Johnstown, Ontario

Johnstown is a community in the United Counties of Leeds and Grenville, in eastern Ontario, Canada, part of the township of Edwardsburgh/Cardinal. It is located at the Canadian terminus of the Ogdensburg-Prescott International Bridge and at the southern terminus of Highway 416 and Highway 16.

History
In 1789, the town site was surveyed, and laid out with a plot of 1 sqmi. The lots were colonized by settlers from Scotland and Ireland, and by many Loyalists, including Sir John Johnson. A sawmill and gristmill were constructed. In 1793, Johnstown was made the administrative seat of the Eastern District, leading to the construction of a courthouse and gaol. The court of quarter sessions (the district's government) alternated it meeting location between Johnstown and Cornwall.

Between 1792 and 1795, John Graves Simcoe, the first Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada, resided in Johnstown. In 1808, the courts were moved to Elizabethtown (now known as Brockville). No longer district seat and having a shallow harbour, Johnstown failed to develop further.

In 2006, it was announced that Canadian ethanol producer GreenField Ethanol had plans to build a new high capacity ethanol production plant in Johnstown's industrial park. Construction commenced in 2007, and operations at the plant began in December of 2008. By early 2009, the plant had reached full production levels. The plant can produce 200 million litres of ethanol per year, making it the largest ethanol plant operated by GreenField.