Elegant Muskoka Cottage
on Lake Muskoka

Muskoka has a lot to offer churchgoers in the summertime. The area has a long history of religious involvement, and some of the region’s oldest churches still stand as testament to their ancestors’ devotion. One wooden church in Huntsville, The Madill, was built in 1872 and today remains in such great shape that an annual Sunday service is still held there every year, the third Sunday in July by the United Church of Canada. The service is led by layperson Gail Martin of Bracebridge who usually takes the opportunity to relate the story of a settler named John Madill who donated a half-acre of his land for the church and a burial ground and each family donated two rounds of logs. The church they would build of this rough-hewn wood still bears the name of Madill to this day.

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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