Improvements planned for Sheave Tower area

The Sheave Tower in Blair now officially belongs to the City of Cambridge, following the transfer of the property from the Architectural Conservancy of Ontario. Construction will begin later this summer on a number of improvements and upgrades to the area surrounding the historic tower.

Enhancements include improvements to the shoulder of Old Mill Road. As well, the trail surface will be widened, with compacted stone dust added for better accessibility. There will be a new viewing area, with a stone edge that can also be used as seating. A wood safety barrier will be installed around the tower, and the bridge ramps will be upgraded.

The scope for the upgrades were developed in consultation with the Municipal Heritage Advisory Committee (MHAC), the Accessibility Advisory Committee (AAC), and the Grand River Conservation Authority (GRCA).

The tower will reopen in early 2027, once construction has completed.

Believed to be one of the last wooden water-powered hydroelectric generator towers remaining in Ontario, the Sheave Tower was built in 1876 by Allan Bowman as part of the Carlisle Grist Mill. It remained in operation until 1954. The City designated it as a heritage property in 1988, and recently amended the by-law after the land transfer in 2025.