Prescott, Ontario

Prescott is a town of approximately 4,200 people on the north shore of the Saint Lawrence River in Ontario, Canada, directly across from Ogdensburg, New York. The Ogdensburg-Prescott International Bridge, 5km east of Prescott in Johnstown, Leeds and Grenville United Counties, Ontario, connects the two towns.

History

Prescott was the home of the British Fort Wellington, which is now a tourist destination. The Battle of the Thousand Islands was fought near the present location of the city in August 1760. During the War of 1812, troops stationed at Fort Wellington crossed the frozen river and burned Ogdensburg in retaliation for an American raid further up the river; the American citizens of Ogdensburg, who were profiting by supplying the British army with food and other necessities, drove out their own American military detachment after the raid so that they could continue doing business with the British army in Prescott.

Prescott was originally an important transshipment point for cargo moving from the Great Lakes eastwards towards Montreal, Quebec and the Atlantic Ocean, but the construction of the Saint Lawrence Seaway ended the forwarding trade. Prescott is on the mainline of the Canadian National Railway connecting Toronto, Ontario to Montreal, Quebec, and is near the junction of the east-west Highway 401 and Highway 416 north to Ottawa, Ontario.

Prescott is home to the Sandra S. Lawn Harbour, which attracts boaters from as far east as Montreal serving as a picturesque gateway to the 1000 Islands. During the summer months, Prescott hosts the St. Lawrence Shakespeare Festival, a professional theatrical production, at the Harbour's public amphitheater.

External links

* [http://www.prescott.ca/ Town of Prescott]
* [http://www.canadaconnects.ca/prescott/10081/ Gallery of Free, (Public Domain), Photos from Prescott, Ontario]

Local Media
* [http://www.prescottjournal.com/ The Prescott Journal]
* [http://www.brocknews.ca/ BrockNews.ca]