OVERVIEW: We have spent more than 2 dozen years on the shores of this most beautiful lake (Lac de l'Argile - Clay Lake) in Western Quebec close to Ottawa. The original modest family cottage, on our current African Dream Catcher and Sahara-Sahel site, was sadly destroyed by fire on Remembrance Day 1986 (Lest We Forget).

The overwhelming exotic African grandness of these two sub-saharan-theme getaways, as they appear our web site today, can only be explained as the result of imagination and planning rooted from the "heart" - not the brain :-) With a whole lot of ambition, determination, and persistence through long days (many nights too), we transformed the best years and memories of living abroad, including working in developing countries, into everyday life in retirement at the lake. Crossing the threshold of these two getaways is like stepping right into the heart of Africa. You'll see South Africa. And, Botswana, the Kalahari Desert, and Gaborone where we lived for 2 years which, by the way, is also the hometown of Mma Ramotswe of The Number One Ladies Dectective Agency. You'll see and sense the Serengheti, West Africa and the Sahara-Sahel (the outer fringe areas/countries of the Sahara Desert). And, very special to us, Zimbabwe - the art work from the hearts and souls of the very friendliy and artistically creative people unfortunately embroiled in a very troublesome political situation. In Swaziland, Malawi and Zimbabwe, Monique managed developement projects and satellite offices. Further back, there were employments in Madagascar, and stories to be told about UN emergency food distribution immediately following the tragic genocide in Rwanda. Namibia; ah yes, home of the most beautiful sand dunes in the world.

Also internationally embedded into our African Dream Catcher Getaway is an awesomely exotic shoreline tribute to the Maldive Islands; beautiful Indonesian cane furniture hand-crafted in Sri Lanka that we personally watched being made; a German bedroom reminiscent of a 5 year military tour there and every window and doorway in Sahara-Sahel & African Dream Catcher is fitted with German roll-shutters - a rare sight in Canada! Another European representation is Holland, the country of John's heritage where we still have contact with cousins today.

And, we have century old furniture, family heirlooms, antiques, and assorted personal family treasures passed down from our families. Things old with character fit in just perfectly with the African theme!

Our last mention of note makes reference to the beautiful "cottagey-practical" stone floors which were chosen and installed prior to our extended travels in India immediately following Monique's retirement at end December 2007. Only a few hours on the road heading towards magical Rajisthan, we came apon the village, maybe even the exact same workplace, where our imported slate was cut and fabricated for shipping. A very very small world, no?


HISTORY: In Summer 1995, with both children (Collin & Christa) long grown up and living out of province, LakeSide(1) (now Sahara-Sahel) was born as our first rental getaway.
In late 2000, just prior to returning overseas again, we bought our neighbour's cottage (fully-furnished-and-ready-to-go) which became LakeSide(2) (now Cozy Cottage). It's simply cozy and retains the traditional and typical Canadian cottage character and feel.
In 2004-05, over 18 months of sometimes very hectic, but most times gratifying, renovations, LakeSide(3) (now African Dream Catcher) was born from a very basic unfinished structure of bare plywood floors and uncovered blue-stryrofoam insulation on the ceilings and walls.
As MS Windows says - "Ta da". Here we are today in a fully finished cottage home and managing an interesting and growing successful cottage rental business. Where will we be tomorrow?
In late April 2009, just before returning from our first winter escape in Florida after retirement, we bought a very nice townhouse in Delray Beach, located a couple towns south of West Palm Beach and 45 minutes from Fort Lauderdale International Airport. Will this become "LakeSide Florida"? - while we spend that rented time on a cruise or traveling further south in the Americas where Monique can practice her long ago learned Spanish?

OUR BUSINESS & CLIENTELE: We very much enjoy our little "LakeSide Cottages" rental business and we put a lot of effort into trying to do it well. We are very pleased with the many interesting people we meet from: i.e. Ottawa, the GTA, Montreal, London Ontario and England, France - the Indians and Chinese, the blacks & whites, straights and gays - all quality people. Especially pleasing is the fact many are returning year after year after year which we think reflects volumes about the quality of our getaways and our attention to detail. We invite people for preview visits - it's our best advertising! If you're interested in what we love - we love to show it and tell the stories :-)

REFLECTIONS: Almost unbelievably, we have recognized precious-few "big mistakes" over a gigantic renovation project during which a lot of the details were thought out as construction progressed. At least once a day, every day, we also involuntarily recognize the uniqueness and specialness of our creations and the breathtaking scenery we are so fortunate to be situated in front of. We appreciate the beauty of our expansive perennial gardens and the many varieties of birds that our flora and feeders attract. We also thoroughly enjoy the company, including hand-feeding peanuts, to our many chipmunks, red squirrels, and even (our much nicer cousins of city) raccooons, all of which are certainly not a problem here at the lake. These small pleasures are a big part, of Cottage Life enjoyment!

THE FUTURE: While we are loving it and managing OK today, what will tomorrow bring to a getting older couple of retired codgers like ourselves? While Fridays are our only "official" work days in between weekly high season rentals, it naturally lends one to think that the rest of the week and summer is hammock and reading time which, in reality, is very far from actuality. Will we want to sell one or both properties eventually, and spend our 6 months in Canada in a much more managable 3-bedroom bungalow cottage with only a 1-car garage (because there will be no need for a small truck too)? Or, will we want to let a younger retired couple spend their summers rent free in Cozy Cottage in exchange for 1/2 time maintenance and 1/2 time enjoyment? Maybe we'd sell everything with the provision that we could live in Sahara-Sahel - after all, we do know our LakeSide Cottages inside out :-). Any other mutual accommodating ideas out there?

We welcome you to experience LakeSide Cottages.
No disappointments. We guarantee your enjoyment!

John Brown & Monique Goudreau

Email : lakesideottawa@xplornet.com

Telephone :
1 (819) 454-2264

Please Note:
Email is always best as we frequently travel and live
abroad for extended periods. Regretfully telephone
messages cannot always be checked in a timely manner.