South Dundas, Ontario

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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. South Dundas is primarily rural and includes the villages of Iroquois, Morrisburg, and Williamsburg. Hamlets of the township include Glen Stewart, Hanesville, Dixon’s Corners, Brinston, Irena, Stampville, Orchardside and Dundela.

Weekly newspapers published within the township are the Morrisburg Leader and the Iroquois Chieftain.

Township airstrips are Morrisburg Airport (CNS8) and Iroquois Airport (CNP7).

Highway 401 runs east and west through the township, which is served by three exits: Exit 738 (Carman Road) at Iroquois; Exit 750 (County Road 31, formerly Highway 31) at Morrisburg; Exit 758 (Upper Canada Road) near Upper Canada Village.

According to the Canada 2001 Census [1]:

Population: 10,783
% Change (1996-2001): -1.1
Dwellings: 4,350
Area (km²): 599.99
Density (persons per km²): 20.7

The McIntosh apple was invented, or discovered, in South Dundas, near Williamsburg.

[edit] History

Dundas County was named in 1792 to honour Henry Dundas who was Lord Advocate for Scotland and Colonial Secretary at the time.

John McIntosh's parents emigrated from Inverness, Scotland to the Mohawk Valley, N.Y., 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.

James Pliny Whitney, Ontario's 6th Premier, is buried here in the cemetery of Holy Trinty Anglican Church, Riverside Heights, just east of Morrisburg and north of County Road 2 (formerly Highway 2). Whitney was born in Williamsburg in 1843, he represented Dundas County in the Legislature from 1888 to 1914 and he served as Premier from 1905 to 1914. He was the only Ontario premier to die in office.