About the Westport Community
Westport is located at the west end of Upper Rideau Lake, at the head of the navigable Rideau Canal system. A public wharf on a man-made island has dock space for up to 30 vessels. Fees are charged according to the going rates along the Rideau System.
The harbour also has a picnic area, barbecues, and sewage pumpout facilities.
Fisherman can try their luck in Upper Rideau Lake, Westport Lake, Sand Lake, and several other nearby lakes. Fishing is particularly good here because of the fish-rearing ponds set up by the provincial government 45 years ago. Perch, smallmouth bass, pickeral and pike populate the waters. ** Please note that you are not permitted to fish in the pond.
It’s just a short walk from the harbor to the downtown core with its variety of unique shops displaying art-works, crafts, jewelery, clothing and furnishings. Accommodation is plentiful, with numerous cottages, lodges, tent and trailer parks and campgrounds. Westport has its own public beach and there’s one at Sand Lake, just west of the village, too. For a thrilling view of the entire basin, take the walk to the peak of Spy Rock. Or you might want to try a guided tour of Foley Mountain Park, the highest conservation area in the Rideau Valley, featuring a variety of wildlife in 600 acres of woods and fields, and a sandy beach. The 300 km Rideau Trail, linking Kingston to Ottawa, passes through the conservation area.
About the Perth Community
Perth Ontario is a great get-away tourist destination for both Canadians and Americans alike. Located only 1 hour’s drive from Kingston, Ottawa, and the US Border, Perth is a great place to spend a weekend or a week.
Known as “The Big Town of Festivals” there is live entertainment all year round.
Festival of The Maples in April, Stewart Park Music Festival in July, Garlic Festival in August, Perth Fair in September, Festival of Lights and the Santa Claus Parade in December, and the Polar Bear Plunge in January make Perth a place of fun.
Come to Perth. Kick back and relax. Enjoy the fabulous scenery, foods and fresh air.
We have Provincial Parks and Conservation areas nearby.
There is Rideau Canal access via the Tay River Canal branch.
We have the Old World Charm of a heritage town with all the New World Conveniences of a modern city.
About the Lanark Highlands Community
Festivals and events, canoeing and kayaking, cycling and hiking, trail-riding and snowmobiling, museums and genealogy, hockey and figure-skating, camping and golfing, music, artisans and farm-gate sales, ballparks and boat launches, shopping and studio tours . . . there’s always something for everyone in Lanark Highlands – your four-season destination!
Lanark Highlands is home to several dozen lakes, such as Clayton, Taylor, White, Dalhousie, Patterson, Flower Round and Clyde. The Mississippi River crosses the municipality from west to east and the Clyde River meanders its way from north to south to meet up with the MississippiRiver south of Lanark Village. As its name suggests, Lanark Highlands also offers picturesque vistas of rolling hills and Canadian Shield topography, combining with the abundant water bodies to form prime cottage country.
About the Portland Community
Portland was first settled in the early 1800s as one of the first settlements along the Rideau Waterway. The original seven houses in Portland, informally known as “The Landing” were a transfer point for passengers traveling from Brockville and continuing by barge to Perth.
With the completion of the Rideau Canal Waterway in 1832, steamboats and barges carrying raw materials such as cordwood from the clearing of forests, maple syrup, potash, cheese, tanned hides and salt beef were a common sight. Portland became a thriving village of trade with Kingston, Montreal and Ottawa.
The village of Portland took its name in 1843 from William Cavendish-Bentinck, 3rd Duke of Portland. By the 1860’s, the settlement had expanded considerably to require five hotels and, by the early 1900’s, cottages were springing up around the lake and the tourist trade had begun. Advances in rail and road travel and increasing tourism offset a decline in the role of agriculture in the economy of Portland. Tourism then began to lead the economy of Portland, and still does to this day.
