Manotick ( ) is a community in

Rideau-Jock Ward Rideau-Jock Ward (Ward 21) is a city ward located in Ottawa, Ontario. Situated in the rural south end of the city, the ward includes rural areas west of the Rideau River and the communities of Manotick, Richmond, North Gower, Munster, Kars, Fallow ...

in the rural south part of the City of

Ottawa, Ontario Ottawa is the capital city of Canada. It is located in the southern Ontario, southern portion of the province of Ontario, at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the cor ...

, Canada. It is a

suburb A suburb (more broadly suburban area) is an area within a metropolitan area. They are oftentimes where most of a metropolitan areas jobs are located with some being predominantly residential. They can either be denser or less densely populated ...

of the city, located on the

Rideau River The Rideau River (, ) is a river in Eastern Ontario, Canada. The river flows north from Upper Rideau Lake and empties into the Ottawa River at the Rideau Falls in Ottawa, Ontario. Its length is . As explained in a writing by Samuel de Champl ...

, immediately south of the suburbs

Barrhaven Barrhaven is a suburb of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It is located about southwest of the city's downtown core. Prior to amalgamation with Ottawa in 2001, Barrhaven was part of the City of Nepean. Its population as of the Canada 2021 Census was 10 ...

and Riverside South, about from

downtown Ottawa Downtown Ottawa is the central area of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It is sometimes referred to as the Central Business District and contains Ottawa's financial district. It is bordered by the Ottawa River to the north, the Rideau Canal to the east, ...

. It was founded by

Moss Kent Dickinson Moss Kent Dickinson (June 1, 1822 – July 19, 1897) was a Canadian businessman, mayor of Ottawa from 1864 to 1866, Member of Parliament from 1882 to 1887 and the founder of Manotick. Background He was born in Denmark, New York in 1822 t ...

in 1864. He named the village 'Manotick', after the

Algonquin Algonquin or Algonquian—and the variation Algonki(a)n—may refer to: Languages and peoples *Algonquian languages, a large subfamily of Native American languages in a wide swath of eastern North America from Canada to Virginia **Algonquin la ...

word for 'island'. It has been part of the City of Ottawa since amalgamation in 2001. Prior to that, it was located in Rideau Township. According to the

2021 Canadian Census The 2021 Canadian census was a detailed enumeration of the Canada, Canadian population with a reference date of May 11, 2021. It follows the 2016 Canadian census, which recorded a population of 35,151,728. The overall response rate was 98%, whic ...

, Manotick had a population of 5,315.

History

The village of Long Island Locks was first settled in 1833.Ottawa City and counties of Carleton and Russell Directory, 1866-7 In the 1830s, a small settlement formed in the area of the newly-constructed Long Island

lock Lock(s) or Locked may refer to: Common meanings *Lock and key, a mechanical device used to secure items of importance *Lock (water navigation), a device for boats to transit between different levels of water, as in a canal Arts and entertainme ...

s on the

Rideau Canal The Rideau Canal is a 202-kilometre long canal that links the Ottawa River at Ottawa with the Cataraqui River and Lake Ontario at Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Its 46 Lock (water navigation), locks raise boats from the Ottawa River 83 metres (272 ...

, but there was no development in the area of present-day Manotick. A post office was established in 1854. In 1859, when a bulkhead was constructed across the west branch of the Rideau River, the entrepreneur

and his partner

Joseph Merrill Currier Joseph Merrill Currier (1820 – April 22, 1884) was a Canadians, Canadian member of parliament and businessman. Early life and business He was born in North Troy, Vermont in 1820 and moved to Canada in 1837, where he began work in the tim ...

obtained the water rights and constructed a stone

mill Mill may refer to: Science and technology * Factory * Mill (grinding) * Milling (machining) * Millwork * Paper mill * Steel mill, a factory for the manufacture of steel * Sugarcane mill * Textile mill * List of types of mill * Mill, the arithmetic ...

on the shores of the Rideau River. The flour mill, as well as a carding mill, sawmill and a bung factory, also built by Dickinson, helped spur the development of the settlement. The flour mill was purchased in 1946 by Harry Watson and renamed

Watson's Mill Watson's Mill is an historic flour and gristmill in Manotick, Ontario, Canada. It is the only working museum in the Ottawa area and one of the very few operating industrial grist mills in North America. Watson's Mill still sells stone-ground whole ...

. It survives as a working museum, with an operational grist mill. M. K. Dickinson, Esq., established the Long Island Flouring Mills in 1860, which had the capacity of grinding one hundred barrels of flour per diem. The buildings were substantially built of stone. The saw mill, built by M. K. Dickinson, Esq., employed twelve men and turned out about two million feet of sawn lumber per annum. Dickinson House, built in 1863, was the first major building in Manotick. It served as a general store, bank, post office, and telegraph office. The Dickinson, Spratt, and Watson families, which owned and operated Watson’s Mill, used the house as their residence from 1870 to 1972. It is currently furnished to give visitors an interpretation of what the space was like when the Dickinson family was in residence. It is included amongst other architecturally-interesting and historically-significant buildings in

Doors Open Ottawa Doors Open Ottawa is an annual event held in the City of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, that gives the public access to many of the city's unique and historically significant buildings. Among the buildings included are government offices, museums, radio ...

, alongside Watson's Mill.http://ottawa.ca/doorsopen Doors Open Ottawa Open Doors Ottawa sometimes coincides with Dickinson Days, which is Manotick’s annual festival celebrating the Founder of the village. By 1866, Long Island Locks was a post village with a population of 100 of the township of Gloucester, on the Rideau Canal, seven miles from Gloucester station, on the Ottawa and Prescott railway, and 15 miles from Ottawa. The village contained two general stores and a number of mechanics. There were two church buildings here, one occupied alternately by the Presbyterian congregation and the English Church, and the other by the Wesleyan Methodists. By 1866, Manotick was a post village with a population of 100 of the township of North Gower, on the Rideau River, five miles from Kelly's station on the Ottawa and Prescott Railway, and 17 miles from Ottawa. There was excellent water power supplied by the Rideau Canal with mails tri-weekly. The Loyal Orange Lodge, No. 477, met in Orange Hall in the village on the first Friday in each month. The original St. James Anglican Church was built of wood in a Norman style in 1876 on land donated by Moss Kent Dickinson. When a larger church was built in 1985, the original style and appearance, including a Norman tower, the original stained glass windows, plaques and much of the other furnishings were maintained. The church was included with other architecturally interesting and historically-significant buildings in

, held June 2 and 3, 2012. Manotick was host to a

Royal Canadian Navy The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN; , ''MRC'') is the Navy, naval force of Canada. The navy is one of three environmental commands within the Canadian Armed Forces. As of February 2024, the RCN operates 12 s, 12 s, 4 s, 4 s, 8 s, and several auxiliary ...

experimental ionospheric laboratory, the Radio Propagation Laboratory (RPL) on the Prescott Highway. The RPL evolved from Section 6 of the Operational Intelligence Centre (OIC/6) of the navy during World War II. It originally occupied small huts on the Prescott Highway, which from 1944 to 1947 housed a naval high-frequency radio station, operating under the call sign CFF. The station received and transmitted messages between Naval Service Headquarters, Allied Authorities, and ships at sea, and frequently intercepted enemy transmissions. A name plate now marks the site, which is located south of the

Central Experimental Farm The Central Experimental Farm (CEF), commonly known as the Experimental Farm, is an agricultural facility, working farm, and research centre of the Science and Technology Branch, formerly the Research Branch, of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. ...

's Arboretum in Ottawa, between the Rideau Canal and the Prescott Highway. SunTech Greenhouses LTD, a Hydroponic Greenhouse covering 2.3 acres, was constructed in 1999 on a ninety acre lot. An additional 12,000 square feet was added in the spring of 2001, bringing the greenhouse acreage to 2.5 acres. Since then, the infrastructure was increased by 1.5 acres in 2012, bringing the total greenhouse surface to 4 acres. As commercial traffic on the Rideau Canal became less important, the population in the village declined. The population in the village rebounded as Manotick came to be viewed by some as a

bedroom community A commuter town is a populated area that is primarily residential rather than commercial or industrial. Routine travel from home to work and back is called commuting, which is where the term comes from. A commuter town may be called by many o ...

for Ottawa and joined the City of Ottawa in 2001. With perceived overdevelopment of housing in the south of

Ottawa Ottawa is the capital city of Canada. It is located in the southern Ontario, southern portion of the province of Ontario, at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the cor ...

, including the rapid growth of

, Manotick strives to maintain its character and property values by carefully managing growth and by working closely with developers.

J. Edgar Hoover John Edgar Hoover (January 1, 1895 – May 2, 1972) was an American attorney and law enforcement administrator who served as the fifth and final director of the Bureau of Investigation (BOI) and the first director of the Federal Bureau o ...

visited Manotick in the 1920s to see a relative, and

Al Capone Alphonse Gabriel Capone ( ; ; January 17, 1899 – January 25, 1947), sometimes known by the nickname "Scarface", was an American organized crime, gangster and businessman who attained notoriety during the Prohibition era as the co-foun ...

is said to have had business-related ties to the town.

Schools

*Manotick Public School - The only

public In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociology, sociological concept of the ''Öf ...

elementary school A primary school (in Ireland, India, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, South Africa, and Singapore), elementary school, or grade school (in North America and the Philippines) is a school for primary ...

in Manotick, teaches

kindergarten Kindergarten is a preschool educational approach based on playing, singing, practical activities such as drawing, and social interaction as part of the transition from home to school. Such institutions were originally made in the late 18th cen ...

to grade 5 in

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Culture, language and peoples * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England * ''English'', an Amish ter ...

and

French French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), ...

. *St. Leonard Catholic School - Teaches over 500 kindergarten, primary and junior students in English and French. *Kars on the Rideau - Teaches

Kindergarten Kindergarten is a preschool educational approach based on playing, singing, practical activities such as drawing, and social interaction as part of the transition from home to school. Such institutions were originally made in the late 18th cen ...

grade 5 Fifth grade (also 5th Grade or Grade 5) is the fifth or sixth year of formal or compulsory education. In the United States, this is mostly the last grade of primary school, but for some states, it could be the first year of middle school. Primary ...

and

grade 6 Sixth grade (also 6th grade or grade 6) is the sixth year of formal or compulsory education. Students in sixth grade are usually 11-12 years old. It is commonly the first or second grade of middle school or the last grade of elementary school, an ...

- 8 in

and

. Located in

Kars, Ontario Kars is a village on the Rideau River within Rideau-Jock Ward in the city of Ottawa, Ontario. Prior to joining the city in 2000 it was part of Rideau Township. History Kars was originally named Wellington Village. In 1857, to distinguish it f ...

. It is the primary

public middle school Middle school, also known as intermediate school, junior high school, junior secondary school, or lower secondary school, is an educational stage between primary school and secondary school. Afghanistan In Afghanistan, middle school includes g ...

for this area. * St. Mark Catholic High School - Teaches grades 7-8 and 9-12 in English and French *

South Carleton High School South Carleton High School is a high school situated in the southwestern sector of the city of Ottawa, in the town of Richmond, Ontario. The school is under the jurisdiction of the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board. The SCHS attendance bound ...

- Teaches over 1300 grade 9-12 students, located in

Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, a city in the United States * Richmond, London, a town in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, England * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town ...

. It is the primary public

high school A secondary school, high school, or senior school, is an institution that provides secondary education. Some secondary schools provide both ''lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper secondary education'' (ages 14 to 18), i.e., ...

for the region.

Dickinson Days

On the first Friday and Saturday of June, the people of Manotick congregate in the heart of Manotick around Dickinson Square to celebrate Dickinson Days. The festival is named after

, who operated

(then as Long Island Flouring Mill) and was responsible for founding Manotick. This spring festival, organized by local organizations such as the Kiwanis Club, the BIA, and Watson’s Mill, usually includes activities such as a parade, pancake breakfast, arts and crafts sales, wagon rides, music, dance and drama performances. The celebration coincides with "Pioneer Days", organized by the staff and volunteers of

. Dickinson Days usually coincides with

, where many local buildings, such as churches and government buildings, are open to the public for one day a year.

Watson's Mill

is Manotick's most recognized landmark. Its image is used as a symbol for the village. It is the only working museum in the Ottawa area and one of very few operating industrial grist mills in North America. Indeed, Watson's Mill still sells stone-ground whole wheat flour which is made on site.

and

founded the mill as the Long Island Flouring Mills in 1860. It was one of a series of mills constructed in the area using power from the

. It earned its current name when it was purchased by Harry Watson in 1946. Watson was the last owner to operate the mill at an industrial level. When the

Rideau Valley Conservation Authority The Rideau Valley Conservation Authority (RVCA) is an inter-municipal environmental protection and advisory agency that works with local municipalities, government agencies, special interest groups and the general public to protect the natural reso ...

bought the mill in 1972, it was developed into a museum. The mill is also well known for its

ghost In folklore, a ghost is the soul or Spirit (supernatural entity), spirit of a dead Human, person or non-human animal that is believed by some people to be able to appear to the living. In ghostlore, descriptions of ghosts vary widely, from a ...

story. The legend is that Ann Currier, wife of Joseph Currier, haunts the mill, following her death in a tragic accident there in 1861. Watson's Mill is open to the public during the summer months and hosts a variety of events, including milling demonstrations every Sunday.

Mahogany subdivision dispute

In 2007, Minto Developments Inc. sought approval to construct a community of approximately 1800 new homes in Manotick. The number was later revised to 1400 in early 2008 through the Development Concept Plan process with the city of Ottawa and numerous public meetings and consultations with residents. The project drew concerns by residents in the area. In the opinion of some local residents, the Minto proposal went against the spirit and letter of the pre-existing Manotick's Secondary Plan. The Secondary Plan for the Village of Manotick was adopted by the City of Ottawa at amalgamation in 2001, providing for growth of only 250 houses by 2020. Residents cited that the project would double Manotick's population and that the current services and

infrastructure Infrastructure is the set of facilities and systems that serve a country, city, or other area, and encompasses the services and facilities necessary for its economy, households and firms to function. Infrastructure is composed of public and pri ...

will be insufficient to handle the population explosion. Some residents were also concerned that Manotick will lose its "small town" character. Villagers want future development direction to be decided by residents and their elected officials, not developers. On April 24, 2007, the West Manotick Community Association (WMCA) organized a

town hall meeting Town hall meetings, also referred to as town halls or town hall forums, are a way for local and national politicians to meet with their constituents either to hear from them on topics of interest or to discuss specific upcoming legislation or ...

to discuss the issue of Minto's proposed development at the Manotick Arena. The event drew over 2000 citizens concerned about preserving the rural character and scale of Manotick and to ensure any future planning accounts for the rural nature of the village. During 2007 and 2008, the City of Ottawa, the WMCA and Minto all hosted several formal and informal public meetings to demonstrate changes and evolutions to the proposed Development Concept Plans and to encourage public debate. Changes to the plan were made by the developer through the process. In 2008, the Ottawa City Council rejected Minto's proposed development, stating that Minto's plan did not comply with the City's Official Plan for Manotick, nor its Secondary Plan. Additionally, the City claimed that the proposed development did not match the village's "rural character". Minto appealed the council's decision, sending the matter to the

Ontario Municipal Board The Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) was an independent administrative board, operated as an adjudicative tribunal, in the province of Ontario, Canada. It heard applications and appeals on municipal and planning disputes, as well as other matters s ...

("OMB") in a seven-week hearing that ended in late January 2009. The OMB overruled the Ottawa City Council in a "controversial" decision to approve Minto's plans. The City of Ottawa requested a Leave to Appeal the OMB decision, with a hearing that took place on June 25, 2009. Ultimately, extensive cooperation between Minto and the community resulted in an approved plan for the development, and the construction now is long underway.http://www.yourottawaregion.com/news/article/1280890--manotick-association-lists-lofty-goals-for-2012

References

External links

Manotick Village and Community Association
{{authority control Neighbourhoods in Ottawa Former municipalities now in Ottawa Former villages in Ontario Populated places disestablished in 2001