The Manotick Directory
What's New
2023: Facebook page for Manotick Directory ends
May 29, 2023: I've decided to post future Manotick Directory events and news only to our Twitter account @ManotickDir (@ManotickDir), where we have a much larger number of followers. Why? In the past our tweets to @ManotickDir were mirrored to Facebook by a free third-party service. Without notice, Twitter increased fees for this service - and the service we used suddenly requires a paid-account. Instead of spending more money or time on this volunteer work, the weekly list of Events plus news of local interest. Don't forget to "follow" and these posts will appear in your Facebook.
2019: The Manotick Directory Continues
As it was in 1996, the directory continues to provide information about Manotick - only the business directory has been removed. (Rumours of our demise have been greatly exaggerated!) The site is now non-commercial and unfunded, but still maintained by your faithful volunteer, now retired. Thank you to the businesses who supported us as we promoted them for 18 years.
2018: Business Services (only) will be retired
After 18 years of promoting local business, the business listings, advertising and business pages will disappear from the site on or after December 31, 2018. Fees stopped on January 1, 2018 so all business promotion was given free service for at least part of 2018.
2015: Fiften Years Promoting Local Business
It's quite a milestone!
2013: Advertising fees reduced
Advertising is not "sold" by a salesperson so ad fees were reduced to make it more attractive. A small ad image on a popular page is now only $10 per month and clicks through to a business listing or a web page. Banner ads remain at their already very low annual fee. These are shown at random on over 100 pages of the Directory.
2013: "Osgoode-Rideau Recreation" page moves to City of Ottawa
For 5 years, we hosted "Osgoode-Rideau Recreation" for the City of Ottawa's recreation programs. This information is now by the City of Ottawa:
Rural West (Manotick, Kars, North Gower, Richmond, West Carleton)
Rural South (Osgoode, Riverside South, Metcalfe)
2013: Forum and Calendar removed
The "Manotick Forum" and "Manotick Calendar" were removed for lack of interest. The "Manotick Notice Board" has been reactivated for notices and questions.
2012: Manotick Forum & Calendar
We've created a "Manotick Forum" and "Manotick Calendar" as an experiment to see if people would use them to promote local events or discuss anything of local interest.
2012: Shaelyn DeLuca joins the Manotick Directory
Shaelyn DeLuca has joined us to sell business services for the Manotick Directory. Shae attends St. Marks High School. Please welcome her if she stops by.
2012: Fun for kids
We created a collection of fun for kids with puzzles, colouring pages and a scavenger hunt for Manotick - www.manotick.net/fun.
2011: Christmas Discount
Once again, we offered a new-business discount. Welcome to the businesses who got a great promo bargain at a busy time of year.
2010: QR code for your Smart Phone
Smart phones have a QR-code app that enable you to use the phone's camera to view the QR code on the right. This has contact information for the Manotick Directory. Your phone will give you several options to store the contact, phone or email.
2010: Business Special
We offered a discount off new business listings just before Christmas. It was posted to twitter.com/ManotickDir.
2010: Steady Increase in Visitors
The Manotick Directory gets thousands of unique visitors each month, increasing steadily since tracking begain. Search ranking for all website pages is also high. New business listings appear near the top of Google searches within days - it took weeks ten years ago. Businesses that put a link on their own websites to https://www.manotick.net improve their ranking (at no cost). Getting found online is what it's all about!
2010: We're on Facebook
'ManotickDirectory' on Facebook To see our news in your Facebook news feed, just click the "Like" link on our page. Easy.
2010: Marilyn Doucet joins the Manotick Directory
Marilyn Doucet will be selling business listings for the Directory in her spare time. In addition to moving her business Manotick Counselling Services to Manotick, she finds time to do many other things.
2009: Follow us on Twitter @ManotickDir
Click on the icon to see our Twitter page. We have windows on our EVENTS page for latest tweets from @ManotickDir and also tweets "about Manotick".
2009: Events must now be submitted online
If you want your local events to get listed, you must submit it using our online form. Manotick area business events may also be listed.
2008: New Web Board
The "Manotick Message Board" (2002-2008) was replace by the "Manotick Notice Board" to clear out spam.
2008: Calendar on Events page
A new interactive calendar was added to the EVENTS page. It highlights today's date and can display any month of any year from 1980 to 2030.
2008: Free Web Pages
Over the years, we have created free web pages for many organizations. Most of them now have websites so we simply link to them.
2007: Web page created for community organization
- Russell Art Group
2007: The website is hosted at "1and1"
When the Manotick Directory "disappeared" several times, we moved to a better, more reliable, and lower cost ISP 1&1.
2006: "613-" added to telephone numbers
Updated all business pages for the changeover to 10-digit phone dialling - phone numbers prefixed with "613".
2005: Manotick Legion Fundraising thermometer
The building plan and the current fund raising 'thermometer' was added to the Manotick Legion webpage, which we provided and hosted for the Legion from 2001 to 2007 to save them the annual costs for domain hosting, website hosting, web design and maintenance.
2005: We've Reorganized
We consolidated the website at www.manotick.net. Special transfer pages were created to make sure bookmarks to our pages still work. We decided to use online applications for business services, and will no longer visit businesses. On occasion, we may offer a new business an introductory discount.
2005: Web page created for community organization
- Manotick Lions Club (Organization)
Chris Tindale joins The Manotick Directory
We welcome, Chris Tindale who will be working on our directory.
2004: Web pages created for community organizations
- 1st Manotick Scout Group (Organizations)
- Manotick Community Association (Community Associations)
2004: Banner Advertising
Our banner ads link to your business page (instead of the business directory). (Requested by a business - terrific improvement.) Thousands of people are visiting our site every week, increasing every year.
2003: Free Web pages created for community organizations
- Kinsmen Club of Manotick & District
- Manotick Feline Rescue (Organizations)
- Manotick Action Group (no current listing)
- North Gower Co-Operative Nursery School (Schools)
2002: Free Web pages created for community organizations
- Manotick Outreach (Organizations)
- North Gower & District Outreach Food Bank (Organizations)
- Manotick Community Association (Organizations)
- Manotick Curling Center (Recreation)
- Manotick Tennis Club (Recreation)
- Christian Salvage Mission
- Long Island Aquatic Club (Recreation)
2002: Second Message Board
The "Manotick Notice Board" was replace by the "Manotick Message Board" in August to clear out spam.
2002 June: Display advertisements
Free banners ads were provided to all businesses that renewed their business listings.
2002 February: Rotating Display ads
Rotating banner ads were created for businesses. These appear on most pages in the website.
2001: Free Web pages created for these community organizations:
- Kiwanis Club of Manotick (Organizations)
- Manotick Legion (Organizations)
- Biodiversity Museum (Organizations)
- Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind (Organizations)
- Rideau Community Police Centre (Government)
- Rural Health Program (Government)
- Nepean Community Resource Centre (Organizations)
- Canucks on Wheels
- Manotick Community Association (Organizations)
2001 June: Web searches list our businesses first!
Searches on Google.com show that our marketing efforts are working. Our business listing pages are coming up at the top of Google searches for any phrase combining the word "Manotick" with a product or service. A great way to get new customers!
2001 May: Rideau Chamber of Commerce
A special offer of a free business listing in the Manotick Directory was made to members of the Rideau Chamber of Commerce to help with their membership drive. Quite a few accepted.
2001: Web Flyers
A custom web page will be offered to replace the standard business listing page. The very low fee is great value for any business that does not yet have a website. A basic or custom web page in our directory get much higher search ratings than a poorly designed website - at a much lower cost.
2001: Logos
We offer free logos for your website! Let people know you can be found on the Manotick Directory.
2000 April: New online forum
A "Manotick Notice Board" (forum) was created for online questions, answers and notices. No registration is required, but users may request messages to be sent to their email. Inappropriate messages are deleted regularly from the forum.
2000: New Mailing List
A "Manotick Village Mailing List" was created, but removed after a few months due to lack of interest.
2000: Free Web pages created for local Organizations
Non-commercial organizations have been getting free listings since 1996 - now they can get a free web page to enable them to be found in online searches!
Discounts for Business Associations (2000)
Local business associations were offered discounts for business listings in the directory but didn't pass on the offer to their members - very disappointing. But individual businesses took advantage of another introductory offer - and nearly all renewed at the end of their year. Their listing includes a Web page that made it possible for the business name, products and services to be found by search engines - the real power of being in a directory such as this.
Site Search Tool (March 2000)
A new search tool allows people to find any organization or business in the Manotick Directory easily by name, services, products or other keywords.
2000: The Manotick Directory
The "Manotick Index" was renamed "The Manotick Directory" and got a new home (domain manotick.net). The site was completely redesigned around a business directory. Businesses were also offered advertising and web design services.
How the Manotick Directory Began (1996, March 2000)
Once upon a time, in the last century, people in Manotick had never heard of the "Web" and didn't search for information online. One day in 1996, Pat Drummond created her a web page which contained links to all the web pages about Manotick - a very short list! It was called The Manotick Index. A few years later, Pat started PDQ Web Design and joined the Manotick Business Women's Network. They convinced her to expand the Index to include a business directory - fees were required as no local organization had funds to support it. In March 2000, The Manotick Directory was born with a nominal fee of $50/year for a business listing, increasing to $60 a few years later where it remained. The business directory expanded entirely from online applications. The directory's owner discovered that giving out "free" business listings was looked on with great suspicion and rarely resulted in the business owner filling in an application!
The "Site Map" lists all the pages in the website, including directories for events, concerts, community dance, organizations, clubs, utilities, recreation, sports groups, community, recreation & business associations schools, governments, churches, hospitals, parks, recreation areas, trails, city facilities, phone numbers, city facilities, seniors resources, tourism and history. maps, weather,