Though I am not one of them - I always opt for holidays in another city, preferably far away - I know that the vacation dream of a great many Torontonians involves having a perfect house in Ontario's getaway country. But the demand for such places on or near our sparkling northern lakes is high, and the supply is scanty and costly. It's not surprising, then, that some enterprising entrepreneurs have taken to building rural Ontario retreats for city folks that are more affordable than the usual cottage.
The example I'm thinking of today is the Muskoka Bay Club, which occupies an 850-acre site adjacent to the town of Gravenhurst and includes an award-winning 18-hole golf course designed by Doug Carrick. (I understand Mr. Carrick is a master at the art of golf courses.) This four-seasons project (which, like the golf course, has won numerous awards) is the handiwork of Toronto developer Peter Freed, who is best known for his thicket of modernistic residential buildings near the intersection of Bathurst Street and King Street West.
For the structures of the Muskoka Bay Club, Mr. Freed has taken a largely neo-traditional approach to architectural styling, with much local stone and exposed timber framing and gabling on show. Artistically admirable modern cottages have been designed and built in various districts of the Ontario countryside, but, given this development's proximity to a small town, backward-looking, respectful contextualism makes a certain sense. The influence of Muskoka's building practices from long ago is also evident in the old-fashioned 17,000-square-foot clubhouse by Toronto revivalist architect Richard Wengle.
The residences of the club come in three formats. The largest (1,350 square feet to more than 4,000 square feet) are the "homes," which range in price from about $465,000 to more than $1-million. The "villas" go up in area to 2,200 square feet, and they cost about $460,000 to more than $600,000. The least expensive units ($290,000 to about $370,000) are the "lofts," and they enclose spaces from 819 square feet to 1,040 square feet.
When it came to designing the lofts - the most recent offering at Muskoka Bay Club - Mr. Freed has indulged his modernist inclinations more freely than in the other edifices on the property. The two-storey open-plan suites, with their tall rock-framed fireplaces and expanses of glazing, are situated in flat-roofed buildings trimmed in wood and stone. In contrast to the romantic architectural styling of the houses and villas, the loft structures are barracks-like - though their brown cladding and finishes in natural materials could help them blend in a bit with the site's other structural types.
Whatever your taste or budget may be, however, ownership at the club brings with it amenities galore. The clubhouse, for instance, contains an indoor-outdoor dining area, a bar and grill and the Muskoka Room restaurant for finer dining, a fitness centre and spa rooms, and even babysitting facilities. Outside features include a swimming pool and tennis courts. For owners of villas or lofts who plan to live in them only part of the year, the club runs a rental service - a handy program for city-dwellers making a transition to full-time residence in the country.
The one amenity missing in this scheme - some may consider it essential - is direct access from the houses and suites to the open water. But at least for city slickers who don't care for boating or lake swimming, there are certain compensations here. One is the nearness of Gravenhurst, which opens toward Lake Muskoka and features various memorials to the town's ship-building past and a waterfront and wharf recently renovated to the tune of $170-million.
Meanwhile, back in the city core, another one of Mr. Freed's real estate ventures has opened its doors. It's the ultra-cool Thompson Hotel, near the corner of Bathurst and King West. I have heard rumours of a fabulous and very exclusive garden atop the mixed-use condo-hotel complex - a place restricted to hotel guests, condo dwellers and VIPs on a secret list Mr. Freed is keeping close to his chest. If I ever get invited up there, I'll let you know. Since I am devoted to cities and urban life and have no interest in visiting spots where bears and snakes may be lurking, this roof garden may be as close to nature as I ever get in this lifetime.