Arnprior | |
---|---|
Town (lower-tier) | |
Town of Arnprior | |
John Street, Arnprior
|
|
Nickname(s): "The 'Prior'" | |
Coordinates: 45°26′N 76°21′W / 45.433°N 76.350°WCoordinates: 45°26′N 76°21′W / 45.433°N 76.350°W | |
Country | Canada |
Province | Ontario |
County | Renfrew |
Established (timber industry) | 1851 |
Incorporated (Village) | 1862 |
Incorporated (Town) | 1892 |
Government | |
• Type | Town |
• Mayor | David Reid |
Area | |
• Town (lower-tier) | 13.04 km2 (5.03 sq mi) |
• Urban | 18.07 km2 (6.98 sq mi) |
Elevation | 74.2 m (243.4 ft) |
Population (2016) | |
• Town (lower-tier) | 8,795 |
• Density | 622.2/km2 (1,611/sq mi) |
Population Growth between 2011 to 2016 is 8.5% | |
Demonym(s) | Arnpriorite |
Time zone | EST (UTC-5) |
• Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
Postal Code FSA | K7S |
Area code(s) | 613, 343 |
Website | www |
Arnprior is a town in Renfrew County, in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario, Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Madawaska River and the Ottawa River in the Ottawa Valley. Arnprior has experienced significant growth in populations with the widening of the 417 Provincial Highway to four lanes. The Town experienced an increase in population by 8.5% from 2011 to 2016 and the current population is estimated to be 8795 .
. The town is a namesake of Arnprior, Scotland, and is known for lumber, hydro power generation, aerospace, farming and its proximity to the National Capital Region.
In May 1613 European explorers, led by Samuel de Champlain, first visited the Ottawa River valley, home of the Algonquin tribe of native North Americans.
In 1823, a 1,200-acre (490 ha) surveyed block was ceded to Archibald McNab and given the eponymous name, McNab Township. McNab had approval from the Family Compact to treat the settlers on his land in the feudal manner practiced in Scotland. In 1831 the town was named by the Buchanan Brothers after McNab's ancestral home of Arnprior, Scotland.
Tired of the harsh treatment, the settlers revolted and, after a government investigation, McNab was forced to vacate the area in 1841. Arnprior, Braeside and NcNab township grew as separate communities and boomed when they became integrated into eastern Ontario's massive timber industry.
One of the most successful businessmen of the upper Ottawa was Daniel McLachlin, who built a massive sawmill at the confluence of the Madawaska and Ottawa Rivers, and expanded the community of Arnprior. The lumber industry maintained a significant position until the closing of the Gillies Mill. One of the most enduring structures of the day was a grist mill built by the Buchanans on the west bank of the Madawaska River.