SDG COUNTIES, Ontario - SDG Counties council has officially proclaimed June 6-9 as the '240th annivarsary of SDG Counties'.
At its meeting May 21, SDG Counties Council put the finishing touches to a proclamation that honours the founding of New Johnstown (present day Cornwall), which took place on June 6, 1784. To celebrate the anniversary, the SDG Historical Society has created a three-day event that honours the past with a heaping dose of the present.
From June 7 to 9, visitors and residents can step back in time at Lamoureux Park and rediscover the early days of Cornwall and SDG Counties. While today Lamoureux Park in Cornwall stretches along the St. Lawrence River and attracts thousands of people for walking, playing, cycling and entertainment, 240 years ago it was a different story. June 6 will mark 240 years since Sir John Johnson’s loyalist refugees from the American Revolution brought their boats ashore in a bay near what is now the Cornwall Community Museum.
The settlers named their new settlement New Johnstown and they spread from here to other sites along the river that were called the Royal Townships. Today these names are more familiar to us as Cornwall and SDG Counties.
A large tent running along Water Street in Cornwall will showcase the area’s rich history presented by historical and heritage groups from throughout the area. Down in the park, closer to the river, a tented village will pop up showing how life was for these first settlers. Visit the encampment to learn how these early settlers survived their arrival and flourished to build today’s vibrant city and surrounding townships and eventually lead to the establishment of the Province of Ontario.
For music lovers, intimate concerts will be held on Friday and Saturday evenings presenting French, Celtic and Akwesasne entertainers from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. The Cornwall Community Museum will be open for tours and will introduce its new exhibit on “1784”.
The Historic SDG Jail will also be open for tours throughout the event. More details on jail tours can be found at the link below.
This celebration of our past is presented by the SDG Historical Society. The event is free and open to all.
For more information, check out the event website at the link below.