When moteliers April Brown and Sarah Sklash bought their first property eight years ago in Prince Edward County, the place was a dingy roadside relic, complete with a fish-gutting station out back. The best friends and co-owners of The June Motel — a boutique brand centred on reimagining the roadside motel experience — quickly got to ‘Junifying’ it with a renovation that effectively turned water into wine (or in their case rosé). The transformation of what was once a popular spot for hunters and anglers included Instagram-worthy splashes of pink, palms and plants applied as part of the glow-up that has turned The June Prince Edward County into a coveted destination in the eastern Ontario wine region.
Eight years later, The June’s fish tale continues. “We kind of joke that it’s our feminine fishing lodge,” Brown said with a laugh, pointing out the irony of their just-opened latest property incorporating vintage fishing rods in the design after going to great lengths to shed that image some years ago. The latest, on-purpose fish-forward elements point to Brown and Sklash being adaptable with each unique project.
In this case, The June Beaver Valley has major country-cottage charm and calls for celebrating the outdoors. The June Beaver Valley also steers to a new lane, size-wise. After 16 rooms in PEC, then a 24-room retro-themed property in Sauble Beach complete with a pool, restaurant and even a mid-pandemic Netflix series called Motel Makeover, Beaver Valley.
