Deep River is a planned community established in the 1940s to house employees of the Chalk River Laboratories, Canada’s primary nuclear research facility. Located on the Ottawa River between Rolph and Buchanan Townships, Deep River was constructed as part of a federal initiative during World War II and stands apart from most Renfrew County towns due to its top-down planning and federally controlled land base.

Unlike the surrounding concession system, Deep River was laid out according to Garden City planning principles, with winding streets, central green spaces, and designated civic zones. Most of the land was owned by the federal government until privatization began in the 1990s.

For surveyors, Deep River represents a unique mapping and legal environment. The town was surveyed independently of the township grid, and parcels often rely on plans produced by the Department of Public Works or Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd. Title work must sometimes reference federal plan numbers, and survey monuments can vary from Ontario’s standard iron bars. Understanding land use covenants, site leases, and Crown-to-private transfers is essential when retracing property here.