South Dundas

Last updated

South Dundas
Municipality (lower-tier)
Municipality of South Dundas
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Upper Canada Village in Morrisburg
Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry locator map 2021.svg
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South Dundas
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South Dundas
Coordinates: 44°55′N75°16′W / 44.917°N 75.267°W / 44.917; -75.267
Country Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada
Province Flag of Ontario.svg  Ontario
County Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry
Settled1785
Incorporated1792 (Royal Townships)
Incorporated1998 (South Dundas)
Government
  TypeMunicipality
  MayorJason Broad
  Federal riding Stormont—Dundas—South Glengarry
  Prov. riding Stormont—Dundas—South Glengarry
Area
[1]
  Land521.06 km2 (201.18 sq mi)
Population
 (2016) [1]
  Total10,833
  Density20.8/km2 (54/sq mi)
Time zone UTC-5 (EST)
  Summer (DST) UTC-4 (EDT)
Postal code FSA
K0C, K0E
Area code 613
Website www.southdundas.com OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg

South Dundas is a municipality in eastern Ontario, Canada, in the United Counties of Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry along the north shore of the St. Lawrence River. It is located approximately 100 kilometres (62 miles) south of Ottawa and is midway between Kingston and Montreal, Quebec.

Contents

Communities

The Municipality of South Dundas comprises a number of villages and hamlets, including the following communities:

The municipal administrative offices are located in Morrisburg.

History

The county was named in 1792 to honour Henry Dundas, who was Lord Advocate for Scotland and Colonial Secretary at the time. Matilda and Williamsburgh were two of Upper Canada's original eight Royal Townships. The northern portions of Matilda and Williamsburg townships were separated in 1798 to form the new townships of Mountain and Winchester within Dundas County.

The McIntosh apple was discovered and cultivated in South Dundas near Williamsburg. John McIntosh's parents emigrated from Inverness, Scotland to the Mohawk Valley in New York, and John moved to Upper Canada in 1796. In 1811 he acquired a farm in Dundela, and while clearing the land of second growth discovered several apple seedlings. He transplanted these, and one bore the superior fruit which became famous as the McIntosh Red apple. John's son Allan established a nursery and promoted this new species extensively. It was widely acclaimed in Ontario and the northern United States, and was introduced into British Columbia about 1910. [ citation needed ]

During the War of 1812, several battles were fought in Dundas County, present day South Dundas. The Battle of Matilda, Battle of Point Iroquois, Skirmish at Doran's Farm, and the Battle of Crysler's Farm were all fought in Dundas County along the St. Lawrence River. As well, the Dundas Militia built numerous earthworks and breastworks along the river to fortify the area from attack, in 1814, the earthwork at Point Iroquois was expanded to include a blockhouse, but due to the construction so late in the war, and the relative peace, the fort was called Fort Needless.

Morrisburg took its name from James Morris, Canada's first postmaster general. Morris also played an important role in canal-building in the area. [2]

James Pliny Whitney, Ontario's sixth premier, is buried here in the cemetery of Holy Trinity Anglican Church in Riverside Heights, just east of Morrisburg and north of County Road 2 (formerly Highway 2). Whitney was born in Williamsburg in 1843, represented Dundas County in the Legislature from 1888 to 1914 and served as Premier from 1905 to 1914.

Iroquois library and fire station at the new townsite Iroquois ON.JPG
Iroquois library and fire station at the new townsite

Morrisburg and Iroquois were partially flooded by the creation of the St. Lawrence Seaway in 1958. Unlike the Lost Villages of Cornwall and Osnabruck Townships, however, the two towns were simply relocated to higher ground in the same area. There was an international design competition in 1954 to design the new Iroquois townsite. Canadian-British architect Wells Coates was among those who submitted redevelopment concepts.

An artificial lake, Lake Saint Lawrence, now extends from a hydroelectric dam at Cornwall to the control structure at Iroquois, and replaces the formerly narrow and turbulent section of river that was impassable to large vessels. It replaces, in part, the Long Sault rapids.

Several buildings from the Lost Villages were moved to a site near Morrisburg to create Upper Canada Village, a living museum which depicts 19th century life in Upper Canada.

In 1976, stuntman Ken Carter attempted to jump a one-mile portion of the Saint Lawrence River by taking a one million dollar Lincoln Continental rocket car off an eight-storey ramp. This was billed as The Super Jump. The ramp and its runway were located in a field just west of Hanes Road, South of County road 2. The ramp has since been demolished, but the concrete runway still exists as of 2012.

The municipality was established on January 1, 1998, with the amalgamation of the former townships of Matilda and Williamsburg, along with the former villages of Iroquois and Morrisburg.

Charles A. Barkley, who was elected mayor of the municipality in the 2006 municipal elections, died unexpectedly on June 17, 2009. He had been a municipal politician since 1981, when he joined the Township of Matilda council. [3] He was succeeded by deputy mayor Robert Gillard. [4]

Demographics

Historical census populations
YearPop.±%
1986 9,772    
1991 10,230+4.7%
1996 10,900+6.5%
2001 10,783−1.1%
2006 10,535−2.3%
2011 10,794+2.5%
2016 10,833+0.4%
Population amounts prior to 2001 are total of Matilda TP, Williamsburgh TP, Iroquois VL, and Morrisburg VL.

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, South Dundas had a population of 11,044 living in 4,651 of its 4,821 total private dwellings, a change of 1.8% from its 2016 population of 10,852. With a land area of 521.54 km2 (201.37 sq mi), it had a population density of 21.2/km2 (54.8/sq mi) in 2021. [5]

Canada census – South Dundas community profile
2016 2011
Population10,833 (0.4% from 2011)10,794 (2.5% from 2006)
Land area521.06 km2 (201.18 sq mi)520.10 km2 (200.81 sq mi)
Population density20.8/km2 (54/sq mi)20.8/km2 (54/sq mi)
Median age50.0 (M: 49.3, F: 50.6)47.3 (M: 46.7, F: 48.1)
Private dwellings4,830 (total) 4700 (total) 
Median household income$65,067
References: 2016 [1] 2011 [6] earlier [7] [8]

Transportation

The only provincial highway directly serving the municipality is Highway 401. All other highway routes in the municipality, including Highway 2 and Highway 31, were decommissioned by the province in the 1990s, and were folded into Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry's county road system. Highway 416, the main route from the 401 to Ottawa, has its southern terminus at Johnstown in the neighbouring township of Edwardsburgh/Cardinal.

Morrisburg is served by a small, unattended airport adjacent to Upper Canada Village. Iroquois is served by a small unattended airport near the locks.

Sport

The Morrisburg Lions of the Eastern Ontario Junior B Hockey League play out of the Morrisburg Arena.

Thoroughbred racing pioneer Francine Villeneuve grew up in the community of Winchester Springs.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Dundas, Ontario</span> Township in Ontario, Canada

North Dundas is a township in Eastern Ontario, Canada, in the United Counties of Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Stormont</span> Township in Ontario, Canada

North Stormont is a lower tier township in eastern Ontario, Canada in the United Counties of Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry.

Dundas County is a former county in the province of Ontario, Canada. It was named after Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville, who was the British Home Secretary (1791–1794), with responsibility for the colonies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Counties of Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry</span> County in Ontario, Canada

The United Counties of Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry (SDG) is an upper-tier municipality in the Canadian province of Ontario that comprises three historical counties and excludes the City of Cornwall and the Mohawk Nation of Akwesasne. However, both Cornwall and Akwesasne form part of a larger census division named for the United Counties of Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry. The municipality's administrative office is located within Cornwall.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lost Villages</span> Communities submerged by the Saint Lawrence Seaway

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Stormont</span> Township in Ontario, Canada

South Stormont is a township in eastern Ontario, Canada, in the United Counties of Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry. It is located 53 kilometres (33 mi) southeast of Ottawa. South Stormont borders on, but does not include, the city of Cornwall.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders</span> Military unit

Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders is a Primary Reserve infantry regiment of the Canadian Army. It is part of 33 Canadian Brigade Group, 4th Canadian Division and is headquartered in Cornwall, Ontario.

The Long Sault Parkway is a group of eleven islands west of Cornwall in the Canadian province of Ontario, as well as the name of the 10.1-kilometre (6.3 mi) scenic parkway connecting them. The islands, which include two public beaches and three campgrounds, were created by the flooding of the Long Sault rapids during construction of the St. Lawrence Seaway. The parkway, the islands, and their amenities are maintained by the St. Lawrence Parks Commission.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Pliny Crysler</span> Canadian politician

John Pliny Crysler was a timber merchant and political figure in Canada West.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Cook (Upper Canada politician)</span> Merchant and politician in Upper Canada and Canada West

John Cook was a merchant and political figure in Upper Canada and Canada West.

King's Highway 31, commonly referred to as Highway 31 and historically known as the Metcalfe Road, was a provincially maintained highway in the Canadian province of Ontario. The 76.93-kilometre (47.80 mi) route connected Highway 2 in Morrisburg with the Chaudière Bridge at the Ontario–Quebec boundary in downtown Ottawa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chesterville, Ontario</span> Village in Ontario, Canada

Chesterville is a village in the township of North Dundas, within the United Counties of Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry. It is located north of Morrisburg, west of Cornwall and south-east of Ottawa. The village is situated along the South Nation River.

Seaway District High School is a small, rural secondary school in Iroquois, Ontario, Canada, a community within the township of South Dundas. The high school has an enrollment of approximately 400 students. It opened in 1957 as South Dundas District High School after the relocation of the town of Iroquois in the 1950s. The school was expanded in the mid-1960s and students from Morrisburg Collegiate Institute moved to the rechristened Seaway District High School in the fall of 1967. Some students from Mountain High School began attending Seaway in 1970. Seaway celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2017. The school takes its name from the Saint Lawrence Seaway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arza Casselman</span> Canadian politician

Arza Clair Casselman, was a Canadian lawyer and political figure in Ontario, Canada. He represented Grenville in 1921 and then Grenville—Dundas from 1925 to 1958 in the House of Commons of Canada as a Conservative and later Progressive Conservative member.

Henry Merkley (1756–1836) was a farmer and political figure in Upper Canada. He represented Dundas in the Legislative Assembly of Upper Canada from 1808 to 1812.

The Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry County Library, Ontario, Canada, was established in 1971, the SD&G County Library grew from the merger of seven existing libraries located in a number of small rural communities of Eastern Ontario, Canada: Lancaster, Ingleside, Newington, Morrisburg, Chesterville, Winchester and South Mountain. Added in the same year were branches in Maxville and Alexandria, followed by Long Sault (1972); Crysler (1973); Moose Creek, Avonmore, St. Andrews, Williamstown (1975); Brinston (1976–1998); Finch (1978) and Dalkeith (1978-2016); Williamsburg (1979); Morewood (1986-2016); Glen Robertson (1988–1998); Lancaster Township (1992–2001); and Iroquois (1998).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Morrisburg, Ontario</span> Place in Ontario, Canada

Morrisburg is an unincorporated community in the Municipality of South Dundas, located in Eastern Ontario, Canada. The population was 2,398 at the 2021 census.

Dundas was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly of the Parliament of the Province of Canada, in Canada West, on the north shore of the Saint Lawrence River east of Lake Ontario. It was created in 1841, upon the establishment of the Province of Canada by the union of Upper Canada and Lower Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dundas County Militia</span> Regiment of the provincial militia of Upper Canada

The Dundas County Militia was a regiment of the provincial militia of Upper Canada that was raised in Dundas County, Ontario, in the 1780s. The battle honours and legacy of the Dundas Militia are perpetuated by the Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Point Iroquois</span>

The Battle of Point Iroquois was a small skirmish fought on the morning of November 8, 1813, as part of Wilkinson's advance up the St. Lawrence towards Montreal. The skirmish occurred on the shores of the St. Lawrence River at Point Iroquois, Dundas County, where the river reached its narrowest point, only 500 yards across.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "2016 Community Profiles". 2016 Canadian Census . Statistics Canada. August 12, 2021. Retrieved 2019-10-24.
  2. http://www.morrisburg.ca/history " A Glimpse of Morrisburg’s History"
  3. "South Dundas mayor dead at 59". Ottawa Citizen . 2009-06-18.
  4. "Popular, generous South Dundas Mayor found dead at 59". Cornwall Standard Freeholder , June 2009.
  5. "Population and dwelling counts: Canada, provinces and territories, census divisions and census subdivisions (municipalities), Ontario". Statistics Canada. February 9, 2022. Retrieved March 31, 2022.
  6. "2011 Community Profiles". 2011 Canadian Census . Statistics Canada. March 21, 2019. Retrieved 2012-02-27.
  7. "2006 Community Profiles". 2006 Canadian Census . Statistics Canada. August 20, 2019.
  8. "2001 Community Profiles". 2001 Canadian Census . Statistics Canada. July 18, 2021.