River Canard, Ontario

River Canard is a hamlet of roughly 500 people in Amherstburg, Ontario, Canada, approximately 12 miles south of Windsor, Ontario, situated on the Canard River. It is home to an attractive French-Canadian-style church, similar to St. Joachim Church in Lakeshore (now closed), and Ste. Anne's Church in Tecumseh. The town also contains a bowstring arch bridge that carries Essex County Road 8 over the Canard River.

Originally named Rivière aux Canards ("Duck River"), the community is home to one of the last vestiges of the French-speaking inhabitants of the Detroit River region, settled from France and Quebec in the 18th century. At St. Joseph's parish, one can still (2007) hear the mass in French.

Much of the land was purchased by the Beneteau family, whose patriarch was forced to move from the LaSalle area (originally Sandwich West) because of what the LaSalle community considered 'below standard behaviour'. The only land available was the then desolate swamp land of River Canard. At the time this was not really a river, but was a drainage swamp fit only for ducks.

A small subdivision in River Canard is called Beneteau Drive. The Beneteau family had named the side streets "David," "Lydia," and "Ryan," presumably for family members. There are many children living in the subdivision, since St Joseph school is nearby.

River Canard was the site of an engagement between British and American forces on July 18, 1812, during the War of 1812. An American force of 280 men under Colonel Lewis Cass skirmished with British troops near the bridge. Two British soldiers were killed, the first casualties of the war.

On The Map

On most maps, River Canard is shown at the junction of Essex County Roads 3 and 20 (Former Kings Highway 18). Some maps also show the area as "Loiselleville, Ontario", a name the community bore for a short period in the early 20th century.