United Counties of Leeds and Grenville

The United Counties of Leeds and Grenville, commonly known as Leeds and Grenville, is a county and census division in Ontario, Canada, in the Eastern Ontario subregion of Southern Ontario. It fronts on the St. Lawrence River and the international boundary between Canada and the United States, opposite of the State of New York. The county seat is Brockville. The county was formed by the union of the historical counties of Leeds and Grenville in 1850.

Leeds Grenville
County (upper-tier)
United Counties of Leeds and Grenville
Seal
Location of Leeds and Grenville United Counties
Coordinates: 44°50′N 75°40′W
Country	Canada
Province	Ontario
Region	Eastern Ontario
Formed	1 January 1850
County seat	Brockville
Municipalities	List Township of Athens Township of Augusta Township of Edwardsburgh/Cardinal Township of Elizabethtown-Kitley Township of Front of Yonge Township of Leeds and the Thousand Islands Municipality (township) of North Grenville Township of Rideau Lakes Village of Merrickville-Wolford Village of Westport
Area [1]
• Land	3,322.75 km2 (1,282.92 sq mi)
• Census division	3,355.61 km2 (1,295.61 sq mi)
	Land area excludes Brockville, Gananoque, and Prescott
Population  (2021)[1]
• Total	72,493
• Density	21.8/km2 (56/sq mi)
• Census division	104,070
• Census division density	31.0/km2 (80/sq mi)
	Total excludes Brockville, Gananoque, and Prescott
Time zone	UTC−05:00 (EST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−04:00 (EDT)
Website	www.leedsandgrenville.ca

Subdivisions

There are 10 municipalities in Leeds and Grenville (in order of population):

• Municipality of North Grenville (part of Grenville sub-region)
• Township of Rideau Lakes (part of Leeds sub-region)
• Township of Elizabethtown-Kitley (part of Leeds sub-region)
• Township of Leeds and the Thousand Islands (part of Leeds sub-region)
• Township of Augusta (part of Grenville sub-region)
• Township of Edwardsburgh/Cardinal (part of Grenville sub-region)
• Village of Merrickville–Wolford (part of Grenville sub-region)
• Township of Athens (part of Leeds sub-region)
• Township of Front of Yonge (part of Leeds sub-region)
• Village of Westport (part of Leeds sub-region)

The city of Brockville and towns of Gananoque and Prescott are part of the Leeds and Grenville census division but are independent of the county.

Historical townships

• Leeds County ^[2]
  • Bastard (now part of Rideau Lakes)
  • Elizabethtown (now part of Elizabethtown-Kitley)
  • Front of Escott (now part of Leeds and the Thousand Islands)
  • Front of Leeds and Lansdowne (now part of Leeds and the Thousand Islands)
  • Front of Yonge (still exists)
  • Kitley (now part of Elizabethtown-Kitley)
  • North Crosby (now part of Rideau Lakes)
  • Rear of Escott (now part of Athens)
  • Rear of Leeds and Lansdowne (now part of Leeds and the Thousand Islands)
  • Rear of Yonge (now part of Athens)
  • South Burgess (now part of Rideau Lakes)
  • South Crosby (now part of Rideau Lakes)
  • South Elmsley (now part of Rideau Lakes)
• Grenville County ^[2]
  • Augusta (still exists)
  • Edwardsburgh (still exists as part of Edwardsburgh/Cardinal)
  • Oxford (now part of North Grenville)
  • South Gower (now part of North Grenville)
  • Smiths Falls (south end of town, while most of Smiths Falls is located in Lanark County)
  • Wolford (still exists as part of Merrickville-Wolford)

Demographics

As a census division in the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, the United Counties of Leeds and Grenville had a population of 104,070 living in 44,618 of its 49,557 total private dwellings, a change of 3.5% from its 2016 population of 100,527. With a land area of 3,355.61 km² (1,295.61 sq mi), it had a population density of 31.0/km² (80.3/sq mi) in 2021.^[1]

Canada census – Leeds and Grenville census division community profile

	2021	2016	2011
Population	104,070 (+3.5% from 2016)	100,546 (+1.2% from 2011)	99,306 (0.1% from 2006)
Land area	3,355.61 km2 (1,295.61 sq mi)	3,382.89 km2 (1,306.14 sq mi)	3,383.92 km2 (1,306.54 sq mi)
Population density	31.0/km2 (80/sq mi)	29.7/km2 (77/sq mi)	29.3/km2 (76/sq mi)
Median age	50.8 (M: 49.6, F: 52.0)	49.3 (M: 48.4, F: 50.2)	46.7 (M: 45.8, F: 47.4)
Private dwellings	49,557 (total)  44,618 (occupied)	48.226 (total)  42,749 (occupied)	45,938 (total)
Median household income	$82,000	$68,305

Notes: Includes separated municipalities.
References: 2021^[3] 2016^[4] 2011^[5]

Historical census populations – United Counties of Leeds and Grenville

Year Pop. ±% 1921 51,553 —     1931 51,484 −0.1% 1941 52,031 +1.1% 1951 55,876 +7.4% 1956 63,640 +13.9% 1961 69,753 +9.6%	Year Pop. ±% 1966 72,558 +4.0% 1971 74,409 +2.6% 1976 78,604 +5.6% 1981 80,941 +3.0% 1986 84,582 +4.5% 1991 90,235 +6.7%	Year Pop. ±% 1996 96,284 +6.7% 2001 96,606 +0.3% 2006 99,206 +2.7% 2011 99,306 +0.1% 2016 100,546 +1.2% 2021 104,070 +3.5%
Population counts are not adjusted for boundary changes. Source: Statistics Canada[1][6]

Courthouse

County courthouse in Brockville

William Buell granted the land for construction of the Brockville Courthouse atop a hill rising from the Saint Lawrence River. A broad boulevard extends to the main street. One of the oldest courthouses in Ontario, it was erected in 1842. The original plan had been to build one in Johnstown Township, but the land there was too swampy. Instead, it was built in Elizabethtown Township.

The figure of Themis, a blindfolded woman holding the scales of justice, was made by master carver William Holmes in 1844. This statue was named "Sally Grant" by Paul Glasford, the chair of the building committee, in honour of the woman who posed as the model. It was erected in 1845, damaged by Hurricane Hazel in 1954 and rotting by 1956. The original is on display at a Westport museum. A replica carved by Robert Kerr of Smiths Falls was placed atop the courthouse in 1982.

Transportation

See also: List of numbered roads in Leeds and Grenville United Counties

Major highways:

•  Highway 15
•  Highway 137
•  Highway 401
•  Highway 416

Notes

The town of Smiths Falls is mostly located in Lanark County, while parts of the southern areas of the town are in the township of Rideau Lakes in the United Counties of Leeds and Grenville.

See also

• List of municipalities in Ontario
• List of townships in Ontario
• Union, Leeds and Grenville United Counties, Ontario
• List of secondary schools in Ontario#Leeds and Grenville United Counties