CANADIAN COTTAGE
Ian and Shelley swapped their Toronto condo for a life-changing lakeside shack on an island
This former farm shack has a rustic simplicity that proved irresistible to owners Ian Letts and Shelley Durnin
as another year comes close to its finale, the need to calibrate and ponder about the days that have gone and those that may be ahead, settles like snowfall. And there is nowhere more conducive to life-wondering than this pocket-sized cottage on the edge of a vast stretch of water in Ontario, Canada, two hours east of Toronto. It is a home which breathes slowly, unassuming yet cosy and enticing; a tranquil retreat immersed in the magnificence of the natural beauty that encompasses it during the long, shadowy months of deep winter.
Owner Ian Letts has grown to appreciate the grandeur of the freezing season and the unique lifestyle it creates. ‘There is a wonderful sense of stillness here,’ he reveals. ‘Lake Consecon is six miles long and one mile across. In winter it completely freezes over. When my wife Shelley and I sit in the cottage we can hear the ice moaning, almost like the song of a whale. The sky is full of migrating birds en route to warmer places, and we really tune into the light and dark cycle. We have a big fireplace, there are always lots of blankets, and as the night sky arrives prematurely we move into semi-hibernation with early bedtimes.’
Ian and Shelley have lived in this wintry wonderland for almost a decade. Theirs is a story of big decisions, adventure and adjustment. ‘We were living in a condo in Toronto, and would come here for summer holidays,’ says Ian. ‘In the warmer months, it’s an easy place to be. Beautiful beaches, lazy days. Shelley was keen to move here permanently but I really wasn’t sure. For two years we looked around and then when we walked into this home we both felt the sense of balance and peace we had been seeking.’
The cottage started life back in the 1900s as a basic one-room shack. Subsequent owners have built on from the main central living area, adding extra rooms but never bothering to remove the windows. This means there is now the quirk of having interior windows looking into the bedroom and bathroom. The first job was to make the cottage weatherproof. ‘It had only been used during the milder months so wasn’t suitable for winter,’ says Ian. ‘The walls were exposed studs covered with thin vinyl. When we stripped it back we exposed holes big enough to put your head through. Not good when it is -25ºc. We covered everything: pine cladding on the interior, limestone and wood on the exterior, and a steel roof to withstand the strong winds.’
Once completed, the pair found themselves increasingly spending their weekends at their new retreat and, Ian admits, ‘the soul of this snug little home got under our skin’. Shelley, with her expert eye for simple but inviting interiors, created a cosy and comfortable space, with neutral shades and clean modern lines, influenced by their travels in Scandinavian countries. When they finally made the move from the city for good, it followed a disciplined lesson in downsizing. ‘We purged!’ laughs Ian. ‘It meant less of everything.’
There is something comforting about the simplicity of this couple’s approach to living. They describe their home as their ‘complete little world’ but they also nurture a deep sense of community with the local people. ‘It has been the biggest plus about being here,’ says Ian. ‘In the winter we gather together, cook meals, skate on the frozen lake… there are even some folk who bore holes through the 50cm-thick ice to fish. It’s all about embracing the elements, even when they are at their harshest.
‘New Year’s Eve we will take a walk in the snow with the dogs and some friends, and then we’ll head inside for mulled wine. The winter sky can be very clear and bright at this time of year so we might be lucky enough to welcome 2020 by gazing at the stars.’ It sounds heavenly. Room for one more?