Kenron Estates is one of the largest mobile home parks in Ontario where over 800 people enjoy the lifestyle offered by this unique community. Kenron residents enjoy a safe, peaceful and quiet environment only a private Estate can offer. It has always been a desirable place to live, raise a family or enjoy retirement. It is a place of comfort, security and one where all residents take pride in their homes and the Estate as a whole; that’s Kenron.
Kenron Estates was only an idea in the minds of Kenneth and Gertrude Maxfield when they purchased a small acreage of property in 1960 along Highway # 2 at Bayside, just east of CFB Trenton. From this location they started selling both mobile homes and travel trailers under the name, Maxfield Trailer Sales Co. Limited, and installed their first mobile home on the site in 1961. Because of the small footprint of the property and the need for septic systems for waste disposal the park remained quite small throughout the 1960’s.
In 1969 their son Ron left the military and came to work for the company to assist with expansion and development of the park. By 1971 they had expanded the Park to 23 sites and purchased additional farm property to the west for future development. This brought the total acreage to 259 and allowed for the installation of a gravity flow sewage collection system and lagoons for treatment. As a result of these new systems, and abandonment of the septic’s, the first major expansion occurred in 1971 when they increased facilities to 40 lots.
This was the stepping stone to the future development of what is now Kenron Estates. The name Kenron is a combination of the 1st names of Kenneth and Ronald Maxfield and it was the idea of Mrs. Gertrude Annette Maxfield. In 1972 an additional 52 serviced lots were constructed and these were occupied by the spring of 1973. In the same year the sale of travel trailers was discontinued so that total commitment could be made to the rapidly growing mobile home market as well as park development.
In 1975 Ken Maxfield and his wife retired, handing over the operation and presidency of the business to their son Ron. Ron and his wife Denise continued the family legacy of hard work and commitment and forged on with development and expansion of the community. By 1976 the number of serviced lots had increased to 199. It was at this time that the western half of the park was started with the intention of reaching a total of 455 serviced lots. Development concluded in 1982, with a final total of 450 occupied and serviced sites.
In 1991, Ron Maxfield decided to plan his retirement. Rather than sell the business to a developer, he offered the residents the opportunity to purchase the business. A firm of lawyers with experience in converting mobile home parks to “resident-owned” parks was retained for this purpose. Within six weeks of the initial meeting with the residents, more than enough incorporators had signed on, ensuring that resident-ownership would succeed.
The resident-owners elected a Board of Directors at the first annual meeting held in May of 1992. After that the directors met monthly to ensure a smooth transition from private ownership to resident ownership. The original lease and co-ownership agreement between the residents and the Maxfield’s included a provision that title to the Park would be turned over to the newly formed Kenron Residents Association when either 300 residents had joined the Association or ten years had passed. On December 1, 1995, Ron Maxfield signed over the deed to the entire property to the Association and a new chapter began for Kenron Estates.
Also in 1995, 911 emergency telephone services came to the local Quinte area and the newly elected Board of Directors were faced with the challenge of assigning names to all the streets within the community. They took a very strategic approach to the task and divided the park in two, assigning bird names to the western portion of the property and trees and shrubs to the eastern half. Where possible they also put the names in alphabetic order starting from the main entrance and working towards the back of the community. Boulevards run north & south and lanes & crescents run east & west. In tribute to the parks founders the Board assigned the names Kenneth Boulevard and Annette Boulevard to the streets located where the first mobile homes were installed. They also assigned the name Maxfield Boulevard to the main road dividing the east and west portions of the community, in recognition of the family’s multi-generational commitment to the community.
Kenron Estates also became one of the first Ontario properties to become resident-owned in 1991, making this unique community especially proud. The Estates cover 259 acres but the 450 homes are accommodated on the front 86 acres. The rest consist of open fields and heavy woods, providing quiet country walking and winter ski trails. It’s also a bird watcher’s paradise. Pride of ownership is one of the first things visitors notice. The paved roads wind around numerous green park areas and past the Kenron Recreation Hall.
The Recreation Hall is operated by the Kenron Recreation Association which is made up of a very active group of residents. These volunteers work hard and long to bring recreation, entertainment and good fellowship to all residents of the community. Some of the ongoing and planned events include euchre, darts and music in the park to name just a few.
The varied styles of homes, some with peaked roofs, some with additions, some with garages and carports, set Kenron apart from other mobile home parks. A large percentage of homes have been modified to a degree that there should be some word other than “mobile” to describe them!
Many residents have been here since the park opened, and there is a feeling of family. One of the good fortunes of Kenron is its location, halfway between Belleville and Trenton; in the country, yet within 15 minutes of two hospitals, and situated across the road from the rich fishing area of the Bay of Quinte. The park is also within 20 minutes from four 18-hole golf courses. Come visit our community in person and talk with our staff or sales department about becoming the newest resident of Kenron Estates.