S1 | Rewind Design | E10 Annie’s Island on Georgian Bay

Rewind Design

On today’s episode of Rewind Design, we have 94-year-old Anne Grotrian – a creative, an artist, a teacher, and above all, a lover of Georgian Bay. She loves bones, stones, shells and driftwood, all of which you can find sprinkled around her eclectic Japanese pagoda style cottage!

She was born in 1928 in Toronto, grew up in Rosedale the youngest of 5 children with a father in the meat packing industry. They originally had a cottage on believe it or not, Toronto Island.

As a teenager she attended the girls’ private school, Branksome Hall in Toronto, and went to Ontario College of Art (now OCAD). She worked for 5 years at Henry Birk’s and Son in the window display department. When she was 45 she went back to school at George Brown for Jewelry making. She graduated and taught for 33 years and spent many happy years making jewelry.

She has had a wonderful creative life which is mirrored in her eclectic cottage with art everywhere.

She has spent:

A year around Europe.

A year in the arctic. – Managing the Inuit jewelry manufacturing company for the department of economic development of the Worth West Territories.

A year in Mexico. – San Miguel de Allende Institute where she studio, bronze casting, logography and life drawing. Bruce visited for 6 months and studied photography, which led to his career.

Anne’s Pilgrimage to Georgian Bay

Anne’s pilgrimage to Georgian Bay first started when she met a friend named Glady Smith at the Ontario College of Art (now OCAD). Who, in the 50’s originally traveled to Amanda Island to take in the sketch the wilderness. She bought Sanger Island, across from Amanda, when it came up for sale. In the mid 50’s, Anne fell madly in love with Georgian Bay, when she would come up each summer to visit her friend. In 1959, she went home to her espoused, and asked if he was serious about buying their own island, he said “yes” and Anne promptly stated “Ok, we are getting married”. They bought their island for $180 (crown land was selling for $150/acre and they bought a 1.3 acre island). And anther $150 for a survey.

Description of the Island + Cottage

The island was empty, except for a big yellow bus sitting near the shoreline. The island was originally owned by one other couple before the 50s, and unfortunately for them, but fortunately for Anne, they did not pay their taxes, and the island was returned to crown land. In this serendipitous timing Anne bought the island on a whim and in a very small window of opportunity.