It’s Wayback Wednesday, sponsored by Jamie Lockwood, broker/owner of Sutton Group Muskoka Realty!
Thomas J. White born in 1862 in County Armagh, Ireland, came to Canada in 1888 to join his brother W. J. White to form White Brothers Hardware Store on Huntsville’s Main Street. Thomas acquired the Lake of Bays property for Britannia Hotel from George Patmore at the turn of the century and in 1905 he hired architect John Wilson of Collingwood, to design the hotel. The original main building was a four-storey structure with a gambrel roof. When Thomas died in 1954, his son, Paul Sarson White left his position as vice president and general sales manager of Alcan Inc. in Montreal and decided to turn the hotel into a year-round resort. A new three-storey fireproof lodge was built and opened in 1955. A ski hill was added and a two-sheet artificial ice curling rink. In 1958 the golf course was rebuilt and a new clubhouse was added. During his time as owner, White also served as president of the Lake of Bays Association [LOBA] during the late 1950s and early 1960s. During this time, several of LOBA’s annual meetings were held at Britannia.
The property was sold to a Hamilton business group in 1973 and the hotel closed. White kept eight acres for himself on which he built a home with his second wife, and travelled the world. (With excerpts from a 2006 story published in the Huntsville Forester).
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Britannia employed a lot of people from out our way, Brunel Rd., and I was there a lot in early days. The hotel offered accommodation for a good number of the employees.
My Grandmother and Grandfather both worked there in the 50’s. Gram was a cook (she sure could) and Gramp did odd jobs and looked after the boats and canoes. He may have had other duties, but I was pretty young and never paid attention.
My Uncle Russ and Aunt Pearl worked in the kitchens there, Russ as a pastry chef (you still wouldn’t trade one of his butter-tarts for one Gram made), and Pearl as a chef. It was amazing how much food it took to feed that lodge full of people. I never hung out in the kitchens because it was just too hot. Health and Safety would have had a heart attack, just inspecting that kitchen today.
Lots of cottagers would arrange for at the hotel, and it was always special to be there when a man named Peck would come for one of those meals. His boat would anchor near the dock and he would be rowed over to it. The captain would wait til the man was finished his meal, and then take him back to the boat. Although he had a substantial fleet, I think it was the Wanda 111 that I remember.
The hotel was rebuilt in 54/55 and my Dad worked there through the winter and spring.
We were ice fishing on the lake in 58(?), when the curling rink collapsed, the snow and ice load too much for the Quonset style building. We felt as much as heard the concussion.
The ‘Straw-hat Players’ used to perform there in the summers, and a lot of people enjoyed spending the evenings watching the plays. I saw The Chocolate-Cream Soldier there.
It was a touch-stone for a lot of people, both as an employer and as a place for dinner and an evening out.
Back in the day.