July 8, 2021
The new owners of L’Orignal Marina offer boaters a new destination. Located in a charming francophone village in Eastern Ontario, this joined marina and restaurant venue is the ambitious initiative of long-time entrepreneur André Chabot and biologist Alexandra Quester, both residents of L’Orignal.
The purchase of the L’Orignal Marina was made official in November 2020. The new year was barely underway when all 50 available slips were already reserved.
No wonder the addition of member and visitor slips is already planned for the 2022 season – the 2021 count is up to 62 power and sail already. At the moment, the Riverest Marina offers boaters a stop where they can launch their boat, fill up with supreme gas and empty their wastewater, among other things.
The sailors in Riverest are getting active and this week met to plan a first-ever regatta.
the dock crew is ready
A few steps away is the brand new Riverest Restaurant, opening this week in a beautiful 1833 stone house. Whether it’s to enjoy the large patio overlooking the marina, the Ottawa River, La Rouge Beach and the Laurentian Mountains, or for the delicious ready-to-eat meals, a great experience is in store. The Riverest’s chef offers a refined menu featuring local produce that will appeal to all: lunch, dinner, Sunday brunch, specialty coffees, fabulous alcoholic and non-alcoholic cocktails, vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options, and specials like the Sailor’s Picnic.
Pontoon row
Visitors will eventually be able to enjoy the Ottawa River to the fullest with a rental service for water sports equipment such as canoes, kayaks, paddle boats and paddleboards. Boaters wishing to reserve a slip for the 2022 season are welcome to fill out the reservation form on Riverest.ca.
About the owners
Alexandra and André
Alexandra Quester, originally from Austria, and André Chabot, a native of Prescott-Russell, met during a scuba diving expedition in Palau. Both passionate about animals, nature, architecture, tourism and entrepreneurship, the complicity was instantaneous. Alexandra left her hometown to settle with André in L'Orignal. Since then, they have been partners in the development of another historic site in L'Orignal, the Duldraeggan Ranch & Inn. Inspired by the property at 52 Wharf Street - now the Riverest Restaurant - Alexandra and André had no choice but to see its potential.
By Andy Adams
By Katherine Stone
Following the War of 1812, a battle that Canada narrowly won against the United States, the boundaries of Upper Canada were held and the British army realized that the St. Lawrence River was no longer safe as a supply route. A more defensible route was needed to bring supplies from Montreal to Kingston and on into other Great Lakes settlements.
Over the last decade, sailcloth weaving equipment has evolved and allowed the production of low crimp warp oriented woven cloth of medium to heavy weights. We have had light weight warp wovens of 200g/m2 (4oz) or lighter for much longer than that, but the finer denier weaves of light sailcloth allowed that with older looms and setups. Why is this important? This new loom technology is very important because it allows sailmakers to make better warp cut woven sails for boats 25-50’ long.
I filled up last week at $1.90. Pundits are suggesting that prices will stay high throughout the summer. Radio and TV news have been flooded with ‘man on the street’ interviews that show the impact on the average driver. How will these prices affect the average boater this year? Will we see more hours spent on the docks and fewer on the water? Will fuel efficiency become a top-of –mind selling point? Will we see a shift toward electric marine engines?
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