The Township of Rideau Lakes will mark its 25^th Anniversary on January 1, 2023. The Township was created by merging the neighbouring historic municipalities of North Crosby, South Crosby, Bastard and South Burgess, South Elmsley, as well as the village of Newboro.

This amalgamation took place in 1998 – with the Township of Rideau Lakes officially making its debut in the same month as the historic ice storm that devastated Eastern Ontario. Residents in the newly formed municipality suddenly found themselves without power and resources due to more than 10 cm of freezing rain which had fallen overnight. The thick ice buckled hydro towers, downed countless trees and made roads impassable.

Rideau Lakes Mayor, Arie Hoogenboom, notes that what started out as a troubling time actually ended up creating a stronger municipality. “The Township of Rideau Lakes was born in the midst of the ice storm – and it was during this time, following months of transition planning, that it started working together as one Township.”

Uniting under adversity and emerging as a leader on the rural municipal landscape, a quarter of a century later, Rideau Lakes is still leading rapid municipal change and modernization.

During the last 25 years, the Township of Rideau Lakes has implemented numerous key initiatives, including community-wide curbside collection, major road hard-surfacing campaigns, a private road improvement grant program, and constructing new or expanding community halls in North Crosby, Elgin and South Elmsley. It has also committed to an ongoing village revitalization campaign, which has seen major public investment towards streetscape renewal, in an effort to elevate the rural villages in the municipality as the commercial and social hubs of the community.

The Township of Rideau Lakes also spearheaded the local fibre project rollout, which sees fibre-to-the-home available in all villages, key tourism nodes and major connecting routes. As a result of the three-year investment, nearly half of all properties in Rideau Lakes now have access to next generation internet. This directly impacts businesses and residents who rely on high-speed internet service but operate rurally.

For the environment, the Township created the Rideau Lakes’ Lake Association Committee (RLLAC) in 2019 to actively monitor water quality and preserve the natural habitat that makes Rideau Lakes an idyllic place to live, work and play.

As the Township celebrates its past, Rideau Lakes is also keeping a keen eye on the future. Moving forward, the Township is pursuing opportunities celebrating its growing population and economic activity.

Today, construction, farming, tourism and service industries form the backbone of the local economy. The unique geography within the municipality includes an abundance of scenic lakes and more than 840 km of shoreline – in addition to being home to the Rideau Canal, one of Canada’s premiere UNESCO World Heritage sites. As such, it continues to grow and prosper as a beloved cottage country destination.

The Township is poised to continue making positive changes and preserving its charm for the next quarter century.

Join us for a public celebration of the 25^th Anniversary of the Township of Rideau Lakes on Saturday, January 14^th from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Newboro Community Hall. All are welcome to share memories of the past 25 years as a municipality and enjoy an official cake-cutting to mark the milestone. RSVP to Marie White at 1-800-928-2250 ext. 288 or at Learn more at www.rideaulakes.ca and follow along on social media.

Reserve your spot to Attend the 25th Anniversary Celebration: https://RideauLakes25thAnniversaryCelebration.eventbrite.ca