Let It Snow
Story Rick Shurman | Photography Sandy MacKay
Ron and Jenn Warren have been part of the Collingwood ski community since the 1980s. They have enjoyed a number of homes in the area along the way. “We love it here,” offers Ron. “It is kind of the Whistler of the east, in some respects. Beyond the skiing, we have the water, the countryside, the restaurants and all the cultural benefits that have been developing over the last while. There’s been lots of changes and a real shift to younger people and a better lifestyle.”
The Warrens settled into their current location in Nottawa just over two years ago. “When we first saw the property, all I could think of was the space and the openness,” says Jenn. “It was exactly what we wanted in our life. We had lived in homes prior that were confining and we knew that this property and the potential that the house offered would deliver the joy we were looking for.” “It is close to town, which is convenient for obvious reasons, but far enough away, so we enjoy our privacy,” adds Ron.
Ron and Jenn value their freedom and the secret to finding that sense of freedom came early. “Doing what you love to do and getting the most out of life is what it is all about,” says Ron. Together, Ron and Jenn have remained faithful to their love of the great outdoors and to the world of alpine ski racing for over 35 years and counting.
Jenn grew up in Montreal and enjoyed the best that skiing in Eastern Canada had to offer. She has coached local racing teams, provincial organizations and is currently head coach of the women’s Southern Ontario District team (SOD). Jenn was named the Alpine Canada Alpin coach of the year in 2018. “It is all about the kids, she says. “How hard they work, how focused they are and how much joy they get out of being an athlete.” After 30 odd years in the ski industry, Jenn’s passion and energy remains on the slopes.
Ron hails from Sudbury and began coaching in Northern Ontario in the mid 80s. He was a coach with provincial and national ski teams over many years, including our national women’s downhill organization and currently represents major ski equipment brands across the country. Ron continues to maintain a presence and a dedicated support system for our local, provincial and nationwide ski racing programs.
It is no coincidence that the property they chose goes hand-in- hand with the nature of their occupations and the open, easy going quality of life they actively pursue. That mindset continued as they planned a renovation to the mid-60s, split level home that rested on the property at purchase.
“It was not a great house, but Jenn saw the potential,” suggests Ron. “Our good friends and wonderful contractors, Blake and Marina Farrow of Blake Farrow Project Management Inc. and Farrow Arcaro Design (FAD), basically shepherded the project for us from beginning to end,” offers Jenn. “They know their business so well and they are so creative. They understood exactly what I wanted and let me go forward, with their steady hand as support. Ron also trusted my taste and point of view about the project.”
The work included a complete overhaul, including a new steel roof sourced from Thornbury Home Hardware and new Laflamme windows from Collingwood Home Hardware.
Post reno, the home is open, bright and airy, painted Benjamin Moore’s Cloud White throughout. The rooms are spacious and include a welcoming oversize mudroom – Jenn’s most treasured room – a warm sitting area around a fireplace in the den and a generous social space in the great room. Comfy bar stools promote conversation along the long, Caesarstone Blizzard-topped island in the open kitchen by Heritage Cabinetry. A stunning raw-steel facing on the living room fireplace accents the room, along with rugged steel railings and banisters up the staircases. Hickory hardwood floors from Georgian Design Centre anchor the space. New Laflamme windows from Collingwood Home Hardware bring in the light.
Jenn and Ron have created an interior space that reflects their lifestyle – easy going and relaxed. “It is my favourite house to date,” offers Jenn. “We each have our own spaces and everything works really well.” With a few nods here and there to their life in the alpine ski world, in the form of some antique skis or boots, racing bibs, memorabilia, or just lovely family photos, the home flows seamlessly from the mudroom as you enter, on through the living space and up to the bedrooms on the second level. It is comfortable and cosy and just as easy going as the Warrens themselves. As they both suggested, it is about loving what you do and it would seem, loving where you live is not far behind.
