Wakeboarding is best on really hot days and its perfect on Lake Muskoka. This is a surface water sport that was developed from a combination of water skiing, snowboarding and surfing. The exact place of origin is disputed.

I read in the magazines that “Skurfing” was created in New Zealand in the mid 1980s by surfers, and one custom board maker named Allan Byrne lent a ‘Skurf board’ to Jeff Darby and friends in Queensland Australia who started a business to make their own, and who later came in contact with Tony Finn who helped produce their brand ‘Skurfer’.

On the east coast of the USA in 1983, a sports equipment designer named Howard Jacobs created several wakeboards by mounting windsurfing foot straps and pads on some small surfboards, some of which he’d shaped and made himself. It was on these trick boards that he would perform backflips for admiring crowds on the St. Johns River in Jacksonville, Florida. Backflips are not something we do – our crew has both short boards and long boards and we’re always messing around trying to do tricks. The principle feat is to do a 360 degree mid air spin and land facing the boat again. That’s difficult enough.

Driving the wakeboat is art form, and shifting friends from one side of the boat to the other for a bigger wake is the First Mate’s job.

The most common difference between a regular motorboat and a wakeboarding boat, or ‘wakeboat’ is the variable ballast system of water pumps and tanks and the addition of the wakeboard tower. This big center mount is normally constructed of heavy steel tubing. It’s important because it places the “pull point” about 2 metres or 7 feet off the water’s surface. Raising the tow point gives the rider more control and makes it easier to jump up onto the board. Most boats also have a variable ballast system, which allows for water to be pumped into and out of ballast bags from the surrounding water. Adding ballast increases displacement, and consequently enlarges the wake produced.

The rider is usually towed behind a ‘wake boat’ at about 17-24 miles per hour, depending on the water conditions, board size, rider’s weight, and rider’s comfort speed. This speed can also depend on the age, size or model of the boat. The style and grace of the movement is totally dependent on the skill of the wakeboarder.

The best boarders make everyone wonder just how they did what they did… They make you want to see them do the tricks again, and again Its nice to watch a wakeboarder slightly cut the edges by shifting his position on the board. He can move inside or outside by touching the surface of the water. He can move suddenly inside to take a turn or cut.

There’s a different language for wakeboarding as compared to surfing or snowboarding. This Xtreme sport has its own descriptive words like ‘off axis’ and different names for moves. Like you’re doing an Elephant, Tantrum, or a Whirlybird. Wakeboarding is getting more popular because it’s fun and really simple to learn and yet presents great chances for originality and eloquence-on-water.

The price of a proper wakeboat is usually a big problem for new riders. The cost is approx. 60,000 dollars in the Canadian market, and that’s because of the extra powerful engine, the specially designed hull and the expensive upgrade of a variable ballast system which is necessary to make a decent wake behind the boat.

Another emerging Lake Muskoka water sport is wake skating, which is perhaps more similar to skateboarding than surfing.

Wake skating has been significantly influenced by skateboarding. The rider’s feet are not attached to the board, which is typically shorter than a conventional wakeboard. The surface of the wake skating board is coated with a gripping material, and the rider seeks to operate the board using similar techniques to those employed by skateboarders on the ground.

In wake surfing and wake skating there’s no tow rope. You must ride the forward momentum of falling water.

The rider seeks to maintain a low body position over the board, to permit both greater stability and to facilitate quick weight shifts to change the direction of the board under his feet. The wakeboard has sharp edges along its entire perimeter, permitting the rider to carve turns in the manner of a slalom skier on snow.

Wakeboarder however have a tow rope, so they can travel at much faster speeds. This allows flights and aerial tricks. Once airborne, the boarder is attached to both the wake-board and the two rope, the rider can execute any number of aerial tricks, including flips, rolls, and other sequential moves.

Its a – better wake boarder when I started leading with my right foot. Its important to determine early on which of your feet is the “prominent foot”—this is the foot that you want on the front of the wakeboard. To figure out which of your feet you prefer or lead with, think about which foot you put first into a pair of pants when getting dressed. This is your prominent foot.

Another helpful tip is to use a 35 ft rope at first.  This will make it easier on you getting in and out of the water. The ideal length for a beginner’s rope is between 30 and 40 feet. Try to hold the rope low and parallel to the water. Also, instruct the boat driver to cruise at around 15 miles per hour. Distribute your weight to the front of the board.

Be patient with yourself. It takes time to learn grace in this water sport.

There’s a community of water sports enthusiasts all over the Muskoka Lakes.  The most prominent schools and training camps and event sponsors can be found in the following locations

Bush’s Sports Center located 2kms north of Bala

These guys advertise as Muskoka’s Premier Waterski and Wakeboard Facility. They have professional trainers that can coach every level and age category. Their facilities, a private lake, is located 2 km north of Bala, Muskoka, Ontario. They have a slalom course, jump and the place is getting a good reputation for its calm warm water.
Pride Marine Group also offers wakeboarding lessons

The Pride Marine Group is proud to offer wakeboard lessons through Muskoka Custom Clinics at all five of our on the water locations. We offer hourly, half day or full day clinics as well as kids day camps at all locations, and full week long camps at through Base Camp and our Pride of Rosseau location.
A great tour for all level of wakeboarders from begineer to outlaw.

Another water ski and now wakeboarding school can be found in Huntsville. The Placid Water Ski School (705) 789-8493 Box 1500 Huntsville, ON P0A 1K0 has a great reputation but no website that I can find anywhere

Wakeboarding Events on Lake Muskoka

Wakeboarding has been a featured sport throughout the history of the X Games, the annual extreme sports festival. The School for Girls doesn’t teach this stuff. The World Wakeboard Association is the international body that sponsors competitions, where the athletes are subjectively judges on the quality and creativity of the tricks performed.

The World Wakeboard Association is the international body that sponsors competitions, where the athletes are judged on the quality and creativity of the tricks performed. Wakeboarding has been a featured sport in the X Games annual extreme sports festival since they began in the 1990s.

One must see wakeboard series is The Malibu Just Ride Series, sponsored by the Sun and Ski in Bala, is generally well attended. tel 705-762-2287. They also offer a full Wakeboard and Water Ski School just outside of Bala.

Today, the tourism in the area is so strong that its population more than doubles during summer season. Muskoka’s three largest lakes, Lake Muskoka, Lake Rosseau and Lake Joseph, are home to many picturesque cottages. So how and why did this rugged and barren land that the government once gave away in 15 acre lots become Ontario’s premier cottage vacation destination?

Home to 1,600 freshwater lakes, the Muskoka cottage country region was originally the property of the Ojibwa peoples. They once enjoyed exclusive access to the vast hunting, fishing and trapping resources in the region. The word “Muskoka” means “land of red earth” in the Ojibwa language. European settlers came and went sparingly, because no major trading posts were situated in the area.

It wasn’t until the late 1850’s that the government of Upper Canada began to explore the region: maps were drawn, roads discussed and by 1866 some logging licenses issued.

Immigration from Europe was dense, and in 1868 the Free Grants and Homestead Act was passed, enabling settlers 15 acres of Muskoka land, provided they cleared it for cultivation and built a house on the property.

It’s possible the first settler didn’t realized how difficult the forest would be to clear and how impossible the rocky terrain was for planting. Canadian timber however had found a huge market in Great Britain, the logs had to be hewn square, hauled to a river and floated to the port of Quebec for export.

Alexander Cockburn, Steamships on Lake Muskoka

The development of Muskoka was slow at first, but Alexander Cockburn, sometimes called the ‘Father of Muskoka’ had a solution: the steamboat.

Alexander Cockburn was reeve of Eldon Township from in 1865, before he moved to Orillia. After a visit to the Muskoka District late that summer, he moved to Gravenhurst, where he opened a general store. In this tiny Muskoka community he soon established stagecoach service and incorporated the Muskoka and Nippising Company to run steamers on Lake Nipissing, the first of which was the Inter Ocean, which sailed until 1910. The President of the company was Alexander MacKenzie, Prime Minister of Canada from 1873 to 1878.

In 1867, A. P. Cockburn helped found the Muskoka Settler’s Association and became its first president.

Cockburn brought steamboats into the region and pressed the government to open a route through the whole Muskoka lake system.

Soon after the steamships arrived, tourism turned up in the unlikely form of two men, John Campbell and James Bain Jr. Campbell and Bain took the Northern Railway to Lake Simcoe, a steamboat up the river to Orillia and canoed across Lake Couchiching. Walking their way to Gravenhurst, the two adventurers recalled their travels and made plans to return with family and friends. They began to repeat their journey every year, and as more and more tourists began to arrive, the need for more food, shelter, and better transport became apparent. Soon wealthy entrepreneurs arrived, building hotels in the wilderness.

And people came. The ‘farmers’ who had been struggling with the rock-bound earth found a much easier (and more rewarding) occupation in boarding and food. Many of Muskoka’s finest hotels were built around this time, and when the railroad added a stop at Gravenhurst in 1875 the area saw a steady stream of visitors. Many tourists would vacation at such hotels for extended periods of time, and many of these early travelers ended up building their own magnificent cottages.

Launched in 1912 at Gravenhurst ON under the name “Mink”, the steamship was sold in 1928 and renamed “Waome”. She was 78ft in length and 14ft in beam. She was sunk on her last run of the season in October of 1934; she was headed from the upper lakes toward Beaumaris when she capsized in a string wind. She carried her Captain, five crew and one passenger at the time. She met her fate when a powerful gust of wind knocked her onto her port side off Keewaydin Island. Three crew members survived.

The north end of Lake Rosseau has a prominent place in the history of Muskoka. At the turn of the century, several elegant hotels were built on Lake Rosseau’s north shore to meet the demand of tourists visiting from all over North America. Regrettably, these beautiful wooden resorts have all disappeared, most leveled by fire from generation to generation today.

Muskoka’s history is that of indigenous populations, early European settlers adjusting to a new land and barren soil, new steamboat and locks technology. Bala maintains a link with its agrarian past by hosting the Bala Cranberry Festival each fall on the weekend after Canadian Thanksgiving.

The most important part of Muskoka’s history is the origins of the tourism industry. It’s not always necessary for land to produce. Sometimes a land can be appreciated solely for its beauty, the magic it possesses that draws man and animal alike to its rugged coastlines and flowing waters. Our adventurous forebears knew this, and the Muskoka Lakes Region continues proudly carrying on a fine Canadian tradition.

This place is private and really beautiful. The cottage is gorgeous and the setting in very unique. Listen to the far off sound of children playing – their excitement momentarily interrupts the ubiquitous hum of motor boat engines and the drone of nearby cicada bugs. You want to cool off? Run from the back deck, down the grassy lawn and jump off the dock right into the lake!  Swim to the raft, take a break, and swim back. Horse around with your toddlers in the shallow water of your own sandy beach.  After the exercise you can enjoy a refreshing beverage on the upstairs lounge on your two story boathouse. Let someone else BBQ lunch while you enjoy a commanding view of Lake Muskoka.

Located approx 15 miles west of Bracebridge, this property has everything an urban family needs and more. This gorgeous cottage is the perfect container for your family and friends’ best summer memories.

About The Cottage, vacation property

A sand beach lake front borders two acres of rich, green land upon which is an 11,000 square foot structure. This abode has everything you and your family needs including, 9 bedrooms, 8 bathrooms, Kitchen, Living Room, Dining Room, Family Room, Great Room and Rec Room is a cozy place with central heating and air conditioning systems. The tall wooden beams, floors and capacious windows allow a flood of sunshine in the morning that attracts contrast by the 30 foot Muskoka granite fireplace. And don’t forget about the movie theatre.

Inside Details

The Kitchen is Perfect for Cottage Cook-ups and Fine Cuisine

Matching granite counter tops and stainless steel appliances, this culinary dream includes 2 world class ovens, 2 dishwashers and a high quality expresso maker – just add the beans!  Beside that there’s a Laundry Room, 2 Fridges and 2 Gas BBQ’s (One located at the Dockhouse).

For Relaxing in the Evenings

The cottage is full of fun stuff. There are six TVs in the house (all of these will easily interface with game consoles), including one 60’ flat screen in the Family Room and a 40’ TV in the Great Room, both have DVD players. Of course there’s lots of room for big tables on which to play boardgames. The Rec Room comes complete with an air hockey table, shuffle board, hockey and foosball table.

Watch a Feature Film in Your Own Private Movie Theater

There’s no annoying commercials or trailers in this VIP 18 person home theater. Control the show with your 1 touch screen remote, and another for the lights. You can depend on the state-of-the-art Sony Blue ray player above a Yamaha surround sound amplifier. There’s a Dvdo high definition video processor and amp. Full high definition front projector with no less than 13 speakers for an amazing soundscape.

Always a comfortable temperature, this 11,000 square foot structure has central heating and air conditioning systems. Aesthetically it always feels cozy with wooden beams and floors and extensive soaring windows that let bright sunshine flood into the rooms. The morning light is nicely contrasted by the 30 foot Muskoka granite fireplace that becomes a gathering point in the evenings.

Don’t say anything, but this historic property has a sand beach. Its a fact that sand covered beaches are NOW forbidden in Muskoka, as environmentalists work with municipalities to restrict all pollutants and ‘non indigenous’ landscapes in this pristine part of Canada – your sand beach is one of only a few exceptions in the entire region.

Lake Muskoka is ringed by well developed properties with large and expensive cottages, although well populated this corner lot offers a satisfying privacy and dazzling sunset’s right in front of you.

On Sunday Sept 2nd 2007, myself and six companions hiked the trails at Hardy Lake, in the heart of the Muskoka Lakes region, on a desperate attempt to capture the last warm days of summer.  Most cottage owners in the Muskoka Lakes dread the arrival of the Labour Day Long Weekend. Everyone with a cottage in Canada feels the sadness autumn brings, and my friends are no exception.

Hardy Lake is a provincial park with no facilities. Mountain bikes are not allowed, and there’s no camping permitted on the 81 hectare park. Canoing is tolerated, but we didn’t have enough watercraft at our cottage to accommodate all of the participants, so we decided on a short hike with our dogs instead.

The Hardy Lake trails begin at the parking lot on Highway 169 about 12 kilometers west of Gravenhurst. Each relaxing route is well shaded and full of beautiful scenery. Most footpaths circumnavigate the lake, although two trails lead almost directly toward Lake Muskoka. There are three trail heads in the parking lot, but only one, at the west end, is obvious. This is the main loop, which has an awful start down an old stretch of blacktop that I understand to be the ‘old road to Torrance’. Our crew happily paraded down this broken asphalt concourse which eventually fed into a dirt path and then gave us a beautiful view of the lake through many different varieties of trees and vegetation. Early in the hike we had a taste of the misadventure when our dogs leaped into a muddy drainage ditch for a quick drink of water. They emerged black with an unhealthy, oil grim dripping from their faces, legs and bellies…

Hardy Lake is excellent for swimming and there’s a fine peninsula further down the trail with flat rocks under a brown carpet of pine needles. The scene is compelling it often persuades hikers to become swimmers and then sun bathers for a spell… Some of the more prominent slabs of black granite are splashed with pink and yellow quartz veins and ribbons of bright red potash that would delight any geologist. Our posse encountered two other couples relaxing on the rocks here and I marveled at a Labrador retriever swimming alone, twenty feet from shore.

This provincial park boasts a rich community of Atlantic coastal plain species. A unique mixture of trees and grasses and forest creatures exists here today, because when the ancient Lake Algonquin receded, it left behind a large variety Atlantic Ocean shoreline plants. The park also contains an inland section of displaced Georgian Bay shoreline.

Just after our crew crossed the three quarters mark, disaster struck. Both of our beloved pets, which were continually been running ahead and scouting the trail, stumbled into a treacherous swampy ‘barrens’ that contains very hazardous sink holes. These bogs are quite dangerous – the holes in the rock are deep enough to drown a dog, or a man; the mud is a thick black stew that defeats all attempts to float or tread water, or even claw yourself free… such was the plight of both dogs. One pet was quite close to the rocks and easily rescued, but the other dog was six feet away and sinking fast.

A dog stuck in the mud is a dismal sight, a heart break, and a sinking dog that will soon drown is a tragedy. But alas the sight of a sinking human in the same situation would be a far greater calamity. With fear and apprehension many heated warnings were shouted toward my brave companions who dared rescue their reckless dog. But what to do? Their dilemma was obvious – one couldn’t simply throw the animal a line, or extend a tree branch. There was in fact no way one could help the creature except to risk oneself in the same hazards. Upon forming this realization my friends formed a human chain – by grasping each other’s wrists we extended our bodies out into the swamp to save our beloved pet.

Thirty seconds later the deed was done. A very muddy dog was beached on solid ground. The poor pet was so heavy with mud it could barely walk; although the animal tried to shake the sludge from its body, the mud was too heavy and it collapsed in exhaustion. So now myself and my companions had to hike back to the open shore on Lake Hardy again to wash our canine and our shoes and, I suppose, the whole experience from our consciousness.

Eventually our hike continued past the milk swamp and on around the lake for another thirty minutes. We marched silently through a large grove of hemlock and cedar and white pine growing from the decomposed stumps of an earlier forest – this natural reforestation was complete with such typical bog vegetation as Virginia chainfern.

At the top of a granite hill there was a large grove of red blossom sumac trees growing in thin soil beside the bone white skeletons of their ancestors. It was a very pretty sight. Ten minutes later we emerged back at the same gravel parking lot from which we had earlier departed. It had been a good robust walk with more than a little excitement on a beautiful lake in the middle of The Muskokas – not one man or beast had been lost to the treacherous milk swamp on Hardy Lake, this time.

This post was moved from Hands and Feet magazine, on 25th Dec 2011, Christmas Day.

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The fall colours are gorgeous in Muskoka and the evergreen trees punctuate the landscape and look more majestic than ever when surrounded by the fiery oranges and red leaves of the Oaks and Sugar Maples in the region.

We always joke about how we’re going North to live with the Ojibwa and truly unplug for a while, but in all honesty there are more people from Toronto up in these climates than we know, and all it takes is a boat trip around the lake meeting neighbours to realize that almost everyone is from somewhere else. Indeed our host at the autumn garden party was a Toronto mortgage broker that was himself invited up by his clients, who were from Oakville, but owned properties in Mississauga and Huntsville and Bracebridge too as it turned out.

Our closest neighbour is a Toronto dentist whom we met at the party and she graciously invited us all down to her clinic at Sherbourne St and Bloor for a free cleaning. She’s passionate about teaching dental care rituals and full of teeth whitening tips.

On the other side of her patch is a rather large affair owned by the Ellwoods, and they are the direct descendents of W.B. Ellwood who invented the reed switch while employed at Bell labs in Chicago in 1936. This little device changed modern telecommunications as magnetic switches streamlined telephone switchboards into automated systems that no longer required human switcher ladies. Its funny because when you go into their cottage you see hanging on the wall a long panorama of the view inside the Chicago switchboard station in the 1920s, a view that W.B. obsoleted during the Great Depression.

We found the garden party by smell. There was roasted meat on the grill and nuts too. The theme was Local Harvest; we brought and served snacks made from local meat and flat bread organic ingredients and it was styled as a pioneer nibbles.  Sheamus MacLean made a refreshing non alcoholic Sumach tea beverage that really wet the whistles of everyone on the hike. It was non alcoholic when Marty first made it but after continuous improvement by the troops the beverage was slowly converted into an mix for both gin and vodka, but not together.

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No one really wants to think about it, but when parents die, the positive memories associated with being at the cottage can quickly turn sour.  Its an age old problem – who gets the family cottage, and will they share it?

The Last Will and Testament and The Family Cottage

“A will may be construed as a document that reflects a parent’s opinion of their children and confirms the children’s opinion of themselves,” writes Mark Goodfield, a Toronto tax expert in his blog The Blunt Bean Counter. The post How Your Family Dynamic Can Affect Your Estate Planning continues, “If you infer one child is more responsible than the others (by selecting a certain child[ren] as an executor and excluding others), you risk igniting the fire of past resentments amongst the children and potentially causing resentment of you even in death.”

Goodfield has seen more than one squabble between siblings over the family cottage in his 25-year career. There are many variables involved: do all the children want to keep the cottage? Is one child in particular more capable of caring for the cottage and the property? Cottages come with annual fees and taxes; are your children financially stable enough to take on additional bills and maintenance fees?

Goodfield writes, “As a parent, you must speak to your children and determine who wants the cottage. Where more than one child wants the cottage, you have to consider whether those children have a good relationship and if they will be able to share ownership of the cottage without starting a world war. If not, do you have to consider selling the cottage in your later years to avoid creating a divisive issue amongst your children?”

To summarize, a cottage home is a beautiful legacy to leave your children. However, if, given careful thought and discussions with the whole family you are concerned that the cottage might cause more grief than gratitude, it might be time to consider selling. After all, it’s the good memories you want to remember.

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All over the lakes there were BBQs and pig roasts, healthy snacks and fireworks. Take a boat ride on any body of water up here and listen to distant music and loud conversations, far off screams of laughter swimming across the cool lakes – people swimming, dancing, family picnics and late-night parties and, best of all, three uninterrupted days to bask in Canada’s rich wilderness.

Kim Mitchell played the Kee to Bala

Sarnia, Ontario-born rocker Kim Mitchell played the historic Kee to Bala (built in 1941 in the Muskokas) on Saturday, July 2, to a crowd still retaining a sense of celebration left over from Friday’s holiday.

The Juno-winning singer/guitarist and broadcast personality played a great mix of crowd favourites as well as some new tunes from his latest solo effort, Ain’t Life Amazing.

Mitchell and his band rocked the Muskoka woods for hours, entertaining the sold-out show with what could best be described as a ‘quintessential Canadian experience’. The music is core the the heart and soul of this area. To my knowledge, the Kee does not have a furnace or any heating system so its a summer only venue.

Muskoka Heritage Place Held a Strawberry Social

There was plenty of red and white at Muskoka Heritage Place‘s Canada Day Celebrations!

Families enjoyed a strawberry social which included free admission to the museum, live narrative and musical entertainment and the best part, strawberry scones!

Young People Flock to Monty Black’s Deck Party on Lake Joseph

Every year Monty Black hosts a Saturday afternoon party on the decks of his boat house on Lake Joseph, beats staying in a Toronto bed and breakfast, and friendly cottagers, wake boarders and visitors from all over the region gather to drink and socialize and boast about boats, boating and boarding and other recreational activities.

Monty Black’s Party on Lake Joseph 2011

Around the boat house there is a bbq and chairs. Notice how people are just standing in the water. It’s quite comfortable standing in the cool water when the hot sun is blazing down on the rest of your body. The gravel lake bed underfoot is easy to stand on.

Many young people boated into the party on Lake Joseph, which is by far the most fashionable way to travel in the Muskoka Lakes. Check out some information on how to get a boat license, which is required up here, and most places in cottage country.

There was a portable toilet at the end of the driveway out by the road and a solar tracker next to the boat house. When we arrived, Monty was standing up by the house meeting and greeting folks, alongside his dog, who was even more supportive than his crutch.

Huntsville was the Hotbed of Canada Day Celebrations

Businesses, politicians, community centres and more combined forces to make Canada’s 144th birthday in Muskoka a celebration to remember. From 10 AM – 10 PM on July 1, 2011, Huntsville came alive with activities and music of all sorts. From M.P.P. Parry Sound Muskoka Norm Miller and Mayor Claude Doughty cutting the cake in the morning to the Trillium Jazz Band performing at mid-day, to the spectacular fireworks over Hunter’s Bay, there was something for everyone this Canada Day.

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The Muskoka Lakes Region in Ontario has a remarkable amount of alternative medical clinics and holistic healing centres. It makes sense, though, that the rugged natural beauty and freshwater lakes of Muskoka get its inhabitants outdoors more often to appreciate the physicality of the land and the way it feels to walk upon, or swim within it. The Muskoka Natural Network is a great resource online, sharing articles, events listings and more. Visiting cottagers in the summertime who are looking for respite from stressful city life will find massage therapists, energy workers, acupuncturists, naturopaths, hypnotists and specialists in holistic weight loss in Muskoka.

Holistic Health in Muskoka

The Wellpath Clinic in Port Carling is an important component of Muskoka’s healing community. Wellpath, which also has a Toronto location, staffs both naturopathic doctors and energy healers and offers fitness classes, healthy cooking courses, special guest speakers and other health-oriented events. Special prices apply to locals and members of the Muskoka Lakes Association.

The Body-Mind Wholeness Clinic in Gravenhurst believes that`…health is a state of harmony between Body, Mind and Spirit and the way to reach it is to adopt a holistic approach to health.`

This clinic is deeply rooted in Eastern holistic philosophy, and its practitioners offer services in Shiatsu massage (Japanese acupressure) and Tui-na massages (Chinese therapeutic massages) as well as BEAM Therapy and Healing Touch Treatments, both of which are designed to remove negative energy blocks and to restore the body`s natural ability to heal itself.

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Ahimsa in Huntsville is where you want to go for an authentic yoga experience.                    

Not only do they offer daily yoga classes (excluding Sundays) with highly qualified teachers, Ahimsa (which means non-violence) also offers 250 and 500-hour yoga teacher training courses. In addition to yogic services, Ahimsa offers massage and bodywork, nutrition consultations and polarity therapy.

Alternative Medicine Listings of Muskoka

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Bracebridge

Dini Zuest PsychicPhone
(705) 646-9555
Bracebridge, ON

The Sacred Tree
(705) 641-8258
Bracebridge, ON

Bearss Caroline ND BBEC
(705) 646-1974
Bracebridge, ON

Beaty J Irene RMT
(705) 646-9556
Bracebridge, ON

Dawson Karen RMT
(705) 645-9309
Bracebridge, ON

Feeling Good Health Services
(705) 646-1436
Bracebridge, ON

Marcos Huerta Holistic Practitioner
(705) 645-3755
Bracebridge, ON

Muskoka Naturopathic Family Practice
(705) 645-9047
Bracebridge, ON P1L1Z8

Northern Nutrition
(705) 645-7210
Bracebridge, ON

Somaura Health and Wellness
(705) 645-6003
Bracebridge, ON

Huntsville

Muskoka Counselling
705.788.2539
Huntsville, ON

Touch Works
705.788.1408
Huntsville, ON

Lightbody Healing Touch Therapies
705.789.0469
Huntsville, ON

Dr. N.G. Ogston
705.789.8815
Huntsville, ON

Marnie Wagg, RHom
705.788.2222
Huntsville, ON

Dr. Brandy Strelec
705.789.8998
Huntsville, ON

Dr. David Ruttle
705.645.3283
Huntsville, ON

Dr. Lise Couture, AC
705.788.2222
Huntsville, ON

Mahigan Medicine
705.788.5600
Huntsville, ON

Gravenhurst

Gravenhurst Chiropractic Centre
705.687.2012
Gravenhurst, ON

Muskoka Holistic Centre
705.687.0225
Gravenhurst, ON

Back to Wellness Family Chiropractic
705.687.0225
Gravenhurst, ON

Dr. Perry Dean
705.687.2271
Gravenhurst, ON

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The Madill Church

The plaque reads:

This pioneer squared-timber church, one of the few remaining examples of its type in Ontario, was begun in 1872 and completed the next year. Following the surveys of Stephenson Township in 1862 and 1871 and the extension of the Muskoka Road to the freshly cleared town site of Huntsville in 1870, many settlers took up land in this area. One of these, John Madill, donated .5 ha of land for the church and burying ground and the members of the congregation contributed the logs. The first services were conducted by itinerant missionaries of the Wesleyan Methodist Church. Although no longer in regular use, an annual service is still held here by The United Church of Canada.

Vacationers to Muskoka are welcomed to attend church services during their stay; indeed, many parishes anticipate an inflated congregation as cottagers shuffle into the region. Protestant churches are in the majority, followed by Catholic, then other Christian sects. There aren’t any mosques or synagogues (yet) but the Muskoka Spiritualist Church operates in Bracebridge, and the Muskoka region is home to Camp Ramah, a Jewish summer camp.

Historical Churches of Muskoka

The Stone Church of Bala, was built in 1926 and is considered a historical landmark in Muskoka. In 2000, the church was retired from active use, but it remains as a heritage building. Even though the building has had many renovations, it still retains its original charm.

Named for Bala’s founder, Thomas W. Burgess, the stone church sits on an island surrounded by the gorgeous scenery and fresh air of the Muskoka Lakes – there can be no doubt it was built as a place of worship for locals and visitors. It was built back in the middle of the roaring twenties and constructed using of stones supplied by congregation members, some of whom were from the United States. The site is designated under the Ontario Heritage Act.

Sunday Services in Muskoka

At the bottom of this post is a comprehensive listing by town of the churches in Muskoka. Profiled here are three church communities in Bracebridge, Gravenhurst and Huntsville to give you an idea of what it might be like to drop into a Sunday service

St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church

Bracebridge, Ontario (705)645-2294

“We have a bulletin to welcome visitors,” says Carol, who works for the church office. “If new parishioners want to join they talk to [Fathers Asisclo Podelino and Martin Dalida].” She says about 200 families practice their faith at the church on a regular basis; in the summer it’s more, and they see summer visitors every year.

St. Joseph’s celebrates mass with great music–Saturday evening mass at 7:00 PM has a folk band with guitars and tambourines, and the choir sings on Sunday mornings at 9:00 AM.

Carol says that “meeting with the people, and fellowship,” are two of the best aspects of the St. Joseph’s community.

St. James Anglican Church

Gravenhurst, Ontario (705)687-4624

This parish list is a little over a hundred, but certainly inflates over cottage season. There is no choir in the summertime, but the congregation steps in to sing together, and no service is without at least four hymns.

When asked if St. James welcomes visitors, Lois, who works for the church office, said, “Of course! You come in and sit wherever you like–nobody owns the pew.”

And the best aspect of the St. James community?      “The fact that we serve the Eucharist every Sunday,” she quipped.

Riverside Baptist

Huntsville, Ontario – (705)789-5660

Sunday service starts at 10:00 AM and lasts an hour, and as you may have guessed, cottagers are welcome.

“Sometimes the ministers will ask if there’s any visitors, they’ll welcome them from the pulpit, and of course the ministers will shake the hands of the visitors afterward,” says Gloria, who will be retiring in August after working for the church for 40 years.

Riverside is unique in that its congregation actually dwindles during the summer months, as many members of the congregation leave the Muskoka area for their own vacations. Gloria says she makes about 165 bulletins in the winter as opposed to 130 during cottage season. Music is very important at Riverside: “We have a choir and organist and there’s a different musician every week. It’s all good. We have a fantastic minister. The sermons are fantastic and the music is always good.”

List of Churches in the Muskoka Region

Compiled by town, here is a comprehensive listing of places of worship in Muskoka. Have questions? Give the church a call, and remember, you are more than welcome!

Town of Bracebridge

St Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church
118 McMurray
Bracebridge, Ontario
(705) 645-2294

St Thomas Church
4 Mary Street
Bracebridge, Ontario
(705) 645-3486

First Baptist Church
67 Quebec
Bracebridge, Ontario
(705) 645-8510

Pinegrove Baptist Church
295 Taylor Road
Bracebridge, Ontario
(705) 645-4771

Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints
Taylor Road
Bracebridge, Ontario
(705) 645-8237

New Hope Free Methodist Church
17 Queen Street
Bracebridge, Ontario
(705) 645-4926

Jehovah’s Witnesses Kingdom Hall
Muskoka Road 4
Bracebridge, Ontario
(705) 645-1242

Knox Presbyterian Church
45 McMurray Street
Bracebridge, Ontario
(705) 645-4521

Pentecostal Church
38 Wellington Street
Bracebridge, Ontario
(705) 645-9121

Salvation Army
120 Taylor
Bracebridge, Ontario
(705) 645-2602

Seventh-Day Adventist Church
468 Bracebridge Road
Bracebridge, Ontario
(705) 645-3351

Bracebridge United Church Dominion
Bracebridge, Ontario
(705) 645-5713

Muskoka Falls United Church Muskoka Falls
Bracebridge, Ontario
(705) 645-2767

Muskoka Spiritualist Church                                                                                                              Bracebridge, Ontario                                                                                                                           (705)645-7311                                                                                                                                                    Town of Gravenhurst
St James Anglican Church
191 Hotchkiss Street
Gravenhurst, Ontario
(705) 687-4624

Apostolic Church
Muskoka Street South
Gravenhurst, Ontario
(705) 687-2101

Jehovah’s Witness-Kingdom Hall
335 Muskoka Beach Road
Gravenhurst, Ontario
(705) 687-5611

New Life Pentecostal Church
Highway 11 South
Gravenhurst, Ontario
(705) 687-8921

Knox Presbyterian Church
Muskoka Road
Gravenhurst, Ontario
(705) 687-4215

Salvation Army Church
620 Muskoka North
Gravenhurst, Ontario
(705) 687-2131

Lakeside Community Church Walker’s Point
Gravenhurst, Ontario
(705) 687-4421

United Church Office 290 MuskokaN
Gravenhurst, Ontaro
(705) 687-2542

Town of Huntsville
Saint Mary’s Church
12 Centre Street North
Huntsville, Ontario
(705) 789-2348

All Saints’ Anglican Church
30 High Street
Huntsville, Ontario
P1H 1N9
(705) 789-2216

Riverside Baptist Church
11 Riverside Drive
Huntsville, Ontario
P1H 1R6
(705) 789-7249

First Baptist Church
15 Main Street West
Huntsville, Ontario
P1H 2C5
(705) 789-5112

Faith Baptist Church
169 West Road
Huntsville, Ontario
P1H 1M7
(705) 789-5112

Mountain View Free Methodist Church
18 Brunel
Huntsville, Ontario
(705) 789-2246

Church Of Christ
Hilltop Drive
Huntsville, Ontario
(705) 789-6602

Bethel Pentecostal Tabernacle
35 Silverwood Drive
Huntsville, Ontario
(705) 789-4116

Saint Andrew’s Presbyterian Church
High Street
Huntsville, Ontario
(705) 789-7122

Salvation Army
4 Mary Street
Huntsville, Ontario
(705) 789-3398

Trinity United Church
33 Main Street East
Huntsville, Ontario
(705) 789-5660

Lock United Pastoral Charge
482 North Mary Lake Road
Huntsville, Ontario
(705) 789-9314

Port Carling

Glenwood Chapel
20 C4
Port Carling, Ontario
(705) 765-7128

Port Carling United Church 1 Armstrong Point Rd
Port Carling, Ontario
(705) 765-5596 Trinity

First Muskoka Congregational Christian Church
Hwy 169
Port Carling, Ontario
(705) 765-7180

Living Water Christian Church Muskoka
Port Carling, Ontario
(705) 765-6360

Knox Presbyterian Church
Joseph Street
Port Carling, Ontario
(705) 765-3797

Port Sydney

Christ Church
Port Sydney, Ontario
(705) 385-3546

Deer Lake Gospel Hall
Muskoka Road 46
Port Sydney, Ontario
(705) 385-1606

United Pentecostal Church of Muskoka
Port Sydney Road
Port Sydney – Utterson, Ontario
(705) 385-3656

Bala, Burk’s Falls, Dwight, Emsdale, Milford Bay, Sprucedale and Windermere

Parish of Muskoka Lakes
Milford Bay
(705) 764-1963

St Alban’s Anglican Church
1024 Bala Falls Road
Bala, Ontario
(705) 762-5944

Burgess Memorial Baptist Church
1035 Bala Falls Road
Bala, Ontario
(705) 762-0058

Faith Chapel-Rural Life Mission
15 ClO
Sprucedale, Ontario
(705) 685-7114

Bala United Church 3115 Highway 169
Bala, Ontario
(705) 762-0116

Burk’s Falls United Church
Yonge
Burk’s Falls
(705) 382-3325

Lake of Bays United Church
Dwight, Ontario
(705) 635-1622

United Church of Canada
RR or PO Box
Emsdale Pastoral Charge
43 Hwy 518 East
(705) 636-1515

Windermere Pastoral Charge United Church
Windermere, Ontario
(705) 769-2052

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