a peek inside the fishbowl

So, let’s talk about Canada Day. Did yours get rained out, or did you persevere? Ours was a mix of the two.

Our youngest daughter went downtown with a friend: stayed for dinner, got soaked (twice), got lost (once) and caught the fireworks. The three remaining family members decided to do something completely different. We took a drive out to Pinhey’s Point. Have you ever been? This was something I’ve wanted to do for YEARS. It was high time to go check it out.

Sidebar: a good philosophy to have while exploring new places is to go in with zero expectations, knowing you can always turn around and leave. I find it really takes the pressure off, know what I mean? And with that, we got into the car, set our GPS, and went on our way.

I was not disappointed. Pinhey’s Point has a long and storied history, and it’s the kind of local lore that I really enjoy. To summarize: in 1820, Hamnett Kirkes Pinhey built up a significant estate on the banks of the Ottawa River that was granted to him for his service in the Napoleonic Wars. Today it is known as Pinhey’s Point Historic Site, but then it was known to the Pinhey family as Horaceville. (It was named after his eldest son.) The site now includes 88 acres of natural heritage space, the manor house, and several ruins. The last resident, a descendant of the original Pinhey, lived there until her death in 1971. (You can read more about it on the City of Ottawa website.)

It’s a fascinating look at how people used to live. This is a map of the grounds. It’ll give you a good idea of what’s on the site (click on the image to enlarge in a new window):

And here are some views outside the estate:

What would it have been like to live here 200 years ago? This place makes that a bit easier to imagine.

Here’s looking out from inside the main house. It’s a room with a view:

Pinhey’s Point is a real slice of history. Check out this bathtub:

… and this very early indoor privy. (!)

It’s a box! With hinges! :) I did lift the lid to see what was in there. (A risk, I know.) It’s essentially a hole with a lid. The, er, waste material goes down a pipe into the cellar. A helpful note explained this pipe was known to freeze in the winter.

The area is perfect for picnicking. There’s a big field, a few outdoor grills (the B.Y.O. charcoal kind), a playground for kids, and some extra W.C’s. The actual Point at Pinhey’s Point is off limits to visitors because it’s an ecologically sensitive area. You can, however, go down to the water, watch the boats and skip some stones, which is what we did:

The drive itself was quite pretty too. We spotted an osprey nest and turkey vultures amid the rolling farmland.

On the way home we stopped at The Marshes for drinks and a snack. Did you know you can eat in the restaurant, even if you don’t golf and aren’t a member? We’ve had some great meals here and the patio is very pretty. A storm blew through while we were enjoying our nachos:

Anyway, there’s actually a lot more to the Pinhey’s Point than I’ve described here today: historical photos, period furnishing, family history, activities for kids etc. It was all very interesting and made for a great little day trip.

Seeing how people lived in very early Canada – before it was even called Canada – was a pretty good way to spend Canada Day. (Not to mention, topping it off with a Canadian brew.) I’m glad we went.

p.s. You can read more about Pinhey’s Point at the Pinhey’s Point Foundation website.