FREE TO ENJOY FALL AND WINTER 2026/2027
Live Better in Westport, Ontario
THERE’S NOWHERE LIKE IT IN CANADA
Real Life Solar Math
B
ob and Michelle searched the whole country and found the perfect home in a one-of-a-kind walkable community.
alternative. Sure, other developments advertised walkability. But in actuality, homeowners had to load up their car with their bicycles, skis, snowshoes, or kayaks to get to the trailheads or water. Other builders talked about Upon retirement, the two former teachers from Oshawa right sizing homes but didn’t offer the design details searched “from coast, to coast, to coast” for the perfect that make a house a home. A beautiful, sustainable place to live. The more Oshawa grew around them, the home built with integrity in a walkable community… they more they felt isolated. They knew a lot about good wanted it all. planning and design. They just didn’t think there was “When we finally discovered Westport and drove in a builder actually building the place of their dreams. along Highway 10, seeing the beautiful lakes and The couple investigated so many other communities trees covered in snow, I felt that I could breathe across Canada that they felt like they’d exhausted every again,” says Michelle. Continued on page 2 >>
Solar living is no longer a luxury for Canadian homeowners. It's a practical path to (super!) low energy bills. page 3
Together We Won!
We beat out some of the best builders in Canada to take the coveted award for Best Production Net Zero home. page 5
Award-Winning Local Beer
"When we finally discovered Westport... I felt like I could breathe again."
Westport and area is a hotbed for refreshing and creative local beers that are cleaning up at competitions. page 6
FRONT PORCH LIFE “When we got to Watercolor we saw a couple our age walking along a trail with yoga mats heading to a class. Then I saw Hilltop Park with the Muskoka chairs at the top and the metal art and the public path and I said, ‘Bob, I’m home.’” Cat Monster is someone else who deliberately chose Westport. She loved the lifestyle so much she and her husband opened a few stores in the village. Pinecone is a quaint 19th century general store she describes as a “warm, cottagey hug.” Luxurious cotton pajamas sit beside sweet smelling lotions and local pottery. This year she also opened Starlet, a store featuring shoes, jewelry, and clothing for both men and women. It’s a glamorous shopping experience with beautiful items to add to any wardrobe. Then there’s the Art Shack and Roisin. Each unique and beautiful places to shop and find things for yourself or someone on your list.
Michelle and Bob made Watercolour home
More than business opportunities, Cat wanted her kids to grow up with a quieter life set in a beautiful landscape and a village with a thriving downtown providing all the services you could need, all within a short walk. “We want our children to have a slower pace where they're not always glued to a screen,” she says. “We want our kids out there and being present with the people around them. And this little village is very conducive to that.”
BOB AND MICHELLE’S
FIVE NON NEGOTIABLES Bob and Michelle kept a list of five “must haves” as they looked for the perfect community to spend the next season of their lives.
1 2 3 4 5
Homes built for energy-efficiency with environmentally friendly construction practices. Watercolour’s construction methods and Net Zero Ready homes certainly checked this box.
A neighborhood focused on community development and sustainability. Bob and Michelle were educators and know the importance of human connection for long-term health.
Care for water preservation, forestry, and sustainable development. They saw that Land Ark Homes wasn’t clear cutting or hauling away all the topsoil. The neighbourhood plan worked with existing topography and respected the land.
Floorplans and home design that capitalize on natural light. Bob spent the last part of his career helping build new schools and saw how good design could significantly enhance a space using natural light.
Streets designed to connect to nature. Watercolour connects everyone to their natural surroundings. Trailheads in Watercolour and Westport lead past lakes and forests in all directions.
Cat goes for trail runs up Foley Mountain and evenings walks through the village. She loves the live music every night at the Cove Inn. Community organizations and clubs welcome new members. “And we have beautiful ice cream shops in Westport,” laughs Cat. “I never tire of the landscape and the topography here,” she says. “It's beautiful every day and every season. It's such a special place and the warmth of the people matches it. I highly recommend it as a place to live, raise a family or for people to retire and welcome their family and grandchildren into their homes.”
Starlet Westport, where Cat and her husband Jefta have built an inviting space for some great shopping.
From the visionaries who brought the neighbourhood to life to the families who now call it home, you’ll hear the real stories that give Watercolour Westport its heart and soul. Looking for a better place to call home? You just might find it here. 2 - FA L L A N D W I N T E R 2 0 2 6 / 2 0 2 7
FRONT PORCH LIFE
SOLAR LIVING: FROM FUTURISTIC LUXURY TO AFFORDABLE REALITY
Everyday Canadian homeowners are flipping the switch and going solar
W
ith advanced construction and design, solar living is no longer a luxury for Canadian homeowners. Even through cold winter months, solar is a practical path to lower bills. Combining solar and smart battery backup can offer constant power. A fully electric home that operates affordably wouldn’t have been possible in Canada without significant advances in home building and technology that substantially reduce the energy needed to heat and cool a house. That’s what makes a Net Zero home such a game-changer. It opens up the door to energy independence and resilience for everyone.
REAL MATH FROM A REAL HOUSEHOLD
4
PEOPLE
What makes every home at Watercolour Net Zero Ready is super insulation, super ventilation, and a super-tight building envelope. Very few homes in Canada are built to this Net Zero Ready standard. Watercolour homes also have triple-pane windows, cold-climate air source heat pumps for heating and cooling, air source electric hot water heaters, and LED lights.
1
NET ZERO READY WATERCOLOUR HOME
Moving to Watercolour is possibly the easiest way to live a net-zero life. Over the course of the year, a Watercolour home with added solar panels produces as much energy as it uses. Adding a solar power system through our preferred supplier, Bluewater Energy, is plug and play. Smart battery backup can be easily included.
1 EV
“Our motivation in going solar was first to offset our carbon footprint as much as possible while still enjoying our lifestyle,” says a Watercolour homeowner. “Second, we wanted to reduce and stabilize our long term household expenses.”
35,000 KM DRIVEN
1 HYBRID
If you’re adding solar to your own existing home, you probably won’t be able to achieve net-zero living. However, a solar retrofit can still likely cover 40% to 70% of your annual electricity needs.
FLEXIBILITY WHEN NEEDED
Many communities across Canada offer net metering so excess summer power is sent back to the grid for winter credits, which reduce your winter electrical bill. The electrical utility regulators and providers do have the final say, and are taking small steps in the right direction.
100%
What about cold winters? As long as the sun is shining, solar works. Solar panels run more efficiently in crisp winter air. And modern cold-climate air-source heat pumps can extract solar thermal energy from sub-zero outdoor air and keep Canadian homes cozy on even the most frigid nights. With more frequent and chaotic weather events causing longer power outages, renewable energy from solar with a battery backup gives Canadians the ability to build resilience into the home. There are many reasons to consider solar including a $40,000 interest-free government loan. Solar is one of the best ways homeowners can reduce their energy bills and achieve greater energy security, whether they live in a Net Zero Ready home or not.
PEACE OF MIND
=
54.83
$
MONTHLY ENERGY BILL
Want to learn more? See our YouTube channel or contact our team. We’re always happy to share our solar experience. WAT E R C O L O U RW E S T P O RT. C O M - 3
FRONT PORCH LIFE
WE WON!
WATERCOLOUR: BEST NET ZERO HOME IN CANADA 4 - FA L L A N D W I N T E R 2 0 2 6 / 2 0 2 7
FRONT PORCH LIFE
Land Ark set out to build a legacy community that would be a role model for builders across Canada, combining thoughtful design with high-performance construction.
L
and Ark Homes has won many prestigious awards over the past 39 years. Our latest win is one of the sweetest. The annual Canadian Home Builders’ Association (CHBA) Awards for Housing Excellence is a black-tie event. The celebration was the grand finale of CHBA's Home Building Week in Canada, held this year in Quebec City. We beat out an impressive list of some of the best builders in Canada to take the coveted award for Best Production Net Zero home. We’re stacking this award on top of other awards Land Ark Homes has won over the years including North America’s Best Custom Builder from
the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), Tarion Home Builder of the Year, and NAHB and Custom Home Magazine’s Pacesetter Award.
the roof and a long list of proven technology and superior building techniques. These are healthier, sustainable and resilient homes that are built to last for generations.
Winning this latest award is especially meaningful as our team, trade partners, and suppliers refined or dramatically improved the way we build production homes in Canada. This is bigger than us. Together we accomplished something important.
And we’ve proven that Canada’s best high-performance, fossil-fuel free homes are also attainable. Not only that, but the best homes in Canada are in the heart of Eastern Ontario’s historic cottage country in a walkable community, with integrated nature trails, lookouts, and public gathering places inside the lakeside village of Westport.
A Watercolour Net Zero home is the peak of comfort and efficiency. It produces as much renewable energy on-site as it consumes over the course of a year thanks to solar panels on
We’re proud of this win. And we’re thrilled to bring the trophy home to Westport.
WAT E R C O L O U RW E S T P O RT. C O M - 5
FRONT PORCH LIFE
A BEER LOVER’S LAND The perfect village has its own perfect local beer.
6 - FA L L A N D W I N T E R 2 0 2 6 / 2 0 2 7
FRONT PORCH LIFE
Kevin and Tamara founded Westport Brewing in 2018. Kevin’s father is Irish and they visited the country in 1998. “We were in a lot of different pubs and loved the environment in the afternoon,” says Kevin. “There were families and kids running around. It was just a real gathering place.” As nearby cottage owners, they dreamed of adding something like this to Westport. When the perfect little storefront overlooking the marina came available, they made their dream of bringing pub life to the village into a reality! Opening a micro brewery in a 20 by 50 foot space is a feat of engineering considering it’s a 150 year-old building supporting 12,000 pounds of stainless steel tanks and beer. But the space is perfect. “It's so tight and cozy in here,” says Kevin. “Customers get to know each other. There have been a lot of friendships made just by sitting beside each other over the years.”
If you’re ready for another adventure head to the Kick & Push Brewing Company in nearby Sharbot Lake. Like Westport Brewing, K&P draws heavily on local history for its identity. It takes its name from the historic Kick and Push Railway (the Kingston and Pembroke Railway) that serviced rural Frontenac County starting in the late 19th century. Their signature beer is Relax Alice, a unique blend combining a North American Amber Ale and a British Extra Special Bitter (ESB), resulting in a rich, malty, and complex profile. Find your way 25 minutes north of Westport to Perth for more award-winning beers. Perth has a brewing legacy dating back to 1821. One of Perth Brewery’s signature beers is the Last Duel Lager, named after Canada’s last fatal duel, fought in Perth in 1833. Don’t forget to give their non-alcoholic beer a try too. It’s terrific.
If you’re lucky, you’ll visit when one of the beers is being made. It’s a unique chance to see the brewmaster at work right in front of you. A small but tasty menu is available and the trivia nights are a local favourite. Two of their popular beers are Upper Rideau Blonde Ale, a pale American ale, and Dock Days IPA, a hazy golden IPA featuring bold citrus and floral aromas. Both won silver medals at the Ontario Brewing Awards. Rideau Lakes Red Ale, a complex, maltforward brew with caramel notes and a smooth finish, won bronze.
WAT E R C O L O U RW E S T P O RT. C O M - 7
FRONT PORCH LIFE
COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS BLOOM IN WINTER Friendships come to life in Westport
Amanda and Dean’s pancakes could wait. They didn’t come for the food, they came to find friends. Four different groups of people stopped by the couple’s table at the Shrove Tuesday community dinner in Westport last February. Amanda and her husband Dean had been in Westport for less than 10 months and yet the village already felt familiar. They attended events to intentionally make connections. And they’re glad they did.
busy traffic, forcing them into going the longway around. They wanted an “active” lifestyle – not a “driving” lifestyle. Then they found Watercolour. The Sydenham floorplan was perfect. While technically they were downsizing, the transition felt more like a "lateral move" because their previous home had so much floor space occupied by the staircase. Like all the floorplans at Watercolour, the Sydenham provided a more open, efficient layout that didn't feel like a sacrifice in space.
Amanda also joined Walkers of Westport (WoW). They meet weekly, even in the winter. “It’s very casual,” she says. “You show up and you go for a walk with whoever's there. I've met some great people that way.” Amanda also joined a choir, something she’d never done. It’s called, “Some Kind of Choir” and it’s supported by the Westport Arts Council, a volunteer organization that brings arts of all kinds to the village.
But with two boxes ticked – a walkable life in a beautiful bungalow – the couple then considered the final and perhaps most important question: Could they find friends? And more importantly, could they find community in the winter? Amanda and Dean have lived in New Brunswick where they shared a high value for friendliness, even with strangers.
Friends, community, and visiting over good food. That’s what it looks like when you find your place. Both retired, Amanda and Dean had been living in a four-level townhouse in Ottawa and knew the next home needed to have far fewer stairs. They scoured the communities around Ottawa but even homes with a decent floorplan were built around a car-centric lifestyle. Amanda remembers leaving one new community where they gave up on the left turn into
“When we were exploring the move to Westport, we'd ask people like the waitress at a restaurant, ‘how long have you lived in Westport?’” says Amanda. “And these people would tell us their whole story and most of them said their only regret is they hadn't moved here sooner.” But fulfilling community life requires more than chance conversations with waitstaff. So Amanda started researching Westport and how to make friends their own age. Westport Senior Living is a hub for local activities and services and has become a good connection point for Amanda all year long. The organization uses grant money to offer workshops on hot topics like how to properly use AI. She’s met a lot of people that way.
Dean has his own group of friends too. Every Tuesday their doorbell rings. It’s George, their Watercolour neighbour, ready to walk with Dean to the rink to play shinny hockey. Dean could play three more times a week in a Senior hockey league, walking each time with his sticks in one hand, bag slung over his back. You don’t need to keep looking. The village is waiting for you. Come for a visit, and stay for a lifetime.
Bringing you the latest information on events, businesses and community in the quaint village of Westport. 8 - FA L L A N D W I N T E R 2 0 2 6 / 2 0 2 7
FRONT PORCH LIFE
THE BEVERLEY
THE RIGHT-SIZED HOME YOU’LL LOVE Don’t think of your next move as downsizing or upsizing. The new Beverley bungalow allows you to right-size to your next stage of life – whether that’s with a growing family or living peacefully in a walkable village. The Beverley bungalow, with a finished lower level, is a four-bedroom and threebath home. Available on a carefully designed footprint, you enjoy less maintenance without sacrificing living space. A deep front porch makes the exterior warm and inviting, and it even allows for a two-car garage. Step inside and you will notice a new layout where the kitchen is still on the main floor but the dining and living spaces take centre stage. The kitchen is separated from the main dining area by a peninsula. This placement opens up the space, resulting in a very efficient design without sacrificing amenities like a walk-in closet in the primary bedroom and walk-in pantry in the kitchen. The Beverley represents a new design collection: A right-sized home on a 42’ lot
with the same Net Zero Ready quality and “more and better” standard features of any Watercolour home. Two bedrooms plus an optional office space on the main floor, make the Beverley a unique bungalow. And of course the optional finished basement leaves room for that fourth bedroom. Every Watercolour home has brighter (larger windows), higher ceilings (8'6") and warmer lower-level living areas. Get ready to enjoy cozy comfort in every season and in every space of your new home in Watercolour. Similar homes in this new “right-sized” bungalow collection include the Sharbot and the Christie. Both can be built with optional lofts. Imagine the possibilities when you can build a home + loft on a 42’ lot. With three bedrooms on the main floor, one in the loft, and one in the lower level, you have room to dream and grow. Will one be your yoga room? A library room? Hobby space? We want to bring your dreams to life. Our new floorplans open up new possibilities. Let’s explore them together. You’re going to love it here!
WAT E R C O L O U RW E S T P O RT. C O M - 9
FRONT PORCH LIFE
FROM TRAINS TO TRAILS: CANADA’S HISTORIC COTTAGE COUNTRY Tourists have been coming to Westport since the first steam engine chugged into the village in 1888. Back then, women wore full dresses and men dressed nattily in three-piece suits with stiff collars… even at the beach. Tourists escaped from nearby towns to find peace in Westport with ice fishing in the winter and touring in wooden boats in the summer. The crowd is different now but Westport is as popular as ever and a group of villagers is helping fuel tourism growth with shiny chrome, live music, gravel biking, and more. And the local economy is better for it. Visitors are pouring more money into the economy year-round, supporting the businesses and services residents enjoy.
Westport is unique for a number of reasons. It’s a lakeside village between two heritage sites: The Rideau Canal, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the Frontenac Arch Biosphere, a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve. And Westport is already a shopping and culinary destination for multiple urban centres and rural communities. There’s more than beautiful scenery drawing people in. At different times of the year, people come to the village for shiny chrome and beautiful cars (Westport Car Show), live music on front porches (Westporch Festival), and gravel bike rides (Great Gravel Grind). The Westport Tourism Group’s website at escapetowestport.ca is an excellent resource featuring events, activities and places to explore around the village and beyond. One of the newest additions to the site is a heritage walking tour on the Historic Westport page. Visitors to Westport help boost local businesses and support services for everyone – especially villagers. But the activities being promoted also reflect the passions of the people who run them. Aragona is the “driving” force behind the Westport Car Show. It’s already a hugely popular event. The Westport Tourism Group sees how European towns market themselves and the quality of services offered to tourists. Westport is built for this.
Joe Aragona and a group of volunteers are promoting tourism in the village through the Westport Tourism Group, a not-for-profit that is developing the assets and programs needed to market Westport as an attractive four-season tourist destination.
“It’s the people who live here who make tourism possible,” says Aragona. “The community is very welcoming. People say hello as they pass you on the street, whether they know you or not. They’re proud of the village they live in and are happy to share that joy with visitors.”
CHANCE ENCOUNTERS AT THE RUN CLUB They say running is a lonely sport. Don’t tell that to the 25 or so faithfuls who show up to the Westport running club. The club started for practical reasons. Paul Millar, part of the Watercolour team, knew that being accountable to others would help him stick to his personal running plan. He posted an invite to the inaugural run in April. “It’s incredibly easy creating community here in Westport,” says Paul, who lives in the village. “I would have been pleased with three other people. The response has been incredible. People here want to engage in things. That’s not the case everywhere.” One or two social posts was all it took. To his surprise, 16 people showed up to the first run. They now have three club runs a week – two morning runs and one in the evening. The oldest member is 75 and the youngest runner is 15. Well, technically the youngest member is actually a baby – a young mom is pushing a stroller. Club members meet at Watercolour and split up from there. Some do walk/run, others do straight running. Either way, everyone’s back at the starting point within an hour. Paul has a vision for creating a space for chance encounters. The run club is a place where people who wouldn’t otherwise rub shoulders get a chance to meet someone new – and get fit while doing it. “It’s about accountability, community, and encouragement,” says Paul. “People love community here in Westport.”
1 0 - FA L L A N D W I N T E R 2 0 2 6 / 2 0 2 7
FRONT PORCH LIFE
IT’S TIME TO MAKE YOUR MOVE TO WATERCOLOUR Purchase before March 31 to qualify for the government 13% HST rebate
There are two good reasons to buy a Watercolour home: Trailside Phase 3 lots are now available and selling fast PLUS the clock is ticking on the HST rebate for new home purchases. The Ontario Enhanced New Housing Rebate (ENHR) is a government tax relief program that temporarily eliminates the 13% HST on qualifying new homes. This HST rebate is for EVERYONE, not just first-time homebuyers. The only stipulation is that it must be your primary residence. Other than that, it doesn’t matter if this is the first time you’re buying a new home or the tenth time, you still get the rebate. No HST is paid on homes up to $1 million. For homes worth more than $1 million, the HST is only paid on the amount over $1 million. Purchase agreements must be signed before March 31, 2027. The Ontario government is leaving it up to the builders to decide how to apply the savings. At Watercolour, the savings are deducted directly from the final purchase price so you don't pay the HST upfront. That makes it easier to get financing. You can start the process right now by viewing the site plan at WatercolourWestport.com. That will give you an idea of the lots still available in Trailside Phase 3. When you’re ready to talk, reach out to Paul or Victoria through the website or by visiting the model home. They can walk you through the plans and help you personalize your home. “We just want people to be aware of the timelines,” says Paul. “If you’ve been dreaming about making the move, now’s the time. We still have some beautiful lots in Trailside Phase 3 and the HST rebate deadline is coming fast.”
2 Pathways to the Watercolour life
This new Watercolour homeowner bought her new move-in-ready home almost at first-sight. She did a walk through and made the decision. When you see what you want, grab it!
LEGEND
MODEL HOME PHASES 1-2 TOWNHOUSES (26-44 LOTS) SEMIS (30' LOTS) SINGLE-DETACHED (38' LOTS) SINGLE-DETACHED (42' LOTS) SINGLE-DETACHED (50' LOTS) MOVE-IN READY HOME SOLD
A home your way A move-in ready home Scan to view Floor Plans
WAT E R C O L O U RW E S T P O RT. C O M - 1 1
YOUR HOME, YOUR WAY. If you can dream it, you can live it here in Watercolour.
1 3
PICK A LOT Choose from a variety of available lots in the right size for your lifestyle.
2
PICK A PLAN Find the floorplan that suits the way you live.
PERSONALIZE YOUR FOREVER HOME You will enjoy a complimentary consultation with our designers to choose from the finishes and fixtures on display in our design centre, at the model home. Our standard finishes include $200K features other builders call upgrades. Land Ark Homes has its roots deeply grounded in the custom home marketplace. We have expertise in bringing to life the home of your dreams. We accommodate changes to our floorplans that give you the layout that works best for you. Choose one of our floorplans and let’s get started. We have trusted advisors and tradespeople who provide their expertise and guide the personalization process for you. Do you have a unique hobby? Is there an accessibility need you would like to accommodate? Are you looking for a unique change to make your dream home a reality? We will provide you with pricing for personalization giving you confidence your home is built to our Award Winning standards with craftsmanship and pride.
4
PACK YOUR THINGS With our Phase 3 release well underway, our high standards of craftsmanship are worth the wait! During construction you will have a framing walk through, and then wait for your home to come to life. Currently our wait time is approximately 8-12 months.
5
PREPARE TO ENJOY THE WATERCOLOUR LIFE Spend a lifetime exploring the natural beauty that surrounds you in Westport. You have found a better place to call home!
Visit us 7 days a week. Check our website for opening hours. PAUL MILLAR
SALE ASSOCIATE
VICTORIA HUM
SALES MANAGER.
Phase 3 lot availability with new pond and parkland.
613-884-6673 • sales@watercolourwestport.com 148 HEARTHSIDE DRIVE • WATERCOLOURWESTPORT.COM