Westmeath – After discussions stretching over decades, 2026 might just be the year dredging work gets done to make the Westmeath boat launch fully usable again.
The only public access to the section of the Ottawa River between the rapids at the Quebec bridge and the next set of rapids around the Bromley Line, it provides access to the widened part of the river known as Lower Allumette Lake. The facility is used not only by recreational boaters, but also by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) and the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation, and Parks (MECP), and by the Ontario Provincial Police and other first responders, in the case of emergencies on the water or in other areas without adequate road access, either on the shoreline or on islands.
At its March 4 regular meeting, Whitewater Region (WWR) council voted to accept a four-part staff proposal to proceed to the construction phase of the project; to authorize payment for the construction phase to an upset limit of $236,156, which includes $100,000 already authorized, and HST. Should the cost exceed $100,000, the excess is to be funded by reprioritizing money earmarked for play structures and parks in Cobden and Foresters Falls. Staff is being directed to find a location for a local waste transfer facility for the storage and reuse of dredged material, and to continue to look for any possible sources of funding which could help pay for the project.
The riverbed around the Westmeath dock was last dredged in the early 1990s. At the time it allowed the launching of larger craft such as pontoon boats, even in late summer and fall when water levels are typically low.
The facility is owned by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) and maintained by WWR. The township holds a lease for the Westmeath boat launch as well as for a second one at LaPasse. The current five-year lease expires in 2030.
In November 2025, WWR council engaged a New Brunswick-based engineering firm, GEMTEC, to investigate the condition of the launch area and to develop a plan for whatever work was determined to be necessary. Council also approved capital funding for the quoted cost of $36,135 and delegated its oversight to its Community Services department, which, in turn, developed its recommendations based on the study’s findings.
At the March 4 meeting, Manager of Community Services, Stephanie Plebon, presented the staff report and the recommendations incorporating GEMTEC’s findings. Garth Holder, a senior engineering technologist with the company, was present by video link.
Ms. Plebon told council GEMTEC is proposing to do the dredging with a long reach excavator. The quantity of dredged material is estimated to be 1,000 cubic metres or 1,500 tonnes.
“GEMTEC explored four options for the disposal of the materials being excavated,” she said. “One was placement on adjacent farmland for soil enhancement. This has been ruled out, since initial soil samples indicate the presence of petroleum hydrocarbons, benzopyrene, and road salt-related compounds.”
The second option explored: leaving the soils on site, was also ruled out.
“The site is too close to the river; as well, the available space in the parking area is limited,” she said.
GEMTEC also looked at the option to have the material moved directly off-site, treated as waste material, and disposed of at a commercially-operated site, which would cause the costs to balloon.
“The estimated cost of this option would be around $200,000 to truck the 1,500 tonnes off-site,” she said. “This would be a last-resort option and used in the case of unfavourable final testing of the dredged material.”
A fourth option being investigated is keeping the dredged materials contained in a specific area at the site until it “decanted,” or dried out.
“Once it is dry, it will be retested, but the initial testing has told us that the silt is likely not going to be something we can use in an agricultural property,” Ms. Plebon said. “It will need to either be stored for future commercial or industrial use, or it will be waste, in which case we would have to find a spot for the waste soils to be taken. And that is a difference between the $200,000 option and a $75,000 option.”
If it has to be disposed of as waste, it could go to WWR’s own site but would use an estimated 11 per cent of one year’s capacity of the site, she noted.
“If the soil is found to be clean and up to industrial standards so that we could reuse it, we would then have to apply for a permit to store that in a location within our municipality and come up with a project that it would be destined for,” she said.
Possible uses could be for a parking lot, or for cover at the waste site.
“It would depend on what it looks like after it’s dry and tested, and we won’t know that until we’re into the project,” she said.
She further noted that, “after conversations, it seems the maintenance dredging should be taken under consideration every 10 years.”
If the cost to complete the work this year is in fact $200,000, and if dredging is done every 10 years, it would cost $200,000 and the township would have to put aside $20,000 annually to cover that amount, she noted.
“Just throwing out numbers, but this is just something to consider,” she said. “In addition, I’ve reached out to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, and at this time, they can’t confirm whether or not there would be funding available. They would have to know more of the scope of the project. Their new fiscal year doesn’t start until April 1, so I can’t get an answer from them.”
She said she is continuing to research other funding opportunities as well as potential uses for the dredged material.
Mr. Holder indulged in some prognostication about possible findings in the dredged material as the work proceeds.
“The sediment samples that we took in November were from the surface, which tend to be a finer sediment, and that usually collects a higher percentage of contamination,” he commented.
“The level of contamination shouldn’t be too concerning. It’s the same level that you’ll find in most parking lots. The contaminants are residual fuels as well as road salts.”
Ms. Plebon had shared earlier that the last time the facility was dredged, the excavated soil was spread on fields near the boat launch.
“That practice of putting it on farmland is no longer acceptable,” she said.
Council then discussed the possibility of doing only a portion of the work this year, but that was rejected.
Finish The Work If Started
Councillor Joe Trimm said he was very adamant that if the township starts the work, they finish it.
“We do it this year. We don’t keep kicking it down the road and into different councils, and if we’re going to do it and there seems to be money available to do it, I am going to vote very strongly in favour of doing it.”
He said he is strongly opposed, however, to using space in the landfill site to dispose of the material.
“We’re just working against ourselves,” he said. “We got a compactor to gain space, and then we put this stuff in? I’m against that. We have property around the township that should be able to accommodate this material.”
He suggested the Westmeath landfill site, which is now closed, would be ideal, although he acknowledged regulations would not allow this to happen.
“But that would be just perfect,” he said.
Deputy-Mayor Cathy Regier questioned the need for a boat launch in Westmeath.
“We’re looking at possibly $236,000 here,” she said. “How many boats actually use that boat launch in a year? We have a boat launch in Cobden. We have a boat launch in LaPasse. Why do we need another boat launch? Regarding pontoon boats — if you’re travelling anywhere, you’re going to trailer it, whether you trailer it into Cobden or LaPasse.”
“We’re going to start off with a cost here of $236,000. I will guarantee you we do not end at $236,000.
“I’d be shocked if we end up at $236,000.”
Mayor Nicholson asked Ms. Plebon to comment on the use of the dock.
“We don’t track it,” she replied. “We do know that it hasn’t been well used in the last few years, mainly towards the end of the summer. From what I’m gathering, a lot of boats are launched and not a lot of boats are brought out, because the water’s too low. If you put your boat in there and leave it for the season, it’s not where you’ll take it out. That’s what my understanding is.”
She clarified that the part of the river being discussed can’t be accessed from LaPasse, but if you launch a boat in Westmeath, you can access the Pembroke part of the river.
Councillor Connie White backtracked to the statement that boats launched at the Westmeath facility are not necessarily taken out there.
“So how do you get it back out?” she asked.
Ms. Plebon said boats can betaken out at Westmeath, just as long as it is done before the water level gets too low.
Mayor Nicholson added some people take out their boats at private properties along the river.
Coun. White asked if the Westmeath boat launch is necessary because of the water rescue agreement between WWR and Pembroke. CAO Ivan Burton said that with both of the watercraft they utilize, they can access it at most points.
“I think they don’t need to be on a launching location, maybe they can access it from a private property, but we can confirm that.”
“So, why are we doing this then?” asked Coun. White. “If we don’t need it for fire rescue or water rescue, and people can take their boats to Westmeath or Pembroke to get onto the water, and we’re spending close to $300,000 and then we have to put $20,000 away each year for this. Can someone explain this to me?”
Ms. Plebon said that from an economic development perspective, the boat launch is a sustainable amenity.
“The access to the water has always been provided, and taking something away is a tough decision,” she said.
At Mayor Nicholson’s request, a map of the area showing two non-navigable sections of the Ottawa River; one a set of rapids near the Quebec bridge at Cotnam’s Island, and the other just upstream from the Westmeath boat launch along Rapid Road.
“The only public access that exists into Allumette Lake between those two points is in Westmeath,” he said. “And that access is used by MNRF, MECP, DFO, OPP, fire departments.”
The mayor noted that attempts to secure funding through the agencies which need this point for access have been unsuccessful to date.
Coun. Trimm said the Lower Allumette Lake is “like a jewel in the crown of the township.”
“Recreation is one of the reasons why we advertise and want people to move here, and it can’t only be rinks,” he said. “There are fishermen, and there are pleasure craft people. And so, I’m thinking that this is something that we could reasonably spend money on to promote the township and tourism and promote our businesses.I really do believe that this is worthwhile.”
Coun. White asked if people can use the facility now.
“Yes, you can use it,” said the mayor. “Small boats. It’s linked to the water levels in the Ottawa. Come this spring, there’s more than sufficient water there. You could probably launch from Jason O’Brien’s winery. But about August, the water level goes down so far that, in some points, it is at a level of the silt.
“So, you put your boat in there and it’s a big boat and it just slides off the trailer and into silt, and then it can’t move.”
Time To Bite The Bullet
Councillor Mike Moore said the issue has been discussed around the council table for the eight years he has been on council, and before that in many previous meetings.
“This is the first time that we’ve actually got this far to talk about doing this,” he said. “I really think we have to push forward. I know it’s a lot of money. But if we build it, they will come. That’s been the attitude of the locals for years. And now, they’re getting very discouraged because they have to keep their tin cans as opposed to getting a larger boat for the large amount of water. And it’s really unfortunate. I’m concerned that we can’t hold off. We should go ahead. I think we have to bite the bullet.
“I know money’s tough. We just finished discussing budget.”
Deputy-Mayor Regier asked Ms. Plebon if she could guarantee the cost will be no higher than $236,000.
“No, I can’t,” she replied.
Mayor Nicholson said that the $236,000 estimate is the worst-case scenario.
“It’s not going to go higher unless there’s some unforecasted event,” he said. “But there’s no chance that we will have to consider hauling this to Carp, or taking away 11 per cent of our landfill?”
“I still hesitate to say there’s no chance,” said Ms. Plebon. “I’m not a betting person.”
After considerable discussion about the likelihood of ending up with worst case scenario costs, Mayor Nicholson called for a vote on the staff recommendation.
A recorded vote requested by Deputy-Mayor Regier passed 4-1, with the deputy-mayor casting the only dissenting vote.
Councillors Mark Bell and Chris Olmstead were absent from the meeting.
By Marie Zettler, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Original Published on Mar 11, 2026 at 09:27
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