On-demand heat for Ottawa Valley winters that dip near -17.7°C.

Most installs land between $6,000 and $15,000 CAD. A direct-vent insert going into an existing masonry firebox near a gas line—common in the older homes along Bonnechere or Church Street—sits toward the low end. A new built-in unit for a renovation or addition, especially one that needs a new gas line run from the street, pushes toward the top of that range. Homes just outside Enbridge Gas's service area that need propane instead should budget for a tank set on top of the install.

Yes, and it's a common upgrade in a town where a lot of the older housing stock was built around a wood-burning masonry fireplace meant for the sugar maple and red oak that's abundant in the Renfrew Region. A gas insert usually slides into that existing firebox with a liner run through the current chimney, which typically keeps the project on the lower half of the $6,000-$15,000 range. If the fireplace has sat unused for years, expect your dealer to check the chimney's condition before recommending a liner.

Enbridge Gas does serve Eganville, but coverage is concentrated in and around the town core rather than every rural property in the surrounding Renfrew Region. If your address is on an Enbridge Gas line already—check your existing furnace or water heater fuel—a fireplace tie-in is usually straightforward. If you're on a rural lot outside that footprint, propane with a tank on the property is the standard fallback, and most fireplace models a local dealer carries can be set up for either fuel.

Most will, which matters in a region where winter storms along the Ottawa Valley can knock out power for hours at a stretch. Units with intermittent pilot ignition (IPI) run on a AA battery backup that kicks in automatically when the power drops. Some Valor models skip the battery altogether, since their pilot generates its own current through the thermocouple. Worth asking your dealer which ignition system is on any model you're considering, especially if you're picking this as backup heat for a -17.7°C night.

A gas fireplace is a built-in unit framed into a wall, typical in newer construction or a full renovation. A gas insert fits into an existing masonry firebox, which is the more common route in Eganville's older farmhouses and in-town homes that already have a working chimney. A gas stove is freestanding on a hearth pad, similar in footprint to a wood stove but running off a gas line or a propane tank instead of split maple or oak. For most existing homes here, an insert is the least disruptive option.

Yes. You'll need a permit from the municipal building department, and the gas connection itself has to be done by a contractor registered with the Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA)—that's separate from the building permit and not something a general contractor can sign off on. Most hearth dealers who work regularly in the Renfrew Region coordinate both pieces, plus the final inspection, as part of the job.

Direct-vent units, which pull combustion air from outside and exhaust it back outside through sealed venting, are the standard here and what most local dealers work with. Unvented (vent-free) units are far less common in Ontario installs and aren't accepted in every jurisdiction, so if you're set on one, confirm with the municipal building department before you buy. For a home running the fireplace daily through a six-month-plus heating season, direct-vent is also simply the safer, lower-maintenance choice.

Plan on an annual check, ideally in late summer or early fall before the first cold snap rather than mid-winter when technicians are booked solid across the Renfrew Region. A technician checks the burner, pilot assembly, gas connections, and venting, and cleans the glass. Skipping it on a unit running daily through a long Ottawa Valley winter is how an ignition problem shows up on the coldest night rather than a convenient one. Budget roughly $150-$250 CAD for a standard visit.

Wood has real advantages here: the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources issues free cutting permits for up to 10 cubic metres per household per year in the managed forest zones around the Renfrew Region, and sugar maple or red oak split from that permit burns hot and keeps working without electricity during an outage. Gas wins on convenience—no splitting, no stacking, no chimney sweep—and skips the WETT inspection that insurers commonly require for wood appliances. A lot of Eganville households end up running gas as the everyday heat source and keeping a wood stove or insert elsewhere in the house for backup during extended power outages.

Most modern gas fireplaces can—turn it on and off from the couch with a remote, or set a room temperature and let the fireplace hold the comfort zone for you. If low maintenance matters to your family, this is the feature set that makes gas the convenience pick over wood and pellet.

Because a fireplace is an iceberg—there's more behind the wall than in front of it. A low quote often covers only the unit; the full scope includes vent pipe, gas line or electrical, framing, and the tile or stone that has to come off and go back on. Make every bidder price the whole job. If a dealer can't speak to the full scope with confidence, that's your signal to keep looking.

Louvered fronts have grill work above and below the glass for airflow, move heat a little better with a fan, and suit traditional mantels. Clean face designs drop the louvers entirely so finish work runs to the fire's edge—they fit both modern and traditional rooms. When we did our own home we chose clean face: a big viewing area beat a little extra airflow. It depends on your room, not on a rulebook.

Ask three questions: Is it ugly? Is it drafty? Does it actually work? Most old fireplaces fail at least two. Beyond looks, an old unit leaks air around the damper year-round and—if it's gas with a standing pilot—quietly burns a couple hundred dollars a year. A modern replacement seals the wall, heats the room, and changes how the whole space gets used.