05/23/2025
Bunkie #2 🌲
Canning Lake, Minden Hills Ontario
Vote at https://forms.gle/cuCr9YcwvWvoL8rv5
Tucked away in the heart of cottage country is a guest bunkie unlike any other — a 100-year-old railway caboose turned cozy, memory-filled retreat.
Built in 1923 at the historic Angus Metal Works in Montreal, this caboose spent decades riding the rails before it was decommissioned in 1958. After its retirement, it was transported to the Minden area and repurposed as a hunting camp near Gull Lake. Eventually, in the early 1960s, it found its forever home — and a new life as a charming guest bunkie filled with vintage railway memorabilia and stories of generations past.
Today, this caboose isn’t just a guest house. It’s a living piece of history — complete with a double bed and a single bed tucked up in the cupola. It’s a self-contained marvel of its time, kept warm in the winter with electric baseboard heaters.
But after enduring a brutal winter with record-breaking ice and snow, the caboose’s roof buckled under pressure, damaging the ceiling and putting this historical gem at risk. Repairs are underway, but there’s still more to be done. From repainting the exterior and restoring the porches to replacing the interior finishes with materials that honour its original character.
This isn’t just about renovation — it’s about preservation. About celebrating a truly one-of-a-kind structure that connects us to the past while still serving a purpose today. With your support, this caboose can keep welcoming guests for years to come — not just as a place to sleep, but as a story to step into.
