HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Perth is a town in
Eastern Ontario Eastern Ontario (census population 1,763,186 in 2016) (french: Est de l'Ontario) is a secondary region of Southern Ontario in the Canadian province of Ontario which lies in a wedge-shaped area between the Ottawa River and St. Lawrence River. It s ...
, Canada. It is located on the
Tay River The Tay River is a river in Lanark County in Eastern Ontario, Canada. Shows the course of the river on a topographic map. It is in the Saint Lawrence River drainage basin and is a left tributary of the Rideau River. The Tay River watershed, co ...
, southwest of
Ottawa Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...
, and is the seat of
Lanark County Lanark County is a county located in the Canadian province of Ontario. Its county seat is Perth, which was first settled in 1816.Brown, Howard Morton, 1984. Lanark Legacy, Nineteenth Century Glimpses of on Ontario County. Corporation of the Cou ...
.


History

The town was established as a military settlement in 1816, shortly after the
War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It bega ...
. The settlement of Lanark County began in 1815. In that year "the Settlement forming on the Rideau River" as it was officially referred to (and which soon became known as "Perth Military Settlement") began to function under Military direction. The settlement was named Perth in honour of acting Governor-General Sir Gordon Drummond, whose ancestral home was
Perthshire Perthshire (locally: ; gd, Siorrachd Pheairt), officially the County of Perth, is a historic county and registration county in central Scotland. Geographically it extends from Strathmore in the east, to the Pass of Drumochter in the north, ...
. Several townships were surveyed to facilitate the location of farms for military and other settlers; and the site of the future Town of Perth, which had been chosen as the headquarters of the Military Establishment was surveyed in 1816. Many of the first settlers were military veterans on half pay, while others were military veterans from France, Germany, Poland, Italy, Scotland or Ireland who were offered land in return for their service. The Reverend William Bell, who arrived in June 1817, noted in his diaries that the settlement was more European than the Scottish settlement described to him. The first Scottish settlers came in 1816. Many of the Scottish immigrants were
stonemason Stonemasonry or stonecraft is the creation of buildings, structures, and sculpture using stone as the primary material. It is one of the oldest activities and professions in human history. Many of the long-lasting, ancient shelters, temples, mo ...
s; their work can be seen in many area buildings and in the locks of the
Rideau Canal The Rideau Canal, also known unofficially as the Rideau Waterway, connects Canada's capital city of Ottawa, Ontario, to Lake Ontario and the Saint Lawrence River at Kingston. It is 202 kilometres long. The name ''Rideau'', French for "curtain", ...
. The military regime lasted until 1824, when settlers were granted municipal rights, i.e., 'the right of self-government'. For many years Perth was the military, judicial, political and social capital, not only of the County of Lanark, but of the whole of the Ottawa Valley, north and west, until owing to the construction of the Rideau Canal, and the development of the lumber industry further north and west along the Ottawa, it finally was eclipsed by the town called "
Bytown Bytown is the former name of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It was founded on September 26, 1826, incorporated as a town on January 1, 1850, and superseded by the incorporation of the City of Ottawa on January 1, 1855. The founding was marked by a Grou ...
"—the present City of Ottawa, the Capital of the Dominion. But for many years the people of the town of Bytown, while it was still 'Bytown' had to come to Perth for their law and justice, for the law courts of the whole great district were located there. The first secretary/stores-keeper (and eventually postmaster and superintendent) of the settlement was Daniel Daverne, brought up from the Quarter Masters General Department in
Kingston, Ontario Kingston is a city in Ontario, Canada. It is located on the north-eastern end of Lake Ontario, at the beginning of the St. Lawrence River and at the mouth of the Cataraqui River (south end of the Rideau Canal). The city is midway between Toro ...
, to assume these positions. Perth is home to a pioneer burial ground, St. Paul's United Church Cemetery, formerly The Old Methodist Burying Ground. This cemetery is at the south-east end of the Last Duel Park on Robinson Street. The Craig Street Cemetery, sometimes referred to as the "Old Burying Grounds" also contains many historic graves and saw use from 1820 to 1873. The town's motto is "Pro Rege, Lege et Grege" ("For the King, the Law and the People"), which is shared with the City of Perth in Scotland, and which was adopted in 1980 along with a new crest. The previous motto, "Festina lente sed certo" ("Make haste slowly but surely"), and original town crest appears on the uniforms of the Perth Citizen's Band. Founded in 1850, this band continues a tradition of community music with numerous concerts each season. Near the town is the home of world
show jumping Show jumping is a part of a group of English riding equestrianism, equestrian events that also includes dressage, eventing, Show hunter, hunters, and equitation. Jumping classes are commonly seen at horse shows throughout the world, including th ...
champion
Ian Millar Ian Millar, CM (born 6 January 1947) is a Canadian Equestrian Team athlete for show jumping. He is a two-time winner of the Show Jumping World Cup, and an Olympic silver medalist. Due to his longevity and accomplishments, he is often nickname ...
and Millar Brooke Farm where his great horse
Big Ben Big Ben is the nickname for the Great Bell of the Great Clock of Westminster, at the north end of the Palace of Westminster in London, England, and the name is frequently extended to refer also to the clock and the clock tower. The officia ...
(1976–1999) is buried. The town has erected a bronze life-sized statue of the horse and Ian Millar, in Stewart Park, across from the Code's Mill building. This town was the site of the last fatal
duel A duel is an arranged engagement in combat between two people, with matched weapons, in accordance with agreed-upon Code duello, rules. During the 17th and 18th centuries (and earlier), duels were mostly single combats fought with swords (the r ...
in Upper Canada. Robert Lyon, a law student, was killed on June 13, 1833, after fighting over a woman (Elizabeth Hughes) with a former friend, John Wilson. A local park is named "Last Duel Park" to commemorate the event. In 1893, a 22,000 pound
cheese Cheese is a dairy product produced in wide ranges of flavors, textures, and forms by coagulation of the milk protein casein. It comprises proteins and fat from milk, usually the milk of cows, buffalo, goats, or sheep. During production, ...
known as the 'Mammoth Cheese' was produced in Perth to be exhibited in Chicago at the
World's Columbian Exposition The World's Columbian Exposition (also known as the Chicago World's Fair) was a world's fair held in Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordi ...
to promote Canadian cheese around the world. The Links O'Tay Golf course, walking distance from the downtown core, began its trek through golfing history in 1890 and is now Canada's oldest continuously operating golf course. The Perth Citizens Band, still giving concerts on the bandstand behind Town Hall, is a tradition dating back over 150 years. The band is Canada's oldest active town band. The Perth Citizens Band played "The Maple Leaf Forever" as the Mammoth Cheese departed to the Chicago World's Fair in 1893. The bandstand has been behind the Town Hall since it was moved there in 1901 and free summer concerts have taken place there ever since. Perth is also the site of the first installation of a telephone other than Bell's experimental installations. A town dentist, Dr. J. F. Kennedy, a friend of
Alexander Graham Bell Alexander Graham Bell (, born Alexander Bell; March 3, 1847 – August 2, 1922) was a Scottish-born inventor, scientist and engineer who is credited with patenting the first practical telephone. He also co-founded the American Telephone and Te ...
, installed a direct telephone connection between his home and office. By 1887, there were 19 telephones in Perth, with a switchboard in Dr. Kennedy's office. In 2010, Perth held the historic "Kilt Run" in which 1,067 kilt-clad runners crossed the finish line. The idea to hold a kilt run in Perth was conceived of in October 2009 by Terry Stewart after the Mayor submitted a letter to the ''Perth Courier'' requesting town residents come up with an idea to help
Perth, Scotland Perth (Scottish English, locally: ; gd, Peairt ) is a city in central Scotland, on the banks of the River Tay. It is the administrative centre of Perth and Kinross council area and the historic county town of Perthshire. It had a population o ...
celebrate its 800th anniversary. The Perth, Ontario, Kilt Run has since become an annual event. The 2016 Kilt Run attracted 5,000 runners as part of the town's 200th anniversary.


Attractions

The
Tay River The Tay River is a river in Lanark County in Eastern Ontario, Canada. Shows the course of the river on a topographic map. It is in the Saint Lawrence River drainage basin and is a left tributary of the Rideau River. The Tay River watershed, co ...
splits into two main channels for much of its course through Perth. Much of downtown Perth, including the town hall, is on the island formed by the two channels. During the summer and fall of 2015, the fork in the river was modified to reduce erosion and flooding downstream. The heritage downtown core of today's Perth consists of boutiques, specialty shops, cafés and restaurants, including crafts, antiques and flea markets, and summer Farmers' and Craft Markets. Most of these operate out of the century-old stone buildings in town. Code's Mill began as a tannery in the 1840s and then produced socks and felts until the mid-1900s. It was renovated in 1998 and now features a restaurant, boutique shops and wedding hall. The Perth Museum, situated downtown at the Matheson House, is a historic house constructed in 1840 and is designated as a
National Historic Site of Canada National Historic Sites of Canada (french: Lieux historiques nationaux du Canada) are places that have been designated by the federal Minister of the Environment An environment minister (sometimes minister of the environment or secretary of t ...
. Erected in 1863, the Perth Town Hall stands out as one of the most impressive municipal buildings in
Eastern Ontario Eastern Ontario (census population 1,763,186 in 2016) (french: Est de l'Ontario) is a secondary region of Southern Ontario in the Canadian province of Ontario which lies in a wedge-shaped area between the Ottawa River and St. Lawrence River. It s ...
. The two-storey structure with cupola-shaped clock tower is constructed from white or cream-coloured freestone (
Potsdam sandstone The Potsdam Sandstone, more formally known as the Potsdam Group, is a geologic unit of mid-to-late Cambrian age found in Northern New York and northern Vermont and Quebec and Ontario. A well-cemented sandstone of nearly pure quartz, in the 19th c ...
). Throughout the years, the building has housed an auditorium, council chambers, post office, police headquarters, lock-up and municipal offices. Perth's downtown area lies within a designated Heritage Conservation District. Stewart Park, located behind Town Hall, features gardens, bridges, walking paths and treed picnic areas along the
Tay River The Tay River is a river in Lanark County in Eastern Ontario, Canada. Shows the course of the river on a topographic map. It is in the Saint Lawrence River drainage basin and is a left tributary of the Rideau River. The Tay River watershed, co ...
. An interesting feature of the downtown core is the Crystal Palace, constructed from the discarded remnants of the glass street bus enclosures that used to be on
Rideau Street Rideau Street (french: Rue Rideau) is a major street in downtown Ottawa, Ontario, Canada and one of Ottawa's oldest and most famous streets running from Wellington Street in the west to Montreal Road in the east where it connects to the Vanier ...
in nearby Ottawa. This structure is located beside the Tay River and can be accessed by both Gore and Drummond Streets. It houses the Perth Farmers' and Craft Markets on summer Saturdays and is filled with Christmas trees decorated by community groups and schools in November and December. It also houses live music and children's activities during the popular Festival of the Maples held in April each year.


Festivals and events

Each summer in July, the Stewart Park Music Festival takes place in Stewart Park. It is a popular free festival featuring live music as well as artisan and food vendors. The Perth Lions Garlic Festival has been celebrating garlic grown in the area each August since 1997. Another festival growing in popularity is the Perth Ribfest Music Festival, which includes kids activities, takes place at Last Duel Park. The Perth Fair, a regional agricultural fair, takes place over the Labour Day weekend; it has been running annually since 1845, one of the oldest in Ontario. The Festival of Maples is held annually every spring since 1974 and marks the end of the maple syrup harvest, of which
Lanark County Lanark County is a county located in the Canadian province of Ontario. Its county seat is Perth, which was first settled in 1816.Brown, Howard Morton, 1984. Lanark Legacy, Nineteenth Century Glimpses of on Ontario County. Corporation of the Cou ...
is known for producing and is dubbed the 'Maple Syrup Capital of Ontario'. The downtown festival features numerous shops and vendors, maple syrup producers and displays, children's entertainment, antique car show and a pancake breakfast. In 2019, the festival was held on April 27. The Perth Kilt Run normally takes place at the end of June but the 10th anniversary of the Kilt Run was held on August 17, 2019. It holds the Guinness World Record for the world's largest kilted run. The Perth Polar Bear Plunge, held annually on New Years Day since 1994, raises funds for local charities and is known as one of the safest and most successful Polar Bear Plunges in Canada.


Demographics

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by
Statistics Canada Statistics Canada (StatCan; french: Statistique Canada), formed in 1971, is the agency of the Government of Canada commissioned with producing statistics to help better understand Canada, its population, resources, economy, society, and cultur ...
, Perth had a population of living in of its total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of . With a land area of , it had a population density of in 2021. Mother tongue: * English as first language: 94.1% * French as first language: 2.3% * English and French as first language: 0.2% * Other as first language: 3.4% The 2016 census revealed that Perth has the lowest ratio of men to women in Canada: 80 men to 100 women.


Sports and recreation

Hockey is very popular in Perth as it has been home to senior and junior teams. Currently, Perth is represented by the Blue Wings in the Eastern Ontario Junior "B" Hockey League. Minor hockey combines Perth and
Lanark Lanark (; gd, Lannraig ; sco, Lanrik) is a town in South Lanarkshire, Scotland, located 20 kilometres to the south-east of Hamilton. The town lies on the River Clyde, at its confluence with Mouse Water. In 2016, the town had a population of 9 ...
children with practices and games shared between the Perth and Lanark arenas. Perth was home to a professional baseball team for two years (1936–37) as part of the
Canadian–American League The Canadian–American League, nicknamed the Can-Am League, was a class C level minor league baseball circuit which ran from 1936 through 1951, with a three-year break during World War II. Teams *Amsterdam Rugmakers, 1938–1942, 1946–19 ...
. Th
Perth & District Indoor Pool
is home to th
Perth Stingrays Aquatic Club
which offers a masters program as well. The Perth United Soccer Club also provides recreational and competitive soccer programs for all ages. Both high schools in Perth also offer a variety of other sports, such as basketball, football, volleyball, hockey, cross country running, badminton, soccer, curling, golf and track and field. Conlon Farm Recreation Complex is a 54-acre recreation hub comprising several soccer fields and baseball diamonds and as well tennis courts, basketball courts, beach volleyball courts, skateboard park, pump track, play structures and a splash pad. The Rideau Trail passes through Perth, which is the base for the Central Section of the Rideau Trail. The 10-kilometre historic
Tay Canal The Tay Canal is the portion of the Tay River (Ontario), Tay River in the eastern Ontario region, providing a connection between the town of Perth, Ontario, Perth and the Rideau Canal at Beveridge Bay on Lower Rideau Lake. The canal is in length ...
runs from downtown Perth through the Tay Marsh and connects to the
Rideau Canal The Rideau Canal, also known unofficially as the Rideau Waterway, connects Canada's capital city of Ottawa, Ontario, to Lake Ontario and the Saint Lawrence River at Kingston. It is 202 kilometres long. The name ''Rideau'', French for "curtain", ...
at Beveridge Locks.


Schools

* The Queen Elizabeth School (elementary) * The Stewart School (elementary) * Perth & District Collegiate Institute * St. John Catholic Elementary School * St. John Catholic High School *
Algonquin College Algonquin College of Applied Arts and Technology is a publicly funded English-language college located in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The college serves the National Capital Region and the outlying areas of Eastern Ontario, Western Quebec, and Upst ...
, Perth Campus * Perth Children's House Montessori School French Immersion is offered at the elementary and high schools listed above.


Notable people from Perth

* Mike Brown, Olympian, Swimming * Jared Coreau, former NHL player, winner of the 2017 Calder Cup *
Les Douglas Leslie Gordon Douglas (December 5, 1918 – October 20, 2002) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player who played 52 games in the National Hockey League with the Detroit Red Wings between 1940 and 1946. He won the Stanley Cup with Detroit ...
, former NHL player and winner of the Stanley Cup with the Detroit Red Wings * Sultana Frizell, Olympian, hammer throw * Clayton "Cib" James, musician, comedian, and
YouTuber A YouTuber is an online personality and/or influencer who produces videos on the video-sharing platform YouTube, typically posting to their personal YouTube channel. The term was first used in the English language in 2006. Influence Influent ...
*Taes Leavitt, one half of Juno winning children's group Splash n’ Boots * Crispin Lipscomb, Olympian, snowboarding *
Ian Millar Ian Millar, CM (born 6 January 1947) is a Canadian Equestrian Team athlete for show jumping. He is a two-time winner of the Show Jumping World Cup, and an Olympic silver medalist. Due to his longevity and accomplishments, he is often nickname ...
, prolific show-jumper, equestrian world champion, and Olympic silver-medalist * Alexander Morris, Canadian politician and second Lieutenant-Governor of Manitoba and the North-West Territories (1872–1878) * Edmund Montague Morris, artist and author *
William Richard Motherwell William Richard Motherwell, (January 6, 1860 – May 24, 1943) was a Canadian politician serving at both the Saskatchewan Legislative Assembly and the Canadian Parliament. He served as Agriculture Minister for both levels of government duri ...
, Former Saskatchewan Minister of Agriculture and Federal Minister of Agriculture *
Herbert Taylor Reade Herbert Taylor Reade (20 September 1828, Perth, Upper Canada – 23 June 1897, Bath), was a Canadian born recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious British honour. The award was for gallantry in the face of the enemy.' ...
, an assistant surgeon with the 61st Regiment, he was awarded the Victoria Cross for his gallantry in the siege of Delhi in 1857. * Billy Smith, Hall of Fame NHL Goaltender, named one of the best 100 NHL players of all time in 2017. *
Floyd Smith Floyd Robert Donald Smith (born May 16, 1935, in Perth, Ontario) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre and coach. Biography Smith grew up in Galt, Ontario, playing junior hockey with the Galt Black Hawks. He made his National Ho ...
, former NHL player and coach * Gord Smith, former NHL player * Nicholas Tritton, Olympian, Judo


Local media

* CHLK-FM Lake 88.1 FM Radio


Sister cities

*
Perth Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth is ...
,
Perth & Kinross Perth and Kinross ( sco, Pairth an Kinross; gd, Peairt agus Ceann Rois) is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland and a Lieutenancy Area. It borders onto the Aberdeenshire, Angus, Argyll and Bute, Clackmannanshire, Dundee, Fife, Highland a ...
, Scotland *
Asago, Hyōgo is a city located in northern Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 28,971 in 12245 households and a population density of 72 persons per km².The total area of the city is . Geography Asago is located in the nort ...
, Japan


See also

*
List of municipalities in Ontario Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, most populous provinces and territories of Canada, province in Canada with 14,223,942 residents as of Canada 2021 Census, 2021 and is List of Canadian provinces and territories by ...


References


External links

* {{Authority control Lower-tier municipalities in Ontario Municipalities in Lanark County Towns in Ontario Populated places established in 1816 1816 establishments in Canada