Muskoka Lakes | |
---|---|
Township of Muskoka Lakes | |
Coordinates: 45°07′N79°35′W / 45.117°N 79.583°W | |
Country | Canada |
Province | Ontario |
Regional Municipality | Muskoka |
Established | 1971 |
Government | |
• Type | Township |
• Mayor | Peter Kelley [1] |
• Governing Body | Muskoka Lakes Township Council |
• MP | Scott Aitchison |
• MPP | Norm Miller (OPC) |
Area | |
• Land | 794.26 km2 (306.67 sq mi) |
Population (2021) [3] | |
• Total | 7,652 |
• Density | 8.3/km2 (21/sq mi) |
Time zone | UTC-5 (EST) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
Postal code FSA | P0B |
Area code(s) | 705, 249 |
Website | www.muskokalakes.ca |
The Township of Muskoka Lakes is a municipality of the District Municipality of Muskoka, Ontario, Canada. It has a year-round population of 7,652. [3]
The municipal offices are located in Port Carling.
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.
Muskoka is governed by an elected Town Council consisting of a Mayor, District Councillors and Councillors representing each of the town's three wards. In addition, three Regional Councillors each represent a ward each. The Mayor and Councillors sit on the Muskoka County Council.
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.
Protected areas in Muskoka Lakes include Hardy Lake Provincial Park and Torrance Barrens Conservation Area.
The township contains the communities of Bala, Bala Park, Bardsville, Barlochan, Beaumaris, Baysville, Bear Cave, 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.
Climate data for Beatrice (1981−2010) | |||||||||||||
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Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °C (°F) | 11.0 (51.8) | 12.5 (54.5) | 21.0 (69.8) | 31.0 (87.8) | 32.0 (89.6) | 33.0 (91.4) | 33.0 (91.4) | 32.5 (90.5) | 31.5 (88.7) | 27.0 (80.6) | 19.0 (66.2) | 16.5 (61.7) | 33.0 (91.4) |
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | −5.0 (23.0) | −2.5 (27.5) | 2.4 (36.3) | 10.7 (51.3) | 18.1 (64.6) | 22.6 (72.7) | 24.9 (76.8) | 23.8 (74.8) | 19.3 (66.7) | 12.1 (53.8) | 4.7 (40.5) | −1.5 (29.3) | 10.8 (51.4) |
Daily mean °C (°F) | −10.7 (12.7) | −8.7 (16.3) | −3.8 (25.2) | 4.4 (39.9) | 11.0 (51.8) | 15.8 (60.4) | 18.2 (64.8) | 17.3 (63.1) | 13.1 (55.6) | 6.8 (44.2) | 0.4 (32.7) | −6.4 (20.5) | 4.8 (40.6) |
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −16.3 (2.7) | −14.9 (5.2) | −10.1 (13.8) | −2.0 (28.4) | 3.9 (39.0) | 8.9 (48.0) | 11.4 (52.5) | 10.7 (51.3) | 6.8 (44.2) | 1.3 (34.3) | −3.9 (25.0) | −11.2 (11.8) | −1.3 (29.7) |
Record low °C (°F) | −42.5 (−44.5) | −38.0 (−36.4) | −36.0 (−32.8) | −21.0 (−5.8) | −8.5 (16.7) | −4.0 (24.8) | −0.5 (31.1) | −3.5 (25.7) | −7.0 (19.4) | −11.0 (12.2) | −26.0 (−14.8) | −41.5 (−42.7) | −42.5 (−44.5) |
Average precipitation mm (inches) | 114.6 (4.51) | 82.5 (3.25) | 75.2 (2.96) | 76.8 (3.02) | 97.9 (3.85) | 87.7 (3.45) | 94.3 (3.71) | 87.7 (3.45) | 113.6 (4.47) | 118.4 (4.66) | 124.0 (4.88) | 125.0 (4.92) | 1,197.7 (47.15) |
Average rainfall mm (inches) | 28.3 (1.11) | 22.9 (0.90) | 39.6 (1.56) | 66.4 (2.61) | 97.7 (3.85) | 87.7 (3.45) | 94.3 (3.71) | 87.7 (3.45) | 113.6 (4.47) | 114.1 (4.49) | 87.3 (3.44) | 37.0 (1.46) | 876.7 (34.52) |
Average snowfall cm (inches) | 86.4 (34.0) | 59.6 (23.5) | 35.6 (14.0) | 10.4 (4.1) | 0.2 (0.1) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 4.3 (1.7) | 36.6 (14.4) | 88.0 (34.6) | 321.1 (126.4) |
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.2 mm) | 17.4 | 13.5 | 12.0 | 12.4 | 13.8 | 13.3 | 11.9 | 12.9 | 14.4 | 17.0 | 16.8 | 17.3 | 172.6 |
Average rainy days (≥ 0.2 mm) | 3.6 | 3.4 | 5.9 | 10.7 | 13.8 | 13.3 | 11.9 | 12.9 | 14.4 | 16.4 | 11.9 | 5.4 | 123.4 |
Average snowy days (≥ 0.2 cm) | 15.2 | 11.3 | 7.4 | 2.7 | 0.08 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.3 | 5.9 | 13.4 | 57.2 |
Source: Environment Canada [4] |
In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Muskoka Lakes had a population of 7,652 living in 3,529 of its 9,443 total private dwellings, a change of 16.2% from its 2016 population of 6,588. With a land area of 774.46 km2 (299.02 sq mi), it had a population density of 9.9/km2 (25.6/sq mi) in 2021. [3] [5]
2021 | 2016 | 2011 | |
---|---|---|---|
Population | 7,652 (+16.2% from 2016) | 6588 [5] (-1.8% from 2011) | 6707 (3.7% from 2006) |
Land area | 774.46 km2 (299.02 sq mi) | 794.26 km2 (306.67 sq mi) | 794.48 km2 (306.75 sq mi) |
Population density | 9.9/km2 (26/sq mi) | 8.3/km2 (21/sq mi) | 8.4/km2 (22/sq mi) |
Median age | 57.2 (M: 56.8, F: 57.2) | 54.7 (M: 54.3, F: 5.2) | |
Private dwellings | 3,530 (total) | 9343 (total) | 9723 (total) |
Median household income |
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 embraced tourism as its economic base because of its proximity to Toronto and the rest of Southern Ontario. For many Ontarians, this is the centre of cottage country.
The Muskoka Lakes Township Public Libraries offers research, literature, and cultural resources to local residents. The libraries consist of the Norma and Miller Alloway Muskoka Lakes Library main branch in the town of Port Carling, and three small branches housed in the community centres of Bala, Milford Bay, and Walker's Point.
Huntsville is a town in Muskoka. It is located 215 kilometres (134 mi) north of Toronto and 130 kilometres (81 mi) south of North Bay. Of the three big Muskoka towns, it is the largest by population and land area (710.64 km2).
Gravenhurst is a town in the Muskoka Region of Ontario, Canada. It is located approximately 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) south of Bracebridge, Ontario. The Town of Gravenhurst includes a large area of the District of Muskoka, known to Ontarians as "cottage country." The town centre borders on two lakes: Lake Muskoka, which is the largest lake in the region, and Gull Lake, a smaller cottage-bordered lake. Another lake, Kahshe Lake, is situated 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) south of the town.
The City of Kawartha Lakes is a unitary municipality in Central Ontario, Canada. It is a municipality legally structured as a single-tier city; however, Kawartha Lakes is the size of a typical Ontario county and is mostly rural. It is the second largest single-tier municipality in Ontario by land area.
The District Municipality of Muskoka, more generally referred to as the District of Muskoka or Muskoka, is a regional municipality 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 of Algonquin Provincial Park in the east. A two-hour drive north of Toronto, Muskoka spans 6,475 km2 (2,500 sq mi). Muskoka has some 1,600 lakes, making it a popular cottaging destination.
The Township of Georgian Bay is an area municipality of the District Municipality of Muskoka, in south-central Ontario, Canada. It is located on the Severn River, where it empties into the eponymous Georgian Bay. The municipal offices are at Port Severn.
Lake of Bays is a township municipality within the District Municipality of Muskoka, Ontario, Canada. The township, situated 193 kilometres (120 mi) north of Toronto, is named after the Lake of Bays. During the 2016 census, the township had a population of 3,167 and encompassed 677.91 square kilometres (261.74 sq mi) of land.
Simcoe County is located in the central portion of Southern Ontario, Canada. The county is just north of the Greater Toronto Area, stretching from the shores of Lake Simcoe in the east to Georgian Bay in the west. Simcoe County forms part of the Greater Golden Horseshoe area, a densely populated and industrialized region, centred on the Greater Toronto Area.
Ramara is a lower-tier township municipality in Simcoe County, Ontario, Canada.
Oro-Medonte is a township in south-central Ontario, Canada, on the northwestern shores of Lake Simcoe in Simcoe County.
Severn is a township in south-central Ontario, Canada, located between Lake Couchiching, and the Severn River in Simcoe County.
The Archipelago is a township in central Ontario, Canada, along the Georgian Bay in the Parry Sound District.
Seguin is a township in central Ontario, Canada, in the District of Parry Sound.
Burk's Falls is an incorporated village in the Almaguin Highlands region of Parry Sound District, Ontario, Canada, located 265 kilometres (165 mi) north of Toronto and 90 kilometres (56 mi) south of North Bay, Ontario. The village, and the waterfall on the site, were named by David Francis Burk of Oshawa, after he selected the land surrounding the waterfall in the Free Land Grant Act. Burk's Falls is part of the Magnetawan River waterway.
Rosseau is a community in the District of Parry Sound in Ontario, Canada, located in the township of Seguin. It is situated on the north shore of Lake Rosseau, a popular vacationing area. It is one of the ends of the Rosseau-Nipissing Road, which stretches all the way up to Lake Nipissing, near North Bay, Ontario. An Ontario Historical Plaque was erected by the province to commemorate the Rosseau-Nipissing Road's role in Ontario's heritage.
Bala is a compact rural community in the township municipality of Muskoka Lakes, District Municipality of Muskoka in Central Ontario, Canada. It is well-known for the Bala Falls, the source of the Moon River, which flows from Lake Muskoka to the Georgian Bay.
Port Carling is an unincorporated community in the Township of Muskoka Lakes in the Canadian province of Ontario. It has been the municipal seat of the township since 1971. It has several hundred year-round residents and is a service centre for thousands of other seasonal residents in the area.
Nipissing is an incorporated (political) township in Parry Sound District in Central Ontario, Canada. It is on Lake Nipissing and is part of the Almaguin Highlands region. Nipissing was surveyed between 1874 and 1881, and was incorporated in 1888. Among the first settlers in the area were the Chapman and Beatty families. Nipissing Township annexed Gurd Township in 1970. The township also contains a community named Nipissing, which is located on the South River near Chapman's Landing, on the South Bay of Lake Nipissing. The township administrative offices are located in Nipissing.
Lake Rosseau is located in Ontario, Canada, about 200 km (120 mi) north of Toronto. The south end of the lake is in the Township of Muskoka Lakes, and the north end is in Seguin Township. The lake is surrounded by many cottages, some dating back to the late 19th century.
Lake Muskoka is located between Port Carling and Gravenhurst, Ontario, Canada. The lake is surrounded by many cottages. The lake is primarily within the boundary of the Township of Muskoka Lakes, the southeast corner is within the boundary of the Town of Gravenhurst and another small portion around the mouth of the Muskoka River is within the boundary of the Town of Bracebridge. The town of Bala is located on the southwest shores of the lake, where the Moon River starts. Lake Muskoka is connected to Lake Rosseau through the Indian River and lock system at Port Carling. The lake is mainly fed by the Muskoka River, Lake Joseph and Lake Rosseau.
Magnetawan is a township in the Almaguin Highlands region of the Parry Sound District in the Canadian province of Ontario, as well as the name of the primary population centre in the township.