Postcard Memories is a weekly series of historic postcard views and photos submitted by Marcel Rousseau.
Some were previously published by the Orillia Museum of Art and History and in the book Postcard Memories Orillia.
Big Chief Lodge was a luxury hotel located on Lake Couchiching three miles north of Orillia.
The buildings were constructed using earthy, natural materials with large windows facing the lake.
In the mid 1950s, owner Jay Cody built the Chieftain Motel on his property bordering Highway 11.
The interior photo shows one of the motel units where Jay continued the theme of using stone and pine native to the area.
Bringing the outdoors indoors, each unit featured an open fieldstone fireplace, solid pine beams with tongue-and-groove pine panelling on the walls and ceilings.
Adding a modern touch to the atmosphere are the retro 1950s butterfly chairs made out of canvas and black steel rods. The steel frame lamp and ashtray complete the stylish decor popular into the 1960s.
