Oiseau Bay

Oiseau Bay is an inlet in Canada’s Ottawa Valley, located on the shores of the Ottawa River and set against the backdrop of the Laurentian Mountains. Settled first in the 1850s as an early pioneer homestead, Oiseau Bay was bought in the 1920s by a wealthy American adventurer and turned into a luxurious wilderness playground. Today, Oiseau Bay is operated as a cottage rental venture and is one of Canada’s premiere eco-tourism resorts.

Early history

Oiseau Bay is surrounded in remarkable scenery and impressive Canadian wilderness, as first documented in 1686 by French explorer Chevalier de Troyes and in Sir William Edmond Logan’s detailed sketches and commentary^[1] during the first geological survey of Canada in 1840s.

Oiseau Bay is nestled between two sites of significance to Canada’s early history—Oiseau Rock, a sacred site for the Algonquin Nation known for its petroglyphs and stunning bird’s-eye views of the Ottawa River^[2], and Pointe aux Baptême, a large sandy point known as a fur traders’ stopping place and site of Voyageur rituals.

Settlement

Oiseau Bay was settled as a farming homestead in the mid-19th century. In the tradition of the pioneers of the Ottawa Valley, the men in the family would subsistence farm during the summer months, and leave to work in the lumber camps during the winter.

In the 1910s, a wealthy American adventurer named P.K. Smith from Ohio set up camp on the shores of Oiseau Bay. Waking up the next morning, in awe of the incredible beauty surrounding him, he bought the property for his own summer pleasure^[3]. He erected impressive lodges and out buildings, built a hydro-electric dam and sawmill, and staffed his operation with lumbermen, farmers, and servants. Over the next 40 years, P.K. created a charming jewel in the wilderness that remains to this day.

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  P.K. Smith's original luxurious wilderness lodge, circa 1925.

Oiseau Bay Eco-Landing Wilderness Resort

Today, Oiseau Bay’s 425 acres (1.72 km²) are protected as a secluded cottage rental venture that attracts adventurers and nature seekers. Part eco-tourism, part adventure-tourism, and part agri-tourism, Oiseau Bay Eco-Landing Wilderness Resort has preserved the early history of Oiseau Bay. P.K. Smith’s lovingly constructed buildings have been restored to their original splendor, historic photographs adorn the walls, and original plants continue to be cultivated.

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Oiseau Bay is located in the Ottawa Valley’s Whitewater Region, 200 km west of Ottawa, Canada’s national capital, on the Ottawa River. Oiseau Bay is situated in Sheen County, Quebec, opposite Deep River, Ontario and Pembroke, Ontario in Renfrew County.

Oiseau Bay Eco-Tourism

Oiseau Bay Eco-Landing Wilderness Resort is off the electrical grid and is operated mainly by solar energy. The kitchens house traditional ice boxes, and Oiseau Bay Eco-Landing is the last place on the Ottawa River to harvest ice in the pioneer tradition. 800 blocks of ice are cut from the frozen Ottawa River in the winter, and are stored in a traditional ice house throughout the spring and summer. The ice remains frozen by way of its own cold energy, and is used to chill guests’ food throughout the summer. Oiseau Bay Eco-Landing Wilderness Resort cultivates organic gardens for visitors to share in and promotes the protection of local species, including peregrine falcons and bald eagles.

References

1. ^ http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/logan
2. ^ http://www.friendsofoiseaurock.ca
3. ^ http://www.bright-ideas-software.com/whisperedhistory/outsiders.html

External links

• Oiseau Bay Eco-Landing Wilderness Resort
• Friends of Oiseau Rock
• A History of American Cottagers in the Upper Ottawa Valley
• Oiseau Bay's Annual Ice Harvest
• Library and Archives Canada Sir William E. Logan
• P.K. Smith's Journal of His Time at Oiseau Bay

Coordinates: 46°02′46″N 77°19′17″W / 46.0462°N 77.3215°W / 46.0462; -77.3215