SWITZERLAND JOHN SWITZER
‘Where the HELL is North Augusta?’ Well, we have found it, and it’s a treasure
It’s Sunday morning. Some of us stay in bed
or read a newspaper, might even go to church, while some of us hit the back roads. I, for one, am of the latter species: the type
of person who takes off without knowing where I will go, when I will get back or who I will meet. I enjoy every minute as I discover the back roads of our great province. Today I met my buddy Brian at Tim’s in
Stittsville (just because it was there); turned left (instead of right); and wandered south down County Road 5 to North Gower. Spring had sprung, and, keeping in mind our biker colleagues, we endeavored to stick to the asphalt, giving the dirt roads a chance to recover from a wet spring. In the “Gower” , since it was too early for
breakfast at the Marlborough Pub -- the old Bide A Wee -- we wandered south down old hwy16. We crossed the river towards Kemptville past not one, but two, golf courses and marvelled at all the new construction at the Kemptville 416 intersection. While rooting around there, we discovered
a new Tim’s for a reload. Trucking along into Kemptville, and it being Sunday, we knew the bakery would be closed; so we toured west down to Oxford Mills via County Road 18, past some majestic churches, stone farm houses and magnificent-but-falling-down barns. In Oxford Mills we were pleased to see that
the Brigadoon Restaurant was still open and made a note of it for a future visit. Did you know that if you stop on the
bridge in Oxford Mills to enjoy the falls, the view in front of you is all nineteenth century architecture? I mean, where can you find stuff
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like that sitting on your couch at home? Our next (unintended) destination was
downtown Bishop’s Mills, again a classic Valley village that was turning this tour into one to be remembered. We stayed on County Road 18 and turned right onto Branch Road to discover the village of North Augusta. What a treat that turned out to be! Back in the day, North Augusta had a large
imposing stone hotel, a lumber mill (now in Upper Canada Village) and (it is rumored) a house of ill repute across from the old hotel site that are now private residences. North Augusta today is famous for its baseball, semi- annual mud-run and of course, Frank’s Pizza, argumentatively the best pizza joint on the back roads. As it was still too early for breakfast, we
stopped and met Jim in Finucan’s General store. Taking a step into Finucan’s is like a step
back into the nineteenth century, but with today’s stuff. If you need it, Finucan’s has got it. Where else can you shop for rubber boots, tractor parts, and stove pipe, or choose animal feed from the back, while shopping for tonight’s dinner from the cooler over by the wall of fan belts? As you shoulder your way down the crowded aisles you realize that the real treasures to be found are the people. Yes, Irene and her sister are wonderful, and
both can light you up with their smiles. But ya gotta talk to Jim. Jim Finucan has been a storekeeper and
volunteer fireman for 40 years and has some great stories to tell. Did I mention that outside, as well as a drive shed and barn, Jim also has gas for us back roaders?
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