Mattawa sits where the Mattawa and Ottawa rivers meet — a town shaped by water for as long as anyone has lived here. Our pharmacy serves Mattawa, Bonfield, Papineau-Cameron, and the families who pass through this stretch of Highway 17 every season. Each season brings its own questions to our counter, so here's a quick tour of what we hear most often.
Spring: thaw, allergies, and ticks
The freeze-thaw season here can be hard on knees, hips, and balance — we see more slips during thaw than in deep winter. If you've had a winter of new prescriptions piled on, this is the right time for a free medication review (just bring everything in, including over-the-counter products and supplements). Tree-pollen allergies hit a few weeks after the south does, but they hit hard — if you've struggled in past springs, start a daily non-drowsy antihistamine before symptoms appear. Tick season also starts earlier than most people realize — once daytime temperatures stay above ~4°C, ticks are active.
Summer: sun, water, bugs
The river throws sun back at you, especially on a clear July afternoon. Sunscreen (broad-spectrum, SPF 30+), a hat, and sunglasses with UV protection should be wherever your towel and water bottle live. If you take photosensitizing medications (some antibiotics, certain blood pressure pills, others), the burn risk is bigger than you'd guess — ask us if you're not sure. Bug spray with DEET or icaridin works for blackflies and mosquitos; the natural alternatives don't last as long. For minor wounds from boating or shoreline rocks, clean it well, watch for redness or warmth spreading, and call us if anything looks off.
Fall: vaccines and the cold-prep window
Late September through October is the quiet, useful month at our pharmacy. Flu shots are available without an appointment for ages 5+. The high-dose flu shot is recommended for adults 65+. COVID boosters and shingles vaccines (Shingrix) are also available for those eligible. While you're in, we can talk through what you're missing for the season — cold-and-flu shelf basics, a thermometer that works (older mercury ones aren't sold anymore for a reason), and a small inventory check on prescriptions before the snow and the holidays.
Winter: cold-flu coughs and skin
The two questions we get most in deep winter: "what should I take for this cough" and "my hands are cracking." For coughs, the honest answer is that most over-the-counter cough suppressants don't do much — honey at bedtime, a warm humidifier, and time tend to outperform them. If you have a fever above 38°C for more than three days, shortness of breath, chest pain, or a cough that's clearly getting worse rather than better, that's a doctor visit, not a pharmacy fix. For dry, cracked hands, a thick fragrance-free cream or ointment applied right after washing — while skin is still slightly damp — is more effective than any expensive product on the shelf.
Year-round: we'll never charge for advice
The whole point of small-town pharmacy is that you can ask. Whether it's a medication question, a symptom you can't quite place, a product you've heard about, or just a sanity-check on something a relative told you — drop in, call us at 705-744-5981, or message us through the contact page. Our team is here for it.