21 REASONS WHY WE LOVE CORNWALL & AREA

A local Century 21 Real Estate Agent, Mike VanderMeer, and I have compiled a list of the reasons we love Cornwall, Ontario.  We would love to hear the reasons you love to live here too!  Why do we love Cornwall? Why would someone want to live here?

#1: LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION

Montreal & Ottawa are only 1 hour away. We are on the border of the USA and can get to Lake Placid in about 90 minutes. We are situated on the St. Lawrence River. To the south, you can see the Adirondack Mountains and with a short drive to the northeast, you can visit the Laurentian Mountains. It just doesn’t get any better than this.

#2: TRAFFIC

Our “rush hour” only lasts about 15 minutes and you can get from one end of the city to the other in about 10 minutes.

#3: WATERFRONT TRAIL

We have one of the nicest bicycle paths in the province. There is approximately 40 km of trails running through the city and from Lancaster to Morrisburg – much of which runs along the river. You can enjoy biking, running or walking on this beautiful trail which is a great asset to Cornwall and Area.

#4: PARKS, CAMPGROUNDS, BEACHES, and MARINAS

We have the Long Sault Parkway, Guindon Park, Upper Canada Village, Upper Canada Migratory Bird Sanctuary, Lamoureux Park, Crysler Park Marina, Charlotenburgh Park, and Lost Villages Park as a few examples. There are many boat launch areas so boating enthusiasts can enjoy hours on the river enjoying the natural beauty that surrounds Cornwall and area. There are also several scenic boat tours and boat rentals that can be booked.

#5: AFFORDABLE HOUSING

We are one of the least expensive places in Ontario to buy a home. We have a wide variety of homes available – waterfront, condos, hobby farms, executive homes, starter homes just to name a few. You can live in the City with all its conveniences, or in one of the villages around Cornwall with full services. Located in the middle of the three United Counties of Stormont, Dundas, and Glengarry, Cornwall has many surrounding towns & villages. Many of these villages have historical significance. Some were even newly created with the flooding of the Seaway. For those who like the smaller town feel while being close to major amenities, the many towns & villages are there for you. You can also choose a country home or farm for privacy and space.

#6: CORNWALL PLACED NUMBER 7 IN THE TOP TEN PLACES TO RETIRE IN ONTARIO

Our favorable ranking is mostly because of price, location, services for seniors, and things to do. Consider that a property in Oakville costing $850,000 can be purchased in Cornwall for about $250,000. That certainly builds up the nest egg for retirement living.

#7: LIVE ENTERTAINMENT

The Port Theatre has ongoing cover bands and shows. The Civic Center has had some big names such as Blue Rodeo and Great Big Sea.
The Band Shell has had April Wine & Burton Cummings. Aultsville Hall has all kinds of entertainment from orchestras to comedians. Many local bars have live bands to play on weekends. Boxing matches are also becoming a popular spectator sport in Cornwall. Since Ottawa & Montreal are only an hour away, you can also attend larger shows and music festivals.

#8: CORNWALL HOSPICE

While we all hope we will never need the Hospice, it is nice to know it is there if you do. This organization is invaluable to the community. It has helped many local families through troubled times.

#9: AQUATIC CENTRE, CIVIC COMPLEX, CURLING CENTRE, AND LEGION PARK

We have a state-of-the-art swimming facility offering public swimming, swimming lessons, Aqua Fit, toddler pool, whirlpool, 2 story waterslide & more. The pool is also available for rental. Our 5,000 seat arena is often used for hockey, public skating, walking track and concerts. Banquet rooms are also available for private functions. If curling is your preference, the beautiful Cornwall Curling Centre has 6 sheets of ice and a bar and kitchen facility. We host some of the best curlers in the world during the Shorty Jenkins Classic. Legion Park is also on the Waterfront and boasts 4 baseball fields that are utilized all summer by all ages.

#10: NAV CANADA

Cornwall’s best-kept secret. This facility is much more than just a training center. It offers a bar & restaurant, meeting rooms, party rooms, hotel rooms, spa, pool, gym and many annual events such as Beer, Bourbon, BBQ & Blues and the Wonderful World of Whiskey. If you are looking for something to do check out the Jet Set Pub for a drink & bite to eat with live bands playing on a Friday night.

#11: TIMMIES

It is as Canadian as hockey and toques and Cornwall has lots of them – at least 14 of them within the City limits. If Starbucks is more to your liking, we have one of those now too!

#12: GREAT FISHING

A sport for both young and old and a good variety of fish such as Pike, Musky, Bass, Walleye and, of course, Perch. Cornwall is also world-renowned for its Carp fishing which brings many tourists to the area. Ice fishing is popular during the winter months with little ice villages popping up on the river. Whether you like fishing or just enjoy eating fish Cornwall is a great place to live.

#13: GOLF, GOLF, GOLF

Cornwall has three golf courses to choose from and if you like road trips there are dozens more within an hour or less. Upper Canada Golf Course is in our back yard, Montebello is about an hour away with a short ferry ride. There are dozens of golf courses just over the American border with great Canadian rates and Ottawa has dozens more.

#14: THE BENSON CENTRE

With 3 NHL sized rinks, a Field House for soccer and walking track and an indoor tennis court (that can also serve as a series of Pickleball courts), this brand new state-of-the-art multi-sport facility offers a great attraction for our City. Community rooms are also available for private bookings.

#15: TRAVEL

If you do a lot of traveling for business or pleasure, Cornwall is a great place to be. We are located within one hour from two major airports offering flights all over the world. For those who often travel to the United States, there is a commuter airport in Ogdensburg offering cheaper flights to American destinations. There is also the Cornwall Regional Airport for recreational flying as well as smaller private airports scattered throughout the 3 United Counties of S.D.&G. We are also a stop on the VIA railway line that connects Montreal with Toronto. Taxis and a local bus system make getting around the City easy and convenient as well.

#16: FAIRS AND ANNUAL EVENTS

There is a lot to do in the 3 United Counties. The Williamstown Fair is the oldest annual fair in Canada. The Maxville Highland Games is an international attraction that has been attended by several Prime Ministers over the years. The Stormont Fair (Newington) offers a demolition derby which is a big attraction. We have great local seasonal events such as Alight at Night and Pumpkinferno at Upper Canada Village and Ribfest at Lamoureux Park. You will never be bored in the 3 United Counties and Cornwall sits in the middle of all the action.

#17: WINTER ACTIVITIES

If you love winter, you will love Cornwall & Area for its many winter activities. Cornwall has great activities such as curling, skating, hockey, ice fishing and if you like to ski many great slopes within driving distance. You can also enjoy miles of groomed trails throughout S.D&G if you like to snowmobile or 4Wheel. If you are an NHL fan, a short one hour drive gets you to a live game in Montreal or Ottawa.

#18: PIZZA, POUTINE, CURDS & PERCH ROLLS

Cornwall is reputed to have the best pizza in the Country. Some people have been known to actually buy half-cooked pizzas and bring them home after visiting Cornwall. Our poutine is also 2nd to none and is often made with St Alberts Cheese curds – which is another Cornwall & area treat. And let’s not forget the world-famous Lancaster Perch Rolls which are only available around Cornwall and area.

#19: SHOPPING

Cornwall has lots of shopping and offers everything from big box stores to smaller locally owned stores. You can usually find everything you need in Cornwall but if you can’t find it here, Ottawa & Montreal are just an hour away. Or there are even more shopping options available a short ride over the bridge in the United States… although we always recommend shopping local when possible.

#20: NO MORE SMELL

Cornwall used to be a mill town and had a bad reputation for its smell. In fact, it was jokingly referred to as the “armpit of Ontario” and a place to pass through because of the smell. Cornwall was even mentioned in a Just for Laughs comedy special in which the comedian made some snide remarks about driving through Cornwall “the stinky place”. Over the years, the nasal offending companies have shut down or moved on. Cornwall is now “smell free” and a great place to live. Although it was hard losing those good-paying jobs, Cornwall rebounded well and we have a very prosperous future ahead of us.

#21: THE PEOPLE

There are lots of friendly people in Cornwall and area and we have social activities for all ages. Some of these people have gone on to become celebrities such as Ryan Gosling – the Mouseketeer that became a big-screen star – or Roy Nichols who ended up being the drummer for April Wine and is now on an Epic Journey (some of you will get this). Cornwall was also home to the Barstool Prophets that went on to record a couple of albums. There is also Peter Gatien that started out in the bar business in Cornwall and went on to own the world-famous LimeLight in New York City along with several other prominent night clubs. Let’s not forget that we produced some sports celebrities as well – several NHL players, a couple of boxers and at least one football star. Last, but not least, there is your friendly sales reps and brokers at Century 21 Shield Realty Ltd and Dominion Lending Centres!