Cottage Life

The go-to source for cottagers, the award-winning Cottage Life offers valuable advice as well as profiles, how-to articles, recipes, essays, issues pieces, and lifestyle stories that help readers look after their cottages, entertain guests and, of course, kick back and have fun.

Masthead

Editor’s Note: I’m in the grips of nostalgia

Your Letters: Rumour has it

Waterfront • What? Is there something on my face? Turn the page to see our ID guide to fall foliage.

12 native Canadian trees that bust out the best fall foliage

Reporter: Pine plan, beat the heat, water chat & Bros are back

Buy the Way: This couple found a deal off-market

A roundup of s’more treats: the good, the bad, and the discontinued

A titillating turkey vulture tale

Fall Cottage Life Show Main Stage announcement

Workshop • Remember, neatness counts in the end. How to whip rope, using some stout cord and simple knots.

How to tame the wild ends of any rope

Reader Project: A pole to help boat boarding

A hand-hewn beam is the mark of a true craftsperson

Don’t panic! Toilet unclogging tips

Use steel wool to restore metal to shiny newness

Cottage Q&A: Heritage designations; roots vs. septic; do sirens scare loons?; fridge water dispenser safety; reno receipts and capital gains

An ode to cottage granddogs • Kids grow up and leave home. But they’ll always return to the cottage, often with Spud and Tasha and Koona and…

This young Albertan family made a garden shed into an off-grid getaway for less than $30,000 • This young Albertan family made a garden shed into an off-grid getaway for less than $30,000

At 97 years old, Annie Grotrian has lived a fascinating life. It’s only fitting that she has an extraordinary cottage too • At 97 years old, Annie Grotrian has lived a fascinating life. It’s only fitting that she has an extraordinary cottage too

In 1804, a ship vanished on Lake Ontario, taking the elites of Upper Canada with it. What happened to the HMS Speedy? • In 1804, a ship sailing from York to Presqu’ile Point on Lake Ontario vanished, taking several Upper Canada elites with it. The mystery—one that reshaped the political geography of southern Ontario—has captivated cottagers ever since

Whether you’re conquering a steep slope or a gentle one, five expert tips for building a flight of stairs • Whether you’re conquering a steep slope or a gentle one, here are five expert tips for building a set of stairs

A photo retrospective of cottage days gone by

When was the last time you truly noticed an apple? Here’s the best way to enjoy the season’s best fruit • Heritage apples have more diverse flavours and textures than modern varieties. Here’s where they came from, how to find them, and—most importantly—the best way to enjoy them

Meet our tiniest chipmunk • Least chipmunks may be the littlest members of the squirrel family, but they’re also speedy runners with loud voices and superb memory skills

Parting Shot: A place for everything