Dear reader,

I have trouble wrapping my head around Muskoka. Growing up, we couldn’t afford a cottage of our own, but I would visit my next-door neighbour’s Bala resort—a giant stretch of land, dotted with bunkies, that he’d bought with his veteran’s benefits from the Second World War. It even had a nine-hole golf course. Over dinner, the adults would talk about the fancy people who lived nearby.

Years later, during my drinking-in-boats era, I’d visit a friend’s family escape in Huntsville. We’d paddle to an uninhabited island, grill up feasts over firewood and talk smack about the guy with the helicopter across the way.

For me, Muskoka is a curious cocktail of serenity, woodland bacchanalia and obscene wealth. Case in point: Curb Appeal’s top post this week, a $15-million 41-room hotel in Port Severn, with over 600 metres of shoreline, that was once used as a set for Bachelor in Paradise Canada. Oh, and it has a helipad.

Also in today’s newsletter: an Upper Beaches detached inspired by Greece and California. Plus, a 5,000-square-foot retreat with an unbeatable view of Kahshe Lake. Visit torontolife.com for all our real estate coverage. 

This $15-million getaway with 41 guest rooms was originally built in the 1950s. The current owners purchased the place in 2021 and immediately invested $1 million to replace the roof and rebuild the guest cottage. After serving as a filming location for Bachelor in Paradise Canada, it reopened for business in July of 2022. Take the tour now.

How about a 2,000-square-foot home in the Upper Beaches, sandwiched between Queen and Gerrard? Inspired by the architecture of Greece and California, it comes with a 14-foot-tall mahogany front door, heated porcelain floors, a bespoke wine rack, camouflaged cupboards, a one-car garage and a fenced-in backyard. And it’s currently on the market for $2.8 million. 

Here’s a $4.9-million retreat on Kahshe Lake, equipped with a two-storey boathouse, a golf simulator, a smart TV and a quarry’s worth of Canadian boulders. 

In the latest issue: the perilous lives of international students. Plus, the professor, the caregiver and the case of the missing $30 million; a Q&A with drag legend Priyanka; the best secret supper clubs; and more. Still not receiving Toronto Life at home? Subscribe today.