Westport in Bloom - Tree Sale Beginning Early
Message from "Westport in Bloom":
Hello cottagers! Just in case you’re starting to dream wistfully about spring and ways to make your piece of Heaven even more beautiful, we wanted to let you know that Westport in Bloom’s 11th annual tree sale is in full swing right now. Once again our non-profit volunteer organization is offering about 30 varieties of high-quality shade trees, fruit trees, and flowering trees and shrubs, up to or over 8 feet tall, and all at great prices. Most come with bare roots bagged in plastic, and so are exceptionally easy to carry and plant. As usual, the trees will be delivered in late April, the perfect time for planting. Check out our listings at westportinbloom.com under Trees, and contact jauer@kingston.net to place your order. Every tree you plant increases the beauty and value of your property and contributes to the health of our children’s environment, and every penny we earn is spent making Westport even more beautiful.
Decision on Rideau Lakes Ward and Council Review
At the meeting held on January 3rd, TRL council approved changes to the size of council and the number of wards. These changes are based on the second option presented in the consultant's report. Changes include:
Council will be reduced from 10 members to 9. The new council structure will include 8 councillors and a mayor.
The number of wards will be reduced from 5 to 4. Newboro will be merged with North Crosby to form a new Ward called "North Crosby-Newboro". There was no action taken to modify any of the other wards.
The 8 councillors will continue to be elected by ward with 2 councillors representing each of the 4 wards.
The Mayor will continue to be elected at large.
The decision is subject to a 45-day Appeal Period to the Ontario Municipal Board, and will take affect for the 2018 municipal elections.
Full details are available on the Township of Rideau Lakes website.
Parks Canada delaying new management plan decision another year
Parks Canada has been working on a new management plan for the Rideau Canal for several years, and recently announced its target date for completion will be extended to March 2018. As part of setting a new long-term strategic vision for the canal, this delay will allow Parks Canada to conduct more public consultation than originally planned, including additional open houses and the release of a draft plan for public discussion.
For details, click here to read a letter from John Festarini, the Associate Director for Ontario Waterways. And for reaction to this decision, click here to read a recent Ottawa Sun article.
Luxury boat rental company "Le Boat" to launch operations along Rideau Canal
Parks Canada announced today that the Le Boat company is planning to begin operations along the Rideau Canal in 2018. As we advised in a May 27th website update, the BRLA has been engaged with Parks Canada for the past year as this project has moved forward. We welcome today’s announcement believing it will bring significant economic benefits to the lake community and expect minimal impact to the quality of life we all enjoy on the Big Rideau Lake. For those of you who remember the 3 Buoys Houseboat/Party boat fiasco in the 80’s, this is very different.
According to a Le Boat company press release, the details of this plan include:
- An investment of CA$16 million in base infrastructure, along the length of the canal from Ottawa to Kingston.
- Le Boat's base to be located on the Parks Canada grounds in Smiths Fall.
- A fleet of 16 Horizon cruisers, which are low speed keel boats (10 kph maximum speed) with added handling and navigational features (bow thruster & GPS).
- All boat renters required to complete an orientation course provided by the company before setting out.
- The fleet planned to expand to at least 32 cruises over the next five years.
- Booking will begin in spring 2017, with the boating season officially launching in May 2018 and running through October every year.
This venture is part of a collaboration to attract investors among Parks Canada, the Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport as well as various municipal partners. The benefits Parks Canada see include increasing tourism to the Rideau Canal (both on land and on water), providing more opportunities for visitors without boats, increasing the number of international visitors, and encouraging economic development and support job creation along the Rideau Canal.
We will continue to monitor this development as talks continue, and will keep our members informed as we learn more. For the full text of the Le Boat announcement, click here. And for details about the Le Boat company, please see their website.
Parks Canada notice re: work at Narrows Lock
During the week of November 28th, 2016, Parks Canada will begin heritage masonry work at Narrows Lock 35 on the Rideau Canal National Historic Site. The repairs for this project will include stone replacement, grouting and repointing to ensure the continued structural integrity and functionality of the lock.
Citizens can expect intermittent delays and nightly closures of County Road 14 at Narrows Swing Bridge between December 12th, 2016 and December 23rd, 2016. The alternate vehicle route around Upper Rideau Lake is North Shore Road to Highway 10 by traveling south on Highway 10 to Highway 42. Highway 42 will take you south-east into Crosby. Signage will be posted on County Road 14 communicating the delays and alternate routes.
Click here for more details about this project and other ongoing work along the Rideau Canal.
CP Holiday Train rolling through Perth this weekend
CP's annual Holiday Train program is a rolling fundraising event that travels across Canada and the United States raising money, food and awareness for food banks and hunger issues, hosting free holiday concerts along the way.
Every pound of food and dollar raised at each stop stays with the local food bank to help feed those in need in that community. Since its launch in 1999, the program has raised more than $12 million and 3.9 million pounds of food for communities along CP’s routes in Canada and the northern U.S.
The train will be rolling through Perth on Sunday November 27th. The night starts at 6:40 pm with singing and carolling; the train is expected to pass through about 8:00 pm.
For additional information, visit http://www.cpr.ca/holiday-train, or follow on Facebook (www.facebook.com/holidaytrain), Twitter (@CPHolidayTrain) or Instagram (@CPHolidayTrain).
Parks Canada Notice re: Work at Poonamalie Dam
Parks Canada Press Release - "During the week of November 7th, 2016, investigative drilling and surveying will take place at Poonamalie Lock 32 on the Rideau Canal National Historic Site. This investigative work will inform the design of the upcoming heritage stone masonry rehabilitation project scheduled to begin in fall 2017.
Parks Canada will be dewatering the lock to allow for a detailed inspection of the lock and surrounding area. Surveying will be completed to identify the surface features and the depth of the water at the site. Additionally, small vertical boreholes will be drilled just outside of the lock adjacent to the approach walls to determine the subsurface conditions. These inspections are integral to the development of the design and the scope of the upcoming construction work."
Township of Rideau Lakes Meetings on Council and Ward Structure Review
Several meetings will be held this month as part of the ongoing council and ward structure review:
Monday, November 14 at 5:30pm at Portland Community Hall, 24 Water Street. The consulting firm StrategyCorp will be presenting their Report regarding Council and Ward Structure Review.
Tuesday, November 29 at 4pm at Rideau Centennial Elementary School, 2761 Hwy 15, Portland. Council will hear delegations regarding Council and Ward Structure. Anyone wishing to address Council on this matter must contact the Clerk, Mary Ellen Truelove at 1-800-928-2250 Ext 293 or mtruelove@twprideaulakes.on.ca.