Early fall on the lower Oxtongue. Photo by David Ticoll.
What's Happening
Truth and Reconciliation
Autumn glories of the lower Oxtongue River
Welcome to our new Board members
Mushroom Count results
Irwin Memorial students visit Marsh's Falls
Annual General Meeting
Thank you to our donors
Interesting links
A child stands by a wall filled with 'Every Child Matters' artwork set up on Parliament Hill.(Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press)
Truth and Reconciliation
September 30 was the first National Day of Truth and Reconciliation.
Initial steps are being taken toward truth and reconciliation in Muskoka. A Muskoka Area Indigenous Leadership Table (MAILT) was formed in 2019. MAILT comprises seven resident First Nations, the Metis Nation of Ontario, township mayors, and other District of Muskoka and township representatives. MAILT meets regularly to address topics ranging from the harms caused by residential schools to economic development and broadband connectivity. Our Mayor, Terry Glover, is an active and engaged participant.
Last spring the District adopted a land acknowledgement and guidelines framework (see Resources section on the web page) developed by MAILT. District Council, Lake of Bays Council, and most if not all District municipalities now begin every meeting with an
Indigenous acknowledgement. The Table is also developing rules and guidelines for consultation on issues and initiatives that affect Indigenous interests.
A new exhibit, Misko-Aki: Confluence of Cultures is opening next summer at the Muskoka Heritage Centre in Gravenhurst. Curated by an Indigenous team, the exhibit will describe the history of Indigenous peoples of Muskoka.
The Foundation is at the beginning of recognizing Indigenous heritage and colonization as central to the history and present of Lake of Bays. Consistent with our mandate, wewilllook for ways to become informed about Indigenous issues that are relevant to Lake of Bays heritage. We have a lot to learn and hope to get back to you soon on this.
Autumn glories of the lower Oxtongue River
Foundation volunteer and recent Board member Brian Simpson has authored Fall Photographic Perspectives on the lower Oxtongue River, a 3-page impressionistic guide replete with stunning photos and informative text. It tells you where to find little known treasures, such as the
submerged dry-dock that was used to build and launch George Marsh’s Mary Louise steamboat in 1884. (The boat serviced Marsh’s water-powered sawmill on the site and the growing Lake of Bays community for 23 years.) Highly recommended!
To learn more and plan an excursion, check out our in-depth
Lower Oxtongue River Map and Paddle Guide. The best paddle access is to launch at Dwight Beach. Once at Marsh’s Falls, you may want to beach at the Foundation property on the north side of the river. You can stretch your legs, walk in the woods on our 5km of trails, or enjoy a picnic lunch. Just be sure to let us know the date you want to be on the property. Email us at registration@lakeofbaysheritage.ca.
We are happy to welcome three new Directors to the Board of the Foundation: Jeff Richmond, John Saunders and Jennifer Wiser. They each bring unique skills, experience and interests to the Board. We hope they will find this volunteer opportunity a fulfilling and enjoyable one.
Despite the dry conditions we had a very successful mushroom count on August 28 at Marsh's Falls. Twenty-three keen mushroom hunters, including 5 children, found 24 mushrooms, 18 of which were identified. A big thank you to all who participated!
Irwin Memorial students visit Marsh's Falls
Irwin Memorial students are back at Marsh's Falls! The grade 6/7 class was onsite October 1. Their assignment was to count plant and animal species as part of their learning about biodiversity. Their impressive finds included a red-bellied snake and a huge fungus 18 inches in diameter. They also learned about the history of the
falls, the old bridge and the portage used by Indigenous peoples. See more photos of the visit on Irwin's Facebook page.
Annual General Meeting
Our August 19 virtual AGM was well attended. If you missed it you are in luck! We managed to record it and put it on our YouTube channel. We encourage you to check out the very informative President's and Treasurer's reports.
Each year a community in the Lake of Bays area is researched and documented in video and print, and presented at our AGM. Twelve communities have been documented so far but this work has been on hold due to Covid. We plan to explore the Wahawin community next and hope to present it at our 2022 in-person AGM. We invite you to explore some of the communities. Norway Point is a great place to start.
Thank you to our donors
The generosity of our donors makes the Foundation's work in preserving the natural and community heritage of the Lake of Bays region possible. Welcome and thank you to our new annual members. Our thanks and appreciation to these permanent members for their recent donations: Alan and Sally Bryant (new Legacy Supporters), Joan Decarie and Bill Howson, and Judith Mills.
You may have heard that someone (actually, Friends of the Muskoka Watershed) has been collecting residential wood ash for redistribution to lands and lakes. What we didn’t know is that this a cure for “environmental osteoporosis”. To learn more follow this link!
The Warblers shares Canadian information, insights and inspiration on bird identification, attraction and conservation from hosts
Andrea Gress and Andrés Jiménez and their expert guests.
Lake of Bays Heritage Foundation, P.O. Box 81, Baysville, ON P0B 1A0, Canada
