June 2018

164 165 opportunities. The recent addition of a Starbucks and the current construction of an 80-unit Marri- ott Hotel and Suites within the downtown cor- ridor are promising developments which Sweet anticipates will induce further economic growth. “Petawawa has prime commercial and industrial land available for development, as well as a fully equipped, recreational and commercial airport with a 5,000 foot runway,” he adds. Tourism is another pillar of the Petawawa econ- omy. The Ottawa River, a class II, III, and IV level rapids system is one of the largest whitewater environments in Ontario. Not to be overlooked, the 187 km, free flowing Petawawa River travels from Algonquin Provincial Park and merges with the Ottawa River in the Town of Petawawa. Fes- tivals and programming to encourage safe water sports and adventure have been embraced by the community and visitors alike. An exciting tourism prospect for Petawawa is the recent acquisition of the 296 km., abandoned Canadian Pacific rail line by the County of Ren- frew. “This infrastructure will be a tourism and economic development tool,” Sweet states. “It’s going to be the spine of a four-season, multi-pur- pose trail system that will join numerous trail infrastructures throughout eastern Ontario.” One tourism product enhanced by this development will be the Round Algonquin Park (RAP) tour, one of the busiest snowmobile routes in the province, combining snowmobile trails throughout Districts 6, 7, and 11. “Supporting this type of recreation- al activity will help our economy and support the area accommodation and tourism operators. Other trail developments are currently being explored and a realistic implementation plan is being compiled into an Active Transportation Plan for the Town.” PETAWAWA, ONTARIO A trail system of this caliber will include cycling and walking networks, not only for recreational pursuits but to support greener transportation initiatives. Preserving its natural amenities is part of Petawawa’s DNA. Twenty years ago, the Town, in partnership with neigh- boring communities, was an early adopter of a four-stream garbage pickup scheme when its landfill was facing closure. “We put in place a four-stream garbage pickup, which includes a green box for organics, a yellow box for recy- clables, a blue box for fiber, and then, of course, the garbage,” Sweet recounts. “The program has been very successful. Organics collected through the recycling stream are turned into compost which goes back into the community in gardens