Welcome to Williamstown, Ontario: My Hometown

The storybook village of Williamstown, Ontario, hosts Canada’s oldest annual country fair.

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Fairgrounds in Williamstown, Ontario.
Photo: Williamstown Fair

My Hometown: Williamstown, Ontario

Williamstown, Ontario, is a storybook village of historic heritage, century homes with wraparound verandas, log barns, a covered bridge and old churches in picturesque settings nestled on the narrow Raisin River. And it’s home to Canada’s oldest annual country fair (shown here), which attracts thousands of people every year. Immigrants from Scotland and their descendants settled in this Glengarrian county, filling it with Scottish pride that lives on to this very day.

Sir John Johnson Manor House, St. Andrews Stone Church, the Glenngarry Celtic Music Hall of Fame and the NorWesters Loyalist Museum bring many tourists in the summer. The Loyalist Museum was once the local school, which sits across from our century log home and was long ago called “the basket girls house,” because the farmers would provide baskets of harvest food in trade for their daughters’ lodging while attending school. We are also minutes away from St. Raphael’s Ruins; the stone work and landscape are worth the drive.

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Century home in historic Williamstown, Ont.
Photo: Linda Merpaw

Built in the 1800s, our home (shown here) is filled with character, as are many of my neighbours’ country homes. A giant willow tree surrounded by beautiful gardens graces the view of the Raisin River.

Our old-fashioned rural village is filled with charm and the history of our ancestors settling along the St. Lawrence River. It’s a privilege to live here. To proud Canadians everywhere-we hope to see you around town sometime, or perhaps at this year’s fair!

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