Holiday Manor: Historic fishing lodge in Battersea

Catherine Reynolds | Aug 17, 2016

An historic fishing lodge in Battersea is coming back to life with an infusion of energy from new owners.

Sitting stately in the small village located north of Kingston, the Holiday Country Manor was purchased on June 29 by Jeff Day and Core Lee, partners and community activists.

“We’re excited to be out here,” says Day, who grew up in Chaffey’s Locks and graduated from the hospitality program at St. Lawrence College. “We wanted something that could accommodate functions.”

What the men got was a 175-year-old limestone building with 22 beds and 100 feet of waterfront on a creek accessing Loughborough Lake.

The building is the former home of the founder of Battersea, Henry Van Luven. After his death, Van Luven’s son turned the house into a fishing lodge, which it remains to this day.

“We can create something out of this, a destination venue,” says Lee with quiet determination, gesturing towards the historic building with a working class feel.

Born in South America, Lee moved to Canada in his teens. He is a chef with his own food production company.

The men get excited when they talk about what they hope to accomplish with the property.

Armed with a five-year business plan and vision to make the manor a destination venue, they continue to offer bed & breakfast and fishing packages. They also serve breakfast to the public on designated days and have started to host events and private parties. They plan to keep the manor open all year and will host their first wedding in 2017; the same time they convert the tackle shop into an ice cream parlor.

“We’re very eager people. We will work night and day to make our dreams happen,” says Day.

It a commitment that seems to be paying off.

Walking through the building, the men apologize for the state of rooms recently vacated by guests. It is a Sunday afternoon, the end of a busy week comprised of hosting private parties, public breakfasts and accommodating overnight guests. The new owners appear to have hit the ground running when they assumed ownership less than two months ago.

Undaunted by the work ahead of them and humble about what they have already accomplished, they have started to transform their dream into reality by removing carpet to expose hardwood floors and drywall to feature limestone rock walls. Locks have been added to guest room doors and matching linen is on the beds. The food is homemade and wood fireplaces are ready to be lit on cold days.

Walking through the building, Day acknowledges, “It’s a well-respected house. The house has so much history. A lot of local people used to work here.”

“We want everyone to experience it,” says Lee about the regal manor in the heart of the village. “We want to build up the community. We see the potential here.”

“We all benefit if people come to the town,” says Day. “There is a lot of history here. It’s quite fascinating to hear the stories.”

Grateful for the warm reception they have received from the community, the men are excited about the future of the manor. They recognize the importance of honouring the history of the building while trying to elevate the manor to a higher status.

They consider good customer service a priority and are working to recover the business of previous guests.

“It’s a lot of work,” acknowledges Day with a smile. “We have a huge to-do list.”

Lee agrees quietly and notes with respect and determination, “It’s all about the history. It’s very important.”

For more information, visit www.holidaycountrymanor.com