Welcome to Episode 8 of Rewind Design Season 2! If you are brand new to this podcast, welcome! My name is Katy McNabb and I am a registered Interior Designer working in Ontario’s Cottage Country. I am on a mission to share sustainable ways of building, promote green energy and document the history of the cottage country.

In this week’s bonus episode, I have a cottage story to share! I had the pleasure of meeting with Julien LeBourdais, his daughter Lisa and his son in law Matthew. As far as his cottage history goes, Julien is a multigenerational cottager spanning back to the late 1800s.

In this emotional episode, we discover how each generation has enjoyed the wonder and solitude of Georgian Bay – through three different locations. He is now known in the community as the local historian, writing articles for the Sans Souci Copperhead association. We love to see his updates pop up online with a snippit from the past! Before his retirement he had an wonderful career as a photojournalist, photographing sports, celebrities and even royalty! He freelanced for the Toronto Star, then the United Press International to the United Press Canada!

IN THIS WEEK’S EPISODE WE DISCUSS:

• What is a Georgian Bay Girl? - Will you pass Lisa’s grandmother’s test?

• An island that was purchased for $25

• Lisa remembers returning retuning to L’Islet island decades later and discovering something her cousin had left hidden in the cottage…

On this weeks episode, we have Rags (Don Ragland) who owns a cottage property on Axford Island on the South Channel of Georgian Bay. How he acquired the island was slightly problematic, extremely lucky and he has a very curious story to how he purchased his property! They have a charming property sitting in a sandy channel he calls “Sand Channel” or his buddies call it the “Raglonian Strait” (haha) between Axford Island and Lent Island on the south channel of Georgian Bay. Rags hails from Dearborn Michigan, the home of Henry Ford, and taught high school English + art so he was able to spend the majority of his summers in cottage country. He originally came to Parry Sound with his parents as a child and would stay at Point Pleasant Resort (before is was exclusively a marina) and they would pay $3/night for accommodation! His property on Axford Island is roughly 1.33 Acres with 210 feet of frontage. They have a magical, I would say even enchanting property tucked in the hemlock tree forest with the original cabin still in place, painted in a bright coca cola red, the same colour from when they purchased it in 1970. 

Welcome to Rewind Design A Cottage History Podcast with your host + Local Interior Designer, (me!) Katy McNabb. Today we will be putting the spotlight on a historical Parry Harbour cottage. Join me, as I navigate the waters and go back in time to explore this whimsical farmhouse on the bay.

This episode of Rewind Design is so exciting for me: not only is it close to home, but Patty’s family history dates back to the 1800’s when Parry Sound was only accessible by steam paddle boat. This story of perseverance and adventurous spirit is so compelling, true to this area and the generation of people that came here. This episode will be split into 2 parts, as after I met with Patty, I realised just how much history this property held and how there would be no way to fit all into one hour!