Newboro & the Rideau Lakes
Dewhirst is the trusted local team that opens, closes, watches over, and cares for cottages across Newboro and the Rideau Lakes. One phone call, and it’s handled.
Owning a place on the water is one of life’s great pleasures. Maintaining it from the city is not.
You shouldn’t have to line up five different contractors, wonder whether the work got done, or lie awake during a February storm hoping the pipes held. You need one local team you trust. That’s what we do.
What we do
Some things we do ourselves — opening and closing, property checks, small repairs, dock work. For everything else — plumbing, electrical, a tree down after a storm — we coordinate the right trusted local trade and stay on it until it’s done right. Either way, you make one phone call.
Water on, dock in, winter damage checked, and everything guest-ready for the season.
Arrive to a cottage that’s open, clean, and waiting. Repairs and projects handled between your visits.
Water drained, dock out, everything secured for winter — done right, so nothing freezes.
While it sits empty we check on it — after every storm, through the coldest months — and send you photos.
Protect your coverage
Many insurance policies require regular checks on an unoccupied property — often weekly — and documented proof if you ever need to make a claim. Every visit we make is timestamped, photographed, and written up. Peace of mind for you, and exactly the record your insurer is looking for.
Requirements vary by policy — we’re glad to speak with your broker.
The Dewhirst Property Playbook™
Which breaker runs the dock. Where the hidden water shutoff is. Which valve to open first. Every cottage holds decades of knowledge — and almost none of it is written down. We preserve it in a living operating manual that’s yours to keep, and a genuine asset when you sell.
Why Dewhirst
We’re trusted with your keys and your codes. We take that seriously.
You’ll always know exactly who is looking after your place.
Photos, a clear report, and communication before you have to ask.
We’re not chasing one job. We’re earning the next twenty years.
Meet the family
Dewhirst Home & Cottage Care is a father-and-son business, run by Eric and Torin, right here in Newboro.
Eric has spent more than forty years with a family cottage — opening it each spring, closing it each fall, putting in the docks, and learning first-hand what it takes to care for a place on the water. That’s the experience he brings to every property he looks after here on the Rideau Lakes. Torin brings the work ethic and hands-on experience, with a background in lawn and property care, and is learning every corner of the trade alongside his dad.
Eric is also a board member of the Newboro & Area Heritage Society — this community isn’t just where we work, it’s home.
We started Dewhirst for a simple reason: we know how hard it is to find someone local you can trust to look after a cottage — so we decided to be those people. We treat every property as if it were our own. For forty years, one was.
Membership
The best way to care for a cottage isn’t one job at a time — it’s a relationship across the whole year. Every plan includes documented visits, photos, and communication before you ask.
The essentials: professional opening and closing.
Opening, closing, and winter watch — so your empty cottage is never truly unwatched.
Everything in Silver, plus summer pre-arrival prep and more frequent winter checks.
Complete, year-round care with priority response and full project coordination.
No lock-in. Memberships are billed monthly — cancel anytime. We’d rather earn your business every single visit than hold you to a signature.
Get started
For $99, we’ll visit your cottage, document what matters, and give you a clear, honest picture of how we can help — no pressure, no obligation. If you join, the $99 goes toward your first service.
Serving Newboro and the Rideau Lakes. Fully insured & bonded.