Yes it is true. Keith Richards spent a week in Bala not to long ago. Below is the account from a lady who cleans the cottage that Keith Richards was staying at in Bala. Judging by the story below Keith Richards might return to Bala, maybe he will make Muskoka a regular vacation spot!
This article was found in the Bracebridge examiner
by Matthew Sitler
She walked through the door and he said “Hi, I’m Keith.”
Torrance resident Christine Blundell couldn’t believe her eyes, as right there in a Bala cottage on Lake Muskoka, stood the man who wrote the song Satisfaction in his sleep: legendary Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards.
Blundell’s chance encounter with “Keef” happened the week of Aug. 24.
It was the first of four times she’d be in close proximity to Richards, who was vacationing at a friend’s property along with his wife Patti Hansen and later on, their daughter Alexandra Nicole Richards.
“Nice, nice people,” said Blundell, “I just couldn’t believe it — they couldn’t have been more down to earth — just like you and me.”
Blundell is friends with the cottage’s owners and when guests come to visit she sometimes helps out with things like meals and housekeeping.
According to Blundell, Richards and his family had initially planned to stay only for a couple of days, but their vacation turned into a longer one, “because they were enjoying themselves,” she said.
“I met him about three or four times,” said Blundell. “He was just enjoying himself and mellowing out. When I walked in one day he was playing the Everly Brothers on CD.”
Blundell was graciously provided an autographed picture by Richards, who apparently was very enamoured with Bala’s vibe.
“Both of them absolutely loved it,” said Blundell. “They loved everything, especially that it was so quiet and so serene. I said ‘so how are you liking it here?’ and he said ‘Oh, I just love it.’”
The rock ’n’ roll entourage included several family dogs, one of which was a Golden Lab.
Things remained low key throughout their stay and to Blundell’s knowledge, Richards and his family visited with their hosts quietly.
On Monday, Fran Curtis, a Stones’ publicist, was able to confirm that Richards was “in Canada at a friend’s lakeside house.”
“He just had a really good time with his wife and his daughter,” said Blundell.
One day during the family’s stay, Blundell fixed Richards and his family dinner.
“They had salad, lamb and potatoes,” she said.
As for extracurricular activities, not much is known.
Blundell believes Richards took a trip in a wooden boat out on the lake, but by all accounts, the Stones’ axe man kept things pretty low key.
Word is that Richards may one day return to the cottage, said Blundell, such was the impression that Bala left upon him.
