Memories of Skeleton Lake by Paul Temple

culture from the locals. Most of them had mixed feelings about being
there with small children. They had cool and pure air in Muskoka
and great views, but they had left behind many amenities they had
in the city, such as stores that delivered groceries, hardware, clothing
etc. All had either a gas stove or electric stove and central heating.
For years, Norvoc had no power, so water had to be carried from the
lake because most cottages were too high for a hand pump. They
had wood stoves, Coleman lanterns oil lamps, oil heaters, mosquitoes,
black flies, no effective lotions, and the backhouse 100 feet behind the
cottage’s.
Mother had to give up trying to wash six person’s clothes and linens
by hand and a washboard. They found a poor woman near Utterson
who would do a week’s laundry including ironing for fifty
cents. Her name was Mainhood—At least the family had Mainhood’s
lake named after them. Mother hated bathing in the cold
lake—remember—no running water, only hot water if you heated it
in a kettle. I remember going once a week to Utterson to pick up
the laundry, and on to Huntsville where there were several private
homes with signs “HOT BATHS-TOWEL SUPPLIED-$1.00” The
boy’s jobs were to carry wood, provide kindling, set the fire ready to
light to cook breakfast. I could go on, but you get the idea that most
women with kids would rather be in the city or staying at the lodge.
On the other hand, the local women were Canadian pioneers, because
of their isolation, their poverty, and the bitter winters. It has been
my opinion that northern countries generally turned out to be more
prosperous than countries in the tropics because one had to plan
ahead or die—survival of the fittest. For example, by November, one
made sure there were at least five face cords of wood cut, split and
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