history of the ladies luncheon

The Ladies’ Pot Luck Luncheon began in 1992 when it was hosted by Christie Bentham at ‘Spree Island’. The women of the lake were invited to renew wonderful friendships, meet new people and of course to share in a great feast of food. This annual event gathers about 40-70 women of several generations from all over the lake who are asked to bring a main dish, salad or dessert. Although the luncheon is attended predominantly by women, an occasional man has joined in the fun. In 1997, Mike Dean brought a “delicious bread pudding” and in 1999, 2 men attended. The luncheon was hosted by Christie for the first 6 years, followed by Marg Gouinlock at ‘But-N-Ben’ for 2 years. Then, beginning in 2000, a new custom of a different woman hosting the gathering each summer was started. 

When the event began, it often had a theme and guests came in costume. In 1996, the theme was the Olympics and “guests were garbed as flag-bearers, equestrians, spectators, judges and athletes”. The following year the theme was Your Favourite Stony Lake Shoes. At that luncheon Connie Wahl was judged to have the funniest shoes for her decorated 6-quart baskets and Emily Corones and Marian Teamerson were judged to have “the oldest and most decrepit footwear”. 1995 was the ASLC’s centennial, so ladies were asked to “dress or look as old as possible”. The 2000 luncheon, hosted by Connie Wahl at ‘The Shanty’, had an Unusual Hat theme that saw Mary-Ann Paul in a unique vegetable hat, Mary Carmichael in a frog hat and Janet Collins in an amusing pill bottles hat.

The luncheon’s small fees of $3 if you came by canoe and $5 if arriving by motorboat are donated to the Association. It has traditionally been free to those who swim. It wasn’t until 2006 that the fees were raised to $5 and $10. These funds have been utilized in several ways. For four years in the 1990s they paid for shelving, a table, four benches and books for the fledgling Juniper Island Library. In 2002, the $250 raised at the luncheon purchased a rare copy of the 1907 “Stony Lake Year Book” for The Lake Museum’s collection. In 2008 a new picnic table was added to the porch at the Juniper Island Store, and the proceeds of the 2009 and 2010 luncheons used to purchase an ultraviolet water filter for the Juniper Island Store. The 2022 proceeds (after a two year Covid pandemic hiatus) were donated to the Kawartha Land Trust.

- written by Sue Dutton, Archivist of Juniper Island