Muskoka Watershed Council

Protecting the future of Muskoka's Watersheds.

• Link here to access.

• Read the Downstream Newsletter here.

Safe and Quiet Lakes

Making the Muskoka Lakes safer and quieter to ensure the sustainable enjoyment of a treasured shared resource.

• Link here to access.

• Access the Safe and Quiet Lakes newsletter here.

Page still under construction... Check back again for links to additional resources of interest.

Local Associations  - The Friends of the Mactier Library

Cottage Country Associations - Federation of Ontario Cottagers Associations (FOCA), Muskoka Lakes Association (MLA), Muskoka Watershed Council, Safe and Quiet Lakes

Public Health  - Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit and the North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit... includes information about public health testing of your drinking water supply.

Wildlife Protection - Ontario Turtle Conservations Centre Turtle Taxi, Georgian Bay Biosphere Turtle Recovery Project

... more yet to come...

Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit (SMDHU)

The SMDHU offers a combination of programs and services, and works on policies and initiatives that protect and promote the health of the population.

• Link here to access.
• Link here to access the SMDHU COVID-19 portal.

The nearest local office, offering a variety of services, is located at 5 Pine Ridge Drive in Gravenhurst.

• Link here to learn more about this office, the services offered, and open hours.

North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit (NBPSDHU)

The NBPSDHU works to foster healthy living within our communities by preventing illness, promoting healthy choices and providing trusted support and information.

• Link here to access.
• Link here to access the NBPSDHU Coronavirus portal.

The nearest local office, offering a variety of services, is located inside the mall at 70 Joseph Street in Parry Sound.

• Link here to learn more about this office, the services offered, and open hours.

May 21st, 2022.... GIANT Book Sale and more...

Come out and support y/our local library.

Muskoka Ratepayers Association

An advocacy group whose objective is to ensure that the Township receives responsible governance from those that were elected to represent us in the Township of Muskoka Lakes

• Link here to access.

Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre

The Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre (home of Kawartha Turtle Trauma Centre) is a registered charity whose goal is to protect and conserve Ontario’s native turtles and the habitat in which they live. We accomplish this by operating a turtle hospital that treats, rehabilitates, and releases injured turtles, by performing extensive research in the field to further conservation initiatives, and by running a comprehensive education and outreach program.

Want to help out?

Carry a Turtle Trauma kit in your vehicle.

• Learn more about caring for injured turtles here.

Register to become a Turtle Taxi driver, ferrying injured turtles part or all of the way from Muskoka - or anywhere else in Ontario - to the OTCC in Peterborough.

• Learn more about becoming a Turtle Taxi driver here... you can also register to become a Turtle Taxi driver on the same webpage.

Both of the above District Health Units offer the full range of immunisations, as well as collection of private water samples for testing.

Local health units across the province will perform basic tests for bacteria (e-coli and total coliforms) for free on properly submitted drinking water samples.

• In addition to the regular sampling and testing done by the Bass Lake Association on the lake water in general, all cottagers are strongly encouraged to test their own water - from the tap - a couple of times per year, regardless of whether you draw your water from the lake or from a well.
• Sterile water sample bottles are available from local health district offices (see above), and also from the Mactier Public Library.

Interest was expressed in having water sample bottles available locally on Bass Lake.

• The BLA has procured 24 sterile water sample bottles.  These are available on a first come, first served basis… and our supply can be replenished when it runs low.
• We will use the Little Free Library (LFL) - at the turnaround at the end of Kendon Road, abutting the Crown Land - as a pickup point.  
• Please don’t hoard… take only one at a time as you need it.

Important notes about submitting water samples... 

• Water samples must be submitted in the designated sample bottles.
• Samples should be taken from your tap - not drawn directly from the source.
• Samples should be kept cool - i.e. not stored in a warm vehicle.
• Samples should be dropped off the same day they are collected - certainly within 24 hours.
• Samples are not processed over the weekend so do NOT drop off on a Friday or Saturday!
• If you want to test for other chemicals and/or minerals, you will need to send samples to one of the provincially designated private labs that do this work.

Georgian Bay Biosphere (GBB)

In the summer of 2020, the GBB undertook to protect turtles whose habitat was threatened by a road construction project on Skerryvore Road.

• Read all about the project, and the successful release of over 1,000 turtles back into the wetlands after the road construction was completed.

For more information about what to do if you see a turtle on the road...

• Link here to access the GBB Turtles on Roads Guide 
• Save on your device for handy reference, or download and carry in your vehicel with your Turtle Trauma kit.