History surrounds us here in Ontario and this next interesting gem just so happens to be one of its kind in North America. Located near Ottawa, the Municipality of Mississippi Mills is home to the Pakenham Historic Five Span Bridge and here’s what to know.

The bridge itself is located in the town of Pakenham, about a four-hour drive away from Toronto, and less than an hour away from Ottawa.

According to the municipality, the “5 Span Bridge was originally built in 1903 by Scottish Stone Masons (O’Toole & Keating of Ottawa) over the Mississippi River and rapids in Pakenham, and it was created with stones that came from a local quarry.”

And as we’ve mentioned, it is one of its kind in North America. It is actually “believed to be the only one of its kind in the world outside of Russia,” per the site.

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Back when it was originally built, it was mostly for horses and carriages, and that led to the bridge’s stability to be compromised once cars rolled around.

Per the municipality, the bridge was restored in 1984.

“The stones were carefully removed and identified before being reinstated into their original position over the reinforced concrete structure used to strengthen the bridge for modern-day use,” they state.

The Municipality of Mississippi Mills is made up of the former Townships of Ramsay and Pakenham and the Town of Almonte, which were amalgamated in January 1998.

It is also home to antiques, museums, and theatres, so after you’re done with your bridge experience, head on over to the local gems and explore what this area has to offer.

Pakenham Historic Five Span Bridge

Where: Pakenham, Ontario

Karen Doradea

Karen Doradea

Managing Editor, Toronto – Karen is a multimedia journalist based in Toronto. With a strong knowledge of reporting and editing through all forms of media, she has a true passion for storytelling. She carries several years of journalistic experience and has covered the Toronto scene from local stories to national news. When Karen isn’t publishing fire content, you can find her binge-watching sitcoms on Crave, at a must-try restaurant, or scrolling endlessly on TikTok looking for the next best thing – News never sleeps.

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