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Welcome to the Village of Matawatchan located in the Madawaska Highlands in southern Renfrew County bordering on the counties of Frontenac and Lennox & Addington. Matawatchan is part of a close knit community which includes the people of several small villages, such as Griffith, Denbigh, Slate Falls, Vennachar, Dacre, Black Donald, Camel Chute, Calabogie, Cloyne, Plevna and many more.
This is cottage country where the population quadruples in the summer. Fantastic views of the rugged forested hills and clear lakes and streams attract nature lovers, sportspeople and vacationers, inspiring artists and songwriters alike. The Madawaska River, known for it’s fantastic whitewater rapids, is central to our history and culture.
The Madawaska Highlands area is semi-remote, dotted with B&B’s, campgrounds, hunt camps, vacation cabins, general stores, specialty shops, farmers markets, community halls and a thriving arts community. We have it all right here! If you are homesick for the water, watch videos of your shoreline here... www.ecottagefilms.com
For a small village, a lot happens here.
We have several facebook groups you might like to join:
https://www.facebook.com/MatawatchanHall
https://www.facebook.com/TownshipofGreaterMadawaska
Village of Matawatchan and Town of Griffith Ontario
Griffith & Matawatchan Fish & Game Club
The Eagle’s Rest Cabin & Boat Rentals
Greater Madawaska Canoe Rentals & Shuttle Service
Julie Vincent Jewellery & Esthetics
Denbigh-Griffith-Matawachan Buy & Sell
Small Farm, Sustainability & Homestead Living in Ontario: Buy/Sell/Trade
Small Farm, Sustainability & Homestead Living in Ontario
Griffith-Matawatchan SnoDrifters
Addington Highlands/North Frontenac Buy Nothing Group
Cloyne and District Historical Society Flickr photos collection
Traditional Pancake Breakfast Saturday April 29, 10am - 1pm at the Matawatchan Hall, 1677 Frontenac Road. Adults $12, Children $5 Pancakes, sausages, scrambled eggs, fruit cocktail, and local maple syrup. Gluten free option available.
Annual Plant Sale & Market May 27, 1pm-3pm Matawatchan Hall, 1677 Frontenac Road. Bedding plants, veggie plants, honey, preserves, baked goods and so much more. Coffee, tea, and lunch - soup and a bun.
Aerobics and Cardio Dance Tuesdays and Thursdays and some Sundays at 10am at the Matawatchan Hall, 1677 Frontenac Road. $5 donation to the Hall suggested. New people welcome. Please contact Andrea if you would like to join or have questions. Exercises are tailored to your ability.
The Greater Madawaska Public Library and Learning Centre is working on expanding services to the Griffith and Matawatchan area and at the Hall. Take a look at their website. It is full of amazing things like free science kits for kids, providing books for book clubs, and a lot more that's available if you have a library card. You just have to be a township resident, which includes renters. We have a volunteer who picks up materials at the library in Calabogie and delivers them to either the General Store or the Pine Valley in Griffith every two weeks for you to pick up. The kids' science kits don't have to be returned. The rest does, but if you need more time with anything, just contact the library to extend the time. Choose your books online or give the a call.
The Matawatchan Hall would like to be the location for STORY TIME, BOOK CLUB meetings, and GUEST SPEAKERS. We need to gauge interest and pick dates and times to get things going. LET US KNOW if you are interested, or contact the library. When the library has guest speakers and BIAK Early ON Indigenous cultural presentations they will try to also have them come to the Hall.
The library will fully support us. Contact the GMPLLC to get a card and start ordering your books, movies, science kits, free passes to Ottawa's 7 museums for you and the family, and get on a mailing list for their newsletters to stay up to date.
Save your outer milk bags and bring them to the Greater Madawaska waste transfer station on Finn's Road. There is a bin just for them. The Vennachar Church people will weave them into sleeping mats to be used in emergencies around the world.
Feature Photo
Camel Chute on the Madawaska in spring
Winter Lights. Photo by Donnie McAlear
Photo Credit: Donnie Mcalear
Camel Chute on the Madawaska in spring
Camel Chute on the Madawaska in spring
Above: Historic video produced by Mark Thomson in 1986 on the 100th anniversary of the Matawatchan Picnic, featuring sand baked beans and a cooler of beef stew, salads, loads of desserts and music. See more on the Cloyne and District Historical Society (CDHS) YouTube channel and see historical photos on the CDHS Flickr site. To contribute to the collection contact Ken Hook at the CDHS.
Contact matawatchancentre@gmail.com to add your photos of events.
Click on posters for downloadable PDF
