Back to its former glory, historic Manitoba hotel fully restored

A historic hotel in the Clear Lake area has been restored to its former glory.

The Stowaway Inn first opened its doors in Wasagaming, Man. in 1932. Operated by the Donner family at first, the hotel expanded in 1936, adding a second building to the complex. Another extension was added in 1942 as the resort grew in popularity.

Gillian Sullivan has always wanted to run the inn, going back to her childhood. "I'd always had an eye on this hotel," she said. "I'm from the area, I grew up coming here every summer."

The renovation specialist knew the inn's previous owner and decided to make an offer, finally buying the Stowaway Inn in the fall of 2021. Sullivan said the timing was perfect.

"He had been thinking of selling, and I know he'd been approached by many people but he knew I wasn’t going to tear it down. He knew my background, and I think he felt comfortable selling it to me," said Sullivan.

Sullivan has worked in the construction industry for more than 20 years. She knew her expertise in renovating old buildings would help her restore the hotel.

"I wasn’t scared by the project, a lot of people told me I was crazy, but I knew what I was getting into," said Sullivan.

She said the inn was in bad shape. A lot of the wood was rotted, there were holes in the roof, and local squirrels and raccoons had been checked in for a while.

Sullivan and her team began demolition in January 2022, nearly gutting the hotel completely.

"We pretty much stripped it down to the studs on the inside and tried to keep as much of the exterior as we could," she said.

Sullivan worked to keep as much of the original building as possible, but a lot of material has been replaced.

"New windows, new insulation, new electrical, all new plumbing, new roof," Sullivan said. "New siding where we had to cut the walls open. New everything!"

The inn has become a historic landmark in the area. Sullivan said local residents are thrilled that it's open again, even coming to help out during the final push to get everything ready for opening day on July long weekend.

"People I didn’t even know came and helped, they were planting flowers, they were putting furniture together, they were doing whatever they could…it was amazing," Sullivan said.

"Everybody is so thrilled to see this historical building brought back to life," she added. "The courtyard's always full of people having a campfire, playing ping pong, hanging out, it's got a real community feel."

Sullivan is still looking for a tenant to run a restaurant at the hotel. The commercial space has been updated to modern, wheelchair-accessible standards with a 400-square foot patio.

"Somebody who's passionate about food, and wants to do great things," she said.

Business at the inn has been good so far, though Sullivan said she does still have some open dates this season.

She said the whole experience has been a dream come true.

"Clear Lake has a really special place in my heart, so I feel very lucky to now have a business in Clear Lake."