Town of LaSalle

Named after the French explorer, René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, French settlers first established roots in the area in the mid 1700s. A mission was established in the Town of Sandwich, resulting in people settling in the Turkey Creek area. LaSalle's history and that of Essex County were very much entwined when they were officially identified as part of Upper Canada in 1792. In 1991, residents of LaSalle opted to define themselves as a Town; and, in turn, immediately became one of the larger communities of Essex County with a population of just over 30,000.

In a region of Ontario with less than 4% tree cover for the entire county, the Town of LaSalle is fortunate to still have a small but significant amount of land area consisting of Carolinian forests, provincially significant wetlands, and tall grass prairie communities. Approximately 7% of all land situated within the corporate limits of the Town of LaSalle (excluding Fighting and Grassy Islands) is wooded and/or contains plant species and wildlife habitat which, from a biological perspective, is considered to be a "natural heritage area". Natural heritage areas are defined as sites that are relatively undisturbed and which retain some ecological function such as providing habitat for wildlife or contributing to the protection and enhancement of water quality.