Leeds and the 1000 Islands

The townships of Leeds and the 1000 Islands (TLTI, population 9,300 in 2011) and Front of Yonge (population 5,700 in 2016) cover a large rural area between Brockville and Kingston on the St. Lawrence River in eastern Ontario.

Understand
These townships include the villages of Lansdowne, Lyndhurst, Mallorytown and Seeleys Bay and a portion of the 1000 Islands. An international bridge joins Lansdowne to Alexandria Bay and Clayton (New York), north of Watertown.

The town of Gananoque is independent of TLTI, but surrounded by the township on all sides.

Mallorytown, nominal headquarters of the 1000 Islands National Park, is on the north mainland shore of the St. Lawrence River in Front of Yonge.

The area was settled by a strong core of United Empire Loyalists after the American Revolutionary War who participated in the War of 1812. This heritage is celebrated through the area.

Get in


Leeds and the 1000 Islands is part of the beaten-path Windsor-Quebec corridor which runs through Toronto and Montréal. As part of the Seaway Region, it is easily reachable by land or water - although some of the park islands may only be reached by cruising on small craft.

By car

 * From Gananoque, take the scenic 1000 Islands Parkway east. Two lanes of waterfront highway, a foot path and a cycle path end just west of Brockville.
 * From Watertown, Interstate 81 northbound ends at the 1000 Islands international bridge on Hill Island, 401 exit 661.
 * From Toronto/Montréal, Highway 401 exits 659 (Landsdowne), 661 (Hill Island) or 675 (Mallorytown)

By boat
TLTI is on the north shore of the St. Lawrence River.
 * There is a marina in Rockport, directly south of Lansdowne
 * In Mallorytown, there are docks at TJ Guild Marine or the Thousand Islands National Park.

By bus, plane or train

 * The closest major airport is Ottawa . There is a small airport in Kingston with flights to Toronto Pearson International Airport
 * There is a train station in Brockville and another at Gananoque Junction
 * Megabus (Coach Canada) has a station in Kingston and boards passengers at a supermarket in Brockville

Get around

 * The 1000 Islands Parkway provides bicycle and walking trails; bikes may be rented in Gananoque or Kingston.
 * Taxis are available from Gananoque or Brockville, but may be expensive given the rural distances covered.
 * Tour boats depart from Rockport to the islands.

See



 * There is an observation tower on Hill Island; see Thousand Islands.
 * There is a casino just outside the Gananoque town limits.
 * There is a fairground in Lansdowne.

National and Provincial Parks




Connect

 * The Leeds and 1000 Islands Public Library has branches in four of the tiny rural villages with public-access computers and Wi-Fi.
 * The Leeds and 1000 Islands Public Library has branches in four of the tiny rural villages with public-access computers and Wi-Fi.

Go next

 * Alexandria Bay and Watertown — in New York state
 * Brockville — to the east along the St. Lawrence River, a small town with a historic downtown, including Canada's first railway tunnel, which is now open for visitors on foot.
 * Kingston — nicknamed the "Limestone City" for the number of buildings constructed out of local limestone. A major population centre between Toronto and Montreal, and the southern terminus of the Rideau Canal.
 * Westport — a village the highest point along the Rideau Canal, and a hub for boaters, hikers, and cottagers around the canal and Rideau Lakes.