June 2026
Generations of families have always enjoyed getting away from the crowded cities and having a leisurely vacation in a relaxed, peaceful and serene environment, perhaps on a lake, with the sound of rustling leaves from tall, mature trees. Numerous hotels once lined the shoreline of Lake Rosseau in the Muskoka Region of southern Ontario.
Once the premier resort area in Ontario, populated by family run hotels and rustic cottage communities. Many of the old family run resorts have been replaced with newer, corporate-owned resorts, or by condominium developments, many of them have done exactly that. Rustic family cottages are being replaced with mansion-like summer estates and year-round residences, in areas that were once seasonally occupied only.
The Maple Leaf Hotel opened in 1901, when Ireneaus Hough transformed his summer boarding house and cottage community, Fox Farm, into a proper hotel. The original boarding house burned down in 1905, when Hough’s young son Ivan lit a fire on the front porch to keep his dog warm.
The main house was rebuilt into a three-storey building with a “widow’s walk” rooftop viewing platform, a new ballroom and a fireplace, room for sixty guests and its own steamship dock.
Ivan Hough took over running the hotel in 1939 from his father, leading to a name change to Maple Leaf Lodge.
The hotel change ownership again in 1946, when Fred and Mildred Baldwin bought Maple Leaf Lodge, re-naming it The Baldwins. Additional buildings and cottages were added, including expanding the main house. Other amenities over the years included a sundeck, a picnic area, a life-size chess board and a golf course.
Ruth Pagent bought The Baldwins in April 1965, adding a new outdoor pool and enlarging the dining room. Parent sold the hotel in 1979 to Al and Pat Poutaned, who added new facilities that included a recreation centre, called The Alpine, and upgraded the lounges, dining room, bar and 36 guest rooms.
In the last few years operation, the quality of the Baldwins seemed to decline, as it was labeled as a “2-star” hotel in many on-line reviews.
The end of The Baldwins came 2021, when the 120-year old hotel closed. The contents were auctioned off and the main building was demolished in 2024. No plans are available regarding the future plans for the property. The Windermere Golf & Country Club remains in operation
Sources: https://the-new-baldwins-resort.ontariocahotel.com/en/, https://travelinggolfer.net/the-new-baldwins-resort/, https://www.windermeregolf.ca/our-history, Our History – Windermere Golf & Country Club.
