Two iconic Haliburton County landmarks are in the news this week.
The first is Sunday’s 100th birthday celebration at the Bonnie View Inn on Lake Kashagawigamog.
The second is the Ecclestone family purchasing Minden’s former Rockcliffe Tavern.
It seems fitting that both stories coincide with the Labour Day weekend. It is always a rite of passage in the Highlands – as cottagers and visitors turn from carefree summer days and begin to think about returning to the city and getting their kids ready for school.
While they will dribble in and out until Thanksgiving weekend – and a hardy few will visit in winter – the exodus marks another turning of the wheel.
At one time, from about 1940 to 1969, resorts were a big business in Haliburton County. There were 17 alone on Kashagawigamog and Canning lakes. People would come for long stretches of time, weeks. Today, folks come for a few days. Times have changed.
Lakefront homes and cottages have replaced many of them, though there are still lodges and summer camps for kids.
So, for Bonnie View to be marking 100 years is nothing short of remarkable. But it’s taken the blood, sweat and tears of Andrea Hagarty. While no longer the owner, she has helped out until present day. The lodge’s success has to do with pivoting with the times. For example, it is now a well-established Highlands wedding venue. They also bank on nostalgia, people coming as adults who came as kids.
Jim Ecclestone, whose kids have purchased the Rockcliffe in Minden, talks about boating up the Gull River and mooring in town. Trips to the Beaver Theatre, stopping at the tavern, going into the general store for back-to-school supplies. The grown adults remember it too. It’s part of the reason they made the purchase – to see if they can breathe life into the old place.
It’s early days. They don’t even know if the building, which has been sitting empty for years, can be saved. If it can – and that is a big ‘if’ – they’ll then begin to think about what to do with it. There is no guarantee it will ever be a tavern again. However, for now, it is already looking better than the eyesore it has been for years. It may have to be demolished one day. Only time will tell. However, at least the Ecclestone family care enough about its history to have a crack at it. We are inspired by what they are trying to do.
Can’t say enough about the Bonnie View, either. It exudes Haliburton County history. We applaud Andrea and the new owners for keeping that legacy alive.
So, we encourage folks to drop into the Bonnie View this Sunday from 1-6 p.m. to share stories of their experiences with the place. And, we encourage anyone making their way into downtown Minden to give Jim and Shane Gallagher and their workers a thumbs up as they continue work at the corner of Bobcaygeon Road and Newcastle Street.
The resort and the tavern are important parts of our history – and they deserve to be celebrated.
