Westport, Ontario, is a charming village nestled in Eastern Ontario, Canada. It is strategically located at the west end of Upper Rideau Lake, marking the head of the navigable Rideau Canal system. This picturesque village is approximately 100 km (62 mi) southwest of Ottawa. As Ontario's smallest municipality by land area, Westport is surrounded by the Township of Rideau Lakes, within Leeds County.
The history of Westport, Ontario, dates back to the early 19th century. The first settlers arrived between 1810 and 1820. The land where Westport now stands was initially granted by the Crown to a Mr. Hunter. However, he never settled in the area, and it was eventually purchased by Reuben Sherwood in 1817. Some of this land was later acquired by the Stoddard and Manhard families.
The small community was initially known as Head of the Lake. In 1828, Stoddard built a saw mill, and in 1829, the Manhards constructed a saw mill and grist mill, leading to the community being known as Manhard's Mills. The village was renamed Westport in 1841 by local merchants, Aaron Chambers and Lewis Cameron, reflecting its location at the west end of Upper Rideau Lake. The post office was established in 1845, and the village was incorporated as an independent municipality in 1904.
Westport, Ontario, saw a significant influx of Irish immigrants in the 1840s through the 1860s, following the Great Famine. St. Edward's Catholic Church, built in 1859, served as an early cultural centre for the largely Catholic Irish immigrants.
Throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, Westport, Ontario, remained a thriving commercial centre. The construction of the Rideau Canal facilitated the shipping of goods north to Ottawa and south to Kingston. In 1882, an entrepreneur named R.G. Harvey proposed an ambitious project to build a railway from Brockville to Sault Ste. Marie. Although the project ran out of funds after the section from Brockville to Westport was completed in 1888, the Brockville-Westport line moved goods, mail, and people to and from the St. Lawrence River and Westport. The last train travelled the Brockville, Westport and North-Western Railway line in 1952.
In June 2013, Westport, Ontario, mourned the loss of longtime Mayor Bill Thake, who died of a stroke at age 77. Councillor Dan Grunig was appointed to take his place in July, and an election was called for September 30 to fill the vacant councillor's seat. Robin Jones was elected as mayor. In June 2021, Westport celebrated its first Pride Week.
Westport, Ontario, boasts its own volunteer fire department. The community newspaper, The Review Mirror, is published on Thursdays. Despite a subscription base of only 700, it is one of Ontario's smallest weekly newspapers.
According to the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Westport, Ontario, had a population of 634 living in 334 of its 359 total private dwellings, a change of 7.5% from its 2016 population of 590. With a land area of 2.19 km2 (0.85 sq mi), it had a population density of 289.5/km2 (749.8/sq mi) in 2021. The majority of the population speaks English as their first language.
Westport, Ontario, is a haven for tourists. The Westport Harbour features a public wharf on a man-made island with dock space for up to 30 vessels, a picnic area, barbecues, and sewage pumpout facilities. Fishing enthusiasts will enjoy the area due to the fish-rearing ponds set up by the Provincial Government in 1957, which are home to yellow perch, smallmouth bass, pickerel, and Northern pike.
The Foley Mountain Conservation Area, the highest conservation area in the Rideau Valley, offers a picturesque view of Westport. It features a variety of wildlife in 308 hectares (2.4 km2) of woods and fields. The area also has a sandy beach with changing facilities. The 300 km Rideau Trail, linking Kingston and Ottawa, passes through the conservation area.
Westport is part of PorchFest, featuring its own local festival in late September, named WestPORCH. WestPORCH is a free community festival, which began in 2021, created by John Pringle & Trevor Connell.
