Thurstonia Park

By Percy Skitch

Originally Published in Pioneer Gleanings from Verulam, 1967

Percy Skitch developed Thurstonia into a popular tourist attraction

During the summer of 1914, about the 15^th of July, I received my vacation for two weeks from the Massey Harris Company in Toronto where I was clerk in the office for nine years. We stayed with my parents who had recently built a summer cottage in the park. These were a memorable two weeks as well as a most enjoyable holiday. The fishing in those days was excellent and bass and muskellunge in abundance; a Paradise for the fishermen.

Mr. H. Thurston had the Park up for sale and it was on this holiday occasion that we decided to purchase the property from him. At this time, there were four cottages and 17 acres of beautiful land. This was a significant time in my life; I was the new owner of Thurstonia Park.

Only two weeks after the deal was completed, the First World War broke out. This really gave us a scare as we had put everything we owned into the purchase. With the war suddenly on, things looked bleak and we had visions of our all being lost.

It was very fortunate that there were 150 or more of a staff in the offices of the Company for which I worked. During the winter and early spring months, I made plans and reservations for many of my office friends and others to visit our lovely resort. When I left Toronto in April 1915, much of the accommodation at the lake was reserved.

My wife and two children, Bruce and Marion, travelled to Lindsay by train, and believe it our not, I had purchased a horse and light wagon and drove down. With muddy roads and a heavy rain storm which overtook me outside Oshawa, I was delayed for a day but arrived in Thurstonia after three days. It really seemed like an endless journey and I often felt sorry for my horse which was certainly a faithful beast, and pretty well tuckered out at journey’s end.

After a month’s hard work, things were shaping up for the coming season. One of the facilities badly needed was the direct mail delivery, which up to this time came to Dunsford two miles distant. Of course, in those days, there was no rural mail delivery and the present set up proved very inconvenient. I made application through our member of Parliament, The Honourable Sir Sam Hughes, who was really a man of action and quick decision and tremendous vigour. It was only a short time after that I was in receipt of a letter advising me that I was now Postmaster of Thurstonia Park; the office would open on June 15^th. We were very gratified with this very encouraging news and what a boost it was for the park.

The first lot was sold to Mr. Thomas Holmes of Toronto; another was purchased by Mr. Charles Conquergood, a great friend and help to the community.

Accommodation was inadequate to house the many guests who came the first year and we found it imperative to build a larger lodge. Through the kindness and generosity of my father, I arranged for a builder, Mr. Jim Thurston, to make plans and estimate the required lumber. I put my bicycle in one of our row boats and rowed across the lake to Sandy Point and on to Fenelon Falls to the big lumber mill who inside of a week had the lumber delivered by scow. Within 6 weeks, we had the building well underway. This structure, consisting of 27 rooms, a large dining room, kitchen, a store and post office and a verandah 56 feet in length, was completed in the spring of 1916. My aunt, who was the cook, named the lodge Swastika, which was an Indian name for “Good Luck.” The name was later changed to Thurstonia Lodge.

It was a popular event during the summer to hold open air concerts on the verandah. Many in the community attended each Thursday night and were able to find willing and talented singers, dancers, piano and violin players and elocutionists.

The first church service in the Park was started on the Lodge Verandah, later at the Pavillion operated by Mr. Martin Thurston. In 1931, Mr. and Mrs. William Arnold built the little church on the hill, calling it Trinity Community Church, for the convenience of the three summer places of Greenhurst, Thurstonia and Kenhill. This was later deeded to the community as a gift from Mr. and Mrs. William Arnold. Mr. Fawcett, owner of the Ernscliffe Lodge, Charles Conquergood and Percy Skitch were the first trustees. This church has been carried on ever since and two services are held during July and August, Mass at 9 am and undenominational service at 11 am.

About the year 1920, the CPR ran weekend special trains from Toronto. This was a great boom to the resort business for a number of years and we found it necessary to invest in a bus to convey guests to the Park. It was also used to take our Roman Catholic friends to Mass at Downeyville. The roads were rather rough south of Dunsford and on one occasion a remark was made to me, “Percy, I don’t know why you brought us to church this morning as you shook the devil out of us before we got here.” We had merry times driving to and from on these trips.

An incident comes to mind of a number of Indians and their wives and families from the reserve from Curve Lake or Indian Village. About the year 1919, they camped for the summer across the lake near Sandy Point, on Mr. Robert Knowlson’s 20 odd acres of wooded land. There were about 30 in the party and they made rustic chairs, tables and other pieces of furniture; the women sold baskets and fancy beadwork. I believe there are still some of the cedar rustic chairs in use on the Lodge verandah. I used to chat with the chief of the group and asked him if he could relate some of the history of the big stone called Indian Treaty Rock on the shore by the boat house. On the underside of the rock, he showed me a chiselled Treaty, used in the early days to mark the boundary lines of the fishing and hunting grounds of two tribes, one from the east the other form the west. There was also a legend that Samuel De Champlain on his discovery and voyage through the lakes to Orillia stopped at this historic rock with his Indian Guides.

It was to me a wonderful experience to have had a share in the growth and development of this beauty spot on Sturgeon Lake, to see the area increase from our four cottages in 1914 to better than four hundred in 1966. It was our pleasure to spend 35 years in this healthful place which is now being operated by the new owner Mr. Harry Nichols and his family and we wish them every success. Fond memories are still lingering in my heart of this popular resort, Thurstonia Park.