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Drummond/North Elmsley is excited to re-launch its Legacy Farms Program as part of its 25th Anniversary celebrations. Farms in the Township that have been in the same family for 100, 150 or 200 years (as of the date of application) are eligible for legacy farm designation. Approved legacy farm owners will receive an official certificate recognizing the award at no charge. Applicants can also opt for a legacy farm sign at no cost.
Legacy Farm - Application Form is availabe and can be email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Hard copy forms are available at the Municipal Office.
During the 200th Anniversary of the Perth Military Settlement in 2016, over 35 farm properties in the Township were recognized. Drummond/North Elmsley Township partnered with Tay Valley Township on this project.
Publications that celebrate our history:
North Elmsley Township: Doorway to the Past
Travel back in time to 1816 to discover who the first settlers were, and how they shaped the development of the township into the 1860’s, and beyond. Follow the historical, municipal and genealogical progression of the Township, and be surprised and delighted by what you discover!
A limited number of books available: $30.00 each. Bridge support was provided by the Township of Drummond/North Elmsley. Net proceeds will go to Archives Lanark for the unlimited use of their original material and resources, and to assist in furthering their mandate to preserve history.
Memories of Home – An Anthology of Stories by the Residents of Drummond/North Elmsley
This book is dedicated to our residents, their stories and is legacy in celebration of Canada’s 150th in 2017 and as a keepsake of our 200th Anniversary events of 2016.
A limited number of books available: $30.00 each.
Rural Schools of Drummond Township (now available)
This book is the seventh in the series of twelve books published by Archives Lanark, detailing the one room rural schools in the original Townships of the County of Lanark.
This hard covered limited edition sells for $45.00, and you can pick up your copy at Archives Lanark, 1920 Conc. 7 Road, Drummond Centre Ont.
Previously published were the rural schools of Darling and Lavant, Dalhousie, North Elmsley, Lanark , Beckwith and Ramsay.
Some North Elmsley and Lanark books are still available . All others have been sold out.
For more information, call Irene at 613.267.2232,
e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit our website
at www.archiveslanark.ca
First We Were Soldiers
First We Were Soldiers introduces a representative cross section of Perth’s Soldier-Settlers – corrupt officers and illiterate Privates, heroes and deserters, wives rescuing wounded husbands from the battlefield, and children born on storm tossed troop ships or in POW camps. In the mix were English, Scots and Irish, as well as Swiss, French, Dutch, Polish, Sicilian and American.
Marking the 200th anniversary of the founding of the Perth Settlement in 1816, First We Were Soldiers portrays the lives of the men and their families, as they marched with the armies of Wellington and Prevost across the Iberian Peninsula and through the North American backwoods before finding themselves swinging an axe in the elm forests and cedar swamps north of the Rideau River.
Available at:
- The BookNook
60 Gore Street East, Perth, ON
Tel: 613-267-2350
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. - The Perth Museum
11 Gore Street East, Perth, ON
Tel: 613-267-1947
- Archives Lanark
1920 Concession 7 Rd, Drummond Centre, ON
Website: www.archiveslanark.ca
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. - FriesenPress
Website: friesenpress.com
Forgotten Hero
Born in the garrison at Forth Augustus, Inverness-shire, Scotland, Alexander Fraser (1789-1872) followed his father into the British Army, enlisting in 1807 as a lowly drummer. In 1810 he transferred as a Private into Colonel Isaac Brock’s 49th Foot and within just three years rose to the rank of Assistant Sergeant Major.
Then, at Stoney Creek in May 1813, he led the charge that broke the American line and saved Upper Canada for the Crown. In recognition of his bravery Fraser was awarded a field commission and made a rare transition from ‘Barrack Brat’ and foot soldier to officer and gentleman. Granted land at the Perth (Ontario) Military Settlement he consolidated his elevation (despite frequent episodes of less than ‘gentlemanly’ behavior) serving for three decades as a Magistrate and rising to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel commanding the 6th Regiment, Lanark Militia. (Co-authored with M. E. Irene Spence).
Available at:
Available at:
- The BookNook
60 Gore Street East, Perth, ON
Tel: 613-267-2350
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. - The Perth Museum
11 Gore Street East, Perth, ON
Tel: 613-267-1947
- Archives Lanark
1920 Concession 7 Rd, Drummond Centre, ON
Website: www.archiveslanark.ca
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
A Prequel and Sequel to the Last Fatal Duel
Tales of the Hare, recounts the life and times of Francis Tito LeLièvre (1755-1830), a naval officer who served both Louis XVI and revolutionary France before defecting in 1793 to service in both the Royal Navy and the British Army. After playing a significant role in the War of 1812 LeLièvre took up a land grant at the Perth (Ontario) Military Settlement where his son, Henry LeLièvre (1802-1882), was falsely accused of plotting murder by proxy through the ‘Last Fatal Duel’ fought in Upper Canada.
Available at:
- The BookNook
60 Gore Street East, Perth, ON
Tel: 613-267-2350
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. - The Perth Museum
11 Gore Street East, Perth, ON
Tel: 613-267-1947
- Archives Lanark
1920 Concession 7 Rd, Drummond Centre, ON
Website: www.archiveslanark.ca
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. - FriesenPress
Website: friesenpress.com
In 2016 the participants of the Perth Military Settlement 200th Anniversary Celebration, consisting of the original townships of Bathurst, Drummond, Beckwith and the Town of Perth organized an ambitious year-long celebration.
Drummond/North Elmsley takes pride in it’s past. There are several generations of families established in the area that can trace their settlement to 1816. The anniversary of 200 years of military settlement was celebrated in 2016 with festivals, enactments and much fanfare.
The Township of Drummond was originally surveyed in 1816 and the Township of North Elmsley was proclaimed in 1838 later incorporating in 1850. The two Townships were amalgamated on January 1, 1998 and Arthur Code was the first Reeve of the newly formed municipality.
In the beginning the first surveyors arrived in March 12, 1816 followed shortly thereafter by the settlers consisting of the families of soldiers of the war of 1812 who were given land as partial payment for their services. These resilient people made their way along old rough corduroy roads from Brockville to Delta and then cut trails through the bush to Rideau Ferry, then called Oliver’s Ferry, and beyond to make their way by trail and by the Pike river, now called the Tay, to the newly established outpost called Perth.
Each family was given a ration of tools, seeds for planting and equipment to start their homestead and depending on military rank each man was allotted between 100 and 1,200 acres to farm. The agreement was upon lot assignment the settlers had to clear the immense forest, set up a farm and structure within five years. Some of these original descendents still reside in the area. In 2016, an interactive mapping system was developed to record the historic land allotments and at: lanarkcountytourism.com/tours/ancestry-geneology/
You can also search for a family name, a transport ship (eg. Maria), country of origin (eg. Ireland) or any other detail, just click on the search icon and enter the family name, ship name or country name.
Canada's Historic Places Register
For more information, download these publications:
There are abundant recreational activities in and around Drummond/North Elmsley. Stay active and enjoy the many facilities offering opportunities for the active lifestyle that suits you.
Community Highlights
We have so many great places to come and see and so many things to do. Take a look around, enjoy the beautiful scenery and many historical sites around the Township such as the Tay Canal, or perhaps look up your own history at Archives Lanark. Not your cup of tea? Try out the Port Elmsley Drive-In, one of only a few in Ontario.
Looking for a day outside? Why not enjoy a gorgeous float down one of our many waterways, walk along the trails in Rideau Ferry or have a picnic along one of the waterways.
Take a look around and find what sparks your interest, there’s a lot to do and a lot to see...
Public Water Access
Access for both motorized and non-motorized boats
Access for non-motorized boats ONLY
For other area tourism destinations, please visit Lanark County’s Tourism site
The Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority and the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority are two agencies which play a role in managing and maintaining the Township of Drummond/North Elmsley’s water and natural resource systems.
The Township of Drummond/North Elmsley has two fully serviced facilities that are available for rent for your next special event.
More...
The Township has its own library, the Perth & District Union Library in partnership with the Town of Perth and Township of Tay Valley. This is our community’s central resource for information and recreational reading. Residents of Drummond/North Elmsley may use the Perth & District Union Public Library free of charge.
Pop Up Library
Working with the Perth Library the Municipal office at 310 Port Elmsley Road is also home to a new Pop Up Library. We are making reading materials more available to residents. If you are in the area have a peek. You can leave a book or take a book.
Archives and Genealogy
Reading provides knowledge and can bring opportunity to learn about our history. Drummond/North Elmsley is well known for archives of information provided by Archives Lanark and the Lanark County Genealogy Society.
Both these organizations work from our former Drummond municipal office located at 1920 Drummond Concession 7. Due to Covid-19 appointments are required before visting the Lanark Archives. Feel free to contact them at,
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Website: www.archiveslanark.ca