, the service station was destroyed by fire. The lot was subsequently purchased and a new garage was erected under the BP banner. In 1976, the garage was sold to the Teeswater-Culross Fire Department, serving as a testament to the community's resilience and adaptability.
