I used to live communally on a piece of land near the town of Maynooth, Ontario. I live in Ottawa now but I still have a place there. We have land meetings twice a year, including this weekend.
My friend loaned me a car for the trip. It even had firewood in the trunk! The firewood was definitely required. Remember this stuff? They have it on the ground in Maynooth.
But I’m getting ahead of myself. To get to Maynooth, first you go west on Hwy 417 to Renfrew. From there I took the northern route through Eganville. Here is the Google map: http://tinyurl.com/wkffe
I saw some cattle near Eganville. I was going to say I saw some cows, but that guy in the front is no cow.
After Eganville the road climbs for a long time until you reach Wilno. You can see forever from there, even on such a drab day as this. Here is a view of the hills from Wilno.
Wilno is the site of the earliest Polish settlement in Canada. Here’s the plaque to prove it:
It feels later in the year in Wilno than it does in Ottawa. Many of the leaves have already fallen, and it’s colder. My son’s mother lives in Wilno. She has an art gallery there called the Garden Gallery. We’re pretty good friends, but I didn’t have time to stop and visit on this trip.
In Barry’s Bay they are building a monument to a Polish-Canadian test pilot, Janusz Zurakowski, who flew the ill-fated Avro Arrow. This is the kind of wacky stuff that makes you either love or hate small-town life. Here is a statue of Janusz.
And here is a small-scale replica of the Avro Arrow in flight. Zoom!
After Barry’s Bay I passed through Combermere, where a tornado did a lot of damage this summer. It is mostly cleaned up now. Here is a picture I took there in the summer.
After three and a half hours of driving I made it to Maynooth. This is the Arlington Hotel, scene of many great shenanigans over the years. It’s for sale for $250,000. Haven’t you always wanted a hotel?
Our place is about 5 km past Maynooth. It’s on top of a hill. Here is the view down Hwy 62 to the south toward Bancroft.
This is looking north toward Maynooth. My son Jake used to catch the school bus out there when he attended Maynooth Public.
There’s my house. Errr… Cabin. Hippie shack. I just found out that the locals call it “The Haunted House.” I love that! (Yes that is snow on the porch roof.)
7 Comments
What a great bunch of pictures! My family has a cottage on McKenzie Lake (which I’m sure you know is right by there).
Question: Do you know when the Hotel was first erected?
Hi Kim, yes, I’m familiar with McKenzie Lake. But I don’t know anything about the history of the hotel.
Thanks for stopping by!
Hello :)
My grandparents built 2 log cottages on McKenzie Lake. The older one was sold a few years back but my uncle and cousins still have one. Grew up going down there. My grandparents currently live on Baptiste lake where they built a wood home. Grew up going to Maynooth as my mom was born andgrew up there. It holds so much magic for me.
But the even stranger part is how i found your page. Would you mind if I ask you how the word Watawa comes into play?
*peace*
kristin
Hi Kristin,
Nice to hear from you. This blog was called Ottawa Life at first, until I realized there was a magazine of that name and changed it. Watawa is what you call Ottawa when you have had too much to drink.
My parents also grew up in Maynooth Ontario and we spent lots of time back there growing up, visiting our grandparents and spending lots of time at Buckleys Store esp and did lots of tobogganing across the highway (from Buckleys)We thougt it was such a big hill!!!!!!
Hi Janice,
Nice to hear from you :)
I love how your post drew those people to you, what a small world