Kenmore, Ontario

Kenmore is a village in eastern Ontario, Canada. Located in Osgoode Ward, it is now part of the city of Ottawa, and consists of a small commercial centre flanked by two small residential neighbourhoods and farmland. Notable features include Kenmore Bicentennial Park, Kenmore Community Centre, and the Castor River, a tributary of the South Nation River.

Significant local events include the Royal Canadian Legion honouring of war dead with a Remembrance Service every November at the Kenmore cenotaph. There is a Kenmore Women's Institute, and the Kenmore Community Association meets regularly at Kenmore Hall.

The site of the townhall was settled in 1830 by former Rideau Canal construction worker John McDonald. In 1857 the citizens asked resident Squire Peter McLaren to choose between "Glen Lyon" and "Kenmore" as the village name. He chose Kenmore for his home in Perthshire, Scotland. [cite book
title = Glimpses of Osgoode Township
publisher = Osgoode Township Historical Society
year = 1977]

The Carkner Mill (a sawmill) was built on the banks of the Castor River in 1857. It was enlarged in 1883 to manufacture cheese boxes. At its zenith, the mill employed 30 people and used logs driven down the Castor River. [cite book
title = Glimpses of Osgoode Township
publisher = Osgoode Township Historical Society
year = 1977]

References