Small Town Canada

Waterford, Ontario, started as a milling centre before transforming into the natural beauty that it is today. The Missasuagas and the Six Nations of the Grand River were the original groups of Indigenous Peoples in the area before Paul Averill eventually settled there in 1794.

Otterville, Ontario, is a small community in Oxford County, but don't let its size fool you. The tiny village has a ton of fascinating local history, including being one of the earliest settled areas in the region and sharing a special connection to the Underground Railroad in Canada.

Grand Bend, Ontario, is a small town that transforms into a booming summer destination people have been visiting since the 1870s.

Sparta, Ontario, was once a flourishing settlement in Yarmouth County known as "The Corners." The Attawandaron (Neutrals) was the first group in the region alongside the Haudenosaunee and Algonquin peoples. The village of Sparta was established in 1813 when Jonathan Doan travelled down Lake Erie by flat-bottomed barge to Kettle Creek looking for a safer place to start a Quaker settlement.

Beachville, Ontario, was once the heart of the growing community of Oxford County. The area was home to the Anishnabek, Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) and Ojibway/Chippewa peoples before John Carroll came from New Jersey in 1784, making it one of the area’s earliest settlements. In 1832, Beachville was named to honour Abraham Beach, the owner of the first gristmill and store in the settlement.

Port Burwell, Ontario, is a quaint beach town whose historic beginnings ensured the area would flourish as time went on. Known as the "Jewel of Erie's North Shore," the town was named after Mahlon Burwell, a surveyor for Thomas Talbot, who, after many obstacles, was able to lay out the village in 1830.

Delhi, Ontario, known as the “Heart of Tobacco Country,” was settled by Frederick Sovereen around 1812. Originally called Sovereign’s Corners, the community was renamed Fredericksburg before, in 1856, changing its name to Delhi.

Vienna, Ontario is often referred to as a “blink of a town.” This tiny village nestled in the heart of Southwestern Ontario seems like every other, but digging deeper and this small town has its own past that’s just as unique and rich as the rest of our country.