Be romanced by this magical place. Sleep in, snuggle, have breakfast on the porch. Picnic, paint, write your first novel. Canoe or kayak from your doorstep.
Intimate, stylish waterfront cottages, just 3 1/2 hours north of Toronto, Ontario.
- Luxury Ontario cottage rentals
- Resort features spectacular wilderness setting
- Lodge & waterfront cottages
- Couples escape, family summer vacations & intimate weddings
- French River Ontario resort vacations with fine dining
- Canoeing adventure & wildlife observation
The Modern History of The Lodge at Pine Cove, Wolseley Bay, French River, Ontario, Canada.
Thank you for visiting The Lodge at Pine Cove's website. I hope that one day you might visit us as a couple, a family, for a wedding, anniversary or just for a getaway to experience a bit of pampering and luxury far from the hustle and bustle of your everyday life. I invite you to relax and be rejuvenated by the peace and tranquility of this little bit of heaven on the Canadian Shield.
Uniquely designed, private waterfront cottages and a beautiful main lodge complete with our chef, exquisite dining areas, stone fireplaces, library and games room await.
However, I must warn you:
You may stay for longer than you expected, which is what happened to me in 1999..
In the 1990s, canoeing and camping brought me to the French River. In those days, we used to put our canoes and kayaks in much further up the French, until a friend told me about a beach launch- site on a beautiful bay off the main channel. On one of our many trips to the French River, my son Jamie and I found the sandy beach surrounded by a quaint but run down old fishing lodge on the shore of Wolseley Bay. This beautiful bay stems off the main channel of the French River, which is hardly a river at all, but really a series of lakes and drops. The early French Canadians, who plied this water in their voyageur canoes, called it Lac Jeune Marie because of its huge expanses of flat water with no current, its many islands, bays and channels. This makes it a perfect place to explore, swim, picnic, canoe, kayak, hike, fish, paint and draw or take endless photographs of pink granite, water, majestic white pines, abundant wildlife and glorious sunsets.
Situated at the end of a small paved winding road, The Lodge at Pine Cove is nestled in a jewel-like setting surrounded on three sides by water. A seemingly remote lodge, it is a surprisingly easy drive from Toronto. The Lodge at Pine Cove is one of those jump-off spots that always engender in me a sense of adventure. It's a place where the waters of the Canadian Shield beckon and where cars can go no further. Development on the French River is minimal because the land is held either by the French River Provincial Park, the Crown or the large Ojibwa reserve that has been here since the 1800s. This unique ownership ensures that the French River will never be developed.
A few years after first discovering the Lodge at Pine Cove, I bought it from the Fisher family and began its transformation into what is now considered by many of our guests to be one of Ontario's finest lodges. A wonderful local crew knocked down most of the old structures -- they were long past the rejuvenation stage, and with the help of a talented designer, The Lodge at Pine Cove was reborn. The lodge is elegantly rustic, comfortable, luxurious and peaceful.
It is a place for romantic couples to reconnect. It is a location of true natural beauty in which to have your wedding or come up as a single traveller and spend private time. It is a spot to celebrate your anniversary or a family reunion. Enjoy the wicker hamper breakfasts delivered to your doorstep each morning. Delight in a luscious picnic lunch on an island that you will have to yourselves. Order from our BBQ menu and have a hamper delivered to your cottage for a relaxing dinner. Invite your beloved to a romantic dinner on our magnificent screened porch and watch the sun set, a brilliant orange, against the pink granite that surrounds The Lodge at Pine Cove. Treat yourself or someone you love, to the natural luxury that The Lodge at Pine Cove offers.
In closing, I would like to say that at The Lodge at Pine Cove, we have created a place where guests can escape from the often overwhelming speed of modern life and find a sanctuary in which to recharge. It is what I wanted to do when I came here, and, for six and half months each year, I live at this simple but elegant retreat.
If you like this description, I hope that you will come and be our guest at The Lodge at Pine Cove.
You will not be disappointed - I wasn't.
Alex Strachan - Lucky owner of The Lodge at Pine Cove, Wolseley Bay, French River, Ontario, Canada.
From the moment you arrive at our little paradise on the French, you will begin to understand that The Lodge at Pine Cove is not your average Ontario resort. Our French River lodge provides a truly unique vacation experience, one that is ideal for active families and couples interested in outdoor sports and wilderness adventure. It is the ideal Ontario destination for anyone who appreciates the extraordinary beauty of nature and the incredible wilderness recreational opportunities offered along the French River, but also has a taste for comfort and luxury.
The Lodge at Pine Cove was planned so that our waterfront rental cottages and main lodge building would complement beautifully the magnificent scenery of our wilderness property on the French River. With a nod to the oldtime Ontario lodges of the past, our buildings were designed to look traditional, rustic and to blend seamlessly into the landscape, yet have modern amenities and offer complete comfort. And, as we care deeply about preserving the environment and protecting the area's sensitive ecology, our buildings were constructed to be energy efficient and as environmentally friendly as possible, using the latest resource saving technologies.
