Kawartha Lakes Construction has worked with the Association of Stony Lake Cottagers (ASLC) for many years to maintain a historic 100+ year old general store on Juniper Island, Stony Lake. This was a task that became increasing difficulty each year as the building was deteriorating faster than it could be repaired. After a recent engineers report, the building was finally deemed structurally unsound and the ASLC determined that it would ultimately have to be taken down and rebuilt. It was imperative to the ASLC that the new building maintain the look and feel of the original store. The plan was to demolish the building in September after it had closed for the season and have it finished by June for the return of another summer season and the cottagers.

KLC worked with the designer and the representative of the Cottagers Association to find materials which would require little maintenance, last a long time and resemble the original. Painstaking love and effort went into this re creation with many features mirroring the original look while others embellishing to improve functionality & maintenance but all the while preserve its original character and charm.

At the grand opening ceremony held on Canada Day weekend, we were very pleased to hear numerous praises from the cottager’s association members as to how much the new building matched the character and look of the original building. The prefinished wood siding is very similar to the original look as well as the wood railings (with glass coverings on the second floor to meet code requirements). Some of the original doors and window shutters were repainted and reused, as were some kitchen counters. Memorabilia such as a Bottle Cap wall and paintings in front of the kitchen counter were salvaged and reused. Lattice was handmade to replicate the original and cornice and other trim pieces were salvaged to use as templates for the new work. The ASLC now has a modern, safe building which very much retains the spirit of the original.