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Cottages and Waterfront Homes

The Rideau has many and varied cottages and waterfront homes. Some date back to the turn of the century, some were built yesterday. Some blend beautifully into the landscape, other look like they were plucked from a Toronto suburb. I've tried to include a selection of the good and the bad, the beautiful and the not so beautiful. Have a look at the gallery and you be the judge. More information on this photographic project can be found in the text box below the thumbnail photos. Click on any thumbnail photo to see a larger version. When viewing the larger version, click on the thumbnails at the top of the page to move forwards or backwards through the show.

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Notes: These photos were taken along a 75 kilometre section of the central Rideau, from Upper Brewers Lockstation to Poonamalie Lockstation, representing over 300 kilometres of shoreline. Lakes visited as part of the photographic tours included Dog, Cranberry, Little Cranberry, Whitefish, Sand, Opinicon, Indian, Clear, Newboro, Benson, Mosquito, Loon, Upper Rideau, Big Rideau and Lower Rideau. The most difficult part of the project was selecting the final 60 photos that would form the on-line gallery. Did I miss the best or the worst? It's likely. The most beautiful cottages, those that blend seamlessly with their natural surroundings, are almost impossible to photograph. I've tried to include a large variety, both from an appearance and a geographic point of view. It's best if you can get out on the water, cruise the shoreline and judge for yourself. A day of cottage watching is lots of fun. A Note About Stewardship: The issue of such things as expansive lawns, hardened shorelines (vertical barriers of stone, concrete or wood) and clearcut properties is not simply one of esthetic preference, but rather one of water quality. As waterfront users we have a responsibility to make sure our impact on our lakes and rivers is kept to a minimum. Those with expansive lawns tend to maintain them with the use of fertilizer and pesticides, both of which have a significant negative impact on our water. Hardened shorelines remove habitat needed for the plants and animals that inhabit the littoral zone (near shore environment), the most important environment for the health of a lake or river. Clearcut properties remove habitat and promote excessive runoff and erosion. More information about this topic can be found by going to the Landscaping with Nature page. Those interested in the rules and regulations that govern shoreline work should view the Rideau Canal Shoreline Guidelines. And yes, there is an esthetic component, a property landscaped in harmony with nature looks a lot nicer that a vision of 1950s suburban utopia poorly translated to a waterfront property. Technical Notes: All photos were taken with a Canon G1 digital camera at ISO 50 or 100. In most cases a polarizing filter was used to reduce glare. One of the greatest challenges was getting cottages in the right light, since travelling along the Rideau though lockstations to get to various lakes often restricted the hours during which photos could be taken (often during the worst photo hours of midday). My thanks to Breezebrowser software which made the creation of this gallery quite easy with the use of one of their (modified) HTML templates.