Community Profile

• 49% of all retail space
• 1.79 ha (4.42 ac) of vacant land
• 2.6% retail vacancy rate
• 43% of all office space with a 0% vacancy rate

• Two preschool alternatives
• Five elementary schools
• Two secondary schools with both public and separate school selections and French Immersion available
• Cooperative learning
• Perth's Algonquin College has courses in office administration, healthcare and customized industrial training. Their Heritage Trades program in carpentry, millwork and stone masonry has gained international acclaim.
• Distance learning and video conferencing.

• Perth is serviced by the modern and fully equipped Perth & Smiths Falls District Hospital, which is also supplemented by a full range of medical-related clinics and practices found throughout the community.
• Specialty clinics offer state-of-the-art rehabilitation, physiotherapy and diagnostic services.
• Twenty-four hour ambulance crews with a helipad back-up provide quick response in emergencies. 

• 18 ha (44.6 ac) of vacant land
• 36% of all retail space
• 6.6% retail vacancy rate
• 10.9% of all office space with a 1.9% vacancy rate

• Perth's history stretches back to the era when Upper and Lower Canada were English colonies.
• At the end of the War of 1812, Britain offered land along the Tay River to its officers and soldiers, fulfilling the perceived need to establish a strategic defensive outpost.
• Perth was founded in 1816 as one of three military settlements along the Rideau Corridor
• The Rideau Canal, built between 1826 and 1832 as a safe inland military route from Kingston to Ottawa, and the Tay Canal, an offshoot of the Lower Rideau Lake, were never needed in war. After commercial uses waned, the area became a mecca for recreation. 
• The nation's oldest town band - the Perth Citizens' Band - still performs today in the bandstand.
• Canada's Last Fatal Duel was fought on the banks of the Tay in 1833 for a lady's honour.
• The Mammoth Cheese, a 22,000-pound cheddar, was created here for the Chicago World's Fair in 1893.

• Perth employs 2,455 people
• Median annual household income is $47,201
• Median annual income (person 15 years or older) is $27,853
• Perth's unemployment rate is 7.0%

Data obtained from the 2011 census - new statistics will be available in 2017.

• Abundant hydroelectric power
• Integrated high-speed telecommunications
• Multi-national companies such as 3M Canada, Albany International, Central Wire Industries and OMYA International.
• Other companies include Perth Soap Inc., Eaton Yale Ltd. and Cosma International. There are two key established areas for industrial development in the east and south ends of town. There are smaller pockets of industrial land available in the west and east ends.
• The Town owns approximately 35 acres of industrial land available for industrial development.

• Perth is situated in a region which has hundreds of lakes within 50 kilometres and offers a rich natural playground with breathtaking views for both visitors and residents.
• Geographically, Perth is situated at the halfway point of Canada's two largest cities, it is 240 km east of Toronto and 220 km west of Montreal. 
• Similarily, within Eastern Ontario, Perth is situated between the areas largest cities, lying 80 km southeast of Ottawa and 75 km north of Kingston. 

• Perth is one of eight member municipalities of the County of Lanark.
• Town Council is comprised of seven elected officials including a Mayor, a Deputy Mayor and five Councillors.
• There are a number of subcommittees of Town Council which include appointed non-elected officials who are responsible for specific matters and report to Council with recommendations.
• Lanark County Council is responsible for setting policy and administering various programs at the regional level while its member municipalities like Perth look after matters of local significance.
• Membership on County Council includes representatives from all of its affiliated municipalities. 

80 Gore Street East
Perth, Ontario
K7H 1H9
Telephone: 613-267-3311 
Fax: 613-267-5635

Perth Tourism
11 Gore Street East
Perth, Ontario
K7H 1H4
Telephone: 613-267-1947 or 1-855-326-1947

Other key contacts 

Perth & District Chamber of Commerce
34 Herriott Street
Perth, Ontario
K7H 1T2
Tel: 613-267-3200
Fax: 613-267-6797
Email: welcome@perthchamber.com

Downtown Heritage Perth BIA
80 Gore Street East
Perth, Ontario
K7H 1H9
Tel: 613-267-3311, ext. 2251
Fax: 613-267-5635
Email: bia@perth.ca 

Drummond North Elmsley Township
Municipal Office
310 Port Elmsley Road
R.R.#5
Perth, Ontario
K7H 3C7
613-267-6500

Tay Valley Township
Municipal Office
217 Harper Road
R.R.#4
Perth, Ontario
K7H 3C6
613-267-5353

• Perth is a great place to do business. Lower land costs and taxes, a stable motivated workforce, and close proximity to major markets make Perth a profitable business location.
• A total of 4,323,536 square feet of non-residential land uses are found within the Town.

• Seven Protestant churches
• One Roman Catholic church

• The Town benefits from its own municipal fire department, which is fully complimented with trained staff/volunteers and up-to-date emergency equipment.
• The community benefits from policing services by the Ontario Provincial Police.

• Perth's present population is 5,840. (2011) 
• The population of the Greater Perth Area is approximately 20,000 which includes Perth, Tay Valley Township, and the Township of Drummond North Elmsley.
• Growth rates for Perth, Tay Valley, and D/NE over the last 5 years were -1.1%, 5.6% & -1.1% respectively. (2011)

• Curling club
• Community centre
• Indoor swimming pool
• Lawn bowling greens
• Eleven golf courses within 35 kilometers
• Seven community parks
• Athletic clubs/fitness centres
• Conlon Farm Recreation Facility has basketball courts, baseball diamonds, soccer pitches, tennis courts, skateboarding and rollerblading surfaces, tobogganing hills and a children's playground.

• 2,945 dwelling units in Perth 
  • Single Detached Dwellings = 1570
  • Semi Detached Dwellings (# of units) = 265
  • Duplexes = 25
  • Townhouses/Row Houses = 130
  • Small Multi-units = 194
  • Condominium Apartments = 81
  • Apartment Dwellings = 498
  • Senior Residency Dwellings = 81
• 58% dwelling units are owned
• 42% dwellings are rented
• 65% housing is low density  (singles and semis)
• 27% medium density (row/townhouses)
• 8% high density (apartment)
• 95 social assisted dwelling units are provided for within the community by three non-profit housing authorities
• Number of housing starts over the last three years: 39

• Perth and the Tay were named after the town and river in Scotland because the landscape reminded the early settlers of their homeland. It became the regional hub for both our Scottish and Irish homesteaders.
• As the county town, it continues to be the administrative, social and judicial centre of the area.

• Perth has an immediate trade area as well as a secondary trade area which includes rural residents, tourists and cottagers.
• The secondary trade area extends some 60 kilometers west along Highway #7 to include Arden  and 10 kilometers to the east along Highway #43.

• Major arterial roadways linking major urban centres include TransCanada Highways #7 and #43
• Collector roads include #10, #511, #1, #6 that link the Perth community to other rural and urban centres
• St. Lawrence and Hudson Railway Line (CPR) travels through the northeastern portion of town
• The Tay Canal provides tourist boat travel/access from the Rideau Canal at Beveridge Locks into the downtown core

• Present reserve 5-6 years in the municipally-owned and operated landfill
• A county wide landfill site is expected to provide Perth with a 25+ year capacity 

• Water supply and distribution system has been in operation for over 60 years
• Currently operating at 67% capacity and is expected to meet the demands of the Perth Community over the next 20 years
• Sewage collection and treatment system is anticipated to meet the needs of the community over the next 18 to 19 years 

• Spring is...maple syrup, kayaking and orchids. Average Temp: 18.3°C (64.9°F), Precipitation: 22.8 cm (9 in)
• Summer is...swimming, boating and gardening. Average Temp: 24.1°C (75.4°F), Precipitation: 26.1 cm (10 in)
• Autumn is...Fall colours and apple orchards. Average Temp: 6.1°C (43°F), Precipitation: 22.1 cm (8.7 in)
• Winter is...skiing, skating and snowshoeing. Average Temp: -1.9°C (28.6°F), Precipitation: 18.7 cm (7.4 in)