Wendover is a small village of 571 homes located approximately 30 minutes east of Ottawa, along the south shore of the Ottawa River. It is surrounded by the villages of Plantagenet, Curran and Clarence.
The origins of the town's name cannot be found in the archives, however, it is suspected to be named after a British visitor who spent a fair while in the village in 1830.
Construction of a Chapel was first authorized in 1871 by Mgr. Duhamel, to be situated on a property east of the village, donated by the Corbeil family. It was built by Joseph Gratton. In 1895 a larger church was constructed, later destroyed by fire in 1910.
Following this fire, Father Alphonse Séguin had the church rebuilt facing the dock, and today the church still stands in this location.
To the east of the village, remnants of a railway can be seen where a bridge crossed the Nation River. The railway was constructed in 1905 and was operational until 1930.
The church remains a weekly meeting place of the local parishioners. It is centrally located in the village and is surrounded by other community services such as the Caisse Populaire, municipal library, St-Joseph elementary school, the post office, a convenience store, a service station and the community center.
Community organizations in Wendover include the l'Aigle d'Or (golden age club), Chevaliers de Colomb, Optimist Club, l'Union culturelle and the Club de Chasse et Pêche.
One of the more popular activities for which this little village is known is the annual Wendover Country and Western Festival in the month of July.
Mid 70's, a committee was formed, headed by Mme Thérèse Malette (Lacasse). With financial assistance from the government, they were able to open two municipal branch libraries, one in Wendover, the other in Curran. After several relocations, the Wendover library is situated beside the Caisse Populaire.
Suzanne Lanthier and Denise Bertrand were the first librarians, followed by Catherine Bélisle and Hélène Lavoie. In August 1999, internet services were offered to library patrons.
Contribution by Catherine Bélisle, photos from the book " Histoire des Comtés Unis de Prescott et de Russell". Lucien Brault M.A., PH.D., and of the Conseil des Comtés Unis, L’Orignal Ont, printed by Le Droit, January 4th, 1965.