The Schoolhouse
The schoolhouse keeps its stone walls from 1890, with restored hardwood floors and warm, considered lighting. When the night turns, guests step inside the schoolhouse to dance and close it out.
A Gathering Place Since 1890
The restored Munster schoolhouse
Ashlar is a wedding and event venue in Munster, Ontario, about 25 minutes from downtown Ottawa. The schoolhouse was built from local stone in 1890, and today it has a stone courtyard, gardens and a weather-proof tent. It hosts one wedding or event a day for 30 to 65 guests, so the whole property is yours for the day. A $2,500 venue fee applies to every date and covers exclusive use of the entire property.
The story behind the stone
Built from stone in 1890, and rebuilt after the fire of 2001
In 1890, William Shillington donated land in Munster, Ontario for a schoolhouse, and the community built it from local stone, with walls two feet thick that were designed to last. For decades it served as the school, then a community hall, then a beloved restaurant.
In 2001 a fire destroyed the interior, the roof collapsed and the kitchen was gone, but the stone walls held. In 2025, four people who saw what this place could become took it on. The walls that held a schoolroom in 1890 now hold a chef's kitchen and a courtyard lit with string lights. The name "Ashlar" means dressed stone, rough rock shaped by hand into something beautiful.
Our Spaces
The Courtyard
The courtyard is an open-air ceremony space framed by manicured gardens and the original stone facade, and it is entirely yours for the day. Indoor and outdoor ceremony spaces are decided on the day, so the forecast settles where you say your vows.
The Tent
Dinner is served in the tent under string lights, open to the evening air, with the gardens around it. The tent is weather-proof, so dinner goes ahead in the rain.
What comes with the venue
For a wedding, the entire property is yours from 2:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m., including the schoolhouse, the courtyard, the gardens and on-site parking. Tables and chairs for your full guest count, white table linens and napkins, and glassware, flatware and tableware come with it.
See what a wedding includesGetting here
Ashlar is at 2876 Munster Road in Munster, Ontario, about 25 minutes from downtown Ottawa, 20 minutes from Kanata and 15 minutes from Stittsville. Parking is on site, and hotel accommodation is available in Kanata, Stittsville and Richmond.