Enhabit.ca in South Frontenac

Enhabit.ca has not been hiding in plain sight in South Frontenac since the company was set up in 2018.

They have not been hiding at all.

The company, which operates two short-term rental properties on Canoe Lake and 13 Island Lake not far from Frontenac Park, is a Frontenac County Ambassador, and has sponsored local events as well.

But since it appeals to a visitor clientele and until now has not raised much controversy among neighbouring property owners, who for the most part are seasonal cottagers on the lakes, it is not that well known to most South Frontenac residents,

That changed somewhat this spring, when a building permit they applied for on Miner Lake, for a third build they are starting up this summer, raised some questions. Seasonal residents on Miner Lake appeared before council to express are concerns about the potential impact of a commercial venture on the lake.

That challenge did not have an impact on the new build, except to underline for Michael Wilson and Paul Dydula, who are the partners behind Enhabit.ca, of something they already know quite well; the relationships with their neighbours on the lakes where they have located their properties is of paramount importance.

The two men, who live and work in Toronto, have been friends since they both attended university in London. They both grew up enjoying going camping and always looking forward to any time they were invited to visit a friend’s cottage, as neither of them had one in their own families.

They were both trying to figure out if buying a cottage was a possibility for them now that they have families of their own, but the cost was prohibitive.

“I have some friends who opened up unique boutique hotels, so I thought about doing something like that for myself,” said Paul Dydula, in a conference call interview earlier this month.”

The idea of designing and building a cottage property capable of hosting family gatherings and at the same time being available some of the time for their own use, developed into a business partnership for them, and by the time they came upon the first property that they purchased on 13 Island Lake, they had a business concept in place.

Out of that came The Frontenac, an open concept, 4-bedroom cottage that sleeps ten, and includes a wraparound porch, chef’s kitchen, and a sauna.

“We have been very careful, as people who use the cottage ourselves, to make sure that we attract the right clientele to fit in with the culture of the lake,” said Michael Wilson. “We provide kayaks, canoes and paddleboards, but no motor boats, and we say right on our listing both on our site and on Air BnB that this is a non-smoking, non-party property. That is not our clientele, and we enforce that policy.”

So far, they say they have been able to avoid any noise or environmental issues with their clientele.

“Not only do we make it clear what our expectation is from our clientele, both on our own site and on Air BnB, where we get most of our bookings, we also rent exclusively by the week in the summer, which is not what party weekender are looking for. But the biggest thing that we have great local staff looking after the properties, and we are always available over the phone,” said Dydula

In 2022, they purchased 50 acres on Canoe Lake and constructed Black Oak Lodge, which is set back from the lake on a ridge, and is marketed as a Lakeside retreat.

Black Oak Lodge has 6 bedrooms, and sleeps 14.

The planned new build on Miner Lake will be a bit larger, sleeping 15, and is located on a cottage style lot, similar to The Frontenac on 13 Island.

They are working on a final design and are planning to build this year and be open for the 2027 summer season.

“This kind of business is not for everyone,” said Michael Wilson. It’s not like a no-brainer, People think this is passive income for the owners, but there is no such thing as passive income. “You have to have the relationships. If you want the top ratings, which we have, it only comes with attention to detail and positive relations with neighbours.”

As for their long-term plans, they each still have a dream of owning their own cottage, and they might end up paying off their investments by renting over a number of years, and then turning their rental properties into family cottages.

But for now, Enhabit.ca is in growth mode, with a lot of excitement over the next build, and their role in promoting tourism and construction in South Frontenac and all the spin-off business that comes with it.