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  Friends of
  Bon Echo Park
  16151 Hwy 41 RR 1
  Cloyne, ON K0H 1K0

  Derek Maggs
  Executive Director
  (613) 336-0830
  Fax - (613) 336-2712
  e-mail:  fobecho@mazinaw.on.ca

   E. Helen Yanch
  Operations Manager
  Greystones Gift &
  Book Shop
  (613) 336-9863
  (May to Thanksgiving)
  (613) 336-0830   (October to April)
  Fax - (613) 336-2712
  e-mail: greystones
@mazinaw.on.ca

     DIRECTORS
  President -
  Betty Pearce 
  Vice President -
  Dave Deacon
  Secretary -
  Mary Jane Turne
  Treasurer -
  Ernest Lapchinski
  Red Emond
  Mary Kelly
  Harold Kaufman
  Pat Nobbs
  Jane Potyok

A Short History of the Friends of Bon Echo Park By Derek Maggs Executive Director  The Friends of Bon Echo Park The Friends of Bon Echo Park celebrate their 20th anniversary in 2008.  Incorporated in 1988, the Friends have made a significant impact through their long term commitment to preserving the natural and cultural heritage of the Park.  Operating under an agreement with Ontario Parks, this team of volunteers has enhanced the programs and facilities for hundreds of thousands of Park visitors.

In 1987 Superintendent Ed Buck approached the Cloyne Pioneer Club to request that they consider forming a Friends group for Bon Echo. The early minutes of the Friends, under the chair of Fran Sowden, feature a group eager to set up this new organization. Under the leadership of Directors Fiona Schmiegelow, Natural Heritage Education (NHE) Coordinator and Gary Sharman, Assistant Park Superintendent, they established by-laws, gained incorporation and charitable status and selected the Nanabush logo and corporate colours of ochre and buff. A ceremony was held on September 26th, 1988 at the Visitor Centre for the signing of the official agreement between the Friends and the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources.

Bon Echo Provincial Park is rich in both natural and cultural heritage. Over 200,000 visitors are attracted annually to experience the diversity of its flora and fauna, the pristine beaches and waterfronts, the grandeur of the stately eastern white pines, the majestic presence of Mazinaw Rock with its geological history, protected plants and animals, and the pictographs left by earlier peoples.  The Friends have been persistent in seeking new ways to encourage an understanding of this natural and cultural heritage. Every activity in which they engage serves to fulfill this mission.

The Friends have successfully initiated and carried out many enterprising projects to fulfill their mission. Operation of two tour boats presented an excellent opportunity to provide an educational and picturesque experience to Park visitors and to raise funds at the same time. The Friends took over operation of the Mugwump ferry service in 1989. Many volunteers were engaged to provide this valuable service as captains, deckhands and later as interpreters.  Friends’ captains provided dedicated service for eighteen years until new government regulations precluded further use of volunteers.

In 1990 the Friends commenced operation of the Wanderer Too, providing a one hour interpretive boat tour alongside the face of the Mazinaw Rock. Ten years later the Friends financed the launching of a new Wanderer Too’r to replace the aging Wanderer Too. The two boats currently provide interpretive excursions for over 16,000 visitors each summer. As another way to allow visitors to approach Mazinaw Rock,for several years the Friends operated the canoe concession with two local business partners.

The Friends engaged Wendy Elliott as their first Executive Director in 1995.  The organization was growing and there was a need for structure, coordination and liaison with the Park, the volunteers and the public. The large number of programs and volunteers requires a focal person to provide coordination and leadership and to carry out the decisions of the Board of Directors. Several Executive Directors followed with the most recent being involved with the Friends for eight years.

A strong component of the Friends’ work is devoted to education relating to the Park’s heritage. The Friends have published two books under the editorship of Friends member Dr. Stan McMullin: Massanoga:The Art of Bon Echo (1999) and The Rock: Bon Echo Provincial Park’s Silent Sentinel (2006). The first is devoted to the rich history of the many artists who have painted Bon Echo including the aboriginals, the Group of Seven and the current artists who capture the beauty of Bon Echo. In the 1990’s researchers discovered that The Rock was home to miniature ancient cedars some of which are over 900 years old. 

With the aim of providing protection for the cliff and its rare species the Friends launched the “Adopt-an-Ancient Cedar” project inviting contributions to a fund designed to further this goal.

Other funds have gone into a number of other projects that include producing Trail Guides and educational resources, the peregrine falcon release, the restoration of the Cliff Top Trail, amphitheatre programming, most displays in the Visitor Centre, new Trail Head signs, interpretive cairns and kiosks and the provision of educational bursaries for local high school graduates.

The operation of the tour boats and the gift shop provide the greatest financial resources for the Friends. In addition, the Friends raise funds through activities such as the annual raffle and regular barbecues at the South Beach. All donated raffle prizes relate to Park activity.  The Friends apply for selective government grants and corporate assistance increasing their activities and projects.

Much of the money raised by Friends volunteers and staff is put towards supporting the Bon Echo Natural Heritage Education (NHE) staff effectively doubling the staff from seven to fourteen.  The staff provides a large variety of programs for young and old impacting over 60,000 visitors annually. 

Over fifty volunteers orchestrate this three day event featuring food, live musical entertainment, Sciensational Sssnakes!! and children’s activities. The art is juried and the committee maintains strict guidelines in keeping with the Park’s heritage. The show, now in its 13^th year, continues to grow in popularity and attendance and in the participation of many gifted artists.

 The Friends continue to introduce new initiatives. Programs in the development stage include Trails Ambassadors and a Corporate Membership drive. The encouragement of greater use of Park trails through improved facilities and education will go a long way to carry out their mission. Increased cooperation with area corporate partners enables us all to serve visitors better.       

The greatest asset of the Friends of Bon Echo is their people. The indispensable resource of faithful volunteers and members continues to be fundamental to the many facets of Friends initiatives and accomplishments. They are always looking for new members and a younger generation to take up the challenge, and are encouraged by the many more who become involved each year.

Greystones Cottage, overlooking Mazinaw Rock in Bon Echo Provincial Park, is a century-old classic cottage with a long and varied history. The original structure is believed to have been built before the turn of the 20th century as a school house by a settler named Jimmy DeLion for his 18 children.  Mr. DeLion could not persuade school teachers to stay very long due to challenges of life at its location in Campbell’s Bay. The building stood empty until 1922 when Merrill Denison bought it for $25.00.  It was dismantled and moved by sleigh to the Bon Echo Inn property in the spring of 1922 where it was reconstructed.  Merrill Denison used it as a summer residence and rented it as a guest cottage for over forty years. Many people enjoyed the Denison’s hospitality including Arthur Lismer, A.Y.Jackson and Frank Johnston of the Group of Seven,  Yosuf Karsh, the portrait photographer, and W.O.Mitchell, who wrote Who Has Seen the Wind. Years later he donated his entire property to the Ministry of Natural Resources following which it became Bon Echo Provincial Park.  

The name ‘Greystones’ may have come from one of Merrill Denison’s plays, Marsh Hay. One of the characters refers to farming on the Canadian Shield as “scratchin’ a living off’n fifty acres of grey stones.”  A review of the correspondence between Muriel Goggin and Merrill Denison written between 1921 to 1923 suggests that it was also used as a term of endearment to describe their future “place” together. In 1921, before Greystones was built, Muriel wrote, “After your letter today, I hastily built “Greystones” (doesn’t it look nice in print), filled it full of our books, the Spode Plates, the Sweetland silver, tons of wildflowers and most of all, you and me.”

Denison selected a location about 30 metres back from the water’s edge opposite Mazinaw Rock. In a letter dated June 14, 1922, Merrill Denison advised his wife Muriel that he had chosen a site for Greystones. “I have located our new house which has the most perfect outlook on the place and which I never knew existed before”. The log structure formed the living room to which Denison added a cavernous stone fireplace. Additions were made to Greystones in the early years including a kitchen and bathroom with a clawfoot tub and two bedrooms. Brochures advertising the Bon Echo Inn in the late 1920’s referred to Greystones as an eight room cottage. In the 1970’s Denison biographer Dick MacDonald expressed gratitude to the Denisons for letting him stay at Greystones while he did his research. He wrote, “A spot more conducive to writing it would be hard to find or, at the other extreme, conducive to downright laziness if one chose that path.”

Both Greystones and the adjacent Dollywood cottage were used for many years by Merrill Denison who transferred the land to Ontario Parks in 1959.  Bon Echo Provincial Park was officially opened in 1965. Denison was a prolific playwright and historian who authored many plays featured in early Canadian radio, at Tweed Playhouse and at Hart House Theatre in Toronto. Much of his writing was done at Bon Echo.

Since 1995 the Friends of Bon Echo Park have utilized this unique setting to house Greystones Gift and Book Shop.  A building of this age occasionally requires major investment in its infrastructure to ensure its longevity and usefulness.The Friends had planned for foundation and structural restoration of this cottage for several years. In 2006 the Board of Directors committed significant funds to retrofit this historic building with Ontario Parks providing additional funding.  An architect was commissioned to design an inviting new entrance in keeping with the classical lines of the 100 year old cottage. Over the winter months restoration work was completed by local contractor Carson Clancy. Friends volunteers added finishing touches and the Shop re-opened in the spring of 2007.  The Shop has taken on a brand new look while at the same time preserving the ambience and warmth of the original cottage. Increased space has expanded the area to showcase original work of local artists and to make available the great variety of gifts, clothing, toys and books on the theme of Canadian nature.  Shopkeeper Helen Yanch has added her special touch to attractively display many unique items.

Greystones Gift and Book Shop
is crucial to the ongoing effectiveness of the Friends. 

In addition to providing a significant educational and cultural impact through the materials and art Greystones displays and sells, the resources earned are a valuable asset allowing the Friends to carry out their mission to preserve the natural and cultural heritage of Bon Echo Provincial Park. 

In 2007 the Friends committed funds to provide six additional staff for the Natural Heritage Education programs at Bon Echo. Over 60,000 camp visitors participated in the programs which encouraged an understanding and caring of the environment. In addition to several other projects the Friends recently published The Rock: Bon Echo Provincial Park’s Silent Sentinel, a full colour booklet highlighting the ecosystem and history of Mazinaw Rock.