“I’ve heard it said that traveling north is like traveling through time,” states Maxine Reid, Century 21. 
“The bright busy lights of the city drift out of sight, the sparkle of a starry night surrounds you.
“The clean fresh air fills your lungs... the wild animals make you smile as you watch them go about their daily routines.”

In this issue, realtors talk about the area called ‘Lake of Bays.
“When we speak of Lake of Bays,” begins Ginny Burgess, Royal LePage, “we tend to think of just the area surrounding the lake, or the lake itself, but it is a much larger area. 
“Lake of Bays is a municipality comprised of four townships including the Lake of Bays and several smaller lakes. 
“Less developed than southern Muskoka, Lake of Bays is located in the northeast section of the District of Muskoka, west of Algonquin park,” adds Burgess.
“The terrain is varied,” states Gloria Woodside, Royal LePage, “going from cliffs near Dorset to a flatter landscape near Baysville.” 
“Cottaging for generations, families who live on Lake of Bays, love it and don’t want to move,” asserts Jay Richardson, Chestnut Park. “This can lead to a lack of inventory.
“The second largest lake in Muskoka, Lake of Bays has phenomenal boating and is a sought-after and exclusive lake.” 
Home to high profile public figures over the years, Lake of Bays and the famous Bigwin Island continue to attract those who value privacy.
“Bigwin was the hottest resort in the world at one time (1920-1969) and now has one of the finest golf courses in Canada,” states Ike Kelneck, Bowes and Cocks.
Named for its countless bays and “boasting hundreds of miles of shoreline, Lake of Bays is a great place to live, work and play,” states Dan Pinckard, HomeLife. 
“It has a true cottage-country landscape with sparkling waters, natural wetlands, towering bluffs of Canadian Shield granite plus a lot of sand, which cottagers seem to be looking for,”  adds Pinckard.

Ike Kelneck Bowes and Cocks		Dan Pinckard HomeLife
Mike Baum Century 21		Ellen Wiley Coldwell Banker

“The shape of Lake of Bays is basically a triangle,” explains Mike Baum, Century 21, “and at each corner of the triangle is a town –Baysville, Dorset and Dwight.
“Each of these communities,” adds Steve Leonard, Chestnut Park, “has services such as a liquor store, grocery and hardware stores. You can get basics that you might need at the cottage like light bulbs and plumbing fixtures. But, if you want larger stores with more variety, or a full service hospital, you’re driving into Huntsville, which is a short drive.”

BAYSVILLE
At the top of the lake, at the junction of the South Muskoka River and the Lake of Bays, sits Baysville with quaint shops, restaurants, artisan studios, accommodations and, in the village centre, a scenic dam with parks and picnic areas.
“Lake of Bays passes under the bridge at Baysville and below the damn it drops to the Muskoka River that travels to Bracebridge and Lake Muskoka,” explains Kelneck 
“Baysville has an arena, a library, curling, a wonderful bakery and great docking at the government docks,” adds Patricia Zwaal, Century 21. “One of the annual events includes the Baysville Walk-About. They close the streets and people walk up and down to visit vendors with everything from rabbits to beautiful woodcarvings.”
“Baysville now has water and sewer,” says Kelneck. “Residents no longer have to rely on their wells and septic tanks and can be connected to the municipal system.”

DORSET
“Dorset is known for its famous lookout tower where you can see 20 kilometres in all directions,” states Baum. “We are virtually equal distance from Algonquin Park, Huntsville, Bracebridge and Minden. 
“Approximately 92 per cent of the land and 30 per cent of the lakes, in this northern part of Haliburton, are Crown-owned,” he adds. 
“This does two things,” explains Ellen Wiley, Coldwell Banker. “It keeps the population down on the lakes and offers an abundance of nature and places to explore. 
“Lake of Bays is our largest lake and has amenities that some of the other smaller lakes do not,” continues Wiley. “It’s a big lake, not an inexpensive lake, but if someone has a 22-plus foot boat they want a lake the size of Lake of Bays.  
“Kawagama Lake, with mostly seasonal and water access, is a well-known large lake with one-third of its shoreline as Crown land. It offers big boating, windsurfing, sailing, water skiing and has great fishing – lake trout and bass. It has very little commercialism with only two marinas and a kids’ summer camp. For its size, it’s a very quiet lake and attracts those looking for more outdoor entertainment.” 
“The quieter, small lakes offer more privacy,” adds Zwaal. “Raven Lake is just south of Dorset. Residents park at the landing at Highway 35 and boat in. 
“Paint Lake is a mile long, has river access to Lake of Bays plus the shortest covered bridge in Ontario – a popular place for weddings.
“Dorset offers a quiet lifestyle for retirees but has all the amenities one could want,” continues Zwaal. “Boat to good shopping, the liquor store and the bank. You can be out on the boat all day and have breakfast, lunch and dinner.” 
“Boaters can now boat to our new Dorset Century 21 office located on the waterfront in Dorset,” adds Reid. “We have postal service, an appliance store and video rentals, gas bar and garage, parks and recreation, a museum and a library.
“Unpolluted air, unspoiled wetlands and virtually no crime rate or traffic jams, provide a strong draw for buyers,” she adds.

Patricia Zwaal Century 21		Jay Richardson Chestnut Park
Maxine Reid Century 21		Virginia Burgess Royal LePage

DWIGHT
“Dwight has the charm of a small village and is relatively close to Algonquin Park,” begins Sue Brown, Chestnut Park. It’s home to restaurants, accommodations, various stores and a beautiful public sand beach and docking facility.
“The lakes in this area are less developed than others which gives a feeling of being in open space,” adds Brown. 
“We have an elementary school in Dwight – Irwin Memorial which services kindergarten to Grade 8,” adds Leonard. “Dwight has a fabulous library and an historical long-standing antique store, Palmer House.”
Buyers’ requests have changed over the years.
“When people were buying a cottage back in the 50s, 60s and 70s they looked at a summer cottage, accessible for the summer,” states Richardson. “Now, it’s important to most buyers to have their cottage/home accessible year-round and to be winterized, as well. They boat in the summer and snowmobile in the winter.” 
Another point of interest is privacy. “In the Lake of Bays area, for many residents, privacy is a top priority,” continues Richardson. “Valerie Pringle, Shania Twain, Amy Sky and Mark Jordan plus many others whose names might not be as familiar, but who also want the luxury and benefits of privacy, own property on the Lake of Bays. 
“Many of our cottagers are very generous,” she continues. “They support the local economy, the theatre and the arts. The privately funded annual fireworks event, held in Dwight, assists the Lake of Bays Fire Department with new equipment.”
“The availability of high speed Internet is also very important to residents,” states Ginny Burgess, Royal LePage. 
“Over the last number of years, people are spending more and more time at their cottages because they can, but they want to have high speed Internet,” she adds. “They want to have the amenities to be able to work from their cottage.” 
“While it’s (high speed Internet) not available in all areas, we do have it in the core of Dwight,” explains Leonard. 
“Bella Lake and some parts of Lake Waseosa have high speed,” adds Brown. “At the moment, it all depends on where you are.”
“The province has just chipped in to bring high-speed to all of Muskoka,” continues Leonard.  “I know, from talking to our local MPP’s office, that they have received funds for this upgrading of high speed Internet and we’re supposed to be getting it within the next two years.” 
“A satellite dish is an option to those wanting high-speed Internet now,” says Baum. “I just installed a dish at my home for receiving and sending Internet emails and large files.”

Amenities
Swimming, fishing, boating, canoeing, water skiing, sailing, hiking and cycling can all be enjoyed in the Lake of Bays area. 
“Trout and bass fishing are great,” states Burgess, “and all the facilities of Algonquin Park are near-by.”
“Join the sailing or tennis clubs,” suggests Woodside. “Quilting groups, bridge clubs and more are also available.”
Lake Associations
Each lake has its own association to promote and maintain the health of the lake. Gloria Woodside, Royal Lepage, president of the Lake of Bays Association, explains, “We try to protect the lake and to preserve the environment. 
“Regulations to protect the environment prohibit building new two-storey boathouses and restrict the amount of development of the shoreline area.”
Planner Marie Poirier explains: “From a planning standpoint Lake of Bays has a very unique permit system,” but because it’s new, people do not necessarily understand it. I have several clients coming to me for assistance. We can take the process from the beginning through to the end and save valuable time.”

Steve Leonard Chestnut Park		Susan Brown Chestnut Park
Gloria Woodside Royal LePage

Looking for property?
“When clients first come to us, we need to know certain things,” explains Wiley.
“We ask the size of lake preferred. Do they have a large boat? Will they spend the majority of their day in the boat? “Medium size lakes are good for water skiing, fishing, windsurfing, and canoeing. A smaller lake, which most of the time is quieter, is certainly cheaper with more nature.
“Next we need to know whether they require a year-round road. A seasonal road is not plowed in the winter, nor is it possible, and therefore they have to go by snowmobile or cross-country ski.  
“The size of the lake and access to the property will generally determine the price range,” she continues. “From that point, we ask ‘How important is privacy and exposure?’”

Informed buyers and sellers
“Selling your home?” asks Leonard. “Interview two or three agents with a history of working with a similar type of product. Ask for comparable sales and the listing sheets. The agent should be able to talk about that property and how long was it actually on the market.”
“With such a wide diversity in cottage properties, you really have to know your buyers and your sellers to best serve their interests,” adds Pinckard. 
“Cottaging means different things to different people,” he adds. “For instance, a buyer may be looking for a six-bedroom executive retreat with every bell and whistle or a rustic three-bedroom cottage nestled in a grove of pines, an old wooden hockey game on the wall and a thunder-box out back for a washroom. 
“Regardless of whether one chooses to cottage in a modern Muskoka palace or a rustic cabin, living and cottaging in Lake of Bays promotes an active and healthy lifestyle for both the young and the young at heart. 
“After your first night on the lake, you will certainly have an appreciation and respect for this amazing natural environment that so many of us are privileged to enjoy.”

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