Waba, located in McNab/Braeside Township, occupies a historically significant position in Renfrew County’s early settlement story. It was a key site within the McNab settlement — an area overseen by Archibald McNab, the controversial Laird of McNab, who exercised feudal-style control over incoming Scottish immigrants during the 1820s and 1830s. This unique social structure left a deep imprint on the area’s legal and cultural history.

The village developed around Waba Creek, which provided power for saw and grist mills. The settlement flourished modestly with the construction of churches, schools, and local trades. Today, Waba is home to the Waba Cottage Museum and Gardens, which commemorates the McNab settlers’ legacy and preserves early artifacts.

Surveying in Waba requires navigation of historically sensitive parcels, some of which were influenced by early Scottish settlement patterns rather than strict Crown concession frameworks. Mill lots, floodplains, and 19th-century easements remain embedded in title records. Surveyors may also encounter legal descriptions tied to long-abandoned field notes or riverbank shifts affecting Waba Creek.