Muskoka Lakes, Ontario

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Township of Muskoka Lakes
A typical lake scene in Muskoka Lakes.
A typical lake scene in Muskoka Lakes.
Country Canada
Province Ontario
Regional Municipality Muskoka
Established 1971
Government
 - Type Township
 - Mayor Susan Pryke
 - Governing Body Muskoka Lakes Township Council
 - MP Tony Clement (CPC)
 - MPP Norm Miller (OPC)
Area
 - Total 781.55 km² (301.8 sq mi)
Population (2006)[1]
 - Total 6,467
 - Density 8.3/km² (21.5/sq mi)
Time zone EST (UTC-5)
 - Summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4)
Postal code span
Area code(s) 705
Website: Township of Muskoka Lakes

The Township of Muskoka Lakes is an area municipality of the District Municipality of Muskoka, Ontario. It has a year-round population of 6,467 and a summer population of 34,000.

Contents

[edit] 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.

The municipal offices are located in Port Carling.

[edit] Communities

Steamboat Bay in Port Carling.
Steamboat Bay in Port Carling.

The township contains the communities of Bala, Bala Park, Bardsville, Barlochan, Beaumaris, Bear Cove, Beatrice, Bent River, Brackenrig, Cedar Village, Dee Bank, Dixon's Corners, 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.

[edit] Geography and economy

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.

[edit] Demographics

Racial Groups

Religious Groups

[edit] External links


District of Muskoka Municipalities
Town of Bracebridge | Town of Gravenhurst | Town of Huntsville
Township of Georgian Bay | Township of Lake of Bays | Township of Muskoka Lakes

Ontario Municipalities

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

Languages