Friday Harbour (Resort)

Friday Harbour is a 600-acre[1] mixed-use development in Innisfil, Ontario, Canada, 70 km north of Toronto. Built by the Geranium Corporation,[2] the development contains residential, commercial, and recreational spaces, including a marina and golf course. Situated on Lake Simcoe's Big Bay Point, the resort's focal point is a 1000 slip in-land marina, the largest of its kind in Canada.[1] Once construction is complete there will be 2600 residential units, a 400-room hotel,[3] and a theatre.[4]

This article is about the mixed-use development in Ontario. For the town in Washington, see Friday Harbor, Washington. For other uses, see Friday Harbor.
Friday Harbour
Friday Harbour is located in Southern Ontario
Friday Harbour
Friday Harbour
Location within Southern Ontario
LocationInnisfil, Ontario
Nearest major cityBarrie, Ontario and Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Coordinates44°23′32″N 79°31′48″W
StatusOperating
Websitewww.fridayharbour.com

Envisioned as a New Urbanist village, Friday Harbour was designed to be an alternative to the traditional residential offerings of Ontario's cottage country, which are typically single-family homes located on or near a body of water. In this design, the connection to the water and nature would be maintained, but the dependence on driving over walking for daily necessities would be eliminated, or greatly reduced. DPZ CoDesign, the designers of Seaside, Florida, a notable early example of a New Urbanist development in North America, were brought on to design Friday Harbour.[5]

The first residents took occupancy in 2017,[6] along with the opening of the first restaurants and shops on the pedestrian promenade.[7]

History

Big Bay Point, where Friday Harbour is located, first saw the arrival tourists in the 1800s. Long an area known to local indigenous population, early settlers constructed the first resort in this location, the Robinson House, in the mid-1880s. This was soon followed by the sixty-room, luxury Peninsular Park Hotel.

The front lawn of the Peninsular Park Hotel in 1910.

It become known as a popular destination for American tourists looking to experience the "wild" of the Canadian wilderness.[8] The hotel burned down in 1955.[9]

An inland marina called Big Bay Marina would eventually open in the area. Earl Rumm, a local resident and president of the real estate developer Geranium Corporation, brought his boat to be repaired at the marina. While there, he saw a sketch of an unrealized real estate development for the site hanging on a wall.[5] This inspired him to pursue his own development of the Big Bay Marina. The first formal proposal for a resort at Big Bay Point was in 2002. It faced large opposition from homeowners in the area, including lawsuits.[10]

After the development was approved by the Ontario Municipal Board in 2007,[11] construction did not begin until 2011.[12] Phase 1, which included the marina, nature preserve,[12] and residential units,[13] was completed in 2018.

Promenade

The area surrounding the marina is a pedestrianized zone known as the promenade. It is made up of restaurants, shops, a homeowners clubhouse with a gym and restaurant, and a visitor centre where boaters can refuel, shower, and purchase supplies.

View of the promenade, a pedestrian area in the resort with shops and restaurants.

CIBC Pier

Extending outwards into the marina, CIBC Pier leads to an event space and bar where concerts and different community activities are held.[14]

Activities

Friday Harbour Resort offers a variety of activities for all seasons.[15]

Winter activities
  • Snowshoeing
  • Cross country skiing
  • Marina Skating
  • Fat bike rentals
  • Promenade holiday market

Summer activities
  • The Nest golf
  • Beach soccer
  • Basketball
  • Badminton
  • Canoeing
  • Kayaking
  • Stand up paddleboarding

Year-round activities
  • Nature trails
  • Bike rentals

Golf course
The Nest Golf Club
The Nest golf course in October 2020
Club information
Friday Harbour (Resort) is located in Southern Ontario
Friday Harbour (Resort)
Coordinates44.3838683°N 79.5461486°W / 44.3838683; -79.5461486
Location3800 Friday Dr
Innisfil, Ontario
L9S 3E1
Established2018 (2018)
TypeSemi private
Owned byFriday Harbour Resort
Total holes18
GreensBentgrass
FairwaysBentgrass
Websitewww.fridayharbour.com/golf-the-nest
Designed byDoug Carrick
Par72
The Nest logo

Friday Harbour is home to The Nest Golf Club, an 18-hole golf course. The clubhouse features a pro shop and restaurant. During winter months, the course is open as a snowshoeing trail.

In 2019, The Nest received gold signature sanctuary certification from Audubon International for the club's work protecting the course's natural setting.[16]

The Nest Golf Club[17]
Tee Rating/Slope 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Out 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 In Total
Black 73.6 / 131 340145473381422558537206462352436257224332657048239718643935777101
Gold 71.4 / 127 3201314423593925265101844243288 33854821530554044636717241533466634
Blue 69.2 / 121 2921154303393594904761663963063 31451118528551541234315739431166179
SI Men's 9153171151137 14412182610168
Par 43444553436 4534544343672
Green 66.4 / 114 2811054023182804604661533262791 28846514526446135533114132127715562
White 70.4 / 125 225943542722703833951413152449 22844913420644234125412630924894938
SI Ladies' 1317371559111 16412182610148

References
  1. Rob Cooper, "Massive marina at Friday Harbour nearly complete", CTV News, 4 August 2015
  2. Sydnia Yu, "Builder promises more calm, less commute", The Globe and Mail, 22 March 2013
  3. Lucy Lynch, "The Hamptons of Toronto: Cottage-Condo Suburbanization and Implications for Public Space", Canadian Journal of Urban Research, Summer 2019
  4. Miriam King, "Friday Harbour Resort seeking to lift occupancy restrictions", Barrie Today, 10 June 2020
  5. Tracy Hanes, "Dream team designing Friday Harbour resort village on Lake Simcoe", The Toronto Star, 27 August 2012
  6. Janis Ramsay, "Five accomplishments from Innisfil council this term", Hamilton News, 18 September 2018
  7. Rob Cooper, "‘Friday Harbour’ Resort holds mass hiring in preparation for spring opening", CTV News, 13 January 2017
  8. Mary Harris, "It's cold, so how about we talk Barrie summers of long ago?", Barrie Today, 1 January 2019
  9. Barrie Historical Archive, "Surveying the ruins the day after the Peninsular Hotel in Big Bay Point burned down on April 9, 1955BarrieArchive.ca
  10. James Rusk, "Wave of protest swelling over Lake Simcoe resort", The Globe and Mail, 7 August 2007
  11. Steve Ladurantaye, "On Lake Simcoe, cottage dreams have become a developer’s nightmare", The Globe and Mail, 29 June 2012
  12. Laurie Watt, "Innisfil's Friday Harbour unveils fish-friendly marina basin, Simcoe.com, 5 August 2015
  13. Geranium Homes, "Lakeside creationToronto Star, 24 August 2013
  14. Friday Harbour, "CIBC Pier'
  15. Friday Harbour, "Play'
  16. Audubon International, "Audubon International Certified Signature and Classic Sanctuaries, Audubon International,
  17. "The Nest Scorecard" (PDF). The Nest Golf Club. Retrieved June 10, 2023.
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