Kipawa Land/ Cabin owners thread

[Dog]

I'm  wondering which members on this board are lucky enough to have a place in the paradise to call their own?

If you don't mind sharing the story behind how you came to become owner of the cabin or land on the lake I'd love to read about it...

(Conversely, if you have a cabin or land on a lake somewhere other than Kipawa feel free to share that as well...)

[puckster_guy]

 Just my 2 cents worth...I have my "dream" place on Kip. I owned the land for 4 years and just started building on it last summer.  My story and pictures are all over these pages and over at kipawa.net
Lovin' every minute of it....

[600 miles north]

     The cabin that we call home for a week or two in the summer has been in the family for more than 65 years. It's my great uncles/ great grandparents place. We have been lucky enough to have been able to use it for my entire life to this point, and look forward to every new year we get to spend on the lake.

     My great grandparents travelled via dirt, and logging roads in that day until they eventually stopped at a place on the lake at what is now Chalet Diane's or in that vicinity for a few days.

     When out on the lake they came across a log cabin that was for sale and bought it. They leased the land for many years until in the 80's or 90's we were offered the opportunity to purchase the crown land.  For many years you were only able to lease Crown Land and could not buy it.

     When I was a kid it was a fairly remote area. McAdams bay was just beginning to be built up, and we would rarely see boat traffic going by the cabin. My great grandparents would catch fish almost every time they would cast a line in... from shore, or their dock. It isn't like that anymore, probably for many different reasons. I remember seeing an old outdoor life magazine that had articles about Kipawa being one of the hottest walleye fishing areas in Canada.

     For me it has changed much in the last decade or so. Much developing is going on around us... which I guess is inevitable as populations are pushed further out. The once remote place in the woods now has "houses" not even just cabins around us. Paths and places I used to explore in the woods are now other peoples property. Land has gone from being relatively inexpensive to more than I would pay for land that I lived at everyday of the year, so little as one or two weeks a year. Taxes have gone up, and doubled and tripled almost every year. Trash is no longer able to be taken to the gov. dock in Laniel and must be taken to the dump on only a couple days a week, for a select few hours. Places like picnic island were being run over with trash because people had nowhere to get rid of it. I am sure some resorted to throwing it on shore and in the bush. I guess what I am getting at is it has been changing from the wild, raw place that I remember as a kid. I still love the lake... it's just different. In the not so distant future I can envision us staying with an outfitter if we make the trek up north. The expense of owning a cabin that is hard to get to more than a week or two, and repairs that need done in the short time we are there, and the build up around us make it harder to justify continually heading in this direction. sometimes new adventures, and new traditions are in order. This isn't depressing to me... just reality

Brad 

[Oarin]

Brad, if the time ever comes when you're really considering an outfitter let the members know and maybe we could arrange for you to get to see our choices in person. TBL, Two Moons, 3 seasons, Alwaki and others are all within distance for a trip to check them out. I know I'd be happy to have you and your family visit me at Taggarts.

[Dog]

@puckster_guy
Joe,
I am gonna have to make a visit to see the Hodge Podge in person one of these years. I will provide free whiskey and manual labor for a roof over my head at night or a spot of grass to camp on :-)
I'm short on vacation this year because I had to take 5 days to start the year because my wife was really sick so 2016 is more likely/ feasible....

@600 miles north
Brad,
your post is exactly what I'm looking for.. I'm considering investing in something on the lake and well, would probably be worthwhile for us to talk.. a few buddies and I are looking for some land to invest and one day build on.... maybe we should look stateside? PM me your thoughts on buying land/ cabin on kipawa as a US citizen....
-Nate

[puckster_guy]

by all means Nate you'll always be welcome

[getthenet]

If your looking to buy property north of the border,I would think a big consideration would be the timing of the exchange rate !

[Dog]

If your looking to buy property north of the border,I would think a big consideration would be the timing of the exchange rate !

very good point I would think as well...

[pike mike]

No I dont have property or a cabin on Kipawa and yes my little piece of heaven on Lake Erie is no comparison to the beauty and escape of Kipawa but has been and continues to be our family retreat for the past 65years .My Grandfather ,an English immigrant built our cottage on Peacock Point along with a cottage for my Uncle's family and 3 other cottages across the road (sold to others) around 1950 .Long before I was even thought of  Our family property long befoe my birth was a lake front lot about 200' wide  by about 800'.Over the years ,due to errosion and prior to the installation of a large breakwall ,our lot has erroded to 200' X about 200' . Small mouth bass and R N' R are our prime targets while at our cottage. Nothing compared to Kipawa but still our escape from teh bustle of life .     

[600 miles north]

     @Oarin, thanks for the offer, I will definitely keep that in mind. It would be cool to hang out and check out that part of the lake sometime. It is still in our plans to make the trip north this year to the family cabin. I just don't know if it will be in 10 years... time will tell.

     @Dog I will send you a PM as soon as I get a chance...

     Brad

[michelle]

We purchased our camp in July 2004. At that time, we lived in Thorne and worked in Temiscaming. I was at work and was surfing the net as we had often spoke of possibly buying a camp in that area. I happened to see the listing and as the price was very reasonable, we decided to go and have a look. We got lost trying to find it but eventually got there to speak to the owner. It was an old hunt camp that the owner had built some 30 years before and he was selling as he didn't get up as often as he liked. The lot was beautiful although the camp needed some TLC. The land is leased and we are looking at hopefully purchasing it.
We moved to Sudbury for work reasons, we are now 4.5 hours away and we don't get up as much as we like but we make it up at least once a month in the spring til fall.  It is a lot of work, maintaining the lot, keeping it cleared, updating the cabin, all the renos (planned and unplanned) but we make sure we take some time to fish and enjoy it now, even if the work isn't accomplished. It's the most peaceful place in the world, and I so look forward to spring, winter is too darn long...lol.

[michelle]

@600 miles north
Brad,
your post is exactly what I'm looking for.. I'm considering investing in something on the lake and well, would probably be worthwhile for us to talk.. a few buddies and I are looking for some land to invest and one day build on.... maybe we should look stateside? PM me your thoughts on buying land/ cabin on kipawa as a US citizen....
-Nate



Dog, we have one cabin beside us and that's exactly what they did. Three friends got together and bought the camp....they were there a couple of years before us and it seems to work for them. At times, they come up together and other times, they bring their families. Definitely another way of owning a camp without taking on all the costs yourself. They all live in southern Ontario.

[Dog]

@600 miles north
Brad,
your post is exactly what I'm looking for.. I'm considering investing in something on the lake and well, would probably be worthwhile for us to talk.. a few buddies and I are looking for some land to invest and one day build on.... maybe we should look stateside? PM me your thoughts on buying land/ cabin on kipawa as a US citizen....
-Nate



Dog, we have one cabin beside us and that's exactly what they did. Three friends got together and bought the camp....they were there a couple of years before us and it seems to work for them. At times, they come up together and other times, they bring their families. Definitely another way of owning a camp without taking on all the costs yourself. They all live in southern Ontario.

thanks for the input.
Brad and I talked a bit offline and right now for me, I've come to the conslusion it's more a dream than anything.

At this point in my life, it makes zero financial sense, since I'm only able to use it one week a year for the next 20-30 years. Not to mention right now my wife and I rent while she's finishing up her PhD... so If I bought a cabin in the woods before we bought a house and were settled somewhere, I'd also probably have to pay for a divorce lawyer ;-) haha

A guys gotta dream, right?...

[michelle]

@Dog   It used to be a dream for us as well, but the right time,price,lot came up for sale, then it became our reality.
It is a lot of work though, and we get there at least once a month in the summers....always stuff to repair, unexpected expenses, etc.... but we will hang onto it, and enjoy it til we can't do it anymore.

[limacharley]

not exactly Lake Kipawa but paradise nonetheless.

http://www.kijiji.ca/v-other-real-estate/windsor-area-on/for-sale-on-beautiful-blue-lake-kipawa-qc/1059533205

This is a pretty good deal for someone looking to retire but still keep busy.