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Our story begins in 1938 when feisty Lillian “Granny” Kates decided to build a lodge to accommodate the visiting parents of nearby Camp Arowhon, her summer camp for boys and girls on Teepee Lake.  As legend recalls, she hired and fired four architects before finding someone who could design a lodge organic to the site. Charles Coleman, an architect from Cleveland, asked to see the site, scrounged up some brown wrapping paper, and returned a few hours later with a sketch of the Arowhon Pines dining room, closely resembling what you see today.

For two years starting in the late 1930s, local woodsmen Paul and Jack Luckasavich collected and hewed the great pine logs. Hand-notched corners of these dining room timbers exemplify their extraordinary skills. There were no roads back then and no power tools — they used axes, cross cut saws, a hand winch and a team of horses to hoist everything into place, including the enormous central iron chimney.  

In 1970, a reluctant Granny Kates turned over the property to son Eugene and his wife Helen. Eugene had run the camp for ages and needed a new challenge. They found it within the magnificent setting of Arowhon Pines. Little did they know the tremendous work involved to refurbish, reorganize and rebuild the old accommodations and kitchen. It was soon apparent that a seasonal kitchen in the wilds of Algonquin required a special approach. Arowhon’s own recipes and menus were developed to deal with annual changes in staff and the vagaries of delivery to the north.  It was not uncommon to see a taxi from Toronto deliver fresh food and supplies.

True recognition came with an invitation to the prestigious Relais & Chateaux in 1987, and while the Kates voluntarily withdrew from the group five years later, their iteration of Arowhon Pines truly was a triumph, reflecting their two personalities, love for each other and Algonquin Park.

Helen and Eugene have passed on, but they left in place a team of hand-picked managers to become the owners. We are dedicated to keeping Arowhon Pines unique and wonderful. There will always be a warm, heartfelt, personal welcome. We’ll cook and serve good quality and tasty food, with no gimmicks. Instead of taxis from the city, there is now a network of local farmers and suppliers who provide the freshest product. Profits are reinvested in upgrading and renovating guest rooms, lounges, infrastructure, recreational facilities, and staff accommodation. Each season we tackle new projects.  

The present day owners have spent more than half their lives at Arowhon Pines and Algonquin Park, starting their careers as “office gal” (Theresa Pupulin), cook (Chef David Cooke) and dining room server (Adam Falardeau). We know every nook and cranny. We’re here every day. It’s been a pleasure to get to know our regular guests along with your children and your grandchildren. To our new guests, welcome! You’re in good hands with people who care.  

Enjoy!

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