To tell the history of Port Cunnington Lodge is to tell the story of two families. The history of the lodge begins with the founder Boyce Henry Cunnington and stretches back over 120 years. Established in 1890, Port Cunnington Lodge is one of the oldest Ontario resorts in Muskoka still operating under its original name.

Boyce Henry Cunnington, a young 14 year old orphaned boy, came to Canada in search of adventure. After spending several years working as a homeboy on a farm near Mayfield, Ontario, Boyce Henry moved north to an area being opened for settlement. Land grants were given to newcomers and Boyce Henry was keen to turn the soil and start a farm and family of his own.

Near the same time as Boyce Henry was establishing Port Cunnington Lodge, the Wadsworth family was beginning a long standing family tradition at nearby Deerhurst resort. Originally from Kentucky, the Wadsworth family would escape to Muskoka for their annual summer vacation together. Each year generations would gather on Peninsula Lake to enjoy everything Muskoka has to offer, a tradition that continues to this day. During the 1970s a big expansion changed the once quaint Deerhurst resort into a much larger venue than the Wadsworths were looking for in their annual gathering. It was around this time that Jack Wadsworth approached the extended family with a plan. They would buy a nearby resort to serve as home to their cherished family tradition. And so, in 1989 the Wadsworth family purchased Port Cunnington Lodge. Further development and additional land acquisitions turned Port Cunnington into the special place it is today. It is with the vision of Jack Wadsworth and the commitment of Boyce Henry’s descendents that Port Cunnington Lodge continues to thrive and welcome guests in the tradition that would make their forebears proud.