BayviewWildwood Resort

www.bayviewwildwood.com BAYVIEW WILDWOOD RESORT

Wildwood Resort BayviewA LAKEFRONT RESORT AND COTTAGE COMMUNITY or over a century, Bayview Wildwood Resort has been welcoming guests to the lakeside hamlet of Port Stanton, . Tucked into the shoreline of beau- tiful Sparrow , this delightful four-season Mus- Fkoka destination offers suites, resort rooms, and waterfront cottages, perfect for a romantic couples’ getaway, weekend wedding, corporate retreat, or the ultimate family vacation. Recently, Business View Magazine spoke with Dianne (Stanton) Hounsome, fifth-generation operator of Bayview Wildwood Resort, about its fascinating heritage and evolu- tion. Here is an edited transcript of that conversation: AT A GLANCE BVM: Can you share the story of the Stanton family legacy BAYVIEW WILDWOOD that created Bayview Wildwood Resort? Hounsome: “Today’s Bayview Wildwood Resort was, at one RESORT point, four separate resorts. It started in the late 1800s, when WHAT: Muskoka lakefront resort and my ancestor, Captain Tom, had been working the area as a cottage community steamboat captain and decided to start his own business on the Severn River. He built a steamship and settled in on WHERE: Port Stanton Pkwy, Severn Bridge, Ontario about 1884. In 1898, his oldest son Burt got married and moved into a little cottage that became Lake- WEBSITE: www.bayviewwildwood.com shore House. That’s the year we were established as a tourist BAYVIEW WILDWOOD RESORT

bay on the southwest shore of Sparrow Lake. I have “In 2001, our family built the Cottages at Port some back lands, too, so 250 acres in total. We’re on Stanton where Wild Echo Lodge was. As a fractional the Trent-Severn Waterway between development, there are 18 cottages (one, two, and and ; a pretty village wedged between three bedrooms) with 10 owners per cottage and each beautiful forests with Canadian Shield rock in back and owner has that cottage for five weeks of the year. They Sparrow Lake in front. can use it, trade it, rent it, whatever they want. We were “As for accommodations, we have 73 units on the only the second one in Ontario to go into that. It was a main site, from five-bedroom houses down to a single scary thing for us, we went out on a limb and it’s been very resort room. In the summer, guests number upward of successful. We also built a second project – The Cottages 210. Lakeshore House is where our indoor pool is now II at Port Stanton. It’s currently only four, three-bedroom - it’s like our games room. The original piece of that cottages located just past our main site.” destination. That summer, the newlyweds spent $40 Wild Echo Lodge, where The Cottages at Port Stan- building is called Albert Manor – a beautiful five-bed- fixing up a room and never thought they’d see the ton (a cottage development we started in 2001) are room house that we rent out. We also have a little BVM: What amenities and recreational activities do money back. They made $80 that year. This was pretty located. It’s a whole combination of different properties store and government dock and marina that operates you offer? exciting! pulled together by my father to become Bayview Wild- seasonally and is named after what it was in 1906 – Hounsome: “Bayview Wildwood Resort is open year- “The main impetus for tourism being here is because wood Resort, with The Cottages at Port Stanton as part Stanton Brothers General Supplies. round. With the forest lands, we have trails for nature Captain Tom, in his wisdom at the time, gave land to of it. Back in 1910, you could stay at any of these loca- the railroad to bring in a rail line. It actually cuts our tions for seven dollars a week. My father passed away property in half. We had our own Sparrow Lake Station three years ago; my mom still lives here on a beautiful right up until the 1960s. People would get off at the little piece of property. I presently operate all the resort station, get on boats – our family was in the boat busi- properties, and I’m still a big shareholder, but in 2008, ness, too – and travel up and down the Trent-Severn I brought other investors into the company, so there is Waterway. But they’d also stay here in this little village money coming in for renovations and upgrades.” of Port Stanton to have a vacation resort experience. “In 1930, my ancestors built Wildwood Inn on the old BVM: How big is the property? saw mill building. My dad started Bayview Lodge when Hounsome: “The main property isn’t on a ton of he was 18 years old. There was another one called acreage, but it’s all shoreline that goes around the BAYVIEW WILDWOOD RESORT

ing at allowing a room rate reduction for not having daily cleaning. We have LED lighting, and make use of programs to do that kind of replacement. Because we DIANNE aren’t on a municipal septic system or well water, we (STANTON) HOUNSOME run our own lagoon system and insist that all required chemicals are environmentally friendly.” FIFTH-GENERA- TION OPERATOR OF BAYVIEW BVM: How do you market your resort? WILDWOOD Hounsome: “I’m past chair of CVOA (Canadian Va- RESORT cation Ownership Association) and currently on the Board of Directors. I’m also president of Resorts of Ontario. Certainly, repeat referral is 60 to 65 percent on average. Much of the rest is done through Resorts traffic I’m getting. I do our own in-house newsletters of Ontario, a big marketing agency that does a lot of and have someone who works three to four days a digital programs with print backup. I also have many week purely on social media and email blasts, etc. for good referral agents on the internet, like Resortsand- new business. Lodges.com. I really watch my stats to see what kind of “We have fun using the term ‘two turns from ’

hikes, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing. We have lar number every time. a heated outdoor pool, and a recreation building with “We have our own restaurant; guests can choose an indoor pool, games area, exercise area, billiards, from 3-meal and 2-meal packages, or just book and squash court, and hot tub. Guests can ice fish, kayak, come in to dine. Corporate retreats are our bread canoe, paddleboard, water ski. In the summer, we have and butter. About 35 to 40 percent of our business is a whole inflatable water park that’s tons of fun. We groups – company Christmas parties, weekend wed- also offer nine to ten weeks of family programming in dings, conferences, social retreats. Because we’re rural, the summertime; not many resorts still do this kind of and we haven’t got cable yet, we put our own tower in all-inclusive family resort experience. several years ago. So, we have WiFi through every unit. “We go all out. Kids’ camps for ages three and up; Summer is when we do the most business and have entertainment every night; three meals a day. Some about 95 employees on staff. In winter, there’s a core people have been coming here year after year for 65 staff of 30 – part-timers bring it to about 55. Our stron- years. A big group has come for over 40 years; it’s a gest market is Ontario guests within a 3-hour drive. tradition. People get their own table when they stay U.S. visitors account for around 10 percent of summer three or more nights, and they want a specific table business. that’s theirs! Same with their room – the one beside “On the sustainability front, we recycle all our cook- might be exactly the same, but they need their particu- ing grease. We do a towel program; this year I’m look- BAYVIEW WILDWOOD RESORT

connecting with other families – that kind of nostal- gic experience. Sometimes I just have to walk away from my office and go out to the dining room, which because once people are on Hwy 400, all they have to for fire suppression, and Budget Propane.” is all windows overlooking the lake, and take a look. It From premium quality grounds you.” do is turn onto South Sparrow Road and make another produce to a comprehensive turn onto Port Stanton Parkway. We’re on the southern BVM: What does the future look like for Bayview line of processed fruit and vegetables to non-traditional edge of Muskoka, within an hour and a half of Toronto, Wildwood Resort? produce items, A.J. Lanzarotta depending on traffic, and a 20-minute drive to Hounsome: “This is probably the last generation of Wholesale has it all. PREFERRED VENDORS or Gravenhurst, the nearest large centers. We also pro- family ownership. That decision was made in 2008 Contact us today for more n Budget Propane vide our own bus service to and from Washago. when I brought in other investors. We’ve done pretty information regarding the www.budgetpropaneontario.com “For 11 years, we’ve hosted the Taylor Cup Pond darned good for five generations, but with every opera- 900-plus active produce items we offer our customers. Budget Propane Ontario is a family owned business serving Hockey Tournament in January and raised over one tion you need equity financing, and that doesn’t usually in Muskoka, Bracebridge, Haliburton and across the central million dollars for Princess Margaret Hospital in that come from the generation below you. The way I look Phone: (905) 891-0510•Toll Free: (800) 361-4519 Ontario region. We offer residential, commercial, contractor time. We also have a fun ‘Girls Gone Wild’ weekend in at it, you have to separate yourself from the personal Fax: (905) 891-5527 and builder propane services. We understand that your pro- pane needs may be different, so we are here to determine the April in conjunction with the Royal Victoria Hospital family side and do what’s best for the business, the 1000 Lakeshore Rd. E. Mississauga, ON L5E 1E4 best solution for you. Foundation in Barrie. We create our own events to staff, and the longevity. support great causes. We also value our long-term “I just want people to know that there are amaz- www.ajlanzarotta.com relationships with Economy Chemical out of Orillia ing vacation destinations in Ontario, and Bayview n AJ Lanzarotta Wholesale Fruit and GMP/HACCP certified by SGS - (now called Alpine Group), Stewart’s Food Service, OFS Wildwood Lodge is a great example. It’s about people Certificate CA14/407718 Vegetables Ltd. www.ajlanzarotta.com www.bayviewwildwood.com

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