Westport, Ontario
| Westport | |
|---|---|
| Village (lower-tier) | |
| Village of Westport | |
View of Westport from Foley Mountain
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 Westport
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| Coordinates: 44°41′N 76°24′W / 44.683°N 76.400°WCoordinates: 44°41′N 76°24′W / 44.683°N 76.400°W | |
| Country |
 Canada
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| Province |
 Ontario
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| County | Leeds and Grenville |
| Settled | 1820s |
| Incorporated | 1904 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Robin Patricia Jones |
| • Federal riding | Leeds–Grenville |
| • Prov. riding | Leeds–Grenville |
| Area | |
| • Land | 1.71 km2 (0.66 sq mi) |
| Population (2006) | |
| • Total | 645 |
| • Density | 376.4/km2 (975/sq mi) |
| Time zone | EST (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| Postal Code | K0G |
| Area code(s) | 613 |
| Website | www.village.westport.on.ca |
Westport is a village in Eastern Ontario, Canada. It lies at the west end of Upper Rideau Lake, at the head of the navigable Rideau Canal system, between Kingston and Ottawa.
The village of Westport was incorporated as an independent municipality in 1904. Surrounded by the Township of Rideau Lakes, within Leeds County, Westport is Ontario's smallest municipality (by land area). Westport is a notable destination for residents of nearby cottages and travellers in the summer time due to specialty shops and being the sole sizable town in the area.
The first settlers to the Westport area arrived in the period between 1810 and 1820. The land on which Westport now sits was originally granted by the Crown to a Mr. Hunter, but he never settled in the area and was eventually purchased by Reuben Sherwood in 1817. Some of this land was later purchased by the Stoddard and Manhard families. The small community was known as Head of the Lake. In 1828, Stoddard built a saw mill and in 1829 the Manhards built a saw mill and grist mill. It became known at that time as Manhard's Mills. Two local merchants, Aaron Chambers and Lewis Cameron, named the village Westport in 1841, the name reflecting its location at the west end of Upper Rideau Lake. The village of Westport was incorporated in 1904 when it separated from North Crosby Township.
Like much of the surrounding area, Westport received a large number of Irish immigrants in the 1840s through the 1860s, following the Great Famine. St. Edward's Catholic Church at the corner of Concession and Bedford, built in 1859, was an early cultural centre for the largely Catholic Irish immigrants.
Westport remained a thriving commercial centre through the 19th century and into the 20th century. The building of the Rideau Canal allowed goods to be shipped north to Ottawa and south to Kingston. In 1882, an entrepreneur named R.G. Harvey proposed an ambitious project to build a railway from Brockville to Sault Ste. Marie. The project ran out of money after the section from Brockville to Westport had been completed in 1888. The Brockville-Westport line moved goods, mail and people to and from the St. Lawrence River and Westport. Many cheese factories were located between Brockville and Westport. The train was therefore known as the "cheese run." The rail line also brought tourists north to Westport starting a tradition of Westport as a tourist destination. The last train travelled the Brockville, Westport and North-Western Railway line in 1952.
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