Belleville City Overview
(Go to the Belleville Sport Hotels Section)

A visit in the spring of 1816, by Sir Francis Gore, Lieutenant-Governor of Upper Canada and his wife, Lady Arabella, inspired the residents to change the name of their settlement to Belleville in honour of the fair lady.

In 1789 some fifty United Empire Loyalists settled here. The most notable was Captain John Walden Meyers, a true renaissance man. Hardworking and resourceful, he built a dam on the Moira River and erected a sawmill, a gristmill and a distillery. He operated a trading post and a brick kiln. He is credited with building the first brick house in Upper Canada in 1794. Meyers' gristmill drew settlers from Napanee to Port Hope to have their grinding done and the community soon became known as Meyers Creek.

The City of Belleville, enlarged by an amalgamation with the Township of Thurlow, and the annexation of a portion of the City of Quinte West, has a population of approximately 46,000 people, based on the 2001 census. Belleville is the largest urban centre in a much larger market area generally known as the Quinte Region. This area, which extends approximately 25 miles in all directions from Belleville's City centre, has an estimated population of approximately 173,000 people.

Belleville, at the centre of a growing region, is the largest community in Hastings County. It holds a key position on Highway 401 between Toronto and Montreal as well as an enviable location on the Bay of Quinte.

Belleville Ontario has great opportunities for sport tournaments of all kinds. Sport tourism is a part of Belleville Ontario and features hockey, basketball, soccer and a host of other sports.