This Wilderness Retreat in Ontario boasts "No hydro … bills."
Off the grid and into the woods - for Paul and Lucille Joss, that's the road less travelled and they're enjoying the journey. They've recently opened their Wilderness Retreat Bed and Breakfast, near Campbellford, Ontario, a 10-room two-storey home of spacious rooms, sunny decks and all the creature comforts. And proud as they are of it, Paul's happiest moments come when he tells people "We have no hydro . . . bills".
Yes, Paul loves to show guests his off-the-grid set-up. The house, almost entirely built by his own hands, relies on solar power, soon to be enhanced with wind power, to feed a bank of batteries, salvaged from discarded golf carts and fork lift machines. (On dark days, a generator, fed on discarded fryer oil, augments the solar power.) The electricity is fed into the house via underground cables. A huge outdoor wood-burning boiler devours construction and wood scraps and pumps ethylene glycol (antifreeze) into the house and under the floors … hot in winter, cold in summer. Both hosts are enthusiastic cooks and their electrical kitchen appliances are also fed by solar-generated electricity. The big barbeques on the decks rely on propane.
The house is set on 84 wooded acres, laced with nature trails and home to a two-acre pond, with two canoes. The abundant wildlife ranges from deer and an occasional black bear to wild turkeys and dozens of other bird species that frequently visit the birdhouses and feeders beside the decks. Lucille's knowledge of nature lore and bird life is a bonus for guests. Hay wagon rides, drawn by a team of huge horses, are frequent weekend treats. Good fishing is nearby at Puffball Bridge (1.5 miles) or Trent River (3 miles). And supervising it all are the couple's friendly co-hosts, a fluffy pair of Pomeranian dogs called Lady and Bear.
Breakfast at Wilderness Retreat is not to be taken lightly. Let Paul loose and he'll whip up huge pancakes with local maple syrup, eggs, bacon and sausage, served with toast and Lucille's home-made jams and jellies. They also do full dinners with advance reservation.
Vintage furniture, decorative china pieces, comfy quilts and lots of teddy bears provide a down-home atmosphere. The six rooms are comprised of four with ensuite bathrooms for $100 per couple, two with shared facilities at $80 per couple. With the help of cots and rollaway beds others can be accommodated for $20 each. An elevator to handle wheel chairs is just now being installed. The property has received several awards, including the 2010 Environmental Award from Ontario Power Generation and the Campbellford Chamber of Commerce Environmental award.
The property is located at 1505 Friendly Acres Road (12th Line West), Campbellford, ON, K0L 1L0, tel: 705 653 1149 or 705 653 1840. www.bbcanada.com/12412.html
Isobel Warren
Newmarket, ON
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