Gatineau River Heritage Paddle: A Guide
Burnett (see Origin of Name and Claim to Fame below)Select location on map below for more information or return to Guide menu.
- South Rapids
- Old steam jenny
Site of the former Gilmour log storage
Originally used to store logs for the Gilmour Mills. The Gatineau Boom Company operated a steam jenny in the middle of the river. Apparently, the steam jenny created power for an engine used to winch the thick cables used to hold back the large log jams until the sawmills at Chelsea were in need of them. As a side benefit, it might have been used for other practical purposes, perhaps boiling water for tea, warming up at lunch time, drying wet boots and clothing during the cold season and may have even had a whistle for an S.O.S.
- Ramsay Point and McDiarmid heritage cottage
Ramsay Point and McDiarmid cottage
As one looks straight ahead, the white and red McDiarmid heritage cottage with turret is visible in the distance. On the south shore of Ramsay Bay, it overlooks the lost village of Cascades. This period cottage was built in 1875.
- Jenness cottage
Former cottage of Diamond Jenness (1886-1969) and "the Doll House"
One of Canada's greatest scientists and anthropologists, Diamond Jenness and his wife Eileen spent most of their married life in summer cottages in Chelsea. In 1930, they purchased some property at the northern tip of Ramsey Point and built a cottage, since replaced by later owners with a year-round residence. In 1937 a boathouse was added, located inside Ramsey Bay, which can be seen from the railroad. In 1950, they added a little cabin on a tiny slice of property north of Ramsey Point. It can be see hidden behind trees along the shore close to a rock cut on the rail line. Eileen Jenness used this as retreat where she could retire to read. She called it "the Doll House".
In 1957, they decided to live year-round in Chelsea, build ing a home on Jenness Road further north in Cascades.
- Beattie Point
Beattie Point
The south end of Ramsey Point (identified by the green boathouse) has become known as Beattie Point after its current residents. It was first called Dickie's Point after Dr. J.K.M. Dickie who lived there with his wife, Eva. The point used to be much bigger but the erosion of land with the annual spring breakup has reduced it to about half of what it was in the 1950s, until an adequate breakwater was built.
Before a road was built in 1965 to Beattie Point, writer Catherine Joyce (nee Beattie) recalls her family parking at the bottom of Burnett Road. They would row across in a little rowboat with groceries, four kids, two adults and the dog swimming along side. When her father arrived home from work, he would honk his car horn, with two long/ two short toots. Someone would row over and get him every evening.
- Rock Island
Rock Island
This island is visible across from Beattie's Point on the east side of the river. It has a few small trees and bushes. There is some controversy over this island; many call it Banana Island.
- Banana Island
Former site of Banana Island
This little island was often visited by locals, especially teenagers. There were many trees and plants on it, with lots of sand on the shore side and small pebbles on the river side. It was close to the east shoreline and was protected from the river current by a log boom. However, when the logging stopped and the boom removed, gradually everything got washed away, in spite of the efforts of resident Alan Hopkins who planted a tree and put a fence up to prevent its erosion. When the water level is down you can still see it. He and his wife Melanie knew it as "the sand bar".
Burnett resident Norman Dahl recalls meeting an elegant woman in 1953, who lived in a house at the top of Burnett Road. Her name was Mrs. Way, and she claimed her cottage had been moved there from an island in the centre of the river, before the flooding. Thereafter, Norman and his partner George called the island "Way Island".
- Connor House
- Burnett Farmhouse
- Diving Rock
Diving Rock
A rock along the shore 30 to 40 feet south of the boathouse (the Lochheads') was often used as a spot for diving.
- Paddlewheeler
Diving Rock
As one paddles south arriving at Burnett, one can see the Chrisalis II in the distance. This paddlewheeler is fully equipped and has been used as a summer cottage by its owners. It was built by Alan Hopkins from a ramshackle hull of a 25 year old logging barge which was home to les draveurs, the raftsmen. It was named after his two children, Chris and Lisa.
- Maxwell farmhouse
Former Maxwell farmhouse and Dutchman's Harbour
The bluish grey home along the bank of the river was built by the Maxwell family when their old farmhouse was expropriated for the flooding of the river. Their daughter, Edna, eventually married Harvey Ditchfield who had helped build the house. It passed into the Ditchfield family, from Harvey to David. Tom and Rose Ann Reid bought it from David in 1980. According to Rose Ann, the bay is called Dutchman's Harbour after the family who used to live there.
- Dutchman's Harbour
Burnett
Origin of Name
Named after one of its first farming residents, Burnett is also a major road in the area leading down to the river.
Claim to Fame
Canada's 14th prime minister and Nobel Peace Prize winner, Lester Bowles Pearson (1897-1972), owned a cottage in Burnett for many years (it's still in family hands), as did Ken Lochhead, the distinguished artist and educator (1926-2006).
Burnett is home to "Chrisalis II", a magnificent paddlewheeler, built by late resident Alan Hopkins.
Burnett's official name on maps is "Burnet," with only one "t". Local legend has it that this arose when the name of the stop was painted on the roof of the Burnett station, a standard practice; the painter miscalculated and ran out of room for the second "t". This was never corrected.