| Carleton Place | |
|---|---|
| — Town — | |
| Town of Carleton Place | |
| Bridge Street | |
| Location of Carleton Place in Lanark County | |
| Coordinates: | |
| Country | Canada |
| Province | Ontario |
| County | Lanark |
| Incorporated | 1870 (village) |
| Incorporated | 1890 (town) |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Wendy LeBlanc |
| • MP | Scott_Reid (Lanark—Frontenac—Lennox and Addington, CON) |
| • MPP | Randy Hillier (Lanark—Frontenac—Lennox and Addington, CON) |
| AreaStatistics Canada | |
| • Total | 8.83 km2 (3.4 sq mi) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 12,000 |
| • Density | 1,070/km2 (2,771.3/sq mi) |
| Time zone | EST (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| Postal Code FSA | K7C |
| Area code(s) | 613 |
| Website | http://www.carletonplace.ca |
Carleton Place (population approx. 10,000) is a town in the eastern portion of Eastern Ontario, Canada, in Lanark County, about 46 kilometres (29 mi) west of downtown Ottawa. It is located at the crossroads of Highway 15 and Highway 7, halfway between the towns of Perth, Almonte, Smiths Falls, and the nation's capital, Ottawa. The Mississippi River runs through the town and is one of the tributaries of the Ottawa River.
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Carleton Place was first settled when British authorities prompted immigration to the area. The Morphy and Moore families were among the first two arrive. Edmond Morphy chose the site in 1819 when he realized there was potential in the area waterfall. He built a mill there and was the first of many such textile and lumber industries to reside in the area. The settlement was then known as Morphy's Falls. In 1829, the area was renamed Carleton Place, after a street in Glasgow, Scotland, when a post office was constructed. It became a village in 1870, and a town in 1890. The community's economic growth was enabled by the construction of railway lines from Brockville and Ottawa later in the century. The town was also renowned for its local beauty and lake access which led to the development of the Ottawa Valley Canoe Association in 1893 which still exists today as the Carleton Place Canoe Club. The town received further recognition when a World War One fighter pilot, and town resident, Captain Arthur Roy Brown, made history by shooting down the Red Baron.
Both textile and lumber mills flourished here, but none are still operating. "The Findlay Foundry" operated in Carleton Place from the 1860s to 1974, making cast iron cookware and woodstoves. Some of the designs created by this company are still being made by another company. Today, the remaining mill buildings house condominiums and "high-tech" industry.
The "Crash Position Indicator" (CPI) was manufactured and marketed in Carleton Place by Leigh Instruments Ltd.[1]
As a result of the population growth in Carleton Place and area, Highway 7 has been in the process of expanding from two lanes to four as it will allow better traffic flow from the Ottawa area during rush hour periods. Construction has almost been completed and the project will be wrapped up by the end of 2011.
In addition to the Highway 7 expansion, since 2006, there has been a rapid expansion of retail stores in Carleton Place, mainly concentrated along McNeely Ave between Hwy 7 and Coleman Avenue/Cavanaugh Road. New additions include Walmart with an in-store MacDonalds, Home Depo, Busters Bar and Grill, Bulk Barn and a new location for Giant Tiger. In addition to this retail development, housing projects along Mississippi Road in the south, Quarry Road in the Northwest, and along both sides of McNeely Road have become more noticeable in recent years. Several new high-rise condominiums are also under construction: one located along a new main thoroughfare, Coleman Street, another for seniors along McNeely, and a more pricey condominium project slated to begin construction downtown on scenic McArthur Island sometime in 2012.
Attempts to revive the downtown has seen some limited successes of late. Several key historical buildings have seen renovations, most notably would be the move of Moore House to its new home downtown, across the street from the Town Hall; it serves as a tourist center as well as a museum dedicated to Roy Brown. The sidewalks and facades have also seen work redone, as well as heritage murals, repainted, to display former businesses that used to reside along Main Street. A parallel access route, Beckwith Street, is in the process of being rebuilt and repaved to better help with traffic congestion downtown; Main Street saw a similar, much-needed renovation during 2010.
The old Canadian Tire, which was situated at the corner of Beckwith and Lake Ave. East, was demolished in June 2011, along with an old house and commercial building. This comes after ten-plus years of municipal legal issues regarding the condition of the land, which was said to have been contaminated by the old Canadian Tire. Most of the land will become a parking lot to not only ease the congestion of the downtown core but to provide a permanent location for the local Farmer's Market. A small building will also be erected on the old Canadian Tire location and will provide retail and residential opportunities. However, this is only the beginning of what will become a long-waged battle to revitalize a downtown core that has been fraught with closing businesses and lack of consumer business. Another, less-noticed disappearance is that of the trains which, up until recently, traveled along the local route from Smiths Falls to Arnprior. Though track through Carleton Place has not been removed, local advocates work towards maintaining the presence of a local train track, however, rail utility buildings in downtown Carleton Place were recently removed.
Some of the attractions of Carleton Place and surrounding area include a wide array of local parks, the Carleton Place Dragon Boat Festival, Morphy's Falls Heritage Festival, Victoria School Museum, and the Veteran's Hall of Valour. Most notable is the Carleton Place Canoe Club. Founded in 1893, it is the oldest canoe club in Canada. It is the towns most successful and longest lasting sports facility, sending dozens of athletes to the Olympics and World Championships. Up until 2010, Carleton Place also played host to the Riverside Jam, a country music concert hosted every year during the summer. This attracted many tourists from across Canada as well as many renowned country artists to headline the concert. However, due to a lacking turnout of support and repetitive acts, the concert was cancelled. The Bridge Street Bazaar, formerly known as Mississippi River Days, still occurs on the last weekend of July and the start of August, and has succeeded as the one permanent festival known by most local citizens.
According to the 2006 Statistics Canada Census:
The Upper Canada District School Board manages public education in Carleton Place and Lanark County, while the Catholic District School Board of Eastern Ontario is in charge of schools teaching the Catholic curriculum. Following is a list of schools in the Carleton Place area:
| Mississippi Mills | ||||
| Mississippi Mills | Beckwith | |||
| Carleton Place | ||||
| Beckwith |