Chapter 4: The Fight for Financing

Financing The Lodge turned out to be harder than finding it. Most lenders wanted nothing to do with a remote, off‑grid property with aging infrastructure and no utilities. We approached major banks and credit unions everyone declined. A private lending group offered partial financing, but the terms were unreasonable, almost laughable.
It seemed properties like this were considered suitable only for the wealthy or well connected.
As a final attempt, I turned back to Northern Ontario where people understood remote living. A broker in North Bay listened to our story and connected us with a lender in Verner through the Caisse Populaire.
When I mentioned the property, the lender chuckled. “Oh, I know that place. Folks head up that way to camp, quad, snowmobile. It was a healing lodge for years, right on Manitou Lake, good trout fishing . That property has a lot of history.”
His familiarity with the area gave me hope. From the moment we arrived, we felt the land had purpose. Now someone else recognized it too.
He offered straightforward terms, nothing hidden, nothing inflated. After weeks of rejections, dealing with someone honest and straight forward, was a relief.
A few days later, we got the call,  we were approved.
Only after signing the final papers did I ask why every southern Ontario lender had rejected us. He laughed and said, “They probably figured you were heading up north to grow something you shouldn’t.”
We both laughed. With all the political changes happening in that industry at the time, misunderstandings were common. It was a light moment after weeks of uncertainty.
In the end, the reason didn’t matter. What mattered was that the dream was finally ours.