Enjoying the View
100 years on the shores of Haliburton's Lake Kashagawigamog
Legend has it that when the first family to own the property on Lake Kashagawigamog glanced out over the tree-lined water, an elderly Scottish woman who was with them exclaimed, 'What a bonnie view!' and thus lent the name to the lodge that would soon be built along the shores.
Now a century later, the vista has remained mostly unchanged and the Bonnie View Inn continues to welcome visitors and locals alike to enjoy it in Ontario's Haliburton Highlands.
"The foundation for the building was constructed in 1924 and so we use that date to mark the beginning of Bonnie View," says Ryan Yates, the current owner. "Over the years, it has grown and developed into a staple of the community. And we've inherited that and hope to continue the legacy."
Ryan and his family are just one of a handful of owners who have run the Bonnie View property during its 100-year history. The Yates purchased it in 2020 from Andrea Hagarty, who owned it since 2005 (first alongside her partner Monte Miscio and then as a solo owner). Before that, it was the Mavroukas family (1994-2005), the Bikowski family (1989-1994) and the Waffle family (1982-1989).
The Bonnie View history before the 1980s is a bit more fuzzy. What is known is that in 1924, there were two cabins onsite and people came by train and then horse and buggy to stay. Harold and Rose Moody took over ownership in 1935 and during their 15 years on the property, they constructed the main buildings and the cabins. The Youngs took over after that and ran the property until 1970. It isn't known at this time who the owners were after that, until Ted and Joyce Waffle took over in 1982.
"Over the years, there have been some significant changes but the one thing that remains constant is just the role that Bonnie View plays in the community and in bringing people to the area," Ryan said.
The storied history of the Bonnie View Inn is woven into the fabric of the Haliburton community.
"So many people in the community have a Bonnie View story," Ryan says.
The inn has hosted events, such as holiday parties and weddings, been the backdrop for engagements and birthdays, and become a haven for family vacations and couples looking to get away. In the days of prohibition, the basement even served as a speakeasy and the walls there are still adorned with authentic Scottish paintings from those clandestine days.
The foundations of the original building constructed in 1924 remain, serving as the foundation of the modern-day lobby. The waterside patio, which was built in the 1960s continues to draw people in for a drink to this day.
And now with the Yates family at the helm, many changes have been made to the aging buildings and a few more are planned.
"Obviously it's an older property so there's constantly things needing attention," Ryan says. "So our goal with it now is just to modernize it a little bit and continue doing a lot of the things that have been going on here for the last few decades."
That means more summers of swimming in the lake and enjoying drinks on the patio, more autumns of spectacular fall colours and refreshing hikes in the woods and more winters of cozy parties.
"Looking ahead, the future is bright for Bonnie View," Ryan says. "And hopefully we just continue to improve it little by little and keep bringing people to the Haliburton area, because I think it's a pretty awesome place."
The Bonnie View Inn is located just outside the town of Haliburton along the shores of Kashagawigamog Lake. It is a family-run resort with 26 rooms, 300 ft of beachfront and one spectacular view that has captivated visitors for a century.
