Ayr
The village of Ayr actually began as 3 separate communities. In 1824, Abel Mudge built a sawmill where Cedar Creek and the Nith River intersect, and the community of Mudge’s Mill was born. Next, John Hall built a flour mill and distillery East of Mudge’s Mill, and named his settlement Jedburgh. To the West of Mudge’s Mill, another sawmill was built on the Nith River, and the settlement became known as Nithvale.
The 3 settlements began to grow in 1832 as immigrants from the Scottish Lowlands were drawn here by William Dickson and his promises of inexpensive farmland. Around this time, Dickson was also busily establishing the town of Galt with his fellow Scottish Lowlanders.
A rivalry between Jedburgh and Mudge’s Mill grew as the two communities fought to establish themselves as the superior settlement. In 1840, a post office was established in Mudge’s Mill under the name Ayr. Incorporation of the village was brought before the Ontario Legislature in 1857, but the decision was delayed in order to try to reach a consensus among the residents of the two rival communities. Finally, in 1884, the communities of Jedburgh, Mudge’s Mill, and Nithvale were officially incorporated into the Village of Ayr.
Today, Ayr maintains it’s friendly, small-town feel just 15 minutes away from Kitchener. Along with the peaceful, serene village atmosphere, it boasts one of the lowest municipal tax rates in the Waterloo Region.
