Boundaries
The town’s northern border is Barnsdale Road and its southern limit runs roughly along Gough Road, dipping down to Roger Stevens Drive and then up to Century Road East. The Rideau River, Manotick Station Road and Limebank Road roughly define the eastern border, while the western border follows Hwy. 416 to Century Road East and then roughly along Rideau Valley Drive.
History
Just south of the booming suburb of Barrhaven and about 30 minutes from downtown Ottawa, Manotick works to retain its village ambiance while experiencing growth and development. European settlement in the area began near the Long Island Lockstation on the Rideau Canal in the 1820s and 1830s. The current village site didn’t begin to develop until a dam was built there in the 1850s, leading Moss Kent Dickinson and Joseph Currier to build Watson’s Mill. The mill attracted workers and the town grew. The completion of Highway 16 in 1926 and Highway 416 in the 1990s boosted Manotick’s fortunes. Expansion of Ottawa’s wastewater system to Manotick around 2009 has spurred new construction.
Claim to fame
Watson’s Mill, built in the 1860s, is still an operational grist and flour mill. You can take a tour, buy flour, or drop by for a concert or other public event. Some even claim the ghost of Ann Crosby Currier, killed shortly after the mill’s opening when her skirt got caught in some machinery, still haunts the building.
Manotick neighbourhoods
- Manotick Village
- Mahogany
- Rideau Forest
- Manotick Station
Who’s building where
- Mahogany: Minto Communities
In the area
Manotick offers an appealing combination: a compact village packed with quirky shops and heritage homes near the Rideau River, newer post-war homes a bit further out, and spacious newer homes on large lots around the edges. Attractions include:
- Dickinson Square
- Rideau River
- Rideau Canal
- Long Island Lockstation
- Manderley on the Green golf course
- Mahogany Harbour
- Stonebridge Golf Club
- Minto Recreation Complex
- Beryl Gaffney Park
- David Bartlett Park
- Boutique shopping
- Restaurants
- Pedestrian-friendly village core
Schools
Manotick has one English public elementary school, one English Catholic elementary school and one English Catholic high school. South Carleton High School in Richmond is the designated English public high school.
- English public: Ottawa-Carleton District School Board
- English Catholic: Ottawa Catholic School Board
- French public: Conseil des écoles publiques de l’Est de l’Ontario
- French Catholic: Conseil des écoles catholiques du Centre-Est
Businesses
A range of independent boutiques and some national chains are found in Manotick. (Many big box stores and services are available at Chapman Mills Marketplace in Barrhaven, about eight kilometres north of town.) Businesses in Manotick include:
- Peppermint Organic Spa
- Lindsay & McCaffrey
- Bakker’s General Store
- Black Dog Bistro
- Manotick Natural Market
- Denise Smith Dance Studio
- Green Spirit
- Manotick School of Music
- Miller’s Oven Café and Tea Room
- Manotick Home Hardware
- McDonough’s Your Independent Grocer
- LCBO
- The Beer Store
- Giant Tiger
Amenities
Manotick has soccer fields, baseball diamonds, a skateboard park, basketball courts, tennis courts and skating rinks. The Manotick Culture, Parks and Recreation Association works to enhance the town’s recreational facilities.
- Ottawa South United Soccer Club
- Ottawa Public Library (Manotick branch)
- Manotick Arena and Community Centre
- Rideau View Golf Club
- Manotick Marina
- Mahogany Harbour
- Manotick Curling Centre
- Ottawa-Manotick Polo Club
- West River Drive Duck Park
- Centennial Park
- Manotick Tennis Club
Services
Many services are available in Manotick, including medical offices, veterinary clinics, florists, dry cleaners, churches, fitness studios, day care centres and schools. Residents can register for programs run by the City of Ottawa’s Recreation and Parks Department.
Transit options
Drivers can reach downtown Ottawa via the four-lane Highway 416 or by taking a shorter but slower trip along smaller Highway 16 (which becomes Prince of Wales Drive). OC Transpo provides weekday commuter service into the core. There is also a once-a-week free service between Manotick and Carlingwood on Fridays (one trip north in the morning and one trip south in the afternoon).