- This article covers the rural area around Tweed, Ontario, Canada. For the town in Northumberland UK see Berwick-upon-Tweed, for the town in Australia see Tweed Heads.
Tweed, Ontario and the Land 'o Lakes region of Ontario cover a large, primarily-rural area north of Napanee-Belleville in Quinte-Northumberland. This is a sparsely-populated area with multiple small villages, farms, lakes for fishing and snowmobile/ATV trails.
Understand
This page covers multiple small villages including Madoc, Marmora and Tweed. See also Stirling and Shannonville in Belleville's article.
Tweed (pop 1500) is a village near the junction of the Black River and the Moira River. The Ontario Powder Company made dynamite locally (with sometimes disastrous results) until a takeover by the Canadian Explosives Company in 1910; only ruins of the original factory remain. A Canadian Pacific rail line (built 1880s, removed 1987) once led to Smiths Falls; the former Bay of Quinte Railway line was removed in the early 1940s.
Stoco Lake, on the Moira River directly north of Sugar Island, is popular among sport fishers for muskellunge (Muskie, esox masquinongy), trout, pike, walleye, large mouth and small mouth bass, as well as ice fishing in winter. The Moira River (and fisheries management zone 18) ends at Lake Ontario in Belleville.
Get in
On Highway 7, a southern alternate branch of the Trans-Canada Highway system, there is a Greyhound stop near Actinolite:
- 1 Log Cabin Restaurant (Greyhound), Hwys 7 and 37, Actinolite Junction (RR#3 Tweed), ☏ +1 613-478-3335. 08:30AM - 09:30PM and 11:30PM-12:30AM daily. Greyhound package express, Sunny's fuel station and family eatery. A Toronto-Ottawa intercity bus arrives 10AM eastbound and 3:20PM westbound daily, stopping everywhere: Toronto, Scarborough, Oshawa, Peterborough, Norwood, Havelock, Marmora, Actinolite, Kaladar, Mountain Grove, Sharbot Lake, Maberly, Perth, Innisville, Carleton Place, Kanata, Ottawa-Bayshore and Ottawa-Centretown. Travel time is 2:35 (Ottawa), or about four hours (Toronto). $51 (to Toronto), $44.30 (to Ottawa).
There is train (VIA Rail) and bus (Coach Canada) service in Belleville on the Windsor-Quebec corridor; Napanee's original 1856 Grand Trunk station is also still in operation, with limited VIA service.
Ottawa is the closest major airport. Malton, a Toronto suburb, has scheduled flights to Kingston; unless you have a vehicle, it makes little sense to enter via Kingston-Belleville as Highway 37 has no bus.
From the main Montréal-Toronto freeway, Ontario Highway 401, exit northbound at Highway 37 Belleville or Shannonville Road (which ends at Hwy 37).
From Pembroke, take Highway 41 (toward Napanee) and exit at Kaladar.
Get around
A vehicle is a necessity, preferably a good, solid truck to pull a fishing boat trailer (in summer) and a snowmobile trailer (in winter). There is no local subway or LRT. There are taxis (9's Taxi +1 613-921-9999, A1 Taxi +1 613-919-0007 or Pete's Taxi +1 613-967-7575) in the village.
See
- 1 Marble Arts Centre, 13 Bridgewater Rd, Actinolite, ☏ +1 613-478-2747. Gallery, studio, exhibition space for artists and occasional wedding venue in 125-seat former Marble Church of Bridgewater (1864-2004), possibly the only white marble church built in Canada.
- 2 Tweed & Area Heritage Centre, 40 Victoria St. N, Tweed, ☏ +1 613-478-3989, fax: +1 613-478-6457. 9AM-5PM Mon-Sat, closed noon-1PM. Victorian-era Houston House (1897) and annex includes local arts and crafts galleries, an information bureau, museum, reference room and archives. $3.
Do
- 1 Bon Echo Provincial Park, 16151 Hwy. 41, Cloyne, ☏ +1 613-336-2228. Hiking trails, canoeing, boat tours on Mazinaw Lake, RV and car camping, backcountry, and roofed accommodations.
- 2 O'Hara Sugar Maples, 871 Harts Road, Madoc, ☏ +1 613-473-6780. Sugar house, maple butter and maple candy store, sugar bush.
- 3 Palmateer Farms Maple Sugar Bush, 1477 Crookston Rd, Tweed, ☏ +1 613-478-5407. Seasonal maple sugar cabin, annual pancake breakfast in April, horse wagon rides.
- 4 Poplars Golf Club, 189 East Hungerford Rd, Tweed, ☏ +1 613-478-2038, toll-free: +1-877-478-GOLF (4653). 18 holes, pro shop, club house with licensed restaurant.
- 5 Tweed Memorial Park, 45 Victoria St. S, Tweed, ☏ +1 613-478-2535. On west shoreline of Stoco Lake. Public boat launch, picnic shelter and pavilion, playground, ball diamond and beach.
- 6 Tyendinaga Cavern and Caves, 2623 Harmony Road, Tyendinaga (west of Shannonville Road), ☏ +1 613-478-5708. 10AM-5PM daily (July 1-Labour Day). Cave and cavern tour, average temperature 10°C (50°F), sensible shoes required, flashlight recommended. Picnic area and toilets, school tours. Open weekends from Victoria Day-Labour Day, daily in high season. $12 cash (incl. tax).
Events
- Land o Lakes Fishing Tournament, Stoco, Beaver, Kashwakamak, Bob’s and Skootamatta Lake. Mid-August bass fishing competition.
- Our Backyard Feast from Farm, Tweed Memorial Park. Annual local culinary event, late September.
- Tweed Agricultural Fair, 27 Louisa St, Tweed, ☏ +1 613-478-3903. Annual Tweed-Hungerford Agricultural Society exposition, amusement rides, demolition derby and live entertainment, first or second weekend in July.
- 7 Tweed Spring Show and Sale, Tweed Arena, 297 St. Joseph St.. Last weekend in April, Chamber of Commerce showcase of local businesses. A collection of local vendors all in one place.
- Tweed Stampede, Trudeau Park, ☏ +1 613-478-5511. First weekend in August.
- Tweed & Area Studio Tour. Last weekend in September.
- Tweed Tribute to Elvis Festival, ☏ +1 613-478-1691. Late August.
Buy
- 1 Earth Haven Farm, 1619 Vanderwater Road, Thomasburg, ☏ +1 613-478-3876. Off-the-grid organic farm between Tweed and Belleville, does not offer agrotourism but does sell eggs at the farm gate and organic fruits, vegetables or herbs for market in season. Opportunities to work on the farm may be offered, but living conditions are primitive due to the need to conserve water and energy.
- 2 The Old Cheese Factory, 596 Moira St, Tweed, ☏ +1 613-478-1114, toll-free: +1-888-545-0261. Frozen foods, local jams and relishes, country store in former 1860s cheesemaker's building on Moira River near Tweed.
- 3 Quinn's of Tweed, 345 Victoria St. N, Tweed, ☏ +1 613-478-0000. 10AM-5PM daily, May-Dec. Fine art gallery.
- 4 Signed by Barb, 151 Queen St, Marlbank and 17 Market Square, Napanee, ☏ +1 613-921-8835. Custom-printed mugs, T-shirts and sweatshirts.
- 5 Triggers and Reels, 340A Victoria St. N, Tweed, ☏ +1 613-480-5059, toll-free: +1-844-WALLEYE (9255393). 8AM-6PM daily, 8AM-1PM Sun, closed Mon. Hunting and fishing outfitter, tackle, live bait, firearms, men's and women's outdoors clothing, Rocky and Yukon gear.
- 6 Unconventional Moose, 108575 Hwy 7, Actinolite (west of Hwy 37), ☏ +1-613-478-2562. Former Mohawk trading post, kayak and boat rentals on west bank of Skootamatta River, accommodations, native crafts.
Eat
- 1 Gateway Restaurant, 327 Victoria St. N, Tweed, ☏ +1 613-478-2530. 6AM-8PM daily. Fully licensed, private banquet room seats thirty.
- 2 Sweet Temptations Bakery, 329 Victoria St. N, Tweed, ☏ +1 613-478-2212.
Drink
- 1 Fare and Fowl Pub and Eatery, 240 Victoria St. N, Tweed, ☏ +1 613-478-0001, toll-free: +1-866-560-0001. Draught beer, casual family dining, live music on Thursdays.
- 2 Tweedsmuir Tavern, 211 Victoria St N, Tweed, ☏ +1 613-478-2710.
Sleep
- 1 Beachwood Hollow Resort, 275 Victoria St. S, Tweed, ☏ +1 613-478-5353, toll-free: +1-800-565-4027. Cottage rentals on Stoco Lake, boat rentals, sandy swimming beach, play area, docks, beach and lounge chairs, lake water slide, rafts, wi-fi.
- 2 Bishop Lake Outdoor Centre, 13621 Hwy 41, Kaladar, ☏ +1 613-336-2311. Outdoor sports store, propane, recreation centre on 96 acres on Bishop Lake. Four room motel and 75 trailer sites with laundry, toilets, showers.
- 3 Black River Retreat, 107939A Hwy #7, Actinolite, ☏ +1 613-243-7711. Private couples resort.
- 4 Bridgewater Retreat, Retreat Road, Actinolite, ☏ +1 613-478-6116, toll-free: +1-888-478-6116. Historic log house and sixteen cabins on Skootamata River for $90-300, adults-only, non-smoking, former artists colony suitable for groups.
- 5 Holiday House Bed & Breakfast, 42 St. Edmunds Rd, RR#4 Tweed, ☏ +1 613-478-5025, toll-free: +1-866-272-7631. Three-room B&B, $20 deposit on reservation, no kids under five. $65-75.
- 6 Lakeside Holidays, 225 Victoria St. S, Tweed, ☏ +1 613-478-3626. Three-room guesthouse on Hwy 37 and Stoco Lake.
- 7 Park Place Motel, 43 Victoria St. S, Tweed, ☏ +1 613-478-3134. 32" flatscreen TV, fridge and microwave in-room, wi-fi.
- 8 Trudeau Park, 15 Trudeau Ln., ☏ +1 613-478-5511. Campground. Event and banquet centre, ten room + three suite inn overlooking Stoco Lake.
Connect
- 2 Tweed Public Library, 230 Metcalf St, Tweed, ☏ +1 613-478-1066. Open Tue-Sat, wi-fi and Internet computers.
Go next
Routes through Tweed |
ENDS ← | N S | → Belleville |
Markham ← Peterborough ← | W E | → Perth → Ottawa |