A treasure for generations.

Through several summers during the 1950s and with three young girls in tow, the Christoffers built a cottage on land leased from the provincial government in Algonquin Park. There was, and to this day is still no electrical power that extends to the cottage. It is, and will remain, off-grid. At the time of construction, there were no portable generators for power tools, so the two teachers from Toronto designed and built the cottage that still stands today with only hand tools, exacting craftsmanship, and ingenuity. By today's multi-million dollar standards, the cottage is old fashioned, humble and even a little inconvenient.

But for generations of kids, kids at heart, teens finding their way, overworked, stressed out and under-appreciated curmudgeons, high fliers, type-As, minor celebrities, and even the odd ne'er-do-well, the place infuses all with beauty and wonder. Within the burnished pine walls and plank floors that shine golden in the sunset, there is some type of magic elixir of life that rejuvenates even the most ill-willed. And that's why they keep coming back for more.

The cottage is on the east shore of the main channel of Smoke Lake, just south of the iconic Molly's Island. It is distinguished by its thirty feet high white flagpole with the Canadian flag that flies at full mast all summer.

Here is a view from our dock north towards Molly's Island. Notice the Ministry of Environment float plane on an approach towards the bay just beyond the island.

Marjorie (Marge) Ridpath (nee Christoffer) is the proprietor of the cottage now. Her husband Drew and their three daughers Tiff, Jody and Jess (all for some reason not their real names) and their families now inhabit the summers at Smoke Lake Cottage.

But to so many others, who have come time and again, summer after summer alone and with their families. The Smoke Lake cottage is just as meaningful, and these people are an integral part of the extended family. Spreading the word...the magic...

People like Kenny Elder, Doug and Helen Batten, Kenda Thomson, and now Trevor Burgiss. Andrew Koek and his family. And then there are Cynthia Colby and Sean McAlindon who so loved the cottage that they found their own "just like it" on a nearby lake. The entire DeHaas clan who, despite running their own million dollar Muskoka palace, come regularly for a touch of magic. The Sherrats, The Fairs, the Germains, the Shers, the Alpes. And then there is Jordi Neumann who managed to inspire not only Amy Tsai, but also his dad Ron, who has imbibed in the spirit, and Jordi's future wife Soo-lin.

And there are so many more who have not been named but have lifetime memories like Gavin Alpe's entire British wedding party that, with crumpled napkin map in hand, found a way to the magic from the other side of the Atlantic.

There are so many people that we want to share our spot with. So here it is. This is an extension of the cottage journal that we started a few years ago. Hopefully, we will have a lot photos and memories to share with all. We hope to see some of you again next summer. And some of you for the first time.