Ayr, North Dumfries, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada

Ayr, Ontario, population 9,000, which today is a part of the North Dumfries Township in the Regional Municipality of Waterloo in southwest Ontario, began as a village in 1832 near the site of a sawmill. It was incorporated in 1884, and amalgamated with the Township of North Dumfries in 1973. The majority of the early settlers were farmers who had immigrated to Canada from the Scottish Lowlands. An important early industry was the very successful iron foundry. Today Ayr remains a flourishing agricultural and economic centre, as well as a suburban centre for the city of Kitchener.

Kindly written and contributed by Mrs M J Ujimoto © 2009