Be their guest

By Tamar Satov

Vacations are a tough business. Just ask CAs Todd and Julie Boyd, who are coming off a busy first summer as proprietors of Little Hawk Resort & Marina, north of Minden, Ont.  “You’d think running a resort would be a simpler life,” says Julie, 33, a former business and hospitality teacher and course manager at BDO Dunwoody. “But we’re working harder than we did at our desk jobs.”

That’s not surprising, considering she and her husband, Todd, 35, a former forensic accountant and controller in the tourism industry, do almost everything at the five-acre resort themselves. They maintain the eight cottages, five suites and outdoor hot tub; operate the marina and general store; cook and serve at the resort’s Wharf Tavern restaurant; handle inquiries and bookings; update the website (www.littlehawk.ca), and even put on their own firework shows.

Hard work notwithstanding, it’s a dream come true for the couple, who had lived in Bermuda for seven years and was looking for a Canadian alternative to the island’s outdoor lifestyle. But making it happen hasn’t been without obstacles. Last October, just one month after taking ownership of the resort, the main lodge burned down. The Boyds lost all their belongings and six pet cats they brought from Ber-muda. Still, they weren’t deterred. “Some dreams prove fire retardant,” says Todd.

Relying on their CA skills, they were able to bridge financing on the $1-million renovation until the insurance money came in. In addition to building the new 6,400-sq.-ft. lodge and restaurant, the cottages were outfitted with new furniture, kitchen wares and barbecues, and decorated in a bright Bermuda style. “I don’t know if someone without our type of background could do it,” Todd says. “Our last 12 months would make a great UFE case.”
 
Now, with a booked summer behind them and an established local clientele at the pub, the Boyds are marketing the resort as a spot for corporate retreats and to winter cottagers for snowmobile season. And, if there was any risk of them sitting idle, they also offer their CA skills through Little Hawk Consulting Group.