{{Short description|Community in Ontario, Canada}} {{Use Canadian English|date=January 2023}} {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2024}} {{Infobox settlement | official_name = Pain Court | other_name = | native_name = <!-- for cities whose native name is not in English --> | nickname = | settlement_type = Unincorporated community | motto = | image_skyline = Pain Court ON.JPG | image_flag = Flag of Pain Court.png | flag_size = | image_seal = | seal_size = | image_shield = | shield_size = | city_logo = | citylogo_size = | image_map = | mapsize = | map_caption = | image_map1 = | mapsize1 = | map_caption1 = | pushpin_map = CAN ON Chatham-Kent#Canada Southern Ontario | pushpin_label_position = <!-- the position of the pushpin label: left, right, top, bottom, none --> | pushpin_map_caption = | pushpin_mapsize = | subdivision_type = Country | subdivision_name = {{CAN}} | subdivision_type1 = Province | subdivision_name1 = {{ON}} | subdivision_type2 = Municipality | subdivision_name2 = Chatham-Kent | government_type = | leader_title = | leader_name = | leader_title1 = <!-- for places with, say, both a mayor and a city manager --> | leader_name1 = | leader_title2 = | leader_name2 = | leader_title3 = | leader_name3 = | leader_title4 = | leader_name4 = | established_title = Settled | established_date = 1780s | established_title2 = <!-- Incorporated (town) --> | established_date2 = | established_title3 = <!-- Incorporated (city) --> | established_date3 = | area_magnitude = | unit_pref = | area_footnotes = | area_total_km2 = | area_land_km2 = | area_water_km2 = | area_water_percent = | area_urban_km2 = | area_metro_km2 = | population_as_of = | population_footnotes = | population_note = | population_total = | population_density_km2 = | population_metro = | population_density_metro_km2 = | population_urban = | population_density_urban_km2 = | population_blank1_title = | population_blank1 = | timezone = EST | utc_offset = -5 | timezone_DST = EDT | utc_offset_DST = -4 | coordinates = {{coord|42|24|35|N|82|18|30|W|region:CA-ON|display=inline}} | elevation_footnotes = <!--for references: use <ref> </ref> tags--> | elevation_m = | elevation_ft = | postal_code_type = Forward sortation area | postal_code = N0P 1Z0 | area_codes = 519 and 226 | blank_name = NTS Map | blank_info = 040J08 | blank1_name = GNBC Code | blank1_info = FDISB | website = | footnotes = | name = }} thumb|right|A commemorative plaque in the village
'''Pain Court''' is a historically French-speaking agricultural village in southwestern Ontario, Canada, in the municipality of Chatham-Kent. It was established in 1854, as one of the earliest French-speaking settlements in southern Ontario. Pain Court was founded when English and French-speaking squatters from the Detroit, Michigan, area began to settle the indigenous lands along the lower Thames River in the region in the 1780s.<ref>{{cite web |title=Our history |url=https://www.bonjourpaincourt.ca/ourhistory/ |website=Bonjour Pan Court |access-date=14 December 2025 |date=2023}}</ref> It derived its name from the small loaves of bread which the impoverished parishioners offered to Roman Catholic missionaries.<ref>[http://www.heritagefdn.on.ca/userfiles/HTML/nts_1_6994_1.html Ontario Heritage Trust Pain Court] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110615051614/http://www.heritagefdn.on.ca/userfiles/HTML/nts_1_6994_1.html |date=2011-06-15 }}</ref>
== History == By the 1820s in the nearby "Pain Court Block", one of the earliest French-speaking (Franco-Ontarian) communities in southern Ontario had developed. Named ''Pain Court'' (literally meaning "short bread") by Catholic missionaries in reference to the small loaves of bread which was all the impoverished parishioners could offer, the settlement was surveyed in 1829. In 1852, a chapel was built and two years later construction of a church commenced. It quickly became the cultural and educational centre of French-speaking Catholics in the area. By 1866, a small village had developed.<ref>[http://www.ontarioplaques.com/Plaques_ABC/Plaque_ChathamKent09.html Historic Plaque of Pain Court]</ref> After a post office was established, government officials renamed the area '''Dover South'''. Local residents refused to call it by that name, even sending and receiving mail under the name Pain Court. In 1911, priest Alfred Emery campaigned the federal government to allow the community to be formally recognized as Pain Court again. His efforts succeeded.<ref>{{cite web|title=Gilberts: Pain Court's post office fight helped French endure|last1=Gilbert|first1=Jim|last2=Gilbert|first2=Lisa|website=Chatham Daily News|url=https://www.chathamdailynews.ca/opinion/columnists/gilberts-pain-courts-post-office-fight-helped-french-endure|date=September 12, 2025|access-date=January 29, 2026}}</ref>
In 1899, Dover Hotel was built. The hotel was situated near a railway line and therefore attracted travellers. It later served as a residential property before its demolition in 2021.<ref>{{cite web|title=Former Dover Hotel Finally Coming Down|last1=Terfloth|first1=Trevor|website=Chatham Daily News|url=https://www.chathamdailynews.ca/news/former-dover-hotel-finally-coming-down|date=February 18, 2021|access-date=January 29, 2026}}</ref>
Formerly within Dover Township of Kent County, in 1998 the area became part of the new Municipality of Chatham-Kent.
Located in Pain Court, Laprise Farms Limited has become the largest producer of brussels sprouts in Canada as of 1998.{{citation needed|date=January 2024}}
Along with the annual Pain Court Truck and Tractor Pull, the community hosted the 2018 International Plowing Match.{{citation needed|date=October 2024}}
== Education == The ''Conseil scolaire catholique Providence'' (CSC) operates Francophone Catholic schools serving the community. It maintains its Chatham-Kent regional office in Pain Court.<ref>"[http://www.cscprovidence.ca/fr/nous-joindre/2-bureau-satellite-de-chatham-kent Bureau satellite de Chatham-Kent] {{Webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20141215050134/http://www.cscprovidence.ca/fr/nous-joindre/2-bureau-satellite-de-chatham-kent |date=15 December 2014 }}." ''Conseil scolaire catholique Providence''. Retrieved on 15 December 2014. "Adresse: 14, rue Notre Dame C.P. 70 Pain Court Ontario N0P 1Z0 Canada"</ref>
Pain Court has an elementary and a secondary French-language (francophone) school. École Sainte-Catherine is a small elementary school located directly across the street from its sister school, École secondaire de Pain Court, a small high school with 270 students.<ref>[http://www.csdecso.on.ca/Bienvenue/ecoles/kent/ES_Pain_Court/Default.htm Ecole secondaire de Pain Court / Pain Court Secondary School] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081205092617/http://www.csdecso.on.ca/Bienvenue/ecoles/kent/ES_Pain_Court/Default.htm |date=2008-12-05 }}</ref>
== Wildlife == Just west of Pain Court, on the shores of Lake St. Clair, an Environment Canada National Wildlife Area (St. Clair NWA) provides a variety of migrating birds with wetland habitat of international importance. It is one of only 51 such sites in Canada.<ref>[http://www.on.ec.gc.ca/wildlife/nwa/eng/stclair/stclair_htm-e.html#location St. Clair National Wildlife Area]</ref>
== Notable persons ==
* Maurice Bossy (1929–2008), Canadian and provincial politician was educated in Pain Court. * Joseph Caron (b. 1947), the former Canadian diplomat, was raised in Pain Court. * Lawrence Raymond "Jerry" Gervais (1919–2002) was raised in Pain Court, and is the father of British comedian Ricky Gervais (b. 1961). * Arthur Pelkey (1884–1921), heavyweight boxer.
== See also ==
* Waterfront Trail, from Sault Ste. Marie to Quebec
== References == {{reflist}}
== External links == * [https://www.chatham-kent.ca/livingck/communities/Pages/Pain-Court-and-Area.aspx Chatham-Kent Pain Court page] * [https://www.bonjourpaincourt.ca/ Village website]
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Category:Communities in Chatham-Kent