Westboro Beach and the Great River Road

Our restaurant is located at the heart of Westboro Beach, a place of profound cultural, industrial, and ecological significance on the shores of the majestic Ottawa River. This site is far more than just a beach; it is a point where layers of history—spanning millennia of Indigenous life, 19th-century industry, and contemporary environmental stewardship—converge.

The Great River Road (Kichi Zībī Mīkan)

Our location sits directly on the Kichi Zībī Mīkan, the official name for the scenic parkway. This name, which translates from the Anishinàbe Algonquin language as "Great River Road," honors the Ottawa River (Kichi Zībī), the original Algonquin name for the waterway. For the Algonquin Nation, the Kichi Zībī is a spiritual and life-sustaining river that has connected communities and provided for generations. The renaming of the road reflects a commitment to recognizing the Algonquin Nation's deep connection to this traditional territory.

Layers of History at Westboro Beach

The shoreline here has been shaped by three distinct eras:

Traditional Algonquin Lifeway: The area is part of the vast traditional territory of the Algonquin Nation. The new interpretation on-site validates the Algonquin worldview, noting that this location is downstream from the confluence of the Noire, Dumoine, and Coulonge rivers—a system known to the Algonquin People as the “Three Sisters”. Further back in time, the earth itself tells an ancient story, as rare stromatolite fossils, offering a glimpse into the prehistoric past, were uncovered during the recent revitalization.

The Industrial Era: In the 1800s, this tranquil riverfront was a booming industrial hub. The site hosted Skead’s Mill, a large sawmill that processed logs floated downriver and gave birth to the local settlement known as Skead's Mills (later renamed Westboro in 1899). Although the mill is gone, its remnants remain protected as a registered archaeological site (BiFw-71).

The Recreational and Modern Era: Established as a privately owned bathing site in the early 1900s, the beach transitioned to public parkland under federal stewardship, becoming a cherished local gathering place. A key landmark is the Strutt Pavilion, a modernist structure designed in 1966, whose bold design was preserved during the recent restoration.

Today, the recently revitalized Westboro Beach stands as a vibrant, year-round riverfront destination, a key component of the Ottawa River South Shore Riverfront Park Plan.

As you dine with us, you are enjoying a place where thousands of years of human connection to the Great River Road are honoured.