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389:; 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. That led to many navigation problems both for the timber industry and the settlers. In 1873, a control dam was built at the 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.
40:
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470:). A postwar bypass was created for the highway to avoid the original Musquosh Road bridge and single-lane rail underpass at the South Falls, but that 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.
462:) 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, when the station was demolished.
505:
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
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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
654:. In the skit, a man on his way to Bala bores his companion to distraction in part by endlessly enumerating the communities' features. Most recently Bala is home to The New Actor's Colony professional Theatre company who perform seasonally in the summer in the local curling rink.
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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. The station, operated by the Bala
Electric Light and Power Company to supply electricity as far as
506:
Cabins and
Roselawn Lodge. The Bala Bay Inn (formerly the Swastika Inn until a postwar name change) remained as an active hotel until 2016. Built in 1910, it is Muskoka's oldest brick hotel. The original tin ceiling and mahogany staircase still grace the front lobby.
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A second station operated between the North and South Falls from 1924 to 1957 but was later demolished because it was uneconomical. A new generating station is being built at the site, a project that caused much local controversy.
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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 occasionally ski while they wear
354:, 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.
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during summer months. It is known as the
Cranberry Capital of Ontario, as the province's largest cranberry farms, Muskoka Lakes Farm and Winery (formerly Johnston's Cranberry Marsh) and the former
443:. 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
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In 1971, the town was amalgamated with other townships and municipalities to form the
Township of Muskoka Lakes; the Chamber of Commerce office is in Bala; other civic functions are located in
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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
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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
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Since 1942, under various management and names, the community and the surrounding area was offered live musical entertainment. In the 1940s and '50s,
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330:(closed in 2017), are located nearby. It was once the smallest incorporated town in Canada until it was amalgamated into Muskoka Lakes Township.
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Bala Bay remains a sailing hotspot in
Muskoka due to its excellent and consistent winds. A local sailing club organizes Saturday races.
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Bala hosts the Bala
Cranberry Festival annually on the weekend after Canadian Thanksgiving, attracting thousands of people to the town.
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in 1868. Thomas
Burgess opened a sawmill and store to serve the area's scattered settlers. Thomas Burgess named it after the town of
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was retired in 1957 but then returned to active use as a small remotely-operated station in the 1990s. It remains in use today.
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Bala is home to Muskoka Lakes Winery, the Muskoka region's only winery, which specializes in cranberry and other fruit wines.
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In 1914, the town incorporated with Burgess's son as the first mayor, making it the smallest incorporated town in Canada.
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377:. Carved out of the Shield is Bala Falls, the only outlet for Lake Muskoka. That allows water to empty from the
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Cranberry fields forever, Annual Bala festival proves the berries aren't just for turkey dinners anymore
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books, visited Bala in 1922. The area made a sufficient impression on her that she based the novel
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The southern portion of the town as viewed from Bala Bay; the KEE to Bala is visible at right
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Bala was well connected and once was connected only to other Muskoka communities via the
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were frequently seen at the dock below the CPR station, and the
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872:(Map). 1 : 700,000. Official road map of Ontario.
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with which it is officially twinned. Located on the
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Communities in the District Municipality of Muskoka
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817:Ontario Ministry of Northern Development and Mines
901:Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing
485:Bala was the location of the first detachment of
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743:"Welcome to the Cranberry Capital of Ontario"
723:List of unincorporated communities in Ontario
896:Restructured municipalities - Ontario map #4
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562:played at Dunn's Pavilion. Since the 1960s,
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447:and today by the Township of Muskoka Lakes.
439:was based on the other side of Bala Bay in
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18:Compact rural community in Ontario, Canada
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672:on the area, her only novel not set in
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899:(Map). Restructuring Maps of Ontario.
874:Ministry of Transportation of Ontario
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314:It is considered one of the hubs of
287:is a compact rural community in the
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1031:. Swift River Energy Limited. 2017
425:that plied the Muskoka Lakes. The
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646:were also featured in a skit by
297:District Municipality of Muskoka
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992:Tatley, Richard (Summer 2009).
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594:. More recently, bands such as
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1121:. Retrieved October 9, 2010.
973:Ontario's Historical Plaques
794:. Vivid Planet Software GmbH
767:Geographical Names Data Base
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92:Location in Southern Ontario
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61:Cranberry Capital of Ontario
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518:Bridge over the South Falls
493:detachment part-time). The
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846:. Natural Resources Canada
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328:Iroquois Cranberry Growers
642:. In the 1980s, Bala and
638:have graced the stage at
510:Culture and entertainment
487:Ontario Provincial Police
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1095:Best of Frantic Times 07
937:Ontario Heritage Plaques
772:Natural Resources Canada
452:Canadian Pacific Railway
220:232 m (761 ft)
1072:. Old Time Trains. 2017
969:"Founding of Bala 1868"
933:"Founding of Bala, The"
32:Compact rural community
1001:The Real Muskoka Story
941:Ontario Heritage Trust
903:. 2006. Archived from
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417:CPR station circa 1910
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1117:, Katherine Elphick,
1050:"Save the Bala Falls"
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311:to the Georgian Bay.
289:township municipality
243: • Summer (
166:Township Municipality
50:Etymology: Named for
1003:(70). Archived from
994:"Bala and the boats"
792:"mapcoordinates.net"
674:Prince Edward Island
663:Anne of Green Gables
658:Lucy Maud Montgomery
608:The Sam Roberts Band
338:Bala was settled by
636:Theory of a Deadman
456:Grand Trunk Railway
381:watershed into the
307:, which flows from
254:(Eastern Time Zone)
191:Incorporated (town)
120:45.0175°N 79.6172°W
116: /
604:The Tragically Hip
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427:Cherokee, Islander
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318:located north of
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125:45.0175; -79.6172
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560:Louis Armstrong
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385:and eventually
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301:Central Ontario
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101:Coordinates:
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1099:. Retrieved
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1074:. Retrieved
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1053:. Retrieved
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1012:. Retrieved
1005:the original
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876:. 2016-01-01
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648:The Frantics
644:Port Carling
572:Kim Mitchell
568:David Wilcox
556:Woody Herman
544:Glenn Miller
540:Jimmy Dorsey
536:Tommy Dorsey
532:Cab Calloway
521:
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480:Port Carling
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450:In 1907 the
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430:
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399:Port Carling
391:
387:Georgian Bay
372:
356:
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324:day-trippers
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309:Lake Muskoka
284:
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588:Jeff Healey
576:The Ramones
552:Count Basie
528:Mart Kenney
495:Canada Post
491:Bracebridge
369:South Falls
260:Postal code
199:Amalgamated
176:Established
123: /
1101:2018-08-09
1076:2018-08-09
1055:2018-08-09
1035:2018-08-09
1014:2018-08-09
978:2018-08-09
946:2018-08-09
911:2018-08-10
880:2018-08-10
850:2018-08-09
838:"Toporama"
823:2018-08-09
798:2018-08-09
777:2018-08-09
745:. tvo.org.
729:References
590:played at
580:April Wine
383:Moon River
305:Moon River
272:Area codes
207:Founded by
111:79°37′02″W
108:45°01′03″N
628:Tim Hicks
524:Big Bands
361:Geography
226:Time zone
217:Elevation
1137:Category
701:See also
474:Services
441:Torrance
277:705, 249
156:District
146:Province
1029:"Plans"
458:(later
395:MacTier
334:History
320:Toronto
265:P0C 1A0
181: (
160:Muskoka
150:Ontario
136:Country
54:, Wales
1070:"Bala"
819:. 2016
762:"Bala"
694:skis.
692:alpine
632:Hedley
612:Hinder
600:Sum 41
596:Metric
432:Segwun
140:Canada
1008:(PDF)
997:(PDF)
870:(PDF)
866:Map 5
624:Sloan
566:like
526:like
437:Ahmic
348:Wales
252:UTC-4
231:UTC-5
634:and
586:and
558:and
429:and
397:and
344:Bala
285:Bala
202:1971
194:1914
183:1868
179:1868
86:Bala
52:Bala
25:Bala
650:on
445:MNR
346:in
299:in
291:of
245:DST
1139::
1093:.
999:.
971:.
955:^
939:.
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920:^
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764:.
751:^
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233:(
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
