Westwind Inn
The Epitome of Rustic Luxury
Buckhorn Lake, Ontario
by Donna Carter
It doesn’t take an incurable romantic to see that Westwind Inn is a special place where guests can create fond and lasting memories. This all-season, adults-only resort is a waterfront establishment on scenic Buckhorn Lake, twenty minutes north of Peterborough, Ontario. Nestled in the heart of the beautiful Kawartha Lakes Region, the inn has a history of attracting honeymooners, couples celebrating anniversaries, and people simply seeking a few days of indulgent bliss in an unspoiled, natural environment of pine forest, granite islands, glorious sunsets, and peaceful surroundings. Here, they can choose to be active, or spend long, lazy hours devoted to rest and rejuvenation.
Originally built in 1986, the resort was purchased in 1991 by retired Toronto accountant David Jensen and his wife, Kristi. Daughter Inga Gallacher, who now oversees Westwind’s marketing, says her father’s motivation to buy the place was based on a yen to adopt a Bob Newhart lifestyle. Like the neophyte Newhart innkeepers of television fame, the Jensen family has shaped their establishment into a popular Kawartha getaway.
“Our resort is unpretentious, yet exceedingly comfortable in a very private setting,” says Inga. Westwind is surrounded by acres of Crown Land wilderness, and it’s not uncommon for guests to see moose, otter, and deer.
The inn has a 32-room Main Lodge, plus four separate suites in a Chalet building. All units are reminiscent of a Rocky Mountain lodge with the rustic feel of a log cabin, but with all the modern amenities. Each room is cedar lined, and has a private balcony and fireplace.
In the inn’s lakeside dining room, an award-winning chef treats guests to some of the finest cuisine in the Kawarthas. The kitchen maestro will also pack a delicious picnic basket for guests who want to find a private spot on the sixty-acre property to lunch in perfect solitude.
On-site summer activities involve a network of hiking and biking trails, fishing, boating, swimming, and for golf buffs, Westwind boasts a practice green and driving net. In winter, activities include skating on the lake, cross-country skiing, and snow shoeing.