Amherstburg (2006 population 21,748; UA population 13,410) is a Canadian town near the mouth of the Detroit River in Essex County, Ontario, Canada. It is approximately 25 kilometres (15 mi) south of the U.S. city of Detroit, Michigan.
The town, across the river from the United States, was permanently established as a British military fort in 1796. During the days of the Underground Railroad, the town was often the point at which freed slaves entered Canada. The local public high school in Amherstburg is General Amherst High School, named after Jeffrey Amherst, 1st Baron Amherst. Although General Amherst High School is located within the town, some teenage residents choose to attend Sandwich Secondary School or St. Thomas of Villanova Catholic Secondary School, located in the neighbouring town of LaSalle, Ontario. Both offer a French Immersion program for those who've attended a French grade school; French students in Amherstburg may also attend Ecole Secondaire E.J. Lajeunesse, located in Windsor, Ontario. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.