Under the current blind bidding system, potential buyers submit offers without knowing the contents of competing offers. The seller’s agent must disclose the number of offers received to all other parties who have submitted an offer, but none of the details – whether price or conditions.
The new regulations coming into effect April 1, 2023 would allow sellers the option of an open bidding process. Blind bidding will still be allowed, but it will depend on what the seller wants. Should they chose to opt for open bidding, the brokerages who represent them would disclose details of competing offers.
The Ontario government says these new regulations will help to make the home buying process more transparent, bringing down the rapidly inflating cost of homes. Blind bidding does create an opportunity for sellers to drive up prices by signing back offers for a higher price, with the potential buyer left guessing how much (if any) improvement would actually be needed to beat out the other offers on the table. With that said, it’s hard to see why the majority of sellers would chose to have open bidding with blind bidding still an option.
If this new open bidding process proves to be a popular option, it may increase trust between buyers and their agents – there seems to be a common misconception that agents are the driving force behind not disclosing the details of other offers, when in reality it is the current law. A more transparent process would ease that mistrust – as well as the huge amount of fatigue buyers are feeling in the current market.
I personally don’t think this move will change much – blind bidding benefits sellers, not buyers – so putting the choice in the hands of the seller seems to point to an obvious outcome.
There will be other changes to the Trust in Real Estate Services Act (TRESA) coming into effect in April 2023 as well: simpler standardized forms, and more disciplinary powers to the Real Estate Council of Ontario (RECO), the body in charge of enforcing rules for real estate salespeople and brokers.
The Doug Cross Stewardship Recognition Program, named for a late member of the Muskoka Watershed Council, aims to help local community and lake organizations across Muskoka’s watersheds recognize residents who protect the local watershed.
Each year from January 1-31, eligible organizations can register to receive a free recognition package from Muskoka Watershed Council. That organization will select a winner as they see fit. Each recognition package contains a Certificate of Recognition and a $50 gift card to Hidden Habitat native plant Nursery in Kilworthy – who happen to be the local expert we recommend when it comes to advice on naturalizing your shoreline!
Doug Cross, via www.muskokawatershed.org
Here is what the Muskoka Watershed Council has to say about Doug Cross:
“Doug Cross sat on the Muskoka Watershed Council from 2004 to 2008 as a representative for the Bracebridge Community. During his time on MWC, he used his extensive background and expertise in media communications to help get MWC’s messages out to the community. As Chair of MWC’s Communications Committee, he spearheaded the development of the Best Practices Program and secured a number of PSAs on local radio stations in support of the program.
Even after stepping down from MWC in 2008, Doug was a frequent visitor to the MWC office and attended many MWC events. He was a great advocate for MWC in the community and he continued his support with a generous donation to MWC upon his passing on January 25, 2020 at the age of 76. MWC is proud to name the Stewardship Recognition Program after Doug Cross as a way to encourage members of our communities to keep our watersheds beautiful.”
We hope that there were lots of good highlights for you in 2021 and that you were able to enjoy a rich holiday season.
Winter is historically a slower time in real estate. Comparatively speaking, this has been a strong late fall/winter season so far. Overall sales volume is down somewhat, but that is due to few sales, which we attribute to lack of inventory. Individual sale prices are up from last year and continue to trend upwards.
Please see the individual charts for Muskoka and please feel free to contact me at 705-801-2304 for more details on anything you have a particular interest in. We have the stats at our fingertips and our job is to help you decipher them.
Muskoka Lakes:
Huntsville:
Bracebridge:
Gravenhurst:
Have a wonderful start to what promises to be a wonderful year – Happy 2022 Everybody!
I’ve just spent my first Christmas away from my family – because I’m in the UK! You can find more info on that in my last post, but long story short, I was on an extended trip and didn’t want to travel home for Christmas and help spread Omicron to Muskoka. Since I’ve just experienced my first British Christmas, I thought I would write about a few differences between Canadian Christmas and Christmas in the UK.
The Queen’s Christmas Broadcast
Every year, the Queen delivers a Christmas message reflecting on current issues and concerns the UK faces, and what Christmas means to her and her followers. More than 9 million viewers tuned in for her address this year. Though this isn’t a tradition in every household, it is in many, and even families who don’t watch every year seem to tune in from time to time.
For some, it is a very serious occasion – my dad Steve remembers visiting his Great Grandmother (born in England) every year on Christmas morning. She would be dressed up for the occasion, and he and his brother Chris would be kicked out of the room for the Queen’s Christmas message. You are also supposed to stand for the National anthem (God Save the Queen). Or maybe for the entire speech… it’s been different depending on who I’ve asked. This investigative reporter has been inundated with sherry and pigs in blankets, so I’ll settle on reporting that some standing is certainly involved.
Obsession with Chocolate Orange
As kids, we would often get a Terry’s chocolate orange in our Christmas stocking. I know many families enjoy chocolate oranges at Christmas, but England takes it to another level entirely. I pointed this out to my friend when Christmas items started appearing in stores at the beginning of November. My friend responded with “well, we definitely have a few but I don’t think there’s that many?” And so my quest to find as many chocolate orange items as possible began.
I made an instagram post the other day where I counted through 49 of them (forgetting about the chocolate orange milk in our fridge, and the chocolate orange subway cookie we had picked up). This also doesn’t include a few items that we had seen in November but could no longer find, like yorkies and lion bars. Cookies, chocolate, even diet bars – if you like chocolate orange, England is the place for you.
I wasn’t kidding when I said OBSESSED!
Christmas Day Foods
Many of the traditional Christmas dinner items in Canada are the same as in the UK – some sort of fowl as the main, stuffing, potatoes, sprouts, green beans, gravy, and cranberry sauce. The stuffing is different – it does use breadcrumbs, but it seems much heavier on the sausage and has the addition of chestnuts. British Christmas dinner includes a few things that the Canadian version doesn’t – Christmas pudding (except for in some families), and pigs in blankets (an absolute must here).
It’s also traditional to have mincemeat pies on Christmas Day and at Christmas celebrations here – something I’ve never known anyone to do in Canada (but let us know if your family does!).
White Christmas
In recent years, this has changed a little… but growing up you could pretty much always expect to have a white Christmas! In England this is a rarity. We actually ended up having snow on Christmas night this year… and at home in Port Carling there was none! Notwithstanding this role reversal, generally you can expect snow in Muskoka and a green (no, really!) Christmas in England… well, and grey. Grey skies always.
Brussels Sprouts Products
Okay, so we may have sprouts at Christmas… but we don’t love them nearly as much as the Brits do. I was amazed when Christmas season hit and they started popping up everywhere – I’ve seen Brussels Sprouts:
Ornaments
Socks (I bought these – Brussels ‘pouts,’ and all the sprouts had big red lips!)
Stress balls
Truffles
Milk Chocolates
Gift bags
Wrapping paper
Gin
A suit (seriously, yes – I’ll include a picture)
Sauce
Cards
Source: amazon.co.uk
Boxing Day
Boxing Day is one of the biggest shopping days in Canada – that’s not much of a thing in England. I found most shops closed, aside from grocery stores. There is a different tradition though – a boxing day dip! The friend I’m staying with has parents who live near the coast, where people run into the ocean on Boxing Day – sometimes for charity, sometimes just for fun. Sounds a little less cushy than our tradition!
Source: thenorthernecho.co.uk
My friend’s mum also told me about her grandparents, who were married on Boxing Day. A lot of people struggled for money back then, so they would get married on Boxing Day to take advantage of the Christmas leftovers. Smart!
And that’s it – all the differences between Christmas in England and Canada that I’ve found so far. Did I miss anything? Leave a comment and let me know! And Happy New Year to all!
I am lucky in my career. I live in a gorgeous place, spend much of my time with people I admire, and tour incredible cottages on the regular. I am also lucky to live in a place with a bustling summer season, and a real estate partner I can take turns covering in-person business with during the slower winter season.
I decided to take advantage of that this year, and take a trip to visit a friend in England. I booked my trip for four months down the road (in the end of October), crossed my fingers, and waited. When the time finally came there were no travel advisories. I had been double jabbed, and I was all set to go. After six amazing weeks of exploring England, driving the North Coast 500 in Scotland, visiting endless castles, and taking my first trip to Ireland (Dublin), it was time to come home.
Urquhart Castle on Loch Ness in Drumnadrochit, Scotland – said to be a favourite haunt of Nessie!
There was only one problem… Omicron! My return was originally scheduled for December 15th, in time for me to be home for Christmas. By a week before my planned return the new variant had started to become a major news story. By a few days before? Cases were surging, and travel advisories were being issued. The UK was ahead of Canada in cases – Omicron was set to be the dominant variant in London (where I’d be flying out of) by December 16th – just one day after my flight. I didn’t want to risk flying home & potentially being part of the spread, so I hopped online and booked a new flight – for March! Thank goodness I did. Cases continued to surge, and I was able to book a booster shot here sooner than I would have been able to at home.
Spofforth Castle, Harrogate, England
Anyway, remote work it is! And there’s another way I’m lucky – aside from a few in person meetings like showings and listing appointments, I’m able to do the majority of my work online. I will have to post another blog about that… it’s amazing how much we are able to do remotely these days! And I have my partner Catharine Inniss on the ground in Muskoka to cover the rest.
If you want some information on the market, or if you’re looking to buy or sell, please don’t hesitate to contact Catharine at 705-801-2304, or to email me at len@cottageinmuskoka.ca.
A bridge at Hardcastle Crags, Hebden Bridge, England
See you next time, when I talk about some differences between Christmas in Canada and Christmas in the United Kingdom! Merry Christmas everyone – I’m off to eat some pigs in blankets!
As the leaves turn colour and slowly fall to the ground, Muskoka turns to the fourth quarter of the year and embraces a strong real estate market. This fall we are comparing statistics from last September to this September and analyzing the activity from July to July, September to September. Despite the traditional slowing of the market as we face the end of the year, average prices are up (over one million), and the real estate market remains strong in Muskoka. The market has made a slight shift to normal, but still leans heavily in the seller camp.
Median sale price overall is up! This is across The Lakelands, which includes Muskoka, Parry Sound, Haliburton and Orillia.
The Gateway to Muskoka is a popular destination for cottaging and year round living.
The Bracebridge median price is slightly lower than Gravenhurst, but up from last year, which set records.
Huntsville median price is close to $700,000.00. Huntsville has a good combination of non waterfront and waterfront properties.
The median sales price in Muskoka Lakes is over one million dollars. There are plenty of lovely homes and cottages here.
RESIDENTIAL SALES IN MUSKOKA
Today’s snapshot –
There are 278 active listings for a total asking price of $406,536,876.00 The average price is $1,462,363.00. Average days on the market is 59, which is longer than we have recently seen.
There are 67 closed listings for a total price of $70,490,210.00. The average price here is $1.052,093.00. Days on market – 24.
Conditional sales total 29 for a total price of $22,346,700.00. The average price is $770,576.00. Days on market – 56.
Pending sales 237 for a total price of $257,328,494.00 with an average price of $1,085,774.00. Days on market – 33
Overall lack of inventory in Muskoka and the Greater Golden Horseshoe is keeping prices strong. There is a shortage of single family homes, cottages and rental properties. Muskoka continues to be a much sought after destination.
Dollar Volume of Sales Down 20.4% in Bracebridge from this time last year.Inventory Report July 20Inventory Report July 2020
Fall has arrived in Muskoka. The days are getting cool, the colours are changing, and our cottaging friends are preparing to close up for the winter. But the fun isn’t over yet – every year Muskoka has more and more events that that extend the tourist season. We’re grateful for that, because we aren’t ready to say goodbye just yet.
So, what’s there to do in Cottage Country this Autumn?
Cranberry Festival & Johnston’s Cranberry Marsh
The Bala Cranberry Festival is a Muskoka tradition. This Festivals and Events Ontario Top 100 Event has been running for 35 years now, with a mission of extending Muskoka’s tourist season and providing financial assistance to organizations and individuals in need.
Getting your photo taken in Johnston Cranberry Marsh is one of the best fall photo opportunities (must be booked ahead). Don’t worry, they’ll provide the waders. Don’t forget to book a tasting, tour, or wagon ride at Muskoka Lakes Farm & Winery while you’re there.
These nine Muskoka chairs are a self-guided tour, meant to showcase the best views in Muskoka! The locations of the chairs are: the Bala Town Dock, James Bartleman Island, Hardy Lake Provincial Park, Huckleberry Rock lookout, Moon River Lookout, the Port Carling Wall, Walker’s Point Lookout, the Windermere Dock, and the Port Sandfield Swing Bridge.
One of nine View the Lakes Muskoka chairs after sunset. Huckleberry Rock, Muskoka Lakes.October 2021.
Muskoka Fall Fun at Sandhill Nursery
September 17- October 31st. A free event, with donations encouraged in support of Hospice Huntsville. Over $15,000 was raised last year! Activities include: “Bat”sketball Toss, Tic-Tac-Toe, Beanbag Toss, Pie Pumpkin Bowling, Sand Put, Slide, Human Hamster Wheel, Mazes, Fall Scavenger Hunts, Pumpkin Slingshot, Trick or Treating “Witches Walk,” and a Food Truck.
Sandhill Nursery also offers a number of Fall-themed workshops – Wreath making, Pumpkin Centrepieces, Harvest Urns, succulent arrangements and more. Workshops fill up quickly – be sure to book ahead.
Or check out their concert series, running from October 8th – October 24th. This is a free, family-friendly event featuring live local talent. Food and beverages available on site from Merci Eh! (fries & poutine) and Canvas Brewery. Donations accepted in support of Hospice Huntsville.
Visit a Lookout Point for a Panoramic View of the Fall Colours
My favourites are Huckleberry Rock in Muskoka Lakes, and Lion’s Lookout in Huntsville.
Huckleberry Rock offers a beautiful view over Lake Muskoka, and is one of the best places in Muskoka to view a sunset! Lion’s Lookout offers an overlook of the town of Huntsville at one vantage point, and overlooks Fairy Lake at another.
Fall in Muskoka. Lion’s Lookout, Fairy Lake, and the Muskoka River. Huntsville, ON. October 2021.
Oktoberfest Muskoka
A 4 day music, culinary, and beer festival taking place from October 20-23. Local breweries will provide tours and partner with local chefs and restaurants to pair their beer with traditional Oktoberfest fare like sausages, potato pancakes, spätzle, etc.
The breweries participating are: Canvas Brewing Co., Clear Lake Brewing Co., Katalyst Brewing Co., Lake of Bays Brewing Co., Muskoka Brewery, & Sawdust City Brewing Co.
A collection of over 90 murals celebrating the work of renowned Canadian artist Tom Thomson and the Group of Seven. Take a self-guided tour beginning in front of the Algonquin Theatre (37 Main St. E., Huntsville), and follow the walking map on their website to view the majority of the murals. Then hop in your car if you’d like to visit the rest of the murals, located in surrounding communities & Algonquin Park.
If you do make a road trip out of it, make sure to download a Tom Thomson/ Group of Seven podcast to listen to while you drive. For history buffs, I’d recommend going with one of the many available that go over the history of the group and their influence on Canada’s art scene. For true crime buffs I’d recommend Haunted Talks Ep. 13 – The Many Deaths of Tom Thomson, featuring Gregory Klages, a Tom Thomson researcher.
Experience the Fall Colours with a Cruise Around the Lakes
This is my favourite time of year to enjoy the beauty of the lakes – especially on a cruise, so you can access the areas with larger groups of deciduous trees – hot spots of bright colour around the lakes! We recommend Sunset Cruises in Port Carling – offering cruises of Lake Muskoka, Lake Joseph, and Lake Rosseau. They will be running cruises until October 17th. Here is a link to their schedule.
Fall Colours emerging on the Muskoka River, Huntsville. October 2021.
Muskoka Discovery Centre
Over 20,000 sq. ft. of exhibits highlighting the glory of the Muskoka experience, exploring the rich history of steamships, wooden boats, and luxury hotels that helped define our region. Make sure to check out their Watershed Wonders exhibit – an interactive exhibit that teaches you all about Muskoka’s watershed. Build your own watershed, explore and learn how they operate, and meet the creatures that call Muskoka’s shorelines home. Book tickets here.
Take a Flight to See the Fall Colours
See Fall in Muskoka from the most impressive vantage point – way up in the sky on board a sightseeing airplane or helicopter!
Muskoka has a network of trails covering more than 4000 square kilometres of terrain. After thanksgiving is one of the best times to hit the trails – the colours are gorgeous, the crowds are gone, and the wildlife comes out of hiding. Make sure to bring your camera.
Located less than 10 minutes from downtown Huntsville, Steve is a former bus shelter converted to a free community library. I’ve visited Steve a few times now and the selection is fantastic – and always changing. Bring along some books to donate if it suits your fancy.
Steve can be found at 2835 Muskoka District Road 10, or found on instagram @littlefreelibrary_steve
Little Free Library Steve, Huntsville, ON, July 2021
Told you there was lots to do in Muskoka this Autumn! Looking for more? Feel free to email me at len@cottageinmuskoka.ca.
Muskoka is a unique, highly sought after and magical place. There are many different kinds of buyers and sellers here. Some merely want a little piece of paradise to escape and camp out in the woods. Others want a mansion on one of the ‘Big Three’, or one of the 2200+ lakes in the district.
And the rest of us are somewhere in between. Waterfront or not, permanent residence or not, we all appreciate being surrounded by water and granite and pine and to do a little swimming, boating, hiking and star gazing.
The privilege can be costly, especially since the pandemic.
Overall prices are up year over year, and have gone up a median value of about $350,000 for waterfront properties since the beginning of 2020.
There were 499 new listings in July and 377 sales. The average DOM (days on market from listing to sale) is 14. Last year the average DOM for July was 23. July 2019 24. July 2018 was 30. We are seeing a trend here.
In terms of dollar volume:
There were 44 sales in Muskoka Lakes. 37 were waterfront and 7 non waterfront. The total dollar volume was $95,220,518.
There were 57 sales in Huntsville. 19 were waterfront and 38 non waterfront. The total dollar volume was $41,870,436.
There were 31 sales in Bracebridge. 10 were waterfront and 21 non waterfront. The total dollar volume was $21,252,027.00.
There were 29 sales in Gravenhurst. 7 were waterfront and 22 non waterfront. The total dollar volume was $19,314,650.00.
There is only a 2.5 month supply of residential properties available currently. The definition of supply refers to the number of months it would take for the current inventory of homes or cottages on the market to sell. Historically, six months of supply is associated with a balanced market between buyers and sellers and a lower level of months’ supply is considered a seller’s market and therefore they can expect to sell faster at a better price. In any market a substantially overpriced property will linger. The key to proper pricing is listing at a reasonable price and encouraging competition. Buyers will only compete when a property is appealing both in terms of features and price.
The trend has been toward less inventory for the last few years – with the exception of a small spike this year due to sellers wanting to cash in on this crazy market.
We do not see the ‘bubble’ bursting. We do not think that there is a bubble. It is a case of supply and demand. And those demanding having a lot of liquidity right now, due to many months of not spending in restaurants, on travel, services like spas, house cleaners, clothing, commuting etc. Interest rates remain low. Cottage buyers for the most part have not been negatively impacted financially by the pandemic.
Inventory has been relatively low for the past several years and we can see why when we look at the relatively low total number of cottages versus the potential buying pool. The Golden Horseshoe has a population of over 7.8 million. Say you considered just one percent of that number – that is 78,000 people in the market for a cottage. And that doesn’t count international buyers or buyers in the rest of Canada.
Some buyers are interested in purchasing to rent their places out. There is a lot of money to be made, but buyers should beware. For those who are perking up their ears, these purchases tighten off an already limited supply. Carefully vet your renters. Property damage is a real risk, as is annoying the neighbours with loud and boisterous behaviour. Enough of that, and the townships may decide to ban rentals.
Congratulations to our winners Anna Bortolus (The Muskojito), Maria D. (Canoe Hoo), and Blooming Muskoka in Gravenhurst (Blooming in Muskoka).
Did you miss the cocktail judging? Fear not, you can check out some of our judging videos on our instagram highlights here.
A few of the cocktails our wonderful clients sent in. From front centre moving clockwise: Blooming in Muskoka, Muskoka Nectar, The Loon Call, Muskoka Maple Liqueur, The Muskojito, and Canoe Hoo (centre).The ingredients for “The Cottage in Muskoka,” our Cottage in Muskoka custom cocktail. Not pictured: club soda.
The shoreline is an extremely valuable and important area – not only for personal enjoyment and property values, but for the health of our Muskoka Lakes, and the critters we share them with.
Nymphaea odorata/ Fragrant white waterlily in Lake Muskoka near Port Carling, ON. Not only is this Muskoka native gorgeous, the flowers are also edible!
Did you know a natural shoreline can:
Protect against erosion?
A natural shoreline is perfectly engineered to protect against erosion. Native vegetation along the shoreline strengthens the structural integrity of the land and prevents it from falling apart. The roots of the plants grip the earth and provide structure, and the foliage and leaves of the plant reduce erosion caused by rainfall and winds. Aquatic plants and buffer plants right along the edge of the shoreline also lessen the effects of wake hitting the shore.
Maintain or improve water quality?
Buffer plants and shoreline gardens reduce incidences of soil erosion, which has the added benefit of protecting fish habitats.
“One could think of it this way: waterfront plant buffers are like eyelashes to our lakes: they keep the grit and goo out”
www.muskokawatershed.org
Filter overland pollutants and absorb extra nutrients?
Vegetation along the shoreline not only helps slow the movement of surface runoff, but the roots of this vegetation also help absorb surface water – trapping excess nutrients and pollutants in the soil.
An excess of nutrients like phosphorus and nitrogen is one of the factors that can cause an algal bloom – much like how fertilizing your lawn causes it to grow faster. Given that the other main factors are weather related, keeping these nutrients at a reasonable level are the best defence cottagers have against algal blooms. There are many types of algae – an excess of any of these can be harmful to the aquatic ecosystem, but some types (like blue-green algae) can have dire consequences when it comes to our health and the health of our pets. Most other common types of algae are at their most harmful once they’ve died – they sink to the bottom of the lake and decompose, reducing the amount of oxygen available to fish and other aquatic organisms.
Consuming toxins from a blue-green algae bloom can include headaches, fever, diarrhea, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and other more serious effects. It can also kill dogs and other animals. According to the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit, “people not on public water supplies should not drink surface water during an algal bloom, even if it is treated. In-home treatments such as boiling and disinfecting water with chlorine or UV and water filtration units do not protect from blue-green algal toxins.”
Blue-green algae does more than just threaten our health though – it also threatens our property values. Of particular note is the 2005 toxic algal bloom in Three Mile Lake in Muskoka, a lake which has had more than it’s fair share of blue-green algae related woes. This toxic bloom resulted in property values on Three Mile Lake dropping by about 25%. I guess that’s not much of a surprise to anyone after hearing about the health risks… but we should also mention how repulsive it can look and smell. According to former Township of Muskoka Lakes Mayor Susan Pryke, the worst hit areas of Three Mile Lake “looked like pea soup, with bits of algae floating in the water, sort of like chunks washing up on shore,” and smelled like “garbage that had been left sitting out too long.” Lovely.
Protect wildlife habitats, while ALSO reducing the number of geese that come on your property?
Throughout their lifecycles, the majority of our native Muskoka species depend on a healthy shoreline. The riparian zone (the area that lines the border of the water, with rich moist soils where diverse plant communities can grow) is used for sources of food and shelter, breeding, migration, and for rearing young. This area is also essential when it comes to preventing geese – geese are attracted to open spaces with easy access to the water, and they like to feed on short grass. If you have a goose problem then I’m willing to bet you probably have a grass lawn. A shoreline barrier of native Muskoka shrubs and tall vegetation can help deter them from hanging out on your property.
Moving into the water from the riparian zone, we enter the littoral zone – the submerged area of shoreline where the sunlight still penetrates through to the lake bottom. According to Muskoka Watershed Council, the littoral zone is “the richest natural environment that most of us will ever come into contact with,” with as much of 90% of the species in the lake either living in or passing through this zone. This area (and the aquatic plants and downed trees that it consists of) is responsible for providing oxygen to the lake, spawning areas, shallow protected nursery areas (for fish and amphibians), foraging areas, and hiding spots.
Ducklings foraging in shoreline debris. Mirror Lake, Muskoka, Ontario
Protect the economic benefits associated with tourism?
Nature is one of the major appeals of Muskoka! Wait to catch a sunset while you watch a Blue Heron fish nearby, a family of ducks float past, or any number of other native Muskoka species encounters. Or just enjoy floating in a lake that isn’t thick with potentially dangerous, smelly, pea-soup like blue-green algae… either way, if the health of our lakes isn’t protected it will result in major tourism-related economic losses down the line.
So, how do you naturalize your shoreline?
Getting started with naturalizing your shoreline doesn’t have to be some gargantuan effort – there are some very low effort ways you can get started on your journey to a healthier shoreline for your Muskoka cottage. Let’s look at a few ways you can help work towards a more natural Muskoka, in order of increasing difficulty…
Creating a no-mow zone near the shoreline to allow vegetation to re-establish
This one could not be easier – simply leave an area along your shoreline unmowed. It is recommended that you leave at least 10 feet, but any amount of shoreline buffer is better than nothing! Ideally you would also minimize the amount of entries you have into the water, leaving 75% of the length of your cottage shoreline to re-naturalize.
Bonus points if you follow this “no-mow” philosophy in the shallow water along your shoreline by using your dock as a bridge to get over the weedy shallow parts of the water rather than clearing the weeds to create a swimming area. That way you can still enjoy a clear area to enjoy the water, without harming this essential habitat.
A Great blue heron searching for a fishing spot in Lake Muskoka’s littoral zone
Placing or allowing woody debris to accumulate along the shoreline
Unless a fallen tree is a hazard to boats or swimmers, consider leaving it be! Not a lot of shoreline trees fall around the lake during a year… and clearing a bunch of them away at once can have disastrous consequences to the habitat they were supporting. By the way, submerged wood not only creates hiding and spawning spots for fish, it’s also a major food source for crayfish, aquatic insects, and small fish.
Active planting of native species
So, you’ve already begun to leave the strip of land nearest to your shoreline alone to re-naturalize… but why not help it along even more by planting some native grasses, plants, shrubs, and/or trees? This is also beneficial in terms of appearance – Muskoka has so many beautiful native plant species, so there’s no need to sacrifice the aesthetics of your cottage. People are often surprised how much they love the look of a naturalized shoreline garden.
Removal or “softening” of existing hard structures like retaining walls
While these hard structures may provide a temporary solution to erosion, they can cause damage to neighbouring properties. They can also eventually fail and damage the shoreline they were originally placed to protect.
Instead of removing these structures entirely, there is also the option of protecting the wall (and your shoreline) with softer measures such as planting buffer vegetation. In the case of rip rap, planting can be done between the rocks – the roots of the plants will help with structural integrity, and the foliage of the plants will help to protect against erosion from waves.
An American mink (Mustela vison) swims by carrying dinner. Lake Muskoka near Port Carling, ON.
