Watercolour Westport

WATERCOLOUR WESTPORT Watercolour is situated lies at the west end of Upper Rideau Lake, in the eastern part of Ontario and at the head of the navigable Rideau Canal system. Incorporated as an independent municipality in 1904, Westport has a long history (and some fascinating peculiarities) to share about how it came to be recognized as the nation’s premier and original cottage country. Sir John A. Macdonald, Canada’s first prime minister, used to take the train from Kingston, Ontario to Westport, back when Kingston was the capital of the “United Province” of Canada. The village is also part of the UNESCO-recognized Frontenac Arch Biosphere Reserve – one of only 18 biosphere reserves within the country due to its incredibly rich natural environment and heritage. “Westport has been there for almost 200 years,” Rolston recounts. “A century ago, it was a thriving metropolis with nearly 2,000 residents. By the 1920s, there were six gas stations and the village served as the agricultural base for 17,000 more. Today, it’s a recreational summer community that’s in the process of becoming a four-season community; a highly desirable, walkable place where people can have their home and their cottage in one.” “Watercolour Living”, as Rolston’s vision has come to be known, was created around the pedestrian-friendly tenets of Traditional Neighbourhood Design. Made famous by Andrés Duany and his architecture firm DPZ based out of Miami, Florida. The concept calls for residential neighborhoods to be designed in the format of small, early 20th century villages and was originally proposed as an alternative to the drabness of suburban sprawl. “The goal is to build homes that people will love,” Rolston offers. “As Winston Churchill said, we shape our buildings; thereafter they shape us. But more importantly, I think creating a sense of place and a walkable community that’s connected to nature and to neighbors is what we’re trying to do.”