Greater Napanee, Ontario
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Greater Napanee (2001 population 15,132) is a town in, and the seat of Lennox and Addington County in eastern Ontario, Canada approximately 40 kilometres west of Kingston.
The present municipality known as Greater Napanee was created by amalgamating the old Town of Napanee with the townships of Adolphustown, North and South Fredericksburgh and Richmond in 1999.
The area was originally settled by Loyalists in the late 18th century and was first incorporated in 1854. The original hamlet of Napanee is located at the site of a waterfall on the Napanee River, and was first known as Clarksville after Robert Clark, who built a grist mill here. Sir John A. Macdonald, Canada's first prime minister, who practiced law in Napanee, was said to have an affinity for the town, and today many surveys have said it to be one of the prettiest towns in the province.
The town is home to the Allan Macpherson House, a historic property, and current-day museum to the past. It sits on the banks of the Napanee River, which runs through the town.
The primary schooling for the area consists of Westdale Park Public School, The Prince Charles Public School, H.H. Langford Public School, J. J. O'Neill Catholic School, and Selby Public School for grades 1 to 8, and Napanee District Secondary School for grades 9 to 12. Some teenagers also commute a short distance to Ernestown Secondary School to the east in Loyalist township, or Holy Cross Catholic Secondary Schoolfurther east in Kingston.
The largest employer is a Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company plant.
Area bodies of water are well known for their excellent fishing, notably Walleye.
The main streets are Dundas Street (east-west) and Centre Street (north-south). Dundas Street is part of former Provincial Highway Number Two, also know as Kingston Road, and travels through downtown from Toronto in the west and onward to Kingston in the east. Centre Street travels through the centre of the town from the modern commercial area close to Highway 401 to the downtown and onwards to rural townships south of the town.
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[edit] Attractions
Springside Park is the main natural attraction located in Napanee. The site consists of a waterfall on the Napanee River. Allan MacPherson House, as mentioned above, is a historical site open to visitors for guided tours. The Lennox and Addington County Museum also operates out of the town. The Fairgrounds in Napanee are home to the Napanee Fair every year and has also been home to the National Softball Championship in the past.
[edit] Famous people
Napanee is the town where singer Avril Lavigne grew up. Canadian Football League star Leroy Blugh also resided here.
[edit] Sports
The Napanee Raiders Jr. C ice hockey club plays its games out of the newly constructed Strathcona Paper Centre. Also popular in Napanee is softball, (played by both boys and girls in this town).
[edit] Shopping
The downtown area of Napanee ( http://www.downtownnapanee.com/ ) is home to some excellent boutiques such as April's Image, October's Clothing, and Starlet. For gift ideas, one can visit Hogarth's, Smitty's or Wallace's. Nearby are Len's Bakery, John's Restaurant, Louie's Restaurant and Café Blanche Dubois.
The new Walmart opened in January 2006. Canadian Tire is another community staple. In July 2005 the No Frills grocery store opened in its new location in the Napanee Mall. This new store has grown several times from its original size and is now offering a wide array of groceries and goods (e.g. clothing, patio furniture, etc).
On the east end of town at the Palace Road exit of Provincial Highway 401 is the newly constructed 'Palace Village' that includes numerous small boutique and speciality shops, as well as the popular 'Smiling Wilderness' restaurant.
A Flying J Gas Station and Truck Stop is located off of Provincial Highway 401 on Provincial Highway 41.
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