Elmhirst's Resort:
Ontario's Sustainable Cottage Getaway on Rice Lake
Five generations of the Elmhirst family have created a legacy of hospitality and sustainability that continues to welcome guests today.
Sitting on 240 bucolic acres along the north shore of Rice Lake is Elmhirst's Resort, a beloved property that has been in the hands of the Elmhirst family for five generations. The family began farming the land in 1903, eventually adding a few cabins near the lake. Today, Elmhirst's Resort is a popular four-season eco-resort where couples, friends and family come to enjoy nature, celebrate milestones and embrace togetherness.
“What’s carried us through all these years isn’t just the land — it’s the strength of our family," says Peter Elmhirst, the third generation of Elmhirsts to care for the property.
To care for a place like Elmhirst's Resort is to understand that every choice echoes beyond today.
"Every generation has brought its own ideas and energy," Peter adds. "But the foundation has always been the same: a deep respect for this place, and for each other. That’s what sustains us.”
Elmhirst's Resort consists of 30 waterfront cottages and a plethora of year-round amenities for all types of visitors, from families to couples to groups of friends.
It is a top choice getaway for those looking for a relaxing cottage resort in Ontario — and at the heart of it all is a commitment to sustainability, stewardship and respect for the land and water. Elmhirst’s is recognized as one of the province's most sustainable resorts, holding Platinum Certification from GreenStep Sustainable Tourism.
"For us, it's about striking the balance between honouring what's always worked and knowing when to evolve," says Greg Elmhirst, fourth generation of the family to operate the Resort. "We've built on the values that shaped this place — care, community, sustainability — while making space for new ideas to take root."
The Resort's environmental footprint is reduced through a combination of biomass heating systems, solar energy generation, comprehensive composting programs, sustainable purchasing initiatives, and a working farm that supplies much of the food served in its dining room. Every stay at Elmhirst’s helps support the resort’s ongoing environmental efforts, with a portion reinvested directly into sustainability initiatives.
"We've build on the values that shaped this place while making space for new ideas to take root." - Greg Elmhirst, 4th generation .
Across the property, more than 1,000 native trees have been planted to stabilize shoreline erosion and support local biodiversity. Livestock are kept away from water sources. Docks are designed to be non-invasive to help protect aquatic habitats. Forest management is also a key part of the resort’s sustainability efforts: fallen trees and brush are ground into mulch for use in the gardens or fed into the onsite biomass boiler, reducing the need to purchase lumber or cut down healthy trees. This practice not only recycles natural materials but also helps prevent forest fires and opens the canopy so that younger trees can thrive in the sunlight.
For the Elmhirst family, sustainability has never been a branding exercise. It is, quite simply, the way they run their business — a continuation of the relationship their family has had with this land for over a century.
“What’s carried us through all these years isn’t just the land — it’s the strength of our family." - Peter Elmhirst, 3rd generation.
While sustainability anchors life at Elmhirst’s, guests come to be immersed in nature and spend quality time with family or friends.
The resort's cottages, each with a full kitchen, fireplace, and private deck overlooking Rice Lake, provide the perfect home base to explore the area and enjoy the property. Some cottages include hot tubs, and all are designed to feel like a home away from home.
Beyond the cottages, visitors can spend mornings paddling the lake by kayak or canoe, explore trails that wind through forest and farmland, or take to the skies with a floatplane tour launching right from the resort’s own dock.
A heated indoor pool and hot tub, outdoor pool, fitness centre, and treatments in the tranquil on-site spa offer moments of quiet restoration. Families and friends can gather for waterfront activities, children’s programs, and seasonal farm experiences that invite guests to connect with the rhythms of rural life.
Whether guests come to fish at dawn, relax in an evening sauna, sip locally brewed beers at the Wild Blue Yonder Pub, or dine on beef raised just metres from their table, each experience is rooted in a sense of place.
Creating an environment that is welcoming to guests is something the Elmhirst family takes seriously.
“Growing up here, you learn that details matter and that the lessons from those before you are invaluable," says Henry Elmhirst, the fifth generation in his family to run the Resort. "The world is always changing, and hospitality is no different — but our focus remains clear: to create genuine experiences for our guests in fresh ways while staying true to who we are.”
Every visit to Elmhirst’s offers a window into what hospitality can look like when it is inseparable from stewardship. Guests may come for the comfort of the cottages or the simple joy of paddling through the dawn mist, but they leave with something deeper — an experience of a place where sustainability is not just a statement, but a daily practice.
Because here on Rice Lake, every choice, from the quiet planting of trees along the shoreline to the compost turned back into garden soil, carries forward. It is a reminder that caring for the land and lake is not a burden but a privilege, and that true sustainability is rooted in respect, season after season, generation after generation.
Elmhirst's Resort is a family-owned lakeside retreat, where authentic Canadian hospitality meets nature and adventure in the heart of the Kawarthas. It is located at 1045 Settlers Line, Keene, Ontario.
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