As Stoney Point Marina recovers from an electrical fire that destroyed their shop and halted nearly 75 per cent of business, owners Haley and Bryan Bates are seeing that the marina has not just played a pivotal role in their own lives but plays a significant role in the community.
Located in the Township of Havelock-Belmont-Methuen, one of eight townships in Peterborough County, Stoney Point Marina resides on the shore of Kasshabog Lake and offers a range of services as well as a store and a bar and restaurant.
Though the husband-and-wife team purchased the business two years ago, Haley has worked there since she was 14 years old, and the couple even met on the property. Ties to the marina run deep in the family as Haley’s own parents met at the lake, after her father spent much of his youth also working at the marina.
As they rebuild their shop and replace lost tools, Stoney Point Marina has temporarily paused some service offerings like property maintenance and winterizing. With the main building remaining intact, however, Stoney Point Marina is still offering docking services and continues to operate the store and restaurant and bar, where patrons can enjoy the famous Friday fish and chips from the lakeside patio.
At the store, Haley sells clothing and accessories through her own brand The Lake Shop Co., where she does lake-branded apparel and custom business designs for businesses like Reclaimed Garden Co., located in Burleigh Falls. In store, you’ll also find maple products from Frasca’s Ridge Maple Co. in the Township of Douro-Dummer and Sweet Hill Maple in Lakefield, a well as engraved giftware from DNH Creations, a Whitby-based company whose owner cottages on Kasshabog Lake.
In the restaurant, Stoney Point Marina sources from Three Roads Farm in the Township of Otonabee-South Monaghan and from Campbellford Wholesale, while harvesting their own vegetables in a 12-foot vegetable garden and scooping Kawartha Dairy ice cream.
On Fridays, Stoney Point Marina’s restaurant is the place to be as customers can enjoy live music from local and visiting artists. Singer-songwriters Pat Rees and Laura Pointon, who both have properties on Kasshabog Lake, as well as Nephton Ridge Runners, based in Nephton, are regular performers.
To show their gratitude and commitment to the community that has played such a significant role in both their personal and professional lives, the Bates give back when they can. This was evident when the couple opened the marina’s kitchen and cooked fish and chips free of charge to neighbours who had lost power for several days during the spring ice storm.
The Bates also donate to raffles and auctions where possible and, in 2024, in partnership with Tree Walkers Professional Tree Care, Stoney Point Marina raised $5,000 for Roter’s Reach Mental Health Awareness during a three-hour carnival fundraiser.
All the generosity was shown back to them during the recent fire, when members of the Lake Kasshabog Residents Association and other customers offered financial support and otherwise showed up for them.
“We had a lot of people and other local marinas in the township reach out, asking if we need anything,” says Haley. “We had people from the lake on my doorstop at 1 a.m. in the morning helping us, taking the kids out of the house, and it just shows the community is massive and so is the support behind us.”
Stoney Point Marina is located at 458 Stoney Point Road. For more information, visit www.stoneypointmarina.com or follow Stoney Point Marina on Facebook and Instagram.
The Local Advantage in Peterborough County is a branded editorial feature series about locally owned independent businesses in Peterborough County, created in partnership with Peterborough County’s Economic Development & Tourism Division.
As part of its response to the impact of U.S. tariffs, Peterborough County is showcasing the many unique businesses located in the county, both by sharing their stories of success and how they support both residents and other businesses in their communities.
Whether by shopping at local businesses, dining at local restaurants, staying at local accommodation, or enjoying local experiences, residents and visitors can enhance the economic resilience of Peterborough County during these challenging times and help establish a sustainable foundation for the future.
For more information about economic development and tourism in Peterborough County, visit www.ptbocounty.ca/ecdev and The Kawarthas Tourism at thekawarthas.ca.
