your private lakefront cabin

A Cabin with a Story to Tell

 

If you’re looking for an interesting place to stay on Shawnigan Lake, the Bluebird offers something increasingly hard to find: a genuine lakefront cabin with a history, a story and generations of memories within its walls.

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The story begins with Chuck and Iris deMacedo, who built a legacy of family life on their beloved Shawnigan Lake property. For decades, friends and family came here to gather, spend their summers by the water and create the kind of memories that become part of a place.

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The first cabin was built with ingenuity and whatever materials were available. Reclaimed wood was used throughout the structure, with true rough-cut 2 x 4 timbers forming the walls and trusses and edge-grain fir planks used for the floors. Asphalt shingles became exterior cladding, while even the cardboard packaging was repurposed to help insulate the cabin walls.

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Over the decades, the cabin grew and changed along with the family. Rooms moved, walls disappeared and the original summer cabin gradually evolved to meet the needs of each new generation.

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In the 1990s, the legacy property was left to Chuck and Iris’s son-in-law, Henry. He became known for greeting people with the question, “Is it a Bluebird day?” before quickly adding, “It’s always a Bluebird day at Shawnigan.”

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In 2022, the cabin was renamed the Bluebird in honour of Henry and the spirit he brought to life at Shawnigan Lake.

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Old Stories, Thoughtfully Restored

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The place where the family once gathered outside the Bluebird is now a covered lakefront deck. A chandelier discovered on the property was carefully restored and now hangs above the outdoor dining area, illuminating long dinners and conversations beside the lake.

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Inside, a mirror above the kitchen sink contains original glass dating to the early 1900s. Positioned as a looking glass toward the water, it offers a reflected view of Shawnigan Lake and remains one of our favourite details in the cabin.

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The original floorboards tell another part of the story. Look closely and you can still see traces of where walls and doorways once stood, revealing the cabin’s earlier life as a simple two-room structure with a screened-in porch.

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While much of the Bluebird’s history remains visible, the cabin has been carefully updated with the modern conveniences needed for a comfortable stay.

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Not everything survived. The original outhouse, located across the road, remained in use until the early 2000s. By 2022, it had deteriorated beyond repair and was removed—bringing one particularly rustic chapter of cabin life to an end.

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The Boathouse

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In 1945, the original boathouse was moved from the water onto the land. Built from reclaimed materials, it soon became overflow accommodation when the main cabin was full of family and friends.

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In 2022, the Boathouse was carefully restored. Its original shiplap interior was retained, while the ceiling was vaulted. French doors and a Juliet balcony were added, creating an intimate space overlooking the lake.

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Today, guests can lie in bed listening to the movement of the water and watching life unfold on Shawnigan Lake.

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Experience Shawnigan Lake Like the Good Old Days

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Whatever the season or weather, the view across the lake never seems to grow old. The Bluebird sits close to the water’s edge, creating an intimate connection with Shawnigan Lake that is difficult to describe until you experience it.

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There is something about this place that encourages you to slow down. To read. To write. To talk. To watch the water. Or to do nothing at all.

At Vintage Cabins, our hope is to give guests the opportunity to experience Shawnigan Lake as it might have felt in the good old days—when life moved more slowly and there was time to simply be still.

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The cabins have been furnished with carefully sourced vintage pieces dating from 1912 through the 1960s. Each object was chosen to add another layer to the story and awaken a little curiosity.

 

You may find yourself wondering:

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Who owned this before? Where did it come from? What was life like then?

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And there is one more unexpected part of staying here: if you experience something in the cabin and fall in love with it, you may be able to take it home.

 

Everything inside the cabins is available for purchase.

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Come stay awhile. Discover the stories within the walls, experience life at the water’s edge and enjoy one of Shawnigan Lake’s most unique places to stay.