Ontario is sprinkled with small pockets that are worth the visit. The villages and small towns that make up our province include places like Manotick, Ontario, a village so whimsical that it’s served as a backdrop for Christmas movies!

The area is also home to a historic mill and lush trails, all nestled along the Rideau River.

Getting to Manotick, Ontario

The village can be found 25 kilometres south of Ottawa’s Parliament Hill along the Rideau River

If you’re driving from Toronto or the GTA it will take you around four hours on the nose.

Manotick’s history dates back to the 1800s. The name of the village is Objibway for “Island in the River” and was given to the area in 1859 by its founder Moss Kent Dickinson.

According to the Manotick village website, “Dickinson and his partner Joseph Currier obtained the water rights to the water following the construction of the bulkhead and the dam. The partners built the mill and complex, purchased much of the adjoining land and established the village of Manotick.”

Watson’s Mill still stands today and can be visited.

Christmas movies

Speaking of Watson’s Mill, it’s one of the focal points for filming in the village.

Manotick “attracts filmmakers with scenic backdrops such as Watson’s Mill on the Rideau River,” shares Ottawa Tourism.

Various shops and restaurants appeared in the film “Candy Cane Christmas”.  This includes Terra Plants and Flowers, Black Dog Bistro and 692 Coffee and Bar.

Another Christmas movie, “Reindeer Games Homecoming” featured the Manotick Community Centre & Mike O’Neil Arena as well as Ottawa Fire Station 94.

Pretty neat, huh?

Taylor Lucas

Associate Editor – Taylor is a Toronto-based journalist with a passion for storytelling. Whether chasing a story, writing, or editing, she brings a creative spin to the media world and has a blast doing it. Taylor brings years of journalism experience in sports, local/national news, and entertainment. In her spare time, you can typically find Taylor trying out a new restaurant or cocktail bar, cooking, golfing or binge-watching true crime documentaries.

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