Rideau Lakes, Ontario
Encyclopedia
Rideau Lakes is a township
located within Leeds and Grenville County
in Eastern Ontario
, Canada
. The township was incorporated on 1 January 1998 by amalgamating the former townships of North Crosby, South Crosby, Bastard, South Burgess and South Elmsley with the village of Newboro.
Rideau Lakes lies in the northwest corner of Leeds and Grenville, and is geographically the largest municipality in the county.
Farming, tourism
, and service industries form the backbone of the local economy
. The many tourist attractions in Rideau Lakes, including historic trails, the stone arch dam at Jones Falls
, and the Rideau Waterway, are also an important part of the township's economy.
Rideau Lakes has 500 km (310.7 mi) of shoreline, excluding the Rideau Waterway. The waterway itself traverses the township, from the towering granite
cliffs near Chaffeys Lock to the more gentle and pastoral areas of the Lower Rideau Lake.
The township had a population of 10,350 in the Canada 2006 Census
.
, Lombardy
, Morton, Newboro, Newboyne, Phillipsville, Plum Hollow, Portland
, Rideau Ferry
, and Scotch Point.
The independent village of Westport
is entirely surrounded by Rideau Lakes, but is not part of the township.
in 1826–32. Benjamin Tett settled here in 1833. He opened a store and later a post office. The community served as a major construction camp during the building of the Rideau Canal. Newboro was a trade centre for the region's lumbering industry and agriculture. The economic development of the community was enabled by the shipment of iron ore from local mines via the Rideau canal to smelters in Pittsburgh and Cleveland during the latter part of the 19th century.
The Village of Newboro was incorporated in 1876.
. A plaque was erected by the Chaffey's Lock and Area Heritage Society commemorating the founders, early builders, and all who have been part of the Chaffey's Lock community. Plaques have been erected by individuals and families on the Memory Wall, at Chaffey's Lock Cemetery.
Private dwellings occupied by usual residents: 4167 (total dwellings: 6468)
Mother tongue:
Township (Canada)
The term township generally means the district or area associated with a town. However in some systems no town needs to be involved. The specific use of the term to describe political subdivisions has varied by country, usually to describe a local rural or semi-rural government within the county...
located within Leeds and Grenville County
Leeds and Grenville United Counties, Ontario
The United Counties of Leeds and Grenville are located Ontario, Canada. The population, as of the 2006 census, was 99,206. The United Counties have a land area of . Leeds and Grenville are located in the subregion of Southern Ontario named Eastern Ontario, and front on the St. Lawrence River and...
in Eastern Ontario
Eastern Ontario
Eastern Ontario is a subregion of Southern Ontario in the Canadian province of Ontario which lies in a wedge-shaped area between the Ottawa River and St. Lawrence River...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. The township was incorporated on 1 January 1998 by amalgamating the former townships of North Crosby, South Crosby, Bastard, South Burgess and South Elmsley with the village of Newboro.
Rideau Lakes lies in the northwest corner of Leeds and Grenville, and is geographically the largest municipality in the county.
Farming, tourism
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
, and service industries form the backbone of the local economy
Economy
An economy consists of the economic system of a country or other area; the labor, capital and land resources; and the manufacturing, trade, distribution, and consumption of goods and services of that area...
. The many tourist attractions in Rideau Lakes, including historic trails, the stone arch dam at Jones Falls
Jones Falls Dam
Jones Falls Dam is a dam on the Rideau Canal located in Rideau Lakes, Leeds and Grenville United Counties, Ontario, Canada, that was built in 1831 and completed in 1832 to tame the mile-long series of rapids and falls that runs through the Jones Falls....
, and the Rideau Waterway, are also an important part of the township's economy.
Rideau Lakes has 500 km (310.7 mi) of shoreline, excluding the Rideau Waterway. The waterway itself traverses the township, from the towering granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
cliffs near Chaffeys Lock to the more gentle and pastoral areas of the Lower Rideau Lake.
The township had a population of 10,350 in the Canada 2006 Census
Canada 2006 Census
The Canada 2006 Census was a detailed enumeration of the Canadian population. Census day was May 16, 2006. The next census following will be the 2011 Census. Canada's total population enumerated by the 2006 census was 31,612,897...
.
Communities
Rideau Lakes contains many villages and hamlets, including Chaffeys Lock, Chantry, Crosby, Daytown, Delta, Elgin, Forfar, Freeland, Harlem, Jones FallsJones Falls Dam
Jones Falls Dam is a dam on the Rideau Canal located in Rideau Lakes, Leeds and Grenville United Counties, Ontario, Canada, that was built in 1831 and completed in 1832 to tame the mile-long series of rapids and falls that runs through the Jones Falls....
, Lombardy
Lombardy, Ontario
Lombardy, Ontario, is a community in the Township of Rideau Lakes, Leeds and Grenville County in Eastern Ontario. Its nearest communities are the town of Smiths Falls to the northeast, Rideau Ferry to the west, and Portland, Ontario to the southwest...
, Morton, Newboro, Newboyne, Phillipsville, Plum Hollow, Portland
Portland, Ontario
Portland is a community located in Eastern Ontario within the township of Rideau Lakes in the United Counties of Leeds and Grenville, Ontario, Canada, north of Kingston and situated on the Big Rideau Lake....
, Rideau Ferry
Rideau Ferry, Ontario
Rideau Ferry is a small community in Eastern Ontario, Canada, along the Rideau Waterway. Rideau Ferry straddles a narrow stretch of water joining the Big Rideau Lake to the Lower Rideau Lake...
, and Scotch Point.
The independent village of Westport
Westport, Ontario
Westport is a village in Eastern Ontario, Canada. It lies at the west end of Upper Rideau Lake, at the head of the navigable Rideau Canal system, between Kingston and Ottawa....
is entirely surrounded by Rideau Lakes, but is not part of the township.
Newboro
A plaque was erected by the Ontario Heritage Foundation commemorating the founding of Newboro with the building of the Rideau CanalRideau Canal
The Rideau Canal , also known as the Rideau Waterway, connects the city of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada on the Ottawa River to the city of Kingston, Ontario on Lake Ontario. The canal was opened in 1832 as a precaution in case of war with the United States and is still in use today, with most of its...
in 1826–32. Benjamin Tett settled here in 1833. He opened a store and later a post office. The community served as a major construction camp during the building of the Rideau Canal. Newboro was a trade centre for the region's lumbering industry and agriculture. The economic development of the community was enabled by the shipment of iron ore from local mines via the Rideau canal to smelters in Pittsburgh and Cleveland during the latter part of the 19th century.
The Village of Newboro was incorporated in 1876.
Chaffey's Lock
A plaque was erected by the Ontario Heritage Foundation commemorating the founding of Chaffey's Lock by Benjamin and Samuel Chaffey, who established mills here in 1820. Samuel Chaffey settling here shortly thereafter. The site included a distillery and saw, grist, carding, and fulling mills by 1827. The mills were flooded by the building of the Rideau CanalRideau Canal
The Rideau Canal , also known as the Rideau Waterway, connects the city of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada on the Ottawa River to the city of Kingston, Ontario on Lake Ontario. The canal was opened in 1832 as a precaution in case of war with the United States and is still in use today, with most of its...
. A plaque was erected by the Chaffey's Lock and Area Heritage Society commemorating the founders, early builders, and all who have been part of the Chaffey's Lock community. Plaques have been erected by individuals and families on the Memory Wall, at Chaffey's Lock Cemetery.
Demographics
Population trend:- Population in 2006: 10,350 (2001 to 2006 population change: 6.8%)
- Population in 2001: 9,687
- Population in 1996:
- Bastard and South Burgess Township: 2692
- Newboro Village: 291
- North Crosby Township: 1097
- South Crosby Township: 1910
- South Elmsley Township: 3574
- Population in 1991:
- Bastard and South Burgess Township: 2610
- Newboro Village: 282
- North Crosby Township: 968
- South Crosby Township: 1677
- South Elmsley Township: 3065
Private dwellings occupied by usual residents: 4167 (total dwellings: 6468)
Mother tongue:
- English as first language: 94.2%
- French as first language: 2.1%
- English and French as first language: 0.3%
- Other as first language: 3.4%