Bala, Ontario
Encyclopedia
Bala is a community located in Muskoka Lakes Township
where Lake Muskoka
drains into the Moon River
at Bala Falls.
It is considered one of the hubs of cottage country
located north of Toronto
. Thus, its year-round population of several hundred is increased by thousands of seasonal residents and weekend day-tripper
s during summer months. It is known as the Cranberry Capital of Ontario, as the province's largest cranberry farms, Johnston's Cranberry Marsh and Wahta Iroquis Growers, are located nearby. It was once the smallest incorporated town in Canada, until amalgamation as part of Muskoka Lakes Township.
in 1868. Thomas Burgess opened a sawmill and store to serve the area's scattered settlers. Thomas Burgess named it after the town of Bala in Wales
with which it is officially twinned. Located on the Canadian Shield
, it proved unsuitable for farming and its fortunes declined as logging became less economically viable. Railway connections helped to re-establish the village as a popular location for summer resorts.
In 1914, the town incorporated with Burgess' son as the first mayor making it the smallest incorporated town in Canada.
. Carved out of the Shield is Bala Falls, the only outlet for Lake Muskoka. This allows water to drain from the Muskoka River
watershed into the Moon Riiver
and eventually Georgian Bay
; however, the falls were at a low elevation and for many years the water levels of Lake Muskoka were known to fluctuate eight or nine feet every season, between the spring runoffs and the late fall. This led to many navigation problems both for the timber industry and the settlers. In 1873 a control dam was built at Bala Falls, which still exists in an upgraded form and is known as the North Falls. However, the dam worked too well and led to flooding, which forced the construction soon after of a large flood control dam and channel, known today as the South Falls.
A further channel north of the North Falls was created in the 1880s to power a sawmill and later reused as the water intake channel for a hydroelectric station built in 1917. This station, operated by the Bala Electric Light and Power Company to supply electricity as far as MacTier and Port Carling
was retired in 1957, but then returned to active use as a small remotely-operated station in the 1990s. It remains in use today.
A second station operated between the North and South Falls from 1924-1957 but was later demolished. The site is being proposed for a new generating station that has caused much local controversy.
that plied the Muskoka Lakes. The Cherokee, Islander and Segwun
were frequently seen at the dock below the CPR station, and the Ahmic was based on the other side of Bala Bay in Torrance. Steamships have been unable to visit Bala since 1964, when the swing bridge at Bala Park Island was sealed shut. A portion of the former steamer dock remains, maintained for many decades by the MNR
and today by the Township of Muskoka Lakes.
In 1907 the Canadian Pacific Railway
opened a prominent "summer" station at the harbour, complete with freight elevator (a "winter" station was located a half-mile north). There was also a seasonal Grand Trunk Railway
(later CN
) station across the bay on Bala Park Island. In 1927 six CPR train routes each way served Bala, four on a daily basis. With the influx of many American cottagers, Bala even became a Customs Port of Entry. The Bala Weekend trains continued to serve the tourists until 1963, after which the station was demolished.
The settlement-era Musquosh Road from Gravenhurst arrived in the 1880s and fed further development after the heyday of the railways as the route was eventually upgraded from a rough trail into first the Rama Road, then the provincial Highway 69 (later renumbered to Highway 169, then to Muskoka Road 169
). A postwar bypass was created for this highway to avoid the original Musquosh Road bridge and single-lane rail underpass at the South Falls; this also had the effect of removing traffic from Bala's former main street south of the Falls, severely impacting businesses on that section and concentrating commercial activity along the highway north of the Falls.
; the Chamber of Commerce office is located in Bala; other civic functions are located in Port Carling
.
Bala was the location of the first detachment of Ontario Provincial Police
in 1921. A small modern station remains just north of the main part of town (run by the Bracebridge
detachment part-time). The Canada Post
Post Office has been relocated to share space with the police station.
s like Mart Kenney
, Cab Calloway
, Tommy Dorsey
, Jimmy Dorsey
, Glenn Miller
, Duke Ellington
, Count Basie
, Woody Herman
and Louis Armstrong
played at Dunn's Pavilion. Since the 1960s, rock music
ians like David Wilcox
, Kim Mitchell
, The Ramones, April Wine
, Burton Cummings
and Jeff Healey
played at The Kee to Bala, as it had become then. More recently, bands such as Sum 41
, The Tragically Hip
, The Sam Roberts Band, Hinder
, Finger 11, Three Days Grace
, Sloan
and Theory of a Deadman
have graced the stage at The KEE. In the 1980s, Bala and Port Carling were also featured in a skit by The Frantics
on Boot to the Head. In the skit, a man on his way to Bala bores his companion to distraction in part by endlessly enumerating the communities' features.
Lucy Maud Montgomery
, author of the Anne of Green Gables
books, visited Bala in 1922. The area made a sufficient impression on her that she based the novel The Blue Castle
on the area, her only novel not located in PEI
. Based on this connection to a beloved Canadian author, Bala's Museum
, a privately run museum featuring L.M. Montgomery, was opened in the 1990s.
Bala maintains a link with its agrarian past by hosting the Bala Cranberry Festival each fall on the weekend after Canadian Thanksgiving.
Other notable sources of food are Don’s Bakery, which has sold delicious bread, pastries and cookies for decades. Don's is famous for scones and people drive through Bala specifically to purchase them.
Bala is also home to Muskoka Lakes Winery, the Muskoka region's only winery. The winery specializes in cranberry and other fruit wines.
Once a week in the summer months, students from a nearby water ski school perform aquatic stunts for audiences at a local park. Students form pyramids, jump obstacles, ski barefoot, and, on occasion, ski while wearing alpine
skis.
Bala Bay remains a sailing hotspot in the Muskokas due to its excellent and consistent winds. A local sailing club organizes Saturday races.
Muskoka Lakes, Ontario
The Township of Muskoka Lakes is an area municipality of the District Municipality of Muskoka, Ontario. It has a year-round population of 6,467 and a summer population of 34,000.-History and government:...
where Lake Muskoka
Lake Muskoka
Lake Muskoka is located between Port Carling and Gravenhurst, Ontario, Canada. The lake is surrounded by many cottages. The lake is primarily in the Township of Muskoka Lakes, with the southeast corner in the Town of Gravenhurst. The Town of Bala, Ontario is located on the southwest shores of the...
drains into the Moon River
Moon River (Ontario)
The Moon River is a river in west central Ontario, Canada, which flows from Bala Bay on Lake Muskoka and empties into Georgian Bay south of Parry Sound....
at Bala Falls.
It is considered one of the hubs of cottage country
Cottage country
Cottage country is a common name in Eastern Canada for areas that are popular locations for recreational properties such as cottages and summer homes. The name is often applied locally; that is, any major population centre may have its own popular "cottage country" area...
located north of Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
. Thus, its year-round population of several hundred is increased by thousands of seasonal residents and weekend day-tripper
Day-tripper
A day-tripper is a person who visits a tourist destination or visitor attraction from his/her home and returns home on the same day.- Definition :In other words, this excursion does not involve a night away from home such as experienced on a holiday...
s during summer months. It is known as the Cranberry Capital of Ontario, as the province's largest cranberry farms, Johnston's Cranberry Marsh and Wahta Iroquis Growers, are located nearby. It was once the smallest incorporated town in Canada, until amalgamation as part of Muskoka Lakes Township.
History
Bala was settled by Thomas BurgessThomas Burgess (settler)
Thomas Burgess was the founder of Bala, Ontario, Canada, who first settled the region in the mid-1800s. It is now a popular part of the cottage country region of Muskoka and home to the Kee to Bala and Bala's Museum with Memories of L. M. Montgomery....
in 1868. Thomas Burgess opened a sawmill and store to serve the area's scattered settlers. Thomas Burgess named it after the town of Bala in Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
with which it is officially twinned. Located on the Canadian Shield
Canadian Shield
The Canadian Shield, also called the Laurentian Plateau, or Bouclier Canadien , is a vast geological shield covered by a thin layer of soil that forms the nucleus of the North American or Laurentia craton. It is an area mostly composed of igneous rock which relates to its long volcanic history...
, it proved unsuitable for farming and its fortunes declined as logging became less economically viable. Railway connections helped to re-establish the village as a popular location for summer resorts.
In 1914, the town incorporated with Burgess' son as the first mayor making it the smallest incorporated town in Canada.
Geography
Located at the west end of Lake Muskoka, at the foot of Bala Bay, the prominent geographical feature of the town are the many bare outcroppings of the Canadian ShieldCanadian Shield
The Canadian Shield, also called the Laurentian Plateau, or Bouclier Canadien , is a vast geological shield covered by a thin layer of soil that forms the nucleus of the North American or Laurentia craton. It is an area mostly composed of igneous rock which relates to its long volcanic history...
. Carved out of the Shield is Bala Falls, the only outlet for Lake Muskoka. This allows water to drain from the Muskoka River
Muskoka River
The Muskoka River is a river in the Muskoka District of Ontario, Canada.It rises in the highlands of Algonquin Park and flows southwest through a number of lakes including*Lake Muskoka*Lake Joseph*Lake Rosseau*Lake of Bays...
watershed into the Moon Riiver
Moon River (Ontario)
The Moon River is a river in west central Ontario, Canada, which flows from Bala Bay on Lake Muskoka and empties into Georgian Bay south of Parry Sound....
and eventually Georgian Bay
Georgian Bay
Georgian Bay is a large bay of Lake Huron, located entirely within Ontario, Canada...
; however, the falls were at a low elevation and for many years the water levels of Lake Muskoka were known to fluctuate eight or nine feet every season, between the spring runoffs and the late fall. This led to many navigation problems both for the timber industry and the settlers. In 1873 a control dam was built at Bala Falls, which still exists in an upgraded form and is known as the North Falls. However, the dam worked too well and led to flooding, which forced the construction soon after of a large flood control dam and channel, known today as the South Falls.
A further channel north of the North Falls was created in the 1880s to power a sawmill and later reused as the water intake channel for a hydroelectric station built in 1917. This station, operated by the Bala Electric Light and Power Company to supply electricity as far as MacTier and Port Carling
Port Carling, Ontario
Port Carling is an unincorporated community in the Township of Muskoka Lakes in the Canadian province of Ontario.It has been the municipal seat of the township since 1971...
was retired in 1957, but then returned to active use as a small remotely-operated station in the 1990s. It remains in use today.
A second station operated between the North and South Falls from 1924-1957 but was later demolished. The site is being proposed for a new generating station that has caused much local controversy.
Transportation
Bala was well connected, and at first only connected, to other Muskoka communities via the steamship linesRMS Segwun
RMS Segwun is the oldest operating steam driven vessel in North America, built in 1887 to cruise the Muskoka Lakes in the District of Muskoka, Ontario Canada, a resort area with many lakes and rivers. Early in the 20th century Muskoka was poorly served by roads...
that plied the Muskoka Lakes. The Cherokee, Islander and Segwun
RMS Segwun
RMS Segwun is the oldest operating steam driven vessel in North America, built in 1887 to cruise the Muskoka Lakes in the District of Muskoka, Ontario Canada, a resort area with many lakes and rivers. Early in the 20th century Muskoka was poorly served by roads...
were frequently seen at the dock below the CPR station, and the Ahmic was based on the other side of Bala Bay in Torrance. Steamships have been unable to visit Bala since 1964, when the swing bridge at Bala Park Island was sealed shut. A portion of the former steamer dock remains, maintained for many decades by the MNR
Ministry of Natural Resources (Ontario)
The Ministry of Natural Resources is a government ministry of the Canadian province of Ontario that responsible for Ontario’s provincial parks, forests, fisheries, wildlife, mineral aggregates and the Crown lands and waters that make up 87 per cent of the province...
and today by the Township of Muskoka Lakes.
In 1907 the Canadian Pacific Railway
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
opened a prominent "summer" station at the harbour, complete with freight elevator (a "winter" station was located a half-mile north). There was also a seasonal Grand Trunk Railway
Grand Trunk Railway
The Grand Trunk Railway was a railway system which operated in the Canadian provinces of Quebec and Ontario, as well as the American states of Connecticut, Maine, Michigan, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont. The railway was operated from headquarters in Montreal, Quebec; however, corporate...
(later CN
Canadian National Railway
The Canadian National Railway Company is a Canadian Class I railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. CN's slogan is "North America's Railroad"....
) station across the bay on Bala Park Island. In 1927 six CPR train routes each way served Bala, four on a daily basis. With the influx of many American cottagers, Bala even became a Customs Port of Entry. The Bala Weekend trains continued to serve the tourists until 1963, after which the station was demolished.
The settlement-era Musquosh Road from Gravenhurst arrived in the 1880s and fed further development after the heyday of the railways as the route was eventually upgraded from a rough trail into first the Rama Road, then the provincial Highway 69 (later renumbered to Highway 169, then to Muskoka Road 169
Highway 169 (Ontario)
King's Highway 169, commonly referred to as Highway 169, was a provincially maintained highway in the Canadian province of Ontario. The highway connected Highway 69 at Foot's Bay with Highway 12 southeast of Orillia...
). A postwar bypass was created for this highway to avoid the original Musquosh Road bridge and single-lane rail underpass at the South Falls; this also had the effect of removing traffic from Bala's former main street south of the Falls, severely impacting businesses on that section and concentrating commercial activity along the highway north of the Falls.
Services
In 1971, the town was amalgamated with other townships and municipalities to form the Township of Muskoka LakesMuskoka Lakes, Ontario
The Township of Muskoka Lakes is an area municipality of the District Municipality of Muskoka, Ontario. It has a year-round population of 6,467 and a summer population of 34,000.-History and government:...
; the Chamber of Commerce office is located in Bala; other civic functions are located in Port Carling
Port Carling, Ontario
Port Carling is an unincorporated community in the Township of Muskoka Lakes in the Canadian province of Ontario.It has been the municipal seat of the township since 1971...
.
Bala was the location of the first detachment of Ontario Provincial Police
Ontario Provincial Police
The Ontario Provincial Police is the Provincial Police service for the province of Ontario, Canada.-Overview:The OPP is the the largest deployed police force in Ontario, and the second largest in Canada. The service is responsible for providing policing services throughout the province in areas...
in 1921. A small modern station remains just north of the main part of town (run by the Bracebridge
Bracebridge
Bracebridge may refer to:* Selina Bracebridge and Charles Bracebridge, close friends of Florence Nightingale*Bracebridge, Lincolnshire, England**nearby Bracebridge Heath*Bracebridge, Nottinghamshire, England*The Bracebridge/ Kingsbury Family...
detachment part-time). The Canada Post
Canada Post
Canada Post Corporation, known more simply as Canada Post , is the Canadian crown corporation which functions as the country's primary postal operator...
Post Office has been relocated to share space with the police station.
Accommodations
Until changes in transportation and development led to most seasonal visitors staying in private cottages, Bala offered summer lodging at a large number of tourist resorts over the decades. For example, Windsor Park is on the site of the former Windsor Hotel. Located on River Street were Bala Cozy Cabins and Roselawn Lodge. The Bala Bay Inn (formerly the Swastika Inn until a postwar name change) remains in use as an active hotel.Culture and entertainment
Since 1942, under various management and names, the community and the surrounding area was offered live musical entertainment. In the 1940s and ‘50s, Big BandBig band
A big band is a type of musical ensemble associated with jazz and the Swing Era typically consisting of rhythm, brass, and woodwind instruments totaling approximately twelve to twenty-five musicians...
s like Mart Kenney
Mart Kenney
Herbert Martin "Mart" Kenney was a Canadian jazz musician and bandleader whose big band Mart Kenney and His Western Gentlemen was Canada's premier dance band during the 1930s and 1940s.-Musical career:...
, Cab Calloway
Cab Calloway
Cabell "Cab" Calloway III was an American jazz singer and bandleader. He was strongly associated with the Cotton Club in Harlem, New York City where he was a regular performer....
, Tommy Dorsey
Tommy Dorsey
Thomas Francis "Tommy" Dorsey, Jr. was an American jazz trombonist, trumpeter, composer, and bandleader of the Big Band era. He was known as "The Sentimental Gentleman of Swing", due to his smooth-toned trombone playing. He was the younger brother of bandleader Jimmy Dorsey...
, Jimmy Dorsey
Jimmy Dorsey
James "Jimmy" Dorsey was a prominent American jazz clarinetist, saxophonist, trumpeter, composer, and big band leader. He was known as "JD"...
, Glenn Miller
Glenn Miller
Alton Glenn Miller was an American jazz musician , arranger, composer, and bandleader in the swing era. He was one of the best-selling recording artists from 1939 to 1943, leading one of the best known "Big Bands"...
, Duke Ellington
Duke Ellington
Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington was an American composer, pianist, and big band leader. Ellington wrote over 1,000 compositions...
, Count Basie
Count Basie
William "Count" Basie was an American jazz pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer. Basie led his jazz orchestra almost continuously for nearly 50 years...
, Woody Herman
Woody Herman
Woodrow Charles Herman , known as Woody Herman, was an American jazz clarinetist, alto and soprano saxophonist, singer, and big band leader. Leading various groups called "The Herd," Herman was one of the most popular of the 1930s and '40s bandleaders...
and Louis Armstrong
Louis Armstrong
Louis Armstrong , nicknamed Satchmo or Pops, was an American jazz trumpeter and singer from New Orleans, Louisiana....
played at Dunn's Pavilion. Since the 1960s, rock music
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
ians like David Wilcox
David Wilcox (Canadian musician)
David Wilcox is a Canadian rock musician.-History:Montreal native, David Wilcox drew inspiration from musician Elvis Presley at the early age of six...
, Kim Mitchell
Kim Mitchell
Joseph Kim Mitchell is a Canadian guitarist. He was the lead singer and guitarist for the band Max Webster before going on to lead a solo career. He is currently a radio show host for CILQ-FM in Toronto....
, The Ramones, April Wine
April Wine
April Wine is a Canadian rock band formed in 1969. According to the band, they chose the name 'April Wine' simply because members thought the two words sounded good together...
, Burton Cummings
Burton Cummings
Burton L. Cummings, OC, OM is a Canadian musician and songwriter.He was the lead singer and frequent keyboardist for the Canadian rock band The Guess Who...
and Jeff Healey
Jeff Healey
Norman Jeffrey "Jeff" Healey was a blind Canadian jazz and blues-rock vocalist and guitarist who attained musical and personal popularity, particularly in the 1980s and 1990s.-Early life:...
played at The Kee to Bala, as it had become then. More recently, bands such as Sum 41
Sum 41
Sum 41 is a Canadian rock band from Ajax, Ontario. The band was formed in 1996 and currently consists of members Deryck Whibley , Tom Thacker , Jason McCaslin and Steve Jocz .In 1999, the band signed an international record deal with Island Records...
, The Tragically Hip
The Tragically Hip
The Tragically Hip, often referred to simply as The Hip, is a Canadian rock band from Kingston, Ontario, consisting of Gordon Downie , Paul Langlois , Rob Baker , Gord Sinclair and Johnny Fay . Since their formation in 1983 they have released 12 studio albums, two live albums, and 46 singles...
, The Sam Roberts Band, Hinder
Hinder
Hinder is an American rock band from Oklahoma that was formed in 2001 by drummer Cody Hanson, guitarist Joe Garvey, and singer Austin Winkler. The band was inducted into the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame in 2007.-Formation and early history:...
, Finger 11, Three Days Grace
Three Days Grace
Three Days Grace is a Canadian rock band, formed in Norwood, Ontario, Canada in 1992, originally under the name Groundswell. After a breakup in late 1997, the band regrouped in the same year under its current name and with a line-up consisting of guitarist and lead vocalist Adam Gontier, drummer...
, Sloan
Sloan (band)
Sloan is a Toronto-based alternative rock quartet from Halifax, Nova Scotia. Throughout their 20-year tenure Sloan has released 10 LPs , two EPs, a live album, a "best of" collection and no less than thirty singles...
and Theory of a Deadman
Theory of a Deadman
Theory of a Deadman is a Canadian rock band from Delta, British Columbia, formed in 2001. The band is currently signed to Roadrunner Records as well as Island Records. The band also includes traits of other music styles, such as country and acoustic, as well as their post-grunge and alternative...
have graced the stage at The KEE. In the 1980s, Bala and Port Carling were also featured in a skit by The Frantics
The Frantics
The Frantics or Frantics is the name of:*The Frantics , a punk rock band.*The Frantics , a Canadian comedy troupe.*The Frantics , a Showtime network series....
on Boot to the Head. In the skit, a man on his way to Bala bores his companion to distraction in part by endlessly enumerating the communities' features.
Lucy Maud Montgomery
Lucy Maud Montgomery
Lucy Maud Montgomery OBE , called "Maud" by family and friends and publicly known as L.M. Montgomery, was a Canadian author best known for a series of novels beginning with Anne of Green Gables, published in 1908. Anne of Green Gables was an immediate success...
, author of the Anne of Green Gables
Anne of Green Gables
Anne of Green Gables is a bestselling novel by Canadian author Lucy Maud Montgomery published in 1908. Set in 1878, it was written as fiction for readers of all ages, but in recent decades has been considered a children's book...
books, visited Bala in 1922. The area made a sufficient impression on her that she based the novel The Blue Castle
The Blue Castle
The Blue Castle is a 1926 novel by Canadian author Lucy Maud Montgomery, best known for her novel Anne of Green Gables .The story takes place in the early 1920s in the fictional town of Deerwood, located in the Muskoka region of Ontario, Canada. Deerwood is based on Bala, Ontario, which Montgomery...
on the area, her only novel not located in PEI
Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island is a Canadian province consisting of an island of the same name, as well as other islands. The maritime province is the smallest in the nation in both land area and population...
. Based on this connection to a beloved Canadian author, Bala's Museum
Bala's Museum
Bala's Museum, officially with the sub-name "With Memories Of Lucy Maud Montgomery", is a museum located in Bala, Ontario, Canada. It is owned and operated by Jack Hutton and Linda Jackson-Hutton....
, a privately run museum featuring L.M. Montgomery, was opened in the 1990s.
Bala maintains a link with its agrarian past by hosting the Bala Cranberry Festival each fall on the weekend after Canadian Thanksgiving.
Other notable sources of food are Don’s Bakery, which has sold delicious bread, pastries and cookies for decades. Don's is famous for scones and people drive through Bala specifically to purchase them.
Bala is also home to Muskoka Lakes Winery, the Muskoka region's only winery. The winery specializes in cranberry and other fruit wines.
Once a week in the summer months, students from a nearby water ski school perform aquatic stunts for audiences at a local park. Students form pyramids, jump obstacles, ski barefoot, and, on occasion, ski while wearing alpine
Alpine skiing
Alpine skiing is the sport of sliding down snow-covered hills on skis with fixed-heel bindings. Alpine skiing can be contrasted with skiing using free-heel bindings: Ski mountaineering and nordic skiing – such as cross-country; ski jumping; and Telemark. In competitive alpine skiing races four...
skis.
Bala Bay remains a sailing hotspot in the Muskokas due to its excellent and consistent winds. A local sailing club organizes Saturday races.
External links
- Bala semi-official website
- Bala unofficial website
- Bala’s Museum featuring Lucy Maud MontgomeryLucy Maud MontgomeryLucy Maud Montgomery OBE , called "Maud" by family and friends and publicly known as L.M. Montgomery, was a Canadian author best known for a series of novels beginning with Anne of Green Gables, published in 1908. Anne of Green Gables was an immediate success...
- Bala Cranberry Festival
- Wahta Mohawks
- Johnston's Cranberry Marsh
- Muskoka Lakes Winery