The Council of the Township of Whitewater Region approved a motion to direct staff:
To continue to pursue long-term public access to the whitewater portion of the Ottawa River and report back in Q3-Q4 2021;
To further examine opportunities for partnership with Whitewater Ontario with regards to access and programs; and
To investigate with property owners if access can be provided using existing put-in and take-out locations on private property to guarantee affordable public access prior to proceeding with the opening of an unopened road allowance.CAO Trembley said that the option to do nothing “Was not sustainable”.
“Preparation of an agreement will take some time and effort.” CAO Trembley said. “Once it’s open it’s open, and we recommend that we keep having those discussions, but we do have public infrastructure for this kind of use.”
“All of the feedback we have received is that the river is very important to the region,” he said. “We need time to do our due diligence in this.”
He said they planned to come back in October with the “preferred approach” to the program.
Councillor Olmstead said he was ‘inundated with feedback and requests’. and that “we need to really take our time with any decisions.”
He said the feedback is both from area residents and out-of area residents, numbering to roughly “three to four emails a day”.
“Honestly, I think Q3 and Q4 are too early.” he said, saying that it may take “a year” to finish.
CAO Trembley said that they would not necessarily be finalizing it in October.
Councillor Nicholson said they would need to consider “put in as well as take-out options” for entry and exit from the river as well as operating costs and where they come from.
He also suggested “advice from other partners”, saying Whitewater Ontario had reached out to the River-Keepers already.
“We do have to move slowly here.” Reeve Cathy Regier said. “I hope that after tonight, we will not be inundated with emails and we might get some closure here, and some assurance that we have everyone’s best interests at heart.”
The motion was carried.
