MASTERPIECE LAKESIDE MASTERPIECE

Family is everything for a retired Toronto couple who’ve been coming up the Escarpment for nearly four decades.

by Marc Huminilowycz / photography by Clay Dolan

It all began in 1987 when the couple bought a weekend retreat in Cranberry Village. Ten years later, looking for a larger home in which to spend more time throughout the year, they purchased a condo in Dockside, then later a chalet at Alpine Springs—the development at the base of Alpine Ski Club.

“Our children were getting older, having their own kids, and moving away, and we thought it would be nice to have a place where they could all come back,” says the couple. “Alpine Springs was not big enough for what we desired, so we started looking for another place that would meet our needs.”

As luck would have it, a vacant property with 166 ft. of

Georgian Bay shoreline near Thornbury became available in 2019. The couple jumped at the opportunity to build a family retreat large enough to accommodate their growing family, which then included their three children, their spouses, and six grandchildren.

“We were looking for waterfront to make it a year-round retreat and the site matched all of our criteria; close to Alpine Ski Club, Thornbury, Collingwood, friends, hiking and biking. And, it was on a small, private street that we had not even heard about!”, say the homeowners, who chose architectural designer Bradley (Brad) Abbott to help them realize their dream.

The couple showed Abbott pictures of what they had in mind, including high ceilings, lake views and lots of indoor/