The historic Opinicon Resort was owned by the same family for 93 years, and in January that tradition will change when a young family in Ottawa takes possession of the property.
“I don’t think that their intentions are to do any kind of major demolition. My impression is they’re more likely to do restoration, renovation and to operate the resort in some fashion,” Manson Slik, a broker and partner at Gordon’s Estate Services Ltd. who was responsible for the sale.
The starting bid for the resort was $500,000 for the 6.5 hectares of land with accommodations for more than 120 guests. The property also came with a dining room to serve the entire resort, a full commercial kitchen, 15 cottages, three houses, a general store and more than 240 meters of waterfront along the Opinicon Lake.
The origins of the resort dates back to the early 19th century, when the Chaffey family used it as their home. In 1921, it became a resort and facilities have been maintained over the years.
“Everything is still the old original wood,” Slik said, “Over the last few years, less and less people have come there because it feels like 100 years old.”
After the death of their mother, sisters Karen Cross and Cindy Simpson decided to sell the resort in February 2012. The family who purchased the home on Dec. 18 wish to remain anonymous. Slik said he expects they’ll maintain the oldness of the place but will modernize its amenities.
The resort is about an hour-and-a-half from southwest Ottawa and can be accessed by boat along the Rideau Canal. It was one of the oldest resorts in Eastern Ontario that attracted fisherman and elites who would dock their pleasure boats and have a bite to eat in the well-known restaurant along the canal.
“The place still has 50 or 60 different fish all over the resort that different people have caught and every fish has a story. It’s a fascinating place to visit,” Slik said.
The deal closes in January, and Slik said he thinks that will give the new owners enough time to do some renovations and at least partially open by the summer.
