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    A month by month calendar of MLA events.

    Events Calendar

  • Seedling Day 


    Thank you for coming out to the 2022 Seedling Day.

    See you in 2023!


    Plants available in 2019

    Riparian Lake Edge Garden

    Lake Edge flowers, shrubs and grasses that provide important habitat that will directly and indirectly help fish populations. If the lake/river/pond water level varies, be sure to plant beyond the highest point of water edge fluctuation. 

    Monarch Butterfly Gardens

     A mix of 38 native wildflowers from Southern Ontario, chosen to provide food for all stages of the butterfly's life cycle. By planting a monarch butterfly garden in your yard, you provide important habitat and food. Plant in full sun, all types of soil, however a good loam will provide better results.

    Red Oak (Native Deciduous) - Quercus Rubra

    Beautiful large tree, excellent for landscape use . Prefers sand/loam soils, with a well to moderate drainage. Red Oaks should be planted in a full sun to partial shade environment. Squirrels and wild turkeys are attracted to the acorns. Can grow up to 24 meters. “A good candidate to battle against Climate change as it can grow in harsher conditions. It will also be an important species to counteract the devastating impacts of the Beech Bark Disease currently killing our American beech in the Parry Sound/Muskoka area, as Red Oak is considered second to American beech in terms of importance as a mast species for wildlife such as deer and bear.”

    White Birch (Native Deciduous) Betula Papyrifera

    Found on forest edges, lakeshores and roadsides, usually mixed with other birches, pines, spruces, hemlock, maples. Resistant to most diseases.

    White Pine (Native Evergreen) - Pinus Strobus

    This is a rapid growing tree with wide spreading lateral roots and is an important nesting and perching tree. This tree achieves a maximum height of 30 meters in dry or moist conditions. A shore stabilization tree, it requires a sunny or part-shade environment.

    White Spruce (Native Evergreen) - Picea Glauca

    White Spruce grow on a variety of soils under a wide range of conditions. This includes moist or wet conditions in the sun or part-sun. It can be used for shore stabilization. Needles are short and light green in colour.  Excellent for Christmas trees, windbreaks and landscape. They can grow up to 24 meters.

    White Cedar (Native Evergreen) - Thuja Occidentalis

    Narrow growing. Makes excellent hedging plants. Dark green foliage. Grows in wet areas, but tolerates most soils. Better in sand, loam, clay types of soil; it can grow up to 15 meters.

    Red Osier Dogwood (Native Deciduous Shrub) - Cornus Sericea

    Noted for its red branches, great background with snow. Produces small white flowers and white berries. Should be planted in a dry to moist sand/loam/clay soil; full sun to partial shade. Red osier dogwoods can grow up to 3 meters and are excellent for erosion control.

    American Highbush Cranberry (Native Deciduous Shrub)  Vacinium Macrocarpon

    Found in swamps and open bogs on wet shores of ponds and streams.

    Serviceberry (Native Deciduous Shrub) Amelanchier Arborea

    Wildly distributed in Southern Ontario, in open fields, edges of woods, thickets, wooded slopes, sandy bluffs and rocky ridges.

    Ostrich Fern (Native Perennials)

    This fern is deer resistant, and should be planted in a moist sand/slit soil,  with partial shade/sun exposure. It strives along streams and riverbanks and in moist forested sites.

    Speckled Alder (Native Alnus Rugose)

    Small Tree or Shrub. Does well in wet areas, likes streams and banks. Can withstand cold weather climates. Deer resistant and has a moderately fast growth rate. Can identify from other alders or similar species as it has pores or speckles on its branches. This alder has nitrogen fixing properties and is know to help poplars and ash species nearby to grow quickly. The alder itself is a fast growing species.

    Pussy Willow (Native Salix Discolor)

    Commonly found throughout Ontario Lives in damp meadows and along shorelines. These trees have invasive roots, so plant your cuttings far away from septic tank fields, sewer lines, or water lines. Pussy Willows can be kept more compact and shrub-like through proper pruning. These plants love moisture. They thrive along banks of streams in the wild and are useful for controlling soil erosion. 

    Sources:

    · On the Living Edge – Your handbook for waterfront Living, Sarah Kipp, Clive Callaway Conservation Ontario , 2003

    · Richardson’s Pineneedle Farms – 2018 Seedling Guide

    · Sassafras Farms

    · Michael Henry, R.P.F.—ShoreLines Fall 2015

    · Forests Ontario

  • The Annual MLA Regatta, the oldest continuously run co-ed regatta in North America, maintains a tradition of family, fun, and aquatic competition on the Saturday of the Civic Holiday weekend.

    Despite years with steady or occasional downpours the regatta always has a great turn out. The regatta is a wonderful way for families to participate together in rowing, paddling and swimming events.

    The regatta wouldn’t be possible without the generous hospitality of the Muskoka Lakes Golf & Country Club on Lake Rosseau, the generous sponsors, and the many volunteers. Thanks to the assistance of all of the staff at the club, and the use of the wonderful facilities.

    Last, but certainly not least, to the many individuals who donate time to plan, lend a hand on the day, and donate materials to make the day a huge success.

    Come out & join in!

    July 30th, 2022


    Interested in volunteering?

  • 2022 Antique Boat Show is BACK!

    August 13th, 2022


    Celebrating MLA 129 Years 

    Saturday August 13th,  2022 - 10AM - 4PM

    The Muskoka Lakes Association Boat Show is back. On August 13th after a three year wait it returns to Port Carling.

    The MLA Antique Boat Show began in 1971 and has been held bi-annually since, honouring boats that have been built in Muskoka or have spent most of their life in Muskoka waters. This show is a tribute to our Muskoka boat building heritage.

    The theme is Moving Forward and features a selection of beautiful 1930s boats. 1930 turned out to be a pivotal year in boat designs. In Muskoka, the heritage of long deck launches with vertical windshields and a steering station located midship and behind the engine hatches gave way to “forward drive” configurations with steering ahead of the engine and behind stylishly sloping windshields. Some owners actually had their old-fashioned launches converted to “forward drive” which helped to kept boatbuilders busy through the depression.

    This years poster features Caprice, a unique 26’ triple cockpit MinettShields built in 1936 and featured at the New York Boat Show in the same year. Caprice is owned by Jonathon Blair who acquired it from his Grandfather, Alf Mortimer, founder and long-time proprietor of the Port Sandfield Marina.

    August 13th shows off many finely crafted boats demonstrating the evolution of Muskoka boat building from the 1800s. Come out and enjoy a day with these fine craft. Chat with their owners. There will also be a display of vintage outboard motors, music and good fun.

    The show runs from 10 AM until 4 PM. Admission is free.

    Moving Forward!

    Featuring

    the Caprice!

    Our next Antique Boat Show 

    August 13th, 2022


    Port Carling Locks & Bartleman Island


    Free admission

    Everyone welcome!

    We Celebrated MLA 125 Years in 2018

    Mark August 11, 2018 in your calendar as the date of the MLA bi-annual Antique Boat Show in Port Carling.  This year’s theme will be “Celebrating 125 years” featuring many of Muskoka’s oldest surviving boats, many more than 100 years old.  Muskoka’s antique and classic boats are a unique treasure in the world and draw the attention of the most informed collectors. 

    This summer we will celebrate the stories of some of these remarkable boats.  We expect more than 70 boats to be on display and their proud custodian’s to be available to answer your questions about their history in Muskoka.

    The first boats in Muskoka were rowing skiffs, sail boats and steam powered boats beginning in the 1860’s.  Canoes, rowboats and sail boats were built in Muskoka but the most of the steam powered boats came from southern Ontario and New York State.  Larger Muskoka built boats burst on the scene in the early nineteen hundreds with the advent of gasoline engines. 

    This year’s poster boat is from the in between years.  The Heather Belle was built in 1902 by the Marine Engine and Machine Co of Harrison New Jersey.  It was powered by a naphtha engine which was designed much like a steam engine but instead of boiling water it operated by boiling naphtha.  As frightening as this sounds it operated at lower temperatures and pressures than steam and did not require a licensed steam engineer to operate it.  The Naphtha also acted as a lubricant so required less attention while under way.  The Heather Belle was repowered with a gasoline engine and was operated for many years by George Thorel of Thorel House near Morinus on Lake Rosseau.

    Graeme Ferguson had the 36’ Heather Belle restored and repowered with an electric motor.  He uses the boat regularly on the Lake of Bays and has kindly agreed to bring it to the MLA Antique Boat Show for your viewing pleasure.  Come to the show to see this stunning historical artifact. 

    The MLA Boat Show brings together fine surviving examples of the wooden boats built and used in Muskoka by those who went before us.  These wooden boats are maintained and cared for as never before.  The current custodians of these unique craft will be at the show and they love to tell the history and stories of their boats.  With luck and love, these boats live on to tell their stories for many generations.

    This year also features demonstrations of Sea Fleas to stir youthful imaginations and a display of vintage outboard motors provided by the Maple Leaf Outboard Club.  Rember Saturday, August 11 and come, and enjoy a day with these fine craft and their owners.  The show runs from 10AM to 4 PM and admission is free.

    Our next Antique Boat Show will be held in 2018.

    Stay tuned!


    Port Carling Locks & Bartleman Island


    Free admission

    Everyone welcome!

  • Thank you to everyone who attended the 2019 MLA Mixed Bonspiel!

    We will see you next year!

  • MLA Sailing Regattas

    2022

    July 31st!


  • MLA Seminars


    2019 MLA Seminars

    The MLA is pleased to offer three upcoming seminars.
    Safe Quiet Lakes, Muskoka Conservancy and the Muskoka Discovery Centre.

    More information on the seminars can be found via LINK


    2018 MLA Seminars

    The Future of Resort Development in Muskoka
    Sunday, July 15, 2018 – 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
    Port Carling Community Centre

     

    The MLA is pleased to offer a special information update on a most controversial topic; The Future of Resort Development in Muskoka. Regardless of where you are located in Muskoka, this issue has the ability to impact your property. As such, resort development has become the red-hot land use issue in Muskoka and, with an election scheduled this October, all Muskokans
    need to be informed.
    Anne McCauley, Chair of MLA’s Political Land Use Committee, has been leading the charge, in collaboration with our legal counsel, and will be talking about the latest information on this topic, what new resorts are being proposed or are under construction as well as answering your questions. Anne is a professional land use planner and will explain why some of the District and Township ideas are of concern and why they are not consistent with MLA values.
    Members and the general public are equally welcome.

     

    RSVP to 705-765-5723 or info@mla.on.ca


    Forests Ontario - Fight Against Climate Change 

    Saturday, August 18, 2018 – 10:30 a.m.
    Bala Community Centre


    Join us and meet Rob Keen, the CEO of Forest Ontario, as we explore the range of benefits that our forests provide, including the important role they play in the fight against climate change.

    Free for MLA members, $10 fee for non-members (free for kids)
    RSVP to 705-765-5723 or info@mla.on.ca


    2017 MLA Seminars

    Come join us and meet with speaker Chris Cragg, Muskoka Lakes Association’s Chair of the Water Quality and Environment Committee and member of the Water Level Task Force, to learn about water level management in Muskoka. We’ll also explore tips about how to protect your cottage from flooding.

    Get a close encounter with live reptiles! Come meet the Saving Turtles At Risk Today (START) team and learn everything there is to know about turtles. This is a family friendly presentation, with a chance to handle animals.

    What to do in case of…? Join our panel of experts to learn and get ready for emergencies in cottage country. We will have the Fire Department, the Paramedic Services and the Emergency Planning all together; the three presentations will be followed by a Q & A session.


    2016 MLA Seminars

    Keeping the cottage in the family isn’t always easy. We will be addressing many issues from how the taxes will be paid, how best to transfer ownership and how to ensure that family harmony is maintained as the property gets passed down.

    Join Steve Munro from Westwind Forest Stewardship as he talks about how you can prepare your property and your trees for the changing climate.  He will also discuss some best practices for backlot maintenance.

    Read Presentation

    Climate is changing in Muskoka just as it is changing elsewhere, and we are powerless to alter the trajectory by taking local action. Instead, we must adapt to the changes coming, while supporting the global actions that need to take place if we are to avert truly serious changes in climate later in this century. To adapt effectively, we must plan ahead and be proactive.

    Dr. Sale will talk about the likely mid-century climate and how it is likely to impact our lives. He will explain why careful planning and action are needed by individuals as well as by government, and how we might act to retain the special environment we all value highly.

    Read Presentation

    See the full video presentation on YouTube here.