Killarney Mountain Lodge: Canada House

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Killarney Mountain Lodge is a resort situated on Georgian Bay in Killarney, Ontario that features the Canada House Conference Centre, which claims to be the largest log-built conference centre in the world. [1] Construction began in 2017 and was completed in 2019. [2] The Killarney Mountain Lodge is currently open only during the summer months until the beginning of fall. [3]

Contents

History

Killarney Mountain Lodge was purchased in the 1950's by the Fruehauf Trailer Corporation, with the intention of utilizing the property as a company retreat. [1] The corporation had many planes to bring their guests back and forth, with some visitors coming on their own. [4]

In 1962, a road leading to the retreat was built and the Fruehauf Trailer Corporation sold the property to Maury and Annabelle East. [1] The couple was very successful during their time of owning Killarney Mountain Lodge. [5] In 2015, the Easts sold the lodge to its current owner, Holden Rhodes. [1]

Rhodes wanted to invest in the community to keep it alive. [6] Rhodes' mother was born and raised in Killarney, and his ancestors have been in Killarney since its founding. [1] Rhodes wanted to give back to the community and increase tourist traffic. [1] He planned to renovate the resort to create new while maintaining historic aspects. The largest addition to the property is the conference centre. [1] Since Rhodes purchased and renovated the lodge, occupation at the lodge has increased. [6]

Use

The Killarney Mountain Lodge offers a variety of services to their guests. There are many cabins and dining halls for guests who are tourists visiting Killarney or attendees of events hosted at Canada House. The lodge also hosts corporate retreats. Activities for guests include cruises, sailing, team fish fry, kayaking, canoeing, hiking, bonfires, and wilderness excursions. [7]

Canada House

Design

The log-built convention center was designed by architects from R. Tomè + Associates, structural engineer Strik Baldinelli Minix Ltd, structural mechanic Emcad, and log structure design by Murray Arnott Design. [8] The goal was to create a structure that is a landmark [8] which represents Canadian history. The design was inspired by the grandeur of the Fairmont hotels. Despite its large size, the conference center blends into its surroundings. [6]

Over 500 people were involved from the initial design to the final construction of the conference center. Rhodes thought it was important to involve the community in the building process. [1]

Construction

To recognize the history of the First Nations people and the land they were building on, the construction team hired local log crews on Wikwemikong's unceded Indian reservation. [9] They harvested over 120 tons of white pine trees, which were prepared before assembly. “The logs were stripped of bark and seasoned for several weeks before being hand-shaped with a draw knife; then, they were preassembled at the builder’s yard in a process that included tagging, numbering and disassembling the logs. Finally, the tagged logs were trucked to the construction site and assembled”. [9] The construction techniques used in this build are traditional to the Georgian Bay area. [9]  

Materials

The name "Canada House" is derived from the materials, which are sourced from all of Canada.

Use

The conference center consists of multiple rooms designed to host groups of 25 to 250 people. [7] There are five grand halls for larger gatherings such as conferences, weddings, special dinners, banquets or classes. Most halls have their own fireplace and bar. [7] There are eight smaller meeting rooms for smaller gatherings. [7]

Each of the rooms is named after local historical figures, locations or events such as Hole-in-the-wall, Group of Seven, Granite Ridge and Silver Peaks. [7] Indigenous artwork is hung in the conference center, prominently featuring art by James Simon Mishibinijima. [1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 "Video: We visited the world's largest log-built conference centre: Canada House in Killarney". Sudbury.com. Retrieved 2021-03-01.
  2. ↑ 2018 ONTARIO CONCRETE AWARDS. FISHER WAVY INC. 2018.
  3. ↑ "Welcome to Killarney Mountain Lodge". Killarney Mountain Lodge. Retrieved 2021-04-04.
  4. ↑ "Fruehauf's Aviation Fleet". Singing Wheels: The History of the Fruehauf Trailer Company. Retrieved 2021-03-01.
  5. ↑ "After 53 years, East family sells Killarney Mountain Lodge (2 photos)". Sudbury.com. Retrieved 2021-03-01.
  6. 1 2 3 "History made and remembered in one project". Northern Ontario Business. Retrieved 2021-03-01.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 "World's Largest Log-Built Conference Centre at Killarney Mountain Lodge". Northern Ontario Travel. 2019-10-23. Retrieved 2021-03-01.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 2018 ONTARIO CONCRETE AWARDS. FISHER WAVY INC. 2018.
  9. 1 2 3 Dovetail, About the Author / (2020-11-16). "Canada House at Killarney Lodge". Wood Design & Building. Retrieved 2021-03-01.{{cite web}}: |first= has generic name (help)
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