In the early twentieth century many well-known Canadian artists painted and sketched in this area. They were drawn here by the striking landscape and the ideals of the owners of the Bon Echo Inn. Flora MacDonald Denison, a Toronto feminist, bought the inn in 1910. Inspired by the philosophy of American poet Walt Whitman, she set out to create a wilderness retreat for the avant-garde. Guests were offered painting lessons, amateur theatre, and poetry readings. Flora's son, playwright Merrill Denison, inherited the resort in 1921 when Canadian cultural nationalism was on the rise. Many of his artist friends, including members of the Group of Seven, came here to vacation and work. The inn closed in 1928 and burned down in 1936. Only these buildings remain from the original resort.

Location

At the former site of the inn, Mazinaw Lake, Bon Echo Provincial Park, Highway 41, north of Kaladar

Themes

• Arts and culture
• Buildings and structures