| The historic town of Gananoque
in Leeds and Grenville County sits along the Ontario shoreline of the St.
Lawrence River and is dubbed the "Gateway to the Thousand Islands". Local
attractions include boat cruises to the Thousand Islands and Boldt Castle,
NY, live theatre, the summer theatre festival of The Thousand Islands Playhouse
and the Thousand Islands Charity Casino. The theatre company in Gananoque
is The Thousand Islands Playhouse which operates two theatre spaces: The
Springer Theatre, and the Firehall Theatre, attracting international attention
since 1982. The Thousand Islands - Frontenac Arch Biosphere Reserve is
part of UNESCO’s Programme on Man and the Biosphere. The town's population
consists of permanent and summer residents who are sometimes referred to
as "Islanders" because of their cottages in the Thousand Islands. The Gananoque
River flows through the town, and the St. Lawrence River is the southern
boundary of the town. Colonel Joel Stone, who served with Loyalist militia
during the American Revolutionary War, established a settlement on this
site in 1789. Land was granted to Col. Stone for use as a mill site. The
town's name is pronounced "Gan-a-nock-way". It is an aboriginal name which
means town-on-two-rivers but once you've enjoyed the local hospitality
you'll happily join the local residents by simply calling it "Gan". |