Anne and Arthur Maki
Barber's Bay
South Porcupine

I grew up in Northern Ontario and every year my parents ventured further North to visit my Grandparents. They had two homes, one in the city of Timmins and the other a homey cottage (or "camp" as my Grandmother called it) on Barber's Bay.

As my Grandparents were both Finnish they designed their home and garden in a rural simple Scandinavian style (i: cut out the underbrush - keep everything neat and tidy).

It was very Nordic, complete with birch bark trees, hardy Zone 3 perennials, evergreens, a vegetable garden complete with a compost area, and of course, a sauna right next to the lake. In the winter it was absolutely magical and very Finnish.

I recall, with great fondness, sitting with my Grandma in her garden watching a red fox rummaging through the compost pile, picking birch bark branches to hang in the sauna, the sight and smell of crackling wood, and seeing my Grandfather roaring with laughter as he walked down the winding garden path.

In my heart, my Grandparents, their garden and "camp", although long gone, remain forever.