Kemptville

Kemptville, Ont, urban area, population 3532 (2011c), 3539 (2006c). Kemptville is located on Kemptville Creek, a branch of the Rideau River, 64 km south of Ottawa. In 1998 the town of Kemptville (1963) merged with the townships of Oxford-on-Rideau and South Gower to form the new township of North Grenville.

Named after Sir James KEMPT, it was first called Clothier's Mills after Lyman Clothier, who developed it on an 81 ha site. Its growth speeded with the arrival of the Bytown and Prescott Railway, then of the CPR. Once an active manufacturing centre of stoves and leather, it is now an agricultural servicing centre, site of the Kemptville College of Agricultural Technology and of a provincial forestry station. It was the birthplace and home base of G. Howard FERGUSON, premier of Ontario 1923-30.