Frontenac is a region of nearly 4,000 square kilometers of pristine wilderness and small towns. Home to approximately 27,000 residents -- a population that nearly doubles in the summertime -- Frontenac County is both north and south of the City of Kingston and includes four Townships:
- North Frontenac
Amid rugged landscapes and stretches of undisturbed serenity, you'll find the best, most southerly stargazing in Ontario. - Central Frontenac
Enjoy the amenities you seek in small villages nestled between lakes, Canadian Shield and pockets of farmland. - South Frontenac
Gently rolling fields and growing small towns are home to innovative small scale food producers and ethical, sustainable farms. - Frontenac Islands
Wolfe, Howe, and Simcoe Islands sit in the mouth of the St. Lawrence River, at the western edge of the Thousand Islands.
Residents #inFrontenac enjoy incredible access to pristine wilderness in one of the most naturally beautiful parts of Ontario. Frontenac is home to hundreds of lakes, three provincial parks and world-class trails. Laced between all that outdoor recreation, you'll find these main hamlets and villages:
Marysville (Wolfe Island)- Sydenham
- Inverary
- Battersea
- Harrowsmith
- Verona
- Parham
- Sharbot Lake
- Arden
- Ompah
- Plevna
- Cloyne
Visit our business directory, browse through this site and check out #inFrontenac on Instagram to see what it's like to live, work and play here.
History
Though Frontenac's history is rich and deep, there is no single resource that tells the whole story. Many historical groups, including the Cloyne Pioneer Museum and Archives, the South Frontenac Township Museum, and the Clar-Mill Archives preserve and share local history. See below for some local historical publications.
Long before European settlers arrived in Frontenac, First Nations people, mostly Algonquin, lived on this land. Some of this history can be discovered through the Algonquins of Ontario, and locally through the Shabot Obaadijiwan First Nation.
Through the ages, the local economy evolved many times: fur trading, agriculture, logging, milling, mining, small scale manufacturing, retail and service trades all saw success at one time or another. Though it only reached as far as Renfrew, the Kingston & Pembroke Railway was built in the late 1800s through the wilderness of Frontenac to improve travel and trade in the area.
Much of today's economy in Frontenac is based on tourism, local food, and agriculture.
Local Historical Publications:
- County of a Thousand Lakes: The History of the County of Frontenac 1673 - 1973
- In Search of the K&P: The story of the Kingston & Pemroke Railway, Carol Bennett and D.W. McCuaig
- Away Back in Clarendon and Miller, Charles A. Armstrong
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