Why not ‘Walk Inn’ to the Walker cabin and discover how their family came to be at Ma-Me-O Beach?
As the cabin name suggests, the Walker’s have an open door outlook on lake life and have welcomed family, friends and neighbour’s around their campfire since the late 1970’s. Dennis and Jane Walker purchased the property at 216-1st Avenue in 1977, from the Domsey family. The Domsey’s owned a farm west of Ma-Me-O for many years. However, they never developed the property at Ma-Me-O, so when the Walker’s bought, they had a lot full of trees and an outhouse to start off with. Their neighbours mentioned there may have been an earlier cabin that may have burnt down much earlier but could not confirm the time frame.
The Walker’s had been looking for a place to call their own after falling in love with Pigeon lake while attending a friends’ barbecue. Jane also had a long term connection to Ma-Me-O. As a young girl she would stay with friends throughout the summer while growing up. There were very few places for sale at the time, so when they saw the blank slate property at 216-1st Avenue, they knew it was the place to create their own lake paradise. The lot purchase was timed perfectly as Dennis recalled reading that in the 1980’s, Ma-Me-O was identified as one of the most expensive places to buy property in Canada!
Upon purchasing the property in 1977, the Walker’s began building a two-bedroom cabin with one bathroom and a large living room for a space to entertain visitors. The exterior was finished that year with another couple years added on to finish the interior. In between working on the cabin, the Walker family still found time to be involved in the vibrant lake community.
Dennis was part of the sailing club for the years of 1982-1999. He mainly worked on the cabin during time out at the lake. As the cabin took shape he found time for a trip in the sailboat as well. Their two daughters, Shannon and Lynn, both worked at various jobs during the summer. They both scooped ice cream at various locations. Lynn also worked at the General Store, while Shannon was a recreation board playground and swim instructor for a few summers. Jane became one of the Recreation Board supervisors during that time. Jane was also part of the Recreation Board as an assistant for another stint, ran the ever-famous family bingo and managed swimming lessons. She always had the goal to make lake time fun for families out at Ma-Me-O Beach.
Looking back on the legacy of Walk Inn, Dennis and Jane recalled the great social gatherings, excitement of sailboat races and enjoying their time together at the lake with those they care about most. Friends, family and neighbours continue to ‘Walk Inn,’ to this cabin destination that has been a gathering place since 1977, for those seeking the quintessential lake life experience.
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