Why you need to visit Arnprior, Ontario

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Disclosure: I have visited some of the places and institutions mentioned in this post as a guest of those attractions or tourism boards. All opinions are my own.

Planning to visit Arnprior, Ontario—a small town about 65 kilometres west of Ottawa? My advice is to start your explorations at the Arnprior and District Museum (35 Madawaska Street). I truly believe you can’t understand a place unless you understand its roots—in this case, quite literally.

“Arnprior was built on lumber,” explains museum curator Janet Carlile as we walk through the museum’s permanent timber exhibit. The Anishnabe people who had inhabited the Ottawa Valley for centuries had little reason to fell the area’s huge stands of towering white pines. However, in the early 1800s, the trees drew the interest of Britain’s Royal Navy, as they were ideal for building ship’s masts and spars. Lumbermen such as Arnprior’s Daniel McLachlin made their fortune from logging and sawmills.

Lumber was the start, but Arnprior had other major industries. For instance, eight quarries once hummed with men digging striated marble, which was used for columns and floors in the original Centre Block of Parliament Hill (among many other purposes). Kenwood Mills employed several generations of workers to make woolen blankets and other items.

The mill closed in 1996 and the quarries are long gone, as are most of the white pines (but not all; see “Local attraction” later in this post for details). Arnprior, like many Eastern Ontario industrial towns, fell on some hard times in the late 20th century.

But today, a renaissance seems to be in full swing. Annual festivals and events include a free music festival called Priorpalooza (June) and the Arnprior Dragon Boat Festival (July). And creative, independent retailers are flourishing downtown. Let’s meet a few.

Arnprior shopping

John Street North and the streets leading off it are the hub of Arnprior’s retail scene. At The Vintage Crate (159 John Street North), Dave Pelkey sells a diverting blend of new items—coasters, candles, tea towels and so on—and cool antiques like vintage typewriters, duck decoys and advertising signs.

Across the road, Jade & Laney Boutique (108 John Street North) is an airy, sun-filled shop where you’ll find trendy women’s and men’s clothing, beauty products and grooming supplies, and home décor items.

A few doors down, you can drop by White Pine Books and Children’s Boutique (152 John Street North) for novels, cookbooks, a good collection of local titles and more, as well as children’s clothing and gifts.

There’s more to Arnprior’s retail scene than John Street. Liam Racine, who used to run a shop on John Street, moved to new digs in October 2023. Johnie’s Vintage (54 Madawaska Street) is a great place to browse for unusual finds, such as retro decor items, men’s vintage clothing and even indoor plants! You can also sign up for an art class.

Arnprior restaurants, cafés and food shops

Arnprior seems to have a strangely high proportion of bakeries by population, which suits me just fine.

It’s easy to miss Sweet and Sassy Co. (114 John Street North), as the bakery/food shop shares its storefront with a bridal boutique. But don’t pass it by, as the take-home meals include goodies like a rich maple-curry chicken.

And around the corner, Mighty Fine Bakehouse (79 Madawaska Street), which opened in 2019, is developing a keen following for its sandwiches on house-made bread, as well as its cookies, meat pies and dairy-free cinnamon buns.

There are lots of other dining options downtown, including crepes, pasta and more at Krave Bistro (24 Elgin Street West), and hipster takes on bar classics like nachos and burgers at the Lumbertown Ale House (123 John Street North). If you’re craving something Asian, check out two new restaurants under the same ownership: the Arnprior Noodle House (145 Madawaska Boulevard) and the Viet Subs Café (115 John Street North).

Matthew and Alicia Ott opened their gourmet food store, Bee Savvy Fine Foods (currently at 90 John Street North), in October 2020. Business took off like a rocket, says Matthew—so much so that they will soon be moving to bigger digs (14 Elgin Street West, likely in May 2021). While building a name for their honey by selling at artisan fairs, the Otts also developed strong relationships with other small producers. So as well as all sorts of honey (try the vanilla-infused version), you can find lots of other local products in their shop, such as Artizen Kombucha from Perth and Tasha’s Table preserves from Lanark.

I have one last, somewhat surprising, food stop to suggest. On your way out of town, drop into the Antrim Truck Stop (580 White Lake Road at Highway 417) to pick up some butter tarts from the onsite Big Rigs Bakery. Flaky, gooey, not too sweet and raisin free—they’re the real deal.

Take a scenic drive from Arnprior to White Lake and Burnstown

Two picturesque communities near Arnprior make for a great scenic drive—with more food!

From downtown Arnprior, take Daniel Street southwest out of town for about 15 kilometres (9 miles). It becomes White Lake Road which, naturally, takes you to the small community of White Lake.

At the crossroads with Burnstown Road/Bellamy Road, pop into The Kitchen at White Lake (620 Bellamy Road, White Lake) for delicious take-home meals, such quinoa with sweet potato or chicken burritos, whipped up by chef Jo-Ann Laverty. Formerly of Ottawa’s Red Apron food shop, she opened this spot in October 2020.

Hang a right onto Burnstown Road and continue a little over a kilometre to the Waba Cottage Museum and Gardens (24 Museum Road, White Lake). Here, in a collection of heritage buildings that includes an old schoolhouse and church, you can learn about the colourful Archibald McNab (see “Did you know?” later in this post). Even if history isn’t your thing, stop here in summer to admire about a dozen themed gardens overlooking the lake. The museum also hosts special events, such as the Ottawa Valley Midsummer Herbfest (July).

Back at the museum entrance, turn left onto Burnstown Road and drive 7 kilometres (4.2 miles) to Burnstown. As well as a small beach on the Madawaska River and an appealing cluster of gift stores and art galleries, this village is home to two great restaurants.

The Neat Coffee Shop (1715 Calabogie Road, Burnstown) serves sandwiches, wraps, salads, pizzas, and drinks both alcoholic and non, which you can enjoy on a large patio in summer. It’s best known, though, for its superb roster of live music shows.

Across the road, the BlackBird Café (1694 Burnstown Road, Burnstown) is a cozy spot in an old house. A woodstove holds pride of place, vintage lanterns and patent medicine bottles decorate the walls, and chalkboards outline the daily specials, current craft beer selection and fresh desserts. Bring your appetite, as servings are large.

From here, you could continue on another 16 kilometres (10 miles) southwest to Calabogie—another great destination!—or turn northeast on Calabogie Road, which will take you back to Highway 17 and then to Arnprior.

Local attraction: Gillies Grove

Remember those white pines I talked about earlier? Arnprior is home to a 47-metre (154 foot) behemoth in Gillies Grove that was officially recognized as Ontario’s tallest tree in 2015.

The old-growth forest, right in the middle of the town, is a wonderful place to wander. As well as 200-year-old white pines, you’ll see sugar maples, basswoods and other trees. Bring your binoculars to look for chickadees, red-shouldered hawks, scarlet tanagers and other birds.

You can access a 1.9-kilometre (1.2-mile) loop trail through the grove from numerous trailheads off residential streets, but parking can be limited. For convenience, stash your car downtown and extend your walk by picking up a trail that starts behind the Arnprior Public Library (21 Madawaska Street) and winds along the Madawaska River to Robert Simpson Park (400 John Street). The park is a great place to chill, as it has a beach, picnic tables, play structures, a splash pad, a seasonal snack bar and other amenities.

From the park, keep walking west and then along a short stretch of private property belonging to the Galilee Centre (crossing is permitted). That will take you to Gillies Grove.

Did you know?

For some three decades in the 19th century, an egomaniacal Scottish laird ran a swath of land near present-day White Lake and Burnstown like his personal fiefdom.

Hereditary chieftain Archibald McNab arrived in the area in 1822, acquired some land and then set about enticing his fellow Scots to settle it. The bad news for them was that, once they arrived, he extracted every last penny from them, ostensibly as compensation for paying their passage to Upper Canada. The bad news for him was that they eventually rebelled—egged on, perhaps, by his insistence on being preceded by a bagpiper wherever he went. He was forced to flee to Europe, but the Township of McNab/Braeside bears his name to this day. His former stone manor is now on the grounds of the Waba Cottage Museum and Gardens.

Don’t just take my word for it!

Based on the Arnprior chapter in my book, Merilyn and Robin of The Seniority Show podcast planned a day trip to Arnprior in fall 2021. Check out this delightful video to follow them around town as they discover parks, bakeries and shops.

Arnprior accommodations

Want to stay longer than a day? Use this handy map to find a hotel, B&B or vacation rental in or near Arnprior. Disclosure: If you book a place to stay using the map below or hotel links in this post, I will receive a small commission.

If you go

Arnprior is 66 kilometres northwest of Parliament Hill. It’s easy to reach; just drive west on Highway 417 to exit 180, and follow Madawaska Boulevard into town. You can stop for tourist information at the Arnprior Quality Inn (70 Madawaska Boulevard). Straight ahead, just across the Madawaska River, the reddish sandstone building that houses the Arnprior and District Museum marks the intersection with John Street.

Ontario Northland (ontarionorthland.ca) operates limited bus services between several points in Ottawa and Arnprior.

A fairly quiet 90-kilometre cycling route to Arnprior involves taking the Great Trail to Carleton Place and then following portions of the Ottawa Valley Recreational Trail to Arnprior. It’s a bit too convoluted to describe in detail here but may appeal to long-distance cycling enthusiasts.

For more information on visiting Arnprior, White Lake and Burnstown, see the Ottawa Valley Tourist Association.

This post is an excerpt from my guidebook to day trips—Ottawa Road Trips: Your 100km Getaway Guide.

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