Shanly, Ontario

Shanly is a small rural community located in eastern Ontario, about one hour south of Ottawa. It falls within the municipality of Edwardsburgh/Cardinal in Leeds and Grenville Counties. Two churches are found in the community: Shanly United Church, and Shanliwood Community Church. The surrounding countryside is mainly agricultural (dairy, beef, poultry, and swine). Since 1976 there has been an annual Christmas party held on the Friday before December 25 in the basement of Shanly United Church.

History

In the 1840s, the village that would later become Shanly was called Moore's Settlement. The meaning of this name is allegedly lost to time. In the 1860s, the community was renamed Wallace's Corner. This name came from the fact the settlement was situated at the junction of Nine Mile Road (Now, Shanly road, and later County Road 22) and the Seventh Concession (Now, County Road 21) which at the time met at a corner. The last name Wallace (or, Wallis) was popular in the community.

Modern Day

The borders of Shanly are indefinite, although historically the western limit of Shanly's school district extended to lot 12 of County Road 21 (lots west of this belonged to Garry Owen). Shanly is located in the country, and the main area of it is hardly more populous then the surrounding country side. Some believe Shanly is only a road, and the inhabitants of this road make up its population. Others believe Shanly includes the sprawling fields and forests that surround it.

Aside from two churches, Shanly also has a maple bush, with a large granite quarry located inside of it. The maple bush has also produced countless litres of maple syrup, sold in a small pancake house near the quarry. This pancake house also sells syrup cookies. They call it Hunters Cafe, and it has been in Shanly for 30 years.

Shanly has a graveyard as well, with graves dating nearly 200 years old. It is directly across the road from the Bennetts' farm, which produces milk, and has multiple corn fields.

Shanliwood Community Church used to be a small restaurant, but it was bought and converted into a church, by an unknown man who built his house beside it. Although approximately 10 houses have been built in Shanly in the past 12 years, the area still remains sparsely settled. Through the fields of the Bennetts' farm, as well as a few other fields, you can see the neighbouring community of Ventnor. A dirt trail connects Shanly directly to Ventnor, but it is not widely used except by tractors, cyclists, dirtbikes, and snowmobiles in the winter.