POLYNESIAN ONTARIO

: : Nestled on the shores of Lake Nosbonsing, on a back road near North Bay, Ontario, sits a large, ordinary looking building. Those passing by on their way to fish, hunt, or snowmobile would probably miss the bleached-out sign that advertises a “Hawaiian” pool. But tales of the legendary Camelot Resort had reached our ears and we decided to make the 4-hour trek from Toronto. : :

: : The Camelot Resort bed & breakfast is owned and run by Doris Agnew. The resort boasts 4 suites which are self-contained apartments within the house; we stayed in the Log Cabin Suite… equipped with a very serviceable bar and retro bordello style lighting in the living room. But the Camelot was not designed as a resort; it was originally the very large private home of the late Dr. Agnew, chiropractor and full-time purveyor of the Polynesian lifestyle. This was a man who took his relaxation seriously: in 1974 he commissioned the building of a tropical grotto complete with a pool, hot tub, waterslide, fireplace and Tiki bar! : :

: : To view the grotto, one must pass the pine door covered with signposts of South Seas destinations, the entrance to a world of enchantment rarely seen above the 49th parallel. A wooden bridge kept our feet dry as rivulets of water trickled down the bedrock into a small decorative pool below. We continued our way past the skulls on spears and a Javanese carving to the Aloha Bar. The bar was filled to the brim with turtles, puffer fish and all the usual tiki bar paraphernalia – plus a very large stuffed snake. Hanging wicker chairs provided seating, so we promptly cracked open our rum and settled in to admire the main pool below us. : :

: : The large pool glowed blue in the low light while all manner of lanterns glittered above. A quick dip was called for and we headed down to explore the poolside. Additional decorative touches have been added to the grotto just for fun: on one side of the pool you can see a fake entrance to Trader Vic’s, and beneath the waterslide are steps to an underwater observation window built to catch a better glimpse of the swimming wahines. Watch your step on the way down – a dramatically lit niche houses the skull of some unfortunate fellow, complete with a snake crawling through his eye socket! The pièce-de-résistance, however, is the massive concrete Moai and the waterfall which descends from approximately 5 meters above the deck into the shallow end of the pool. Unfortunately, the waterfall was out of commission on our visit. : :

: : This magnificent grotto was created by the award-winning pool and spa firm Skilbuilders Ltd., still in operation out of nearby North Bay. The company built several other pools of this type in the area, however, these are located in private homes and it is unknown if the pools are still extant. : :

: : To make your stay at The Camelot more enjoyable, remember to bring your own liquor (the bar is self serve) and suitable music. A cassette player is available for guest use in the bar area. Sadly, the sound system that Dr. Agnew had once employed has fallen into disrepair. He had rigged the grotto area so that multiple tape recorders played simultaneously, adding a tropical sound-scape for the right ambience. According to Doris, he spent hours out in the bush recording sounds for just this purpose. : :

: : When you are tired of lounging poolside, you can continue to enjoy the Polynesian experience outside. A permanent BBQ and fire pit are a stone’s throw from your room and the lake. The pit is surrounded by circular bench seating – each seat equipped with its own drink rest (always important), while a ring of Tiki lanterns light up the dark northern sky. : :

: : In addition to the Polynesian theme, The Camelot has a medieval knight style dining room (hence the name) and a plethora of early Canadiana objects spread throughout the halls and billiard room. : :

: : This rare Canadian gem is up for sale as Doris has decided to retire. She is currently looking for a buyer but, in the meantime, the Camelot Resort remains open for reservations. : :

Jo Bradley © 2004

Reader Dana Sixty sent in this UPDATE in 2005:

: : “Me and my man are good friends with the owner Doris and her now new husband, so we're ‘in the know’ about the lodge. She has now moved in with her husband at his house, which is a couple hours south of the lodge. Her son and his family now live at the lodge. They may sell it again in the future, but nothing's set in stone. 

Anyway, just thought I'd let you know so you can pass on that the lodge is now officially ‘closed’ and is a private residence for the foreseeable future.” : :

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