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A log retreat owned by the Montgomery family is a star of the 20th anniversary of Homes For The Holidays, a marquee fundraising event supporting end-of-life programs at Hospice Care Ottawa.
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The 4,000-sq-ft. home, which rivals the Cartwright homestead made famous in the ‘60s TV series Bonanza, sits on 20 rugged acres on the Dunrobin Escarpment where it is surrounded by trees, a neighbour to the occasional deer and has grand views of the Gatineau Hills.
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“When I was a kid, I was mad about Bonanza, intrigued by Ben Cartwright and his three sons living in a rustic log home filled with chandeliers, Indian rugs and antique furniture,” says Hugh Montgomery, now a semi-retired emergency doctor.
“I am happy to drive down our laneway. We pinch ourselves that we live here,” says Montgomery, who met his wife Mattie while on a ski trip to Gray Rocks in the Laurentians three decades ago.
At the time, she, a young woman from the Netherlands, and he, an engaging doctor from Peterborough, met on a blind date set up by friends which then blossomed into a life-long love affair with log homes.
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Previously, his family had a log cottage near Peterborough, while Mattie also had a log cottage near Renfrew built by her first husband as a modest log home for the family.
The pair would later dive into the design of their own log home retreat, learning as they went along by attending log home conferences and interviewing designers, builders and carpenters.
When construction finally started, Mattie did everything, from bringing coffee and cookies to workers, cleaning up after the crews left for the day, and sourcing materials and keeping track of construction,
The log retreat is one of eight homes featured in the Holiday for Homes virtual 3D tour, which launched Friday, Nov. 18. Organizers had to quickly pivot when the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the glittery home tour two years ago.
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Through the years, Homes for the Holidays has welcomed thousands to tour private homes, embassies, even 24 Sussex Drive when Sheila and Paul Martin called the grey stone mansion home.
Homes are decorated to the max by city florists, while raising $2.5 million for hospice, which provides day programs, bereavement counselling and palliative care.
All services are free to the public. The province covers about 60 per cent of costs, while the remainder is raised through special events throughout the year.
“I was on the Hospice board 20 years ago when Lillian Smith proposed the tour as a fundraiser,” says Sharon McGarry, president of Hulse, Playfair & McGarry and the honorary chair of the 2022 tour.
“It seemed like a wonderful adventure … to find wonderful homes, decorate them for the public, all the while doing some good and raising proceeds for the hospice,” says McGarry.
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Other homes on the tour include a sleek light-filled condo overlooking the Rideau Canal, a renovated stone home on Cameron Avenue and a discrete townhome tucked into the Glebe.
On a recent visit to the Montgomery log retreat, the home was filled with Christmas cheer, reindeer sporting tartan ribbon collars and the staircase covered in felt stockings for every member of the Montgomery clan.
Four dolls dressed as carolers hold down a corner in the grand living room, while garlands added holiday cheer to the log mantle over the towering granite fireplace.
The log home was designed by Ottawa native Michael Neelan, a respected artist, architectural technologist and owner of residential design firm, RiverSong who passed away in April.
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“We gave Michael our ‘wish book’ and he incorporated almost every single idea into our home,” says Mattie.” It was magic.”
It was Ross Herwig, owner of Herwig Log Homes & Timber Farm in Cobden and his team, who turned Neelan’s vision into reality.
The land had been cleared, and each log numbered and cataloged before being transported to the Montgomery site where it would be reconstructed.
The creamy-coloured kitchen is central, with a wall of recovered stones, while the dining room is a generous, yet cosy. A grand, two-sided fireplace crafted from granite was recovered from an old home near Perth.
The sunroom is more windows than giant logs and a favourite gathering spot for friends or simply sipping a morning coffee and watching wildlife in the neighbouring woods.
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Oriental rugs on hardwood flooring add warmth, while crystal chandeliers add sparkle, and hefty furniture and leather couches deliver comfort.
Hugh Montgomery has brought family antiques to his country home, including his mother’s 100-year-old Heintzman piano, which sits a few feet from a 150-year-old baby grand from England.
This is a home built for longevity, with the master bedroom on the main level and additional bedrooms on the second floor.
Sixteen years after moving in, the Montgomery’s love affair with a certain log home is in full bloom.
It is a home filled with family memories and comfort. “I feel a total sense of peace and a connection to nature,” says Mattie Montgomery.
Simplicity wins the season
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Kelly Windle has worked with Cirque de Soleil, creating funky fantasy with flowers.
Yet the Winchester florist, owner of Planted Arrow Flowers & Gift, instantly knew simplicity was best when adding a helping of Christmas to Mattie and Hugh Montgomery’s log home.
“I am a simplistic person. If you overdo flowers, you miss the little magical moments.
“Keep it simple and beautiful,” says Windle, who carved out an enviable reputation in the floral industry in Ottawa before setting up shop in a stately white home which used to be a bank in the 1800s.
Windle staggered single red rose buds and pine boughs down the centre of the burnished dining room table.
On a round glass table in the sunroom, she combined elegant white hydrangeas with a bit of greenery and red berries.
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Holly berries, white orchids and greenery take centre stage in the living room, while the fireplace crackled on a sunny afternoon. Oversized red roses and holly berries adorn the granite counter in the living room.
“The plan was to add little pops of Christmas, enough to make everyone feel cosy and comfy.”
The home does most of the talking. The flowers add to the chorus.
The Planted Arrow Flowers & Gifts
535 St. Lawrence St.. Winchester
613-774-3825
Celebrating 20 years
What Homes for the Holidays 2022, a virtual 3D tour of eight Ottawa homes decorated for the holidays.
When The tour webpage is available Friday Nov. 18 until end of day Sat. Dec. 10.
How Make a donation and receive an email on Nov. 18 with link to the website. Donations of $25 will receive a tax donation.
For more information: Visit hospicecareottawa.com, .