September 25, 2025
By: Matthew Hague
For 10 years, Joanne Hall and her husband, Russel, had their dream cottage. Mostly.
Their place was large – about 2,500 square feet – on a scenic lake just a 45-minute drive from their home in central Ottawa. “Our dock was on a deep part of the lake with an interesting, rocky shoreline,” says Joanne.
There was, however, one major drawback. “The cottage only had one bedroom,” she explains. “There was a big open room where we could fit a lot of people, but there was no privacy.”
That issue became more pressing in the summer of 2020. Russel was retired, and Joanne was on the verge of stepping back from her career in mental health.
The cottage property of Joanne Hall and husband Russel is set on a scenic lake a 45-minute drive from central Ottawa. Kevin Belanger/Kevin Belanger
“I’m from Northwestern Ontario and my husband is from England,” says Joanne. “Growing up, our kids never had the experience of easy, accessible time with their grandparents – they lived far away. We wanted to retire close to Ottawa so our kids and grandkids could visit whenever they wanted, even if it was just to come swimming for the day.”
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