Deseronto | |
---|---|
Town of Deseronto | |
Coordinates: 44°12′N 77°03′W / 44.200°N 77.050°W | |
Country | Canada |
Province | Ontario |
County | Hastings |
Settled | 1784 |
Incorporated | 1871 (village) |
Incorporated | 1889 (town) |
Government | |
• Type | Town |
• Mayor | Dan Johnston |
• Federal riding | Hastings—Lennox and Addington |
• Prov. riding | Hastings—Lennox and Addington |
Area | |
• Land | 2.51 km2 (0.97 sq mi) |
Population (2016)[1] | |
• Total | 1,774 |
• Density | 705.7/km2 (1,828/sq mi) |
Time zone | UTC-5 (EST) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
Postal Code | K0K |
Area code | 613 |
Website | deseronto.ca |
Deseronto is a town in the Canadian province of Ontario, in Hastings County, located at the mouth of the Napanee River on the shore of the Bay of Quinte, on the northern side of Lake Ontario.
The town was named for Captain John Deseronto, a native Mohawk leader who was a captain in the British Military Forces during the American Revolutionary War. More extensive development began with sale of village tracts by Deseronto's grandson John Culbertson in 1837. The Mohawk of the nearby Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory originally controlled the townsite as well. This is the most easterly municipality of Hastings County. It was a center of industry related to timber and mineral resources until the 1930s.
In the 21st century, Deseronto, located 5 km from Highway 401, is the eastern gateway to the Bay of Quinte tourist region, with the Skyway Bridge providing access to Prince Edward County. In 1995 the Mohawk submitted its Culbertson Tract land claim to the Canadian government, which included much of the Deseronto townsite. This has provoked considerable controversy. Negotiations on this claim have been underway with the government since 2003. In June 2013 the Federal Court of Canada issued a ruling that was a declaration of federal policy, noting that expropriation of land by payment to existing property owners was among the legal alternatives for settling the land claim, together with compensation payments and acquisition of other lands for the Mohawk.