Lake of Bays, Ontario
Encyclopedia
Lake of Bays is a township
within the District Municipality of Muskoka
, Ontario
, Canada
. It is named after the Lake of Bays
.
Located in the northeast corner of Muskoka, the Lake of Bays offers a natural landscape
of forests, rocks, lakes and wetlands. Because of its natural beauty, it is an important cottaging, recreation and tourism destination in Ontario
. Currently, the economy of the township is primarily based on tourism
, recreation
, and the service sector with forestry
and aggregate (composite)
extraction contributing as well.
The township has a permanent population of 3,570 and a seasonal population of almost 18,000, and encompasses approximately 660 square kilometres (163,089.4 acre) of land. The township is situated 193 kilometres (119.9 mi) north of Toronto
.
Lake of Bays is situated in Ontario's cottage country
and has long been a vacation destination for the inhabitants of Toronto and the surrounding areas. In the early 20th century Bigwin Inn, a resort that once operated on Bigwin Island
, was a sought after destination point by many individuals and groups.
The township was once home to the smallest commercial railway line in the world called the Portage Railway
. Between 1904 and 1958 it ferried passengers between North Portage on Peninsula Lake to South Portage on Lake of Bays, a distance of 2 km. The train, named the Portage Flyer, was discontinued in 1958 and was relocated to an amusement park near St. Thomas, Ontario
until 1984. Much of the original components have since been repatriated and continue to operate on the grounds of Muskoka Heritage Place near Huntsville.
, Dwight, Fox Point, Glenmount, Grandview, Grassmere, Grove Park, Hillside, Limberlost Lodge, Lumina, Maple Ridge, Millar Hill (ghost town), Nith Grove, North Portage, Norway Point, Port Cunnington, Sea Breeze, South Portage and Wahawin.
A small community developed on the subdivided landholdings of a sawmill built by William Brown in the 1870s. The economic development of Baysville was enabled by good road and steamboat connections. Baysville developed into a popular region for vacationers and sportsmen.
Traveltalk Ontario: Land of Lakes includes a segment on Bigwin Inn.
In 1963 the former Dorset Fire Tower was shown in the opening credits of the old CBC
tv show The Forest Rangers
.
The lake scenes from the Canadian film starring Gordon Pinsent
called Away From Her
were also shot in the township on the south shore of Lake of Bays across from Price's Point.
The Dorset Fire Tower can be seen in the 1999 Canadian documentary
, Over Canada: An Aerial Adventure.b
2009, Vacation with Derek
Township (Canada)
The term township generally means the district or area associated with a town. However in some systems no town needs to be involved. The specific use of the term to describe political subdivisions has varied by country, usually to describe a local rural or semi-rural government within the county...
within the District Municipality of Muskoka
Muskoka District Municipality, Ontario
The District Municipality of Muskoka, more generally referred to as the District of Muskoka, or simply Muskoka, is a Regional Municipality located in Central Ontario, Canada. Muskoka extends from Georgian Bay in the west, to the northern tip of Lake Couchiching in the south, to the western border...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It is named after the Lake of Bays
Lake of Bays (Ontario)
Lake of Bays is a large lake in Ontario, Canada. It is located in the Township of Lake of Bays, Ontario, which is named after the lake, in the Muskoka District Municipality of central Ontario. Highway 35 runs north and east of the lake....
.
Located in the northeast corner of Muskoka, the Lake of Bays offers a natural landscape
Natural landscape
A natural landscape is a landscape that is unaffected by human activity. A natural landscape is intact when all living and nonliving elements are free to move and change. The nonliving elements distinguish a natural landscape from a wilderness. A wilderness includes areas within which natural...
of forests, rocks, lakes and wetlands. Because of its natural beauty, it is an important cottaging, recreation and tourism destination in Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
. Currently, the economy of the township is primarily based on tourism
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
, recreation
Recreation
Recreation is an activity of leisure, leisure being discretionary time. The "need to do something for recreation" is an essential element of human biology and psychology. Recreational activities are often done for enjoyment, amusement, or pleasure and are considered to be "fun"...
, and the service sector with forestry
Forestry
Forestry is the interdisciplinary profession embracing the science, art, and craft of creating, managing, using, and conserving forests and associated resources in a sustainable manner to meet desired goals, needs, and values for human benefit. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands...
and aggregate (composite)
Aggregate (composite)
Aggregate is the component of a composite material that resists compressive stress and provides bulk to the composite material. For efficient filling, aggregate should be much smaller than the finished item, but have a wide variety of sizes...
extraction contributing as well.
The township has a permanent population of 3,570 and a seasonal population of almost 18,000, and encompasses approximately 660 square kilometres (163,089.4 acre) of land. The township is situated 193 kilometres (119.9 mi) north of Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
.
History
Lake of Bays was established in 1971 from the former townships of Franklin, Ridout, McLean, Sinclair and Finlayson in the District of Muskoka.Lake of Bays is situated in Ontario's cottage country
Cottage country
Cottage country is a common name in Eastern Canada for areas that are popular locations for recreational properties such as cottages and summer homes. The name is often applied locally; that is, any major population centre may have its own popular "cottage country" area...
and has long been a vacation destination for the inhabitants of Toronto and the surrounding areas. In the early 20th century Bigwin Inn, a resort that once operated on Bigwin Island
Bigwin Island
Bigwin Island is the largest island on Lake of Bays, in the Muskoka District of Ontario, Canada. In 2001 it became the site of a major re-development, in the form of a private golf club and a planned community of family waterfront cottages and golf villas...
, was a sought after destination point by many individuals and groups.
The township was once home to the smallest commercial railway line in the world called the Portage Railway
Portage railway
A portage railway is a short and possibly isolated section of railway used to bypass a section of unnavigable river or between two water bodies which are not directly connected...
. Between 1904 and 1958 it ferried passengers between North Portage on Peninsula Lake to South Portage on Lake of Bays, a distance of 2 km. The train, named the Portage Flyer, was discontinued in 1958 and was relocated to an amusement park near St. Thomas, Ontario
St. Thomas, Ontario
St. Thomas is a city in southern , Ontario, Canada. It is the seat for Elgin County and gained its city charter on March 4, 1881.-History:...
until 1984. Much of the original components have since been repatriated and continue to operate on the grounds of Muskoka Heritage Place near Huntsville.
Communities
The township includes the communities of Baysville, Bigwin, Birkendale, Bona Vista, Bondi Village, Britannia, Brooks Mills, Browns Brae, DorsetDorset, Ontario
Dorset is a small community located on the boundary between the Lake of Bays Municipality in Muskoka District and the Algonquin Highlands Township in Haliburton County, Ontario, Canada. Dorset was originally called Cedar Narrows. In 1859 Francis Harvey became the first white settler here....
, Dwight, Fox Point, Glenmount, Grandview, Grassmere, Grove Park, Hillside, Limberlost Lodge, Lumina, Maple Ridge, Millar Hill (ghost town), Nith Grove, North Portage, Norway Point, Port Cunnington, Sea Breeze, South Portage and Wahawin.
A small community developed on the subdivided landholdings of a sawmill built by William Brown in the 1870s. The economic development of Baysville was enabled by good road and steamboat connections. Baysville developed into a popular region for vacationers and sportsmen.
In film
The 1949 FitzPatrickJames A. Fitzpatrick
James A. Fitzpatrick was a movie producer, director, writer, and narrator, best remembered for making indian documentaries. After completing training in dramatic arts, he worked, for a while, as a journalist...
Traveltalk Ontario: Land of Lakes includes a segment on Bigwin Inn.
In 1963 the former Dorset Fire Tower was shown in the opening credits of the old CBC
CBC Television
CBC Television is a Canadian television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster.Although the CBC is supported by public funding, the television network supplements this funding with commercial advertising revenue, in contrast to CBC Radio which are...
tv show The Forest Rangers
The Forest Rangers
The Forest Rangers was a Canadian television series that ran from 1963 to 1965. It was a co-production between CBC Television and ITC Entertainment and was Canada's first television show produced in colour...
.
The lake scenes from the Canadian film starring Gordon Pinsent
Gordon Pinsent
Gordon Edward Pinsent, CC, FRSC is a Canadian television, theatre and film actor.-Early life:Pinsent, the youngest of six children, was born in Grand Falls, Newfoundland, the son of Flossie ; originally from Clifton, Newfoundland, and Stephen Arthur Pinsent, a papermill worker and cobbler;...
called Away From Her
Away From Her
Away from Her is a 2006 Canadian film which debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival and also played in the Premier category at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival...
were also shot in the township on the south shore of Lake of Bays across from Price's Point.
The Dorset Fire Tower can be seen in the 1999 Canadian documentary
Documentary
A documentary is a creative work of non-fiction, including:* Documentary film, including television* Radio documentary* Documentary photographyRelated terms include:...
, Over Canada: An Aerial Adventure.b
2009, Vacation with Derek
Water bodies
- Cooper Lake
- Lake of BaysLake of BaysLake of Bays can refer to:*Lake of Bays , a large lake in Ontario, Canada*Lake of Bays, Ontario, a township in Ontario, Canada, surrounding the eponymous lake...
- Oxtongue River
- Peninsula LakePeninsula LakePeninsula Lake in the District Municipality of Muskoka, is one of the Muskoka Lakes.Peninsula Lake is a mid-sized cold-water lake located just east of Huntsville, Ontario. Municipal jurisdiction is split between the Town of Huntsville and the Township of Lake of Bays...