Pontoon boat collides with Mattawa dock. Driver charged with impaired

A pontoon boat collision on the Mattawa River has led to impaired operation charges against a local man. On Saturday, August 15, at 11:15 a.m., North Bay OPP responded to a report that a pontoon boat struck a dock on Timmins Street at the confluence of the Mattawa and Ottawa rivers. Police interviewed the vessel operator and found grounds to believe he had been drinking. The boater was arrested and taken to the Mattawa OPP Detachment for further testing. Rick Wright, 58, of Mattawa, faces charges including operating while impaired by alcohol and operating with a blood alcohol concentration of 80 plus. He was released and will appear in Ontario Court of Justice in North Bay on September 15.