WHATS IS CAPITALGEMS.CA ?
Learn, explore and discover the beauty that lies within and surrounding Canada's Capital Region. We explore many of the region’s natural and historical gems, from caves and mines to abandoned ruins and unique landscapes. This site is all encompassing and offers a wide variety of fascinating opportunities to suit any outdoor or heritage enthusiast. We have created this site to showcase these modest marvels and educate people on our unique local history.
NON PROFIT - NO ADS - LOCAL HISTORY
NON PROFIT - NO ADS - LOCAL HISTORY
HERE'S WHAT'S NEW
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The conestoga shipwreckThese hydro ruins are located in the township of Sainte-Agathe-Des-Monts. In 1911, the Préfontaine family sold the aqueduct and electrical network to the City of Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts. The city took over operations, making it a municipal utility. This period saw steady growth in the region's tourism and population, with Sainte-Agathe becoming known as a health and recreation destination (e.g., for its fresh air and lakes like Lac des Sables and Lac Brûlé), which increased demand for reliable electricity....
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Skead's MILL Ruins - Ottawa RiverSkead's Mill was a significant steam-powered lumber mill located on the banks of the Ottawa River near what is now Westboro Beach in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Established in the early 1870s by Canadian Senator and lumber baron James Skead, it played a key role in the local lumber industry and spurred the development of the surrounding community, originally known as Skead's Mills. The mill processed pine logs...
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MEteal Tank Weir Street StreamGiven its proximity to an abandoned family farm upstream, the object is most plausibly a discarded or abandoned farm utility tank—either a former fuel storage vessel (for diesel, kerosene, or gasoline used in tractors and machinery) or a water reservoir tank for livestock, irrigation, or household purposes...
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MRC Ancestral sawmillThe MRC ancestral sawmill is a hydraulic sawmill (scierie hydraulique), powered by water, and is notable for its high level of preservation. Reports from regional heritage inventories describe it as having retained all of its original mechanisms intact, making it unique within the Papineau Regional County Municipality (MRC) and one of the best-preserved examples of a hydraulic mill in the broader Outaouais region.
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WEEHAWK ShipwreckAfter decades of service on the Hudson, the Weehawk and one of its sister ships, the John J. Walsh, were sold and relocated to Canada in 1961. They were purchased by Percy Larose, a scrapyard operator based at Lock 27 in the old Galop Canal system along the St. Lawrence River near Cardinal, Ontario...
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