Published by The Eganville Leader - July 2020 - Page 1 · Whitney, the eastern gateway to Algonquin Provincial Park. Just across the river, are the green spaces of Centennial Park

Published by The Eganville Leader - July 2020 - Page 1



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Centrally located, Eganville occupies a deep limestone valley carved at the Fifth Chute of the Bonnechere River within the Township of Bonnechere Valley.

Like many communities along the scenic Bonnechere River, Eganville had its begin-nings in the lumber trade and in the grist mills built to harness the fast-flowing waters. McRae Lookout Park commemorates both origins, with this lovely little park built from lumber milled at the McRae Mill located in Whitney, the eastern gateway to Algonquin Provincial Park. Just across the river, are the green spaces of Centennial Park with an am-phitheatre large gazebo and children’s play-ground. A foot bridge spanning the river from behind the log building which serves as the tourist information centre, provides a scenic view of the river.

The Bonnechere with its five “chutes’ was a vital part of the network of waterways which took the virgin timber of the Ottawa Valley to Europe. Log drivers guided the mighty pine destined to become ship’s masts down the Bonnechere to the Ottawa and onward to the St. Lawrence River. Today the stretch of placid Bonnechere west of the main bridge, is ideal for kayaking, fishing, swimming and paddle-boarding. In the spring melt, the rocky ledges of the “fifth chute’ east of the bridge are still a raging torrent of whitewater. In summer, music floats over the water from the weekly series of free concerts in Centennial Park and every spring, a flotilla of canoes with local fid-dlers welcome paddlers to celebrate the beau-ty of the river. Many of these events are now on pause due to COVID-19.

Eganville’s post office dates from 1912 and was used for several decades. It then became the home of municipal government for 25 years and today it is the home of the Bon-nechere Museum, documenting the area’s history. It is one of the best-known symbols of Eganville. In 1911, a major fire destroyed many of the buildings in Eganville. Some 75 homes were lost along with schools, churches and industries along both sides of the Bonne-chere River. The village was rebuilt and today Eganville is known for its picturesque smaller

churches nestled on the leafy streets. Sadly, the two largest churches, the Grace Lutheran and the historic St. James Roman Catholic, were de-stroyed by fire in the 1990’s and have both been rebuilt in more modern architectural styles.

Eganville is also known as the Ordovician Fossil Capital of Canada. There are many fossils to be found in this area from approxi-mately 500 million years ago (in a time before dinosaurs) including coral, crinoids, trilobites, cephalopods, gastropods, pelecypods, stroma-tolites and brachiopods. The Bonnechere Val-ley is also a gateway to some of north-eastern Ontario’s most well-known tourist destina-tions, including the nearby Bonnechere Caves. The caves are located under a hill of limestone, said by geologists to have been the bottom of a tropical sea 500 million years ago. The Bon-nechere Museum, through a partnership with the Bonnechere Caves, offers fossil hunts four times in a summer season where people can practice finding fossils and even take one home if they find a good one. Eganville is also home to a Geo-Heritage Walking Trail located along the Bonnechere River which features a fossil pit, a visit to an old quarry, a trench, wild plants and scenic lookouts.

A new splash pad at the Legion Memorial Field ensures that children can enjoy the hot summer days. The Legion Field has the ball diamond, the Curling Centre with its escape room as well as the weekly farmers market each Friday afternoon.

Olympian 800 metre runner Melissa Bish-op was born in Eganville and the village is also the native home of Ontario’s first ever provincial ombudsman, Arthur Maloney, a well-known Toronto lawyer.

Eganville: The Jewel of the Bonnechere

The tower of the Bonnechere Museum, the for-mer post office, located in downtown Eganville.

The beautiful Bonnechere River runs through the centre of Eganville. Originating in Algonquin Park, it empties into the Ottawa below Renfrew.



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The Bonnechere River as it passes through the Fourth Chute, a few kms east of Eganville. This is home to the world renowned Bonnechere Caves.



In the 1960s the hippie movement de-scended on Renfrew County, with the area around Killaloe and Wilno becoming home for many back-to-the-landers who came with long hair, beat up vehicles and their music. Many came out of the Rochdale College area of Toronto where they had arrived from dif-ferent parts of Canada and the United States. They bought up old farms and turned some of them into communes living quietly and peace-fully among the locals.

Gradually, they became part of the social fabric of the Killaloe community and began to share their music and many other talents with the locals.

Fifty years later, many of the original hip-pies still reside in the area along with their children and grandchildren. Many have mar-ried into local families.

Fast forward half a century and another new group of people have chosen to move into Ren-frew County and while they could easily be con-sidered back-to-the-landers too, they are strik-ingly different from the hippies of the 60s era.

In the spring of 2014, the first of several Mennonite families moved to a farm near Douglas, along Highway 60 between Egan-ville and Renfrew. That same year, four more families purchased farms around Douglas and today there are about 20 families occupying farms that once provided a living for many families but were not being farmed for the last

generation.The new settlers are transforming the land-

scape one farm at a time.The families are Orthodox Mennonites and

so you will see horses and buggies travelling along local roads. Municipalities have erected yellow road signs showing a horse and buggy to caution motorists. Several stores in Egan-ville, Cobden and Renfrew have installed hitching posts for the horses welcoming the families to their communities to shop.

The Mennonite families have moved from western Ontario where land was becoming both scarce and expensive.

What these families have done to the farms in six years is nothing short of remarkable. They have rejuvenated the land, revived old farms, planted fields of produce, built green-

houses, large barns, converted garages into stables, built new homes and a school for the children which is used for worship services on Sundays.

Several families have also constructed buildings from which they market their fresh produce, maple syrup and specialty sausages brought in from southern Ontario.

The Mennonites are a hard-working and industrious people. One family quickly estab-lished a metal roofing business while another began building trusses for home construction. Some are into woodworking and furniture making.

While the farmland of Admaston/Bromley Township, in which the hamlet of Douglas is located, is known as the bread basket of Ren-frew County and is home to some of the largest and most modern dairy farms in the province, the Mennonite people represent another era.

They come from another century where the mode of travel is horse and buggy, the men wear wide-brimmed black hats and the wom-en bonnets.

The Mennonites have been warmly wel-comed to the area by most people and while they mainly keep to themselves, they are wel-coming when people visit their farms.

A throwback to an era in the modern world is alive and well in Admaston/Bromley and neighbouring North Algona Wilberforce Township.

Local Mennonites remind us of a simpler time

Watch for horses and buggies on the roads in the Douglas-Eganville-Renfrew areas.


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Nature of the Valley

Bring your camera! Renfrew County is a photographer’s para-dise with its abun-dance of wildlife and gorgeous natural land-scapes. Sightings of deer, bears, foxes, moose and other ani-mals are common.


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There is nothing more refreshing than a tasty ice cream cone on a hot summer day in the Valley. These boys enjoy the tasty treat after taking a break from playing in Station Park in Killaloe.


The immigration his-tory of the Ottawa Valley is reflected in the names of the two conjoined ar-eas, North Algona and Wilberforce, which claim two outstanding natural features of Ontario: the Bonnechere Caves and the old-growth forest at Shaw Woods.

Original small pioneer settlements, such as Mud Lake, Germanicus and Woito, have been sup-planted by the communi-ties of Eganville, Rankin, Deacon and Golden Lake.

A summer playground for thousands of cottag-ers and visitors, in winter these same communities welcome snowmobile and ice fishing enthusiasts to Mink Lake, Golden Lake, Lake Dore and the Bon-nechere River. Public beaches, boat launches, snowmobile trails, picnic areas, resorts, cabins and campgrounds attract visi-tors from near and far.

The largely rural town-ship claims a number of unique assets. Lake Dore is apparently the larg-est freshwater lake in the world without an island. On the shores of Lake Dore just off of. Hwy. 41, Melissa Bishop Park pays tribute to the Olympic run-ner from Eganville who holds the Canadian title for the 800-metre sprint.

Nearby, the Old Growth forest at Shaw Woods which has never been har-vested is the area’s pre-

mier ecological site. The Shaw Woods Outdoor Education Centre with its Pine Pavilion invites picnicking after a stroll on 15 km of interpretive hiking trails explaining the local flora and fauna. A high viewing deck at Johnny’s Lookout features a view over the panoram-ic countryside as well as the original Shaw mill pond and wetlands. Each of the four seasons pro-vides a different experi-ence in this tranquil area.

Each February, for over forty years, the township hosts the Bonnechere Cup Snowmobile Rac-es, part of the Eastern Pro tour, on a half-mile oval track (Eganville Sno-Drifters’ Club) just outside of Eganville. In spring, the May Mud-der sees the racing oval transformed into a mud-dy challenge for trucks and four-wheelers.

Spring also marks the seasonal opening of the Bonnechere Caves at the

Fourth Chute on the Bon-nechere River, seven kilo-meters east of Eganville. The limestone walls of the caves were formed of mud and silt during the Ordo-vician period some 400 to 500 million years ago, long before the evolution of the dinosaurs. Once the floor of a tropical sea, the passages hold fossil deposits which can be ex-plored during daily guided tours in summer. Locals and visitors alike gather for popular special events such as Candlelight Un-derground Dining and the Cavestock Underground Concert Series.

Golfers enjoy the White-tail Golf Club with its 18 challenging holes and full-service club house on the rolling scenic landscape. Stone Fence Theatre at the Rankin Community Hall and other venues of-fers home-grown Ottawa Valley musicals and tasty old-fashioned dinners in summer and fall.

Caves, old growth forest, lakes and golf in NAW

Canoeing on the Snake River near the Shaw Woods Outdoor Education Centre.



The construction of the Opeongo line originally brought settlers and the logging industry into the rocky hills and timber stands near present day Killaloe.

Originally known as Fort Mc-Donnell, the village which grew up on the banks of Brennan’s Creek became known as Killaloe Station when the Ottawa, Arn-prior and Parry Sound Railway pushed through in 1868.Both grist mills and sawmills powered by the fast-moving creek served the growing population and the railroad brought commerce in and out of the village which remained a thriving lumbering and railroad centre into the early 20th century.

Hard times came as the railroad construction finished and the vast stands of white pine disappeared. Deprived of their livelihood, most settlers near the village (named af-ter a quaint town in Ireland) turned to farming on the poor stony soil while others left the area. The population shrank until the 1960s, when the cheap land created a mec-ca for back-to-the-landers or hip-pies looking for affordable farms.

Many of these urban pioneers established organic (before it was a buzzword) and small sustainable farms in the hills, and settled per-manently as artisans, craftspeople and business owners. This influx of people (many from the U.S.A.)

brought a revitalization to the vil-lage which serves as a hub for the surrounding area. Modern Killa-loe offers a bank, grocery store, car dealership, pharmacy, health centre, two elementary schools, a curling club, Lions Hall, several churches, a very popular library, an LCBO and a health food store.

Many of the alternative “back-to-the-land” community are now senior citizens retiring within the village. They, their children and grandchildren still meet at the annual Killaloe Craft Fair in Au-gust and are also mainstays of the friendly farmers’ market at Hoch

Park featuring local produce and artisanal goods each summer Fri-day. The village is proudly known as the birthplace of the ‘Beaver-tail’ (a delectable deep fried pas-try), first served at the Killaloe Craft and Community Fair. Today, you can find them at the Creekside Grill in the village centre.

The modern sustainable forest industry is a vital part of the local economy with a family built and owned sawmill dating to 1956. Today, Ben Hokum & Son is the largest producer of red and white pine lumber in Ontario, employs over 100 people and produces

35 million feet of lumber annu-ally at its two mills just outside the village. Yesteryear’s charm still exists in the picturesque original grist mill on Brennan’s Creek which now attracts artists and photographers, and Old Kil-laloe still boasts the original Getz General Store, now filled with an-tiques and collectables. Just down the road, Re-Joice colourful tie-dyed clothing studio heralds the ‘back-to-the-land’ hippie settlers of the summer of love.

Although the last passenger train rolled through in 1962 and the station was torn down in 1968, the railroad is commemo-rated in Station Park with its lovely covered bridge over Bren-nan’s Creek. The park is the site of musical performances by local entertainers on summer Friday evenings and during the popular Irish Gathering on the third week-end in August.

Killaloe celebrates its German heritage with an annual German Heritage Day at Hoch Park which is a designated Heritage Site. The restored farmhouse reflects the lives of the many German settlers in the Ottawa Valley.

The annual Canada Day celebra-tions and fireworks, considered by some to be the best in Renfrew County, attract thousands to the village for a day of music, fishing and the famous duck races.

Killaloe, a rich past and a colourful present

An old steel-wheeled farm tractor is on display at Hoch Park.

A night time view of the waterfalls on Brennan’s Creek underneath the old rail trestle which is now an entry point to Station Park.



Renfrew County’s lakes, rivers and streams offer some great fishing opportunities.


Outdoor sport and recreation are front and centre in this lively vil-lage which attracts canoe-topped vehicles in summer and snowmobile trailers in winter. Barry’s Bay, at the intersection of busy Hwy. 60 and Hwy. 62, is the hub for many seasonal cottagers and residents on nearby lakes as well as visitors heading to Algon-quin Park.

Like many communi-ties in the Ottawa Valley, Barry’s Bay grew around the railway station and the lumber industry. Although the train is no more, the original station and the last wooden water tower in Canada commemorate that heritage at Opeongo Square in the centre of the village, near the turn of the century hotel, The Balmoral. The surround-ing park is an outdoor mu-seum showcasing railroad and farming heritage. The restored original building, under the auspices of the community group, the Sta-tion Keepers, houses the tourist information centre and is the focal point of the weekly summer farm-ers market, the popular annual Taste of the Valley event, and a lively artisans festival.

Across the street, Zura-kowski Park features a one quarter scale replica of the famed Avro Arrow jet fighter, one of the great but thwarted aviation achievements in Canadian history. A statue of the first Avro test pilot, long-time Barry’s Bay resident, Jan Zurakowski, stands by the bandshell.

Madawaska Valley’s continuing Polish herit-age is much in evidence in nearby Kashuby. Here, near popular Wadsworth Lake, the Polish Scouting movement is remembered by the Grey Ranks Monu-ment, built by the Polish Canadian community to commemorate the thou-sands who suffered during the occupation of Poland from 1939 to 1945.

As well as celebrating its vibrant pioneer history, Barry’s Bay is now home to a university level Cath-olic college, a fully-ac-credited hospital, schools, churches, retirement homes and the full gamut of accommodations, shops and services needed for a booming community. Kaminiskeg Lake, which borders the village, offers the Omanique waterfront trail, boat launch, public beach and tennis courts at Lakeshore Park. The Can-

ada Day fireworks over the lake are a highlight of the summer. T

he Barry’s Bay Triath-lon, with its 1-km chilly swim, its challenging 32-km bicycle loop and its eight-km run, has at-tracted athletes from all over the province for over a quarter of a century. The Paul J. Yakabuski Arena is the centre for both minor and adult hockey, and the OFSC snowmobile trails traverse the village. In summer, you can rent ca-noes and kayaks, stock up on home, cottage, garden and farm supplies, outfit the family with clothing and shoes, or just enjoy the famous ice cream cones from the Barry’s Bay Dairy.

The varied and eclec-tic shops in Barry’s Bay attract visitors from far and wide. A stroll down main street features both local and handmade or fair trade and funky from across the globe. Read the sepia history plaques in front of the remaining landmark buildings which tell the tale of the colour-ful pioneers, politicians, lumber barons and rail-road tycoons who shaped the history and the heart of this welcoming village in the Madawaska Valley.

Barry’s Bay had its beginning around the railway

Water Tower Park in Barry’s Bay with the last wooden railway water tank in Ontario. Nearby is Zurakowski Park.


Enjoying an afternoon sailing in the Bay. A view of St. Hedwig’s Roman Catholic Church in Barry’s Bay.


The Ottawa Valley is a cyclist’s paradise, featuring beautiful scenery, rolling terrain, friendly folks, lots of places to eat, visit and stay, and some of the best possible roads for cycling.

Quiet, paved rural roads connect with a growing network of Renfrew County roads with paved shoulders, enabling lo-cal and visiting cyclists almost endless touring possibilities. The Ottawa Valley Cycling and Active Transportation Alliance (OVCATA) has put together a collection of some its members fa-vourite routes in the area for the benefit of visiting and local riders. These can be found online at www.ovcata.ca/routes.

The route descriptions give an idea of the length and difficulty of the route.

A hard-copy map of Renfrew County’s cycling routes is also avail-able from the Ottawa Valley Travel Association at 1.800.757.6580 / 613.732.4364 or by email - [email protected]

There are endless off-road possibilities too, including the new Al-gonquin Trail (the former CP Rail line) along the Ottawa River cor-ridor. Renfrew County has purchased the trail and is developing it for cycling and other uses, with sections in the Pembroke-Petawawa and Arnprior - Almonte areas open for use, with a hard stone dust surface.

There are lots of other rail trails too, like the K&P line from Ren-frew to Calabogie.

Ottawa Valley offers unlimited cycling possibilities for all

There are many roads for cyclists to enjoy, from nice easy rides to gruel-ling two-mile hill climbs. Cyclists love the backroad scenery, canopy of shadey trees and the courteous motorists.


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A hiker enjoys a view during a trek to the Barron Canyon.




Fill up with gas and bring snacks and a drink for a drive as you head west or “up the line’ in the path of the original settlers to the heart of the Ottawa Valley.

The newly-built rough Opeongo Settlement Road was the main route for the immigrant pioneers travelling to their new homes in the wilderness interior of the Ottawa Valley in the nineteenth century. They disembarked the steamer at Castleford and Farrel’s Landing on the Ottawa River. The rough waters at the First Chute on the Bonnechere prevented any further travel by water and from here, the jour-ney continued on foot or by horse and wagon.

Some went no further than Renfrew, a bus-tling town of Scottish origin which benefited from its location and the growing number of travellers on the Opeongo. Within a few years, the village grew into a thriving commercial and small manufacturing centre, providing for the needs of the new settlers.

Ferguslea originally grew around a woolen mill built by an enterprising Scottish settler

and soon became a popular stopping place for travellers arriving via the newly opened K&P rail line in 1884.

Tiny Shamrock remains only as the ghost of a hamlet at the crossroads of the Opeongo and the road to Calabogie and Douglas. The topog-raphy begins to change here to the stony Cana-dian shield which had been promised as fertile farmland to the Irish and Polish immigrants.

Mount St. Patrick, named after the holy mountain in Ireland, retains a strong Irish presence today with its holy well, a beautiful fieldstone church and a famous autumn parish supper.

Dacre was well situated at the crossroads of six roads converging on the Opeongo. The tiny village retained some services and stores but eventually also succumbed to progress.

Nearby Balaclava, with a formidable sawmill and grist mill, has fallen into picturesque ruins.

Another lovely church honouring St. Jo-seph still stands at Esmonde. From here the Opeongo hills begin their steep forested climb westward.

Two more ghost hamlets, the original McGrath settlement and Clontarf are marked by two tiny churches: St. John’s Lutheran and St. Clement’s Anglican. Lilac bushes, apple trees and old log fences mark pioneer home-steads long abandoned to nature as the land grows more rugged.

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Some of the quaint hamlets of Renfrew County

Statue at Esmonde honours St. Joseph and the pioneers of the Opeongo Road.

Enjoying a cool drink of water from the holy well at Mt. St. Patrick.

Making music along the Opeongo.

The old water-powered mill at Balaclava.


At the top of the height of land is Foymount, the radar base which was part of the Pine Tree line during the days of the Cold War. The highest populated point in Ontario, the base was decommissioned in 1973. From just east of here, where the Opeongo meets Hwy. 512, one can take a short detour down to the hamlet of Cormac, famous for its annual pilgrimage to the shrine of St. Ann. Kitts General Store and the post office survived here until the turn of the 21st century but are no longer.

Further west, the hamlet of Brudenell, known as the ‘sin bin’ of the Opeongo, once boasted a racetrack, three stopping places,

three stores and two blacksmiths. The faded remains of one hotel remain alongside the highway. The first Catholic Church in the area, Our Lady of the Angels church and a pioneer cemetery are testament to the determined faith of the Irish and Polish settlers of the commu-nity.

Just west of the church, a crossroads pre-sents opportunity for a detour to Rockingham, where an English remittance man founded a hamlet near the picturesque falls on the creek. Over a century old, St. Leonard’s Anglican church, a favourite of photographers and art-ists stands here, now protected and restored by

the Friends of the Rockingham Church.Retracing one’s steps to the Opeongo, the

road meanders to the crossroads of Hopefield, optimistically named by the Polish settlers who came here as farmers. Here, the Opeongo became less travelled as many turned north toward Wilno where the train travelled west-ward through the Wilno Pass. Wilno is Cana-da’s First Polish Settlement and a marvellous outdoor museum and park commemorates the Kashubian immigrants who populated the Wilno hills. The historic Wilno Tavern and the twin steeples of St. Mary’s Church high on the hill, are two must-see landmarks. Shrine Hill, especially in autumn, provides a glorious panoramic view of the countryside.

Turning west again, a short ten-minute drive brings you to the thriving village of Barry’s Bay on the shores of Lake Kaminiskeg. Bar-ry’s Bay is the heart of Madawaska Valley cottage country. Schools, grocery stores, a hospital, library, banks and a lovely variety of shops and eateries cater to visitors and local residents alike. The original train station, lov-ingly restored, houses the tourism information centre and famous area resident, Avro Arrow test pilot Januz Zurakowski is honoured by a statue and a replica of the famous Canadian built aircraft.

A trip along the Opeongo traverses Canadian history: from the era of bleak pioneer ocean journeys from Ireland, Poland and Germany and culminated in breaking the speed of sound in a supersonic jet. A road trip to remember!

Our Lady of the Angels Catholic Church in Brudenell.

St. Clement’s on the Opeongo.

Al Capone’s hideout near Quadeville.

The restored St. Leonard’s Anglican Church at Rockingham.








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* Visit the Swinging Bridge in Renfrew.

* Learn about Renfrew’s col-ourful past at MacDougall Mu-seum.

* Visit the Mennonite farms around Douglas and area of-fering fresh produce and other products.

* Walk, ride or bike the his-toric 21-km K & P Trail.

* Visit the historic Holy Well at Mt. St. Patrick.

* Enjoy cycling through the farmlands of Whitewater Township.

* Explore the history of Egan-ville and area at the Bonnechere Museum.

* Enjoy visits to Centennial Park, McRae Lookout Park and Rotary Beach, all along the Bonnechere in Eganville.

* Travel the historic Opeongo Line from Dacre to Barry’s Bay.

* Visit Balaclava and the old water-powered sawmill.

* Paddle the Bonnechere River from Algonquin Park to Renfrew.

* Go for a swim at the beau-tiful beach at Melissa Bishop Park at Lake Dore.

* Visit the Shaw Woods, a premier ecological site with 15 kms of hiking trails, a scenic lookout, old growth forest and wetlands and a restored Pointer boat.

* Enjoy Golden Lake and the Bonnechere River (boat launch at Deacon).

* The Bonnechere Caves are closed this year due to COV-ID-19 but you can still enjoy the beauty of the area and the Bonnechere River at the Fourth Chute.

* Enjoy the food and shops at Golden Lake.

* Visit Pikwakanagan First Nation, a small but progressive Algonquin First Nation and a vibrant business community.

* Visit Bonnechere Provincial Park on beautiful Round Lake.

* Visit the Polish Kashub Mu-seum at Wilno.

* Enjoy the view from St. Mary’s Church at Wilno.

* Learn about the Avro Arrow and its first pilot at Zurakowski Park in Barry’s Bay.

* Walk the Kamaniskeg wa-terfront in Barry’s Bay and learn of its past.

* Visit Mayflower in Comb-ermere and learn of the sinking of the passenger boat The May-flower in 1912.

* Enjoy a walk through Opeongo Square, the old rail-way station, wooden water tower and other railway dis-plays.

* Travel the Old Barry’s Bay Road between Barry’s Bay and Combermere and visit Kaszu-by, home to the Grey Ranks Monument that pays tribute to over 10,000 Polish Scouts and Guides who lost their lives as part of the clandestine Polish Underground Resistance dur-ing World War II.

* Discover the restored wood-en Rockingham Church and old graveyard.

* Search for Al Capone’s hideaway near Quadeville on Letterkenny Road.

* Tour the little hamlets of Latchford Bridge and Brudenell.

* Enjoy a swim in Wadsworth Lake along Hopefield Road.

* Enjoy the beauty of the Madawaska River in the Comb-ermere, Palmer Rapids area.

* Go fossil hunting along the Bonnechere River from Egan-ville east to Douglas.

* Saddle up a horse and hit the trails at Frontier Trails be-tween Eganville and Golden Lake.

* Go for the scariest night-time drive of your life when you visit Buck Hill near Round Laker and watch for the ghost of a man searching for his lost daughter.

* Enjoy a swim in Lake Dore – North America’s larg-est freshwater lake without an island.

* Visit a farmer’s market.* Search for your ancestors in

a historic graveyard.* Search out the barn quilts

throughout the valley.

Enjoy Renfrew County It’s free!



The thriving town of Renfrew with its well-maintained heritage build-ings, lies along the Bonne-chere River just an hour’s drive west of Ottawa. Long known as Hockey Town, it is considered by many to be the birthplace of the National Hockey League (NHL). The NHL/NHA museum at the Ma-te-Way Activity Centre documents the beginnings of the Na-tional Hockey Association (NHA) by Renfrew rail-road contractor Ambrose O’Brien who made hockey star, Frank “Cyclone” Tay-lor, the highest paid athlete in the world when he joined the Renfrew Millionaires for $5,250 a year in 1910.

The McDougall Mill Mu-seum in O’Brien Park at the Second Chute of the Bon-nechere River houses three floors of artifacts and his-torical treasures. The stately stone grist mill built in 1855 by fur trader and Hudson’s Bay Company Agent Lorne McDougall, was restored

as a museum in 1969 and overlooks the towns histor-ic Swinging Bridge. Built in 1895 as a pedestrian link between the banks of the Bonnechere River which divides the town, the pictur-esque bridge is one of only two remaining in Canada.

Renfrew’s location along the Opeongo Line coloniza-tion road brought an influx of settlers to the area and the community quickly grew into a vibrant commercial and manufacturing hub for the surrounding lumber and agriculture communities. In its heyday, Renfrew was home to Renfrew Electric

(maker of Canadian Beauty Appliances), Renfrew Re-frigerator Company (ice boxes), Renfrew Machinery (Acorn Stoves), Renfrew Flour Mills and the Ren-frew Creamery.

Today, three exits from the Trans-Canada Highway bring visitors to thorough-ly modern ‘big box’ store shopping and accommoda-tions, as well as to a variety of shops and eateries on the very walkable recently reno-vated main street. Here you will find the original Opera House turned into a 400-seat heritage style movie theatre (‘O’Brien Theatre’), as well

as colourful shops offering clothing, vintage house-ware, distinctive home dé-cor, jewellery, chocolates and baked goods.

The town celebrates its agricultural heritage with the very popular Renfrew Fair on the weekend after Labour Day. Now in its 166th year, the five-day ex-hibition of cattle, crops and crafts is the largest in the county and attracts thou-sands to the classic rural fairgrounds where you can see heavy horse pulls, dairy cow judging, and the best of the regions horticulture, canning and pickling com-

petitions. For outdoor enthusiasts,

Renfrew offers sixteen out-door parks and recreation areas scattered throughout the town. The largest is the Ma-te-Way Activity Cen-tre which features a splash pad, an ice arena, ball fields, track, tennis courts and beach volleyball courts. The 3.4-km Millennium Trail along the old K&P rail line is ideal for walkers, jog-gers, bicycles, wheelchairs and strollers. Several golf courses, along with rivers and lakes for boating, fish-ing, swimming and camp-ing, are within a half-hour drive of the town centre. A well-established Bluegrass Festival, the Craft Beer and Food Truck Festival and the Taste of the Valley food fair bring enthusiastic fans each year from far and wide.

Popular Valley Heritage Radio broadcasts from a studio just outside of Ren-frew and showcases local performers celebrating the Ottawa Valley’s rich musi-cal heritage.

Renfrew: a thriving town on the second chute of the Bonnechere



Sailing on one of the lakes around Eganville.


Perhaps nowhere else in the Bonnechere Valley does heritage and history co-exist as closely as at the Algon-quins of Pikwakanagan com-munity in Golden Lake. Re-cent changes to the Canadian laws about the medicinal and recreational use of canna-bis have resulted in almost a dozen dispensaries with knowledgeable staff who can advise on the many different strains and varieties of legal marijuana and their uses for alleviating pain, anxiety and insomnia.

The Algonquin Nation are the original inhabitants of the Ottawa Valley, using the Ottawa River and its tributar-ies and lakes for navigation in their beautiful birchbark canoes. The unceded Algon-quin Territory stretches from Algonquin Park throughout Renfrew County and east to Hawkesbury. In the 1870’s, 1745 acres on the shores of Golden Lake was purchased as the Golden Lake Reserve. Now using the restored origi-nal Algonquin name, Pikwa-kanagan (which means hilly place) has seen the abuse of residential school with many

children sent to the distant Spanish Boarding School. More recently, the Sixties Scoop saw children snatched away from the community. Many are now finding their way back and relearning their family histories and their cul-ture.

The Algonquin Way Cul-tural Centre or Omami-winini Pimadjwowin at Pik-wakanagan, housed in a log building, has a collection of over 600 artifacts of ceremo-nial and cultural significance.

The Annual Traditional Pow-Wow, now in its 33rd

year, welcomes thousands on the third weekend in Au-gust to a vibrant celebration of aboriginal culture with over 200 dancers in visually stunning regalia and several drum groups. The event is a highlight for many com-munity residents and visitors who partake in the drum-ming and dancing, browse the craft booths and enjoy ‘Indian tacos’ and other tra-ditional foods. Visitors are reminded that the Pow-Wow is a ceremony with songs and dances offered as prayers to the Creator and are asked to respect the heritage and be-liefs of the dancers. The attire worn by the dancers is called ‘regalia’; not a costume and although some dancers wel-come photos, please ask and respect the announcements of dances that do not allow photos.

While the lengthy ongo-ing process of negotiating the Algonquin Land Claim continues with the provincial and federal governments, the community of Pikwakanagan has forged ahead with eco-nomic and social initiatives. The Elders Lodge, the Band

Office, the Health Centre and the Community Recreation Centre, the fire department speak to the progressiveness of the community.

A thriving economy includ-ing two large full serve gas stations with reduced taxa-tion at Pikwakanagan attract thousands of regular custom-ers. Pikwakanagan Fuels also offers dockside fuel for boat-ers on Golden Lake as well as Seadoo, Kayak and Paddle-board Rentals. Kokomish of-fers home-cooked meals and pizza in their dining room and has a gift store offering authentic moccasins, jewel-lery and native crafts.

Pikwakanagan is now probably the most bustling community for its size in the Ottawa Valley. And increas-ing traffic warrants more stop signs, speed bumps and there are calls for a traffic light at the intersection of Highway 60 as visitors from the Ot-tawa Valley and beyond flock to this thriving progressive community which contin-ues to celebrate traditional Algonquin values of respect for the healing gifts of our Mother Earth

The Algonquins were the original inhabitants of the Valley



Over 60 Years In Business


Enjoying some wildberries.


*Mutual funds distributed by Sun Life Financial InvestmentServices (Canada) Inc. Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada is a member of the Sun Life Financial group of companies. © Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada, 2020.

Jim Millar* CHS™, CFP®, CLU® Jim Millar Insurance and Financial Services Inc. Tel: 613-432-4121 Cell: [email protected]/jim.millar 321A Raglan Street South Renfrew, ON K7V 1R6

Ben Oakes* Tel: 613-432-4121 Cell: [email protected]/ben.oakes 321A Raglan Street South Renfrew, ON K7V 1R6

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Wildflowers are abundant throughout the Renfrew County countryside.



Outdoor recreation is front and centre in this mostly rural area which is close to both the city of Pembroke and the Ottawa River as well as access to Crown lands adjoining Algonquin Park.

Golfing, boating, hiking, cross country skiing and mountain bik-ing opportunities abound. Little kids will enjoy the family friendly splash pad and play area at Staf-ford Park. When the summer sun sets, finish your day with a first run movie at a refurbished but old-fashioned Drive-In movie theatre.

Outdoor ice arenas, a horse arena, volleyball courts, roll-erblading, horseshoe pits, ball diamonds, playgrounds, and hall facilities are all available at one or more of the six outdoor recrea-tional facilities scattered through-out Laurentian Township.

For blueberry lovers, Hugli’s Blueberry Ranch offers family friendly ‘pick your own’ berries, a kid’s animal family, hay maze and a full slate of autumn Hallowe’en and pumpkin-themed activities. Activities for those who love horses are centred around the

Laurentian Valley Team Penning Club which organizes competi-tive events for all ages at their Shady Nook equine facility.

Golfers can enjoy the links at both Indian River and the Pembroke Golf Club both located within LV.

In wintertime, Laurentian Val-ley comes into its own with groomed cross-country ski trails including an area lit for night skiing. As well as three outdoor rinks, a 1.5 natural ice-skating trail through the forest near the Alice and Fraser Recreation Centre bringing outdoor magic

to winter. A snowshoe trail runs alongside the ice surface. The Alice in Winterland Carnival fea-turing the popular Minnow Races attract hundreds to a weekend of winter fun. Snowmobile fans can access kilometers of pristine groomed trails courtesy of the Timberline Snowmobiling Club.

The Forest Lea Mountain Bike Trail is a challenging purpose built “tight, technical, rocky and rooty” loop of 32 km suitable for riders who have completed a self-assessment with good physical fitness and technical skills.

Laurentian Valley is a mix of urban and rural living


Wilno, Canada’s First Polish Settlement, is commemorated with a plaque on “Shrine Hill”, the popular scenic viewing spot over-looking the countryside as one approaches the picturesque village from the east through the Wilno Pass.

Although the train no longer comes through Wilno, the original tiny hamlet has become the central focus for a thriving Kashub-Cana-dian community in the surrounding hills and around the many lakes of the area.

The Wilno Heritage Society is the force behind the Polish Kashub Heritage Museum, an outdoor museum and park in the heart of

the hamlet. Here, the history and culture of the Kashub settlers is vividly recreated in the farmhouse, the schoolhouse, blacksmith shop and the information centre which also houses a collection of books and artifacts for purchase.

The colourful and intricate folk art of Kashubian culture is showcased in the ceram-ics, embroidery and fabrics on display in the little museum housed in a log building. The park also features stones engraved with infor-mation about the original pioneer families and houses several of the original wooden crosses used as gathering points for prayer at the many rural crossroads during pioneer days.

Today, St. Mary’s Roman Catholic church, with its twin spires, overlooks the countryside from its position high on the Wilno hill. The original pioneer cemetery lies further back along Church Street.

The hugely popular Wilno Tavern Restaurant is one of the oldest pubs in Canada, known far and wide for live music and delicious pero-gies! An intriguing variety of logging and farming artifacts are displayed on the walls, as well as contemporary art by the many artists who live in the storied Wilno hills. More art and a superb collection of Canadian artisanal jewellery, pottery, glassware and home and cottage décor and gifts are displayed in the original Wilno general store which houses the well-known Wilno Craft Gallery. In the near-by hills are the distinctive homes and studios of several award-winning artists and potters.

The area near Wadsworth Lake, known as Canada’s Kashuby, is the home of the Cana-dian Polish Scouting Movement. “Szare Sz-eregi”, the striking Grey Ranks monument in Kashuby, pays tribute to over 10,000 Pol-ish Scouts and Guides who lost their lives as part of the clandestine Polish Underground Resistance during World War Two. One of the youngest armies in the world, these heroic young people died in battle or in the Nazi con-

centration camps as part of Poland’s determi-nation to remain free from tyranny.

Today, Wilno is a testament to the strength of the first immigrants from Kashuby who walked the Opeongo with their meagre pos-sessions to settle these beautiful rocky hills. Wilno has continued to welcome Europeans who arrived after the World War II and the American and Canadian youth inspired by the back to the land movement during the Viet-nam War. This blend of old and new, of art and creativity inspired by adversity and resilience has made Wilno one of the truly vibrant com-munities of the Ottawa Valley.

The Polish Kashub Heritage Park The magnificent St. Mary’s Church

Little hamlet of Wilno offers plenty to do and seeThe historic Wilno Tavern


The tiny hamlet of Combermere on the scenic, mighty Madawaska River first found unlikely fame in Ripley’s Believe It or Not for the enduring mystery of the sinking of the sternwheeler Mayflower in 1912. The disaster, which unfolded without warning during the ship’s final autumn journey, took the Mayflow-er, eight passengers, a coffin and the ship’s crew to the bottom of Lake Kamaniskeg. Three passengers survived by clinging to the wooden coffin until they could reach a tiny island where they were eventually rescued in a blinding early November snowstorm. The event has been commemorated in the iconic local painting, “Dead Man Saves Three”.

Originally, known as Dennison’s Bridge, Combermere was a coach stop for settlers along the Peterson Colonization road and soon became the hub of a thriving tourism industry, with post war lodges and resorts at-tracting thousands to the ‘playground of the Madawaska Valley’.

Today, Combermere is internationally known for Madonna House, the Catholic Apostolate founded by Russian Baroness Catherine Doherty. Visitors are welcomed for tours of the unique onion-dome church, the extensive Madonna House Pioneer Mu-seum, bookstore, and gift, art and craft shop. All proceeds are donated to the poor.

Combermere also contributed to the world of Canadian journalism with John Wesley Dafoe being born on a rocky farm just west of the village. As editor of the Winnipeg Free Press, Dafoe was considered one of the most

influential journalists in the Commonwealth after the First World War. Later, famed Amer-ican newspaperman, Eddie Doherty, also set-tled in Combermere.

Renfrew County’s oldest farmer’s market takes place each summer Saturday morning

on Mill St. Nearby is the Mission House Mu-seum in the former rectory of the lovely pio-neer St. Paul’s Anglican Church. Across the street, the Mayflower Playground and Public Beach offers safe access to the water and a selection of children’s play equipment. The museum provides copies of a heritage walk-ing tour of the village.

Combermere’s vital role in the mining and shipbuilding trade are commemorated by the wooden steamer, Geneva, which sits in Den-nison Bridge Park at the bridge across the Madawaska. Crooked Slide Park in nearby Kashuby is a reconstruction of a chute built to divert logs around dangerous rapids on the creeks when J.R. Booth’s log drivers guided giant timbers to the booms on the Madawaska for their long journey to the markets of Eu-rope. The park is a popular location for pho-tographers, artists, fishermen and picnickers.

Nearby, Conroy’s Marsh offers over 2,000 hectares of provincially significant wetland, home to a wide variety of native flora and fauna. Canoe enthusiasts can easily spend a day paddling the many channels in the shal-lows. The rare Prairie-fringed orchid stands of wild rice, waterfowl, turtles and fish make their home in this peaceful environment.

Combermere has several small quaint res-taurants offering fresh local food, drink and occasional evenings of live music. Lodges, resorts, motels, camping and trailer parks provide accommodation amidst the alluring scent of windswept pines along more than 50 kilometres of navigable Madawaska water-way.

Combermere rich with natural beauty and history

A member of the Madonna House community makes pottery during an open house at the lay apostolate centre.

A visit to Crooked Slide Park near Combermere is a great way to spend some relaxing time surrounded by nature.


Just seven kilometres from Killaloe, Round Lake Centre with its graceful church dedicated to St. Casimir, is the heart of a long established cottage community on the shores of one of the largest and most picturesque lakes in the Ottawa Valley. It is the first major lake in the Bonnechere waterway which rises in Algonquin Park and empties into the Ottawa River at Castleford.

Originally settled by Polish Kashub pioneers, the hamlet of some six hundred people sits at the junction of County Road 58 and Simpson Pit Road. The square timbers of red and white pine from the lake north to Al-gonquin provided work for the early settlers, many of whose descendents still live in the area. Each winter the Loggers Games celebrate this heritage while in summer, St. Casimir’s annual church supper attracts hundreds of tourists and locals. The recrea-tion centre in the village is popu-lar both winter and summer with events such as a car show and the winter carnival.

The new LCBO franchise is lo-

cated at the Round Lake Centre Food Market which also offers groceries, gas and take out. Several other stores near the Park entrance provide country chic cottage and home décor, souvenirs and snacks including freshly baked butter tarts and local ice cream.

A public boat launch is situated near the church and nearby Sher-yl Boyle Park is named for the Olympic kayaker from this com-munity. Just north of the village 162-ha Bonnechere Provincial Park includes the winding stment

of the “Little Bonnechere” that passes through deep sand depos-its near Round Lake and a small marshy delta extending into the lake. Mile after mile of natural splendor make this rural lake a great place to get away from it all. The park has campsites and a large sandy beach which is wheel-chair accessible thanks to years of fundraising by the Friends of Bon-nechere Park volunteers. There is a full schedule of varied summer activities for visitors. Several oth-er resorts and campgrounds are

located on the lake. Foy Provin-cial Park with its secluded beach is no longer accessible for camp-ing but hiking and swimming is permitted. The fishing in Round Lake is excellent. Pike, walleye, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, and lake trout all make their hom in the deep, blue water.

Close by, toward Killaloe, the Tramore area now has only its tiny church and Covered Bridge Park which accommodates tents and RV’s. Nearby Buck Hill is one of the Ottawa Valley’s best known ghost stories where mys-terious lights are rumoured to be a lantern carried by a distraught logger looking for his missing daughter lost in a snowstorm.

Like many other small villages in the Ottawa Valley, Round Lake Centre evokes the history of an earlier time when logging, farm-ing and local commerce provided a livelihood for settlers in this pic-turesque but difficult landscape. Today, this tiny community pro-vides quiet recreation and refuge amongst the tall pines and sandy shores of the Bonnechere River and this first lake on its course to the distant Ottawa River.

Round Lake area offers much more than crystal waters

Beautiful scenery, breath-taking scenery and tree-lined backroads to explore can be found in the Round Lake area.




Grazing along the Opeongo Road near Eganville.

Brennan’s Creek near Killaloe is a natural preserve for aquatic life.


Renfrew County lakes, rivers and creeks offer great boating opportunities for all kinds of water crafts.


Much of the colourful pioneer history of Pembroke is showcased in 33 vivid murals showcased on buildings scattered throughout downtown.

French explorer Samuel de Champlain was the first European to visit what is now Pem-broke, arriving via canoe by the Ottawa River in 1613. Several hundred years later, Pem-broke with a population of 14,000 is one of the smallest cities in Canada and is known as the Heart of the Ottawa Valley. This former bus-tling timber town boasts a vibrant waterfront along Canada’s latest Heritage River with over 5,000 acres on both shores preserved for future generations. Downtown, the revitalized main street with restored century-old build-ings with ornate tin ceilings and brick walls house cafes and boutique shops.

Even as it looks to the future, Pembroke celebrates its past. The Murray L. Moore Hy-dro Museum commemorates Pembroke’s sta-tus as the first Canadian town with electric street lighting. The Champlain Trail Museum with its iconic waterwheel and restored her-itage buildings, including a schoolhouse and a church are a mecca for history buffs. Here, rich archives of photographs and documents bring the town’s rough and tumble logging history to life.

The city has won numerous Communi-ties in Bloom competitions and has 24 parks tucked away among stately older homes on shady streets. Shop the roofed farmers market with the bounty of local growers and artisans on Wednesday and Saturday mornings while your kids enjoy the Rapid’s Skate Park near the waterfront. A marina, golf courses, pick-your-own berry farm, several large garden supply centres and two modern malls with big box stores, a four-screen movie theatre, and the full gamut of fast food outlets complement the unique small shops and artisanal or home-style restaurants scattered throughout the downtown area. Hotels, motels and cozy bed and breakfast accommodations make Pem-broke a perfect central base for a visit during any season.

Pembroke is also the health, justice, recrea-tional and educational centre for the region with the Pembroke Regional Hospital, the Courthouse, The Pembroke Memorial Centre Arena and the indoor Kinsman pool with an adjacent outdoor wading pool for kids. Festi-val Hall Centre for the Performing Arts is the home of Streetlight Theatre and the Pembroke Symphony Orchestra as well as a venue for live performers from across North America. For reading buffs, the Pembroke Carnegie Library designed by Francis Sullivan, a con-

temporary of Frank Lloyd Wright was des-ignated a heritage building in 1991. The new modernistic waterfront campus of Algonquin College with over a thousand students is in-ternationally known for its two-year diploma in Outdoor Adventure offered in collaboration with the well-known river expedition compa-ny, Wilderness Tours. The college also offers a full slate of health sciences, forestry, trades and business and technology courses.

The annual Old Time Fiddle and Stepdanc-ing Championships on the Labour Day week-end, now in its fourth decade, attracts talent from across North America. Nearby Riverside Park, packed with trailers becomes Fiddle Park for a week before the competition with impromptu jam sessions around campfires. Fiddle champions are created here!

Pembroke is also known as Hockeytown with three native sons inducted into the Hock-ey Hall of Fame. Each year the city hosts the International Silver Stick tournament in early winter and the dynamic Junior A Pembroke Lumber Kings hold the record for most con-secutive league championship wins. A lively winter carnival and summertime music on the waterfront all combine to make this pic-turesque city at the junction of the meander-ing Muskrat River and the mighty Ottawa a charming blend of old and new.

Pembroke: its history is told in many murals


Petawawa Point, on the Ottawa River.



The village of Cobden on the TransCanada Highway devel-oped around the movement of goods and people from the Ot-tawa River waterway by road and rail. Although Samuel de Cham-plain had travelled the Ottawa in 1613, the area saw little activity until the mid-nineteenth century when a village grew up around the steamer landing on Muskrat Lake.

By 1901, Cobden had a school, a bank, shops, a newspaper and a railway station and was the larg-est settlement in the largely ag-ricultural township. The smaller villages of Beachburg, Forester’s Falls, Westmeath and Lapasse as well as the main street of Cobden provide services and shopping for the area known as Whitewater Region where thousands annu-ally visit the whitewater rafting companies located on the river.

In 1867, a teenage boy clearing fields discovered Champlain’s astrolabe lost during the explor-er’s portage around the turbulent rapids of the Ottawa. The unique

navigational instrument is now in the national museum in Ot-tawa and that famed stretch of the Ottawa River is known in-ternationally for some of the best whitewater rafting on the conti-nent. Both Wilderness Tours and OWL Rafting are offering river trips adjusted to COVID-19 pre-cautions.

Muskrat Lake itself is reputed-ly home to Mussie, a mysterious 40-foot sea creature who lives in the lake’s deep underwater caves. The lake is also popular with bass fishermen and recreational boat-ers and a well-maintained boat launch is conveniently accessed from Hwy. 17, better known as the Trans-Canada Highway.

The outdoor Cobden’s Farm-ers Market offers farm to table bounty and locally made artisa-nal crafts at the Cobden Agricul-tural Grounds on Astrolabe Rd, every Saturday morning from May to October. The market sea-son wraps up with Taste of the Valley which attracts thousands to a day-long celebration of lo-cal food and craft but revives

again for a very popular indoor Christmas Market in December. The farming heritage of the area is also showcased every summer at the Cobden Fair in August. Established in 1854, the fair fea-tures cattle and horse shows as well as the dramatic Combine Demolition Derby, a midway and entertainment.

Unfortunately, fairs and other events that attract large crowds are cancelled due to COVID-19, but there is still plenty to see and do in Whitewater.

This is a perfect opportunity to take a hike on the Cobden Marsh Interpretive Trail located off For-esters Falls Rd. in the heart of nearly 60 acres of provincially significant wetlands, home to many amphibians and reptiles.

A self-guided tour with edu-cational and interpretive infor-mation leads visitors along the boardwalk into the wetland. It is also a good time to enjoy bicy-cling. There are several relaxing paved tours with few hills in the Whitewater region including a 45-km loop from Beachburg to

Lapasse and a 56 -km loop from Cobden to Mineview with lit-tle traffic which passes all three white water rafting bases

The Cobden Visitors Centre and Park, on the shore of Musk-rat Lake commemorates where Champlain met with Algonquin Chief Nibachis. Conveniently lo-cated off the Trans-Canada High-way, the park offers picnic areas, overnight camping and beach ac-cess. Nearby Logos Land resort featur

es RV and camping sites, luxu-ry cabins, a zip line and a popular waterslide is one of several wa-terfront campsites near Cobden. The 18-hole Oaks of Cobden golf course is also just off Highway 17. Weekly performers also take the stage at the Cobden Legion in the village and at the Whitewater Brewery on Highway 17 where locally sourced hops and ingre-dients are the basis for hearty meals and brews which pay hom-age to the areas rural and river roots, but again these events are temporarily suspended due to the pandemic.

Cobden the hub for busy Whitewater Region




Whitewater Region is home to the best whitewater rafting in Canada.


Over 7,000 square kilometres in size, Algonquin Park is larger than Prince Edward Island. On-tario’s first provincial park, Al-gonquin is not only a premier va-cation destination but an actively managed forest contributing to the economic well-being of the Ottawa Valley.

Over two thousand lakes and more than a thousand kilometres of rivers and streams in its interior are home to more than 50 species of mammal and over 270 varieties of birds. Moose sightings are fre-quent along the heavily travelled Hwy. 60 corridor between the East and West Gates. A variety of walk-in campgrounds, trails and the world class Visitor Centre as well as the interactive Logging Museum are located along this 56 km stretch of highway.

There are several other entry points to Algonquin which are less travelled but have their own significant beauty. The 100 me-tre deep Barron Canyon via the Achray access is one of the more dramatic locations and is a popu-lar canoe route. For hikers, the Barron Canyon Trail is a 1.5 km loop trail along the north rim of the spectacular canyon. It is un-fenced and caution is required, especially with small children.

Algonquin Park offers a unique Canadian wilderness experience no matter what your level of out-door skill or fitness. From the in-teractive displays and the acces-sible wildlife viewing platform at the Visitor Centre to month long canoe trips with difficult portages and rough camping, Algonquin is truly the wilderness gem of On-tario.

Algonquin Park and Barron Canyon

Algonquin Park beauty - Barron Canyon and wildlife.


Despite COVID-19 caused delays in openings for some Renfrew County Farmers’ Markets, most of them are now open on a regular basis.

The Pembroke Farmers’ Market, lo-cated at Victoria and Lake Street just one block north of the main street is open every Wednesday and Saturday from 9 a.m. until noon. For more information, go to [email protected]

The Killaloe Farmers’ Market is open every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. until Thanksgiving. It is located at the Lions Field in Killaloe. It’s their 20th anniver-sary year and they are hoping to continue at an indoor location on into the winter. There will also be special markets in downtown Killaloe throughout the sea-son. More info is available by contacting [email protected] or by calling 613-727-3740.

Burnstown’s market is located at1716 Calabogie Road in Burnstown. It is held on Friday afternoons from 2 till 6 p.m. and running until Thanksgiving weekend in October. More information: 613-392-3632.

Cobden’s market is at its usual location at the fair grounds, although the layout has changed to comply with COVID-19 restrictions. It is open Saturdays 8 a.m. until noon. Further info is available at [email protected].

The Eganville Farmers’ Market is held Fridays from 3 to 5 p.m. at the Legion Field. More information is available at www.eganvillefarmersmarket.com.

The Combermere Farmers’ Market is open Saturdays from 8 until 11:30 a.m. at the corner of Mill Street and Highway 62. For information go to #combermere-farmersmarket, 613-756-5602, or [email protected].

The Barry’s Bay Farmers’ Market takes place Fridays from 11 to 4 at the site of the former Shell Station, Hwy. 62 and Stafford Street.

The Deep River Farmers’ Market is located at the Town Hall parking lot. The dates for the 2020 market re every second Saturday from 10 am to 1 pm and are as follows: July 11 and 24, August 8 and 22, September 5 and 19, and October 3.

At this time the Renfrew Farmers’ Market has not opened for this year.

Markets operate according to guide-lines compiled by Farmers’ Markets Ontario and requirements of health au-thorities with regard to issues including social distancing, hand sanitizing, one-way traffic, and crowd limiting. Vendors are permitted to have one of each item on display. Items sold must be pre-packaged and kept behind the stand so that it is not possible for customers to handle them.

Farmers’ Markets Ontario COVID-19 advice says market staff and volunteers should be highly visible to custom-ers and vendors as they implement safety requirements and guidelines. Hence you can’t miss the Pembroke Farmers’ Market’s Market Millie (AKA market president Nora Johnson) as she keeps the traffic flowing while she enforces social distancing at the Pembroke market.

Most farmers’ markets open


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Published by The Eganville Leader - July 2020 - Page 1 · Whitney, the eastern gateway to Algonquin Provincial Park. Just across the river, are the green spaces of Centennial Park