Arnprior

Arnprior, Ont, incorporated as a town in 1892, population 8114 (2011c), 7158 (2006c). The Town of Arnprior is located at the confluence of the Madawaska and Ottawa rivers, 56 km west of Ottawa. The community was founded by the despotic Scots laird Archibald McNab in 1823, and the site was named after the ancestral home (Arnpryor) of his Buchanan kinsmen. McNab lost his settlement rights in 1840, and the site was deserted until 1851, when Daniel McLachlin began large scale lumbering operations on the Madawaska. Lumber and textiles dominated the economy for a long time.

Memorabilia of McNab's days, including the original deed of land and the petition by which his compatriots had him removed, are displayed at the Arnprior and District Museum; his summer home, Waba Lodge, is recreated 10 km SW. The Emergency Preparedness Canada Training College is located here. Now a diverse community with a broad industrial base, it is the gateway for tourists in Renfrew County.