The listing: 83 Toparjo Rd., Port Carling, Ont.
Asking price: $6.49-million
Taxes: $21,151.00 (2015)
Lot size: 4.8 acres
Agent: Paul Crammond (Chestnut Park Real Estate Ltd.)
The back story
In Ontario’s storied Muskoka region, the arrival of roads, cottages and boathouses has taken place gradually, starting with the first visitors to the area in the 1800s.
Even today, some of the cottages perched on Lake Joseph’s craggy shoreline can only be reached by boat and wooded islands are still uninhabited.
“It’s a very busy day on north Lake Joe,” real estate agent Paul Crammond says, soon after arriving at a wooden dock. “I think I passed one boat.”
The northern portion of Lake Joseph appeals to cottagers who want as much privacy as possible, says Mr. Crammond of Chestnut Park Real Estate Ltd. “We are virtually right at the very top of the lake, which is the area that was developed last as roads moved north.”
Most parts of Lake Rosseau and Lake Muskoka, which together with Joseph make up the “big three,” tend to be less secluded, Mr. Crammond says. The rugged landscape that characterizes this part of Lake Joe is more reminiscent of Georgian Bay, he points out.
He adds that the water appears to take on an emerald hue because of the area’s geology. “The further north on Lake Joe you go, the water gets greener,” he says.
When a new road was cut through the trees at the top of Lake Joseph, locals dubbed it “Topajo.”
The cottage at No. 83 is set in a hollow carved from the natural rock, Mr. Crammond says.
“It’s very dramatic,” he says. “They carved this bowl.”
The builder could have set the building high up on an outcrop, but it would have been a long way above the water.
The building’s position close to the lake’s edge allows the occupants to hear the water lapping against the shore at night, he says.
Owner Richard Baker purchased the newly-built cottage in 2000. The property has 640 feet of shoreline and eastern exposure.
The four bedrooms and two bathrooms suited the family when the children were small. They would often gather in the great room, with cathedral ceiling, a stone fireplace and long lake views.
Mr. Baker added a boathouse in 2001 and, as the kids grew up, the family renovated and expanded the cottage.
More recently, the family found that they weren’t getting to Muskoka as often as they used to and they listed the cottage for sale. It recently sold for $6.245-million.
The cottage today
Today, the fully-winterized cottage has 5,000 square feet of living space and several outbuildings.
In 2009, Mr. Baker undertook a large renovation. The original cottage was fitted with a new kitchen and bathrooms and the pine throughout the main rooms was given a darker stain. The new two-storey guest wing provided an additional three bedrooms and two bathrooms. There’s also a lounge and bar area and a home theatre.
Upstairs, the sleeping quarters open to a deck with views through the trees to the lake.
“We call this the wine deck,” Mr. Crammond says.
Outside, winding paths lead to the waterfront’s boathouse, with indoor slips for two boats and additional accommodations and outdoor decks above. A small wooden building in the woods provides a secluded setting for the sauna and the hot tub is nearby.
Up the hill, there’s a three-car garage. A sports court gives the kids a place to play basketball, ball hockey or shuffleboard.
A separate pavilion houses the indoor-outdoor home gymnasium. There’s also a sheltered area with a large ping pong table.
“If it’s black fly or mosquito season, you just lower all the power screens,” Mr. Crammond says.
The agent says many cottage buyers want to be on one of the “big three” lakes because they want to take their boat to one of the large golf courses or to a restaurant for dinner. Lake Joseph connects to Lake Rosseau through the narrows at Port Sandfield, where the nearby Lake Joseph Club offers golf and dining.
“If you want to go to the south end, it’s only a 20-minute boat ride,” Mr. Crammond says.
The Rocky Crest Golf Resort is also located at the north end, close to Topajo Road.
“This is so close, if they wanted to they could take a golf cart.”
The best feature
The screened Muskoka room allows the family and guests to sit surrounded by trees without fending off mosquitoes. It has heated stone floors and powered screens and no-maintenance shutters.
When the weather’s wild, the shutters enclose the space.
“When you want to open it, it opens at the click of a button,” Mr. Crammond says.