There’s Something ‘Witchy’ about this small town near Ottawa
I am in love with small towns. I don’t know how I arrived here. I always considered myself to be someone who would not find a small town interesting. But that seems to have changed. Since I visited Perth in Ontario for the first time last year, I have begun to seek other nearby small…
I am in love with small towns. I don’t know how I arrived here. I always considered myself to be someone who would not find a small town interesting. But that seems to have changed. Since I visited Perth in Ontario for the first time last year, I have begun to seek other nearby small towns to visit. Every opportunity I get to drive to a nearby small town for a day trip feels like a gift. So, when I saw a video about Merrickville, near Ottawa, I cleared my Saturday and decided to go the very next weekend.
Merrickville is about 50 minutes’ drive from the west end of Ottawa. The Rideau Canal runs through it, and there are some preserved ruins near the canal. It is characterised by old brick buildings, small shops, some of them filled with unique home decor items, that will add some colour to your home without making it look like an uninspired artist poured his watercolour palette all over your house. There is an ice cream/gelato store, a caramels store where I learnt for the first time that you can have that many flavours of caramels, and an inn for those who might want to stay the night.
The first thing I noticed as I drove into the town (besides the beauty of the water and the people fishing in it) was the Wick Witch Apothecary – a boutique with an interesting collection of items from scented candles to crystals and a beautifully-dressed woman who I could not decipher if she was a witch or a fairy. Either way, she cast her magic on passers-by, drawing us all into the beauty of the store. I do not dabble in spells and crystals, but I spent a few minutes in the store browsing through the scented candles and other decorative items they had. I loved the scents, but I do not trust myself to successfully use a spell.
A couple of blocks down the road, there was a sign for a fortune teller. I understand that many people find the prospect of learning about their future exciting. I am not one of those people. You can’t blame me, though. I read ‘The Gods Are Not to Blame’ by Ola Rotimi as a child – a story where a king and his wife receive an unfavourable prophecy about their son. In a bid to prevent the unfortunate incident in the future, the actions they take end up bringing the incident to pass. I don’t want to ruin it for you, but as you can guess, it has left me scarred.
A beautiful inn amidst the sights and sounds of Merrickville.
The Witch apothecary store and the signpost for a fortune teller did make me start to wonder about witchcraft in Merrickville. Is that a thing? I read a couple of stories online about a famous fortune teller who once lived there and was known for her accurate predictions. She eventually moved to Plum Hollow where she got married and was known as the Witch of Plum Hollow. I don’t know how true any of this is, but it does give Merrickville a fantastical piece of history.
Besides the ‘witchy-ness’, the ruins near the Merrickville locks station is an interesting piece of history, preserved on the main street. There is also a little museum nearby detailing the history of the town, with an old turbine on display behind the building. After walking around, exploring, I went to the Goose and Gridiron, where there is a shaded outdoor seating area for a drink. Nearby, there is a red telephone box where you can take photos. I got some ice cream from the ice cream shop, visited the nearby antique bookshop, and bought some caramels to enjoy. I watched people on their boats and kayaks go out on the water, soaking up the sun and enjoying the peace of the river.
It was a calming day trip to do nothing in particular, though I hear there is much more one can enjoy in that little town. I intend to return and explore even more. If you are in Ottawa or Kingston and keen for a relaxing day out, consider a drive to Merrickville. If you do visit the fortune teller, do share what you learn (if you want to) in the comments.
