From Dede’s Perspective:

So, where do I began…or more appropriately, how do I continue:

Imagine coming here at the start of the 19th century, and out of sheer wilderness, for the most part, you build a 200-kilometre (120 mile) canal system. It never should have worked, but John By pulled it off. He did it by designing a slack-water canal, something that had never been built before in Europe. He designed and built what we are now navigating…a marvel to this day!

We spent yesterday and last night in Merrickville, along the side of locks 23 and 22.
In 1791, the local land board granted 200 acres along the Rideau River to United Empire Loyalist William Merrick, a resident of the colony of New York. With the waterpower offered by the Rideau, the Merrick family built the first mill, and continued to help the community thrive by building a gristmill, saw mill, tannery, cheese factory, creamery, blacksmith and ironwork shops, and textile and woolen mills.

Today, while Merrickville’s historic complex is gone, a stroll through the village leaves you feeling not much has changed here since the late, great Queen Victoria began her reign!

Merrickville is not to be missed…whether here by boat or camping. It has been dubbed Canada’s prettiest village and with more designated heritage buildings than any other Ontario community of like size. It is a unique and vibrant Victorian village situated along the Rideau Canal. I, of course, helped the economy by shopping…actually an early start on some unusual Christmas items!!

We left Merrickviile and continued our cruise up the Rideau to Burritt’s Rapids. We traveled through two of the most beautiful lock stations…Lower and Upper Nicholson’s…and through a wooden highway swing bridge that was manually operated by a young “fit” park ranger!! We locked down and tied up for the night on the lower dock. Burritt’s Rapids is one of the earliest settlements in the Rideau corridor. It was founded in 1793 by Colonel Burritt, a Loyalist from Connecticut. Some of the most beautiful stone homes built in Ontario in the 19th century can be found along these banks.

After dinner aboard, Jim and I decided to “tour on foot” via the footpath along the river. We exited the path in the little village of Burritt’s Rapids. Jim flagged down a car on the small local road (actually, it was the only car we saw…), and a lovely lady stopped, turned off her car (in the middle of the road) and proudly gave us the history and identified the remaining structures of her town and heritage.

When I told her I was a “preacher’s kid,” and interested in any of the Anglican churches, she proceeded to let us hop in and gave us a ride up the street (over the bridge) to Christ Church, an historic Anglican church which began in 1831! She left us there to explore…the church is ALWAYS open! It was designed in the Gothic Revival style. The interior was simple, with lovely old stain glass and a beautiful window behind the alter.

As Jim and I started our walk back to the boat, we passed what appeared to be a large ornate mailbox at the entrance to a lovely garden. The plaque on the door of the box read, ‘To get something, you must give something away.” We opened the doors, and there, low and behold, were an assortment of items, ranging from a little toy car to small books to trinkets of every variety. So, we left something and took something away… a little bit of us became part of their local tradition!!

Tomorrow we will get underway early, and we will be leaving this beautiful, rich in history and beauty, Rideau canal…. and entering the capital of Canada…Ottawa! I am sad to leave these 126 miles behind but have such wonderful memories…and am anxiously looking forward to seeing the House of Parliament and Changing of the Guards!!

Until then, stay tuned…