History

Settlement of the area now known as Kemptville began, as near as one can tell, in approximately 1812-1814 when Lyman Clothier purchased 100 acres of land from John Boyce for the price of a yoke of oxen and a fusee. In 1815 he, along with his 4 sons, began construction of a saw mill which was significant for the settling of the community. This was followed by construction of a grist mill in 1821, a school in 1823 and the arrival of the first physician in 1824.

The community was first known as The Branch, then Clothier's Mill and finally, in 1828, named Kemptville in honor of Sir James Kemp, the then Governor General of Upper Canada.

Our Community Today

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Between 1991 and 1998 the population of Kemptville increased from 10,197 to approximately 14,000 and the population of the Township of North Grenville numbered approximately 33,000. The expansion of highway 416 to 4 lanes has made the commute to downtown Ottawa approximately 25 minutes and has resulted in a rapid and ever increasing population growth.

In 1998 the North Grenville Council established the Economic Development Committee, comprised predominantly of local business people and interested citizens. Its mission is to plan co-operatively for the future in order to meet all challenges and to create employment opportunities for the North Grenville area while maintaining and enhancing the area's valued lifestyle qualities.