The Story of Bracebridge, Ontario, 1860-1914 / 2nd edition
From arrival of first settlers in 1860 to world war in 1914, this year-by-year chronicle of Bracebridge details social life, governance, politics, commercial and economic growth, crime and punishment, sports and cultural activity in Muskoka's capital town
Bracebridge 1915-1999
This follow-on chronicle of Bracebridge history, compiled by the town's 125th Anniversary Book Committee, picks up where Robert J. Boyer's history left off, with year-by-year accounts of local events from 1915 to 1999.
A story of love and betrayal, this newest 2018 book by Ontario’s first Indigenous lieutenant governor and best selling author James Bartleman deals with the biggest issues facing Canada’s Indigenous peoples today.
Captain Levi Fraser's 1940s history of Muskoka brings back to life our district's history with engaging portraits of our major lakes and towns, resorts and tourism, lumbering, boating, cultural life, newspapers, social and religious activity, local govern
At the age of six, Martha is taken from her family in the Cat Lake First Nation in northern Ontario and flown to a residential school. There, she is punished for speaking her Native language and “fed” to the attendant priest with an attraction to little girls.
There’s little space for your message on a postcard, but that does not mean it can’t convey a lot of information. The scene depicted can itself be worth a thousand words. With Lake of Bays heritage leader Bruce MacLellan’s remarkable collection of century post cards, this is doubly true, as they are enhanced by his rich accounts about the time and place of these cards, those who wrote them, and the culture they convey.
Youthful Memories of Muskoka’s District Town
Author Robert Boyer remembers Bracebridge at a time when he was a youth and Muskoka's capital town was in transition with automobiles replacing the horse-and-buggy and pioneer era industries fading or closing with the Depression.
The Life of Rene M. Caisse, R.N. and the History of Essiac
This true story became a medical legend. Bracebridge nurse Rene Caisse provided a secret-forumula herbal tea to thousands of people desperate to fight their cancer. The medical establishment took exception, and battle on a second front ensued.
Cottagers remember the good old days
A memoir of Muskoka summers (and the odd winter) in the early 1900s: "food chilled by blocks of ice cut from the lake, a wandering cow munching oranges in the kitchen, excursions up the lake on elegant steamboats, and a 'floating store' (aka 'the supply boat') called at your dock every week."
CANADA'S FIRST SANATORIA
This is the story of Canada's first tuberculosis sanatorium, built at the turn of the twentieth century. At the heart of the book are real-life experiences of patients and hospital staff who fought tuberculosis every day for over six decades.
Memories of Norman Angus MacKay
The author's own adventures as a teamster in local lumber camps combine with his stories of early Dorset to present a lively picture of one of first places in the Muskoka-Haliburton region settled by Europeans.
Past and Present
This is a history of an important and successful summer resort in the Muskoka Region of Ontario from 1885 to the present. It details the efforts of four generations of the Love family to create a world class summer resort from modest beginnings.
World War II's "Little Norway" in Toronto and Muskoka
Following the invasion of Norway by Germany in World War II, Canada served as a refuge for the Royal Norwegian Air Force. The RNAF rebuilt itself at “Little Norway,” a flight training camp first located at Toronto, then at Muskoka Airport near Gravenhurst, Ontario. Canadians opened their hearts to the young Norwegian recruits, who had risked their lives in dangerous escapes from their homeland.
Early Days, Early Ways
Known as “The Gateway to Muskoka,” the town of Gravenhurst’s history is replete with larger-than-life personalities, bold initiatives, major setbacks, and all the usual charms and activities of Muskoka District’s vacation economy. This richly illustrated book with dozens of heritage photographs includes local historian Cecil Porter’s charmingly recounted episodes of community development from rawest pioneer times to the devastating fire that destroyed the town’s building, but not its spirit, in 1887.
The High Cost of Free Land
The District of Muskoka, today celebrated as a vacation paradise, began as a sort of hell for many would-be farmers who arrived to claim its "free land". This is the true story of one special chapter in that dramatic saga.