Carleton Place Bridge Webcam – See Central Bridge Light Up

The Carleton Place Bridge Webcam looks across the Mississippi River to the Central Bridge on Bridge Street, in a small Ontario town about 55 kilometers (34 miles) west of Ottawa. The Waterfront Gastropub runs the camera from its riverside patio, so the right side of the frame belongs to the pub’s terrace, with green umbrellas, tables and a string of lights against an old stone wall. The bridge spans the center of the picture, its railing lined with lamp posts, and the river in front of it mirrors whatever is lit above. By day the view is water, trees and the stone and brick buildings on the far bank. After dusk the whole bridge lights up in color, along with the water beneath it.

About the Carleton Place Bridge

Carleton Place grew up around a waterfall. Edmond Morphy chose the site in 1819, and the settlement was known as Morphy’s Falls before it became a village in 1870 and a town in 1890. The 2021 census counted 12,517 residents. The river here is Ontario’s Mississippi, not the American one. It runs 200 kilometers (120 miles) from Mackavoy Lake to the Ottawa River near Fitzroy Harbour and drops 200 meters (660 feet) along the way. At Carleton Place it breaks into rapids between limestone cliffs, and below the town it leaves the Canadian Shield for limestone and clay plains.

The Central Bridge carries Bridge Street, the main downtown street, over the river. Local histories record a Central Bridge opening here in 1928. The current crossing reopened to traffic in December 2022, designed to suit the heritage feel of the downtown, and its lights are programmable. The town uses them for holidays and special events, such as orange and purple for Halloween on October 31. Residents and groups can also apply for a color scheme of their own, for anything from a single night to a full week.

The camera sits on the east bank at 12 Bell Street, less than 100 meters (330 feet) from the bridge. On the left of the frame a pale turreted building stands at the water’s edge, and brick buildings and street lamps line the far bank behind the span. The operator suggests watching around sunset, when the colors bleed into each other as the sky darkens.

Weather and Climate in Carleton Place

Winters are long and cold. Open-Meteo’s weather archive for 2015 to 2024 puts the average January high at about -4 C (25 F) and the overnight low near -13 C (9 F), and February is barely warmer. Snow can settle on the bridge railings and along both banks, and the short days of December bring the lights on by late afternoon. April averages about 11 C (52 F) by day and close to freezing at night, and by May highs reach about 19 C (66 F).

Summers are warm, with July highs averaging about 27 C (81 F) and nights near 17 C (63 F). October cools to about 14 C (57 F) by day and 6 C (43 F) at night as fall color spreads through the trees along the river, and by November the average low sits just below freezing.

Things to Do Near Carleton Place

Start at the bridge and walk Bridge Street, the town’s historic and recently renovated downtown street. Moore House, on Bridge Street, is the Carleton Place Visitor Information Centre. After dark, the Downtown BIA’s Streetscape Showcase projects colorful artwork onto the sidewalks at six spots along the street. On the west bank stands the statue of Captain A. Roy Brown, the Carleton Place pilot credited with shooting down the Red Baron in World War I.

Riverside Park has a beach, a splash pad, a picnic area and play structures. The Ottawa Valley Recreational Trail crosses the Mississippi on its own bridge a few hundred meters from the camera. Upstream, the river widens into Mississippi Lake, 16 kilometers (10 miles) long and about 10 meters (33 feet) deep at its deepest, stretching from the falls at Innisville to a dam in Carleton Place. Steamboats ran between Carleton Place and Innisville from the 1860s to the 1920s, and the lake now takes in the Mississippi Lake National Wildlife Area.

Similar Webcams You Might Like

More cameras from the Ottawa Valley, eastern Ontario and another famous town bridge:

• Ottawa Webcam
• Brockville Webcam
• Lucerne Chapel Bridge Webcam

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is the Carleton Place Bridge?

The Central Bridge carries Bridge Street over the Mississippi River in downtown Carleton Place, Lanark County, in eastern Ontario, Canada. Ottawa is about 55 kilometers (34 miles) to the east. The camera looks at it from the east bank, on the patio of The Waterfront Gastropub at 12 Bell Street.

What can you see on the Carleton Place Bridge Webcam?

The Central Bridge across the middle of the frame, the river in front of it, buildings on the far bank and the pub’s riverside patio on the right. At night the bridge and the water below it glow in whatever colors the town has set. The stream plays on the operator’s IPCamLive page, which opens from the player above.

When does the Central Bridge in Carleton Place light up?

The bridge lights up after dusk. The Town of Carleton Place lists dated themes for holidays and events on its Central Bridge Lighting Display page, for example orange and purple on October 31 for Halloween. The operator says the best time to watch is around sunset, when the colors blend as it gets dark.

How do I request a color display on the Central Bridge?

Apply through the town’s Central Bridge lighting request form, which goes to the Department of Recreation and Culture. Requests must arrive four weeks before the date and meet the Bridge Lighting Display Policy, and they are booked first come, first served. A display can last from one day up to a week.

Where is the best place to see the Carleton Place bridge lights in person?

The camera’s operator recommends the east side, at The Waterfront Gastropub, The Copper Still on Mill Street or Town Hall Square, and on the west side the Roy Brown statue and the Moore House dock.

What is the weather like in Carleton Place?

Cold, snowy winters and warm summers. January highs average about -4 C (25 F) with lows near -13 C (9 F), while July highs reach about 27 C (81 F) with nights near 17 C (63 F).

Which Mississippi River flows through Carleton Place?

Ontario’s Mississippi River, a tributary of the Ottawa River with no link to the Mississippi in the United States. It joins the Ottawa River near Fitzroy Harbour, passing Lanark, Carleton Place, Almonte and Pakenham on the way.

Who do I contact if the Carleton Place Bridge Webcam is not working?

The Waterfront Gastropub runs the camera and asks people to report a missing live feed by email, using the address on its Bridge Cam page.

Source: The Waterfront Gastropub