Prescott, Ontario
Encyclopedia
Prescott is a town of approximately 4,180 people on the north shore of the Saint Lawrence River
in Leeds and Grenville United Counties, Ontario
, Canada
. The Ogdensburg-Prescott International Bridge
, 5 km east of Prescott in Johnstown
, connects it with Ogdensburg, New York
. The town was founded in the early 19th century by Edward Jessup
, a Loyalist
soldier during the American Revolution.
Prescott is the home of Fort Wellington
, National Historic Park, which is a tourist destination
. The Battle of the Thousand Islands
was fought near the present location of the city in August 1760. During the War of 1812
, troops stationed at Fort Wellington crossed the frozen river and burned Ogdensburg in retaliation for an American raid further up the river; the American citizens of Ogdensburg, who were profiting by supplying the British army with food and other necessities, drove out their own American military detachment after the raid so that they could continue doing business with the British army in Prescott.
Prescott was originally an important transshipment
point for cargo moving from the Great Lakes
eastwards towards Montreal
, Quebec
and the Atlantic Ocean
, but the construction of the Saint Lawrence Seaway
ended the forwarding trade. Prescott is on the mainline of the Canadian National Railway
connecting Toronto
, Ontario
to Montreal
, Quebec
, and is near the junction of the east-west Highway 401
and Highway 416
north to Ottawa
, Ontario
.
Prescott is home to the Sandra S. Lawn Harbour, which attracts boaters from as far east as Montreal serving as a picturesque gateway to the 1000 Islands. During the summer months, Prescott hosts the St. Lawrence Shakespeare Festival
, a professional theatrical production, at the Harbour's public amphitheater.
Population:
Total private dwellings, excluding seasonal cottages: 1881 (total: 2054)
Mother tongue:
She has held public office as Member of Parliament and served as Canada's High Commissioner in England. Over the years she carried out her duties with great competence and conscientiousness, particularly during the period of the patriation of the Constitution. In 1981, she was given the Freedom of the City of London.
Local Media
Saint Lawrence River
The Saint Lawrence is a large river flowing approximately from southwest to northeast in the middle latitudes of North America, connecting the Great Lakes with the Atlantic Ocean. It is the primary drainage conveyor of the Great Lakes Basin...
in Leeds and Grenville United Counties, Ontario
Leeds and Grenville United Counties, Ontario
The United Counties of Leeds and Grenville are located Ontario, Canada. The population, as of the 2006 census, was 99,206. The United Counties have a land area of . Leeds and Grenville are located in the subregion of Southern Ontario named Eastern Ontario, and front on the St. Lawrence River and...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. The Ogdensburg-Prescott International Bridge
Ogdensburg-Prescott International Bridge
The Ogdensburg–Prescott International Bridge, also known as the St. Lawrence Bridge and the Seaway Skyway, is a suspension bridge connecting Ogdensburg, New York in the United States to Johnstown, Ontario in Canada...
, 5 km east of Prescott in Johnstown
Johnstown, Leeds and Grenville United Counties, Ontario
Johnstown is a community in the United Counties of Leeds and Grenville, in eastern Ontario, Canada, part of the township of Edwardsburgh/Cardinal. It is located at the Canadian terminus of the Ogdensburg-Prescott International Bridge and at the southern terminus of Highway 416 and Highway...
, connects it with Ogdensburg, New York
Ogdensburg, New York
Ogdensburg is a city in St. Lawrence County, New York, United States. The population was 11,128 at the 2010 census. In the late 18th century, European-American settlers named the community after American land owner and developer Samuel Ogden....
. The town was founded in the early 19th century by Edward Jessup
Edward Jessup
Edward Jessup was a soldier, judge and political figure in Upper Canada.He was born in Stamford, Connecticut in 1735 and moved with his family to Dutchess County, New York in 1744. In 1759, he served with Jeffery Amherst in the Lake Champlain region...
, a Loyalist
Loyalist (American Revolution)
Loyalists were American colonists who remained loyal to the Kingdom of Great Britain during the American Revolutionary War. At the time they were often called Tories, Royalists, or King's Men. They were opposed by the Patriots, those who supported the revolution...
soldier during the American Revolution.
History
Fort Wellington
Fort Wellington National Historic Site is a historic military fortification located on the north shore of the St. Lawrence River at Prescott, Ontario...
, National Historic Park, which is a tourist destination
Tourist destination
A tourist destination is a city, town, or other area that is dependent to a significant extent on the revenues accruing from tourism. It may contain one or more tourist attractions and possibly some "tourist traps."...
. The Battle of the Thousand Islands
Battle of the Thousand Islands
The Battle of the Thousand Islands was fought 16–24 August 1760, in the upper St. Lawrence River, amongst the Thousand Islands, along the present day Canada–United States border, by British and French forces during the closing phases of the Seven Years' War, as it is called in Canada and Europe, or...
was fought near the present location of the city in August 1760. During the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
, troops stationed at Fort Wellington crossed the frozen river and burned Ogdensburg in retaliation for an American raid further up the river; the American citizens of Ogdensburg, who were profiting by supplying the British army with food and other necessities, drove out their own American military detachment after the raid so that they could continue doing business with the British army in Prescott.
Prescott was originally an important transshipment
Transshipment
Transshipment or Transhipment is the shipment of goods or containers to an intermediate destination, and then from there to yet another destination....
point for cargo moving from the Great Lakes
Great Lakes
The Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total surface, coming in second by volume...
eastwards towards Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
and the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
, but the construction of the Saint Lawrence Seaway
Saint Lawrence Seaway
The Saint Lawrence Seaway , , is the common name for a system of locks, canals and channels that permits ocean-going vessels to travel from the Atlantic Ocean to the North American Great Lakes, as far as Lake Superior. Legally it extends from Montreal to Lake Erie, including the Welland Canal...
ended the forwarding trade. Prescott is on the mainline of the Canadian National Railway
Canadian National Railway
The Canadian National Railway Company is a Canadian Class I railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. CN's slogan is "North America's Railroad"....
connecting Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
to Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, and is near the junction of the east-west Highway 401
Highway 401 (Ontario)
King's Highway 401, also known by its official name as the Macdonald–Cartier Freeway and colloquially as the four-oh-one, is a 400-Series Highway in the Canadian province of Ontario stretching from Windsor to the Quebec border...
and Highway 416
Highway 416 (Ontario)
King's Highway 416, commonly referred to as Highway 416 and as the Veterans Memorial Highway, is a 400-series highway in the Canadian province of Ontario which connects Highway 417 in Ottawa with Highway 401 between Brockville and Cornwall...
north to Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
.
Prescott is home to the Sandra S. Lawn Harbour, which attracts boaters from as far east as Montreal serving as a picturesque gateway to the 1000 Islands. During the summer months, Prescott hosts the St. Lawrence Shakespeare Festival
St. Lawrence Shakespeare Festival
-Overview:The St. Lawrence Shakespeare Festival is an annual outdoor festival of Shakespeare's plays performed on the banks of the St. Lawrence River in Prescott, Ontario...
, a professional theatrical production, at the Harbour's public amphitheater.
Demographics
- Population in 2006: 4180
- Population in 2001: 4228
- Population in 1996: 4480
- Population in 1991: 4512
Total private dwellings, excluding seasonal cottages: 1881 (total: 2054)
Mother tongue:
- English as first language: 91 %
- French as first language: 4 %
- English and French as first language: 0 %
- Other as first language: 5 %
Residents of note
- Leo BoivinLeo BoivinLéo Joseph Boivin is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who played 19 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Boston Bruins, Detroit Red Wings, Pittsburgh Penguins and Minnesota North Stars.-Playing career:Leo Boivin began playing hockey at seven years...
, hockey hall of famer
- Jean Casselman WaddsJean Casselman WaddsJean Casselman Wadds, OC was a Canadian politician, who represented the electoral district of Grenville—Dundas from 1958 to 1968. She sat as a member of the Progressive Conservative Party....
,* O.C., B.A., LL.D. Member of Parliament for Grenville-Dundas & Grenville-Carleton served in this capacity following in her husband A.C. Casselman's steps from 1958-09-29 until 1968-06-25. Years of Service: 3557 Days (9 years, 8 months, 27 days)Officer of the Order of Canada June 21, 1982 April 20, 1983
She has held public office as Member of Parliament and served as Canada's High Commissioner in England. Over the years she carried out her duties with great competence and conscientiousness, particularly during the period of the patriation of the Constitution. In 1981, she was given the Freedom of the City of London.
External links
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