Convergence

Paris, Ontario is a place of convergence on the Grand River - it is the intersection for active railways and a railway bed that provides a great hiking destination. Two rivers also converge here - the Grand and the Nith. The Nith River flows through town under highways and pedestrian bridges and provides another important source of water to the Grand.

There is a notable shift in Architecture as Paris is approached. Throughout the central area of the Grand, from Fergus to Cambridge, the quarried stone is the dominant building material but in Paris the buildings are predominately cobblestone and yellow brick.

A tour south, from Cambridge to Paris along the hiking trail on the east side of the river, reveals the remains of a mill just north of Glen Morris. Difficult to find by car in summer, the Mill is visible through the leafless trees of winter.

Cambridge to Paris

Rail Hiking Trail
(click on photographs to enlarge)





Mill near Glen Morris

Heading toward Paris

Paris

Paris is a picturesque community with many recreational features including canoeing and kayaking and an Artists' Co-operative with a unique shop in the centre of town. Paris is a rich natural habitat. As one resident said "the centre of town is the home of many creatures including the beaver that surfs down the Nith every morning and the white-tailed deer that can often be viewed walking up the escarpment at twilight".

Arts & Treasures
Artists' Coop

Nith River at Paris

Just beyond Paris heading south there are a number of roads leading to the Grand . The natural reaction to a "No Exit" sign is to drive by, but don't! Often these deadend roads are worth exploration like the one that led to the next photographs.

Elk Farm