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Carleton Place

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Overview

Carleton Place is a town in Eastern Ontario, Canada, in Lanark County, about 55 kilometres (34 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. Canada's Mississippi River, a tributary of the Ottawa River flows through the town. Mississippi Lake is just upstream by boat, as well as by car.

The town is situated on the edge of a large limestone plain, just south of the edge of the Canadian Shield in the deciduous forest ecoregion of North America.

Facts

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Coordinates

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Source

WBP almanac

External sources

Wikivoyage Wikipedia

Media

From Wikipedia839 words

WBP editorial3

A day on the river without the crowds

While the Mississippi River that threads through Carleton Place is a familiar backdrop, most visitors never venture beyond the downtown paddle‑launch. Rent a small electric skiff from a local family‑run marina and drift upstream toward Mississippi Lake at low tide; the water’s calm surface mirrors the surrounding limestone cliffs, making for a quiet sketch‑artist’s tableau. Early‑morning mist often lingers over the riparian woods, granting a fleeting sense of solitude that contrasts sharply with the commuter traffic on Highway 15. Pack a thermos of locally roasted coffee from one of the town’s boutique roasters and stop at the historic watermill overlook for a brief pause—this stretch feels more like a private retreat than a transit point.

When the town turns cultural

Carleton Place’s cultural calendar peaks in early autumn, when the former railway depot converts into a pop‑up gallery for regional artisans. The event is modest in scale, yet it showcases a rotating roster of craftspeople—from glassblowers using reclaimed sand to Indigenous weavers interpreting the local forest’s palette. Because the exhibition coincides with the harvest season, many stalls serve seasonal produce such as heirloom carrots and locally pressed apple cider. The atmosphere is less about tourist spectacle and more about community exchange, offering travelers a chance to converse directly with creators and sample the town’s emerging culinary scene.

A short drive to the Shield’s edge

Just a brief south‑west jaunt from Carleton Place, the road eases onto the limestone plain before slipping into the Canadian Shield’s rugged terrain. This transition zone is ideal for cyclists seeking a change in topography without committing to a multi‑day trek. The route includes a series of low‑impact viewpoints where the deciduous forest gives way to exposed granite outcrops, punctuated by quiet lakeside picnic spots. Because the area is lightly trafficked, riders can stop to explore modest interpretive panels that explain the geological history of the region—an informative detour that most guidebooks overlook.

Introduction

Town in Ontario, CanadaCarleton PlaceTown (lower-tier)Town of Carleton PlaceCarleton Place downtownMotto: Fidelis (Latin for "faithful")Location of Carleton Place in Lanark CountyCarleton PlaceCarleton Place in southern OntarioCoordinates: 45°08′N 76°08′W / 45.133°N 76.133°W / 45.133; -76.133Country CanadaProvince OntarioCountyLanarkSettled1819Incorporated1870 (village)Incorporated1890 (town)Government • MayorToby Randell • MPScott Reid (Lanark—Frontenac—Kingston, CPC) • MPPJohn Jordan (Lanark—Frontenac—Kingston, Prog. Cons.)Area • Land9.94 km2 (3.84 sq mi)Population (2021) • Total12,517 • Density1,259.4/km2 (3,262/sq mi)Time zoneUTC-5 (EST) • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)Postal Code FSAK7CArea codes613, 343, 753Websitewww.carletonplace.ca Carleton Place is a town in Eastern Ontario, Canada, in Lanark County, about 55 kilometres (34 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. Canada's Mississippi River, a tributary of the Ottawa River flows through the town. Mississippi Lake is just upstream by boat, as well as by car. The town is situated on the edge of a large limestone plain, just south of the edge of the Canadian Shield in the deciduous forest ecoregion of North America.

History

[edit] Carleton Place was first settled by Europeans when British authorities prompted immigration to Lanark County in the early 19th century. The Morphy and Moore families were among the first to arrive. Edmond Morphy chose the site in 1819 when he realized there was potential in the area's waterfall. He built a mill there and was the first of many such textile and lumber industries to locate in the area. The settlement was then known as Morphy's Falls. In 1829, the area was renamed Carleton Place (a name by local merchant Alexander Morris), after a street in Glasgow, Scotland, when a post office was constructed. In November 1870, it separated from Beckwith Township and became an incorporated village, and a town in 1890. The community's economic growth was enabled by the construction of the Brockville and Ottawa Railway later in the century. The town was also renowned for its access to Mississippi Lake, and had steamship service to Innisville on the west end of Mississippi Lake between the 1860s and 1920s.

Demographics

[edit] In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Carleton Place had a population of 12,517 living in 5,210 of its 5,341 total private dwellings, a change of 17.6% from its 2016 population of 10,644. Statistics Canada cited Carleton Place as the fastest growing municipality in Canada in 2021. With a land area of 9.94 km2 (3.84 sq mi), it had a population density of 1,259.3/km2 (3,261.5/sq mi) in 2021. Canada census – Carleton Place community profile 202120162011 Population12,517 (+17.6% from 2016)10,644 (+8.5% from 2011)9,809 (+3.8% from 2006) Land area9.94 km2 (3.84 sq mi)9.05 km2 (3.49 sq mi)8.83 km2 (3.41 sq mi) Population density1,259.4/km2 (3,262/sq mi)1,176.2/km2 (3,046/sq mi)1,110.3/km2 (2,876/sq mi) Median age41.6 (M: 40.0, F: 43.2)42.3 (M: 40.3, F: 44.2) Private dwellings5,341 (total)  5,210 (occupied)4,403 (total)  4,246 (total)  Median household income$89,000$71,481 References: 2021 2016 2011 Historical census populations – Carleton PlaceYearPop.±% 1871 1,205—     1881 1,975+63.9% 1891 4,435+124.6% 1901 4,059−8.5% 1911 3,621−10.8% 1921 3,841+6.1% 1931 4,105+6.9% 1941 4,305+4.9%YearPop.±% 1951 4,725+9.8% 1956 4,790+1.4% 1961 4,796+0.1% 1966 4,819+0.5% 1971 5,020+4.2% 1976 5,265+4.9% 1981 5,626+6.9% 1986 6,541+16.3%YearPop.±%19917,432+13.6%19968,450+13.7%20019,083+7.5%20069,453+4.1%20119,809+3.8%201610,644+8.5%202112,517+17.6%Population counts are not adjusted for boundary changes.Source: Statistics Canada

Economy

[edit] Carleton Place Town Hall and Mississippi River The logging industry stimulated economic development in the 19th century, with white pine logs exported to Europe. Local forests were depleted of hemlock to provide bark for the leather tanning industry. Both textile and lumber mills flourished, but none still operates. "The Findlay Foundry", founded by David Findlay in 1862, operated until 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.

Notable residents

[edit] Roy Brown, RAF pilot credited with shooting down the Red Baron D'Alton Corry Coleman, president of the Canadian Pacific Railway David Cooney, Juno Award-winning folk-rock musician, a founding member of the band Waltons Ryan Cuthbert, sprint kayaker, 2 time Olympian (2004 Sydney Olympics(k-4 1000m), 2008 Beijing Olympics(k-2 1000m)) Shean Donovan, professional ice hockey player (retired), who last played for the Ottawa Senators. John Edwards, sprint canoer, Olympian (1972 Munich Olympics), (1976 Montreal Olympics) Jill Heinerth, cave diver and explorer Eddie MacCabe, sports editor of the Ottawa Journal and the Ottawa Citizen Leslie McFarlane, wrote many of the original Hardy Boys books under the pen name Franklin W. Dixon Jordan McIntosh, pop-country musician, 2014 Country Music Association of Ontario Rising Star Award Recipient and 2015 Canadian Country Music Association Rising Star Award Nominee Bat Phillips, professional ice hockey player for the Montreal Maroons Andrew Willows, sprint kayaker, 2 time Olympian (2004 Athens Olympics(k-4 1000m), 2008 Beijing Olympics(k-2 500m))