10 www.georgianbay.ca GBA UPDATE Fall 2023 HERITAGE By Allison Needham, Editor, GBA Update The story of the Ojibway Hotel tells the story of a community. The histories of Pointe au Baril cottagers and the Ojibway Hotel are so intertwined that it is difficult to follow one without becoming tangled in the other. American entrepreneur Hamilton Davis first fell in love with Pointe au Baril in 1902 while visiting his sister. Struck by the natural beauty of the area, he envisioned a place where visitors could enjoy the sunset with a walk along its dock, or relax on the charming veranda in the evenings. During the day, visitors could engage in activities such as playing parlour games, reading, rowing, paddling, swimming, and fishing. Learning that the railroad would be built on the mainland, he recognized the potential for another hotel (the nearby Bellevue Hotel, completed in 1900, was usually full), and searched for a big island with a sunset view, deep water, and easy boat access. He purchased the 42-acre Ojibway island for $210, perfect for fishing, rowing, and exploring in the protected waters. The Ojibway Hotel was ready for business in 1906. Visitors arrived by steamship from Collingwood, Penetang, or Parry Sound, bringing their trunks, long dresses, linen suits, and summer hats. Many would stay for weeks at a time, travelling by train from Rochester, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Buffalo, and Toronto. On Friday nights, the Canadian Pacific Railway sleeper to Pointe au Baril would leave Toronto’s Union Station at 11 p.m. Weekend visitors boarded the northbound train and retired to their berths for the night. The Pullman car was detached at Pointe au Baril Station, allowing passengers to remain on board until morning. The Ojibway Hotel was not meant to be grandiose or extravagant, but rather exactly as Davis had imagined. The hotel’s bark-covered columns, twig furniture, and birchbranch bannisters were already reminiscent of the past. From The Ojibway Hotel: How One Man’s Vision Built a Community Source: Ojibway Historical Preservation Society
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