Photo © Ian Coristine/1000IslandsPhotoArt.com
 You are here:  Back Issues      Archive

Taking the Plunge: Stories of Year-Round Thousand Islands Life


Editor’s Note: I am pleased to introduce Kristen Taylor and thank her for accepting to capture some of the trepidation and excitement required when one makes the decision to give up a traditional “city life” and move to the North Country in the United States, or what is known as Eastern Ontario in Canada.

Kristen and Jonathan Taylor moved from the Washington, DC, area to Clayton in October 2010, three months before Kristen gave birth to their first child, Grace.

Despite advice from friends and family that the couple would be better off professionally and personally living in a metropolitan area, Jonathan and Kristen pushed forward and made the move. Jonathan is a fully licensed architect, and just recently started his own architecture firm, Taylored Architecture PLLC in Clayton. While living in the Washington, DC, area, Kristen was Vice President of a strategic communications firm. She now is the owner and founder of her own Clayton-based marketing and public relations company, Taylored Public Relations LLC

____________________________________

Taking the Plunge…

My husband, Jon, and I moved from the Washington, DC area to Clayton in fall 2010 after a few years of dreaming of year-round River living.

Jon is a native of Thousand Island Park and I a life-long seasonal resident of Fineview on Wellesley Island. In the almost-two-years that we have lived in Clayton, we have introduced our daughter, Grace, to the world, partially renovated our home, started two new businesses, and best of all, we haven’t looked back. We always believed that if we were happy with our community, we could grow our family and careers even more successfully, and so far, that belief has served us well. Our inspirations for moving to the Thousand Islands came, of course, from our love of the River and all of the incredible things that come with River living. We credit our fortitude to take this plunge; however, to the many extraordinary stories and people who have successfully made this area home long before we ever did.

This column is an exploration of the stories and people who have decided to make the Thousand Islands a year-round home and the impact of such on the area. In this article, we feature two female entrepreneurs—Kim Lunman (of Brockville, Ontario), founder and publisher of Island Life magazine, and Peggy DeYoung (of Clayton, New York), owner of Porch & Paddle and Deer Run Studio—who made the decision to call the Thousand Islands their home, and from my perspective, have created a substantial and inspiring new layer to the Thousand Islands community.

If you know someone who has made the decision to call the Thousand Islands a year-round home (recently or long ago) and has an interesting story to tell, please let us know so we may continue this column and see how the River stories unfold.

Living Her Dreams of Island Life: An Interview with Kim Lunman

Born and raised in Brockville, Ontario, Kim Lunman journeyed to Canada’s far west and east coasts as an award-winning journalist before landing back in her hometown year-round and eventually founding and publishing the internationally distributed magazine, Island Life, which is now in its third year of publication. Here is my interview with Kim:

 

 

Why did you decide to move back to the Thousand Islands?

 

I didn’t want to go back to the rat race or come here once or twice a year from somewhere else. I’ve been all over North America and it’s awe-inspiring when you go down the River and see all the islands, castles and cottages. There’s something inexplicable about growing up in the area. The River will always be a part of you.

What was the reaction of your family and friends to your move?

One reaction I got was, ‘Where’s Brockville?’ People thought Brockville was a place to stop for gas. Some people are envious and some people don’t get it.

 

Did you consider your decision a leap of faith?

Yes. I didn’t have a ‘Plan A’ let alone a ‘Plan B’. I was lucky to have a severance, which gave me a bit of a financial cushion. It gave me time to think and time to be here. I thought about where I wanted to live and the answer was I want to live here.

How did you decide to start your magazine, Island Life?

After I moved back to Brockville, I got an offer to write at a local paper. I had an opportunity to meet Ian Coristine and I was blown away by his images. I pitched a whole series on the Thousand Islands to the local paper. The series evolved into a magazine because it was so popular. In fall 2008, the crash came. I was one of 600 people laid off by Canada’s largest newspaper chain. A publisher in Kingston then approached me to do another magazine on the Thousand Islands. I soon after decided to create my own publishing company called Thousand Islands Ink in 2009  and launched the first issue of Island Life magazine in 2010.

What are the keys to success for your business?

Perseverance, discipline, hard work, and building relationships. Being and staying positive is also important. Obstacles will always come your way. I think there’s no use in dreaming small. Dream big.

What's next for the magazine? What do you have coming up?

The 2012 issue of Island Life and the Islander’s Edition are coming out in May. We currently distribute 25,000 free copies of the magazine through local newspapers in the U.S. and Canada and the Islander’s Edition will be available to buy at stores throughout the Thousand Islands. In this issue, I write about my experiences living on an island called What If? and my adventures learning how to drive a boat. [She laughs.] I also write about Comfort Island, Carleton Island, Red Top Island, Temagami Island, the castles and more.

What are some advantages and disadvantages of living here year-round?

I call it the mouse race, because you get to work at home on your computer. I actually think it’s an excellent place to draw younger people who want to work from home for themselves. Advantages are the lifestyle and cost of living. For me, I can also go to Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa, or even New York City anytime. The biggest drawback for me is the winter.

What are your three favorite things about Thousand Islands life?

Nature. Solitude. Fun. People who are truly River people speak River. They’re happier. They’re fascinated by its history and beauty. They don’t just like the River, they love the River. It’s so refreshing. It doesn’t matter if you’re on the Canadian side of the water or the American side, the River brings people together.

For more on Kim Lunman and Island Life visit www.islandlifemag.ca.  

An Internet Search for Island Life: An Interview with Peggy DeYoung

Looking for a change after spending her life in Wisconsin, Peggy DeYoung and her husband, Gary, looked up “island” and “jobs” on the Internet and there on the computer screen found a link to their future home, the Thousand Islands, New York.

After Gary secured a position as Director of Tourism of the 1000 Islands International Tourism Council, a position he still holds today, Peggy and Gary made the move to Wellesley Island, where they have now lived for the last 14 years. Since their move, Peggy has made her mark on the Thousand Islands as the owner and founder of two successful businesses—Deer Run Studio, a full-service residential and commercial interior design business, and Porch & Paddle, The Cottage Shop, in Clayton. Below is my interview with Peggy:

Tell me about your decision to move to the Thousand Islands.

 

 

We were sitting in our home in Wisconsin and it was negative thirty degrees outside. We wanted a change. We did an Internet search for ‘islands’ and ‘jobs’ to find a tourism job for Gary, and the Thousand Islands came up. We were like, ‘Where is that?’ The pictures reminded me of visiting ‘Up North’ Wisconsin with my grandfather, where we would rent cottages along the lake. Gary and I came here for the interview and we knew we loved it. The area offered us things our vacations had, but we knew we could also work here.

 

How did you start Porch and Paddle and Deer Run Studio?

I knew I wanted to start my own business here. I opened Deer Run Studio and started doing commercial interior design. I had also always wanted to open a store and that fell into line. I founded Porch & Paddle and started out selling more accessories than big pieces, things people could add to their homes like area rugs, table linens, candles, dinnerware, and hammock swings. Word slowly spread. We ended up buying a building on James Street, which is our current location. The larger space allowed for more inventory and furniture, which enabled me to do more residential interior design work.

How do you choose your products?

Porch & Paddle offers home accessories and furniture at all price points. We want to meet everyone’s needs—summer people, local people, and tourists. We offer items from five dollars and then also larger furniture pieces. We focus on vibrant summer colors and patterns of awning stripes, garden flowers, dragonflies, herons, and fish. This makes our shop unique to our area. We carry new lines and patterns each year for our new and repeat customers.

 

What’s new this year with your businesses?

We have discovered thirty new lines, which will be available at Porch & Paddle when we open in May. We are a ‘green’ retailer. We recycle all of our packaging products and use recycled shopping bags. In line with that, we also are offering more reclaimed, recycled, and green accessories and furniture, much of which is also made in the USA. A lot of people also don’t know we do interior design. Deer Run Studio is a full-service, by appointment interior design firm. We’ll be opening a design studio above Porch & Paddle this year.

 

What are your three favorite things about Thousand Islands life?

First, the River. I’m a water person. I want to be in it and on it and under it. Second is the community and culture. The places, including the architecture, and the people here are so interesting. I also like that I can wear flip-flops and no makeup if I want to. [She smiles.]

For more on Peggy DeYoung’s Porch & Paddle and Deer Run Studio interior design services visit www.porchandpaddle.com.

By Kristen Taylor

Kristen Taylor lives with her family in Clayton, NY. She is the owner and founder of Taylored Public Relations LLC  a Clayton-based marketing and public relations company.  Before moving to Clayton, Kristen spent eight years in Washington, D.C., where she graduated from The George Washington University and worked as Vice President of a strategic communications firm.

Please feel free to leave comments about this article using the form below. Comments are moderated and we do not accept comments that contain links. As per our privacy policy, your email address will not be shared and is inaccessible even to us. For general comments, please email the editor.

Comments

Michael Laprade
Comment by: Michael Laprade ( )
Left at: 5:39 AM Sunday, April 15, 2012
Kim is a wonderful, relentless, driven story teller determined to uncover all the hidden facinating history the Thousand Islands has to offer. Our lives are all enriched by her efforts. She deserves all the support that we can give her.
Jan Staples
Comment by: Jan Staples ( )
Left at: 10:06 AM Monday, April 16, 2012
I found Kristen's articles to be both inspiring and informative! My husband and I have talked about making the 1000 Islands our year around home for a few years now, reading these stories makes me think our dream could very well be a reality! Thank you!
Brian Johnson
Comment by: Brian Johnson ( )
Left at: 10:15 PM Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Kristen, welcome to the Thousand Islands!!
First, no one knows the islands as intimately as Kim! She has set foot and met the folks on every one! A perfect first interview. And while I have never met Peggy, I know my wife and I have stopped into her shop on a visit to Clayton.
Come and take a trip on the Wolfe Islander III and see life as it is on the biggest of the Thousand Islands sometime!
The area history is at times, unbelievable!
Believe me!
Georgeen Clarke
Comment by: Georgeen Clarke ( )
Left at: 1:30 PM Saturday, April 21, 2012
I'm impressed with Thousand Islands life.com and find the monthly issues enjoyably interesting. After browsing through the current issue, I wanted to take the time to forward a complimentary comment to Kristen Taylor ... very well done!
sid manes
Comment by: sid manes ( )
Left at: 4:53 PM Saturday, April 21, 2012
Love the articles. will "Island" be available on the american side? what about by e-mail. I own ojibway island at chippewa bay and I'm sure many in the bay would be interested in the "Island". thank you. sid manes
Susie Smith
Comment by: Susie Smith
Left at: 5:05 PM Saturday, April 21, 2012
Yes, Kim's magazine "Island Life" will be distributed in the delivered version of "TI Sun" just before Memorial Day weekend. I think on the May 24th issue.
It will also be available for $4.95 in lots of book selling locations in the US.
Janet Gregware
Comment by: Janet Gregware ( )
Left at: 8:36 AM Monday, April 23, 2012
Thank you for sharing information about these 2 enterprising ladies. We are very fortuate to have Porch and Paddle in our "backyard." Peggy has also been a great supporter of the non profits in Clayton and Alexandria Bay, contributing items from her store for various fundraisers. Kristen, I suggest you talk to Heather of Freighters for a future article.
Kristen Taylor
Comment by: Kristen Taylor ( )
Left at: 4:51 PM Monday, April 23, 2012
Thanks, Janet. I'll keep Heather in mind for a future article.