Heritage Sites & Tours

The United Empire Loyalists began settling this area in the late 1700s. Some of the first settlements were in the townships of Augusta and Edwardsburgh.

The Old Stone Mill in Delta is a National Historic Site, built in 1810 and an example of early industrial architecture in the region. It is one of the oldest surviving mills in Ontario. The Spencerville Mill built in the early 1800s is the last remaining mill on the South Nation River. Both of these Leeds Grenville mills have active volunteer groups and foundations.

Fort Wellington in Prescott was built during the War of 1812 as protection from a possible attack by the U.S.A. The Battle of the Windmill Site was the location of an uprising in 1838. The Fort and Windmill are two of a total 15 designated National Historic Sites in this region.

During what many called the Gilded Age, two castles were built on the river. Boldt Castle on Heart Island and Singer Castle on Dark Island were constructed just after the turn of the last century. The castles are accessible via boat tours with a passport.

The Brockville Railway Tunnel is the first of its kind in Canada. Built in 1860, the tunnel runs under the downtown area and city hall for 527 metres (1,730 feet).

The St. Lawrence Iroquois First Nations people lived in this area dating back 500 years. The area was later occupied by the French from the mid-1600s until well into the 1700s when British troops advanced and France withdrew. The Treaty of Paris in 1763 saw the land given to Britain, although it was still part of Quebec until 1785.