Bancroft (/ˈbæŋkrɒft/) is a town located on the York River in Hastings County in the Canadian province of Ontario.

[4] By 1823, the government had purchased nearly two million acres of land from the Chippewa and Mississaga First Nations including a tract on the York River in Hastings County which had been established in 1792.

Early settlers included James Cleak and Alfred Barker from England who arrived in 1855, settling on Quarry Lake.

Some of the earliest settlers were United Empire Loyalists, but from 1856 to 1861, most were from Ireland, fleeing the problems caused by the Great Famine; many had farming experience and settled in the Township of Dungannon where the land was fertile.

In 1903, the Irondale, Bancroft and Ottawa Railway connected to the COR north of town at what is now Y Road, referring to the wye junction joining the two lines.

[21] Prior to amalgamation (1999): Mother tongue:[25] In 2021, Bancroft was ranked as the best place in Canada to buy real estate by MoneySense.

Silent Lake has a rocky and undeveloped shoreline, a mixed forest and marshes full of birds and wildlife best seen by canoe.

Like Silent Lake, Algonquin has a rocky, treed and extensive undeveloped shoreline, a mixed forest and marshes full of birds and wildlife best seen by canoe.

The park is home to many local plants including Poplar, White Birch, Ash, Buffalo Berry, and Purple Flowering Raspberry.

The rest of the hike is done on a dirt road, continue walking for another 10 to 15 minutes and you will come to a clearing where you will be standing at the top of the main waterfall - Egan Chute.

It is built on the top of a sheer rock face and overlooks the northern portions of the town, the York River and Bancroft Airport.

It features the Hawkwatch Trail, capped by a large wooden platform that provides views out over the town.

A large number of artists and artisans live in the surrounding area, and exhibit together in events like the "Fall Studio Tour".

The Art Gallery of Bancroft hosts 11-12 exhibitions per year celebrating the work of local and regional artists and artisans.

[29] The town is home to the Village Playhouse,[30] a theatre which has been hosting sold out plays, musicals and concerts since the early 1990s.

Formerly the Bancroft Community Hall, the historical building was once the local jail, court house and library.

Bancroft is served by the Jack Brown Airport, a Transport Canada Registered Aerodrome (CNW3), with a 2,200-foot (670 m) crushed gravel runway, located immediately adjoining the town.

[11] The old train station in Bancroft served as the Chamber of Commerce and Mineral Museum until it was condemned in 2008.

In 2011, the old station was moved onto a new foundation;[32] it is now restored with an addition at the southern end of the building to house the Bancroft Gem and Mineral Club's museum[33] and a caboose, which is not currently in use.