Camping des Chutes de la Rouge is growing. 

On August 9, Grenville-sur-la-Rouge Council approved a significant $1,940,000 expansion to the campground, located along the Ottawa River and Rivière Rouge, where the two rivers meet. 

As a result of the regulation approved by council, 50 to 60 new campsites and 20 sites with ready-to-camp units will be added. Most of the expansion will take place in the southern part of the park, which is between Route 148 and the Ottawa River. A $640,000 subsidy from the Québec government will help cover the cost of the expansion, but the municipality is planning for park revenue to eventually pay off the entire cost of the project over 20 years. 

According to Mayor Tom Arnold, a complete evaluation of the existing water and electrical systems in the park will also be done as part of the expansion to determine of any repairs are needed. 

In 2021, the municipality took ownership of the southern side of the park and also owns the campground area north of Route 148 beside Rivière Rouge. A not-for-profit organization operates the campground under an agreement with the municipality.  

Arnold said in 2020, the first year of the arrangement between the not-for-profit organization and municipality, the campground brought about $40,000 in revenue to Grenville-sur-la-Rouge and also returned the cost of its $60,000 yearly lease to the municipality. 

The sandy beach along the Ottawa River at Camping des Chutes de la Rouge is a popular place in the summer. The size of the beach has grown in recent years because of alluvium—or silt and sand which has deposited along the shore as a result of flowing water where the Ottawa and Rouge rivers meet. The municipality does not own all of that extra sand which has accumulated and therefore has no authority to do any maintenance or enforcement of rules on the land. The newly formed beach area is by default, government land. On August 9, Grenville-sur-la-Rouge council agreed to pursue a lease agreement with the Québec government to lease the extra beach area. 

Director-General Marc Beaulieu said details of the possible agreement are still being examined. If the lease goes ahead, it will cost the municipality just $1,000. 

Land purchase 

Hydro-Québec has recently declared shoreline land it owns along the Ottawa River surplus to its needs. Much of the land was required by the utility decades ago when preparations were being made for the construction of the Carillon Hydroelectric Station downstream. On August 9, Grenville-sur-la-Rouge Council authorized the municipality to sign a deed for the purchase of three surplus Hydro-Québec lots along the Ottawa River at a cost of $30,003. The funds for the purchase of the lots will come from a surplus in the parks budget. 

Land sales 

Grenville-sur-la-Rouge would like to sell lands it does not need. On August 9, council approved a mandate to have properties the municipality has acquired due to unpaid taxes appraised to be sold. The cost of the appraisals is $400. A maximum of $20,800 could be spent on the appraisals, which when calculated, means there are 52 properties. Mayor Tom Arnold said not all of the properties will be sold because some of them may be useful in areas where roads and other municipal infrastructure may be expanded in the future. 

Paving approved 

More paving will soon be happening along chemin Kilmar in Grenville-sur-la-Rouge. On August 9, council awarded a paving contract worth $210,986 to pave 750 metres of the road near chemin Lessard.