A sight as boaters head towards the upper lock at Merrickville is The Depot and the electric tour boat, the Harriet By. The Depot is the retail outlet of Friends of the Rideau, a non-profit organization that works to enhance and conserve the heritage and charm of the Rideau. The electric tour boat, Harriet By, offered tours to the Rideau Bird Sanctuary and back through the original channel of the Rideau River - providing a means for those arriving by land to get a true experience of the Rideau. Unfortunately the tour was shut down in 2009 due to new Transport Canada regulations which made it too expensive for Friends of the Rideau to operate the boat.
The Depot was built in about 1868. Today it operates in the summer as a retail store and Rideau interpretive centre under the very capable direction of the manager, Dave Brett (the gentleman with the white hair and blue t-shirt in the photo). Dave is also owner/operator of the Harriet By. Dave and his wife Jeanne are directors of Friends of the Rideau and both of them have worked very hard since the mid-1990s to built The Depot into a thriving operation. Not only does the Depot serve the public by providing a wide range of Rideau information and very interesting goods, but, courtesy of Dave the Handyman, it has two washrooms, the only easily accessible public washrooms in Merrickville.
So, on your next visit to Merrickville, be sure to drop by the Depot.
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