Greetings Sunbeamers! Here we are almost March! Clearly time is racing by and soon we’ll be opening up for the new season. Meanwhile, this newsletter will bring you up to date on all the activity that was going on in 2022, before and during the resort season. As always, we first want to thank all of you for your past and continuing support. We are very grateful for this, and never take it for granted. Last year was the first year we could open up normally after the previous two years of COVID restrictions, so we really appreciated having our guests back for the Victoria Day long weekend.
We were very busy as usual starting in the spring, when extensive work was done to be ready for the opening weekend and upcoming season. From new flooring in certain cottages to a fresh coat of paint in others, and the endless yard and garden work, we also had some dock maintenance. Although the docks are relatively new, anything that is subject to the elements of a large lake, ice, wind and snow, requires repair and maintenance, so we work to ensure that it stays in tip top shape.
In addition to the 30 new Muskoka wooden chairs added the season prior, we added an additional 25 composite Muskoka chairs in the spring of 2022 that are situated everywhere from the back fire pit to various areas on the dock. We also cleared out Home Depot of pretty much every last one of their plastic Adirondack chairs this past October, (approximately 25 additional), to ensure we have plenty to start the season, as well as spares.
We built a fancy new deck at the front office, as well as replacing both stairways that head down to the beach with new patio stones and hand railings. We also built a new large cedar gazebo in front of cottages #5 & #6 at the shuffleboard court, put it up on a wooden deck, equipped with power, lighting, and lounge seating. It was very well received and enjoyed by many groups over the season. We actually utilized this gazebo and deck for the Monday night BBQ’s to ensure all of the food was protected from the elements…(and we certainly had our fair share of ‘elements’ on Mondays this year).
Because that new gazebo was so well utilized, we decided to build a new deck for the back gazebo behind cottages #2 & #3 at the communal fire pit. This also had the same effect, and was enjoyed more frequently. We added power at this gazebo as well, lights, (of course), and even lit up the large white pine beside it (of course), to go along with all of the other additional trees we added lighting to. It’s also equipped with comfortable lounge furniture, and a propane fire bowl... to go along with the three other propane fire bowls that are situated on the ‘Beach Deck’, “BIG” Deck (under the gazebo), as well as the ‘Sunset Deck’. All decks now have names - with signage - including the ‘Canada Deck’, which is the furthest point of our docking system, where the Canadian flag is located, (hence the name). It is a wonderful spot where you can watch the sunsets, all of the boats’ comings and goings, or just look out over the water.
We also built a new deck under the ping-pong gazebo to make for a more level playing ground, added a railing at both ends, (to save chasing the balls everywhere and for safety), and – new for this year – purchased a new waterproof ping-pong table, which will be brought into play once the old one is at the end of its life span.
Enough about decks for a moment, as we need to talk fishing, fishing, FISHING! 2022 was the first year with the new Walleye slot size, after seven years prior with the old 46cm (18.1”) or greater. The 40-45cm (15.75” – 17.72”) new slot size – although a small ‘window’ – has proven to be advantageous, so we saw far more ‘keepers’ coming off the boats daily! The Bass season opening a full month earlier, (third Saturday in May), was a great bonus for our spring fishers, and there was certainly no shortage right through to the end of the season in October. Some of these great catches, (and we cannot forget about the amazing Pike that came out of the bay as well this year), can be viewed on the ‘Fishing Photo Gallery’ on our website.
Anyone who was here prior to mid-July would not have seen the new couches and chairs in cottages #5, #6, #23, #24, #27, #28 & #29. Delivery was planned for the start of the season, but it took until July to receive the order due to the supply chain issues that the world has been facing. We completed brand new countertops this fall in cottages #6, #24, #26, #27 & #28, to go along with #23 & #29 that were done the year prior, (with all others done the year prior to that). Also, we are hoping to replace all cottage picnic tables for the upcoming season, (availability will determine), with new quality hard plastic tables.
This year you’ll see yet another addition to our water trampoline; “Rave Aqua Log” – Google it…looks fun! — to go along with the “Rave Aqua Slide” already in place, and the ‘Rave Aqua Launch’ added last year. (Mind you, that became more of a ‘Rave deflated pillow’ after taking damage at the end of the season - at which point it appeared to be swallowing up small children!). It will be replaced and ready to go for the upcoming season.
Some of our guests reading this will have noticed that we eliminated the pop machine at the front office. We now have a new pop fridge with a great selection of Coke products, (all plastic bottles so you have the lid to reseal), along with our cream freezer (lots of great treats to choose from), bagged ice, live bait, firewood, and fishing licenses — all available at our front office.
We have already scheduled our yearly aquatic treatment for the upcoming season, which will take place in early August as usual. This is an environmentally friendly treatment that is performed yearly by a company out of Eastern Ontario to control vegetation/weed growth in our docking system. We have also added two new power outlets to our docking system this past fall to ensure more accessible power for those who require it, and of course for more lighting & palm trees!
Lastly, we are very happy to announce that we did NOT implement a price increase for the 2023 upcoming season. Pretty much every single product, supplier, utility, tax and service fee has increased, however we chose to absorb this inflation as a gesture of appreciation for your loyalty. We hope that you can pass on the good word-of-mouth that will help us fill some of the mid-week voids that we have in May, (early) June, and September & October. Filling those vacancies goes a long way towards balancing costs and keeping prices stable for you. The availability calendar on the website (desktop view) shows what’s still open. Summer weeks currently appear full, however cancellations do occur and we keep a waiting list based on inquiries. Keep in mind that our nine week summer season (Saturday to Saturday weekly bookings only) is always governed by (and back-scheduled from) the date of Labour Day (first Monday in September), with last summer checkout on the Saturday at the end of the week prior to the Labour Day weekend. The week leading up to the Labour Day weekend offers flexible late summer bookings.
Thank you for taking the time out of your busy lives to read this. We look forward to welcoming you in 2023 for another season of memorable vacations here at the Beam.
Best Fishes,
Darren & Sarah
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