2019
Rest Harbour Barn
This is the inside of an old barn that was on a property dating back to about 140 years. It was once owned by the Judd family who were well known in the Minett area of Muskoka. The barn and an old boathouse were for sale back when I photographed them in 2010. I was a little careful not to go prowling inside the barn as it didn’t look very safe. A year or so after my visit I heard the barn had collapsed to the ground. I noticed this little detail of a cross or shamrock at the peak of the roof. It is my last memory of the barn and I had hoped that whomever the new owners would be that they would save this as a momento. I was recently invited back to this property where the owners have built a architecturally beautiful cottage and boathouse. Unfortunately they were not aware of the carved detail and it was lost in the ruble. I was able to provide them with my photos of the boathouse and beautiful acreage they now enjoy.
In: historic muskoka, in and around muskoka ontario, uncategorized
2019
FlyBoarding
Summer Water Sports or SWS puts on some great ski shows around the Muskoka area. If you have not caught one I highly recommend it. I was over at Clevelands House on Canada Day when I took a few snaps of these Flyboarders. Team SWS has some of the best water skiers and flyboarders in the world. They can even teach you these skills.
In: in and around muskoka ontario, on the water, uncategorized
2019
Bruce the Moose is Loose
Meet Bruce the Moose. He’s been hanging out at a friends cottage for a couple of days. He is uncharacteristically friendly for some reason. A few people have chimed in on my Instagram page thinking that poor Bruce may be suffering from a deadly brain worm called Parelaphostrongylus Tenuis. I was out taking photos a few years back when a White-Tailed Deer walked right by maybe about 3 feet away. It was very strange at the time experiencing this. I now wonder if maybe he was suffering from the same affliction as Bruce.
In: in and around muskoka ontario, tripin around towns, uncategorized
2019
X Marks the Spot
X marks the spot. Another boathouse in need of structural work on Lake Rosseau in Muskoka. I’ll watch to see if it comes down and gets replaced or if they repair it. It may be beyond repairs by the look of the structural damage. Either way it is going to be expensive. Please click on the image for a biggie size.
In: boathouses of muskoka, historic muskoka, in and around muskoka ontario, on the water
2019
Wyvern Boathouse
There is a nice quiet bay on Lake Rosseau I occasionally boat into and drop anchor for a swim. Not far away sits this historic boathouse called Wyvern. I know absolutely nothing about it other than the name emblazoned across the top. Over the years I am finding that many of these historic and unique boathouses are becoming neglected and are in need of some love. The neglect happens for a number of reasons including financial resources, aging owners not being involved and the next generation not caring. It takes a lot of money and care to upkeep these places. Just finding contractors to do the work is another factor. Unfortunately many of these places will eventually be bulldozed and replaced with something modern.
In: boathouses of muskoka, historic muskoka, in and around muskoka ontario, on the water
2019
Back in the Saddle
Finally! – some warmer weather to get out and do some boating. Even on the Victoria Day long weekend there was hardly a boat on the lakes. Only the odd marina service boat was out scuttling about. I’ve been out on my Seadoo a few times and took this photo the other day at sundown while exploring the middle of Lake Joe. iPhone photography.
In: boathouses of muskoka, in and around muskoka ontario, on the water
2019
Muskoka Magic Returns
It has been an unusual spring in Muskoka. With the recent flooding and continuation of chilly weather it has not been ideal for gardening, boating, swimming or just sitting on the patio or dock to enjoy a drink. There is promise in the air. Here is a photo I took during sunset the other night casting a very warm Muskoka magic glow.
In: boathouses of muskoka, in and around muskoka ontario, on the water
2019
Catastrophic Flooding Hits Muskoka
As you are probably aware by now Muskoka and other parts of Ontario are experiencing catastrophic flooding. It is not unusual to experience high water in Muskoka during the spring freshet however it is not normal to experience such serious flooding as we are getting now. The first large flood was in 2013 and I documented it on this Blog. There was another in 2017 and now an even bigger and likely more damaging flood happening right now.
Below are some of the photos of this disastrous 2019 flood mostly taken on Lake Muskoka. The brunt of the damage is on Lake Muskoka as both branches of the Muskoka River flow into it as well as water from Lakes Joseph and Rosseau. The Ministry follows a guideline set out by the Muskoka River Water Management Plan and draws down the lakes through the dam located in Bala, Ontario which exits into the Moon River and down to Georgian Bay. The draw down is supposed to prevent this kind of flooding. It appears everything was done according to plan however we still received disastrous results. There was a record amount of snow this winter combined with lots of rain during the run-off. It is difficult to say whether anything else could have been done to mitigate the damage resulting from these floods.
Photo disclaimer:
Please note that none of these photos belong to me. They have been gathered from various social media posts mainly Muskoka 411 News and RS Muskoka. I always like to acknowledge the original source of photos however it has been difficult to track everyone down due to the influx of photos posted. If I have posted your photo please let me know and I will gladly credit you and thank you for sharing.
In: boathouses of muskoka, in and around muskoka ontario, on the water, uncategorized
2018
The Last Breath of a Muskoka Autumn
The last days of fall were upon us when this shot was taken. And now the winter has approached just like that.
In: in and around muskoka ontario, on the water, uncategorized
2018
Thinking About Spiders on my Dock
I’m fascinated by the design of spider webs. The strength of the silk and the overall design of the web itself are key factors in its resiliency. They are designed to sacrifice some failure points in order to preserve the overall integrity of the web. Even after facing extreme winds and torrential downpours they still survive. How spider webs achieve their strength.
In: in and around muskoka ontario, on the water, uncategorized
2018
Nobody Loves Me Anymore
I posted this photo of a run down boathouse over on my Instagram account. It got quite a few comments from you Muskoka people who are out there and know whats going on. I have been watching this Lake Rosseau boathouse slowly deteriorate over the years. I would imagine with the cost of lake front property, taxes and low inventory that this property will be transformed into something new someday. You rarely see any old relics that are falling apart on the lake any more. Even the boathouse up on Fairy Island is gone now however the cottage still stands among the trees.
In: boathouses of muskoka, historic muskoka, in and around muskoka ontario, on the water
2018
Sullivan Island, Lake Joe
I was cruising back home via Seadoo after visiting a friend at the bottom end of Lake Joe. I headed due north passing by Caniff Island and then by Sullivan Island. I looked over at Sullivan Island and it looked perfect with the backdrop of clouds. I have not been traveling as much with my big Nikon camera so I whipped out my trustee iPhone X and got this shot.
In: boathouses of muskoka, in and around muskoka ontario, on the water
2018
Blasting By
There was still some light as I headed back to the cottage at the end of a long run up the lake. Even though we are at peek summer this is the only boat I happened to see blasting by on the north end of Lake Joseph. And I’m OK with that.
2018
The Protest to Stop Waterfront Subdivisions in Muskoka
Here is a short video I made while participating in the Sound the Alarm Boat Rally in Muskoka August 25th, 2018. This is in protest of developers turning existing waterfront resorts into subdivisions. The environmental impact of high density housing on shorelines is the main driver. The protest was held in front of the old Lakeside Lodge which was torn down and will have 43 new cottages built on 470 ft of shoreline. Normally 1 or 2 cottages would be built on a lot this size not 43. This all has to do with the new official plan and a developer friendly Mayor and a few Councilors. I assure you this is more than a NIMBY situation. I copied from the Save Muskoka website below.
Official plans set the rules of land use and development for a municipality. This new plan would allow any of Muskoka’s 80-plus waterfront resorts to be redeveloped into high-density residential enclaves – thanks to a developer-friendly redefinition of what constitutes a “Resort”. The District of Muskoka’s planners, in a misguided attempt to prop up the ailing resort industry, are proposing that 50% of all new units may be sold and operated as fully residential units, without the requirement to rent. The other 50% can be sold with minimal (and unenforceable) rental obligations. It is, simply, residential densification under the guise of being a “Resort”. Ironically the real effect maybe doing away with resorts entirely.
http://savemuskoka.ca
In: in and around muskoka ontario, on the water, uncategorized
2018
Sunset Cruise
What a great summer this has been. Maybe the best in a decade especially if you are spending time on the water. I’ve been using my trusty Seadoo more than my boat these days especially when traveling solo. I love to do a final run on the water as the sun drops to conclude the day.
2018
Feet In Cold Water
There was this awesome Canadian band from the 1970’s called A Foot in Cold Water. Maybe you’ve heard of them? They had a hit song called; Make Me Do Anything You Want. I seem to recall they had an album cover with some dangling feet in cold water. I took this photo with my trusty iPhone off my dock thinking about them. There’s nothing like dangling your feet off the dock on a warm day.
In: in and around muskoka ontario, on the water, uncategorized
2018
onecallaway
ONECALLAWAY – is the name of the cottage. Years ago when we were thinking of purchasing this cottage we weren’t sure what to do. Should we or shouldn’t we? Our friend Rob was visiting the office and gave us a little push. He said “do it, it will be a great lifestyle choice” Rob continued “You never know about life, it could be over tomorrow. We could be One Call Away from the Doctor telling us so”. Over the years Rob has visited and also referred to our cottage as onecallaway and it stuck.
In: in and around muskoka ontario, on the water, uncategorized
2018
Dog Days of Summer Solstice
Today is the longest day of sunlight in 2018. Of course that is only true if you live north of the equator. The summer solstice is upon us.
These two skimmed by my cottage a few years back. I didn’t know what else to do with the photo so I’m posting it here. 🙂 Don’t forget to visit my Instagram where I post at least one photo per day. Mostly Muskoka related but sometimes my travels get in the way.
http://instagram.com/edboutilier
2018
Show Ski Canada – Off the Docks at Clevelands
I was enjoying lunch and a brew at Pie Wood Fired Pizza on the upper deck at Cleveland’s House recently and noticed Show Ski Canada practicing. The SWS Muskoka people with the marina next door are very involved with some of their people on the team and their Mastercraft boat powering up the talented skiers. It’s SWS that runs the amazing water ski shows around Muskoka. If you haven’t seen a show I highly recommend you check one out. Schedule here. This year the Deerhurst in Huntsville Ontario is hosting the World Water Ski Show Tournament September 7-9, 2018.
In: in and around muskoka ontario, on the water, tripin around towns
2018
New Season – Same Old Sign
Hello – are you still out there? It has been some time since I have updated this Blog. I will continue to do so over the cottage season months as there is still plenty of traffic coming here looking for Muskoka related content. I think in general most blog traffic on the web has dropped off due to the growth of social media. As I mentioned in a previous post I put up one photo per day on Instagram. Usually lots of Muskoka related photos and some of my travels and other areas of interest. You can follow me here if you like. instagram.com/edboutilier
The sign in the photo below was carved by my brother Tim and I when we were up on Otter Lake in the 1990’s. Tim was taken by the Great Spirit at 36 years old so it has special meaning to me. I always smile when I see it overlooking the patio. It is a constant reminder of the good times we had hanging out at night around the fire listening to great tunes, fixing up the cottage and of course out in the boat all day.
