Scenic Watsons Mill is the only flour milling mill that has been in working order and turned into a museum in Ottawa and one of the few in all of North America. The mill is in the village of Manotik, and this is its most important landmark and symbol. The mill was built by M. Dickinson and J. Carrier in 1860, and then it was only one of a number of other mills on the canal. The last owner, who used the mill on an industrial scale, Watson, parted with it in 1946, and in 1972 it was turned into a museum.

The mill building was made of limestone mined during the construction of the Rideau Canal. Its interior is very carefully designed and beautiful for a conventional mill. On Sundays in the summer season and to this day the mill is launched for demonstration. Flour from whole grains can be bought here, in a souvenir shop, like fresh bread. It is also surprising that the mill still has an original mechanism, including one of the original set of millstones (the other is for demonstration).

In addition to the mill itself, which has been restored, the complex includes the Dickinson House and a barn for crews. The mill stands directly on the dam, on one of the two canals to which the Rideau divides to circumnavigate Long Island, and is a favorite object for photography.

The fame story brought fame to the mill. The legend says that the ghost of Anne, the wife of Joseph Carrier, settled in the mill after a tragic accident that occurred here in 1861. At a party in honor of returning from a wedding trip, the girl's crinoline clung to the mill wheel and she died.

Practical information

@ Address: Manotick, 5525 Dickinson Street

The mill is located about 20 km from Ottawa

Working hours: from 17 May to 31 October daily from 10:00 to 17:00. Dickinson's mansion works only on weekends from 10:00 to 16:00.