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Pembroke is a city of 15,000 in Ontario's Ottawa Valley on the Quebec border. The city is 40km (25 miles) east of Algonquin Provincial Park on the Trans-Canada Highway from North Bay to Ottawa.

Get in

By bus

  • 1 Greyhound, Laundromat Plus, 425-B Pembroke St. E (Behind Moncion's Grocers), ☏ +1 613-732-2865. 8am-9pm. Three buses daily to Ottawa, three to North Bay, one to Toronto. 

By car

Pembroke is on the Trans-Canada Highway (Ontario 17), 160km (100 mi) west of Ottawa and 215km (135 mi) east of North Bay.

Pembroke is about 400km (255 mi) northeast of Toronto; there are various possible routes, but going through Peterborough (Hwys 7 or 115) and Bancroft (Hwy 28 to Hwy 41) is shorter than staying on 7 or 401 right to Highway 41 (Napanee).

By boat

Pembroke is on the Ottawa River. The river is not continuously navigable from Ottawa westward due to rapids at multiple points.

  • Pembroke Marina, Waterfront Park, 11 Albert St., ☏ +1 613-735-6821 ext 1505. Boat launch, docking, power, fuel, oil, river charts, pump-out, public washrooms, boater showers and laundry facility. 

Get around

Pembroke is small enough that almost everything is within comfortable walking or cycling distance.

  • Autobus Thom Transit. Two in-town bus routes (one east, one west) run 7:30am until 5:30pm weekdays on behalf of the city, no evening or weekend service. 

Taxis are common and cheaper than big cities for moving around within the city and to nearby towns. Calling a taxi service - by using a phone book or asking a store owner to do so - will save time over trying to hail one.

See

  • Heritage Murals. Twenty-five murals within the city depict numerous aspects of local culture and history. 
  • 2 Murray L Moore Hydro Museum, 283 Pembroke St. W., ☏ +1 613-732-3687. 9AM-4PM wkdys, year-round. Housed in the original diesel room of the Pembroke Electric Light Co, a collection of original light fixtures and artefacts dates to the October 8, 1884 illumination of the very first street lights in Canada on Pembroke Street. Free. 

Do

  • Kiwanis Waterfront Trail. Is a 1.5km trail which follows the waterfront from the city's marina to Riverside Park. Includes outdoor theatre, historic "pointer boat" monument, outdoor chapel and lookout points. 
  • Pansy Patch Park, Dickson St. off Mackay St.. Ten-acre horticultural garden with walking and cycling trails. 
  • Some of the world's best whitewater rafting and kayaking is available east of Pembroke, near the village of Beachburg, by several different companies. A variety of packages are available - inquire within the city.

Buy

  • Pembroke Mall (East End Mall), 1100 Pembroke St. E., ☏ +1 613-735-0060. 9:30AM-9PM wkday, 9:30AM-6PM Sat, noon-5 Sun. Indoor mall with fifty stores, cinema, food court. 
  • Pembroke West End Mall, 1200 Pembroke St W, ☏ +1 613-735-0638. Former Zellers mall which appears not to have reopened as Target; a dozen stores and a restaurant. 

Eat

Mostly chain restaurants. Groceries are available cheapest at discount groceries at the malls at either end of town, or less cheap at Moncion's downtown. For a little taste of authentic Pembroke cuisine try the deep-fried mars bars from Colbourne's chip truck, located on Christie street.

  • JJ's Restaurant & Tap, 601 Pembroke Street E., ☏ +1 613-732-8978. Burgers, pizza, bar and grill 
  • Ullrich's on Main, 214 Pembroke St. W., ☏ +1 613-735-6025. German deli, lunch bistro, eat in or take out. 

Drink

Two bars popular with locals are located near City Hall on Pembroke St.

  • Shot’s Sports Tap’ n’ Grill, 185 Pembroke St. E., ☏ +1 613-732-7521. Serves free hotdogs on Friday nights. 

Sleep

Usually, no reservations are necessary, except possibly during major hockey tournaments (weekends in November and early December). There are also several B&Bs on the outskirts of town.

Hotels and motels

Camping and outfitters

  • Algonquin Portage, Barron Canyon Road, ☏ +1 613-735-1795. Outside of Pembroke, twenty minutes from Algonquin Park. Outfitter's lodge $30/night, linens/sleeping bags not included. Breakfast $12, camping $6/night, camp equipment rental. Pickup and dropoff at the Pembroke Greyhound station. 
  • Riverside Park, 961 Pembroke St. W., ☏ +1 613-735-6821 ext 1504. Seasonal tent or trailer camping, Victoria Day - Thanksgiving. 50 serviced and 6 non-serviced campsites, washrooms and showers, playground, beach and tourist information centre. $26-32. 
  • There are three provincial parks with campsites a half-hour's drive away: Algonquin, Bonnechere [1] and Driftwood.

Connect

  • Pembroke Public Library, 237 Victoria St. (South of Pembroke St.), ☏ +1 613-732-8844, . Mon-Thurs 10-9, Fri-Sat 10-5.30, Sun 1-4.30, Sun closed May-Sept. Offers free wireless internet and reservable computer terminals. Conveniently, wireless is still available outside the building during closed hours. Free. 
  • Cafe Olé, 20 Pembroke St. W (West of Muskrat River bridge), ☏ +1 613-629-5102. Offers locked wireless internet to customers. 

Go next

Routes through Pembroke
North Bay ← Petawawa ←  W  E  → Renfrew → Ottawa
END ←  W  E  → Hull → Laval
END ←  N  S  → Kaladar → Napanee


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