Newboro is a charming village and a popular destination for shopping and dining. Visit the Rideau Lakes Public Library located in the historic school/courthouse built in 1850 for information, a public washroom and free Wi-Fi. Down the street, St. Mary’s Anglican Church boasts a Tiffany Style glass window, celebrating its 175th anniversary in 2025. Another historic site, the Royal Sappers and Miners Cemetery, is just outside of the village.
Pick up your Picnic
- Jac’s Chip Wagon (seasonal)
- Stop for lunch at the Rideau Lakes Golf & Country Club
- Stagecoach Bistro and Fine Foods
- Stirling Lodge (seasonal)
- Make advance reservations to dine in at Poplar’s Resort (seasonal)
Shop
- Kilborn’s on the Rideau
- Newboro Soap Company
- Old World Country Antiques & Doucet Farm
- Little Rideau Farm (nearby)
- Norris Live Bait & Tackle and Hunting Centre (nearby)
Outdoor Activity
- Self-guided Cycling Routes of Newboro
- Self-guided Heritage Walking Tour of Newboro
- Pattison’s Paddles (seasonal SUP and paddle boat rentals)
- Norris Outdoors Boat Rentals
- Reserve a Forest Bathing experience at Stone Manor Studios
- Stealing the Bloom Farm Tours and Barnyard Zoo
- Storywalk Trail, playgroind and Pickleball at Newboro Memorial Park
Points of Interest
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Effie Tett Place - On Drummond Street in Newboro, you will find a heritage plaque and two pictorial storyboards; “Historic Newboro” and “Newboro: A Centre for Sportfishing” that tell the history of the village. A small white pavilion is dedicated to Effie Tett for her contribution to the community.
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Ontario Heritage Trust Plaque: The Founding of Newboro – At Effie Tett Place commemorating the origin of this village as a crossroads and commerce. War Memorials stand at this site.
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Royal Sappers & Miners Cemetery - Located on County Road 42 west of the famous Rideau Canal at Newboro.
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Ontario Heritage Trust Plaque: The Royal Sappers and Miners - A provincial plaque at The Cemetery of the Royal Sappers and Miners is found appropriately on the west side of the famous Rideau Canal at Newboro. It commemorates the two companies of the British Army’s construction corps, the Royal Sappers and Miners, who were raised to work on the Rideau Canal. They built locks and military structures particularly in Bytown (Ottawa) and here at the Isthmus. This Newboro cut demanded that they hew and blast through an outcrop of Canadian Shield granite, a formidable obstacle to linking the Rideau and the Cataraqui Systems.
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St. Mary’s Anglican Church is the oldest operating church in Rideau Lakes and features a remarkable stained-glass window.
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Stone Manor Studios - Create, connect, and reset with art classes and art retreats in an unforgettable setting. Stone Manor Studios is located on the grounds of an 1860s stone manor house in the heart of Rideau Lakes. The renovated carriage house has been repurposed as an exclusive art studio for creatives. People gather to learn from experts in their fields, engage in meaningful conversations about art, and are provided with an experience that will inspire, refresh, and enrich the creative heart and mind.
Picnic Areas
- Newboro Lock
- Newboro Memorial Park (picnic tables, washrooms, trails, playground, pavilion)
Stay
- Gibson Island Vacation Home
- Grass Point Lodge B & B
- Lakeland Cottages
- Mon O’Kel Cottages
- Newboro House B & B
- Newboro Canalman's Cottage
- Poplar’s Resort
- Stirling Lodge
- Turtle Hill Cottages
- Upper Narrows Retreat
Events
- Daffodil Days (mid-April to mid-May)
- Mary’s 175th Anniversary and Garden Party (June 8, 2025)
- Canada Day Parade (July 1)
- Rideau Lakes Studio Tour (June 28-29, 2025)
- Doors Open Rideau Lakes (August 16 & 17, 2025)
Did you Know?
- The building adjacent (to Kilborn’s) known as The Stagecoach Inn Restaurant, is the original 1832 residence of Col. John Kilborn. Historically, the village endured devastating fires, through which many of Newboro’s original buildings survived.
Watch the Documentary
The fascinating story of The Rideau Canal and the Big Breakthrough
Learn more at rideaulakes.ca/Newboro
