leedsheritage.ca 
The townships of Rideau Lakes and Leeds and the Thousand Islands have some of the most deep-rooted and interesting histories of any municipalities in Ontario. Loyalist settlement, canal building, Mormons, women doctors, malaria, rebellions and riots, 200-year-old mills, First Nations pictographs – we have it all and more.
The two townships share a rural area of 1885 square kilometers with a combined population of slightly more than 20,000 individuals. As well as being located in a UNESCO World Heritage site in the heart of the Rideau Lakes, we also straddle the St. Lawrence River and the scenic Thousand Islands, Canada’s water highway of history. Both townships also straddle the striking landscape of the Frontenac Arch Biosphere Reserve, another UNESCO site noted for its wide range of biological diversity. Our geography, history and shared boundaries make this partnership a natural fit. Our Library Boards have also broken new ground in this area with our shared Lakes and Islands Lifelong Literacy project.
Lakes and Islands, Time Past will preserve, organize and share our rich resources – correspondence, photographs, deeds, diaries, maps, recordings, local histories, newspapers, and assessment records which at present are scattered in many locations and with many heritage organizations across the community. We will be the digital archives for our district, sharing these important records for generations to come. Without our partners, this project would not have been achievable. Our partners, of course, will retain control and copyright over their individual resources.
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