The Saucy Willow Inn in Coboconk and its owners, Stephanie and David Jukes, have been recognized with one of the City of Kawartha Lakes’ most prestigious heritage honours.
The Jukes received the Osprey Heritage Award for Heritage Restoration/Adaptive Reuse during a city council meeting on Tuesday (January 13), with the award recognizing their extensive restoration work on the Victorian-era inn and its ongoing contribution to the community’s built heritage.
The city’s biennial Osprey Heritage Awards celebrate individuals, groups, and businesses that have made exemplary contributions to preserving and promoting heritage in Kawartha Lakes. The Heritage Restoration/Adaptive Reuse category highlights preservation work that protects the original character of historic buildings while adapting them for compatible contemporary use.
As for the Saucy Willow Inn, it is a rare surviving example of a Victorian farmhouse, noted for its multi-toned and detailed brickwork, steep gables, and decorative wood trim. The home was built in 1878 by Adam Carl, who owned much of the land on the island where the inn is located and who was the first person to open a business in Coboconk.
After living in the home for over four decades, Carl sold the building to five men from Lakewood, Ohio in 1921. They named it The Lakewood Club (later Lakewood Lodge) and operated it as a seasonal fishing and hunting camp. Bertha Caton — a house manager who lived in the lodge in the off season for seven years — bought the property from the men in 1927, and began operating it as a resort lodge with rental units and cabins.
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. The Jukes, originally from Durham region, purchased the property in June 2021 with an eye to restoring it.
In a statement, Stephanie Jukes said the Osprey Heritage Award is a meaningful acknowledgement of both the inn’s long history and the community’s support for its restoration.
“This building and property that we now call the Saucy Willow Inn has held many stories over its 148 years, and we feel privileged to help carry them forward,” she said in a statement. “Receiving the Osprey Heritage Award is a meaningful reminder that preserving the past while welcoming the future truly matters.”
Over the past several years, the Jukes have undertaken careful restoration of the inn and its surrounding cottages, preserving historic features while upgrading the property for modern hospitality use. Throughout the project, they made a point of using local artists, traditional materials and craftsmanship, emphasizing community involvement in the conservation process.
Today, The Saucy Willow Inn & Cottages operates as a waterfront accommodation on the shores of Balsam Lake, offering guests a blend of historic charm and modern comfort, with rooms and cottages that reflect both its rich past and its seaside setting.
The City’s Heritage Advisory Committee noted that the Jukes’ work sets an example of how historic properties can be sensitively restored and repurposed, helping to maintain the character and continuity of Kawartha Lakes’ communities.
The Osprey Heritage Awards are presented every other year. Alongside restoration/adaptive reuse, categories include publication and research, community heritage promotion, and milestone recognition for long-serving heritage organizations.
With files from Megan Gallant.
