From trash to treasured: how one clever cottager upcycled his way to a perfect little escape

It’s ramshackle, upcycled, and made of barely anything new, but there’s nothing accidental about this cottager’s cabin

BY JIM MOODIE

A VISIT TO Crystal Palace begins with a paddle. Or, as the case may be, a brush with shoreline authorities. “Area patrolled by Black Lab Security Co.,” warns the sign affixed to a red pine at the boat launch. I’m admiring this bright metal placard, complete with a canine silhouette, when I realize my own stocky shadow has snuck off. Great. We haven’t yet slid our canoe into Ragged Lake, a secret-feeling spot in the Shield country south of Bancroft, Ont., and already we are making waves. I find the trespasser on the deck of a nearby cottage, pestering the owner. “Not a problem,” he insists. My dog proceeds to sniff around the base of his barbecue, licking a few planks. Peering at us through a screen door, meanwhile, is the…

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Cottage Life (Digital) - 1 Issue, June/July 2024

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