Since we started on our Group of Seven Adventure in 2020 we continually bump into opportunities to visit locations where the Group of Seven painted. The charming Provincial Park at Bon Echo was no exception. With the help of Jim and Sue Waddington (In the Footsteps of the Group of Seven), we had sound leads before we headed out on our first mission. Reaching Bon Echo in the early 20th century involved travel by rail, horse and buggy (later by car), and then by boat. Today it involves easy highways, our SUV, and ice cream at the Maz. But even in the 1920s Bon Echo was a thriving destination for vacationers including artists from the Group of Seven. The three-story lodge was a rustic luxury. As we canoed through the narrows it was easy to imagine Arthur Lismer enjoying a hearty meal and intelligent conversation at the lodge and then taking a paddle on Lake Mazinaw to gather his initial sketches for The Sheep’s Nose, Bon Echo (1922). Parks Canada identifies it as Turtle Rock, but it is unmistakably the same location. Of course, we had to crouch down and canoe under the rock to say we did. When A.J. Casson painted Mazinaw Rock in 1952 the lodge was no more. We walked toward the end of the peninsula, as the Waddingtons suggested. We may have indeed been walking in the footsteps of Casson. There were pines where the lodge once was, albeit larger now, and sparkling water on both sides. The skies didn’t cooperate with blue and fluffy white clouds, but as the seven o’clock sun lit the rocks we commented that Carmichael would have approved. Oh, and it’s one of the few places in the park where you can get cell coverage😄 Two easy finds—one to go…or so we thought. We canoed over to the Cliff Top Trail to climb Mazinaw Rock and locate the exact vantage point Carmichael painted from in 1928. Even though I was grateful we didn’t have to climb the previous precarious stairs/ladder I was still huffing and puffing when we got to the top. Well, we saw the cove below, and we saw incredible rocks and views but did not capture the exact angle. I have it on good authority that it might be a bit beyond where we were looking. Still, a great day and we appreciated the effort Carmichael would have made to catch a different view of Mazinaw Lake. We are heading to the Gaspesie in September and have a few more sightings planned. I think perhaps A.Y. And Lawren Harris next time. In the meantime, You are Always in my Prayers. Love Mom. References:
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Ray & Diane HomewoodSharing the Blessing of Travel Archives
August 2022
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