1522 Concession 10, South Nottawasaga Rd., Clearview, Ont.
Asking Price: $3,650,000
Taxes: $5,801.02 (2022)
Lot Size: 91 acres
Agents: James Warren, Alex Obradovich, Cheryl MacLaurin, Rob McAleer, Chestnut Park Real Estate Ltd.
The backstory
The farmhouse provides 5,294 square feet of living space with five bedrooms and four bathrooms.Elevated Photos Canada/Supplied
Douglas and Patricia King were avid skiers in the early 1990s when they began to think about purchasing property near the ski hills of Ontario.
“It seemed everyone we knew had a cabin for skiing,” Ms. King says.
She recalls spending one weekend at a chalet so cramped that some family members had to sleep on the floor. After that, they ramped up their search for a more comfortable retreat.
They soon found a 91-acre farm with a Victorian-era farmhouse.
“I first saw it in January and it was up to the window sill in snow,” Ms. King says.
The Kings had lived in London for several years and gained an appreciation for historic homes and weekends in the country. They were drawn to the farm’s position high on the Niagara escarpment with views over the surrounding fields. It was also close to the slopes, with Osler Bluff Ski Club, Beaver Valley Ski Club, Devil’s Glen Country Club and Blue Mountain Ski Resort nearby.
When ski season was over, they would head to the greens of Mad River Golf Club, a short drive away.
Ms. King says the circa 1882 red-brick house was small and typical of its era, with a summer kitchen and a front porch.
“It had a tiny porch when we bought it – you could barely get two chairs on it,” Ms. King recalls.
The couple spent a couple of years using the farmhouse as a weekend retreat with their three sons before they decided to renovate.
The Kings hired local architect Lloyd Hunt to design an addition that would give the family more space while preserving the original farmhouse.
The house today
The home has a great room with bay windows, a large kitchen with double-sided fireplace and a billiards room.Elevated Photos Canada/Supplied
The expanded house provides 5,294 square feet of living space with five bedrooms and four bathrooms.
The principal rooms have been opened up to provide lots of wheelchair accessible space for gathering and entertaining. The home has a great room with bay windows, a large kitchen with double-sided fireplace and a billiards room.
It was important to the Kings that the proportions of the addition remain in keeping with the old farmhouse while adding windows that took advantage of the views.
“We also wanted it to mirror the original house,” Mr. King says. “We looked for red brick that would match exactly.”
Their time in England influenced their design choices, the Kings say.
Ms. King bought pieces of antique furniture during the family’s time there, and they found a new home at the country property.
“I wanted it to be comfortable and informal and colourful,” she says.
The couple had an old cast iron stove preserved as a reminder of the home’s heritage. Today, the antique stove is mostly used as a sideboard, Mr. King says.
Over the years, the Kings had many holiday gatherings for their extended family. For one large party, they hired the chef and his crew from the legendary Webers’ hamburger spot to fire up the grill.
Outside, the Kings had the tiny porch replaced with a wraparound verandah.
There’s also a bank barn dating to the 1880s.
“We had it restored by local Mennonites, who came in a buggy,” Mr. King says.
The best feature
The Bruce Trail abuts on the property, which is 90 acres of land.Elevated Photos Canada/Supplied
Protected land belonging to the Bruce Trail Conservancy abuts the property.
The farm is comprised of approximately 65 acres of farmed canola fields, 15 acres of forest and 10 acres of land for the house and outbuildings. There’s a small apple orchard but the Kings buy most of their vegetables from neighbouring farms.
Over the years, the couple has seen the population and attractions of Collingwood explode. In the small communities of Clearview and Duntroon, the surroundings are more bucolic.
“It’s still very rural,” Ms. King says.
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