November 9, 2023

TABOO DEMOLITIONS CLEARING WAY FOR NEW DEVELOPMENTS ON LAKE MUSKOKA RESORT PROPERTY

Story and photos Mark Clairmont | MuskokaTODAY.com

GRAVENHURST — The chalet where generations of golfers and skiers picked up their first clubs and skis is but a memory today.

The gorgeous little green, twin-peaked cedar clubhouse came down on an icy November day — between the two seasons at the Taboo Resort’s old nine-hole golf course that lamentably closed in 2019 at the start of COVID.

It follows last week’s demolition of the controversial condos built beside the resort’s Boathouse, which lake residents and cottagers complained about.

The golf and old ski chalet, which closed when COVID hit in 2019, came down today as an excavator ripped into the roof on an icy Thursday morning in Gravenhurst at Taboo Resort. Formally Muskoka Sands, it is making way for property development.

The chalet was where many aspiring Arnold Palmer and Nancy Greens got their start when it belonged to Muskoka Sands.

The bunny hill grown over now — and only distinguishable to locals who once saw it as the Alps — is today crowned with a subdivision that only a few short years ago was surrounded by nine oh-so-playable Stanley Thompson-designed holes.

With its t-bar and toboggan hills it was a year-round destination.

Taboo golf director Nigel Hollidge told me this afternoon at the resoort that the resort took down the sports landmark to make was for more future development.

It’s part of the overall picture for more condos and development across the entire Lake Muskoka property.

He said the chalet was old, too far gone and had been “condemned by engineers.”

As for the condo building beside the Boathouse, he said “it was always the plan to take it down.”

And he said plans for the so-called five-storey hotel project are a little misleading in that “there are already two floors below ground and two above now.

It will be located basically where the present hotel operates with no new height and just a flat roof.

“All we are doing is expanding around it,” which is why last week the relatively new condo building built just a few years ago came down.

Hollidge also said when asked about PGA great Jack Nicklaus’ visit a couple years ago that Taboo does plan a redesign of its 18-hole course by Nicklaus and the late famed golf course designer Pete Dye that would be a popular collaboration by both.

The present Taboo golf course clubhouse is also to be torn down and replaced in the about year.

Lions Excavating is also just finishing removal of the old condo building this week.

**This morning a worker snapped this photo as it was deconstruction began on the iconic green twin-peaking roof building.**

Meanwhile work began Monday clearing out asbestos in the chalet that once sat at the bottom of the hill — that actually had another even small run — and was a busy winter destination when alpine skiing was very popular in winter.

Rainbow Ridge in Bracebridge and Hidden Valley were a little bigger hills. But most good skiers who learned the basics at Muskoka Sands headed to Horseshoe Valley and Collingwood after mastering the snowplow, stem/Christie and parallel turns.

By spring the clubs were out it was par for the course for many youngsters, seasoned players and advanced in age to tee off and be done with a decent score in a couple of hours while actually enjoying a frustrating simple game.

Many greats admired and played the course including Canadian star Mo Norman.

And of course the chalet deck was a relaxing second home for many sportsmen and women boasting about their scores on the 19^th hole.

As well it once hosted former Canadian governor-general Roland Michener in 1967 who helicoptored in for the opening of the Muskoka Winter Carnival.

Demolition and cleanup of the chalet should be done this weekend. Another building is also coming down.