The Collingwood Dragon Boat & Canoe Club will be restoring a piece of the town's marine history, thanks to a one-year $50,000 grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF). Simcoe Grey MPP Jim Wilson, and Alicia Savage, a volunteer with thte Ontario Trillium Foundation, were at Watt's Boathouse recently to officially congratulate the Club on receiving their grant.

"This is good news for our area," said Wilson. "The volunteers at the dragon boat and canoe club deserve a great deal of credit for forging ahead with this project and helping to make it a reality" Wilson added.

Funds from the OTF grant will be used to help renovate the former Watt's Boathouse to accommodate the boats and programs of the dragon boat club. This includes restoring a section of the 130-year-old building damaged by fire set by vandals two years ago.

The club acquired the building from former owner Peter Watts and moved the structure from First Street to its new location close to the Collingwood Terminals last Spring.

In the 1850's, Collingwood resident and fisherman William Watts became Collingwood’s pioneer boat-builder, founding what became the town’s major industry. "Collingwood's proud shipbuilding past is well documented along the town's Harbourlands trail system. The addition of the Watt's boathouse makes this portion of our trail system an even more special place for town residents and visitors to enjoy" added Dunbar.

The Watt's boat building business flourished in Collingwood for over 135 years. Watt's skiffs were built in Collingwood and shipped throughout the Great Lakes. William Watts boat building business continued until the early 1940's when declining fish stocks reduced the demand for his fishing vessals. These vessals were built to withstand the unpredictable waters of Georgian Bay. Watts boat builders once built lifeboats for ships built in the Collingwood Shipyards. Throughout the 1960's, Reg Watts, built a steel hull pleasure vessal inside the Watts boathouse. Many years later, Watts launched the boat at the Collingwood Shipyards, closing the most recent chapter in the Watts boat building history in Collingwood.

Today, you can view a Watts replica built in 1999 in the Collingwood Museum located at The Station. In addition, you can purchase a book detailing the Watts Skiff.