The 1,600 or so lakes of the Muskoka region of central Ontario, two hours north of Toronto, are not on the radar of many people from the UK. However, since development in the area began in the1860s, its three largest lakes – Muskoka, Joseph and Rosseau – have relied heavily on ships and boats for transport and pleasure.
The original settlers were encouraged by the prospect of land grants for farming, but, as one wrily remarked, ‘it seems God ran out of dirt when he made this spot’. The government’s agricultural plan faltered, leaving logging as the only source of income until the government was persuaded that construction of a lock at Port Carling, between Lakes Muskoka and Rosseau, would open up the entire lake system
