A charming new hotel has opened up in Ontario, and the building it resides in boasts a rich, deep history.
Originally serving as the area’s first post office, the property has been remodelled several times over the past century, with each transformation reflecting the changing needs of the community and its surrounding area.
The Liberty Inn is located in a historic building that dates all the way back to 1855, two years before Canada as we know it officially became the Dominion of Canada. The original building functioned as both a post office and a general store, serving as the heart of the hamlet of Cataract.
The historic stone building was constructed by Richard Church and his sons, who purchased 200 acres of land for £429. In addition to the building, they also established Caledon’s first brewery and two mills, which laid the foundation for the area’s early development.
In the late 1870s, a brick addition was built to accommodate increased travellers with the arrival of the Credit Valley Railway. Trains between Elora and Toronto brought passengers into The Glenn Dew Drop Inn.
Over the next few decades, the building served as a speakeasy during Prohibition, and several iterations of inns, including The Cataract Inn, The Forks of the Credit Inn, and now, The Liberty Inn.
Located beside the Forks of the Credit Provincial Park and at the starting point of the Elora Cataract Trailway, the inn is ideal for nature lovers, with its proximity to scenic hike routes, waterfalls, and cycling trails.
The property was acquired by husband and wife duo Bruno Roldan and Jacqui Liberty in 2022.
Roldan previously served as the VP of Growth at Shopify, while Liberty discovered her passion for pottery while pursuing her Master’s Degree in Public Health.
Her pottery studio, Soft Fire Ceramics, handcrafted over 10,000 tiles for the new inn, which are found throughout the property, from the bathrooms to the kitchenettes.
“The restoration process was a deeply personal project,” Roldan told blogTO. “One of the most unique discoveries during this journey was a 19th-century fish trough found on the property, which we restored and repurposed into a beautiful fountain — a subtle nod to the building’s storied past.”
The team worked with Tiffany Leigh Design to create a “modern historic inn,” with original limestone walls, exposed beams, and stained glass. The country inn features five suites, with steam showers or infrared saunas in select rooms, handcrafted tiles throughout, as well as a collection of vinyl records with record players.
All the suites also come with a free holistic skincare kit and a red and blue light therapy mask for use.
The inn also boasts a private woodland spa with a cedar hot tub, a Finnish sauna, and a cold plunge. Between sessions, you can relax in the outdoor seating area, which is surrounded by the ground’s serene gardens and the hills of Caledon.
The Liberty Inn is located at 1498 Cataract Rd. In Alton, Ont.
