ATIKOKAN, Ont. — An isolated but unique Northwestern Ontario attraction will get a facelift this summer.
The Friends of White Otter Castle are inviting bids from contractors interested in taking on the restoration of the historic structure, located about 50 kilometres north of Atikokan.
Eccentric hermit Jimmy McOuat singlehandedly constructed the three-storey log building, with a four-storey turret, in the middle of the wilderness before the First World War.
McOuat cut red pine logs on-site, dovetailed them, then lifted them into place with a block and tackle.
He hauled roofing and windows to the site from Ignace across 15 portages over a distance of more than 32 kilometres.
A few years after the building was finished, forest rangers found McOuat's body tangled in a fishing net on White Otter Lake. He was presumed to have drowned.
The non-profit Friends of White Otter Castle group was established in 1987 to ensure the castle doesn't fall into ruin.
Spokesperson Katie Hannon says "There's nothing like it anywhere. It's a unique story. For someone to build a castle in the middle of nowhere, and for it to still be standing over a hundred years later is quite remarkable."
Hannon added "When you see it for the first time, you're in awe of the building. There's nothing like it."
The upcoming restoration work will include replacing deteriorated logs, installing new windows, repairs to chinking, applying sealant to the exterior, new shingles, a new outhouse, and dock repairs.
The successful bidder will also install a fire sprinkler system supplied by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry.
The Friends of White Otter are requesting quotes, as well, for new interpretive signage and for the production of a promotional video.
Responses are due by 5 p.m. on April 2.
Funding for the work includes $185,000 from FedNor, the federal economic development agency, and $50,000 from the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation.
According to the Ministry of Energy, Northern Development and Mines, the project will create 20 seasonal jobs.
White Otter Castle is located within Turtle River-White Otter Lake Provincial Park, and is accessible by water in the summer and by snowmobile in the winter.
Hannon said the snowmobile clubs in Atikokan and Ignace use it as a way station on their trail systems.
She said it's difficult to determine how many people visit the castle because not everyone signs the guest book, but she estimates that it's "in the thousands" each year.
