Future of the Dickinson House

Good morning! 

Growing up in Ottawa, I have always been interested in what the city looked and felt like in the past. Whether it’s 40 years ago or 140 years ago, it always fascinated me that generations of people have walked where I walk. And being Canada’s capital, it means we have a lot of history here.

But we have not always done a good job of preserving it. Throughout the mid-1950s, many historic monuments were paved over to make way for urban intensification. No one thought at the time of what was being lost. But we know better today and there is more of an effort to preserve what we can. Just last year, the city was on a mad dash to give dozens of properties heritage designation, or they were at risk of being lost for good.

For today’s story, we visit the Village of Manotick, which is fighting to save the Dickinson House and carriage shed. It looks like a solution has been found, but it will mean lots of new costs for the new owners.

Let’s get to it!

— Charlie Senack, Ottawa Lookout managing editor, [email protected], X: @Charlie_Senack

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WEATHER

Wednesday: 22 🌡️ 12 | 🌤️

Thursday: 21 🌡️ 8 | ☀️ 

Friday: 19 🌡️ 11 | 🌤️

HERITAGE

The city is selling off Manotick’s Dickinson House to cut costs. But its history will be preserved

Read the story online here.

There are few places you can go where history feels frozen in time. But the Village of Manotick is an exception. Located on the Rideau River, its heritage buildings can make it feel like you're walking through a town in the 1800s. 

But part of that was at risk when the city decided to sell off some of its historical assets, including the Dickinson House and carriage shed, which are located across from the famed Watson’s Stone Mill. The city is essentially broke and was unable to keep up with the expensive maintenance and costs associated with the buildings. 

Since the buildings are heritage-designated, the city had initially planned to sell the properties off to anyone who would be required to follow a strict set of rules. The same had recently happened with the old Jockvale School House in Barrhaven. 

But that did not sit well with Rideau-Jock Coun. David Brown, who prevented the Manotick properties from going on the market. Instead, the city is looking to sell the two assets off to the Manotick Mill, which already operates the site. 

“The city is looking to find efficiencies so we can keep taxes low and focus on core services. My job as councillor is to find the best scenario where we enable the community to continue to use the facilities that we continue to work with our partners who operate them on our behalf today,” Brown told the Lookout.

The transfer of ownership will occur later this year or early in the new year. The cost for the properties will be $1. But it means the Mill will be stuck with an estimated $30,000 yearly in new operating costs. On the plus side, repairs and improvements the city has been putting off can finally move forward. 

That includes replacing the Dickinson House’s roof and chimney, which it fears won't survive through the winter. Future work includes foundation repairs, flood control from spring runoff, and upgrades of the public washrooms. 

On Sept. 9, over 40 community members gathered in the mill to hear the proposed plans and ask questions. They spoke about preserving the history, boosting tourism, and ensuring the properties don't fall into the wrong hands, where they would no longer be public. 

Avery Geboers is the programs and communications manager at Watson’s Mill Manotick Inc. She said when the organization was first approached about taking over full responsibility of the properties, they were immediately on board. 

“The Dickinson House Museum is part two of the mill site. It's always been the home of the mill owners. The house and the mill have always been deeply connected to each other. Having both allows us to preserve a fuller history of Manotick and the area,” Geboers told the Lookout. 

Around $50,000 of the group's current funding comes from the used bookstore located in the carriage house, which also houses their offices. 

History that began before Canada was its own country 

Watson’s Mill was constructed in 1860 by Moss Kent Dickinson and Joseph Currier. Two years earlier, in 1858, they had leased the water rights to the control dam located in what is now Manotick. Their goal was to develop a milling complex and establish a new community in the area. At its peak, the complex included a sawmill, flour mill, carding mill, and a bung, plug, and spile mill.

In 1867, Dickinson built what is now known as Dickinson House. Originally, the building served as the mill’s office, a general store, and the village post office. The Dickinson family moved into the house in 1870, making it their home. Around this time, two carriage sheds were added beside the house. Despite becoming the family residence, the building continued to function as both a post office and a general store.

In 1928, the Dickinson family sold the flour mill and their home to Alexander Spratt, who ran the mill until his death in 1935. His family continued operations until 1946, when they sold the property to Harry Watson, the mill’s manager under the Spratt family.

Under Watson’s ownership, the mill was renamed “Watson’s Mill” and celebrated its centennial in 1960. Commercial flour production ceased in 1963. Around this time, Watson began working with the National Capital Commission and later the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority. These partnerships led to major restoration efforts, transforming Watson’s Mill into the heritage site it is today.

“For me I am passionate about preserving this history to share it with the community because it really does connect to the larger history of Ottawa and Bytown,” said Geboers. 

“Kent Dickinson was mayor of Ottawa for a stint; his business partner, Joseph Currier is an individual who built 24 Sussex. Similarly, Watson's Mill is one of the only fully operational flour and bread mills in all of Ontario. We're not just showcasing the history of the Ottawa Valley, we also pride ourselves on giving a blast into the agricultural and industrial origins of the province.”

The Mill is counting on the community for support

For now it is unclear how much money the city will give to the Mill to handle its operations, but whatever the dollar value is, it won't be enough to cover it all. To help with the newfound costs, the mill has launched fundraising efforts and is asking for donations. 

“Our board is working on redeveloping things like monthly donorship programs to have a consistent stream of revenue coming in. We are also asking people to volunteer their expertise because there is a lot of help we will need,” said Geboers. “It's definitely nerve-wracking, but since news has come out about the situation, we have seen an incredible amount of support from the community. Our visitation numbers are also up. It's really positive to see how much these sites are important to people. We are the Capital of Canada after all.”

The Mill is also hoping it will be able to qualify for many grants it did not get to take part in before because it was on city property. 

Geboers is encouraging anyone who has not visited the Watson’s Mill and Dickinson House to take a drive out to Manotick. She said it’s a great opportunity for people of all ages, including demonstrations for the kids and a gift shop for the parents. 

“We actually show people what it looks like to have the turbines using the power of the currents and the millstones going. People hear and can even taste history because we sell the flour we make,” she said. “We have a really amazing space that we try to use in different ways. We also have a whisky tasting fundraiser coming up.”

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THE OTTAWA NUMBER

11th

That’s the position Ottawa has dropped to in this year’s North American tech talent rankings, according to CBRE’s 2025 Scoring Tech Talent Report. For some Canadian context, the Waterloo region jumped from 18th to 17th, and Vancouver and Toronto both rose one spot, to 10th and 3rd, respectively. Read more. [OBJ]

THE AGENDA

🏗️ The Lincoln Fields Station Secondary Plan has recently been approved which will pave a path forward for new development at the former shopping mall site. Upwards of 40-storey towers are proposed in some areas with no ground-floor retail. Community reaction is mixed. Read more. [Kitchissippi Times]

🚨 The Ottawa airport’s annual emergency exercise will take place on Wednesday from 9 am to 12 pm. If you’re at or around the airport today, you might see emergency vehicles or personnel from multiple police and fire services, but airport authorities are urging people to stay calm - it’s just a test. Read more. [Ottawa International Airport Authority]

📸 Ottawa has 60 speed-enforcement cameras and will be installing 24 additional ones by the end of the year. While Doug Ford calls on municipalities to stop relying on cameras, calling them “nothing but a tax grab”, the Mayor says the city is open to working with the province to “improve [Ottawa’s] approach to reducing speeding and improving safety.” Read more. [CTV]

💨 Meanwhile, Ottawa Police Service spent another weekend pulling over multiple people for stunt driving, including someone going 145 km/h with their kids in the car. Read more. [City News]

👨 People across the city are mourning the loss of Aziz Benharref, an Orléans resident who was killed in the Lisbon funicular crash earlier this month. His wife, who was also on the funicular, is recovering in hospital in Lisbon, and told CTV News that her husband was “one of the sweetest human beings ever, [kind] to everyone, generous, hardworking, [and] respectful. He was a great husband.” She is asking for people to keep her and her husband in their prayers, along with the other victims of the crash. Read more. [CTV]

🚶 Vocal residents of Ottawa’s Manor Park neighbourhood won their campaign against the installation of sidewalks in their neighbourhood. According to one resident who spoke to CBC News, “people prefer walking on the road”. Read more. [CBC]

🪧 Ottawa hospital workers protested at City Hall against the proposed “bubble zone” bylaw. According to CUPE leadership, ending the right to protest outside hospitals would impact union members’ ability to strike, as well as the rights of all citizens to protest public policy. Read more. [CTV]

🍄 An investigation is underway as to how and why two illicit mushroom shops on Rideau St. both caught fire within 15 minutes of each other early Monday morning. Read more. [CBC]

🔎 The ByWard Market District Authority is looking for a new executive director after Zachary Dayler moved out of his post in August. No reason was given for the resignation. The new candidate will be faced with revitalizing the area which has seen many new retailers and restaurants open in recent months. Read more. [OBJ]

🤑 At Wednesday’s Council meeting, Coun. Shawn Menard will bring forward a motion to raise the salaries of the next elected council members, from $119,654 in 2024 to a figure closer to the average salary for councillors in similar-sized municipalities, as called for in the City’s 2026-2030 Governance Review. Read more. [CTV]

HOME OF THE WEEK

Everyone loves the Glebe, and we suspect everyone will love this home as well. This three-bedroom, three-bathroom home has style. The kitchen? Stylish. The living room? Stylish. The massive renovated basement with a wet bar, bathroom and massive storage space? Also stylish. The backyard and patio? You guessed it.

Of course, stylish does come with a price…

House of The Week is a home selected by the Lookout team and is not a paid advertisement. All ads are labeled as such. If you’re a realtor who wishes to feature your home in our newsletter, please contact our sales team.

OTTAWA ARTS GUIDE

Performance

Bach Mass in B minor | Caelis Academy | St. Joseph’s Parish 174 Wilbrod St | Sunday, September 14, 2:30 PM | Ottawa’s Caelis Academy Ensemble celebrates their 9th season in an unforgettable concert! Info at www.caelis.ca [Sponsored]

If you’re free tonight, check out Akoustik at St. Charles is an outdoor live music event at St. Charles Market in Vanier, with local performing musicians. 

Those of you who speak French may want to check out Zones Théâtrales, a series of French performance stage productions, including both old and new works, from Sept. 8-13. 

CityFolk is on from today until Sunday, with high-profile acts including Alex Warren, Melissa Etheridge, Morrissey, Dropkick Murphys and many more. 

Movies 

Next week you can catch the Asinabka Film and Media Arts Festival, featuring Indigenous film, video, art and music from Canada and around the world. With 40 films on the docket, there’s a lot to see. 

There are a couple of classic movies this week at Mayfair, including Jaws and My Neighbor Totoro. And not to be outdone, Bytowne is showing the 4k restoration version of Stanley Kubrick’s classic Barry Lyndon and Who Framed Roger Rabbit?.

Art

If you’re looking to discover local art, then you’ll want to check out Studio Space on Oct. 3-4. They will open over 40 studios for the public to view and purchase art. 

Artwalk is back on Sept. 27. Spend the afternoon from 2 pm-6 pm checking out local Ottawa galleries with a talk and reception, featuring Sobey Art Award short-lister Tania Willard. 

Music

James Leclaire plays Night Oat on 11 September. The Ottawa roots-rocker channels Bob Dylan and Steve Earle through working-man anthems about heartbreak and healing. Tickets $10.

Softcult brings shoegaze punk to 27 Club on 12 September. The siblings from Kitchener merge riot grrrl politics with shoegaze walls of sound. Tickets $25.

Jim Bryson shares hometown tales at Red Bird on 12 September. The singer-songwriter and producer brings cultivated folk-rock and his full band. Tickets $35.

Wet for Days rocks House of Targ on 12 September. The punk rock mom band proves raising kids and raising hell aren't mutually exclusive with their debut LP release party. Tickets $15.

David Gogo comes to Rainbow Bistro on 12 September. The six-time Juno nominee and three-time Maple Blues guitarist of the year brings blues virtuosity earned sharing stages with B.B. King. Tickets $30.

Listings for music shows are provided by OttawaGigs.ca, the best place to discover live music in Ottawa. Check out Ottawagigs.ca for full listings across the city.

COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS

• Credit history matters for your financial future. See how KOHO Credit Building helps you take control—and get $20 when you spend $20 within 30 days.* [Sponsored]

• Last year Ottawa Senators Community Foundation donated $2.3 million to local charities. Well done!. [NHL]

• The Ottawa Public Library is hoping to build, renovate, or relocate 18 of its branches over the next 20 years. [CTV]

• FREE STUFF: Full Circles Ottawa has an extremely random listing of items, but all for free.

• Want to have your announcement featured? Learn how here.

OTTAWA GUESSER

IMAGE OF THE DAY

A squirrel collects berries for the winter at the Dominion Arboretum on Sept. 7, 2025/