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Author's revised book on Sherwood Inn captures happier memories

Bradford author revisits the history of a classic Muskoka cottage resort
2019-09-18AndrewHindMK
Andrew Hind, with revised, updated and expanded 'Sherwood Inn 80 years of tradition,' at the Bradford Library. Miriam King/Bradford Today

It was only five years ago that local author Andrew Hind and co-author Maria Da Silva wrote a book celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Sherwood Inn, one of the “Grand Ladies” of Muskoka’s cottage resorts.

Hind was happy to have the opportunity to update the book, now reissued as “Sherwood Inn: 80 Years of Tradition.”

He had two very good reasons.

The first was the fact that “history’s always changing; our understanding is changing,” said Hind.

Since the original book was released, Hind was able to locate the wife and daughters of Milt Conway, radio broadcaster and on-air announcer of the new CKVR-TV in Barrie, who purchased the Sherwood Inn when it was put up for sale in 1973.

In the original volume, the Conway era – five years between 1974 and 1979 – was covered in a mere page and a half.

“I was able to expand on that a lot, which was really thrilling,” Hind said.

The Conway story is now a full chapter, with wonderful archival photos.

In fact, with further research, he was able to “make what I feel is a more comprehensive book about the resort” – a volume filled with evocative images, stories and information, that is entertaining and informative for anyone interested in the history of the Muskokas, and a must for anyone who has stayed at the historic inn.

But Hind had another, more personal reason for the revision. He was never happy with his contributions to the original.

It was written at what he calls “a pretty dark time” in his life. Five years ago, a personal family tragedy and his own failing health – eventually diagnosed as a serious B12 deficiency – left him struggling and angry, and anger, he now says, “is the thief that steals away good moments.”

He has great memories of his other books, many of them also co-authored with Da Silva – books that include Ghost Towns of Muskoka, Muskoka Resorts: Then and Now, Niagara: Daredevils, Danger and Extraordinary Stories, Secrets of Lake Simcoe, and a series of books on the ghosts of Ontario.

“I’m proud of them,” Hind said. “I want to have happy memories.”

But there were no happy memories of the Sherwood Inn 75th anniversary book.

All that has changed with the rewrite. Hind added 16 pages of new material, and two dozen new photos that contribute to the richness of the story. He also attended the 80th anniversary celebration at the Inn, with his lovely wife and their young daughter, a “precocious toddler.”

“It was amazing, the number of people who’d come up and share their stories,” Hind said.

Founder Charles Henry ‘Harry’ Draper’s granddaughter, Deborah McDougall drove up from the GTA just to meet Hind face-to-face. “We’d talked over the years. This was the first chance we had to meet,” he said.

The event created positive memories, and Hind can now look at the revised book without the shadows created by the struggles of five years ago.

In a way, it's almost symbolic of the Sherwood Inn itself.

Back in 2009, in the pre-dawn hours of Sept. 18, fire broke out in the dining room, in the electrical wiring. The blaze quickly spread, and while all of the guests were successfully evacuated, the banquet hall and reception area were completed gutted, and other areas suffered severe smoke damage.

Those were dark days. But current owner Clublink Corporation quickly rebuilt, reopening Sherwood Inn in 2010.

As Hind wrote in his book: 

“Clublink managed the impossible. After the reconstruction everyone agreed Sherwood Inn was the Sherwood of old, only better. It’s still considered one of the few remaining quintessential Muskoka inns, one of those old-time resorts favoured by those who desired the exemplary cottage country experience. And yet, it’s a fully modern operation that offers guests every conceivable luxury that the public has come to expect at finer hotels. If Charles Draper were able to visit the resort he founded today, a decade after the devastating fire and 80 years since he proudly opened its doors for the first time, he wouldn’t feel out of place.”

Like Hind’s own journey, there’s a happy ending – and happy memories. And like all of his books, Sherwood Inn: 80 years of Tradition, is well-written, filled with well-researched stories, and an interesting look back at the past. The book is available on amazon.com, and at the Sherwood Inn itself. 

Andrew Hind is a full-time writer, whose work appears in publications that have included Muskoka Life, History Magazine, and Today Magazine. He lives in Bradford, and is currently working on the Ghost Towns of the Nipissing Road, and a travel guide to Muskoka. 


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Miriam King

About the Author: Miriam King

Miriam King is a journalist and photographer with Bradford Today, covering news and events in Bradford West Gwillimbury and Innisfil.
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