Ernie Eves and Isabel Bassett Eco Oasis

“What got me was the illusion of remoteness,” says Bassett, a former broadcaster and politician. “It’s close to Huntsville, but it’s totally alone – that was a huge appeal.”

Former Ontario premier Eves, who enjoys hiking and skiing with Bassett down the old logging trails or canoeing and kayaking on the lake, has no interest in violating their new found solitude by creating a parallel rural edition of their public lives.

The couple happily leaves the accoutrements of their hectic, highprofile lives in Toronto when they head north. The winding, 1.5-km track leading to the log house from a regional road is a portal to another world.

The main living space is flooded with natural light from the A-frame windows. Ernie and Isabel spend hours reading and enjoying a glass of chilled wine looking out onto their private lake where resident loons float carelessly on undisturbed waters.

They come in peace.

In as many ways as possible, the pre-existing residents of this 600-acre oasis (400 of it crown land) were taken into consideration when recent human visitors began altering the serene landscape.

The site chosen for the house had already been cleared by previous logging operations when builders Frank and Sigrid Schaly arrived with the intention to minimize the number of trees affected by their construction of the 3,000 sq. ft. building.

British Columbian lodgepole pine and douglas fir logs, which measure 14 to 24 inches in diameter, were salvaged from the site of a Kamloops-area forest fire. “Everything in the house – the paints and stains – is a natural product,” says Frank Schaly, who works with his wife to build log and post-andbeam custom homes around the world. This particular house, built two years before Eves and Bassett moved in, was lovingly crafted as the builders’ dream home. Although they later decided to move on, every detail of this cliff-side creation was chosen with care.

The dense logs, which need no additional insulation, are stacked from the walk-out basement to support the cathedral ceiling that peaks above the second-floor loft. Each is carefully scribed by hand to ensure the contours of one log fit precisely with those in the next. When put in place, rolls of sheep wool are sandwiched between the logs to eliminate drafts and block moisture.

The technique, which allows the beauty of the wood to be enjoyed from inside and from a distance, recycles all-natural materials that produce no harmful off-gases.

The magic of this home and its property is conjured up through a seamless relationship between nature and humankind. A series of animal carvings graces the entryway to this environmentally friendly home.

It’s also a good fit for the temperature extremes found in this lower region of the Canadian Shield. In combination with double-pane, low-e, argon-filled windows, this style of log construction provides assistance in climate control. “It takes a long time for cold to penetrate in and warm to penetrate out,” explains Schaly. “And vice-versa in the summer.”

Consequently, the heat from the stunning two-storey Muskoka-rock fireplace system is generally sufficient for year-round comfort, Schaly adds. Custom built by Huntsville’s The Fireplace King using local materials, the independent chimneys of these showpieces draw well, Eves reports.

These are significant factors since the house has no traditional furnace.

On blustery days, you don’t have to see the hilltop windmill to be reminded of its presence. Sound waves bounce off the rocky terrain in the gentle whop-whop-whopping beat of wind power being harnessed. Additionally, roof-top solar panels are shining evidence of low-impact living. “We use solar energy first, windmill power second and, if necessary, the propane generator kicks in,” explains Eves, who took his environmental commitment to a new level in early 2007 when he agreed to chair Jacob & Company Securities, a new independent investment bank working with companies in the renewable, alternative energy and infrastructure sectors. Eves, concerned about global warming, recently attended the international conference of CB Richard Ellis Limited on whose Canadian board he serves as a director. Former U.S. vice president, Al Gore, was the keynote speaker. “It was an eye opening experience for me,” Eves said.

The log home sits gracefully upon a rocky ridge that falls into the shallow waters below. The grand cedar deck extends over the ridge, furnished with half a dozen Muskoka chairs for friends and family. A number of strategically placed decks allow for the full appreciation of this peaceful place.

Eves and Bassett recently converted their primary residence in Caledon to geothermal heating, which entailed digging out the old oil tank and replacing it with a mile of submerged piping that taps into ground heat radiating from the earth’s core.

Having rented another vacation home in the Muskoka region for several years, they were looking for a permanent location. “Isabel wanted a log place,” recalls Eves, who has lived a considerable amount of his life in Parry Sound. “I wanted a place on the water. We also wanted it to be energy efficient. But the main criterion was our own small lake if we could find it – but they’re few and far between.”

Having been careful in their wishes, the couple was soon steered toward their shared vision of paradise. “I was very taken with being off the grid,” says Bassett, who once held the positions of TVOntario chief executive and Ontario’s Minister of Citizenship, Culture and Recreation. She admits she still has a lot to learn about living in such a green home and it’s given her a better appreciation for the challenges pioneers faced. “You become very energy conscious. You think of conserving energy and are very cognizant of energy usage,” added Eves.

The house’s energy system was installed by Sun Volts Unlimited, an Ontario company with locations throughout the province, including Muskoka. Eves is responsible for the solar-powered bass boat and raft that live beside the kayak and canoe 30 feet below an expansive new cedar deck.

The handcrafted, pine cabinets with fivepiece doors provide loads of storage. Ernie and Isabel keep the kitchen stocked for the winter as the 1.5-km track from the road to the house becomes more difficult to manoeuver once the snow flies.

They can enjoy watching the sunrise or sit in lakefront afternoon sun from this glass-fronted, cedar post addition, or from the private balcony directly off the master bedroom. Both are avid readers, she prefers biographies and, lately, eco-conservation titles; he favours historical and political non-fiction with relaxing breaks of murder mystery novels. They can take their pick of the wide selection of balconies and decks, built around the house to take advantage of the varying vistas.

One view Bassett is likely to see more often if she begins the next book that’s brewing in her thoughts can be accessed from a charming second-floor garret that begs for a writer to visit. “Like Virginia Woolf, I would like a room,” she says. But she has no intention of being lonely, she adds, having already promised to serve as the honorary campaign chair for the local hospital. Eves loves the solitude and sunlit view of the lake and forest but at the same time likes the close proximity of the area’s great golf courses that he enjoys with his friends. In addition, both appreciate that the Muskoka arts community is so accessible.

However, for the most part, life in Muskoka means making friends with neighbours of the four-legged variety. The couple recalls the excitement of observing a black bear and her cub just 50 metres down the laneway. On another occasion, a young deer walked up to the lakeside deck as they looked up from their afternoon reading. Eves, an enthusiastic birdwatcher and naturalist, enjoys the bounty of local wildlife.

And out in the cool spring-fed lake, two composed loons share the sparkling expanse with frisky otters.

Looks like the perfect place for worlds to meet in harmony.