Going back to the early days of our cottage experience, starting in 1960, we were fortunate to be able to spend our whole summer at the lake. My two older brothers and I, along with our mom, would stay at the cottage for two months straight. Our dad would come up on weekends, as well as enjoying two weeks of holidays at some point during the summer. The early years were pretty rustic, with no electricity and no plumbing. We used to go to the Bolyea’s store to get blocks of ice from their ice hut that we would use to keep our food cold. As well, buying the penny candy was always a treat! As the lake developed, we got electricity in the mid ’60’s, and that made a huge difference. Over the years, the boats got bigger and faster. In the late ’60s and early 70’s, when my brothers and I were avid water skiers, we used to go out 2 or 3 times a day for a ski. It used to be so busy in Crystal Bay, where our cottage is located, that it was a challenge to find a break in the ski traffic so that we could get our runs in! Many of our neighbours from Crystal Bay and Heart Bay also loved to ski, and it was like rush hour traffic, especially during weekends. Over the 59 years that I have been going to Go Home Lake, I have seen many changes, but the one constant is that it remains one of the most beautiful lakes I have seen! Irene and I purchased the cottage from my parents in 2014 when they decided that it was too much for them to look after. It is wonderful to have a third generation of our family using the cottage now. We are very impressed with the level of commitment that the members of the Go Home Lake Cottagers’ Association have to help maintain the high standards of cottage life that are so critical to everyone’s shared use and enjoyment of Go Home Lake.
These are two photos of Ian Hallford, and his family on the lake during the early 60s. The first photo features my Grandma, Marianne Hallford, and her three young sons standing in their makeshift outdoor kitchen. This was before the cottage was even built. The second photo is of Ian (left) and a friend standing on the old watch tower on the Go Home River.
Three generations later, we still love Go Home Lake and spend our summers at the cottage.
