In 2016, this area of eastern Ontario marked the 200th Anniversary of the arrival of the first immigrants from Europe and veterans of the War of 1812, to the ‘Perth Military Settlement’. The objective of the celebration was to recognise these settlers and their achievements, pay tribute to the First Nations, and commemorate the history of the area through activities and events. Four present-day municipalities joined in the celebration – the Town of Perth, and the Townships of Beckwith, Drummond/North Elmsley, and Tay Valley – representing the seven founding municipalities of Perth, Bathurst, North Burgess, South Sherbrooke, Drummond, North Elmsley and Beckwith. All four municipalities appointed organising committees to plan and deliver community celebration events and activities, from the fall of 2015 through to December 2016. They also organised a number of legacy projects that will carry forward the anniversary stories for future generations, and cooperated on several joint activities, including design of the anniversary logo above. The sidebar menu on the left provides links to the websites of those municipalities that have posted reports on their anniversary celebration. Our historical society also delivered a program of anniversary events. A list of those delivered throughout 2016 may be seen on our events page. We also presented to each of the municipalities a traditionally styled lantern, recognising the essential role that lanterns played in early settlement life. For a listing of all the 200th Anniversary events, click here (PDF) For a listing of important dates relating to the founding of the Perth Military Settlement click here.