This excerpt is from an article that ran in The Globe And Mail on Friday, September 26, 2008

By Derek Raymaker


If you had to pick your dream wilderness retreat on a moment's notice, you could do a lot worse than Midland.

Wedged into a picturesque cove just south of Penatanguishene, it stands out as a testament to the beautiful solitude of Georgian Bay, the graceful wilderness that so many city-dwellers chase after during the sweltering summer months.

Midland has the added benefit of being slightly off the beaten path of the cottage-country milk run that winds north on Highway 11.

The town has fought valiantly to keep its lumber and shipping heritage alive in the 21st century, with mixed results. But the languorous lakeside, carping loons and dense forest aren't going anywhere.

With those elements safely intact, could Midland make the jump from vacation getaway to bedroom community for Greater Toronto?

Sure it's a two-hour drive from downtown Toronto - and that is with no traffic congestion. But all the other elements are there: The 400-series highway nearby, the affordable land prices, and the small but established community with good schools and health-care facilities.

In the summer of 2007, the Remington Group launched Captain's Cove looking out onto Georgian Bay and the Wye River valley. At the time, the developer released 61 bungalows for freehold ownership on expansive 50-foot lots.

The target market was never in doubt, according to Michelle LaBrie, Remington's sales director.

"What we have found is that Captain's Cove is going to be a permanent address," said Ms. LaBrie. "But we weren't really sure at the beginning if that was going to be the case."

Nearly all of the buyers are empty nesters or people who have retired early but are a long way from becoming snowbirds, Ms. LaBrie said.

"We've had a few buyers who are still self-employed and can carry on their businesses from their home," she said.

What a growing number of buyers have found is that if you only have to be in the Greater Toronto Area once or twice a week, there's not much to stop you from living in the wilds of Georgian Bay full time.

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