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Extraordinary events and new developments of the 2007 season recalled the heyday of the Thousand Islands, the Golden Age of the resort that ended almost a hundred years ago. The quantity and quality of projects may presage the coming of a second Golden Age for the resort.
The symbolic icon of our resurgence was a social event, "The Party of the Century," as we have titled our article about "A Midsummer Night's Dream," the grand festivity hosted by Jim Cumming. Another article announces preparation by an international publisher of a forthcoming book about the Thousand Islands that should expand afar awarness of our region. Still another article reports an international award to Ian Coristine's most recent Thousand Islands book, printed locally. We are becoming better known internationally: Forbes magazine mentions Dark Island Castle as one of twelve international castles currently for sale, as indicated on our Properties page. We are also putting a better foot forward, as evidenced by the new web site of the Victoria Rose. As Ian Coristine commented, "I'm blown away!" Construction of new and improved facilities in recent years, as well as plans for new projects, likewise evidence remarkable development. This season Clayton's Antique Boat Museum dedicated a new structure to house La Duchesse, the great Boldt houseboat. Also at Clayton, transformation of the Opera House into a modern performing arts facility was advanced by construction of a new wing to provide backstage functions. And again at Clayton, Sam Rivoli of Rochester bought Remar Marine and French Bay Marina and on their sites is building a new boutique lodging, the Hotel St. Laurents. Clayton has seen removal of deteriorated structures to allow redevelopment of prime waterfront sites. An investor who has holdings elsewhere in the US and Europe now has a major stake in Clayton, which appears destined to become increasingly an upscale destination. Boat tours disappeared from the village a few years ago, but a new line now operates there, while boutique shopping options and inviting cafés proliferate on James Street and Riverside Drive. Alexandria Bay has been improved by Ron Thomson's newly constructed retail block where Corinne Thomson's gift shop has been relocated, while other commercial facilities at the Bay also have been improved. Cathy Garlock's River Living home furnishings shop has been a quality enhancement to the Bay. Perhaps the outstanding accomplishment of the year at the village was the ambitious installation at the Cornwall Stone Store of a major exhibition of historic photographs by A. C. McIntyre. This project marks a quantum leap for the Alexandria Township Historical Society which with the help of dedicated volunteers has installed a show of professional museum quality.
Sculpture by Walter Redinger, 1971-2, Confederation Park, Gananoque, photograph by Ahken Canada's largest outdoor contemporary art exhibit, in Confederation Park, Gananoque, has been refreshed, another notable community project. Eight of the ten works that have been on loan from the Canada Council Art Bank since 1999 were recently restored by specialist Christopher McKay. The Park reopened in August. Congratulations to the volunteer Sculpture Park Committee! A splendid web site provides images of the works in the collection, with further information about the artists.
Ivy Lea Club Terrace
On the Canadian shore the Ivy Lea Club is the outstanding new feature. A Toronto developer Joe Pal acquired a historic waterside inn. He and his wife, Lucie, have revived it as a quality resort offering docking facilities. The Ivy Lea Club together with the recently completed Smuggler's Glen eighteen-hole golf course nearby have greatly improved the offerings of the Ivy Lea area. The Smuggler's Glen links were nominated as best new course for 2006 by Golf Digest. At Brockville, Ottawa developer Simon Fuller has the green light to build Tall Ships Landing, an eighteen-story condominium building on the waterfront. The complex will include a public "Discovery Center" where his square-rigger, Fair Jeanne, will become the landmark centerpiece. Construction of new summer homes and restoration of historic cottages likewise is evidence of a Thousand Islands renaissance. Finally, after a long period of vacancy, a fine new residence appears on Wau Winet Island, on the foundations of the Wheeler house, which burned many decades ago. The new residence recalls the ample scale of the original house, as the villa constructed on the site of the Peacock Yacht Youse, near the Boldt Yacht House likewise recalls summer homes of the Golden Age:
Peacock Castle on Tennis Island, built on the site of the Peacock Yacht House, resonates with the towered Boldt Yacht House, seen in the distance. Paul Malo photograph. Sport Island, one the grand island complexes built at the heyday of the resort, had been subdivided over the years, smaller structures being sold off to different owners while maintenance languished. This season a prominent summer resident (who owns many river properties) acquired all the parcels of Sport Island, reconsolidating them into a single estate.
Side-wheel steam yacht, Sport, at Sport Island boathouse, c. 1900. Photograph courtesy of the Wilbur family, enhanced by Paul Malo, Thousand Islands Life. The large boathouse, with ample living quarters above, known previously as "The Yardarm," but originally serving Nelfred, the grand summer home at the head of Cherry Island, has been beautifully renovated and embellished by the new owner's Parisian architect, Yann des Champs. The Merolas have under construction an ambitious waterside structure at Nobby Island. Situated on the channel side, the stone entertainment facility will be integrated into the rock cliff, with a round tower recalling that of the main house above. The new feature should be enjoyed by the thousands who pass by closely on island tours. (Whether the Merolas will enjoy the amplified spiel of the tour guides several times an hours is something else). The Reddick's fine new home on the mainland, behind Cherry Island, is finally completed. Bob might be expected to have a fine building, as his company, Premier Building Associates, con-structed the house.
Reddick Summer Home, Mainland above Edgewood Photograph courtesy of Primier Building Associates Tom Schwalm's ex-partner in the Sobe soft-drink business (which they sold to Coca-Cola) outbid competition to acquire Swiftwater Point, the landmark Pass-Hoffman house on Wellesley Island, above the bridge. Tom and wife JoAnn previously restored another landmark summer home of Wellesley Island for their own use and after buying both golf courses have upgraded them and the resturants of the Thousand Islands Country Club on Wellesley Island. High-end accomodations and restuarants seem to be proliferating on Wellesley Island. Perhaps the ultimate lodging today is at Dark Island, where one may be master of the castle at $650 a night. Personal contacts have brought many prominent new residents to the Thousand Islands. Bill and Carol Munro of Bluff Island called their friends, Phil and Lisette Cooper, when nearby Pine Island came on the market. The Coopers have restored their fine summer home. The crop of Grater-designed houses, most of them multi-million-dollar properties, continues to grow. Grater Associates, the Clayton architects has built several on the "Gold Coast," along the Palisades above Clayton and elsewhere on the river.
McIntyre Photo Shop, Thousand Island Park, restored as Landmark Society Headquarters. Trude Fitelson photograph. At Thousand Island Park several projects have enhanced the historic community. A totally new cottage was built in historic style, while several others were expanded, similarly in appropriate manner. A new boathouse is being built at Casa Mia, a historic waterfront landmark recently restored at Thousand Island Park. The Thousand Island Park Landmark Society has opened an office and shop in the charming McIntyre Photography building, beautifully restored by Andy Greene. New trees were planted on the green and the central intersection will receive new decorative paving and landscaping. The Wellesley Hotel, restored in recent years, now has one of the top eating places on the river. Chef Gerry and wife Diane Brinkman were recruited by the Park from Rochester, where they long operated one of the city's best restaurants. On Carleton Island, near Cape Vincent, a prospective purchaser from Egypt is negotiating to acquire Carleton Villa, intending an authentic restoration, including reconstruction of the landmark tower.
Carleton Villa, Carleton Island, c. 1900. Historic post-card image superimposed on modern photograph by Paul Malo, Thousand Islands Life.
Lina and Khaled Yehia of Cairo, Egypt (at right, viewing son John in carriage) en route to Carleton Villa. Others, from left to right, Paul Malo, Janet Wiley (Mrs. James Wiley), and Judy Wellman (Mrs. Malo). Photograph by Ian Coristine.
In addition to the books-in-progress mentioned in several articles, Tony Mollica is working on new book about Boldt Castle. The small volume is intended to serve tourists to the landmark who do not require longer publications. Roger Lucas anticipates compiling his many pictorial booklets about Boldt projects into a large, single book. A new sight for sight-seers is the statue of St. Lawrence recently sculpted and erected in Canadian waters by "The Admirals," who passed the hat among club members for the project.
Ian Coristine photograph. The Admiralty of the Thousand Islands Navy is comprised of "admirals" on both sides of the border. The organization, founded in 1938, is largely social in purpose, having two meetings a year. The group has acquired shoals and small islands to protect them from development. Members contribute to payment of annual taxes on the properties. Hal McCarney of Gananoque was prime mover in the St. Lawrence statue campaign. Visiting cruise ships have increased in size and number:
Ian Coristine photograph. And small cottages on small islands are becoming large cottages, albeit still on small islands:
Ian Coristine photograph. This replacement being consructed on a Canadian island, viewed from the Parkway, has remained within the footprint of the original cottage, as required, but grows upwards. Except for the extremely low water at the end of the season, 2007 was "a very good year." These recent developments seem to assure that indeed we are intiating a new Golden Age, a Thousand Islands Renaissance.
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