In Captain Tom's Footsteps
Generations of families have enjoyed the Bayview Wildwood Resort on the shores of Sparrow Lake. And to think it all started 140 years ago with a shipping delay.
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For more than a century, guests have come to Bayview Wildwood Resort to unwind along the tranquil shores of Sparrow Lake. But the remarkable story of this beloved, multi-generational resort didn't begin with a business plans or grand visions. It began with a steamboat captain named Tom Stanton, who simply fell in love with the lake.
“It’s a pretty interesting series of events that landed us here,” says Jason Stanton, the resort's General Manager.
His great-great-grandfather, Tom Stanton — or Captain Tom as he is affectionately known by his descendants — emigrated from England in 1862 with his parents and the family settled in Orillia, Ontario. Tom became a steamboat captain, shipping lumber between Orillia and Washago.
"One time during a shipment, there was some sort of delay in Washago and he had a few days he had to wait before returning home," Jason says. "From what I've heard, he took a trip up what is now known as the Trent-Severn Waterway into Sparrow Lake and just absolutely fell in love with the lake and the area."
Captain Tom moved his wife Ellen and their young family to Sparrow Lake’s western shore. Living in a simple log cabin, Tom carved out a life farming and transporting lumber and supplies by steamboat to Severn Bridge, keeping his family and fellow pioneers connected to the outside world.
In the 1880s, the Stantons moved to the south shore of the lake so their children could attend the new local school, a move that placed them on the site of what would become the Stanton House Resort. Tom’s steamboat trips continued, but his ambitions grew.
Realizing people were coming to Sparrow Lake to fish and hunt, Tom started renting out part of the house to tourists, thus starting the Stanton family on a path of hospitality. He also became active in municipal government, eventually becoming Reeve of the township.
When the Canadian Northern Ontario Railway construction began in the region, Tom donated some of his own land to reroute the tracks closer to the lake. That single decision changed the fate of Sparrow Lake forever.
When the railway arrived in 1906, it reached the community and a Sparrow Lake Station was established. It made the area even more accessible to visitors and secured the region as a tourist hub.
The Stantons were present in many areas of the tourism industry. In 1905, Tom and his sons, Frank and Albert, built the 70-foot Lakefield steamer out of timber from their own sawmill. Capable of carrying 200 passengers, the Lakefield became the flagship of the family’s Sparrow Lake Steamer Line, ferrying cottagers and tourists to resorts that were quickly popping up around the lake.
Meanwhile, Ellen Stanton was taking in summer boarders. Frank and Albert established the Stanton Bros. Store, strategically located between the train station and the nearby wharf from which the steamers departed. Frank also served as Port Stanton’s first Postmaster.
Albert built the Lakeshore House just west of the store, and the family’s reach continued to grow, with multiple lodges and resorts opening under the Stanton name. Roads remained primitive until the 1920s, so the steamers carried eager guests to their lakeside destinations.
Bayview Wildwood Resort was born out of this legacy. Jason’s grandfather later amalgamated two beloved lodges, Bayview and Wildwood, into a single destination that honoured both names.
Today, Bayview Wildwood Resort continues to embrace that rich history while offering guests a modern retreat from the everyday. Families gather to fish, swim, kayak, or simply relax by the shore, just as guests did more than a century ago.
Winter brings snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, and cozy fireside evenings. The resort’s spacious accommodations, warm hospitality, and activities for all ages keep the spirit of Sparrow Lake alive.
What would Captain Tom think if he could see it now?
“I think he would be amazed,” Jason reflects. “Because I don’t know if he had that much foresight to really think this would carry on for generations.”
He laughs. “And I think he’d be scared, because I don’t know how much of a social person he was!”
Yet that social buzz of guests gathering to celebrate summer, of families returning generation after generation, keeps Bayview Wildwood humming with life. It’s more than a resort; it’s a living testament to a family’s vision and a lake that captured one captain’s heart.
Want to create your own family legacy holiday at Bayview Wildwood Resort? Read more about it in our story A Family Legacy Vacation.
Bayview Wildwood Resort is located at 1500 Port Stanton Parkway, Severn Bridge, ON. It operates year round with a variety of accommodation options including resort rooms, suites and cottage rentals.
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