Arnprior the perfect escape from expensive National Capital - two beautiful rivers and affordable waterfront await
THE ARNPRIOR & District Hospital, formed in 1945, is located in what was the personal home of the last Daniel McLachlin, grandson of the first Daniel McLachlin, who came to Arnprior in 1851 and developed a thriving lumber business.
THE MADAWASKA River at McEwen’s Creek was dammed to create a peaking hydro station, with approval given in 1972. According to Wikipedia, the dam, which became operational in 1976, created a new body of water known as Lake Madawaska. This was the fifth and last dam to be built on the Madawaska River.
CURLING WAS established as a open-air sport in the Arnprior area around 1865. Things have moved indoors since, with the Arnprior Curling Club’s four-sheet building on Galvin Street a busy place in winter.
Arnprior, referred by the locals simply as “the Prior,” is the western gateway to Ottawa and Canada’s National Capital Region. Located in the mostly rural Renfrew County, it is a pretty town, blessed by not one waterway, but two. It is a scenic community with handsome 19th-century architecture, a beautiful beach, a marina, an Old Growth forest and many parks and walking trails.
The town of 8,000 is home to major multinational corporations such as Pfizer, Arnprior Aerospace Inc. (the former Boeing Aircraft Company), GE Energy, Sandvik Steel Canada and Nylene Canada.
Still haven’t heard of Arnprior?
The town was in the headlines in October 2009 on the occasion of a dedication ceremony for the Arnprior Solar Project, a 200-acre solar farm development by EDF EN Canada, the Canadian arm of a French renewable-energy company. Backed by the Ontario government, it is Canada’s largest solar photovoltaic site and a major shot in the arm to the local economy.
It's just a short commute to downtown Ottawa
If the recognition bells still aren’t ringing, you’re not alone. Despite the town’s location on the capital’s doorstep — it’s just 70 kilometres west of downtown Ottawa, or a 45-minute ride — Arnprior has managed to stay off the radar of ordinary people dreaming of an affordable waterfront lifestyle away from a pricey capital city housing market.
It’s time to get Arnprior’s secret out. First, a bit of history.
Situated at the junction of the Ottawa and Madawaska rivers, the town is cut off from the lower Ottawa River and the St. Lawrence Seaway by the Chats rapids and the Chats Falls Station, which might explain why Arnprior remains a little-known community outside the Upper Ottawa Valley.
The town’s official history dates back to 1823, when Archibald McNab, dubbed the “Last Laird of the Clan McNab,” fled his creditors in Scotland and was granted permission to settle 81,000 acres of land and water in what is now McNab/Braeside Township.
Named in honour of Scottish village
According to the town’s history records, McNab brought over almost 100 families from Scotland two years later. It was McNab and the Buchanan brothers, Andrew and George, who named the settlement Arnprior, in honour of the Scottish village of the same name. The brothers in 1831 had built a small sawmill and timber bridge on the Madawaska River, the first of many to be located at the same spot over the years.
The story goes that by 1843, the settlers had had enough of the Laird McNab’s feudal ways. They rebelled. The authorities listened. McNab was sent packing.
Enter Daniel McLachlin in 1851, who took one look at the Madawaska and made plans to work with the settlers to harness that power and carve out a major lumber industry in Arnprior. At the turn of the century, the mill, now in son Hugh’s hands, was the largest white pine sawmill in North America. By the time Hugh’s son, Dan, replaced him, the Great Depression hit and the lumber market stumbled. The sawmills ceased operation in 1929 with the McLachlin timber limits nearly exhausted.
One of the last Old Growth forests in Ontario
You can get a taste for Arnprior’s lumber history by taking a walk through Gillies Grove, nearly 45 acres of protected Old Growth forest in the northwest corner of the town. Home to a rich array of plant life and rare birds such as the red-shouldered hawk, pileated woodpecker and scarlet tanager, this is one of the last Old Growth stands in Ontario. You can’t help but be impressed by the size and age of these magnificent trees — some as tall as 175 feet!
The forest is named after David A. Gillies, who in the 1930s recognized its importance as a natural treasure when the land came into his hands after the McLachlins started selling off parts of their land holdings. The lumber trade carried on through Gillies until 1993. The old forest is on the Gillies Trail, part of the self-guided Millennium Trails through Arnprior.
Don’t miss the Mcnamara Trail, which takes you across a bridge at the same spot where the Buchanans’ timber bridge once stood, and through the Nopimig Game Preserve, a sanctuary since 1920. This trail is named after Charles Mcnamara, secretary-treasurer at the McLachlin sawmill. A naturalist and photographer, Mcnamara’s study of beaver colonies on the Ottawa River is on display in the Royal Ontario Museum.
Soak up history on walking tour
The Heritage Trail downtown is living history at its best. Stop at 153 Daniel St. N., for example, and you will find one of the finest heritage homes in Arnprior, built by Hugh F. McLachlin, eldest son of Daniel McLachlin. There are many other McLachlin family homes throughout the town.
Preservation of the town’s built architecture is a priority here. The Arnprior & District Museum, keeper of the town’s archives, has the good fortune to be located in the former Post Office, built in 1896. This designated building, recognized as the symbol of the Town of Arnprior, was saved from demolition through the generosity of Gillies and his wife, Jessie, in the early 1960s.
Since then, the O’Brien Theatre at 147 John St. N., built as the Casino Theatre in 1919, was lovingly restored to its 1930s glory, when it had undergone a facelift to accommodate talking pictures. There are plans for a downtown heritage district to preserve and protect other buildings.
Waterfront park perfect for picnic or a dip in the river
Tired of walking? There are many beautiful areas to sit and relax in, including 12 neighbourhood parks. If you’re looking for a fantastic view, try Bell Park, located where the Madawaska and Ottawa rivers meet. You can see across to the Quebec shoreline.
Another waterfront treasure is Robert Simpson Park. Located at the north end of John Street, it’s where locals go to the beach to swim in the Ottawa River, play, picnic, or rest beneath the shaded gazebo. When it’s raining or cool outside, head to the Nick Smith Centre. There, you will find a pool, two ice pads, community hall and fitness room.
The town can also boast its own airport, where residents head out to watch the Mile High Jumping Club perform on Wednesdays, Fridays and weekends all summer long. The recreational airport, located six kilometres south of downtown, was once used by the British as a training school during the war. Later, it was used as a training base by the Canadian military. Nearby, there is a float plane base for general aviation.
If golfing is your thing, there are six courses in the area. And in winter, there is downhill skiing at nearby Calabogie.
Prior Players serve up live theatre
History also features in the town’s entertainment calendar with the annual Arnprior/McNab Highland Dance Competition. The Prior Players serve up live theatre, while The Valley Festival concert series brings classical music to the small town. In summer, there are Sunday afternoon concerts in the park.
So the secret is out: Arnprior is a scenic and charming waterfront community with big-city industry and amenities. And with two waterways to choose from, it’s not too late to find your dream waterfront property.
On the resale waterfront real estate market, the lowest-priced listing at $424,900 was for a lovely three-bedroom heritage home built in 1906 and boasting a view of the Madawaska River from the deck. At the top end, a newer three-bedroom home with 500 feet of frontage on the Madawaska headpond was priced at $950,000.