| South Glengarry | |
| Official Name: | Township of South Glengarry |
| Settlement Type: | Township (lower-tier) |
| Pushpin Map: | CAN ON Stormont Dundas and Glengarry#Canada Southern Ontario#Ontario |
| Pushpin Label Position: | left |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Type1: | Province |
| Subdivision Type2: | County |
| Subdivision Name2: | Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry |
| Government Type: | Township |
| Leader Title: | Mayor |
| Leader Name: | Lachlan McDonald |
| Leader Title1: | Federal riding |
| Leader Name1: | Stormont—Dundas—South Glengarry |
| Leader Title2: | Prov. riding |
| Leader Name2: | Stormont—Dundas—South Glengarry |
| Established Title: | Settled |
| Established Date: | 1785 |
| Established Title2: | Incorporated |
| Established Date2: | 1792 (Royal Townships) |
| Established Title3: | Incorporated |
| Established Date3: | 1998 (South Glengarry) |
| Area Land Km2: | 605.36 |
| Population As Of: | 2016 |
| Population Total: | 13150 |
| Population Density Km2: | 21.7 |
| Timezone: | EST |
| Utc Offset: | −5 |
| Timezone Dst: | EDT |
| Utc Offset Dst: | −4 |
| Coordinates: | 45.2°N -109°W |
| Postal Code Type: | Postal code FSA |
| Postal Code: | K0C |
| Area Code: | 613, 343 |
| Website: | southglengarry.com |
South Glengarry is a township in eastern Ontario, Canada on the Saint Lawrence River in the United Counties of Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry. South Glengarry borders Quebec.
The township of South Glengarry comprises a number of villages and hamlets, including the following communities:
The township administrative offices are located in Lancaster.
See also: Glengarry County, Ontario, Glengarry Highland Games, Canadian Gaelic and Eastern Ontario.
Charlottenburgh and Lancaster were two of the original eight "Royal Townships", established along the Saint Lawrence River in Upper Canada in the 1780s. This area was first settled by United Empire Loyalists. The development of this area was encouraged by Sir John Johnson, then the Superintendent General and Inspector General of Indian Affairs, who had been forced to abandon his land holdings in New York State during the American Revolution.[1] Johnson built a house in Williamstown; the home was completed in 1785 and is now a Canadian National Historic Site, the Sir John Johnson Manor House. A grist mill and saw mill, now gone, were also built on the same location. Williamstown also has the oldest house in Ontario, The Bethune-Thompson House built in 1784. Occupants over the years have included the Reverend John Bethune (1751–1815), the great-great-grandfather of Doctor Norman Bethune, and David Thompson, Canadian explorer.
From the late 18th century to the early 19th century, the area was almost entirely settled by Scottish highlanders, especially from Inverness-shire, after the Highland Clearances. Canadian Gaelic / Scottish Gaelic had been spoken in Glengarry County since its first settlement in 1784.[2]
Some of the main partners of the North West Company, including Hugh McGillis, lived in this area.
Alexander McMartin, the first person born in Upper Canada to serve in the Legislative Assembly, was from Martintown.
The Glengarry Celtic Music Hall of Fame is located in Williamstown. The Nor'Westers and Loyalist Museum is also located in Williamstown.
Williamstown is also home to Ontario's oldest continuing agricultural fair,[3] which celebrated its bicentennial in 2012.[4]
South Glengarry is the location of four National Historic Sites of Canada: the Bethune-Thompson House, the Glengarry Cairn,[5] the Sir John Johnson House, and the ruins of St. Raphael's Roman Catholic Church.
St. Raphael's Catholic Church was completed in 1821 under the authority of Alexander Macdonell later Bishop of Regiopolis (now Kingston, Ontario). This is one of the oldest churches in what was then the colony of Upper Canada. In late 1970, the church interiors, roof and tower were destroyed by fire, but the ruins were preserved. In 1973, a smaller church with the same name was built, attached to the ruins.
The township was established on January 1, 1998, with the amalgamation of the former Townships of Charlottenburgh and Lancaster, along with the Village of Lancaster.
In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, South Glengarry had a population of living in of its total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of . With a land area of 605.02km2, it had a population density of in 2021.[6]
Canadian author Hugh Hood mentions Williamstown in his short story "Getting to Williamstown," first published in 1928.
The Char-Lan Rebels of the CCHL2 League play out of the Char-Lan Recreation Centre in Williamstown. The Char-Lan Skating Club is based out of the Char-Lan Recreation Centre.