“The Hotel” transitions to a social enterprise on Wolfe Island

Jeff Green | Jun 30, 2021

The former General Wolfe Hotel is a ramshackle clapboard structure whose first sections were built in the 1850's and has been added onto and renovated many times since then.

“It is like a little village unto itself” said its co-owner, the musician/producer Chris Brown

Last November, it began to undergo a different kind of transformation, when it was purchased by Brown and writer/editor Tom Carpenter.

The idea that Brown would have an ownership involvement in what Marysville residents have always called 'the hotel' was first raised by a previous owner.

“I started playing piano there sometimes, and Mustafa, who owned it at the time, said 'you should by the hotel'. I said 'no way', why would I want to run a hotel, I spend my life playing music.

A few years, and one owner later, the hotel was on the market again, and this time it looked like it might be purchased by developers who would transition it to condominiums in response to the increasing demand for housing on Wolfe Island, which is on the verge of a major transition when the new, larger ferry will make travelling to and from Kingston much more convenient.

“There was always a feeling that this place needed to be protected. It was vulnerable to exploitation. We felt there was a civic imperative to put together the purchase. It's all about the kind of society we want to build. I want to live in a place that I like with people that I love. It was entirely selfish.”

The 'civic imperative' idea ties in to a set of initiatives that have sprung up on the island in recent years.

One of them was the Wolfe Island Garden Party, which started in 2017.

“I felt there were divisions in the community coming from the wind turbine project, and I was trying to develop something that would counteract that, that would bring different communities together,” said Brown.

The Garden Party brought the agricultural and musical communities on Wolfe island together. It included visits to innovative farms on the island, local food seminars at the hotel, and musical performances in Marysville. It was building year over year until t was suspended, like everything else, in 2020.

A lot of the energy, and collaborative spirit, that brought musicians and farmers together, has been instilled in the project of transforming the hotel.

When the hotel retaurant was forced to close very soon after the purchase because of COVID restrctions, it was a mixed blessing.

“It allowed us to think long term instead of worrying about day to day operations.”

During the winter and into the spring, a number of renovations were undertaken to various parts of the hotel. Among them were upgrades to make it a better performance space for live audiences and for virtual audiences as well.

The property extends across the street to the waterfront, where there has been a lot of the focus for the summer of 2021. An outdoor kitchen to serve patrons on the waterfront patio is now in place, and with a new Chef, Andrew Dillon, and a renewed focus on local food. Takeout food was being prepared in May and June, and as of last week, patio service will be available all summer. The former parking lot hsa become the site for farmer's market, which began running on Saturday mornings in May and will continue all summer and into the fall.

The Wolfe Island Commons is the not-for profit arm of the hotel project. It has a diverse advisory committee, made of people with experience in social enterprise. One of the immediate goals of the commons is to develop a park an accessible park and access for swimming/sailing for Marysville residents and tourists. It is also devoted to creating “a community and cultural centre to reinforce public engagement, particularly pertaining to agriculture, indigenous consciousness, music and the arts,” according to statement on www.wolfeislandcommons.org.

The Commons will also work to foster and expand on the Wolfe Island Garden Party and related initiatives.

One of the first elements of the indigenous focus on the hotel was a simple one, the name, which is now “The Hotel on Wolfe Island.”

“We call the establishment The Hotel,” said Brown. “It has had many names through the years, and that moniker is common throughout its various lives. We also feel the removal of the colonial context in its name sets the tone of our shared present tense, devoid of historical imbalance. It is a place where everyone should feel welcome and on equal footing.

Another partner is Terri-Lynn Brennan, who lives on the island, and is a principle in the Lodge Pole Alliance.

Her input, as well as support from Kelly Maracle on the advisory panel of the Commons, is key to the goal that Chris Brown descrbes as the inclusion of “Indigenous input on every relevant matter - as constant perspective rather than just ' Indigenous focus issues'. It is as much of a cultural partnership as any representation in our works, and of great benefit in expanding our sense of place”.

As the summer arrives and travel restriction ease, activity around the hotel has become feverish. A new hotel manager has arrived, the patio is open, work is continuing to improve the site, and a music series is being planned for this summer on the patio. There are about 30 people working at various levels of the company and the not-for profit, and events are being planned for he fall and into 2022.

And all of this is and has happened during a pandemic.

“I can't even predict where this is going. You just have to be responsive to what happens every day,” said Brown.

He added that the entire enterprise has been supported by the Frontenac Business Centre, which has provided financing and advice, and Darlene Plumly, the Chief Administrative Officer of Frontenac Islands, who has provided support and information about municipal requirements every step of the way.

www.hotelwolfeisland.com