Manotick, Ontario

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The welcome to Manotick sign

Manotick, Ontario is a suburban community on the Rideau River, now part of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada at close to the southern end.

In the 1830s, a settlement developed in this area after the construction of the Long Island locks on the Rideau Canal. Moss Kent Dickinson chose the name "Manotick" from Ojibwa words meaning "island in the river". Mills established by Dickinson and Joseph Merrill Currier helped spur the development of the settlement. One of these, Watson's Mill, survives. As commercial traffic on the Rideau became less important, the population in the village declined. The population in the village rebounded as Manotick came to be viewed as a bedroom community for Ottawa. In 2001, Manotick became part of the city of Ottawa. In 2006 its estimated population is 7,545 [1]

With over-development of housing in south Ottawa, and Barrhaven rapidly growing, Manotick is becoming a new suburb of the city in this area. Large mass production developments south of Ottawa often advertise as being located in Manotick during early development which can lead to confusion on the borders of Manotick. The following are NOT a part of Manotick but are sometimes confused for being part of it: Riverside South, Barrhaven, Osgoode, North Gower, Kars.

1 Schools
2 Dickinson Day
3 Mahogany subdivision dispute
4 External links
- 4.1 General links
- 4.2 Manotick Development Project links

[edit] Schools

Manotick Public School - The only public elementary school in Manotick
St. Leonard Catholic School
St. Mark Catholic High School
South Carleton High School - located in Richmond, is for public high school students in this area.

[edit] Dickinson Day

The first weekend of June of every year the people of Manotick congregate in the heart of Manotick to celebrate the man responsible for what Manotick was in its prime. The festivities include a collection of folky arts and crafts for sale by out of town vendors as well as musical performances. In 2004 there was talk to remove the Beer Tent from the Dickinson Day celebration as Dickinson was in fact a puritan (No alcohol, drugs, etc.) but in the true spirit of Manotick the Kinsmen Club threatened to give up organizing the event if such a travesty were to occur. Instead a compromise; the Kinsmen Club could keep their beer tent with one condition, it had to be named a refreshment tent and offer non-alcoholic beverages. The Manotick native band Hollerado attended Dickinson Day the summer of 2007, performing the song "Run Run Dickinson Run" which was inspired by occasion.

[edit] Mahogany subdivision dispute

In 2007 Minto Developments Inc sought approval to construct a 2000 house subdivision grafted onto the southern flank of Manotick; a proposed number that was later reduced to 1400 in early 2008 over a longer period, after compromises and deals made between the developer and the city of Ottawa. The project drew concerns by residents in the area. The developer's proposal went against the spirit and letter of Manotick's Secondary Plan, adopted by the City of Ottawa at amalgamation in 2000. Residents cited that the project will double Manotick's population and that the services and infrastructures will be insufficient to handle the population explosion. Some residents were also concerned that Manotick will lost its small town character. Villagers want future development direction to be decided by residents and their elected officials, not developers.

On April 24, 2007, the West Manotick Community Association organized a town hall meeting to discuss the issue of Minto's proposed development at the Manotick Arena. The event drew over 1700 citizens concerned about preserving the rural character and scale Manotick and to ensure any future planning accounts for the rural nature of the village. In February 2008, Ottawa City Council voted down a revised plan of the proposed subdivision that would seek to add 1400 homes in a span of nine years. The matter will be considered by the Ontario Municipal Board in late 2008. [2]