Almonte

Fast Facts

• Population: 6,098 (Statistics Canada, 2021 Census of Population (Almonte))
• Distance from Parliament Hill: About 44.4 km west (straight-line distance)

Overview

Almonte is a historic mill town on the Mississippi River, about 44 km west of Ottawa, and a ward of the Town of Mississippi Mills since 1998. It is not part of the City of Ottawa. Once one of the principal wool manufacturing towns of the Ottawa Valley, Almonte is also the birthplace of James Naismith, inventor of basketball, commemorated with a bronze statue unveiled in 2011, and its historic Mill Street remains lined with 19th-century buildings now home to independent shops and boutiques.

Map

No official boundary exists for this area, so no boundary map is shown here.

History

Almonte was established in 1818 and went through several names — Shepherd's Falls, Shipman's Mills, Ramsayville and Waterford — before being renamed Almonte, after Mexican general Juan Nepomuceno Almonte, and incorporated as a town in 1871.

The town's location on the Mississippi River made it one of the principal wool manufacturing towns of the Ottawa Valley through the 19th and early 20th centuries, with textile mills powering the local economy along Mill Street.

James Naismith, inventor of basketball, was born in Almonte on November 6, 1861. He later became the first full-time athletics instructor at McGill University and established the basketball program at the University of Kansas; a bronze statue of Naismith, created by sculptor Elden Tefft, was unveiled in Almonte in 2011.

The Town of Mississippi Mills was created on January 1, 1998, merging Almonte with Ramsay and Pakenham townships. Since then, Mississippi Mills has grown to a population of 14,740 as of the 2021 census, a 12% increase since 2016.

Claim to Fame

Almonte's defining feature is being the birthplace of James Naismith, inventor of basketball, alongside its history as a major 19th-century wool manufacturing town, reflected today in Mill Street's well-preserved historic storefronts.

Notable People

• James Naismith — Inventor of basketball, born in Almonte in 1861; commemorated with a bronze statue in the town, unveiled in 2011.

Surrounding Neighbourhoods

Almonte is a separate community within the Town of Mississippi Mills, bordering Ottawa's rural west end (West Carleton) to the east and the Town of Carleton Place to the south.

Architecture

Mill Street retains well-preserved 19th-century commercial buildings from Almonte's mill-town era, including former textile mill buildings along the Mississippi River, alongside newer residential development on the town's edges.

Grocery Stores

• North Market Almonte — Specialty grocery store

  Specialty grocery store at 74 Mill Street with a full-service dining room, deli, bakery counter and grab-and-go pantry.

  Visit website

Pedestrian and Cycling

Mill Street and downtown Almonte are walkable, with paths along the Mississippi River near the former mill buildings offering additional walking routes.

Schools

• Naismith Memorial Public School — Upper Canada District School Board

  Elementary school (K-6) at 260 King Street, built in 1970 and named for James Naismith.

  Visit website

Amenities

• James Naismith statue — Public art and monument

  Bronze statue of basketball inventor James Naismith, created by sculptor Elden Tefft and unveiled in Almonte in 2011.

  Photo: D. Gordon E. Robertson, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Transit Options

Almonte is not part of OC Transpo's service area; residents travel primarily by personal vehicle along Highway 44 and Highway 417 to reach Ottawa.

Nearby on This Site

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Official Information

• Find your ward and City Councillor (City of Ottawa)
• Trip planning and routes (OC Transpo)