GBA Update Spring 2024

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Looking For Adventure Eugene Walden grew up on a farm in the Ripley area of western Ontario and was familiar mainly with the beachy shores of Lake Huron. Thus, he and his older brother Carl were drawn to the opportunity to experience the rugged landscape of the Canadian Shield. Not long after Carl received word of lots for sale on Twelve

would provide an opportunity for students on the reserve to receive their education in MacTier and no longer at the one-room schoolhouse – but it still proved barely passable for the average car. Because lumber trucks refused to travel down the private bush trail, the options were to hire a barge or risk damage while traversing the trail. While costly, barging was the safer option, and

Eugene Walden’s original Lot 7 cottage.

Mile Bay through a work colleague sometime in 1957, he and Eugene set off from Parry Sound in a small boat with a 15-horsepower motor going off of the same verbal descriptions that Don Emslie was given: look for a wide mouth opening to a long, narrow bay. Hours later, the brothers arrived in the sanctuary of the bay and cruised past the initial 39 lots while taking notes on the areas that appealed to them most, even though the thick foliage made it hard to tell what each lot offered. The stakes were the only thing clear to see. The brothers pledged not to tell each other which lots they were pursuing before filing their applications. Initially, Eugene had his heart set on owning the only island, however, in 1959, he and Carl managed to secure lots seven and three, avoiding any potential conflict between them. Once their applications were approved by the Department of Lands and Forests, lot owners had two years to erect a department-approved structure or they would be fined. Apart from the areas covered in salt-and-pepper-coloured rock, most of the lots were dominated by spruce, pines and thick foliage, which made clearing

many had their prefabricated structures brought in this way. Attempting the latter option, Eugene Walden decided to transport his materials using an international panel truck. He thought it was a successful mission at first, but while moving the materials to his boat at the bay, he noticed a crack in one of the windows. Exasperated by the effort it took to get there, the cracked window remained part of his cottage for 30 years, an ever-present reminder of the struggles of the early years. Each lot presented unique challenges in clearing land and putting up a structure, but getting in and out of the bush trail was an everyday, ongoing chore for all, and it is often how cottagers came to meet one another. They learned quickly that it was best to wait to create convoys to tackle the mud and swamps to ensure everyone made it through. Having to stop to cut down trees to get by and getting stuck only to get out and get stuck again were as common as not getting out of second gear. Because of the toll the rigours of the trail took on cars, many opted to leave their preferred vehicle at the clearing at

Highway 103 and used an older, secondary vehicle to take the brunt of the trail. By 1961, cottagers had formed the Twelve Mile Bay Community Association, led by Don Dunford. developing bay, like road status and road fees, a government dock, health codes, garbage disposal, and hydro prospects. It was also used to plan dances, corn roasts, and regattas, traditions that would continue for years – because they weren’t all work and no play! Charles Hardwicke and Douglas Shaw, on behalf of the original 39 owners and other MacTier The Association informed cottagers on issues facing a

enough space for a structure and driveway access by axe and saw rather onerous. A limitation on time and finances also factored in, as full-time jobs and young families were the reality for most. The task of getting building materials into the bay was the next challenge. Throughout 1960 and 1961, the condition of the original bush trail started by Charles Hardwicke had been slightly upgraded through the availability of a grant from the Department of Indian Affairs – the improvement of which

Carl Walden’s secondary trail vehicle.

www.georgianbay.ca

GBA UPDATE Spring 2024

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