Warkworth

By Guy Scott

The Township of Percy in Northumberland County was surveyed in 1796. It was one tier of townships inland from Lake Ontario and was bounded on the north by the Otonabee River, on the east by Seymour Township and on the West by Alderville. On the north side was Hastings at Crook’s Falls on the Otonabee. The township was named after the famous English Percy family, so prominent in English history. The village of Warkworth was founded on a small creek that flowed into the Trent River. As early as 1807, a mill was in operation at Warkworth. The earliest name for the hamlet was Banta Town, after the most prominent mill owners. Percy Township was farming country, and was soon the home of several cheese factories. The Warkworth Cheese Factory was in operation by 1870. Before 1900, cheese was Canada’s primary agricultural export and cheese factories were everywhere in Ontario. Northumberland County was home to many cheese factories including the famous (and still operating) Empire Cheese from nearby Campbellford.

Another feature of Warkworth is its famous maple syrup. From pioneer times the area has always been known for its sugar bushes. Local producers have won numerous medals at the international maple syrup competitions over the years. The Sandy Flat producers won championships in 1988, 1990, 1993 and 1994. Each March, the village hosts its annual maple syrup festival at the Sandy Flat Sugar Bush. Attendance can run as high as 10,000 visitors a year!

Another agricultural event is the annual Warkworth Fall Fair. Founded in 1850, it is one of Ontario’s oldest fairs. The exhibit building is called the Cow Palace—you can’t get any more farm than that title.  

Warkworth also achieved notoriety in 1967 with the opening of the Warkworth Institution; a medium security federal prison housing 650 inmates. The inmate population actually outnumbered the residents of Warkworth, and the jail created issues in the community. In the first few years, jail-breaks were common despite a 15-foot chain link fence. Local began to see the jail as a community hazard. “We started to lock our doors and cars, and thing we had never done. Every unexplained noise or barking dog meant a possible escapee,” said one resident. Improved fencing cut down the escapees, but other issues remained. Families of internees flooded the area. Transportation to the jail (5 miles from town) was also a problem. On the other hand, 350 jobs were created in the local area. In July 2009, a massive riot at the prison left one inmate dead and damage at the institution. The jail is still operating today.