If you’re looking to explore a charming canal town filled with indie shops and heritage buildings, head northeast to Merrickville-Wolford. The village sits on the Rideau Canal between Kingston and Ottawa, and blends small-town charm with scenic outdoor experiences: think lockstation watching, paddling, garden wandering, as well as a cluster of galleries and food shops that are easy to explore on foot. Parks Canada nicknamed Merrickville the “Jewel of the Rideau Canal,” and locals affectionately refer to it as Canada’s Most Beautiful Village!
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It’s about a four-hour drive from Toronto, so consider making it a weekend trip. If you’re forgoing the car, take a VIA Rail train to Smiths Falls. Hop in an Uber or a taxi (Merrickville is about 15 minutes away).
If you’re a history buff, you’ll want to check out the Merrickville Lockstation to see Parks Canada crews hand-operate the locks in season (mid-May to mid-October), then visit the Merrickville Ruins within the site. The old woollen mill was built in 1844 and ran until 1954, when it was destroyed by fire. The ruins have been stabilized and are now marked by interpretive plaques as part of the industrial island complex.
Long before Merrickville was a quaint tourist destination, it was an industrial hub. During the warmer seasons, pop into the Merrickville Blockhouse Museum on the corner of Main and St. Lawrence (it tells the canal-frontier story beautifully!). This is the largest blockhouse on the Rideau (built 1832-33), and it anchors the lockstation’s greenspace in the centre of town. As you stroll through the museum, you’ll find industrial and agricultural galleries housing some of the tools used in the village’s development.
Afterward, browse working studios, boutiques and unique shops clustered along St. Lawrence and Main. Gray Art Glass is a longstanding local glass studio and gallery with glassblowing workshops and great beer on tap! Mrs. McGarrigle’s Fine Food Shop offers award-winning mustards made in-house, as well as Canadian and imported pantry gems. Visit Fiona Macintyre Design for handmade, contemporary fine jewelry, and the Knock Knock Shoppe for local women’s fashions, linens and quilts. For something really unique, TheOccurrence offers jigsaw puzzles for art geeks and science nerds, all inspired by Canadian geology, geography, and cultural history (they also manufacture puzzles right here in Ontario).
And there are tons of places to eat year-round! The Yellow Canoe Café is a local fave for soups, sandwiches and house-made plates, while The Village Bean Coffee House offers delicious fair trade organic coffee and yummy baked goods. Head to The Goose & Gridiron to indulge in classic pub fare in an 1850s building and the Downtowne Ice Cream Shoppe for homemade treats and gelato.
Make a beeline to Pickle & Myrrh for their award-winning handmade sea salt caramel!
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For winter activities, try winter hiking along the town’s historic walking trails, like the 10-kilometre Quarry Line loop along Mill St or the 15-kilometre Merrickville Limerick Trail from the Blockhouse, east along Scotch Line. Along the way, you’ll spot historic relics of farms that were abandoned ages ago, like sugar maples, stone foundations and fences with cedars on top. Click here for more winter activities to explore in Merickville.
As for where to stay, the town boasts affordable and charming accommodations! The Baldachin Inn is filled with vintage character rooms over a cornerstone 1860s building, right in the heart of town, while Merrickville Guest Suites offers spacious, private suites a block from the canal.
If you’re looking for a magical, snow-dusted winter escape, Maple & Rose Luxury Accommodations is a family-owned-and-operated whole-home vacation rental “where boutique comfort meets festive cheer”. It’s just steps from the heart of the village, and you can expect preserved historic details alongside modern amenities and luxury finishes.
If you want to make it a mini road trip, head to the charming lakeside town of Westport next. It’s less than an hour from Merrickville and home to one of Ontario’s most scenic lookouts.
