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South Dundas is a township 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 60 kilometres south of Ottawa and is midway between Kingston and Montreal, Quebec.
The township was created on January 1, 1998 by amalgamating the former townships of Matilda and Williamsburg with the villages of Iroquois and Morrisburg.
Communities
In addition to Iroquois and Morrisburg, the township comprises the communities of Archer, Beckstead, Boucks Hill, Brinston, Dixons Corners, Dunbar, Dundela, Elma, Froatburn, Glen Becker, Glen Stewart, Grantley, Haddo, Hainsville, Hoasic, Hulbert, Irena, Mariatown, Muttonville, New Ross, Nudell Bush, Oak Valley, Orchardside, Pleasant Valley, Riverside Heights, Rowena, The Sixth, Stampville, Straders Hill, Toyes Hill, Williamsburg and Winchester Springs.
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 invented, or discovered, 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. Its popularity in North America and propagation in many lands attest the initiative and industry of John McIntosh and his descendants.
Morrisburg took its name from James Morris, Canada's first postmaster general. Morris also played an important role in canal-building in the area.
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.
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. Famed 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 Kenny Powers 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-story ramp. This was billed as The Super Jump.
Transportation
The only provincial highway directly serving the township is Highway 401. All other highway routes in the township, 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 terminus 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.
Media
Weekly newspapers published within the township are the Morrisburg Leader and the Iroquois Chieftain. Both papers are published every Wednesday.
Demographics
According to the Canada 2006 Census:
- Population: 10,535
- % Change (2001-2006): -2.3
- Dwellings: 4,322
- Area (km˛): 519.98
- Density (persons per km˛): 20.3
External links
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