S1 | Rewind Design | E10 Annie's Island on Georgian Bay
Annie’s Island on Georgian Bay
Japanese influenced Georgian Bay cottage featuring a pagoda like roof composed of four hyperbolic paraboloids on a 1.3 acre island down the South Channel
Anne’s Personal History
On today’s episode of Rewind Design, we have 94-year-old Ann Grotrian – a creative, an artist, a teacher, and above all, a lover of Georgian Bay. She loves bones, stones, shells and driftwood all of which you can find sprinkled around her eclectic South Channel cottage!
She was born in 1928 in Toronto, grew up in Rosedale the youngest of 5 children with a father in the meat packing industry. They originally had a cottage on, believe it or not, Toronto Island!
As a teenager she attended the girls’ private school, Branksome hall in Toronto, and went to Ontario College of Art. She worked for 5 years at Henry Birk’s and Son in the window display department. When she was 45 she went back to school at George Brown for Jewelry making. She graduated and taught for 33 years and spent many happy years making jewelry.
She has three children – Lynne, Bruce + Tim.
She has had a wonderful creative life which is mirrored in her artistic cottage with imagination in every corner.
She has spent:
A year around Europe. - Travelling with her Partner, notably in the North of Spain.
A year in the Arctic. – Managing the Inuit Jewelry Manufacturing Company for the Department of Economic Development of the North West Territories.
A year in Mexico. – San Miguel de Allende Institute where she studied, bronze casting, logography and life drawing. Bruce visited for 6 months and studied photography, which helped lead to his career.
Anne’s Pilgrimage to Georgian Bay
Anne’s pilgrimage to Georgian Bay first started when she met a friend named Glady Smith at the Ontario College of Art (now OCAD). Who, in the 50’s originally traveled to Amanda Island to take in rough rocks of Georgian Bay and to sketch the wilderness. She bought Sanger Island, across from Amanda, when it came up for sale. In the mid 50’s, Anne fell madly in love with Georgian Bay, when she would come up each summer to visit her friend. In 1959, she went home to her espoused, and asked if he was serious about buying their own island, he said “yes” and Anne promptly stated “Ok, we are getting married”. They bought their island for $180 (crown land was selling for $150/acre and they bought a 1.3 acre island). And another $150 for a survey.
The View of “Bus Island” - You can see the bunkie beside the steps down to the swimming rock.
Description of the Island + Cottage
The island was empty, except for a big yellow bus sitting near the shoreline. The island was originally owned by one other couple before the 50s, and unfortunately for them, but fortunately for Anne, they did not pay their taxes, and the island was returned to crown land. In this serendipitous timing Anne bought the island on a whim in a very small window of opportunity that is was available.
Anne Answers my questions!
Where is your property located?
Our property is a 1.3 acre island located between Dallas in length islands in the south channel approximately 25 km by boat from Perry sound.
What township are you located in?
We are located in the township of the archipelago
Can you describe your property and your buildings over time?
The island that we spend our summers on is a unique, fairly high island, with a sheltered harbour. The main building is situated at the top, nestled amongst a group of pines, aspen and oaks.
There Are three outbuildings, a Bunky down by our swimming rock, a capacious outhouse building with a composting toilet, and a small tool shed.
Can you describe what the building looks like, type of construction, general feeling etc.
The main building is a fairly unique 1950s/60s modern structure made of post and beam and having two walls primarily composed of glass doors and windows. The most unique feature of the building is a pagoda like roof composed of four hyperbolic paraboloid’s. The interior is very open, having no bearing walls, and a large opening between the first and second floors. The opening is square and is set at 45° to the main floor plan, creating four triangular loft spaces in each corner.
Do you know who built your cottage and who may have designed it?
The cottage was designed by a young architect by the name of Innigo Adamson. He was at the early part of his career and offered to do the design for $400 for Anne and Christian Grotrian. His only caveat was that there be no input regarding the design or the placement of the building from his clients. It worked out very well!
How did you end up here – is this a recent purchase or family generational cottage?
A college friend of Anne Grotrian, whose name is Gladys Smith, invited and Anne to come to her cottage on Sanger Island near Amanda to draw and paint, in the mid-1950s.
Glad he had found out that crown land would no longer be available as of 1960, so she strongly encouraged and Anne to find and buy an island. They cruised around until they found the perfect candidate, B652. It was also known as Bus Island.
Can you tell me about the history of your property?
Apparently it had been owned by a man who quit a retired school bus on the island as temporary accommodation. The bus had painted on the side, Roseland bus lines. Apparently this was from somewhere near Niagara on the Lake. Evidently the lease defaulted just around the time Anne was looking, the island came up again for lease, so she got it. It cost $180!
Special Traditions
Besides the obvious candidates of swimming napping and drinking, the one immutable tradition would be the playing of cribbage after dinner. Anne has very few requirements of people on the island other than that they must play cribbage with her!
Activities
As the cottage was built in 1960, and seemingly not really built to last, there is an ongoing raft of chores to do with keeping it from falling down. In terms of recreation, it would be the usual kinds of Georgian Bay things, such as kayaking and swimming. And is an avid watercolorist, and enjoys sculpting with polymer clay, specializing in paperweights and candleholders. Her eyesight is diminishing so these objects tend to get larger and simpler.
Cottage Design
The cottage was built in 1960
What we like the most about our cottage is it’s classic Canadian 1950s modern design, incorporating the then trendy hyperbolic paraboloid roof. We also love the open plan, the large opening in the first-floor ceiling, giving a view of the roof, and the predominantly glass south and east walls
Things we like less about the cottage are its fairly draughty construction and very biodegradable exterior materials.
One thing we would love to change about the cottage, would be to return the roof to its original configuration. Due to limitation in roof ceiling technology in 1960, it leaked almost from the get-go and much of the overhanging eaves, which gave it it’s wonderful Pagoda-like appearance, had to be trimmed back as they had rotted.
Design Challenges
The cottage has worked remarkably well over the years, despite not having had electricity until two years ago.
The original septic system did not meet code and was replaced by a very effective composting toilet about 15 years ago.
The beauty of this cottage is partly it’s simplicity.
Things we have in the cottage that make it feel like home are Anne’s bone, stone, antler, shell, tusk, watercolor, and knickknack collections. It’s like a museum in there!
The uniqueness of the cottage comes from the gem-like island is situated on, the amazing decoration of the interior, the one-of-a-kind modern architecture, and the people who make it home.
Visit Rewind Design Instagram below to stay tuned for more cottage stories!
If you would like to support this podcast, please follow along to patreon.com/rewinddesign. If you would like to support the show in other ways or share your own story, please send an email to katy@rewinddesign.ca or give me a call at 416 822 7489. Your donations help to run the podcast and costs associated with recording equipment and travel. 10% of all donations will be donated to the Georgian Bay Land Trust. Thank you so much, your support means everything.
