You can't see our place...its behind those trees, is our usual to guests as we approach the beach by boat. The site of the house behind the trees came into existence when the Buccaneer Bay Holding Company decided to demolish the Panton House to create three lots in 1964. Site #15 was exchanged for the site of Frank and Edith Cornwall's house.

They were the brother and sister of Samuel and Adelaide Cornwall, parents of William Cornwall. Two Leek sisters had married two Cornwall brothers and along with another sister Gertrude Holland and her husband Bert (Marilyn McClaren's grandparents) first went to Buccaneer Bay in 1895. The house was between William Cornwall and the McClaren  house.

 

The first structure on the new site was built on Thanksgiving weekend in 1967. It was decided to locate the small cabin behind some small trees on the lot. As children came along the interior was furnished to accommodate all of us - one family at a time. In that small space we became completely self-sufficient: a double bed, a set of bunk  beds, fairy queen fireplace, a table, two chairs, fridge, sink, two - burner propane stove, wardrobe, and a chest of drawers! Everything else went under the beds. When we had guests tents were required and we entertained in our outdoor living room under the trees. Eventually we decided that we simply needed more room so the four of us: Brian and Lesley Cornwall and Peter and Susan Bernard; discussed, poured over plans, and ended up choosing a design based on a Danish beach house by Architect lb Hansen. The cabin, with some modification from the original, was built in 1976. After having lived behind the trees and because the house seemed very high with the loft, we unanimously decid­ed to locate the new cabin in the position of the little house.

 

Tag and Jim Nygard removed a couple of trees to make room and dragged the little house back on the lot to its present place. The bulldozer was used to excavate for the footings which saved alot of labor. However, Brian and Peter still had to move hun­dreds of yards of sand displaced to get the bulldozer out of the hole. Materials were ordered, footings poured, and Christie and Mike Bernard got out of school at the end of May. The lumber and many willing hands arrived after a rough voyage from Vancouver aboard the 109 ft. vessel Connoisseur, owned and operated by Grant Adlington. All the lumber was hauled  by hand over the dock in Water Bay and by jeep to the site.

  

Peter and Brian worked along with the carpenter and under the supervision of Joe Dunn and Bill Cornwall. Christie and Mike were given the responsibility of nailing the floor and to this day the squeak is always where the other was nailing. Susan cooked and did dishes. Walls were lofted on the floor and then raised.  Beams were hoisted up and rafters nailed. Windows that were to be custom made and skylight openings were cov­ered in plastic and the basic structure went up in 14 days including the shake roof! The cabin seemed extravagantly spacious and even though not completed, we moved in. We still consider it a work in progress, sometimes more work than progress. Brian, Lesley, Mark, Michelle and Kirsten Cornwall along with Peter, Susan, Christie, and Mike Bernard with at least two dogs and two cats at any given time, shared for 20 years. The cabin holds many memories of hot chocolate, doughnuts, popcorn, listening to the tapes of old radio shows, and at least 5 children around the fire. On long weekends the place was full with both families enjoying Buccaneer. Sometimes there were as many as 25 people of various ages on a Sports Day weekend.  As we  alternated summer months each year, visiting boating friends were sometimes confused to find a different part of the family in residence. We may have also confused the residents of Buccaneer. The Cornwalls have now built their own place and the Bernards, with Christie and Pat Duggan's daughter Sarah have added a third generation to the house  behind the trees.