frequently asked questions
ON PRIVACY
Q: How many other renters will be present at The Great Lodge?
A: None. Your party will be the only renter at the Great Lodge during your stay.
Q: Are there neighbours nearby?
A: Our 5-acre lot with 400 feet of shoreline affords a good deal of privacy. We have one neighbor who resides on a property adjacent to The Great Lodge.
ON AMENITIES
Q: Is Great Lodge staff available to help?
A. Our on-site manager will be available to assist you during your stay. The manager is available to:
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welcome you to the Great Lodge and provide a tour of the property and its amenities;
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assist in unloading and loading your baggage;
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prepare fires in our two indoor fireplaces and outdoor fire pit;
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assist in providing life jackets and boating equipment and securing it after its use;
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prepare and maintain the in-ground Hot Tub during your stay;
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assemble badmington nets or other sports equipment;
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replenish water dispensers as needed;
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clear snow from walks, decks and the driveway in winter;
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take garbage to the dump when required;
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trouble shoot should any issues arise
When the on-site manager is not assisting guests or tending to the maintenance of the grounds, he will generally be found in the Little Lodge, a nearby building that includes an office and garage/workshop.
Q: Do you provide parking facilities?
A: Our driveway can accommodate 20 vehicles. While we do have a garage, it is used as a workshop to service equipment and is not available for guests.
Q: Is the Great Lodge air-conditioned?
A: We do not recommend air conditioning and, in fact, it is very rarely used. Abundant breezes frequent our location on the shores of Georgian Bay. As well, our lodge has excellent cross ventilation. Ceiling fans and room fans are available but they are rarely needed. That said, air conditioning can be made available for those who require it for a surcharge of $50 per day.
Q: Do you supply firewood or do we need to bring in our own supplies?
A: We provide firewood for our indoor fireplaces as well for our fire pit on the beach.
Q: Are bonfires permitted on the beach?
A: If you would like to have an open-air bonfire, our on-site manager will be pleased to prepare one for you if conditions permit. You may not prepare your own bonfire.
Bonfires are regulated by the township, which issues permits for their allowance and also determines if they are safe on any given day.
Q: Can I dock my boat?
A: You may dock canoes or kayaks but no motorized vehicles, which we do not permit on our property. Our dock is open mid-May-September.
Q: When is the hot tub available?
A: The Great Lodge’s hot tub is available May-September.
Q: What coffee-making equipment do you provide?
A: Our kitchen has French Presses of various sizes, an aeropress, a Nespresso, a stove-top espressomaker and a Hario dripper as well as a standard coffeemaker. It also has an Ascaso grinder that can ground coffee to any specification, from espresso to very coarse.
Q: Do you provide bedding?
A: Yes. There is no need to bring bedding of any kind.
Q: Do you have laundry facilities?
A: Yes. You may use the washer/dryer in our laundry room, and the laundry soap you'll find there.
Q: Do you provide Internet services?
A: Yes. Unlimited internet is available at no charge, courtesy of Stalink.
ON WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBILITY
Q: How wide are the doors, to accommodate wheelchairs?
A: The door used for wheelchair access to the Great Lodge is 66" wide (33" double doors). The door to the wheelchair-accessible ensuite bedroom is 72" wide. The entrance to the barrier-free bathroom is 36" wide.
Q. Do you have a ramp to facilitate entrance to the Great Lodge?
A: Yes. The small step from outside the building to the interior is facilitated with a ramp.
Q: Does the accessible washroom include a barrier-free shower?
A: Yes. The washroom measures 18 feet by 7 feet with a barrier-free shower area that is 6 feet by 4 feet.
Q: How roomy is the accessible sleeping accommodation?
A: The entire ensuite measures 24 feet by 18 feet. It includes two queen-sized beds as well as the barrier-free washroom.
Q: What amenities are available to people in a wheelchair.
A: From the bedroom, guests have barrier-free access to the 3000-square foot patio level floor whose amenities include our theater, living room, 20-seat pub, games room, gym and laundry room.
Guests also have wheelchair access to most of our outdoor amenities, including our 80-foot dock into Georgian Bay, the pit and BBQ area around our 12-foot diameter sunken hot tub, and paths to our tiered beaches, ponds and natural streams that flow through our gardens.
ON PROHIBITIONS
Q: What are noise restrictions?
A: No loud music, shouting, or noise of any kind that might disturb a neighbour is permitted at any time, day or night. In particular, no speakers or electronic equipment is allowed to be played outdoors.
Sound travels easily on water and our relative isolation should not be taken as license to make excessive noise. The township is very active and aggressive in responding to noise complaints, and logs an impressive number of hefty fines against violators each year.
If the township levies a fine against you or the owners as a result of the behavior of your party, you are entirely responsible to pay for it.
If music will be important to your stay with us, the Great Lodge is not for you.
Q: Are bonfires permitted on the beach?
A: As mentioned above, you may not prepare your own bonfire. If you would like to have a bonfire, our manager will be pleased to prepare one for you.
Bonfires are regulated by the township, which issued permits for their allowance and also determines if they are safe on any given day.
Q. Are pets allowed?
A: No pets are allowed anywhere on our property.
Q: Is smoking permitted?
A: No smoking or vaping is permitted in any of the buildings, or within 20 yards of any of the buildings.
Q: Are recreational drugs permitted on the property?
A: No recreational drugs, legal or not, are permitted on the property.
Q: Are candles permitted?
A: No candles are permitted in any of the buildings.
ON BOOKINGS
Q: Can I change my booking details (number of guests attending, etc) after finalizing my booking?
A: Yes. Booking details, including check-in and check-out times, can be changed but only with the written approval of the owners. The on-site manager does not have authority to change bookings or any conditions of your stay. He does have authority to evict any party violating the terms of the booking.
Once your booking has been finalized we hold the right to refuse any requested changes.
If after your booking is finalized you wish to add more guests to your party, or to extend your stay, posted rates will apply if your request is approved. Such approval will be entirely at our discretion.
Q. When can I expect my security deposit back?
A: In most cases, the security deposit will be returned promptly, as soon as we have had a chance to confirm that nothing serious is amiss. Exceptions occur in the case of damage or missing objects, where a quotation for a remedy is required, or if the township is levying fines or taking other action due to violation of a noise, fire or other bylaw. The security deposit is $4000 for small parties booking a weekend, and can be substantially higher for larger parties or longer bookings.
Q: Can you explain your Covid Insurance Policy?
A: For a 10% premium The Great Lodge will refund all payments if your stay cannot proceed because of a lockdown preventing the use of The Great Lodge for the period booked.
Q: Where are you located?
A: We are located at Cedar Ridge on the east coast of Georgian Bay, a two-hour drive from downtown Toronto, 90 minutes from Toronto's international airport, and 15 minutes from the historic town of Penetanguishene.