Winter News

Our 5km of trails are beautiful at this time of year. This winter they are available for use by Foundation members and community residents by request. To schedule a snowshoe or walk in this winter wonderland, email registration@lakeofbaysheritage.ca with your desired date and the names and email addresses of your party. We’ll follow up with information on access and use. The trails are not track set but there’s a decent base in place. Please remember that use of the trails is at your own risk, as the property is not a public facility. Kindly note that no dogs are allowed on the site.

Volunteers needed

The Foundation relies on many amazing volunteers to support our projects and help manage and maintain our properties. We are looking for some additional volunteer support this year. There are many ways to get involved. Whether you have a few hours to spare or would like to join a larger project, we need help with:

Grant Sourcing – Find relevant grant opportunities from public and private granting sources, and help prepare grant applications.
Marsh’s Falls Greeter – Talk with first-time visitors to orient them to the site and the role of the Foundation.
Trail Maintenance – Maintain Marsh’s Falls trails, for example by clearing downed trees, brushing trails, building boardwalks, and erecting signs.
Trail Monitoring – Walk the trails at Marsh’s Falls on a regular basis to identify and report any issues, clear minor debris and pick up litter.

To volunteer or learn more, please call Judith Mills at 416.433.2174 or e-mail info@lakeofbaysheritage.ca.

Thank you to our recent donors

Every November we send a letter to our members and supporters that summarizes the Foundation’s achievements and describes our plans for the upcoming year. The letter also requests donations to support our conservation, stewardship and educational programs that protect the Lake of Bays natural and community heritage. We thank the many donors who have responded so generously and extend a warm welcome to our new members.

The Foundation’s bylaw states that anyone who donates $40 is an annual member for the calendar year. Any individual or couple who donates $1000 or more in any one year becomes a permanent Life Member. There are various levels of permanent membership based on cumulative donations.

We acknowledge the following permanent members who recently made significant donations:

Margaret and John Casey

John and Ann Chamberlain

Jason and Audrey Dezwirek

Gayle Finless-Hall

Sarah and Ross Kerr

Joan and Bob Lehman

Tracey Macey and David Ticoll (new Protectors)

Ross MacKinnon

Mark and Judy Mclean

Ron Peddicord and Carla Orland

Jeff and Beth Richmond

Terry Richmond

Don Tapscott and Ana Lopes

Jennifer Wiser

And, welcome to the following new Life Members:

Warren & Ingrid Beacom

Jamie and Janet Caskey

Thomas and Sharon Dibblee

Dr. Catherine McNally

David and Mary Timms

John and Diana Saunders

Photo by Brian Simpson.

The origins of place names on LOB

Lake of Bays is rich with place names for islands, roads, points, and bays, names that range from obvious (Ten Mile Bay) to bizarre (Rat Bay!). But where did these names come from? Foundation member Michael Woodside authored an informative article and map on this topic in 1998. Do you know where the name of your - or any - road, point, island or bay came from? If so, drop us a line at info@lakeofbaysheritage.ca with the details and we will add them to our growing catalog.

Summer nature events

Every summer the Foundation offers several nature events, led by experienced local naturalists, on the Marsh’s Falls property and other places around the lake. As of now we are planning a full roster for summer 2022. Everyone is invited to participate, enjoy the day, take pictures and learn.

The Doctor Cathy Charles Bird Count will take place Saturday, May 21. Rick and Kelly Stronks will lead this event to record the numbers and species of birds on the Marsh’s Falls property during spring migration.

The Butterfly Count is Saturday July 9. The first half of July is when the greatest diversity of butterfly species appears at Marsh’s Falls. Rick and Kelly will return to guide this count.

Our Silent Boat Rally, on Saturday July 30, is an eco-tour of the lower Oxtongue River for canoes, kayaks and paddleboards. We are excited about the return of this popular event after a two-year absence.

The best time to see a good variety of wild mushrooms largely depends on when and how much seasonal rain we get. Mark McLean will lead two Mushroom Forays on Saturday August 13 and Saturday September 3. One foray will be at Marsh’s Falls, the other at an interesting location to be announced.

To keep event participants safe, we will abide by then-current public health rules.

Vivienne's autograph book, Bigwin 1938

Tom Probislo of Meaford discovered an interesting birch-bark autograph book among several quill boxes that his late mother Ilse had collected. The book belonged to “Vivienne” and her connection to Ilse is unknown. The 20-page book is a collection of notes and autographs from her apparent co-workers at Bigwin Inn. Based on these delightful comments and jokes, it seems that Vivienne worked there in 1938.

Tom’s search to find a home for this little piece of history led him to the Foundation. After some sleuthing we discovered that Douglas McTaggart’s book Bigwin Inn lists all the staff who worked there in the 1920’s, 30’s and 40’s. Only one Vivienne appears, and her last name is Van Huson. Perhaps this is her book.

Thanks to Ilse and Tom, it will soon be on display at the Lake of Bays Marine Museum in Dorset.

Foundation Picks: Good stuff to do at LOB and beyond

Winter fun for birdlovers
The Great Backyard Bird Count (February 18-21) is a worldwide event where everyone is invited to watch and count as many birds as they can find and report them to the Cornell University eBird app. Hosted in Muskoka by the Huntsville Public Library, the feature event is a Winter Birdwatching Basics Guided Walk led by Rick Stronks, local naturalist and Foundation board member. Other activities include a hands-on kids’ activity at the library to build a bird feeder, a downloadable “bird bingo” card, and a free webinar with bird counting tips. More details here, including event times, locations, and registration.

Indigenous learnings at the Huntsville Public Library
Working with community members, the library is hosting a rotating series of educational displays for children and adults that illustrate the history, culture and challenges of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples. This new initiative first featured the Anishinaabe Seven Grandfather Teachings, a guide to living a good life. The current display focuses on Inuit food security and housing challenges. The displays also include Indigenous literary and artistic creations. Now in the children’s section of the library, the exhibit will expand into the adult section later this year. It's free and open to everyone! Check out this article in MuskokaRegion.com to learn more.

Muskoka Discovery Centre: just reopened
You can easily spend a whole day here, along with exploring downtown Gravenhurst and a bite of lunch. The Centre has great exhibits on all sorts of Muskoka-related topics. It includes galleries dedicated to water and watersheds, wooden boats, steamships, and resort hotels. Bring your kids to the 4000 sq ft Kidzone STEAM Engagement Gallery for multi-station interactive learning/play. Check out North America’s largest collection of in-water classic antique wooden boats(displayed on beams, hulls and all, during winter). And coming soon is a major Indigenous exhibit called Misko-Aki: A confluence of cultures.