Mission & HistorY

MISSION

Established in 2001, The Ojibway Historical Preservation Society’s purpose is to restore, preserve and protect those structures in the Pointe au Baril, Ontario area designated as historically and architecturally significant pursuant to the Ontario Heritage Act.

HISTORY

First opened in 1906, the Ojibway Hotel has been a gathering place for generations of Pointe au Baril cottagers, Shawanaga First Nations families and visitors to Georgian Bay.

A century later, the hotel, its guest cabins, grocery store and gift shop were showing their age. In 2001, a plan was hatched to restore & update (to code) these buildings. A charitable organization was created to undertake the restoration and ensure this remarkable community asset remained accessible to all.

In 2001, The Ojibway Heritage Society commissioned ERA Architects, a leading heritage and conservation architectural firm based in Toronto, to evaluate the heritage buildings on Ojibway Island. Here is their fascinating report that includes a master plan for the restoration and maintenance of the nineteen buildings, many of which date back to 1906.

Download the ERA Architects Report (.PDF)

In 2001, the Township of the Archipelago passed a By-Law recognizing the Hotel, its numerous buildings and features of the Ojibway Island as having architectural and historical value under the Ontario Heritage Act. Later that year, the Ojibway Historical Preservation Society (OHPS) was formed as a non-profit corporation and recognized as a charity for Canadian tax purposes.

The OHPS then signed a 99-year lease with The Ojibway Club, to begin the long and arduous process of carefully restoring the recognized historical elements of the Hotel, other designated buildings and island features to their original condition. In order to support this process, under the Canada Revenue Act and the U.S. Internal Revenue Code, respectively, Canadian and American residents can obtain tax receipts for their donations. This makes possible the many restoration projects that have been undertaken to date.

     Thanks to the generous contributions from the Pointe au Baril community, members of the general public come from far and wide to enjoy the beautifully restored Ojibway Island facilities. A rich legacy has been preserved for this generation and many to come.