2,100 SQ.FT. | 4 BEDROOMS | 3 BATHS
By Martha Uniacke Breen
This gem of a property is the kind of family compound that only rarely comes up these days, and never stays on the market for very long. It’s a classic Muskoka family cottage, surrounded by pine trees and granite outcrops, owned by just a few families since the early days and often passed down from generation to generation. Now, says Cayman Marshall realtor Steve Haddock, it’s ready for another family to start their own new traditions here.
A little over five acres in total, the property comprises a full 1,000 feet of southwest-facing shoreline on beautiful Horseshoe Lake, just north of Lake Joseph and about ten minutes from the town of Rosseau. Horseshoe, Haddock observes, is just the right size for waterskiing and sailing – but quiet enough to enjoy an early-morning paddle, as the mist rises over water as still as glass.
The main cottage is an authentic log cabin originally built in 1935, upgraded and enlarged by the current owners into a comfortable three-bedroom cottage with a loft. There’s also a cozy sleeping cabin at the water’s edge with a screen porch perched right over the water; the current owners say that enjoying morning coffee out there almost feels like you’re on a houseboat, and affords a ringside view of wildlife on the lake.
One of the crown jewels of the property is its two-storey boathouse, an update of an older one on the site (whose base now serves as the crib for a nearby dock) and a rarity on Horseshoe Lake, since the construction of new boathouses is no longer permitted. The boathouse includes a generous-sized slip at water level large enough for up to two boats, with expansive guest quarters and a vaulted ceiling on the second storey above. The shoreline is quite shallow here, making it safe for little kids to paddle about (in other places it’s as deep as seventy feet, excellent for fishing).
From the boathouse deck high above the water, says another of the current owners – herself part of the third generation of this family to grow up here – there’s clear views of both sunrise and sunset; at night, you can see a panoramic view of the stars from the comfort of your bed. “I have never seen the Milky Way as clearly as I have from here,” she says.
One of the more unusual features is a small private island, easily accessible by canoe or, for the more adventurous, a brisk 180-metre swim across the channel. It’s great for picnics, exploring and walking in nature, or kid-safe campouts, and features an old stone fireplace set on an outcropping of rocks at the shoreline, built at the same time as the original cabin and one of two on the property (the other stands in front of the main cottage).
But when the mood strikes for a great restaurant meal, shopping, or just everyday supplies like the grocery store or the LCBO, the town of Rosseau is just ten minutes down the road, and the larger community of Parry Sound is another five minutes after that. The lake also features a close-knit community of fellow cottagers; the neighbours are close enough for the kids to play with and the grownups to meet for a drink, but far enough away that you can freely enjoy uninterrupted family time when you prefer.
As Steve Haddock says, “it’s the kind of property that many of us think of when we picture the classic Muskoka family cottage.” And the time has come for a new family to establish themselves here – whether they choose to build on the legacy that has been here from the beginning, or to start completely fresh.
“It’s all about the lake, the classic rock-and-pine landscape, the beautiful sunsets,” says Steve. “These are just some of the things that make this a grade-A property.”
