FAQ

Happynest is very much a PRIVATE STAND-ALONE cottage on a 1.3 acre PRIVATE wooded lot with 180 feet of PRIVATE waterfront with large PRIVATE dock and sand beach.

There are so many features and serviced shat many people mistakenly presume it must be a resort. The fact is that we offer many MORE features and services than any resort in our area and MOST of them are included in the rental fee.

We are able to provide these extra things because we live year-round on the same awesome lake and so we offer the best of both worlds – complete privacy but immediate help if there is anything you need during your visit

Because we live on the same lake, we are able to provide the complemen tour of the lake, take people water-skiing or tubing, set you up with a temporary boat driver’s license, remove your garbage every day and prepare the sauna for you, or babysit your kids or your dog, show you the good fishing spots and the cliff jumping rocks, answer all your questions or even loan you the proverbial cup of sugar.

NO, the owner lives across the cove from Happynest on a separate 1.3 acre lot.

We understand that at some ski resorts, strangers are expected to share their living space but NOT at Happynest. When you rent Happynest, the only people in the building or on the 1.3 acre property will be the people you invite to share your vacation with you.

It is hard for most people to imagine, but our totally uncrowded and unspoiled lake has 160 K.M. of shoreline and only 156 cottages so there is LESS than one cottage for every M on average.
This question usually means that the tenant wants to know if they will be disrupted by noise from other cottages. Firstly, the cottages are not squeezed together. 1.3 acres gives every property lots of private space.
Secondly, Happynest (and most of the cottage properties on the lake) have LOTS of treesso you cannot see the neighbours through the forest.
The lake is surrounded by hundreds of square miles of protected forest with NO back lot development.
Being inside of a cove you are not exposed to boat traffic which is light anyway given the extremely low population of cottages on the lake.
Another factor is that there are NO other rental properties around.
Having private cottage owners for neighbours usually means that you will have peace loving neighbours who know how to leave the city behind them.
Also, on our cove, 2 of the 6 properties sit vacant most of the time and one of those is next door to Happynest.

We will provide a temporary driver’s licence FREE OF CHARGE, which is valid for the duration of your cottage rental.[/accordion_item]Each boat at Happynest is equipped with all the required safety gear including the proper number of adult life vests. Please bring life vests for any members of your group who weigh in at less than 90 pounds if they are going to be riding in the boats.

YES, We know that your pet needs a holiday to with the family like every other family member.

Swim, canoe, paddle boat, motor boat, go fishing, sight seeing, star gazing, hiking, take picnics, walk to the completely undeveloped lakes that surround us, visit the dam and waterfalls, have a campfire on your property, read, watch any of our movies on the DVD, enjoy satellite TV programming, use our whirlpool spa and sauna, go water-skiing, tubing or wind-surfing, visit the pub/restaurant/store at the marina one mile away, visit some or all of the 5 dining rooms that overlook different parts of the lake, (two of which can be reached only by boat and so you get a boat ride as part of the deal and you can dine – including the boat ride – for under $15.00 per person), do Sunday brunch at yet another century old local hotel on the lake, visit the local provincial park and walk on their sign-posted, informative nature trails, use their public beaches, explore their museum, hike along the French River and visit the no charge Heritage Centre, visit the restaurants, golf courses, and recreation facilities near the French river, visit the fabulous local craft store, farmers market, pottery place, or 130 year old country store set up as a museum. In Parry Sound, take the 1000 island boat cruise, live theatre, festival of sound, climb the fire tower and look over Georgian Bay. In Sudbury, visit Science North (much different than the Ontario Science Centre), the Big Nickel Underground Mine, theatre, restaurants or golf courses. You could also hire a plane and take a ride over the area.
After you have done that, you can just sit on the dock or the screened deck (or in the living room) and absorb the scenery (if you have any time left).

There is enough room for 10 or more cars at Happynest.

CERTAINLY! Our lake is an awesome place for boating with 160 k.m. of shoreline to explore. There are two launch ramps nearby and gas for sale at the marina one mile away.

When people bring their own boat, we offer to help them to launch it and then guilde them back to Happynest, pointing out any underwater hazards so as to keep you and your propeller happy.

There is a good reason that we supply a fishing boat (in addition to the paddle boat and canoe). Our lake is stocked with hundreds of thousands of pickerel9 (Walleye) every year. There are also small mouth, and large mouth bass, pike and some whitefish and crappie.

Since the lake has an average less than one cottage per kilometer of shoreline and almost NO rental properties. (non- rental properties tend to sit empty 90% of the time) there is relatively little competition for the fish in the lake.

There is no better water quality in any lake in Ontario and the lake is 50 – 60 feet deepso the fish are heatlhy for eating.

During the complimentary tour of the lake, we will point ou tthe good fishing spots.

Bait and tackle are available at the marina one mile away of water.

We can show you how to get in there by canoe for free. It is well worth the effort!!!

The water is VERY pleasant for swimming from mid June until the end of August. Because Happynest is on a cove, which is relatively shallow, there are always people who are in the water on Victoria Day and even well into September.

There is no better water quality in any lake in Ontario – which stands to reason since the lake is fed by rain water from protected forests and is constantly moving over the dam.

There is a sand beach beside the dock at Happynest for little kids to enjoy the gradually sloping sand bottom and there is a place for them to dig in the sand and build little castles also.

We supply a load of cut and split dry wood for your camp fire free of charge. You can purchase addition loads delivered right to your fire pit as many as you wish.

Happynest was designed to accommodate family reunions and can sleep 20 or more under one roof. Feature for feature, it is almost impossible to beat our cost per person for large groups for the summer months.

If your family group is smaller, (up to about 9 people) we can offer our alternate accommodations which we call – The Granny Flat – .Also, outside of July and August, Happynest is priced to accommodate small groups.

Happynest is open all year.

YES. Happynest is available 365 days a year. Happynest was designed and built for winter use and has a winter wonderland view of the lake out of the picture window. Happynest has all electric heat with individual wall mounted thermostats in every room.

There is also a wood burning stove in the living room which keeps every one toast warm and cozy and we provide all the wood that you can burn in the fireplace.

Our cottage road is ploughed by the same equipment that does the highways. We clear our own driveway with a tractor mounted 7 foot wide snow blower.

I have driven from Toronto 52 times a year for 25 years and have neer owned snow tires and I drive a small car with front wheel drive.

We keep a skating rink cleared (weather permitting) and which is flood lit for night skating and there is a toboggan hill right on the property.

Ice fishing is a rewarding activity too.

There are endless places to hike and explore.

There is access snowmobile trails radiating in every direction.

Cross country skiing and snowshoeing is exhilarating.

We can help you to arrange for dog sled rides or renting of snowmobiles.

We can also offer to take your kids for an age appropriate ride on our snowmobile and sleigh just for fun.