COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT: Groomed snowshoe trails and free rentals at the Champlain Museum

There’s a groomed snowshoe trail for people to use at the Champlain Trail Museum and Pioneer Village in Pembroke. Museum Director and Curator Angela Siebarth says there’s no cost to use the trail and adds it’s open 7-days a week.

She says the museum also has snowshoes available for rent at no cost.

Siebarth adds you can access the 1-kilometer snowshoe trail system in front of the museum or behind the main museum building.

The trail goes around the outside of the museum grounds and crosses through some of the buildings.

To rent the snowshoes during the week you can call 613-735-0517 or on the weekends you can call 613-638-3336.

Siebarth says they have chairs you can sit on to put on your snowshoes and a donation box to help keep the trail maintained.

The museum says snowshoeing grooming equipment and snowshoes were purchased thanks to a grant from the Resilient Communities Fund from the Ontario Trillium Foundation.

Siebarth encourages local residents to follow the Champlain Trail and Museum on social media for updates and fun posts like “Archives Monday” or “What is it Wednesday”.

The Champlain Trail Museum and Pioneer Village is the largest Museum in Renfrew County with more than 10,000 artifacts. The Museum is owned and operated by the Ottawa Valley Historical Society and located at the corner or Pembroke Street East and Angus Campbell Drive, by the Pembroke Mall.

Siebarth adds while the museum is currently not open for normal operating hours, you can make an appointment to tour the facility.