Bangor Lodge

Old resort in the Muskokas. Sad to see It gone many good times spent there. All the cottages and buildings have been torn down already only one remains.

[u]Write up by OAP: [/u]

Muskoka is a popular tourist location for southerners looking to get away from congested cities and enjoy Ontario's natural resources in quiet rural areas. Bangor Lodge was founded by a Mr. R.J, Siberry on the shores of Lake Muskoka back in 1930. The lodge was popular with tourists many of whom would make the return trip every summer.

The lodge operated until 2006 when the decision was made to close the business due to health related reasons and increased operating costs. The price tag of $5 million dollars for the land could also certainly be a strong factor.

There used to be many such resorts operating in the north, now only a handful remain. Across the lake, the Tamwood Lodge, once Canada's largest log structure, was demolished in June of 2006. The Tamwood Lodge will be replaced by a condo complex which I think will certainly have that modern urban cookie-cutter look, a look that signifies boring and charmless condos after they've swallowed up historic locations.

Seasonal residents are certainly not pleased with the idea of a large tourist property being constructed on the former Bangor Lodge land. Brant Wilson said, "Everything up here is a teardown. They (developers) don't value a thing. All they want of the past is an antique they can put in the corner." The 70-year-old and his wife own the single cottage that sits between the former sites of Tamwood and Aston Villa. His wife's family bought the property in the 1930 and, despite many offers, the couple defiantly refuses to sell. "The whole area is becoming citified. It's losing its sensitivity to nature because it brings up busy people who never unwind," Mr. Wilson complains. "It plays right into their love of 'I have more than you have.' They put all their money into their noisy boats and condos and lose all sensitivity to the environment and caring for your neighbours."

Developer Rick Koffman pretty much summed up preserving heritage versus making money when he was quoted as saying, "Bangor Lodge has been there for 75 years. They bought their cottages knowing that. If they were delusional, thinking it would be a rickety old resort for the rest of time, then that's their wishful thinking. It's just not the market reality."

An auction was held in 2007 to sell off lounge chairs, canoes, beer fridges and other items. Today only one building remains, everything else has been demolished. It's one less family owned resort - one less building with a heritage behind it - and one more reason to pave Muskoka in condominiums where the rich can take over the lakes in their high speed boats.