Unique inn offers updated take on a Wasagaming classic

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This article was published 22/08/2024 (392 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

WASAGAMING – Walking through the halls of The Stowaway Inn brings you back to a different time. From the salvaged tongue-and-groove fir to the vintage-style light fixtures, the transformation of the historical Clear Lake hotel combines the charm and beauty of the past with modern comfort and amenities.

Owner/operator Gillian Sullivan had her eye on the long-vacant property for many years, and the stars aligned in 2021 when she and her husband Patrick were able to purchase it.

“I talked to (owner Jim Dudman) several times, and just said, ‘Whenever you’re ready to sell, let me know’,” Sullivan said. “I know that lots of people had also approached him, but I think my timing worked out.”

The property was in such a state of disrepair that Riding Mountain National Park had the wheels in motion to take it over, Sullivan explained. “So he sold it to me on the day that they were going to take it from him. It was a bit of a wild time just to get the federal government on board with taking on a new owner and extending the lease till construction was completed.”

Clear Lake has been an important part of Sullivan’s life. It’s where she spent her summers as a child, where she met her husband, and where she took on her first construction job outside of her first-year apprenticeship. She has now been a carpenter for more than 20 years and also runs a construction company, Sullivan St. Pierre Construction.

The extensive renovation of the property began in January 2022, starting with over a year of demolition. Sullivan said the roof was fully rotten in most places and it had rained inside for a long time. When they first saw the property it was under a two-foot “giant ice cube”, fully flooded and frozen.

After a thorough process of demolition, rebuilding, and finishing, the building now meets all current codes. It features brand-new electrical and plumbing systems, and is fire-rated and soundproofed.

“It was a big job,” Sullivan said. They opened their doors to their first guests in July 2023.

“It’s been great. A huge learning curve because I never ran a hotel before, but it’s been really wonderful and I have great staff who have been amazing, and obviously I could do none of this without them.”

Sullivan said the community even stepped up to help when they were preparing to open their doors.

“People would just show up out of nowhere and start putting furniture together, cleaning up the yard, gardening,” she said. “It’s been awesome.”

The property has a storied history in RMNP dating back to the 1930s. The building was moved to its current location at 119 Ta-Wa-Pit Drive, from just outside the original park gates in 1932. It has been home to various businesses over the years, including a general store and a bank.

The middle section of the hotel was added in 1936, followed by the south portion in 1942.

The property was owned by the Doner family, and was called Doner’s Buffalo Resort. The Doner family owned the property from its inception until the 1980s when it was purchased and run by Jim Dudman.

Sullivan decided to keep the same general layout of the 12,000-square-foot hotel, which spans two floors and has 24 rooms. A unique aspect of the inn is how each room is a little bit different in terms of size, space and features.

One room has a covered porch, some have private back yards or balconies and another has a large private deck. They range from small studio rooms to large two-bedroom suites that sleep up to eight people.

Sullivan’s vision was to make sure The Stowaway Inn had a “lodge feel,” so it was important to have several different common areas.

“There’s not enough space on the property to have a pool or anything like that, so we needed to make it charming and fun on its own,” she said. Outside there is a fire pit and ping-pong area, as well as places to relax. Inside, there is a large covered porch for any guest to use, as well as a library where people can take out books and games.

“The library space — from the beginning as soon as I saw it, I knew that that’s what it needed to be,” she said.

Sullivan said they took as much of the tongue and groove fir as they could salvage off of the walls and ceilings. It was refinished and reinstalled mainly on the second floor, which was a “huge undertaking,” Sullivan said, but worth it, as it keeps the charm and character of the past. For the main floor, they salvaged some old maple hardwood flooring from a building in Brandon, refinished it and stained it to match the color of the wood upstairs.

There are a few original fireplaces that they put electric inserts into, had them repointed and cleaned up. All of the windows were replaced but they tried to keep the paned look.

“I definitely spent a lot of time looking for light fixtures that would work, and what I wanted,” Sullivan said. “I know everybody thinks the light fixtures upstairs all must be original but they’re not. I loved the smoky glass look, I thought it suited the space.”

In keeping with its mid-century heritage, Sullivan salvaged and refinished 30 vintage club chairs, as well as repurposed the old dressers from the rooms into bathroom vanities.

The front commercial space has been leased and will soon be home to Dragonfly Delights Tea Room, which will serve breakfast, afternoon tea and eventually supper options.

The Stowaway Inn is in a prime location — just a block from the busy Wasagaming Drive, which is where many shops and restaurants are located in Clear Lake. It is right next door to the popular Whitehouse Bakery, so guests can easily join the early morning lineup for their famous cinnamon buns. The beach is walking distance, as are the tennis courts, mini-golf and other activities.

The Stowaway Inn is open from April to the end of October, and Sullivan said they plan to keep it that way. During the off-season, they go through the hotel with “a fine-tooth comb”and ensure it is maintained to the highest standards.

After a rewarding first year, Sullivan is excited for what lies ahead, looking forward to welcoming both returning guests and those visiting for the first time.

“I hope that they have a little time to just relax with their family and have an actual vacation,” she said. “And be excited to go back to real life but be excited to come back again … I think I just want it to be full of lovely people all the time.”

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