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Ottawa River & Algonquin Park

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DISTANCE: There and back 2.4 km TRAIL TYPE: Millennium Trail paved, unpaved north of the river DIFFICULTY: Millennium Trail easy, moderately uneven elsewhere

Centennial Park Information This 4.4 km trail there and back offers a pleasant walk along the shore of the turbulent Petawawa River, which is a white-water boating mecca. The first part of the walk is along the Millennium Trail, a 1.2 km riverside path for walking, jogging, cycling and skiing along the south bank. How to get there Drive along Hwy 17 and turn onto Paquette Rd. At the CFB Petawawa gates, where a Sherman tank and a 25 pounder gun of WWII design are displayed, turn right onto Petawawa Blvd. At the first traffic lights, turn left onto Victoria St. Half a kilometre down the road and on your left, look out for the sign indicating the Emerald Necklace Trail. The Millennium Trail is part of the Emerald Necklace. Park in front of the Town of Petawawa Municipal Office. Directions Walk through the decorative arbour, entrance to a great view of the Millennium Trail and catwalks extending into the tumbling water of the Petawawa River. Proceed down the embankment and turn left at the gazebo. Follow the riverside trail past the beach at Centennial Park and alongside some tumultuous rapids. At Petawawa Blvd the millennium trail ends. Return the same way you came. Map -- Petawawa Millennium Trail   Points of Interest

CFB Petawawa, with a total population of 5000, has a pivotal influence on the town. The Petawawa Military Camp was created in 1905 for training the militia - not the Regular Army. This role has continued to this day, apart from the war years. The base was an internment camp during the First World War and as the Second World War ended, Petawawa became a permanent regular military-unit establishment. Called CFB Petawawa since 1961, it is now home to military unit 2 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group. Canada is highly regarded world-wide for its peacekeeping role. Soldiers based at CFB Petawawa make up an important part of that mission, besides dealing with national emergencies like the Ice Storm of 1998.

The Petawawa River journeys 150 km from its source tributaries in Algonquin Park to the Ottawa River. The origin of the name Petawawa is most probably from the Algonquin Indian word meaning "where one hears a noise like this", which refers to the river's many roaring rapids. For over a century, the Petawawa was an important logging river. It could take up to two months of hard work to reach the Ottawa River, where the logs were boomed together into rafts and floated down river to the Pembroke sawmills. The last river drive on the Petawawa was in 1964. Today, the Petawawa's white water rapids are considered by canoeists and kayaks to be more treasured than troublesome. Rapids are classified 1 to 6 in difficulty. The rapids that can be seen from the Millennium Trail are the Catwalk Rapids which in the spring are a class 3 and Lovers Rapids - a challenging 5.

 

Links of interest
		• Town of Petawawa • CFB Petawawa • Visit the Canadian Airborne Forces Museum. Telephone: 613-588-6238

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First Posted: July 20th, 2001

Authors: Richard Richardson & Gregory Richardson