The Hosts
Proprietors John and Lynn Gilbank have taken an unusual and winding road to arrive at Jackson’s Landing. When they met in the Mexican mountain town of Cuernavaca in 1980, John was a Canadian Foreign Service Officer en route from one assignment in San Francisco to another in Caracas, Venezuela and Lynn was a globe trotting Canadian nurse, fed up with men and determined to live the life of Auntie Mame. Things change. After moves to Toronto, Wichita and Edmonton they settled in Calgary where John got busy in the oil industry, Lynn became an aerobics instructor and they both became dedicated hockey parents to their sons Ben and Rich.
Eighteen years later John was growing tired of the executive fast track and wondering what would be fun to do next when control of his company was taken by a large multinational firm and they were suddenly free to do whatever they wanted.
After leafing through their World Atlas and exploring many possible career locations (some involving palm trees) they chose to acquire and restore this aging but gracious summer home because it had the advantages of Canadian lakeside living and the excitement of the city nearby. “When I started doing historical research on the Point I was puzzled by why John Mills Jackson, with so many options available, had chosen to live here” says John. “Then it dawned on me that we had done the same thing.” It has been a lot of work fixing up the house they admit but very satisfying too and the community “has welcomed us like old friends” says John who is now Chairman of the Village Association. Lynn has set up a fabulous studio loft on the third floor for her acclaimed fabric artwork and their sons are nearby, thriving on the city life in Toronto.
Jackson’s Landing has been restored to reflect the casual elegance of a summer home of the wealthy and powerful elites of the 1920’s but also reflects the history of John and Lynn. On the walls are displayed snowshoes made by natives in the Canadian north, artwork from Africa, Asia and Latin America, arrows and spears from the Amazon and, of course, a hockey jersey from Calgary.
Reservations: Call 1-905-722-7752 or email info@jacksonslandingbb.com