Foresters Falls is one of Renfrew County’s most distinctive riverfront communities, located along the Ottawa River in the former Ross Township. Named for the prominent waterfalls that once powered local mills, the village emerged in the mid-19th century as a commercial and agricultural centre. By the late 1800s, it featured a post office, school, several churches, and active ferry service to Quebec.

The surrounding area was laid out in standard Crown concessions, but the river’s complex shoreline, with its mix of rapids and inlets, created irregular parcel shapes and water-access challenges. Early surveyors adapted to this terrain by using meander lines and water lot definitions, which remain relevant today. In the 20th century, whitewater tourism, including rafting and kayaking, became an economic pillar of the area, bringing renewed focus to the riverfront.

Surveyors in Foresters Falls contend with a layered legal landscape: Crown shoreline reserves, meandered boundaries, and shifting channels all complicate title work. The original village plan and early severances remain in force, though field evidence is often eroded or overgrown. Federal expropriation plans related to hydroelectric proposals (many never realized) may also cloud title. Survey retracement here frequently involves a blend of riparian law, historical plan interpretation, and field investigation of long-lost occupation features.