Smiths Falls is a charming little town in Eastern Ontario. Located along the Rideau Canal, it is less than an hour by train from Ottawa. We spent a long weekend exploring this historic town, and its surroundings, including the beautiful villages of Perth and Merrickville.
Our first stop was lunch at the Lockmaster's Taphouse, with a patio overlooking the Rideau Canal Visitor Centre and a dam on the Rideau river. The visitor centre is housed in a 19th century stone mill, but it was unfortunately closed for renovations at the time.
Railways
During the latter half of the 1800s, the town became an important transportation hub, with rail lines from Canadian Pacific Railway and Canadian Northern Railway stopping in the town. Today, the CN railway station is a National Historic Site of Canada, and the home to the Railway Museum of Eastern Ontario.
The telegraph operator's bay and the station's waiting room have been carefully preserved, maintaining their appearance from a century ago.
Outside, you will find a collection of locomotives, passenger cars and other equipment. They even had cabooses that you can rent and stay in.
An interesting attraction here is the last remaining dental car in Canada. Dentists used to live in these cars, and provide dental care to remote rural villages. There's also a beautiful dining car from the 1890s that gives a glimpse into what train travel looked like back then.
Bascule bridge
The Bascule bridge, built in 1912, is one of the most iconic landmarks in Smiths Falls, and a National Historic Site in Canada. This movable bridge allowed trains to pass over it, but could be moved to let boats pass through the canal.
Heritage house museum
The heritage house museum is one of the earliest houses in the town, built in 1861. These small museums are a great place to get a sense of local history.
Strolling around town
When I finally walked back to the hotel, it was getting quite dark, and walking across all the boats in the evening light was a beautiful sight.
