Orchardside

The name "Orchardside" is a literal description of the hamlet’s environment. It is situated in the heart of Dundas County’s apple-growing district, just south of Dundela, where John McIntosh discovered the McIntosh Red seedling in 1811. By the late 1800s, the area was dominated by extensive orchards. Orchardside functioned as a residential and service cluster for the seasonal workers and farm families who managed the thousands of trees that supplied the local markets. It was centered around the intersection of Lakeshore Drive (pre-Seaway) and the concession roads leading into the interior. Some of the prominent families who were early settlers in this area include the Shavers and Whittekers.

 

Orchardside included a schoolhouse that was situated at the southwest corner of the north half of Lot 12, Concession 8 in Dundas. The school section joined the Williamsburg Township School Area (WTSA) in 1941. The school was closed in 1966, after which its students were sent to Chesterville Public School.

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Orchardside was located relatively close to the St. Lawrence River. While it was not a major town like the "Lost Villages" that were completely relocated (such as Aultsville), its proximity to the flooding zone meant that the surrounding landscape was heavily altered during the 1950s Seaway project.

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Today, much like Nudell Bush or Muttonville, Orchardside is recognized as a "historic hamlet" rather than an incorporated village. It remains a quiet, rural residential area with several heritage properties still standing.

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Sources:

Chesterville Record

Canadian Official Postal Guide

SDG Counties History

Upper Canada District School Board

Dundas County Directory