LOCATION AND HISTORY
Rondeau Bay Estates is a small subdivision on the North East shore of Rondeau Bay, a small, shallow bay on the North Shore of Lake Erie.
Rondeau Bay Estates was established in the mid 1960’s. Previously an area of woodlands, swamps and marshes. Rondeau Bay Estates was the dream and creation of a man named Jerry Shuster, a real estate developer from Leamington, Ontario. He designed the development and came up with the canal idea, apparently so that he could sell more properties as “waterfront”.
The first Plan of Subdivision (624) was registered in August 1965. There were 80 residential lots, all approximately ¼ acre each. The plan laid out 4 streets (Marine Park Drive, Meadowview Road, Lagonda Way, and Rondeau Drive) and 2 canals with entrances from Rondeau Bay. In June 1970 a further 10 lots were laid out on the north side of Meadowview Road (Plan of Subdivision 663). In April 1971 a further 14 lots were laid out on the area that residents refer to as ‘the island’ and Lagonda Crescent; (Plan of Subdivision 669).
When Rondeau Bay Estates was established it was intended strictly as a summer community. Over the years homes have been built and people live here year round. Today in 2016 almost 50% of the property owners have established permanent homes.
In 1966 the Rondeau Bay Estates Property Owners Association (RBEPOA) was established. The Association is responsible for the care and maintenance of the lands held in common; i.e. the park, the boat launch lot and most importantly the Canals. The developer turned over ownership of these properties to the Rondeau Bay Estates Property Owners Association in the mid 1970’s.
With only one way in or out of the subdivision Rondeau Bay Estates is a hidden gem on Rondeau Bay. First impressions are important; starting with our new sign and flag poles. Neatly mown lawns, our navigable canals and well-kept properties tell visitors that this is a great place to live.
ABOUT THE DEVELOPER
Mr. Jerry Shuster was a man of vision. According to his granddaughter, Tonya Harmon (see her blog at https://paulinescookbook.wordpress.com/2011/12/19/nothing-but-a-pulled-pork-sandwich-for-christmas/ ), Jerry was an entrepreneur, always scheming up get rich quick ideas. Some worked; most didn’t. Jerry was tall and handsome with a deep, commanding voice. A Canadian immigrant from Yugoslavia; (He and wife Pauline emigrated in 1938, ensuring a better future for their family and avoiding World War II), he spoke five languages, including English, Russian and his native Slovak, and was quite brilliant, if not completely dependable. He was a gifted engineer, often inventing machines and other gizmos; one year he invented a contraption that dried and seeded peppers to make paprika from (one of his successes), and another time he built commercial meat grinders from scratch. He sold several even though they never did quite work. Jerry was also an excellent salesman.
The first real estate he developed was the East Beach area of Point Pelee. He tried selling it to white families, but no one would buy them, so he hit upon selling it to black families and sold out in no time. So he next bought the property in Rondeau and developed that, and sold that out quickly to black families again. He then bought a third property further east (his son can't recall the name), with the intent to develop that and sell again to blacks. But the town council there fought him, and refused to allow him to sell the properties because he was selling to blacks.
If you go to Point Pelee, you will see a trail near the building with the store called Shuster Trail. It's named after him, as he owned the property the trail and building are on, and sold it to the Canadian government for the park.
He apparently made a fortune selling that waterfront real estate, one of his successful enterprises. He then took the money and started fracking, breaking stone a few hundred feet down to allow oil to seep into the old wells, and lost all his money. Around 1974 he left for Toronto to sell real estate. Shortly after he died, they found oil on the farm he first bought when he and Pauline emigrated from Yugoslavia. They still have an oil pump on the farm, and his granddaughter is sure he has been rolling over in his grave.
Rondeau Bay Estates is a small subdivision on the North East shore of Rondeau Bay, a small, shallow bay on the North Shore of Lake Erie.
Rondeau Bay Estates was established in the mid 1960’s. Previously an area of woodlands, swamps and marshes. Rondeau Bay Estates was the dream and creation of a man named Jerry Shuster, a real estate developer from Leamington, Ontario. He designed the development and came up with the canal idea, apparently so that he could sell more properties as “waterfront”.
The first Plan of Subdivision (624) was registered in August 1965. There were 80 residential lots, all approximately ¼ acre each. The plan laid out 4 streets (Marine Park Drive, Meadowview Road, Lagonda Way, and Rondeau Drive) and 2 canals with entrances from Rondeau Bay. In June 1970 a further 10 lots were laid out on the north side of Meadowview Road (Plan of Subdivision 663). In April 1971 a further 14 lots were laid out on the area that residents refer to as ‘the island’ and Lagonda Crescent; (Plan of Subdivision 669).
When Rondeau Bay Estates was established it was intended strictly as a summer community. Over the years homes have been built and people live here year round. Today in 2016 almost 50% of the property owners have established permanent homes.
In 1966 the Rondeau Bay Estates Property Owners Association (RBEPOA) was established. The Association is responsible for the care and maintenance of the lands held in common; i.e. the park, the boat launch lot and most importantly the Canals. The developer turned over ownership of these properties to the Rondeau Bay Estates Property Owners Association in the mid 1970’s.
With only one way in or out of the subdivision Rondeau Bay Estates is a hidden gem on Rondeau Bay. First impressions are important; starting with our new sign and flag poles. Neatly mown lawns, our navigable canals and well-kept properties tell visitors that this is a great place to live.
ABOUT THE DEVELOPER
Mr. Jerry Shuster was a man of vision. According to his granddaughter, Tonya Harmon (see her blog at https://paulinescookbook.wordpress.com/2011/12/19/nothing-but-a-pulled-pork-sandwich-for-christmas/ ), Jerry was an entrepreneur, always scheming up get rich quick ideas. Some worked; most didn’t. Jerry was tall and handsome with a deep, commanding voice. A Canadian immigrant from Yugoslavia; (He and wife Pauline emigrated in 1938, ensuring a better future for their family and avoiding World War II), he spoke five languages, including English, Russian and his native Slovak, and was quite brilliant, if not completely dependable. He was a gifted engineer, often inventing machines and other gizmos; one year he invented a contraption that dried and seeded peppers to make paprika from (one of his successes), and another time he built commercial meat grinders from scratch. He sold several even though they never did quite work. Jerry was also an excellent salesman.
The first real estate he developed was the East Beach area of Point Pelee. He tried selling it to white families, but no one would buy them, so he hit upon selling it to black families and sold out in no time. So he next bought the property in Rondeau and developed that, and sold that out quickly to black families again. He then bought a third property further east (his son can't recall the name), with the intent to develop that and sell again to blacks. But the town council there fought him, and refused to allow him to sell the properties because he was selling to blacks.
If you go to Point Pelee, you will see a trail near the building with the store called Shuster Trail. It's named after him, as he owned the property the trail and building are on, and sold it to the Canadian government for the park.
He apparently made a fortune selling that waterfront real estate, one of his successful enterprises. He then took the money and started fracking, breaking stone a few hundred feet down to allow oil to seep into the old wells, and lost all his money. Around 1974 he left for Toronto to sell real estate. Shortly after he died, they found oil on the farm he first bought when he and Pauline emigrated from Yugoslavia. They still have an oil pump on the farm, and his granddaughter is sure he has been rolling over in his grave.