Belleville in Hastings County, Ontario — Central Canada (North America)
Site of the Wharf Street Debating Club from 1921-2013
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, May 30, 2024
1. Site of the Wharf Street Debating Club from 1921-2013 Marker
For nearly a century, a converted wooden boat house housed the City of Belleville's most colourful & controversial institution. Every civic election, aspiring politicians would nervously endure caustic jabs & verbal skewering by Foster Ward's working-class wits who, for one night, could expose the sins & broken promises of their supposed betters. While pipe & cigar smoke choked the air thicker than a London fog, the language could make a sailor blush. Women were barred entry for decades but, after a historic & lively battle, they won admittance (in 1988) and the wit meter rose even higher.
C.W. Hunt
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Communications • Fraternal or Sororal Organizations • Women. A significant historical year for this entry is 1921.
Location. 44° 9.487′ N, 77° 22.834′ W. Marker is in Belleville, Ontario, in Hastings County. It is at the intersection of South Front Street and St. Paul Street, on the left when traveling north on South Front Street. The marker is located beside the sidewalk at the former Wharf Street Debating Club site. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in Eastern Ontario and specifically in Southeastern Ontario. It is also in Central Canada. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once a British colony, the Viceroyalty of New France, the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, and Ruperts Land.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Sir Mackenzie Bowell (within shouting distance of this marker); Belleville (about 150 meters away, measured in a direct line); The Belle of the Bay / Strolling Meyers Pier (approx. 0.3 kilometers away); Jane Forrester Park (approx. 0.4 kilometers away); Home of the Wharf Rats (approx. 0.4 kilometers away); The Thurlow Purchase (approx. 0.4 kilometers away); Market Square (approx. 0.6 kilometers away); Site of the Historic Bogart-Carman Building / Site de l'edifice historique Bogart-Carman (approx. 0.6 kilometers away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Belleville.
Related markers.
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, May 30, 2024
2. Site of the Wharf Street Debating Club from 1921-2013 Marker
The former Wharf Street Debating Club site is a vacant lot today.
Also see . . . The Wharf Street Debating Club: A History.
(By Katie Coleman) Excerpt: Its been a long-standing tradition in Belleville to put candidates for municipal government in the hot seat. The tradition comes from the area that used to be Foster Ward, the southeastern part of the city that hugs the Bay of Quinte. This is where the working class lived. It was where many factories were located. It was these factory workers and shiphands that formed the Wharf Street Debating Club. The club started as a place for these men to gather, drink, and debate current events. Another factor in the formation of the club was the people of Foster Ward felt underrepresented in city politics. The first recorded Bun Feed took place in 1913, according to a book by local author C. W. Hunt called Dockside Democracy: Women, Foster Ward & and the Wharf Street Debating Club.(Submitted on December 5, 2024, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
Credits. This page was last revised on December 9, 2024. It was originally submitted on December 5, 2024, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 112 times since then and 7 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on December 5, 2024, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
