Land for sale in Renfrew County, Ontario

About Renfrew County

The area

Renfrew County runs west from the Ottawa area along the Ontario side of the Ottawa River to the edge of Algonquin Park. It is the largest county in Ontario, about 7,400 km² of land, and had about 106,400 people in 2021 (counting Pembroke). Most of it is rural: forest, lakes and rivers. Petawawa (about 18,200 in 2021) is the largest community, about 160 km west of Ottawa. The City of Pembroke (about 14,400) sits inside the county but governs itself. The county's 17 local municipalities include the towns of Arnprior, Renfrew and Deep River and townships such as Laurentian Valley, McNab/Braeside, Whitewater Region and Madawaska Valley.

History

The land lies in the Ottawa and Mattawa river watersheds, which the Algonquins of Ontario say they never surrendered; the Algonquins of Pikwakanagan, on Golden Lake, lead the land claim negotiations. An agreement-in-principle signed in 2016 would move about 117,500 acres of provincial Crown land to Algonquin ownership, and Canada says no private property will be taken to settle it. In the 1850s the Opeongo Road opened the interior with free 100-acre lots; Kashubian and Polish settlers founded Wilno in 1858, and logging drew settlers up to 1910. The county was founded in 1861.

Services and access

Pembroke Regional Hospital runs a 24-hour emergency department and is the district stroke centre for the county. Renfrew Victoria Hospital also has a 24-hour emergency department. The province is widening Highway 17 to four lanes for 22.5 km between Arnprior and Renfrew, a stretch about 14,000 drivers use each day. Garrison Petawawa, which the town calls Canada's largest army base, is a major employer; the county's other main sectors are farming, forestry and wood processing, metal manufacturing, aerospace, nuclear science and tourism.

Land and climate

Petawawa is on the west shore of the Ottawa River, close to the Petawawa River and Algonquin Park. Logging is still active: trucks carry logs and lumber through the Madawaska Valley every day. For a rural building permit, townships such as Whitewater Region also issue the septic permit.

Before you buy

The County of Renfrew approves most severances (consents) and all subdivisions and official plans; Arnprior, Renfrew and Whitewater Region decide their own consents. Arnprior, Deep River, Laurentian Valley, Petawawa and Renfrew have their own official plans, and the rest follow the county plan. Each local municipality sets its own zoning bylaw and issues building and septic permits. Planning applications often need a wildland fire risk and hazard assessment.

Sources

• Statistics Canada, 2021 Census population and dwelling counts (tables 98-10-0002, 98-10-0007)
• County of Renfrew, about the county and Town of Petawawa
• County of Renfrew, planning and land use
• Crown-Indigenous Relations Canada, Algonquins of Ontario land claim
• Township of Madawaska Valley, community and heritage
• Pembroke Regional Hospital, emergency department
• Ontario Newsroom, Highway 17 widening from Arnprior to Renfrew
• Renfrew Victoria Hospital, emergency department

Written by AcreScout from the sources listed; facts checked September 30, 2026. Rules change: confirm anything that matters with the municipality.