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Our favourite fool
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Muskoka's Always Been Inn
A look back at cottage country’s original hotels as we approach Victoria Day
FOR WELL OVER a century, Muskoka’s tourism trade has thrived, with some family-run hotels tracing their roots back as early as the mid-1800s. Known as a playground for the rich and famous, by the turn of the century, thousands of visitors were heading north to escape the heat of summer city living. And, though ownership has changed over the years, this holiday hot spot still boasts several grandes dames of the original cottage country boom.
Established in 1874 by Charles Minett, one of Muskoka’s original settlers, the sprawling Clevelands House resort overlooks the western shores of Lake Rousseau, in the heart of Muskoka country. Originally called “Cleeve Lands” after Minett’s English birthplace, it was a misprint on a hotel register that gave Clevelands House its current name. In 1887, 75 rooms were available to lodgers at $1.25 per night, and when a third storey was added to the house, Minett chose a mansard roof and octagonal tower so the building would resemble shape of the passing steamboats.
The stately Deerhurst Resort, established by Charles Waterhouse in 1896, was the first major resort founded in northern Muskoka, and during its opening week, guests paid $3.50 per person for a week of accommodation. The Delawana Inn followed in 1897 on Honey Harbour, offering its visitors perks like the use of private boats and picnic lunches.
The Bala Bay Inn, (known as the Swastika Hotel prior to the Second World War when the symbol meant only good luck) was built in 1910 on Muskoka Lake, one of the first brick hotels in the area. The Inn’s rich heritage is reflected not only in its architecture, but also in its ghost stories, with many “permanent guests” said to wander the halls at night.
And for star sightings, the luxurious Bigwin Inn was the place to be. Over the years famous guests included Clark Gable and Carole Lombard, Ernest Hemingway, Princess Juliana of the Netherlands and John Diefenbaker, and the inn’s pavilion played host to jazz greats Count Basie and Duke Ellington.
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