09 Oct, 2017
Is Lester B. Pearson Peace Park worth visiting? Well…
Posted by andrea tomkins in: travel talk
I’ve been driving up and down Highway 7 on a regular basis for many years. My mother lives down that way, in a small blink-and-you’ll-miss it kind of town. I’ve been in Ottawa since the mid-90s so I’ve gotten to know this stretch of road quite well over the years. It’s a quietly scenic drive in its own understated kind of way. Much of it is forest and farmland, with parts of the road cut through rock and within view of lakes, rivers, obvious beaver-shaped geography. There are roadside death memorials, blueberry stands in the summer, and the odd historical marker.
I have a driving routine that includes a stop in Perth for coffee and gas. Amid a handful of the usual fast food options, it’s comforting to know there’s a shwarma place in Carleton Place that never disappoints.
As I drive I watch the scenery go by (safely, out of my peripheral vision of course) and I always think how cool it would be to ride this stretch of Highway 7 on a bike so I can answer some of the questions I have. Like, what’s in Arden? And what’s with that taxidermy place? Maybe someday I’ll figure out the logistics and make a multi-day wander out of it.
(Sidebar: Speaking of Arden, I recently learned about the documentary mentioned in this older article. And it’s available for viewing online! So now I know what’s in Arden.)
A few weeks ago, Mark and I stopped by the studio of an Ottawa photographer named Paul Wing. It was during the West End Studio Tour and since both Mark and I know Paul, we lingered and had a wee chat. At one point Mark spotted a photo of a strange looking building that was on display. Paul told us it was taken at the Lester B. Pearson Peace Park along Highway 7 between Madoc and Tweed.
Coincidentally, Lester B. Pearson Peace Park was one of the many things we have driven by a thousand times and had questions about, so Mark and I decided to check it out while en route to my mother’s place last weekend.
For some backstory, you can read more about this park on this site, which shows a map of what it looked like in its heyday. Let me say right off the bat that I disagree with the statement that is is a “welcoming site for those who wish to stop, relax and nourish their own inner peace.” I am certain there are other places where our inner peace can be nourished, even though we ARE talking about Highway 7 here.
Lester B. Pearson Peace Park is located right off Highway 7. The address is 108087 ON-7, Tweed, ON. (Here’s a link to a Google Map.) I wish I had thought to grab a photo of the entrance, but it kind of sneaks up on ya. We turned on to a very narrow country road:
I have to say, I was already a little bit creeped out at this point, which is weird, because I tend to embrace these kinds of wild spaces and rush into them headfirst, with no fear and without much concern. You know me, I love a good nature trail and picnic in the park!
As we pulled in, it occurred to me that NO ONE knew where we were so I posted a Facebook update regarding our whereabouts. (I could see the headlines: “MARRIED COUPLE DISAPPEARS WITHOUT A TRACE ALONG HIGHWAY SEVEN”)
We drove up a short hill and parked on the left, not really knowing where to go. On the right, is an open area with a few picnic benches. Here’s one view:
It’s hard to see, but there’s a white blob near the top of the photo. We’ll get to that in a bit. On the other side of the benches is a sculpture called “Hands around the World.” It’s a white sphere with two hands encircling it. It reminded me of Humpty Dumpty. (I placed Mark in there for scale.)
Even though this place is right next to a very busy highway, it is remarkably quiet, and the isolated feeling just kept closing in on me. Mark went to get something out of the car so I decided to stretch my legs and walk up the grassy hill toward that white building. Hmm, interesting.
From this view, it was fairly nondescript. I did notice this column, semi-hidden in the trees right beside it and thought it provided a bit of a hint as to what this white building might be about (spoiler alert: it’s a “Peace Pagoda Shrine”):
I walked up the steps of the building and walked around to the other side. Oh, would you look at that, it’s a door:
The door was open, so, I talked myself into taking a look inside. It was not pleasant. In fact, I was worried I’d find someone in there:
The creepiest part by far was this altar. I tried not to envision anything scary that could have happened here:
I was not feeling very safe or comfortable, so I closed the door and went back to the picnic area, thanking my lucky stars that the car was still there and that Mark hadn’t been abducted. But that wasn’t the end of the creepiness to be found at this place. No sir.
Here’s a couple of innocuous-looking buildings, right?
A closeup of the newer looking one:
Should I have knocked to see if anyone’s mother was being held captive inside? The reason I ask, is because this is what was inside the smaller of the two buildings (which was apparently a snack bar in its former lifetime):
Then, on the other side of a thin wall:
Someone used to live here. I honestly wondered if we’d find a body.
It’s hard to tell in the second photo, but that’s a table with an electric frying pan, a toaster, and stacks of dishes. The bed was torn apart. Garbage was everywhere. It was utterly decrepit.
That’s about the time Mark suggested we check out the nature trail, a short stroll through the woods around this central area. Someone is still maintaining it, that much was clear, but I could not shake the scary feeling that was ALL AROUND ME.
Thankfully, the walk was brief (I may have walked a little faster) and we climbed back into our car and I updated my Facebook status to let my friends and family know that we were not dead. We hightailed it out of there. I can honestly say I am glad my curiosity has been satisfied but I will never go back.