New history book delves into the people and places of Skeleton Lake

The Skeleton Lake Cottagers Organization is releasing The Bones of Skeleton Lake in July 2021, a more than 240-page deep dive into the captivating history and culture of the prosperous lake.

The book contains 800 photos and eleven chapters of in-depth and vibrant information ranging from the meteor impact that formed the lake, to the lake’s early development and colonization, and the arrival of tourism and economic activity.

The authors of the book, Ken Reese and Cary DeLoye, are members of the Skeleton Lake Cottagers Organization and have been hard at work for five years in their quest to bring this book to fruition.

Reese’s experience as a forester and his love for Skeleton Lake were two of the major catalysts for the birth of the book. In his extensive research on trees around the lake, he unearthed a plethora of forgotten and poorly documented history which became the basis for the book’s foundation.

“I was always wondering what the story was with the trees,” Reese says. “I discovered that there were eight sawmills on the lake, with almost no documentation.”

Cary DeLoye grew up on Skeleton Lake and is part of the Wilson/Bullen family’s seven-generation connection to the lake. DeLoye had previously written and published a book about his family, which gave him the experience and know-how for the formation of The Bones of Skeleton Lake.

Reese and DeLoye had a great deal of help from two other members of the Skeleton Lake Cottagers Association: Joanne Hutchison and John Wyndham, both of whom are descendants of early settlers on the lake. Hutchison used her background in marketing and manual writing to edit and rewrite portions of the book and Wyndham used his publishing background to form it into a printable format.

(Above) The Bones of Skeleton Lake includes photos like this one, the Skeleton Lake Fish Hatchery in 1953.

Overall, Reese says his main goal for the book was to place emphasis on the families that have inhabited the lake for generations, as their histories have shaped the community and culture to what it is today. There are some 500 families presently on the lake and Reese and DeLoye spoke to 150 of them – many of whom are fourth and fifth generation.

These families helped to reveal a deep and vast history of Skeleton Lake and provided most of the stories and photos included in the book.

“The book would not have happened if not for these families,” Reese says.

Due to the lake’s substantial size, many residents are secluded and unaware of what is happening in other areas. Reese’s hope for the outcome of the book is that it will be a means for the various families on Skeleton Lake to feel connected to each other. By telling the stories of many of these families, he is hoping to educate and create a network of knowledge among the residents of the lake.

“New cottagers will be amazed at the earlier times they know little about,” Reese says. “The lake has developed as local communities that did not mix, a turnover of old cottagers, new folks who have recently moved in, and folks that don’t know those across the lake. The book should help bind the various communities.”

Authors Cary DeLoye (above left) and Ken Reese (skeletonlake.ca)

The rich history of Skeleton Lake was impossible to fit all into one book, so any information that was not included in the final draft has been deposited into the Windermere archives, available for the public to enjoy.

A portion of the book’s proceeds will go towards Skeleton Lake Cottagers Organization activities, including a fundraiser to fight against the proposed Lippa Pit & Quarry.

To preorder a copy of The Bones of Skeleton Lake, visit skeletonlake.ca.

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