I have something wonderful to tell you: I’ve established a new, full-service real estate brokerage with you – my savvy clients – in mind. Sharon White Real Estate Ltd., Brokerage is open for business as of January 1, 2016. While I enjoyed working with my colleagues at Re\Max Country Classics Ltd., I’ve got a new mission with Sharon White Real Estate Ltd., Brokerage.
Read MoreJeff Chambers, owner and founder of The Old Oak Barrel, welcomes you to to experience a new opportunity in wine-making in Bancroft.
With a state-of-the-art facility and a rapid fire bottle sterilizing machine, The Old Oak Barrel offers clients the opportunity to prepare 23L of wine for between $90-$200, ready in four weeks. Jeff, formerly of Just Wine & Beer, has four years of wine-making experience and is so thrilled to help clients choose their wines, from everyday sippers to adventurous palate-pleasers. As a client, Jeff will help you select your wine kit, mix the ingredients, prepare your bottles and set you up for homemade wine success.
Read MoreThe Sharon White Team sat down with Sherry Hayes earlier in August to talk about her life in our town. Sherry describes herself as someone who is trying to evolve but not take herself too seriously at the same time. She works in Not-for-Profits and strives for balance in all things. She loves Bancroft and North Hastings and says there is nowhere else she would rather be than right here, right now! She is currently enjoying a peaceful existence with her 21 year daughter on the York River.
Read MoreA house is the most significant purchase you'll ever make in your life.
So you probably want to be able to stay there for quite some time. And you probably want to avoid going into a retirement home until absolutely necessary.
But how do you make sure that your house - and the community where your house is located - are prepared for ageing?
Read MoreThe Welcome to the Country blog series is a seven part review of some really essential ideas about rural real estate in Canada.
Wayne and I are have been in business in rural Ontario since 1989 and we have sold thousands of country properties to people from urban areas all around the world. The challenges of the transition are real but, in our experience, are so worth the effort.
Brilliant landscapes enmeshed in a natural world. The northern lights are visible in October from most properties because our skies are relatively pollution-free. Our lakes have excellent fishing and, just last week, I met a fisherman from Virginia at the Eagle’s Nest Restaurant who said he has been coming to Bancroft to fish for 40 years.
A truly low cost of living. We aren't far enough north to run into food access problems but far enough that we aren’t part of Toronto’s urban sprawl. Property prices are a far cry from even those in more Southern areas like Peterborough and Barrie. And coffee is just a little over a buck.
A sense of community. We have been so fortunate to have people move to Bancroft from all over the world. They bring with them their talents and their time for community initiatives, like the Art Gallery and the Summer Theatre. As a born-and-raised Bancroft person, I see the ways in which our town benefits from a mix of old and new. A client who moved to Bancroft with his wife while in their early 60s remarked, “Everyone here cares about who you are, not your career or what you’ve accomplished. It’s very refreshing.” One of my favourite new places in town is “This is a Place for the Arts.” It is a shared workspace and gallery. The selection of paintings, photography and sculptures is clean, bright and so alive with the spirit of rural Canada. We are so blessed to have them, and I would like to publicly thank the group of artists who founded the centre.
Access to the essentials. We live in one of Canada’s wealthiest provinces. Like any large country with rural populations, ensuring that every person has fair access to health care, government programs, education, environmental protections and legal representation is difficult. I am so proud of what our town has accomplished in maintaining access to these resources despite a changing, and aging, demographic. Our population quintuples in the summer and our tiny town meets the demands every year. Rural Canadians are used to these mighty efforts and newcomers will soon find that they also get along quite well.
They share a respect for the natural world, an interest in cutting out the noise of urban life and a desire for affordable living. These groups are:
Back Row Left to Right : Dipika (Deepa) Shaw, Ravi Shaw, Sarah Vance with her youngest daughter Laura Vance, Sukhan Bains, Avneet Bains, Deepu Singh Verma, Alok Verma
Middle: Tasha Shaw and Riya Shaw (twin daughters of Ravi and Deepa) Bottom: Suneet Bains, Lily Vance, Clara Vance, Yash Bains from living life in the slow lane by pradip rodrigues
two of my special clients, john and carol kirby. john and carol have given back so much of their time and attention to bancroft since moving here 12 years ago.
These groups represent the future of growth in our community and we are so excited to be making the kinds of improvements needed to attract new residents.
Linda and I.
We sat down with Linda Sarginson, new owner with her husband Dave Sarginson, of the Eagles Nest Restaurant in Bancroft. Linda and Dave were married 37 years ago in Bancroft. Linda loves small towns and cottage country life and particularly loves Bancroft's family-oriented style.
The newest business venture is exciting and represents a new learning curve for the couple. They've always been interested in food and curious about different dining experiences. Linda and Dave knew they were interested in opening a restaurant and casually explored their options for a few years. Their daughter, Brandie, and their son-in-law, Derek Creighton - a chef with over 20 years experience - were among their greatest resources. Derek's parents, Gord and Saidie, are the former owner of the Eagles Nest Restaurant so when they heard that Linda and Dave were keen to open up a restaurant Saidie recommended that they buy her business. After all, Sadie and Gord ran the classic country restaurant for over 27 years, maintaining a committed clientele throughout.
Linda and Dave asked Brandie and Derek to work at the new eatery and the dream was born. The confidence that Linda and Dave have in their children is heart-warming. Brandie and Derek get so much joy from planning their menu and envisioning the future of the Eagles Nest Restaurant. Four is certainly not too many chefs in the kitchen.
Brandie, Dave, Linda and derek.
We can assure you that the food is benefiting - our lunch was so good! My daughter and I shared a chicken soup, some onion rings and a chicken quesedilla. The onion rings are totally unique and have a great kick at the end. The quesadilla has beautifully roasted chicken with fresh grilled peppers and onions. It's all real food, home-made with love.
A recent TripAdvisor reviewer writes, "Super Friendly! Nice Atmosphere! Large Portions! Reasonable Prices! Been going to Bancroft for over 60 years and never stopped here. Sure glad I finally tried it. New owners. Completely renovated. Family friendly!"
The new Eagles Nest Restaurant opened in May at 183 Hastings Street North. They are open Tuesday through Saturday from 7am to 8pm. Every quarter, they have a Chinese Buffet with dessert. Derek has a real knack for Chinese food and this is a really popular night. The next one is likely to be in September.
The signature dish is The Bancroftonian Burger: A double burger with fries and onion rings that must be eaten in under 20 minutes to land your face on their wall of fame. Linda says that it's drawn quite a loyal following. Sorry everyone, if you eat it in under 20 minutes, the meal is not free.
The restaurant has been attractive to out-of-town visitors. One of the diners was a fisherman from Virginia awaiting the repair of his boat. He has been coming to Bancroft for 40 years and this was his first stop at the restaurant. He thoroughly enjoyed his salad with salmon.
Thanks so much to Linda for taking time to tell us about their new endeavour. We won't be strangers to this place.
Please like the restaurant on Facebook!
We sat down with Gail Burstyn of Lylis Designs last week in advance of the summer season to talk about her work and life. This eight minute video features the best parts of our chat and her stunning images.
Read MoreThe Team was covering ground on Hay Lake this week, and we asked some Hay Lake inhabitants to tell us why they adore the freshwater inland paradise.
Read MoreTyleen & Rod with hunter and toby.
When Tyleen and Rod Copland purchased Paudash Lake Marina in 2009 from Tyleen's parents, Des and Laraine Noblett, they reassured everyone on the Lake that the treasured Marina would remain an important feature of the narrows. Before buying the Marina, Rod was a mechanic at Chandos Lakeview Cottages & Marina. Tyleen was formerly a receptionist at a large Mississauga company while returning to Bancroft to work at the Marina on weekends. She later moved back home to work at the Bancroft Medical Clinic, which is now the Bancroft Family Health Team. When Des, Tyleen's father, suffered a heart attack in 2008 it was decided he needed to step back from full-time management.
And that's how the Coplands and, now, their dogs - three gorgeous Great Danes named Hunter, Toby and Monty - set up shop at Paudash Lake Marina. The summer of 2015 will be their seventh summer on the Lake and they love every minute of it. Tyleen's favourite part of each summer is seeing families and cottagers return year after year. She loves catching up with their winter stories. Even more, she loves being part of their summer lives as she has been since she was 12 years old helping her parents run the Marina.
Tyleen and Rod love Paudash Lake because it is a wide open body that isn't too large and has few hazards. They love that you can get around the Lake in under one day. The cottagers and customers are pretty great too! The Marina's amenities are many: boat rentals, barge rentals, dockage, boat launching, premium grade gasoline and propane, boat repairs, service, winterizing, storage, plumbing and hardware supplies. And, of course, there is the Paudash Lake Marina General Store featuring Kawartha Dairy Ice Cream and every other summer cottage essential.
Travellers from as far as The Netherlands, Ireland, Germany and Switzerland come to Paudash, along with many Ontarians. The Marina also hosts a number of visitors who arrive by plane from Kasshabog Lake, Orillia, Sudbury, the Ottawa Valley and more. The Marina ensures they always have aviation fuel for such fliers. Last year, the Marina hosted Sky-Mazing Parasail Adventures which will be returning on Saturday, July 4, 2015. The Marina will also host the Don Thomas Rock Bass Memorial Fishing Derby on July 11, 2015. The Paudash Volunteer Fire Department will host an onsite BBQ selling hamburgers and hotdogs with all proceeds going to the Fire Department. For more information on area fishing derbies, visit the Bancroft Bass Tournament Series.
Also on the Lake this summer is the free family fishing week from July 4-12 where families can fish without a permit. And on July 1, the Paudash Lake Boat Parade will leave from North Bay Beach and end at The Lakehouse Restaurant for refreshments. The boat parade is organized in part by one of the Marina's dockers.
This summer, Tyleen and Rod will be giving the exterior of the Marina facelift with a fresh coat of paint. As always, they are supportive of other businesses on the Lake, and those throughout Bancroft and Apsley. The Marinas all try to work together to get cottagers, vacationers and locals in need of finding parts, service and repairs back out on water quickly so they can continue to enjoy summer fun on the lakes.
If you're in the area this summer, please stop in and say hello to Tyleen, Rod, Laraine and Des at 1320 Macgillivray Road, Bancroft. Monty, Toby and Hunter will meet you in the driveway for a proper Paudash Lake welcome.
There are plenty more than 10, but we can start there.
Read MoreWhen Carly O'Neill came back to Bancroft last June with her partner, Chef Shaun Zoernack, neither of them could have predicted that by September they would own and operate a restaurant on Paudash Lake. But this is exactly what happened.
Read MoreMy parents moved us to Inlet Bay on Paudash Lake when I was less than a year old. A youth spent on the lake has served me so well. When April rolled around and the final stubborn ice fishing huts were pulled off the water or sunk, my brother and I could start salivating over a rising summer. The crocus flowers would peek through the soil and mossy carpeting would spill over the rock garden, greening up our lives. In May, the air was dewy and moist and the days were long and built for fun. I do not advise trying to swim in Paudash Lake in early May. The Lake itself isn’t yet aware that summer has arrived, even though you’re wearing your shorts and it should really know better.
Read More
