Stay & Play

Winter Fun at Fern Resort

by Jennifer Merrick

Instead of escaping a particularly severe bout of winter weather, our family elected to go even farther north to Fern Resort near Orilla, Ontario. We didn’t regret it for a moment.

Here on this 400-acre property on Lake Couchiching, we discovered that winter is much better when you’re playing in the snow and not shoveling it. Snow’s prettier up north, too, adorning the evergreen boughs and rock formations, and sparkling across the frozen lake. We enjoyed cross-country skiing, skating and snowshoeing, working up an appetite to indulge in home-cooked meals in their dining room.

And what meals they have at Fern. In 1918, the resort founders, Jim and Mimi Pettapiece, affectionately nicknamed the property, “The Home of Rolls & Honey” after receiving so many compliments on the homemade bread and local miel. The same recipe and same apiary is used today, and the guests still rave, including my kids, who ate way too much of it before their meals came. There’s plenty of reason to save your appetite as all meals are full-course sit-down hearty feasts (except for younger kids who have the option of a separate buffet).

Many of the families we talked to had been coming to Fern with their families for years, and the quality of food was a top reason cited for returning. Another feature families appreciate is that prices are truly all-inclusive with no extra costs for meals, activities, entertainment, equipment rentals, children’s supervision and use of the facilities. Activities vary depending on season, but on the agenda during our stay were hay rides, skating, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, ice-fishing, culinary demonstrations and wine seminars.

What struck us about the resort was its feeling of community. As soon as we drove in, I felt as though I had entered a Norman Rockwell painting with white buildings, kids skating on the lake and families enjoying the outdoors. And this friendly, relaxed atmosphere stayed with us throughout our stay whether we were watching the kids play hockey, trying our hand at shuffleboard in the games room or braving the weather snowshoeing on the properties’ nature trails.

Accommodation ranges from rooms and suites in the two inns to cottages and three-bedroom villas. Check their website for promotions, which vary depending on season.

www.fernresort.com

Nearby: Downtown Orillia has a rich arts community, which can be seen in the town’s numerous galleries, studios and antique shops. Attractions include the Opera House, Museum of Art and History, Mariposa Market and Casino Rama.

This region is referred to as Ontario’s Lake Country, a region of lakes, rivers and rolling countryside, which begins an hour north of Toronto. It includes Lake Simcoe and Lake Couchiching and the communities of Oro-Medonte, Rama, Ramara, and Severn.

www.ontarioslakecountry.com