You Can Visit Rainbow Boathouses Near Ottawa & It's Like A Mini Trip To The East Coast

It's free to visit.

Bright colourful boat houses lining a waterfront wharf in Ontario.

Bright colourful boat houses lining a waterfront wharf in Ontario.

Staff Writer

There is a row of colourful boathouses near Ottawa that will make you think you're in Newfoundland.

You should plan a visit to the South Lancaster Wharf if you're looking for a pop of colour to brighten things up. It's a scenic place for a picnic or to add some colour to your social media feed and it's free to visit.

This spacious dock is one of the few spots to access the water in town. You'll be surrounded by a beautiful river view and you may spot locals swimming, fishing or gathering for community events.

According to SeawayNews, the splash of colour was added to the boathouses by volunteers in 2016 as a way to beautify the neighbourhood. There were other upgrades to the wharf at that time including the addition of a floating dock with kayak launch and picnic tables.

This scenic wharf is only five minutes from the Cooper Marsh Conservation Area where you can hike a boardwalk trail and about 20 minutes away from the city of Cornwall which has a bunch of restaurants, trails and activities.

It's a great spot to catch the sunrise if you're a morning person. You should bring bug spray as, depending on the season, there may be a number of flies and mosquitos near the water.

South Lancaster Wharf 

Price: Free

Address: South Lancaster, ON

Why You Need To Go: You can feel like you're exploring the east coast with a trip to a wharf lined with rainbow boathouses.

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Before you get going, check out our Responsible Travel Guide so you can be informed, be safe, be smart, and most of all, be respectful on your adventure.

  • Ottawa Staff Writer Megan Johnson was an Ottawa Staff Writer for Narcity Canada. Prior to joining the Narcity team she founded Ottawa River Lifestyle, a blog to promote the Capital Region and small towns along the Ottawa River. In addition to writing about Canadian businesses, local events and outdoor adventures, Megan has created content for Canadian brands and tourism boards. She has her B.Sc. in Honours Biochemistry and has always enjoyed various forms of writing and travel.

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