River Canard, Ontario

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River Canard (also called Loiselleville on some maps) is a hamlet of roughly 500 people in the north part of Amherstburg, Ontario and the southern part of Lasalle, Ontario, Canada, approximately 12 miles south of Windsor, Ontario, situated on the Canard River. It is home to an attractive French-Canadian church, similar to St. Joachim Church in Lakeshore (now closed), and Ste. Anne's Church in Tecumseh. The town also contains a bowstring arch bridge that carries Essex County Road 8 over the Canard River.

Originally named Rivière aux Canards ("Duck River"), the community is home to one of the last vestiges of the French-speaking inhabitants of the Detroit River region, settled from France and Quebec in the 18th century. At St. Joseph's parish, one can still (2007) hear the mass in French.

A small subdivision in River Canard is called Beneteau Drive. The Beneteau family had named the side streets "David," "Lydia," and "Ryan," presumably for family members. There are many children living in the subdivision, since St Joseph school is nearby.

On most maps, River Canard is shown at the junction of Essex County Roads 3 and 20 (Former Kings Highway 18).

River Canard was the site of an engagement between British and American forces on July 16, 1812, during the War of 1812. An American force of 280 men under Colonels Cass and Miller skirmished with British troops near the bridge. Two British soldiers, James Hancock and John Dean were captured. Hancock would die of his wounds later in the day, becoming the first British casualty of the war. Dean was taken prisoner to Detroit where his left arm was amputated due to wounds. He would be liberated with the capture of Fort Detroit by the British one month later.
Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/River_Canard,_Ontario
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   42°11'0"N   83°4'57"W

Comments

  • Settled mostly by the Beneteau and Bondy families in the early 1800s, many of the family's descendants live here today.
  • I am a direct decendent of Langlois that lived there as well one of my ancestors is a Bondy
  • More info is that this was 1789 - 1851 Alexis Langlois & Marie Jeanne Bondy
  • ShawnM... do you know where I can find out about my grandfather, the late Patrick Bondy and my late grandmother, Stella Ryan. They have connections to Riviere aux canards... River Canard
This article was last modified 7 years ago