Merrickville Ruins

Ok, last comment. Parks created a "stabilsed ruin" (their term) in 1982 by partially demolishing an important heritage building. Last year, they fenced-off the entire site after an engineering report suggested that the ruin was unstable and in danger of collapse. Irony anyone?

The turbine and generator (dynamo, as some would have it) is one of two original units removed from the red brick building directly beside the "ruined" mill.

It would be a different place if they had actually gone through with this (including a Rideau Canal Headquarters in the very "ruin" you have documented herein). But I digress...

You are in Smiths Falls. Go to the Parks Canada Rideau Canal headquarters and discover for yourself. I recommend "Rideau Canal Site Survey 7", from June, 1976. This is one section of the Parks Canada master plan initially proposed for all of the sites along the Rideau Canal (including Ottawa, Merrickville, Smiths Falls, Kingston, etc.).

Up until 1982, it was an intact building in very good repair. Parks decided to partially demolish it in order to create an "interpretive" ruin as part of the industrial island complex. The history of this site is very well documented (the first mill on the site dating back to the late 1780's, early 1790's).

Yes. A woollen mill, to be precise. This 3-storey mill is a manufactured ruin courtesy of Parks Canada; created after they assumed control of the Rideau Canal (from the Dept of Transport).