The Story is about
…the land of 180 acres deeded by the king of England along the Atlantic, and the place was once:
- A self-sustaining farm with pastures, a barn, chicken coop, hog house, orchards, garden…
- A sawmill
- The border to lobster fishing territory where boats landed at Skir Dhu (Black Rock)
…the Urquehardt family over time:
- Had midwives using the main house for “birthing”
- Adopted 5 kids
- Was a neighborhood center across from the Gaelic Singers’ Hall and ball field
…its latest history:
The place fell into disrepair over 20 years vacancy, its roof caved in and hunters sat upstairs poaching moose and and drinking beer.
The bedroom walls were caved in, there was newspaper insulation on the walls, but the stone foundation was good and dry. Part of the house had been moved from below a rocky creek bed by horses and the kitchen had been built from scratch.
In 2000, Dr. Paul and Barbara sought advice from local contractors on whether the farmhouse could be restored. They were told:
“Burn it or bury it”, but they rebuilt it.
Dr. Paul is contrary and decided to fix it up, aided by a carpenter team led by John Podetz of Sydney Mines. Douglass Fir beams were brought to create an open space living room, with little vertical support. The ceiling of the living room and the floor of the upstairs is red pine. The picture window on the south faces a field where moose often stroll from the woods towards a small creek leading to Maggie’s Pond and the wetlands they love to inhabit.
The land was full of old junked cars, some removed to protect guests from broken glass and several still in place. Work continued by creating a trail to old fields, pastures, groves of birch & ocean cliffs…
They start in a big field where guests once cooked, made fires and camped…
Dr. Paul and logger Calvin Rankin and a bunch of kids cleared a trail by following where the old logging truck went through alder trees, up into a spruce and later birch forest to a walkway along cliffs over the Atlantic.
The place was rebuilt. It now houses multi-family visits, retreats, couples; artists doing composing or painting or writing; hiking groups, cyclists, touring bikers – travelers seeking adventure or retreat along the Cabot Trail. Just 12km away lies its sister property at Indian Brook, our Cabot Shores Wilderness Resort.
The Breton Cove Farmhouse is also kid and pet-friendly and can nowadays accommodate up to 13 people.
