It all started when my My grandparents, Mr. & Mrs. Binions, bought a little piece of paradise on Richards Island in Pointe au Baril, Ontario. They called it Binderic — short for Binions of Richards Island. Those summers among the rocks, wind-shaped pines, and endless water shaped me in ways I’ll always carry.

I grew up alongside my sisters, cousins, best friends, and my Gramma — a legendary card shark and pastry maker. Days were filled with dock jumping, paddling between islands, watersports of all kinds, campfires and roasted marshmallows, and nights under skies so clear the Milky Way spilled across them. And every summer meant blueberry hunting — early mornings filling buckets for pancakes and pies. Wild blueberries still taste like Georgian Bay to me.

Later, I had the incredible joy of raising my own kids with that same kind of summer magic during their most formative years. Though our family cottage was sold a few years ago, we still find our way back each summer, renting just a few islands over.