Westport is a tranquil village of 700 people in the Rideau Lakes at the west end of Upper Rideau Lake, the head of navigation for the Rideau Canal system.
Understand
[edit]Initial settlement began between 1810 and 1820, with Westport incorporated as an independent municipality in 1904. By 1829, Westport was the site of a saw mill and grist mill; the construction of the Rideau Canal in the mid-1800s contributed to the growth of the village as a local commercial centre. Westport received many Irish immigrants following the Great Famine (1840s through 1860s); St. Edward's Catholic Church, built in 1859 at Concession and Bedford, served as a community centre. A railway ran from Brockville (and the St. Lawrence River) to Westport from 1888 to 1952. A provincial fish sanctuary was established at the Westport Pond in 1957.
Get in
[edit]By motorcar:
- From Perth (Ontario), head south on County Road 10; this road leads through Westport to Kingston, ending at Queen's University.
- From Kingston (Ontario), take Perth Road (401 exit 617) north. The 50km/30 mile drive takes the better part of an hour on a winding two-lane road through rural countryside with many small lakes.
- From Highway 15 and the Rideau Canal, Westport is directly west of Crosby/Newboro on the former Highway 42.
Upper Rideau Lake is north of Newboro lock station on the Rideau Canal; Westport is at the northwest corner of the lake. Westport Harbour's 1 Marina has docks for thirty boats, a visitor's centre and a picnic area.
Westport and the Foley Mountain Conservation Area are part of the Rideau Trail, a hiking trail from Kingston to Ottawa.
There is no scheduled bus or rail service in Westport village. The last train ran from Brockville to Westport in 1952. There is a tiny airstrip for private planes, but the closest (limited) passenger services are in Kingston.
Get around
[edit]
As of 2010, there was one cab in the village (Celtic Cab, +1 613-767-9257 [1]). It is also possible to dock a small boat at Westport Harbour's marina and then walk to destinations within the village.
Conversely, one can drive to Westport, park in the village and rent a boat to go onto the lakes:
- Norris Bait and Tackle, #8877 Hwy.42, Westport K0G 1X0, ☏ +1 613-273-6462. Hunting, fishing, bait, tackle, guns, boat rentals.
- Scotty's Cool Breeze, 73 Concession St, Westport K0G 1X0, ☏ +1 613-273-7268. Chip wagon, garden centre, bait, tackle, boat rentals.
See
[edit]Do
[edit]- Fishing in the area is good; yellow perch, smallmouth bass, pickerel and northern pike populate the waters.
- Evergreen Golf Course, Wolfe Lake Road, RR#2 Westport (on Wolfe Lake, 1.5 km west of CR 12), ☏ +1 613-273-6463.
- 1 Foley Mountain Conservation Area, 105 Perth Rd N, ☏ +1 613-273-3255. 800-acre park atop a granite ridge overlooking Upper Rideau Lake. On Rideau Trail (Kingston to Ottawa) with hiking, swimming, sand beach picnic areas, outdoor educational programmes.
- Rideau Lakes Golf and Country Club, 326 Sunnyside Rd, Westport K0G 1X0, ☏ +1 613-273-2937, toll-free: +1-800-835-0570. Nine-hole golf course on the south shore of Upper Rideau Lake. $20-35/person.
- West Winds Ranch, 116B Wolfe Lake Road, Westport K0G 1X0, ☏ +1 613-273-8188. Horse farm and kids' summer camp; pony ride, farm tours, petting zoo, barn yard games, toys & mazes. $6/person.
Events
[edit]- Blues on the Rideau. Sept-May, 7-11PM, one day a month. Series of live blues performances at the Cove Inn with local performers, each show a fundraiser for a different local cause. $65/person.
- Santa Claus Parade. end-November.
- Westport Antique Show and Sale. First weekend in June.
- Westport Music Festival. mid-August. A single-day festival with live local musicians on three outdoor stages (The Cove, SOHO’s, A Victorian Reflection). The Westport Arts Council operates various events through the year, covering an artistic range from literature to photography, music, cinema, sculpture and pottery.
Buy
[edit]- There are various small shops along Church Street and Bedford Street in the heart of the village.
- Lake Effects, 16 Bedford St., ☏ +1 613-273-7799. Hammocks, maps, outdoor mats and furniture.
Eat
[edit]- Salmon House and Seafood, 31 Main St., ☏ +1 613-273-3474. Takeout fish n' chips, fresh fish, smoked fish, seafood platters. +1 613-273-FISH
Drink
[edit]- Scheuermann Vineyard & Winery, 82 Bedford St., ☏ +1 613-449-6548. open Saturdays, Jun-Sep. Wine tastings, wine by the glass, charcuterie and nacho platters, smoked salmon, seasonal baskets.
Sleep
[edit]- Cove Country Inn, 2 Bedford-on-the-Water, Westport K0G 1X0, ☏ +1 613-273-3636, toll-free: +1-888-COVEINN (2683466), fax: +1 613-273-3466. Licensed dining room, waterfront patio, pub/piano lounge, 10-room inn and 6-room 1870s bed and breakfast house ($100-150/night).
- Nordlaw Lodge, 489 Crozier Road, RR#1 Westport, ☏ +1 613-273-2920. Lakefront fishing lodge cottages and villas on Bob's Lake; all meals included. $120-140 per person.
- Westport Station Motel, 51 Concession St., ☏ +1 613-273-3627. Located at the terminus of the former Brockville & Westport Railway; the Diner is housed in the original train station. $85-95/night.
- Cobblestones at Bolingbroke, RR #3 Maberly K0H 2B0 (12 km north on county road #36, on left just past Farren Lake), ☏ +1 613-273-5950, fax: +1 613-273-5977.
- 1 Water Wood Westport Bed & Breakfast, 44 Concession St (On 42 between Rideau St. & Bedford across from the Vet's office), [email protected]. Check-in: 3 pm, check-out: 11am. A charming, artsy, airy, large country home operating as a traditional Bed & Breakfast accommodating up to 7 people featuring local food products for delicious breakfasts. Within a short walk from parks, beach, harbour, Scheureman's Winery, Westport Brewery, restaurants and The Cove for live music. CAD $145/rm.
Connect
[edit]- Westport Harbour, ☏ +1 613-273-8621. 6AM-5:30PM. Visitor’s Centre with wi-fi, 'phones, washrooms, showers, marina, picnic and barbeques, fuel and oil.
Nearby
[edit]Newboro
[edit]Tiny village 10km (6mi) east of Westport, at the highest point on the Rideau Canal (lock #36 is directly south of the village).
- Kilborn's, 10 Drummond St, Newboro, ☏ +1-613-272-0114. From fashions and footwear to furniture, an extensive department store spans three buildings. Stirling Lodge and Stagecoach Inn Restaurant nearby.
- Poplar's Resort, 8 By Street, Newboro, ☏ +1-613-272-2345, toll-free: +1-888-686-1891. Small lakeside inn with marina and boat rentals.
Go next
[edit]