Muskoka Lakes, Ontario

The Township of Muskoka Lakes is an area municipality of the District Municipality of Muskoka, Ontario. It has a year-round population of 6,000 and a summer population of 34,000.

Geography and economy

A typical lake scene in Muskoka Lakes.

The township is located on Canadian Shield and thus is marked with outcrops of igneous rock and evergreen trees. Although inland from both Lake Huron's Georgian Bay and Lake Simcoe, the township contains the Muskoka Lakes consisting of Lake Muskoka, Lake Rosseau and Lake Joseph, amongst many other smaller lakes. Timber was initially the greatest economic attraction for the region. The soil is poor and rocky and consequently is not especially suited to agriculture. As the resource industries dried up, the area soon latched onto tourism as its economic base based on its proximity to Toronto and the rest of Southern Ontario. For many Ontarians, this is the centre of cottage country.

History and government

The area now covered by the township was opened for settlement and organized in 1870 into the following geographic (and sometime municipal) townships of Watt, Cardwell, Humphrey, Christie, Medora and Wood. In 1971, the current municipal structure took hold when Cardwell Township, Watt Township, Medora and Wood Townships, Bala, Port Carling, Windermere and part of Monck Township were merged.

Communities

The township contains the communities of Bala, Bala Park, Bardsville, Barlochan, Beaumaris, Bear Cove, Beatrice, Bent River, Brackenrig, Cedar Village, Dee Bank, Dudley, Duffy, Echo Beach, Ferndale, Foot's Bay, Glen Orchard, Gregory, Gull Rock, Hekkla, Inverness Lodge, Juddhaven, Mendora, Milford Bay, Minett, Morinus, Mortimers Point, Park Beach, Port Carling, Port Keewaydin, Port Sandfield, Raymond, Redwood, Roderick, Rossclair, Rosseau Falls, Rostrevor, Shannon Hall, Sunset Beach, Thorel House, Tomelin Bluffs, Torrance, Ufford, Ullswater, Valley Green Beach, Walkers Point, Willow Beach, Whiteside, Windermere, Woodington, Woodward Station and Ziska.

Demographics

Racial Groups

• 97.1% White
• 2.0% Aboriginal
• 0.3% Chinese
• 0.2% Black
• 0.4% other

Religious Groups

• 58.8% Protestant
• 17.4% Roman Catholic
• 2.0% other Christian
• 21.8% non-religion

External links

• Township of Muskoka Lakes municipal site
• Muskoka Lakes Association residents' organization
• Muskoka Area Attractions
• Township of Muskoka Lakes Ratepayers' Association organizational site
• Muskoka Lakes Chamber of Commerce business site
• Boating Muskoka Lakes

Coordinates: 45°06′55″N 79°34′40″W / 45.11528, -79.57778