65 Summers of Memories Made in Cobourg.

What if a broken-down car, seven kids and a desperate search for a place to stay became the beginning of a 65-year family tradition?

That's exactly what happened in Cobourg in 1961.

What started as an unexpected stop at Breakers on the Lake has grown into an annual summer gathering of roughly 40 family members, generations of memories, theme dinners, beach walks, thrift-store treasures and a love for Cobourg that keeps bringing them back from Grosse Pointe Woods, Michigan — and even Florida.

After 65 summers, they've got some incredible stories to tell.

And I couldn't wait to hear them.

There are family vacations… and then there are traditions that become part of who you are.

For one very special family from Grosse Pointe Woods, Michigan, Cobourg has been their summer home away from home for 65 years.

It all started in 1961, when their dad was travelling through Cobourg with his seven children and the family car broke down. With seven kids in tow, he needed somewhere to stay — preferably somewhere with a pool.

Someone suggested a place called Breakers on the Lake.

There was just one small problem.

There wasn't a pool.

But it was right on Lake Ontario.

And that turned out to be even better.

What began as an unexpected stop has grown into a remarkable family tradition that has now brought generations back to Cobourg for 65 summers.

Today, the family numbers about 40 people, including 15 kids. They arrive from Grosse Pointe Woods, Michigan — with the exception of their oldest sister, who now lives in Florida — and spend two to three weeks at Breakers. Mom stays the full three weeks, while other family members come and go throughout the summer, staying anywhere from a week to two weeks.

And if you're wondering how you keep 40 people organized, fed and happy for that long…

They've figured it out.

Each night, the family works together on a theme dinner, with different members pitching in to make sure everyone can sit down and eat together. It's one of the things that struck me most while hearing their story — this isn't simply a group of relatives who happen to vacation at the same place.

They genuinely love being together.

Most of them still live in Grosse Pointe Woods, with many living on the same street or within about 10 minutes of one another. Their closeness is obvious, and watching them together is pretty special.

And then there's Breakers.

After 65 summers, the family doesn't just consider it a place to stay. The people at Breakers have become part of their extended family, too. There's a familiarity and affection there that you can feel immediately.

They have their favourite Cobourg traditions, too.

They love wandering through our thrift stores, especially looking for toys for the kids. And in true family fashion, those toys don't necessarily make the trip back to Michigan. They donate them back when they leave, ready for another child to enjoy.

They've discovered plenty of other Cobourg favourites over the years — Leclerc's Butcher Shop, Buttermilk Café, Burnham Family Farm Market, our grocery stores and, apparently, some of the amazing Canadian products you can't get quite the same way back home.

Canadian ketchup included.

They love the Cobourg beach and recommend walking it both ways. They appreciate how clean and beautiful Lake Ontario is, enjoy spending time around the marina and, while they venture farther afield to places like Kingston and Toronto, Cobourg is always home base.

And perhaps that's the best way to describe what Cobourg has become for them.

Home base.

There are also the little family stories that have become treasured memories.

One of my favourites is a photograph from their parents' 20th anniversary trip to Breakers. In the picture, their Dad is standing with his pipe — right in front of the new non-smoking sign.

Their dad has since passed away, but the photograph still makes the family laugh.

And that's what I loved most about spending time with this family.

There was so much laughter.

So much love.

And a few moments that honestly gave me shivers — and even brought a tear to my eye.

As I interviewed them for the accompanying video, I found myself thinking about how lucky Cobourg is to have families like this return year after year. They have watched our community change, made memories here, raised generations of children here and continued a tradition that started with a broken-down car and a dad simply looking for somewhere to stay.

Sixty-five years later, they're still coming.

And now, I think they've become part of our Cobourg family, too.

I hope I get to see them again next summer.

And the summer after that.

Because while they have a tradition of coming back to Cobourg every year, I think I've decided I have a new tradition of my own:

Looking forward to seeing this wonderful family come home.

One place. One tradition. 65 summers of memories made in Cobourg.

Explore and make Cobourg your tradition by visiting our page and Plan Your Stay!