THE LEGEND OF WHITE OTTER CASTLE

By Cliff Jacobson

My friend, Chic Sheridan and I discovered "White Otter Castle" by accident in 1984 while canoeing the Turtle River, near Ignace, Ontario. We'd been pinned for hours in a rocky cove of White Otter Lake by a fierce east wind which kicked up man sized rollers. We knew our tiny solo canoes were no match for the pounding sea, so we agreed to strike out after dark when the wind was down. So just after midnight, we paddled out into knee high waves and set course for a protected spot on the leeward shore of a peninsula where we would be safe from the morning wind.

Twenty minutes later we were across the mile expanse of open water and cruising down the moonlit shoreline when, in the distance, we saw what appeared to be a huge log tower. Whatever it was, it was worth investigating, if for no other reason than there was probably a flat place to camp nearby.

As the tower grew closer, it materialized into a full blown log mansion. The main building had three levels and was twice as long as my 14-1/2 foot canoe. The "lookout" tower was four stories high and had windows all around. A long porch sheltered the main building and cabin-sized attached room which we later learned was the kitchen. The entire dwelling was artfully assembled from giant red pine logs which must have weighed nearly a ton a piece. "I'd like to meet the Knight who lived in this castle," said Chic dryly.

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