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Bigwin Island is the largest island on Lake of Bays, in the Muskoka District of Ontario, Canada. In 2001 it became the site of a major resort development, in the form of a golf course and a planned community of luxury cottages, condominiums, and a hotel. It is the second development to be built on the island, and has been controversial due to its impact on neighbouring communities.

There is also a native burial ground on the Island. The original owners consented to preserve and protect all the ancient burial sites on the island from desecration and to allow Chief John Bigwin, who was still alive at the time, to be buried there with his ancestors when he died.

Bigwin Inn

The first development on Bigwin Island was known as the Bigwin Inn, which opened in 1920. It was an exclusive summer destination for tourists from Toronto and the US eastern seaboard, and was developed by Charles Orlando Shaw, a Huntsville businessman. He founded the Bigwin Inn Company Ltd. in 1915 and hired architect John Wilson of Collingwood to design the resort. With 350 guest rooms, it was one of the biggest and most beautiful resorts in Muskoka at the time. Wilson employed classical, Mediterranean, dodecagon, craftsman, Tudor and Victorian design elements, placed the buildings using the natural shoreline and landscape, used natural sunlight as much as possible, and connected the buildings with covered, lit walkways. Most construction took place during the winter, as the ice made it easier to transport supplies to the island, usually by horses and sleigh. Key buildings were the Indian Head Dining Room, which could seat up to 750 guests at one time, the Dance Pavilion and the Rotunda.

The first nine hole golf course on Bigwin, designed by Stanley Thompson, opened in 1922. It became an 18-hole course by 1930.

At its height during the 1930s many renowned musicians played at the Dance Pavilion. By then, the smaller Marine Dining Room and the less elaborate Tea House were built, along with the ferry house to store the many boats that serviced Bigwin.

C.O.Shaw died of a heart attack in 1942, and although the Inn appeared highly successful while he managed it, the following years were clearly not as profitable. Ownership passed through several hands until Frank Leslie purchased the property in 1949. Leslie operated on a non-profit basis and was successful in attracting entertainers to Bigwin, it was popular as a result, but due to illness he had to sell the hotel in the 1960s. Bigwin Inn closed in 1966.

Attempts to reopen the island resort were made but for many years most of the the Inn's buildings remained unused. The west lodge, dance pavilion, ferry house, kitchens, golf clubhouse, staff bungalows, stables, rotunda and Mohawk Belle hull have been demolished. The unmanned/unmonitored concrete airstrip has been landscaped. Though the rotunda fireplaces survive (except for one that would obstruct a golf course view), plans for a boutique hotel onsite and extensive back lot condominium development are said to have been shelved. Perimeter island lots continue to be for sale with the Bigwin Inn dining room and tea house restored to service. The future of the Bigwin observation tower remains uncertain while the building looks neglected and decayed. The new golf course was designed by noted course architect Doug Carrick. It is known for wide fairways and sweeping landscape views. The developer of the revamped golf course will transfer ownership and responsibilities to its members in 2011. Ownership of the East lodge, main dock, pavilion and boat house is with another company Muskoka Condo Corp 1 (MCC1). Old hotel rooms in the lodge were converted to condos in the 1960s and come up for sale.

References

• Bigwin Historical Society
• Satellite image of Bigwin Island

Coordinates: 45°14′30″N 79°01′31″W / 45.24157°N 79.02517°W / 45.24157; -79.02517 (Bigwin Island)