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Our Villages and Hamlets
Rideau Lakes is a community of Villages and Hamlets. Explore and learn about the landscape and the people. Each village and hamlet have a unique culture and story to tell. Whether you’re a visitor looking to discover your roots in the area, a family trying out an adventure on the water, or an urbanite seeking a safe and quiet, rural lifestyle… Rideau Lakes will find a place in your heart.
For thousands of years before European settlers arrived in what is now called Rideau Lakes, Algonquin speaking peoples, the Massasauga and proto-Hurons lived in these lands. Indigenous artifacts have been discovered around all of the lakes throughout this area, some that are more than 9000 years old. When the European settlers arrived, just over 200 years ago, the communities of Rideau Lakes were born.
The historic settlement of California is located on the west side of Jones Falls in the Canadian Shield. Although there are pockets of soil for farming, the area is basically very rugged. The first question most people ask is about the origin of the name.
There are a lot of theories about why this historic settlement is called The Bush, but probably the best explanation is that it was in the “bush” – a wilderness area when the road was named. This part of historic South Crosby was one of the first settled areas in the township.
Oliver’s Ferry, now known as Rideau Ferry, is situated on a narrow channel between Lower and Big Rideau lakes on the Rideau Canal system. It is the narrowest crossing point between the locks at Poonamalie and Rideau Narrows. Today the village spans the crossing, and the south part is situated in Rideau Lakes township.
It has been determined that Bastard Township was first settled by Elder Abel Stevens who arrived from Vermont in the early 1790s. In 1794, he was granted land where he finally settled and named the community Stevenstown, now known as Delta.
Otter Lake, on the south shore of the Rideau waterway, drains into Otter Creek which meanders over ten miles to the Rideau River. The lake is situated on a limestone plain which formed the bed of the western part of the Champlain Sea from approximately 13,000 to 10,000 years ago.
Our Lakes
The Township of Rideau Lakes boasts 30 lakes in our municipality which provide our residents with outstanding scenic vistas, recreational opportunities, and an awareness of the environmental sensitivity that comes with having so many important surface water features in our area.
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Source: Rideau Lakes Township aquatic and terrestrial breakdown – prepared by Chris Czerwinski (RVCA, 2022)
Above: A simple view of Rideau Lakes Township aquatic and terrestrial landscape (based on mapping from: https://geohub.lio.gov.on.ca/datasets/mnrf::ontario-hydro-network-ohn-waterbody/about). Open water wetlands in this map are mapped as “water”.
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Blair(s) Settlement, also known as Centreville, was named for the large Blair family whose homes dotted Concession 9, which later became Perth Road and Country Road 10.
By 1806, the land that is now North Crosby and Newboro Ward had been surveyed and divided up into 10 concessions by 27 lots. It was called North Crosby Township. What became Salem was on the western edge, near the boundary with what is now Frontenac County. It saw its first settlers in the late 1820s.
The name “The Narrows” identifies the narrow point between what are today the Upper Rideau and Big Rideau Lakes. Before the Rideau Canal was built in the 1830s, the entire stretch of water was called, simply, Rideau Lake. At that time, the Narrows were referred to as the “Upper Narrows”, to distinguish them from the “Lower Narrows”, at what is now Rideau Ferry.
The lakes and rivers in the Township of Rideau Lakes offer great fishing opportunities. Species caught along the length of the Rideau Waterway include Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, Lake Trout, Yellow Perch, Black Crappie, Muskellunge, and Walleye.
Get an Ontario fishing permit and outdoors card and check the rules about fishing seasons (see below) before dropping a line.
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The wards and communities of the Township of Rideau Lakes have a rich heritage. This area was used for millennia by Native Americans as a travel route and rich fishing ground. The first surveys were done in the late 1700s with settlers arriving soon thereafter.
For a great selection of heritage photos, see Lakes and Islands, Times Past - The shared digital histories of Rideau Lakes and Leeds and the Thousand Islands.
Programs & Partners
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Rideau Lakes offers a variety of establishments from fine dining to food trucks. Experience an elegant dinner at the Stagecoach Inn Restaurant in historic Newboro after shopping at Kilborn’s destination store or have a shore lunch prepared by Stirling Lodge on Newboro Lake. Try the licenced waterfront patio overlooking Big Rideau Lake at The Galley Restaurant in Portland, or meander to little cafes and chip wagons as you explore the quaint villages and small communities in Rideau Lakes. Click here for the Leeds-Grenville business directory of listings for Rideau Lakes.
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Rideau Lakes offers a mix of establishments for your retail experience. From cheese outlets to flea markets, liquor stores (LCBO) to art galleries, there’s lots to discover in Rideau Lakes. Click here for the Leeds-Grenville business directory of listings for Rideau Lakes.
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Rideau Lakes is located in the heart of eastern Ontario, half an hour north of the City of Kingston, on Lake Ontario, and an hour south of Ottawa, the Nation’s Capital. We’re not far from Toronto and Montreal, and just a hop and jump from New York State. Several international bridges and 400 series highways make us very accessible.
The historic Rideau Canal and Waterway – a UNESCO World Heritage Site - runs directly through the area, connecting the many lakes, towns and villages in our community. Bring your cruiser, fishing boat, canoe or kayak and explore our lakes and waterways. By road, you can easily crisscross our township via County and Township roads.
How to Find Us
| From | km | miles | Estimated Driving Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toronto, Ontario | 322 | 200 | 3 hrs 15 mins. |
| Trenton, Ontario | 160 | 99 | 1 hr. 44 mins |
| Kingston, Ontario | 74 | 46 | 45 mins. |
| Ottawa, Ontario | 133 | 82 | 1 hr. |
| Montreal, Ontario | 225 | 139 | 2 hrs. 10 mins. |
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| New York, New York, U.S.A. | 596 | 370 | 6 hrs. |
| Detroit, Michigan, U.S.A. | 680 | 422 | 7 hrs. |
Map of the Township of Rideau Lakes
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