Gananoque

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”.