Carleton Place

Carleton Place is a town of about 13,000 people (2021) in Lanark County, midway between Smiths Falls and Ottawa. It is just outside of the Ottawa municipal boundary, and has become a suburb of that city.

Understand

History

The town sits on the edge of a large limestone plain, just south of the edge of the Canadian Shield in the deciduous forest ecoregion of North America. Carleton Place was first settled by Europeans when British authorities prompted immigration to Lanark County in the early 19th century. The Morphy and Moore families were among the first to arrive. Edmond Morphy chose the site in 1819 when he realized there was potential in the area waterfall. He built a mill there and was the first of many such textile and lumber industries to reside in the area. The settlement was then known as Morphy's Falls. In 1829, the area was renamed Carleton Place, after a street in Glasgow, Scotland, when a post office was constructed. It became a village in 1870, and a town in 1890. The community's economic growth was enabled by the construction of the Brockville and Ottawa Railway later in the century. The town was also renowned for its access to Mississippi Lake, and had steamship service to Innisville on the west end of Mississippi Lake between the 1860s and 1920s. The river led to the development of the Ottawa Valley Canoe Association in 1893, which still exists as the Carleton Place Canoe Club. The town received further recognition when a World War I fighter pilot, and town resident, Captain Arthur Roy Brown, made history by shooting down the Red Baron.

Visitor Information

Get in

By car

Carleton Place is at the junction of Highway 7 and Highway 15. This portion of Highway 7 is part of a branch of the Trans-Canada Highway that passes through the area, traveling between Sudbury and Kanata (near Ottawa) on Highway 69 and 400, then Highway 12, then Highway 7, then Highway 417.

By bus

Get around

There is no public transit in Carleton Place.

See
  • 🌍 Franktown radar, 1158 Gillies Corners Side Rd. 24 hours. The Canadian weather radar network consists of 31 weather radars spanning Canada's most populated regions. Their primary purpose is the early detection of precipitation, its motion and the threat it poses to life and property. Each has a range of 256 km (159 mi) in radius around the site to detect reflectivity, and a range of 128 km (80 mi) for detecting velocity patterns (Doppler effect). This particular radar covers Eastern Ontario and Western Quebec. It is impossible to visit the premises of the radar, but the radar is visible from the gate. 5-10 minutes will suffice to visit. Free. 
  • 🌍 Carleton Place and Beckwith Heritage Museum, 267 Edmund St (at the corner of George), ☏ +1 613-253-7013. Tu-Sa 10AM-4PM, Su 1PM-4PM. Showcases the history of Carleton Place. Home to the Victoria School Gardens. By donation. (updated May 2018)

Do
  • 🌍 Mississippi Lake National Wildlife Area, Concession Road 10B (off Hwy 7, west of Carleton Place). Sanctuary for migratory birds, so public access is seasonal (outside migration season) and limited. Day use on designated trail (hiking, wildlife viewing, photography), recreational boating (personal watercraft) and fishing (no lead sinkers) in McIntyre Creek, McCoy’s Creek and McEwen Bay. No public access September 15th to December 15th, except for boat launch on McIntyre Creek to access the Mississippi Lake. 
  • 🌍 SUP on the Miss, 717 Lake Park Rd, ☏ +1 613-867-3909, . Spring and autumn: Sa Su 10AM–dusk (weather permitting), summer (July 1- ) daily 9AM-dusk. Stand-up paddleboarding, kayaking & canoeing, boat tours & water sports, tours, outdoor activities. Lessons and rentals. (updated Jun 2018)

Buy

Eat

Drink
  • 🌍 St James Gate, 111 Bridge St, ☏ +1 613-257-7530. Tu 4-10PM, W Th 11:30AM-10PM, F 11:30AM-11PM, Sa 11:30AM-10PM, Su noon-8PM. Irish-style pub. (updated Dec 2023)

Sleep

Go next
  • Almonte — a small, but historic town in Lanark County. The village is the birthplace of Dr. James Naismith, the inventor of basketball, celebrated with a statue downtown and a museum.
  • Smiths Falls — the mid-point of the Rideau Canal, and home of the canal's museum. The town was historically a railway hub, and although only a few passengers trains still serve the town, the Railway Museum of Eastern Ontario features a scale model of rail yard inside 1923 passenger coach.
  • Ottawa — Canada's capital city, with historic buildings, national museums, festivals and events. It also offers a busy nightlife in the Byward Market, and outdoor recreation in every season along the Rideau Canal or Ottawa River. Gatineau Park is just across the provincial border, in Quebec.
Routes through Carleton Place
Peterborough ← Perth ←  W  E  → Kanata → Ottawa via
END ←  N  S  → Smiths Falls → Kingston
Arnprior ← Almonte ←  N  S  → END


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