Algonquin Park (Wilno/Killaloe) bed breakfast. (Algonquin Park (Wilno/Killaloe)) Ontario bed breakfasts reviewed by Janette Higgins

One of the best bed and breakfasts in Algonquin Park (Wilno/Killaloe) Ontario,
as recommended by Janette Higgins.

Near North and Northern Ontario

The Deakins at Mountainview Bed and Breakfast

Don and Mary Helen Deakin 2459 Mountainview Road PO Box 165 Killaloe, ON Canada, K0J 2A0
Phone: 613 757 3209
The perfect stop for Europeans on the 'north' route to and from Ottawa and for local Ontarions looking for an interesting getaway.

Review by Janette Higgins

author of The Best Places to B&B in Ontario: A Selective Guide

Six editions of the book were published to critical and popular acclaim. Janette now publishes her B&B reviews and holiday reports online.

Note 1 to reader: Every Ontario bed and breakfast receives my consideration. I travel incognito, pay where I stay and write reviews of the top 5%. Here is a bed and breakfast I recommend east of Algonquin Park near Barry’s Bay. Janette Higgins

Canadians and international travellers alike often take the route through Algonquin Park on their way to or from Ottawa. To break the drive, The Deakins on Mountainview, between Wilno and Killaloe, is the bed and breakfast to head for. And for those of us who live here in Ontario it makes for a great destination B&B.

I first heard of Wilno, the earliest Polish settlement in Canada, when friends told me about their annual excursion there for the fall colours. Part of what made the trip special was the home cooking they enjoyed at the Wilno Tavern. I settled in at the now defunct Red Canoe for a delicious dinner involving pickled beets, cole slaw, Polish sausage, beef pot roast and mashed potatoes with kale. More good food (good for takeout) can be found at Pickles and Quilts. The whole area is quite the tourist hub with lots to do if you stay for a couple of days. There’s golfing, hiking, and galleries to visit. There’s also the Sierra Designs outlet store situated on the highest inhabited land in Ontario just 20 minutes from the B&B along winding country roads.

The bed and breakfast is newly built and hosted by Don and Mary Helen Deakin. Long time residents of the area, with time out for a teaching admin post in Singapore, they returned to build their dream home. Don is restoring the historic sugar bush on their acreage and he likes nothing better than to take guests for a walk through the woods to explain the sugaring-off process. Trixie, the neighbouring farmer’s herding dog, tags along for the fun. The Deakins are an interesting pair; Don pioneered the area’s French Immersion program and Mary Helen, after a stint in Biochemistry, had a Victorian nightwear manufacturing business that sold in high end Ontario shops.

With such hospitable hosts I’d be prepared to camp out on their lawn but, no, you have some pretty nice B&B rooms to stay in. I was on the second floor where two country-style bedrooms share a bathroom and lounge area with TV. For a modest upcharge you can have private use of the bath making this space very private. Downstairs, below grade, is another suite with its own bathroom and a choice of either a queen-bedded room with a tiny window or a twin-bedded room with a larger window, perfect for a family. There’s also a small interior room with a table and four dining chairs.

Next morning, Mary Helen offers a help-yourself buffet with cereal, fruit, breads for toast etc. Organic offerings include an exceptional natural yogurt. For my main course I had French pancakes served with Don’s maple syrup. It wasn’t until after that I discovered his maple jelly. So I had to try it, too. The sugar overload was worth it.

Note 2 to reader: I appreciate your support of the continuation of my research by letting the hosts know you read my review of their bed and breakfast on this bbontario website. Many thanks! Janette Higgins, Travel Writer

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The Deakins at Mountainview Bed and Breakfast, Algonquin Park (Wilno/Killaloe), Ontario

Tell your hosts Janette Higgins sent you!

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Website:

http://www.deakinbandb.com

Languages:

Season:

S $70-100, D $80-100 (no taxes)

Currency converter

Cards:

Cash or cheque only

Restrictions:

No fragrances (asthma); enquire about children; smoking away from house outside; no guests' pets

Facilities:

2 rooms with queen beds on second floor share a bathroom with tub/shower and sitting room with TV. Below grade suite offers private bath (shower only) and choice of queen bed or twin beds. Small anteroom has table/chairs and one upholstered chair. Living room shared with hosts.

Parking:

Ample

Breakfast:

Full

In Residence:

Trixie, the neighbouring farmer's dog will likely greet you but she's not allowed inside the Deakin's house.

Location:

In countryside just off the highway between Wilno and Killaloe. Barry's Bay is 15 minutes west and the eastern entrance to Algonquin Park is a further 45 minutes hour past Barry's Bay.

Directions:

From Hwy 60, between Wilno and Killaloe, turn south on Stone Church Road (at sign for golf course). Drive 1.5 kms to the Stone Church. Turn left on Mountainview. First drive on your right is for the B&B.

Weather Information

Check out Janette Higgins' other site www.gardendesigncoach.com