Laurentian Hills is a municipality in Eastern Ontario, Canada, on the Ottawa River in Renfrew County. It surrounds (by land) Deep River on the Ontario side of the river. The municipality was formed on January 1, 2000, when the United Townships of Rolph, Buchanan, Wylie and McKay and the Village of Chalk River were merged.

The town was home to the Nuclear Power Demonstration nuclear power plant. The prototype nuclear power plant was operational from 1962 to 1987 and has since then been shut down, awaiting permanent disposal of its radioactive nuclear components.

Communities

Main Street in Chalk River.

The town comprises the communities of Chalk River, Meilleurs Bay, Moor Lake, Point Alexander, Rolphton, and Wylie.

Demographics

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Laurentian Hills had a population of 2,885 living in 1,251 of its 1,393 total private dwellings, a change of -2.6% from its 2016 population of 2,961. With a land area of 634.31 km2 (244.91 sq mi), it had a population density of 4.5/km2 (11.8/sq mi) in 2021.

Historical census populations – Laurentian Hills
YearPop.±%
20012,750
20062,789+1.4%
20112,811+0.8%
20162,961+5.3%
20212,885−2.6%
Source: Statistics Canada
Historical census populations – Chalk River Village
YearPop.±%
Historical census populations – Chalk River VillageYearPop.±%1956986—19611,135+15.1%19661,086−4.3%19711,094+0.7%19761,095+0.1%19811,010−7.8%1986923−8.6%1991874−5.3%1996974+11.4%Source: Statistics CanadaHistorical census populations – Rolph, Buchanan, Wylie and McKay TPYearPop.±%19561,780—19612,079+16.8%19662,040−1.9%19712,066+1.3%19761,836−11.1%19811,743−5.1%19861,790+2.7%19911,656−7.5%19961,810+9.3%Source: Statistics Canada
1956986
19611,135+15.1%
19661,086−4.3%
19711,094+0.7%
19761,095+0.1%
19811,010−7.8%
1986923−8.6%
1991874−5.3%
1996974+11.4%
Source: Statistics Canada
YearPop.±%
19561,780
19612,079+16.8%
19662,040−1.9%
19712,066+1.3%
19761,836−11.1%
19811,743−5.1%
19861,790+2.7%
19911,656−7.5%
19961,810+9.3%
Source: Statistics Canada

Local government

List of former mayors:

  • Paul Curtis (2000)
  • Vance Gutzman (2003)
  • Richard Rabishaw (2010–2014)
  • John Reinwald (2014–2022)
  • Anne Giardini (2022–present)

Trivia

An Ontario Historical Plaque in front of the School House Museum was erected by the province to commemorate the role of steamboating on the Upper Ottawa in Ontario's heritage.

See also

  • Mercer, Jennifer. "Staying the Run: A History of Rolph, Buchanan, Wylie and McKay Townships."

External links