A Great Getaway on the North Shore!
"No way!!" I exclaimed when Mark first suggested staying in a lighthouse for a few nights. Back in July, he had been researching on the internet and had found a getaway that he thought might be an interesting adventure.
"There's no way that I want to be climbing hundreds of spiral stairs to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night," said I - who was envisioning the stereotypical lighthouses that we had seen in Nova Scotia!
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| Peggy's Cove Lighthouse, N.S. |
With great patience (and I'm sure - some disappointment), Mark dropped the subject. However, he bided his time.
A month or so later, we were on a day trip around the perimeter of St. Joseph's Island. It's a beautiful spot, and we stopped to take many photographs of the various vistas which we encountered. Towards the end of the trip, we spotted, very faintly, the lighthouse over the lake, in Bruce Mines. Using the zoom on our camera, we took a close up of the lighthouse from our position at Hilton Beach. It didn't come out very clearly, as it was quite distant from us.
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| Bruce Mines Lighthouse from St. Joseph's Island |
I had the idea that, once we got back to the mainland, we could travel to the lighthouse and get a close up of the beach upon which we were standing. Mark agreed, secretly hoping that the more broad-minded part of me would come over to his way of thinking about the lighthouse adventure. I was as unsuspecting as ever! (Sometimes, I'm not the brightest candle on the cake! LOL).
When we got to Bruce Mines, we turned onto the road leading to the lighthouse. The entrance driveway crosses over a bridge and a causeway, passing through French Island, and ending on McKay Island, where the edifice is situated on the tip.
With the photo taken, we started to look around the area, and I noticed that the square living accommodation was actually quite nice and I was interested to see that it could be rented out.
It was at this point that Mark revealed that this was the lighthouse getaway that he had mentioned, the month before. He kindly concealed his frustration with my earlier dismissal of the idea.
Enlightenment comes slowly to some of us - but when it comes, the errant stubbornness gives way to excitement and so, I allowed my exuberance to come to the fore and we called and booked a 3 night stay in October, just after Thanksgiving, which was the earliest vacancy available.
Last week, time caught up with us and we enjoyed a memorable time at this amazing venue.
The entrance was, itself, a sight to be beheld - even though it was a fairly dull afternoon.
Bruce Bay Cottages and Lighthouse is owned by Pat and Larry Peterson, and Pat has been running the business for several decades. Apart from the lighthouse, they also have 8 modernized housekeeping cottages, open from May to October.
A wonderful person, Pat personally visited us once we had settled in, and told us about the amenities, gave us some brochures, and related some of the local history. Seeing we were interested, she kindly loaned us a skip full of historical documents over which we could pore at our own leisure.
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| Postcard given to us by Pat, the owner |
Among them, we found a document by Merrit (and Pat) Strum, a W.W.II veteran, who was the 'unofficial' historian of Bruce Mines.
Here is part of what he wrote back in March of 1907 (slightly edited for the sake of clarity):
“By the year 1906, the marine traffic through the North Channel of Lake Huron had become very heavy due mainly to the increased volume of timber being shipped through the port of Bruce Mines.
After the copper mines closed, it was realized that their next best move was to get in on the timber market.
With the shipping getting heavier it meant that the chances of marine accidents would increase. Until 1906, the only Beacon to guide the traffic was a lantern hanging on the dock building.
It was deemed that it was necessary to construct a Lighthouse as a safety measure to guide the boat traffic.
In 1906, the Federal Government called for tenders to construct a lighthouse. The following year, a tender was accepted and it was decided that the best location for the light would be on the point of McKay Island. It was constructed in 1907.It was a square white wooden dwelling, with a tower rising 34 ft from the roof. The light had a visibility of 11 miles, and the foghorn was hand cranked.”
The lighthouse was operational from 1907 until 1955, when it was replaced by the current steel tower with solar panels which powers the batteries. It is maintained by the Canadian Coast Guard. (For a fuller history, check out their website: http://www.brucebaycottages.com/mckay-island-lighthouse/lighthouse-history/
Today, the original building is a modern housekeeping lighthouse with 3 bedrooms (2 doubles and 1 bunk bed), with a 2-piece bathroom on the main floor, and a second bathroom, with shower, on the second floor. It is open all year, and gives a panoramic view of the North Channel of Lake Huron. It is the only building on McKay Island - apart from a Lounge next door (which is a rental unit for special celebrations, about one per month), and so allows for privacy during your stay. (At the moment, the lounge is closed because of Covid-19 restrictions).
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| Guest manual and lighthouse-themed coasters |
The well-equipped kitchen affords everything that you could need, and the comfortable beds allowed for a good night's sleep. The living area is spacious and includes a loveseat, a rocking chair (strategically place by the main window overlooking the lake) and another seat, also facing the window. A TV is also available with a variety of channels, including the Stingray series for background music.
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| A nice, quiet sitting area at the top of the stairs |
There is also an inviting ladder which, upon climbing takes you up to the old lamp area of the lighthouse and out onto the 'Widow Walk'. Of course, we had to explore!
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| The original lighthouse lamp |
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| View to the north from the 'Widow Walk' |
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| View of the Lake from the 'Widow Walk' |
Outside, there is a large lawned area with a bench and two Muskoka chairs for enjoying the scenery. There is also a generous deck area that overlooks the lake, with a firepit nearby, and a stone grill a little further back. Guests can use the BBQ that is just outside the building, and they have access to kayaks and canoes in season.
During our stay, we experienced a variety of weather conditions, from overcast skies, to amazing and powerful lake wind/rain storms, and clear skies with brilliant sunshine in the mornings.
On our first night, the storm was raging outside and one could hear the continual pounding of the waves against the rock. I got up to use the bathroom and went back to bed. I lie there for a while, listening to the crashing waves when suddenly - and I really mean ALL AT ONCE - the wind and waves stopped as if someone had waved a magic wand over the lake and it became instantly calm! It was magical.
Then, within the hour, I looked out of the window and saw a clear night sky, uninterrupted by light pollution, with a myriad of stars to gaze at! It was phenomenal.
The following night, the pattern was repeated and I got up in the early hours and was able to take a picture of both Venus and Mars (which was unusually close to Earth at that time).
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| Venus - in all its glory |
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| The moon - some people describe this scenario as the 'old moon in the new moon's arms' |
Earlier that afternoon, the storm had started earlier than the day before. At one point, we were reading inside the cottage when Mark noticed that the rain had temporarily abated and the sun had broken through the dark clouds to light up the area in pure golden colours. It was truly awesome, and we also were treated to a double rainbow.
Perhaps these short video clips give a better idea of what we saw:
During the days, we hiked some of the trails - including the bluffs, and the small pathway to the Kissing Rock, and Sunset Bay. We were amazed that there were still some wonderful fall colours to be enjoyed as those in our own home town had passed peak the week before.
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| The Bluffs trail |
The mornings were delightful and gave us the opportunity to capture some beautiful scenes varying from spectacular sunrises to morning mists kissing the surface of the water.
On the second morning, Pat texted us to let us know that a freighter was coming into the port. We had actually seen it upon its arrival into the bay, but were so impressed that she contacted us to let us know. We believe it was collecting trap rock from a local quarry. Apart from a couple of fishing vessels, it was the only traffic we saw during our stay.
What with hiking, watching the waves constantly lapping against the rocky shore, experiencing a variety of weather conditions, and taking the opportunity to read and just chill out, it was a lovely time - and a welcome change of scenery and pace.
Mark was right - it was a truly wonderful adventure - and we look forward to returning for another getaway at this North Shore retreat!
For further information about renting the cottages or the lighthouse, please visit the website:
http://www.brucebaycottages.com/
