Country Canada County seat L'Orignal Local time Friday 5:53 PM | Province Ontario Established 1820 Population 85,381 (2011) | |
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Municipalities ListAlfred and Plantagenet (township)Casselman (municipality)Champlain (township)Clarence-Rockland (city)East Hawkesbury (township)Hawkesbury (town)Russell (township)The Nation (municipality) Weather 2°C, Wind E at 21 km/h, 84% Humidity Points of interest Calypso Park, Papanack Park Zoo, L'Orignal Jail, Ouimet Farms Adventure, Keith Boyd Museum | ||
The United Counties of Prescott and Russell (French: Comtés unis de Prescott et Russell) are consolidated counties located in the Canadian province of Ontario. Its county seat is L'Orignal. It was created as a result of a merger between Russell County and Prescott County in 1820. It is located in Eastern Ontario.
Contents
- Map of Prescott and Russell United Counties ON Canada
- Geography and nature
- Subdivisions
- Demographics
- Languages
- Services
- Libraries
- Health
- Transit
- Police
- References
Map of Prescott and Russell United Counties, ON, Canada
Geography and nature
According to Statistics Canada, the county has a total area of 2,004.44 square kilometres (773.92 sq mi).
It is crossed by the South Nation River that connects the Larose Forest and Alfred Bog. Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources has designated the Alfred Bog "a provincially significant wetland and an Area of Natural and Scientific Interest." Species of interest include the palm warbler, northern pitcher-plant, pink lady's-slipper, cottongrass, bog elfin and bog copper butterflies, and ebony boghaunter dragonfly. It also hosts one of the most southerly herds of moose. The bog is open to the public with a 272-metre boardwalk for nature walks.
Subdivisions
Municipalities and townships with major unincorporated communities:
Demographics
Historic populations:
The median income for a household in the county is $52,664 and the median income for a family is $59,817. Males have an average income of $35,984 versus $25,917 for females.
Languages
Prescott and Russell has a large Franco-Ontarian population, and is (by percentage) the most francophone census division in Canada west of Quebec. In 2011 French was the sole mother tongue of 64.2% of its residents, and an additional 1.7% reported being natively bilingual in French and English.
Services
Responsibilities of the county government include social services (social assistance, child care, housing), county roads, paramedic / ambulance services and land-use planning. The County also operates the Prescott-Russell Residence, a home for the aged in Hawkesbury.
Libraries
There are many public libraries located in the county. The largest is the Hawkesbury Public Library, which is located in Hawkesbury.
Health
There are two hospitals in Prescott-Russell: Hawkesbury and District General Hospital, in Hawkesbury, and the Glengarry Memorial Hospital, a rural hospital in Alexandria, Ontario. Also, there is a medevac helicopter, in Ottawa, Ontario. The two hospitals have seen an increase in wait times due to an influx of patient from Quebec. The Government of Quebec has stalled efforts to build a second hospital in Western Quebec and it is not known when funding will be made available.
Transit
The North Glengarry Prescott Russell (NGPR) Transport Board, composed of representatives of the member municipalities, is the incorporated public body responsible for the transit service which is operated by private contractors. Casselman, and The Nation Municipality, the communities being served.
Rockland is also served by a commuter bus line operated by Leduc Bus Lines which offers 10-12 trips from the village to downtown Ottawa and Gatineau during rush-hour.
Police
The county is policed by the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP). There are two main police stations in Prescott and Russell; one in Embrun and one in Hawkesbury. In addition, there is a police station in Rockland that acts as a satellite to the one in Embrun. OPP is charged of patrolling Highway 417.