Summer is the best season to explore Ontario’s full of hidden gems, and beautiful villages. They’re so thrilling that some have even been featured in holiday Hallmark and Christmas films. We know, we know, it’s too early to talk about the holidays but this special village is just as exciting in the summer as it is in the winter. The village in question is Pakenham, Ontario and here you’ll find a historic, one-of-a-kind bridge.

It’s about a four-hour drive away from Toronto, and less than an hour away from Ottawa.

According to the Municipality of Mississippi Mills, the village was established back in 1823 as a postal station and was named after Sir Edward Michael Pakenham, a brother-in-law to the Duke of Wellington.

At the time, they said that the village “was predominately reliant on both the farming and timber-trade for industry.”

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Not only is it a historic village due to its past but it’s home to a one-of-a-kind bridge in North America. Its landmark, the Five Span Bridge, is also “believed to be the only one of its kind in the world outside of Russia,” states the municipality.

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

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 add.

The village also has an 1840s General Store & Bakery, which is described as “Canada’s oldest general store to have operated continuously on its original site, in its original stone building.”

Now that’s cool!

As for its Hallmark background, according to Ottawa Tourism, Pakenham’s famous Cedar Hill Christmas Tree Farm is a lively holiday spot and has been featured in several holiday movies.

It has shown up in The Rooftop Christmas Tree, Christmas Festival of Ice, Christmas Scavenger Hunt and A Cheerful Christmas.

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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