Carleton Place Cuts A Milestone Ribbon

New Ottawa Valley Rail Trail, Carleton Place, Ontario, Canada PHOTO BY theWedge.LIVE

By MAGGIE M, Wedgee-in-Chief, Editor, theWedge.LIVE 💚 TO SHARE click icons at story’s end. TO SUBSCRIBE go to upper-right column. TO COMMENT go to upper-right of story.

When fall is in full regalia catching the sun is a special event. We caught up with our warm friend as it kissed Carleton Place in all the right places.

The timing was perfect to catch a milestone, an extraordinary build, days from its inaugural ribbon-cutting event.

“CP Rail was looking to sell the property after their tracks were removed. Rather than lose the connected land, Renfrew and Lanark Counties collaborated to purchase it,” states Jackie Kavanagh, General Manager, Carleton Place and District, Chamber of Commerce.

The Ottawa Valley Rail Trail was born.

New observation deck over the Mississippi River, Carleton Place, Ontario, Canada PHOTO BY theWedge.LIVE

There is now a cyclist-slash-pedestrian road straight through to Arnprior in place of the former Canadian Pacific Railway line. The Rail Trail is part of a longer route starting in Smiths Falls and ending in Mattawa–296 kms long. It’s off-road and safe.

Locals can cycle from Carleton Place to Almonte in 45 minutes–or Arnprior in a few hours. Many are already enjoying the trail on foot with plunging views worthy of its observations decks.

The trail is multi–use even in the winter. It will be cleared for cross-country skiing, skiddooing, snowshoeing, tobogganing, etc… Everyone can use the trail. Speed limits and regulations apply. Alas! there is no nighttime lighting.

The trail may grow yet. There are talks of connecting the OVRT from Glen Tay to Havelock and the Trans Canada Trail.

New Ottawa Valley Rail Trail, Carleton Place, Ontario, Canada PHOTO BY theWedge.LIVE

Visitors can rent a bicycle with a basket for the whole day–for just $5. They are parked at the Carleton Place Visitor Centre, also known as the Moore House, one of the oldest buildings in town at Bridge and Mill streets.

Here you will also learn a little–or a lot–about former resident, Captain Roy Brown, who shot down the Red Baron overseas in 1918. The place is covered in memorabilia related to this air battle. It is one of Carleton Place’s great stories.

Bike Rentals at Carleton Place Visitor Centre, Downtown Carleton Place, Ontario, Canada PHOTO BY theWedge.LIVE

Large mural of Captain Roy Brown shooting down the Red Baron, Carleton Place, Ontario, Canada PHOTO BY theWedge.LIVE

RIDE OR WALK THROUGH CARLETON PLACE : “EXTRAORDINARY”

A walk or bike ride through town is hard to do without a camera. You will wish to capture the town’s extraordinary beauty–natural and manmade.

New shops, restaurants, a truly ‘grand’ hotel and a craft brewery have transformed the Downtown Carleton Place experience.

A few thousand additional residents in a few years from its 2016 population of 9,500 is a high growth rate. The population is now hovering around 11,500. Housing developments are sprouting wherever you shift your gaze.

Enjoy some of our captures as the sun kissed her late in the day. No wonder.

Charming shops on Bridge Street, Downtown Carleton Place, Ontario, Canada PHOTO BY theWedge.LIVE

Historic Mill Street, Downtown Carleton Place, Ontario, Canada PHOTO BY theWedge.LIVE

Places to sit and ponder are numerous in Downtown Carleton Place, Ontario, Canada PHOTO BY theWedge.LIVE

Seating by the Visitor Centre with a view of regal Town Hall, Downtown Carleton Place, Ontario, Canada PHOTO BY theWedge.LIVE

Stunning view of the dam from public spaces along Mill Street, Downtown Carleton Place, Ontario, Canada PHOTO BY theWedge.LIVE

View of the Mississippi River from Town Hall gardens. On the right a former tannery functions as popular eatery. Carleton Place, Ontario, Canada PHOTO BY theWedge.LIVE