By Thomas Smith

As a teen in the 1960s, Jim Ecclestone was a frequent visitor to the Rockcliffe Tavern, visiting by snowmobile during the winter for drinks. In the summers, Ecclestone’s family would stay at their family cottage on Gull Lake, a family tradition that began when his grandparents purchased the cottage in 1936.

In 1985, Ecclestone started Calstone in Toronto, an OEM manufacturing business. The family’s business has seen great success and now has over 170 employees.

“It is my favourite place on Earth,” said Ecclestone. “On Gull Lake.”

In the past, the Rockcliffe Tavern was the go-to place to eat, drink, and play pool. It was the perfect hub for young people looking for something to do, says Ecclestone.

Now, Ecclestone’s three children, twins Laura and Jamie, and son Matthew are the owners of the Rockcliffe in Minden. The family purchased the property from Mark and Lise Dracup, Dan Gosselin and Kirsty Goodearle last year.

“It was a no-brainer for them,” said Ecclestone. “They said, we’ve got to own the Rockcliffe.”

Enlisting the help of contractor Shane Gallagher, Ecclestone quickly learned the state of the Rockcliffe. The first day he entered, he found a half-full glass of beer left on the counter, as if someone had left in a hurry.

“It was disgusting,” said Ecclestone. “It was terrible.”

After gutting the walls and accessing the condition, Ecclestone learned that one section of the building needs to come down, describing it as “rotten”. After investigating the roof and foundation, Gallagher told Ecclestone that it is possible to save the main section of the Rockcliffe.

“It’s a historical building,” said Ecclestone. “It’s a Minden landmark, it’s what made the little town of Minden, Minden.”

Ecclestone remains hopeful that the Rockcliffe will be open to the public in the future, though he wants to be clear that they are in the early stages of rehabilitation.

By July of this year, Ecclestone hopes that they will have installed a new subfloor, fixed up the foundation, and stripped things to the bare bones. Ecclestone is eyeing the Aug.1 weekend to have a garage sale/flea market event in the Rockcliffe to raise money for the Minden Community Food Centre. After 15 years of involvement with a food bank in Don Mills, Ecclestone has become closely involved with the Minden Community Food Centre.

“At our age, if you can, you give back,” said Ecclestone. “You have a great group of volunteers that want to do more for the town.”

“His commitment to the food bank has been nothing short of inspiring,” said Jean Munroe, manager of the Minden Community Food Centre. “As a new and welcomed board member, Jim brings valuable insights and dedication to addressing the needs of the food bank and increasing awareness of its mission within the community. His efforts demonstrate a deep understanding of the challenges faced by those in need, and his proactive involvement is paving the way for meaningful change. We are truly fortunate to have someone of his caliber championing this cause and look forward to the innovative ideas and energy he will bring to our shared mission.”

Ecclestone shared that he hopes that the Rockcliffe will be able to be rented out by local volunteering clubs.

For now, Rockcliffe’s future looks promising.

Ecclestone says that he hopes that the owners of the Beaver Theatre will see the work he is doing on the Rockcliffe and tear the building down.

“I am trying to make an impression with the Rockcliffe,” said Ecclestone. “Some buildings could use some touch-ups.”