▁town ships ▁established ▁along ▁these ▁front s ▁contained ▁generally ▁fert ile ▁land ▁composed ▁of ▁gla cial ▁till ▁and ▁cl ay - rich ▁lo am . ▁As ▁these ▁town ships ▁filled ▁up , ▁business ▁opportun ities ▁presented ▁themselves ▁for ▁invest ors ▁to ▁purchase ▁native ▁lands ▁and ▁open ▁them ▁to ▁settlement . ▁The ▁Canada ▁Company ▁was ▁the ▁most ▁successful ▁of ▁these ▁vent ures , ▁and ▁attract ed ▁sett lers ▁to ▁vast ▁areas ▁of ▁land ▁in ▁Western ▁Ontario ▁by ▁building ▁routes ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁Hur on ▁Road ▁and ▁the ▁Toronto – S y den ham ▁Road ▁during ▁the ▁ 1 8 3 0 s ▁and ▁ 1 8 4 0 s . ▁As ▁these ▁areas ▁too ▁filled , ▁the ▁government ▁came ▁under ▁pressure ▁to ▁open ▁up ▁the ▁unf org iving ▁terrain ▁of ▁the ▁Canadian ▁Sh ield ▁to ▁settlement , ▁and ▁sought ▁to ▁establish ▁a ▁network ▁of ▁east – west ▁and ▁north – s outh ▁roads ▁between ▁the ▁Ott awa ▁Valley ▁and ▁Georg ian ▁Bay . ▁This ▁area ▁was ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁Ott awa – H ur on ▁T ract . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 4 7 , ▁an ▁expl oration ▁survey ▁was ▁carried ▁out ▁by ▁Robert ▁Bell ▁to ▁lay ▁out ▁the ▁lines ▁that ▁would ▁become ▁the ▁O pe ongo ▁Road , ▁H ast ings ▁Road ▁and ▁Add ington ▁Road . ▁The ▁Public ▁Land s ▁Act , ▁passed ▁in ▁ 1 8 5 3 , ▁permitted ▁the ▁grant ing ▁of ▁land ▁to ▁sett lers ▁who ▁were ▁at ▁least ▁ 1 8 . ▁Those ▁sett lers ▁who