Find peace of mind in picturesque Paris
It is pretty and quaint and parts of town have an old-world charm. But Paris, Ont., is not named for Paris, France. The origins of this small town, about an hour’s drive west of Toronto, are much more prosaic. Nearby deposits of gypsum, a mineral used to make Plaster of Paris, are the reason for its name.
The gypsum mines are gone, but Paris’ past is still visible in its historic downtown, slate-roofed churches and collection of cobblestone buildings crafted in the 1800s from smooth round rocks pulled from the two rivers that flow through town.
It’s these two rivers — the Grand River and the Nith River — that people love most about Paris.
“Every view has an allure,” says long-time Paris resident and wellknown Toronto interior designer David Powell. “Most small towns in southern Ontario are flat, but Paris is in a bowl, captured by its hills and rivers.”
As summer wanes, hop in your car for one more city escape and enjoy a lazy day in Paris. Paddle down the Grand River and stroll along the smaller, swifter Nith. Sit on a patio and wander the downtown. Relax, slow down and enjoy the views.
Apeaceful paddle The water is blue, the tree-lined banks are lush and, best of all, the slow current of the Grand River will easily carry you downstream.
“It’s like nature on cruise control,” says Tim Nemec, a Brampton native who, along with his girlfriend, Brooke Percy of Burlington, spent a peaceful three hours on a recent Saturday gliding down the river in a red canoe.
The pair rented their gear from Paris-based Grand Experiences Outdoor Adventure Company and paddled from the hamlet of Glen Morris, about 10 kilometres north, to a portage at Paris’ picturesque Penman’s Dam.
“It’s beautiful and so, so peaceful,” Percy says, minutes after stepping on the river bank. “It’s like going back in time.”
That stretch of the Grand River is an ideal trip for all paddlers, no matter their experience level, says Jamie Kent, owner of Grand Experiences, which has been outfitting paddlers, bikers and hikers for 20 years.
“It’s a gem for nature lovers,” he says, listing the sights that include a 300-year-old sycamore tree, osprey and bald eagles diving for fish, and an island with a small beach perfect for a shoreline rest.
Kent says paddlers are in awe as they pass by the Three Sisters, a trio of massive stone pillars that once supported the Great West Railway Bridge that was built around 1850 to span the Grand River.
“People also love seeing Paris from the river as they near the end of the trip,” he says. “You see the old buildings along Grand River St., almost like they are sitting half in the water.”
After your morning paddle, head to the nearby Paris Wincey Mills Co. for a much-needed meal. Bring a bag so you can buy snacks to take home, too.
The Wincey Mills Once, it was a bustling complex of textile mills powered by water rushing through a mill race and emptying into the Nith River.
Now, all that remains of the Paris Wincey Mills Co., which operated from about 1889 until 1959, is a single building recently transformed into a commercial and community space reminiscent of Toronto’s St. Lawrence Market.
In 2014, the shuttered building — it had been a multi-storey Canadian Tire complete with auto service bays — caught the eye of Walter Koppe- laar, who with his brother, bought it before taking a look inside.
“We liked the town, we liked the building,” says Koppelaar, CEO and chairman of Walters Inc., a Hamilton-based structural steel manufacturer. “The factories used to be the centre of the community in Paris; we wanted to bring a little bit of that back.”
As you wander the new Paris Wincey Mills Co., which opened in 2016, it’s easy to spy hints of its industrial past in the exposed brick walls, original main-floor windows and towering timber framing.
The year-round market, open three days a week (but not Sundays), offers opportunities for make-your-own picnics with a meat counter, cheese shop, bakery and a stall selling local fruits and vegetables. Other vendors sell upscale grilled cheese sandwiches, crepes and empanadas. Blue Dog Coffee Roasters, open six days a week, brews good coffee and serves soups, salads and sandwiches.
Emery Silva, owner of Bird & Bee Vintage Co., brings a bit of Paris’ history to her tiny market shop that showcases antiques and vintage-inspired trinkets, along with her handmade bow ties and glittery flapperstyle hair accessories.
On a recent Saturday, Silva is in her shop, painting greeting cards of Paris’ landmarks, finishing each with strokes of gold leaf.
“There’s a romance here,” she says of the town she loves. “It feels a little old world and at the same time, it feels alive.”
Downtown delights After you’ve filled up on food, it’s time to take to the streets.
Head to Grand River St. N. and keep an eye out for the Alexander Graham Bell plaque. It commemorates the place where he received the world’s first successful long-distance telephone call on Aug. 10, 1946.
Admire, too, John M. Hall’s House of Quality Linens, which has been in business for more than 120 years. Then head to Green Heron Books — all lazy days require a good read — stopping to browse along the way.
Browsing for books Green Heron Books seems more like a friend’s cosy library than a store.
“Everything is hand-picked,” says owner Roy Skuce, gesturing around his store that’s been in Paris’ downtown for 15 years. “It really is my labour of love.”
The books — a mix of new and almost-new — are arranged on wooden shelves, clustered by genre and author. There are cookbooks and art books, non-fiction narratives and children’s stories, along with poetry, history and sections featuring local authors and Indigenous authors.
Skuce, who seems to have read each book, whether brand-new bestseller or well-loved classic, often uses coloured sticky notes to point out books he likes best. A yellow one, stuck near a row of books by Alice Munro, states: “Our Canadian Nobel Prize Literature Laureate.” It’s decorated with a tiny hand-drawn maple leaf.
Where does Skuce suggest you go to read your newly bought book? Somewhere near a river, of course. “No matter where you end up, the views are wonderful.”
The other river In Paris, the Grand River often gets most of the fuss with its sweeping views, cascading dam and towering rail bridge that evoke the town’s industrial past.
But many locals will tell you that their favourite river is the Nith, a meandering, smaller thing that empties into the Grand River, near the south end of downtown.
A five-minute walk from Grand River St. N., will take you to an arcing footbridge over the Nith River that leads to Lion’s Park. Here, you can follow a footpath along the Nith to find a place to sit back and read. It’s not well-advertised, so ask a local to point you in the right direction.
Patio time A relaxing day should end with a relaxing drink, whether a tall iced tea or a long cold pint.
So before you head home, make your way back to Grand River St. N., to find a patio that overlooks the Grand River. There are a few options, but Stillwaters Plate & Pour has two outdoor levels, with the top showcasing one of the best views in downtown.
As you sip, watch for a Via Train to trundle across the CN rail bridge. At dusk, Penman’s Dam is lit in white and coloured lights, creating one last lovely view to see in Paris.