Eastern Ontario
Cheese makers, general stores, MississipPi River bring the past
alive;
a
few of the treasures found on Ontario Loop Tour North off Hwy 7
by Julie V. Watson
Whether you are coming in from Ottawa to the
East, Kingston to the South or Peterborough to the West, there is a
not to be missed scenic loop to be found in the area known as the
Mississipi River Valley.
We have enjoyed traveling from St. Catharines to Arnprior for many years, taking the secondary roads at least part of the way. Hwy 7 from Markham used to be a lovely drive but sadly its getting busier and is now being widened. That will drive us to seek, other less traveled roads to Arnprior where friends and family live.
This trip we had traveled up Hwy 7, then took Highway 511 north from Perth, headed for Balderson to pick up some cheese. Kept going and realized this was a perfect loop tour.
Our suggestion is that anyone out of Ottawa, or the Cornwall/Kingston area on to Peterborough, consider this as a great day trip with lovely scenery and interesting places to stop for a looksee or to shop.
If you happen to be traveling from the west along Hwy 7 to Perth, I heartily recommend the Fall River Country Store and Restaurant. Food is awesome and the gift shop will certainly please those who enjoy Victoriana, jewelry, household items, fudge and such. Charming and chock‑a‑block full of good browsing.
Perth itself is well worth a detour off Highway 7. Follow the signs for the downtown, or business section and you will find yourself in a downtown that has been saved as a heritage destination. Built in the 1800s it is still rich in heritage stone buildings in a beautiful setting beside the Tay Canal in fact it remains much as the first settlers would have know it. Today these buildings are occupied by over 70 boutiques, shops, restaurants, specialty stores, a museum, an active theatre, a Farmers' Market, Crafts Market and Flea Market.
In 1816, after the War of 1812, the founders established Perth as one of three military settlements in the Rideau Corridor deemed necessary by the British who wanted a trained, fighting force should the Americans attack Upper Canada again. Land grants for disbanded soldiers and officers as well as financial assistance for Scots drove settlement in the region. The area is rich in heritage which continues to be evident as you continue your tour.
At Balderson, do take in the building that used to house the Balderson Cheese Factory, now known as Balderson Village Cheese and Country Store. Cheese is no longer made on site, but they have a great cheese shop with both their own and other local cheeses, food products and lots of related items. Look around then go wandering. There is a small café, antique, Amish furniture, garden, gift and other shops all under one roof. You can also buy sweets such as chocolate and fudge next door, and several other little shops are opening across the road.
Continuing north you find yourself in a land where time seems a little slower, a land of:
‑ Maple Syrup country with pancake houses and museums.
‑ split rail fences and stone walls
‑ stunning rock and cedar scapes
‑ log cabins, built by pioneers and new versions of an old craftsmanship
‑ those lovely big old barns that Ontario is known for
‑ Sumacs and silver birches and emerald green
pines
‑ Rivers, in April swollen with winter runoff
‑ farms and homesteads that have been there so long that they look like part of the natural landscape
‑ roads cut through rock giving us a look at the beauty of complex layers that lie just below the top soil.
Just before reaching Calebogie we followed the signs to Calebogie Highlands Golf Course ‑ just to check out the state of the greens on this spring day. To the spouse’s delight the course was open so he booked a tea time for the next day.
In Calabogie we pulled into a picnic area
beside the water before turning onto Hwy 508 driving beside the
river to Hwy 17, and into Arnprior.
This charming town is just far enough from Ottawa to still
have a small town personality.
The down town really is a down town, so just drive by the
fast food outlets near the highway and go for the real thing.
A couple of good eateries (not fancy but good wholesome food
and good value) include Mama Rosa’s on Laird Street at Madawaska or
Steve and Denis Family Restaurant on John Street North.
Arnprior lies at the junction, or “confluence” of the Madawaska and Ottawa Rivers, and offers lovely waterside parks and The Gillis Grove nature reserve 45 acres of protected old growth forest in the heart of downtown with super walking trails and such.
From Arnprior pickup Rte 29 to Pakenham and Carleton Place. No matter the time of year, we always stop at the Packenham General Store. I love the atmosphere of the part museum, part bakery and general store and part gift shop.
They claim to be the oldest continually run general store in North American, operating since 1840. That is 168 years. A plaque outside tells us that it was in the Scott family for 17 years, then has a couple of changes of ownership before the current proprietor, Rodney Bell took over. I talked with Roger Bell, brother of the owner, who was on counter duty.
Manning the cash register kept him fairly busy with folks coming and going, but he managed to give me a quick tour and chat. The store is a pleasant mix of museum quality displays, functioning artifacts and current day goods for sale. The store boasts the original floor, ceiling and counter for serving customers. I got a kick out of one item proudly shown off by Roger, a meat slicer which has been in use since 1920 made by International Business Machines which we now know as IBM a computer giant.
An old wood stove, a barbers chair, shelf after shelf of packages of items one would expect to find in a general store of the past and many other artifacts ensure that this is part museum that happens to be in a thriving modern general store. Modern coolers have been added of course, but it all blends into a charming spot to linger.
“We do all of our own baking, sell local products
and also the work of local artisans,” boasts Roger, gesturing to a
second room which will delight those seeking gifts or items for their
own home. “And did
you
know there is a room full or more upstairs.”
No. In all the years
I have been stopping at the Pakenham General Store I never got past the
main floor. That was
rectified!
One must look up to enjoy one of the more charming elements. An old toy train has happily chugged along for more than two decades, circling around and around the top of the main store on track laid on the top of display shelves or suspended from the ceiling.
“It travels 2 miles an hour for the 12 hours a day the store is open, for 363 days a year,” grins Roger. “We figure its traveled enough distance to go around the world three or four times.”
One of my favourite things to do in Pakenham is to
stop at the general store and indulge myself by buying some of their
baked goods and a drink and then driving the short distance to a
delightful little picnic park located by another one of a kind, the
Pakenham Five Arched Stone Bridge.
Built in 1901, it is the only
stone
bridge of its kind on the North American Continent and a beautiful sight
to behold. On the day of
our most recent visit, in mid‑April the eight foot thick piers,
separating the five 40 foot arches were doing an awesome job holding up
the 266' bridge as the snow‑melt swollen Mississippi River raged through
with a torrent of white water that had drawn out local kayakers and
sightseers. It was awesome.
From Pakenham make your way south to Carleton Place, rejoin Hwy 7 and head on home after a great days run.