The village we call home, Rosseau, Ontario, has a rich history. Rosseau is in the Robison Huron Treaty area. The area around Lake Rosseau was traditionally inhabited by the Anishinaabe people, who called the lake "Waanakiing," meaning "the place of the big water.” European traders began arriving in the area in the 17th century.

It’s not entirely clear how Rosseau got its name. One theory says that William Robinson, a member of the House of Assembly, named it after his friend Joseph Rousseau. (Though why he spelled it wrong is a puzzler.)  Another, perhaps more accurate theory, suggests that the lake was named after Catherine Rosseau, the mother of William Hamilton Merritt, a prominent Canadian businessman and politician.

The Rosseau-Nipissing Road, which connects Rosseau to Lake Nipissing near North Bay, played a significant role in the area's development and is commemorated by an historical plaque outside the community hall.