Discover 1000 Islands and Rideau Canal Waterways leedsgrenville.com where lifestyle grows good business Inside Welcome 1 Discover What We’re Famous For 2 1000 Islands 3 Rideau Canal Waterways 5 St. Lawrence Seaway 6 Natural Attractions 8 Heritage 10 Cultural Connection 12 Our Treasures 14 Map 16 Lifestyle 18 What Locals Know 19 Our Municipalities 26 Contact Us 32 Relocation 33 Distance From Estimated United Counties of Leeds and Grenville Central Leeds Grenville (km) (mi) Economic Development Office Toronto, Ontario 322 200 32 Wall Street, Suite 300 Ottawa, Ontario 133 82 Brockville, Ontario, Canada K6V 4R9 Montreal, Québec 225 139 613-342-3840, ext. 5362 New York City, NY, U.S.A. 596 370 North America toll free: 1-800-770-2170 Detroit, MI, U.S.A 680 422 International: 00+1+613+342+3840 Windsor, Ontario E-mail: [email protected] Kingston, Ontario 74 46 www.leedsgrenville.com/visit We invite you to be part of something special Welcome to the United Counties of Leeds and Grenville Just south of Ottawa, our Nation’s Capital, lies Leeds Grenville – matchlessly positioned between the picturesque, world-renowned 1000 Islands and Rideau Canal waterways. We treasure our 1000 Islands and St. Lawrence Seaway views and the extensive Rideau Canal waterway and lock system. This guide will tell you more about our signature experiences, our historic forts and mills, our culture and heritage. Leeds Grenville is a place where you will discover amazing outdoor experiences, from world-class, fresh water scuba diving to intriguing hiking. We’re home to two United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) world designations – the Rideau Canal and the Frontenac Arch Biosphere. Look inside to learn more about our 13 municipalities, what we’re famous for and why we’re happy to invite you to be part of something special. where1000 lifestyle Islands and Rideau Canal 1 grows good business Waterways www.leedsgrenville.com/visit Discover what we’re famous for! We’ve got the sights, the sounds, and the fresh river breezes. The 1000 Islands Region, also named The Garden of the Great Spirit, is one of the most inspiring and unforgettable landscapes in the world with an archipelago of 1,864 islands within an 80 kilometre (50 mile) radius. It was voted the Best Boat Ride with its scenery and historic landmarks in a 2014 online readers’ poll by USA Today Travel. The magazine noted this region has been “made with nautical tourism in mind.” Being able to experience amazing shorelines and multi-million dollar castles and mansions adds further to our appeal. Reliving the Gilded Age is possible when cruising by Boldt Castle on Heart Island and Singer Castle on Dark Island. 2 www.leedsgrenville.com/visit 1000 Islands This outdoor recreational haven is unique for its boat cruises and island camping that lies along the peaceful border between Leeds Grenville in southeastern Ontario, Canada, and Upper New York State, U.S.A. Fishing, water sports, island hopping and river tours are just some of the activities enjoyed here. The Thousand Islands National Park has over 20 islands with public docks and walking trails. The Islands are tops of ancient mountains ranging in size from 100 square kilometres (40 square miles) to tiny outcroppings. The minimum criteria of an island is to be above water level year round, have an where lifestyle area greater than .093 metres (1 square foot) 3 grows good business and support at least one living tree. www.leedsgrenville.com/visit 4 www.leedsgrenville.com/visit Rideau Canal Waterways The Rideau Canal is a recreational nirvana created by one of the 19th Century’s greatest engineering feats. The National Historic Site and Canadian Heritage River was formed via a chain of scenic lakes, rivers and canals winding from Kingston on Lake Ontario to Ottawa, our Nation’s Capital. The Rideau offers 202 kilometres (125 miles) of beautiful shorelines and memorable natural and historic sights for visitors and residents alike. It was opened in 1832 after two river systems were linked using 47 locks. Today the boater’s paradise remains one of the oldest continuously operating canals in North America. Recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Destination, the Rideau is operated and preserved by Parks Canada. The canal’s wetlands are home to rare plant and animal species and a diverse fish population. There are four distinct natural landscapes along the route: the Ottawa Clay Plain, the Smiths Falls Limestone Plain, the Frontenac Axis extension of the rugged Canadian Shield and the Napanee Plain. It is Canada’s 14th and Ontario’s only World Heritage Site. This diverse waterway is a delight to explore by canoe, kayak, tour and motorboat, or experience it by automobile, bicycle or on foot along the Rideau Trail and the Rideau Heritage Route. where1000 lifestyle Islands and growsRideau good Canal 5 Waterways business The Rideau Canal was considered a busy national highway until the 1950s when rapids on the St. Lawrence River were tamed by a series of locks and commercial traffic switched to the more direct route into the Great Lakes. St. Lawrence Seaway The St. Lawrence River is known as “Le Fleuve,” the Greatest Canadian River, and we are fortunate to have it flowing past our community here in Leeds Grenville. Also known as the St. Lawrence Seaway, the river is both a trade corridor as well as a recreational waterway attracting millions of visitors to its waters and its scenic 1000 Islands every year. There are dozens of shipwrecks under the river’s waves perfect for world-class, fresh-water scuba diving. The river stretches about 600 kilometres (370 miles) from Montreal to Lake Ontario, part of the interior Great Lakes. The Seaway enables shipping trade from the Atlantic Ocean to travel deep into the heart of North America to Lake Superior. The St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation oversees the movement of marine traffic. Deep-draft ocean vessels, lakers, tour boats and recreational watercraft have been sharing this unique passageway since 1959. There are many viewing points along the river close to the shipping channel, including Cardinal, Johnstown, Prescott, Maitland, Blockhouse Island and the Brockville Narrows. Crossover Island, where freighters cross from the Canadian to American channel, 6 is located in New York State close to the Canadian border. www.leedsgrenville.com/visitwww.leedsgrenville.com/visit The St. Lawrence Seaway is considered one of the world’s greatest and most strategic commercial waterways with a top-notch safety and reliability record. The seaway was built through a binational partnership between Canada and the United States. where lifestyle 7 grows good business Explore our natural attractions There are 24 inland lakes with great diversity of the Frontenac Arch with its classic rock in their sizes and attributes. Charleston Lake formations, including the famous Indian Head. is the largest with hundreds of kilometres of Visitors are amazed at the size of this lake and shoreline, about 100 islands and prime fishing the many inlets. Charleston Lake Provincial Park locations. Located north of the 1000 Islands is located on the west side of this expansive and St. Lawrence River, Charleston Lake is part body of water. There are beaches, very rare rock shelters, and extensive trails, including Blue Mountain (highest point in this part of the region). Another favourite is Beverley Lake and its municipally-run campground. The Cataraqui, Rideau Valley and South Nation conservation authorities protect our natural heritage, resources and environment in Leeds Grenville. The region’s conservation areas include Mac Johnson Wildlife Area, Lyn Valley, Foley Mountain, Mill Pond, Portland Bay, Rideau Ferry and Marble Rock. 8 www.leedsgrenville.com/visitwww.leedsgrenville.com/visit Limerick Forest is a 5984-hectare (14,787 acres) community forest owned and managed by the United Counties of Leeds and Grenville. For residents and visitors alike, it offers 180 kilometres (112 miles) of mixed-use trails. The forest is comprised of approximately 27% wetland, 30% conifer plantation and 40% mixed forest. Limerick has Forest Stewardship Council certification. The Frontenac Arch Biosphere Reserve is a source of pride. The UNESCO designated it as a World Biosphere Reserve in 2002 for its global significance. The Frontenac Arch is a ridge of ancient granite that joins the Adirondack Mountains to the Canadian Shield. To many, the Canadian Shield is the quintessential Canadian landscape, the rugged north and a land of lakes and forests. The Frontenac Arch and the Canadian Shield were a massive range of towering mountains at one time. It took hundreds of millions of years for these mountains to weather down to their roots. Five great forest regions and the eastern continent meet and intermingle here, giving the region Canada’s greatest diversity of plant and animal species over an area of approximately 2,700-square kilometres. The Arch connects the Canadian Shield and the Boreal forest to the forests of the Adirondack and Appalachian Mountains. The river valley formed a route from the Great Lakes forest heartland of the continent to the forests of the Atlantic Coast. where1000 lifestyle Islands and Rideau Canal 9 grows good business Waterways Encounter our heritage The United Empire Loyalists began settling Fort Wellington in Prescott was built during this area in the late 1700s. Some of the first the War of 1812 as protection from a possible settlements were in the townships of Augusta attack by the U.S.A. The Battle of the Windmill and Edwardsburgh. Site was the location of an uprising in 1838. The Fort and Windmill are two of a total The Old Stone Mill in Delta is a National 15 designated National Historic Sites in Historic Site, built in 1810 and an example of this region.