Page 47 - Dockside Magazine Muskoka, Summer/Fall 2018

For the Langmaids, that diverse landscape allowed them to move with the sun. They would start the day
on the East Dock, enjoying the morning light. They would sip coffee, soak up the view, and maybe watch their father catch the breeze in an Albacore or a windsurfer. (A highly competitive sailor,
he reluctantly gave up windsurfing around the time he turned 90.) “It was
a glorious place to sit and chat and admire the view,” says Langmaid.
As the sun shifted, so would the family. “We would take the pathway around ‘The Point’ at the south point of the island,” says Langmaid, “and continue along to the Little Cottage.” On the west side, the shoreline is sandy and shallow, with a natural beach. Afternoons were spent watching the children splash in the shallows – children, then grandchildren and more recently great- grandchildren enjoying the waters of Lake Rosseau.
Sometimes in the late season, the day might include a hike
to the hill that dominates the island. “It’s quite a hike up to the plateau,” says Langmaid. “But there are dramatic views to the north, east and south.”
Substantial opportunities
The sheer size of the property is a remarkable feature, particularly in the modern days, says Clarke. “The number of properties with 1,700 feet of waterfront in Muskoka right now is precisely one. This is it.”
Even more unusual is the fact that the ten-acre property is divided into three separate lots – one with the main cottage, a dry boathouse and a boat port; a second with the small cottage, a bunkie and another boat port; and
a third lot that is vacant.
This presents a tremendous range of options for the next owners, says Clarke. “It could be a treasured Old-Muskoka family compound, much as it
is now,” he says. “Or it could
be developed with three boathouses and three cottages.”
As a family compound, it could also be developed as a
Georgian Bay-style property, the main cottage serving
as a hub for meals and socializing, with additional sleeping quarters dotted around the property.
Room to share
Even without making any changes, the island can accommodate a crowd. The smaller cottage has two bedrooms, as well as a bunkie located right at the water’s edge a few steps away.
The larger cottage is designed to house quite a few more people. The upper floor in the original section of the cottage is set up dormitory- style, with a large room
that is perfect for a whole houseful of grandchildren
to share. “There’s a master bedroom and ensuite in its own wing of the cottage, giving the parents privacy and quiet,” Clarke says.
The master wing is separated from the rest of the cottage
by a bright, open Muskoka room. It, along with the attached wrap-around porch, were added by the family. “My
mother’s favourite place to sit and read a book was in that sunroom,” says Langmaid.
The family also added the pine-lined dining room, to ensure there was plenty of space for family dinners.
“In the summer, we would usually barbecue on the deck and eat out there,” he says. “When we came up
for Thanksgiving, we always had a big dinner in the dining room.”
Even in the early season, eating outside is never a problem,
he notes. “The island has always been remarkably free
of insects,” he says. “There’s usually a little bit of a breeze, and even in spring we’ve never had a blackfly issue.”
This magical, varied island
is now available for the next generation of owners to make their own traditions. DS
BY ANDREW WAGNER-CHAZALON
“The number of properties with 1,700 feet of waterfront in Muskoka right now is precisely one. This is it.”
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116A Medora Street, Port Carling 705-765-1820 www.MyMuskokaCottages.com