Discover Renfrew

Explore Renfrew through its local history and trails. The McDougall Mill tells the story of the area’s industrial past along the Bonnechere River; there are also museums dedicated to local and hockey history, as well as several trails with very different characteristics. During your stay, you can choose whether to focus on discovering historical topics or set aside time for an outdoor route.

Mill history on the Bonnechere River

The McDougall Mill was built in 1855 as a grist mill on the banks of the Bonnechere River. Today, it serves as a local history museum and visitor information centre in Renfrew. Its story also reflects the community’s earlier industrial development: the mill was part of a once-thriving industrial area whose operations were made possible by the water drop at Second Chute. Here, the historic use of hydropower meets the community’s present-day exploration of Renfrew’s history.

The McDougall Mill Museum has three exhibit levels and a gift shop, and it also offers guided tours. If you are interested in the community’s development, the mill offers more than one way to learn about it. A guided tour is one way to explore local history, while the exhibits are spread across the museum’s three levels.

Renfrew and the history of hockey

Hockey history is also connected to Renfrew. The National Hockey Association (NHA) was founded in Renfrew in 1909 and evolved into the National Hockey League (NHL) in 1917. Renfrew is therefore considered the birthplace of the NHA. The NHA/NHL Birthplace Museum is located in the myFM Centre at Ma-te-Way Park. For travellers interested in the origins of the NHA as well as local history, this connection offers a distinct historical focus.

Trails of varying lengths and purposes

The 296-kilometre Ottawa Valley Recreational Trail runs through the Town of Renfrew; in Renfrew County, it is also known as the Algonquin Trail. The K&P Trail is a 180-kilometre multi-use trail from Renfrew to Kingston and connects with the Algonquin Trail in Renfrew. Its historical basis is the railway line between Kingston and Pembroke, which the K&P Trail follows. If you are including trails in your travel plans, you’ll find two routes of different lengths here, as well as a clearly identified connection between the K&P Trail and the Algonquin Trail.

For a different kind of trail planning, consider the Bonnechere River Hiking Trail: it follows the south bank of the Bonnechere River and is rated moderate. The Millennium Trail is 3.4 kilometres long and runs along the former CN rail line from Barnet Boulevard to Lisgar Street. Their lengths, routes and difficulty rating give you specific points of difference to consider when deciding which trails to include in your stay.

A bridge between downtown and the museum

The Historic Renfrew Swinging Bridge was built in 1885 by the W. H. Kearney family. It is a 100-foot-long pedestrian suspension bridge over the Bonnechere River, connecting downtown Renfrew with the McDougall Mill Museum. It is both a historic structure and a distinctive part of the connection between downtown and the museum described here. Together with the mill, it offers another way to discover Renfrew’s history along the Bonnechere River.

More community pages: Golden Lake, Killaloe, Arnprior, Foresters Falls, Pembroke, Petawawa, Barry's Bay, Greater Madawaska.

For the broader travel overview: Renfrew County.