Looking Back & Looking Forward

Greetings from The Beam!! We hope everyone is settled into the new year and surviving this ‘true’ Canadian winter that we are experiencing.

Some of you receiving this have not stayed with us for a few years, while others stay with us every year, or even multiple times throughout the season for that matter. Either way, there is a lot of past and present news to share with all of you Sunbeamers!

We had a very fast start to the 2025 season and had to ‘hit the ground running’ due to a late thaw this past spring. As usual, there never seems to be a shortage of stuff to do, but we always want to make the effort to do more than just what is required and to continue improving when and where we can.

We started with whatever we could possibly do inside while waiting for the weather to cooperate. We started replacing beds in early April (cottages #2, #28 & #29) as well as installing new flooring throughout #3 & #28, and painting & staining multiple cottages, as well as cottage tables & chairs. We also added a new couch and accent chair to cottage #2, (which means a new pull-out bed as well!).

We added grass to many different areas - some areas ‘took’, some did not - to add more greenery, more comfort, help with erosion control, and to keep the dust down when things become dry. We added to our gardens, cleaned up some overgrown areas, pruned some trees, and kept the rakes moving!

We also added some ‘fun stuff’: a new, very large, ‘floaty’ mat for the beach, and a waterproof ping-pong table. Other additions include new wood signage, decorative paddles, nautical rope, palm trees, flamingos, and (of course!) lighting to trees, decks and walkways. (Wherever there is power…there will be light!)

The fishing got off to a strong start, as did the cottage occupancy, with past and new guests joining us this season. There were some great catches, which can actually be proven by viewing our fish photo gallery page. (No more stories about ‘the one that got away’ will be accepted!!)

Spring progressed into a very early summer season start up, due to Labour Day falling so early (September 1/25), with the entire first week of the summer season falling in the month of June. As for this year, it is the complete opposite, with the summer dates falling as late as they ever can be, due to Labour Day falling on September 7/26.

We had our traditional weekly BBQ’s, and beach bonfires with live music, welcoming a new band last year - ‘The Blue Screw’ - as well as welcoming back a few of our traditional favourites, such as ‘The Blackbirds’. We do not have our live music schedule complete at this point, however there will be some new additions for certain weeks. No matter which week you come, you will not be disappointed.

We were very impressed with the summer season fishing this past year. This is always the hardest season to predict, and we were really happy with the way it went. The Lake Nipissing regulations – which have remained the same for the 2026 season – seem to be working and are keeping a strong fishery.

We added Wi-Fi at the beach, as well as a webcam that is mounted on the Upper Deck for a good aerial view. We will be going ‘live’ with the webcam as soon as the weather allows us this spring. Once ‘live’ you can log on to our website and see our beautiful dock, beautiful Lake Nipissing, and our beautiful sunsets all in real time!

The fall season was warm and fun. We welcomed some very large groups and reunions, as well as many new and returning guests. Fortunately, the strong fishing continued right through Thanksgiving weekend in October, when it was time for us to close off another memorable season.

That said, we never actually ‘close, close’ here at Sunbeam. We rent our cottages year-round with the focus changing as the seasons change. Spring, Summer & Fall are always discussed in our newsletters, but we do have a wonderful winter part of our business geared to ice fishing & snowmobiling groups. There are also the months of April, November & December available, and although fishing Lake Nipissing is not an option, and it is certainly quite ‘off season’, we are still open for simple, quiet, cottage ‘getaways’.

During those months, we try to take advantage of opportunities for more inside work anywhere there is a vacancy. We updated cottages #23 & #24 with brand new beds, as well as installing new flooring in the bedrooms of cottage #23 this past November. We have ordered new beds for cottages #3, #4, #26 & #27. They will be installed this year when the opportunity comes in late April. All of this is part of substantial investments in improvements which will continue with upgrades to the remaining cottages in 2027. We have also ordered brand new front doors for cottages #5, #6, #23, #24 & #27. This will complete the installation of all doors & windows for every cottage, and every unit here at Sunbeam. They will also all match perfectly and have nice new frames & sills.

We are currently dredging down at our marina, literally as this letter is being written. This is a huge & costly undertaking, however we feel it is necessary for good operations in general. We usually have adequate water depths from opening weekend in May through to mid-August, however, at that point, depending on how the lake levels were regulated, and annual precipitation, the low water levels can be very problematic. The main work will be at the entrance to the first bay, which is where we moor the fleet of camp boats, and also in the launch & fuel service area, and a substantial area outside of the dock that leads up to it to allow for a wider turning radius. We will also focus on some of the docking slips in the first bay, as well the entrance to the middle bay.

Because this is a very involved process, requiring permits from three levels of government, and the use of large machinery and equipment, we will also take advantage of this opportunity to increase the height of our rock wall at the sides and front of our marina for better protection of the docks, as well as your personal boats while docking with us. This project has been a year in the making to coordinate, so we are counting on good results from our contractor.

Speaking of big projects, a lot of you have been asking about the condo development next door on the vacant lot on the south side of Sunbeam. They have been doing the groundwork through the winter months, with the project on hold until mid-March at this point. Once the weather improves, they will pretty much be on-site daily throughout all of 2026, and into early 2027 when they are set to open.

As much as development/change is not always wanted, this is something that has been talked about by the different owners over the years and was bound to happen at some point. The new owners of the property are wonderful people, and the developers are very experienced and professional. Although the work done during this upcoming season might be a bit intrusive, and a bit of an ‘eyesore’, once this project is complete, it will be a beautiful building and will fit right in with the surroundings. They will follow with ‘phase 2’ in 2027, developing the marina, building a small boathouse, and a beautiful dock similar to ours… (but I guarantee it won’t be as ‘pretty’ with lights & palm trees!)

In closing, we cannot thank you enough for your past, current and future support. We also appreciate the great word-of-mouth, and Google & Trip Advisor reviews so many of you have shared. We will always continue to work hard and make improvements to better your stay experience here at Sunbeam.

Darren & Sarah

By the way…based on how the dates fall this year, this spring is actually the earliest opening day, (May 15) that we can possibly have. This has created an additional spring weekend that has not been an option for years now, and weekend availability remains! Call for more information: 1 877 298 9998