“You cannot understand where you’re going if you don’t know where you’ve been.”
That’s the mantra that has stuck with Stephanie Jukes while she dives into the history of the nearly 150-year-old Coboconk inn she and her husband, David, are in the process of restoring.
But discovering all there is to know about the Saucy Willow Inn & Cottages — and all the history it holds — would not be possible without the help of the whole community.
When the couple purchased the property three years ago, the serial entrepreneurs from Durham region had no experience with innkeeping. However, when they were sent the property listing just as they were thinking about their retirement plan, they saw the potential — both in the property and in Coboconk.
“We just saw this huge opportunity for the house and because the area is incredibly growth-oriented, we saw it as a diamond in the rough,” says Stephanie. “We had no family or attachment to the area, but the house definitely needed saving so we were very adamant that we could do it justice.”
Today, the Saucy Willow Inn stands on four acres on the shore of Balsam Lake with six luxury inn rooms in the main house along with four cottages.
The storybook house itself was built in 1878 by Adam Carl, the first man to open a business in Coboconk and who Stephanie believes may have owned most of the land on the island at the time. When he sold the mansion to five men from Lakewood, Ohio, circa 1920, it was named The Lakewood Club (later Lakewood Lodge) and operated as a seasonal fishing and hunting camp.
“The elders here in the community here still call it ‘The Lodge,'” Stephanie notes.
A house manager who lived in the lodge in the off season for seven years, Bertha Caton bought the property from the American men in the late 1920s.
“Bertha’s granddaughter is still in touch with us,” says Stephanie, noting that she and David are the eighth owners of the inn. “We’re actually in touch with a descendent of every owner, and it’s helped up collect the stories of connections here.”
These connections to descendants, as well as reading through articles and connecting with others in Coboconk, have helped the couple put together the pieces of the property’s history.
“Early on, we would have people come by the inn because they heard through the grapevine that we were restoring it and they would either share their stories or bring their loved ones,” Stephanie says. “With any 140-year-old house, everybody’s stories are going to be unique and different, and everyone leaves their own footprint on it.”
The inn was named the Saucy Willow by Penny Johansen, who owned the property in the 1990s — two owners before the Jukes — and turned it into a bed and breakfast.
Of the many stories Stephanie has collected, one of the most memorable came in the fall of 2022. She was searching for a mason who would save the limestone pillars that stand at the entrance of the inn and found one who knew the Valentine brothers out of Norland who had built them all those years ago.
Just as the mason finished up the work, a man by the name of Ian Valentine showed up saying that, when he was six years old, he dug the ground where his dad and uncle built the pillars.
“I got a picture of him with the pillar and then he ended up going home to Sault Ste. Marie and pulled out all the pictures he had of the pillar,” says Stephanie, noting that the story is just a drop in the bucket when it comes to the inn. “We’ve got tons of those stories.”
As for Stephanie’s husband David, who is a construction worker, he has been leading the restoration of the Saucy Willow Inn, beginning with freshening up the kitchens and bathrooms in the four cottages. The Jukes have not changed any of the floor layouts, and have left little pieces of history where they can — like keeping the old paper door numbers hidden beneath the new ones.
“We appreciate the fact that we are building it to last another 100 years,” Stephanie says. “We weren’t interested in putting lipstick on a pig, but were very interested in ensuring the legacy of the house.”
Adding to that legacy, the Jukes ensure all work is staying local, including footing and foundation work done by 83-year-old Al Weaver of Norland’s Weaver Brothers Construction.
“We’re trying to use as many local vendors as possible,” says Stephanie, noting that many have long histories in Coboconk like the mansion itself. “I wanted to ensure that there were elements of locals that still contributed to the legacy.”
Moving forward, the Jukes are beginning to expand the gardens on the property and are building an extension to turn the coach house into one that replicates the look of the storybook mansion, even if that means hand-cutting the trusses.
“Even though it’s a detached garage, we felt it should have some cohesiveness,” Stephanie says. “It’s the fanciest garage in all the Kawartha Lakes.”
Stephanie notes that one of the best parts about the whole project is being able to engage with the community and have people excited to see the building restored.
“Although we’re in a small town, we’re not made to feel like we’re outsiders,” she says. “We feel very welcomed and appreciated, and we try to be good citizens back and supporting what we can support.”
As the Jukes continue to welcome guests and finish the coach house, Stephanie is hoping to hear even more stories about the Saucy Willow Inn and plans to make a coffee table book in honour of the inn’s approaching 150th anniversary.
“The house is really a key historical element of Coboconk,” she says. “We’re hopeful that we’ll continue to put in our hard work, dedication, and time in ensuring it’ll last another 100 years.”
For more information, visit the Saucy Willow Inn website and follow them on Facebook and Instagram.
