·       Please help avoid attracting bears, raccoons, and other unwanted animals. Keep garbage in bear-proof containers, clean your BBQ’s and don’t leave pet food outside. Garbage should only go out the morning of collection.  You can find your collection schedule at Find Your Collection Schedule - The District Municipality of Muskoka . Please do not leave garbage out at the end of the weekend, when heading back to the city. Take it home, or ask a neighbour to put it out for you.

·       Our lake area is home to fishers, porcupines, wolves, and bear, and the nearest veterinary emergency hospital is in Barrie. Please keep your pets safe by keeping them on leash, especially when they are off your property.   And please remember to clean up after them on walks. 

·       Please watch your wake.  Our lakes are small, narrow lakes, and there is little time for a large wake to dissipate before it reaches shore.  Large wakes damage shorelines and fish spawning habitat, and can flood and destroy loon nests.

·       Remember that sound really carries on the lake! Please be considerate of your neighbours when operating loud machinery, or when having evening get-togethers on the dock!

·       Please be mindful when deciding to have an evening fireworks display. Fireworks terrify pets, and can frighten wildlife and birds enough that they abandon nests and young.  The residue of fireworks leaves plastic and chemical pollutants in our lake environment.  See more information at  Fireworks (thelandbetween.ca).

·       One of delights of night time in cottage country is looking up and seeing millions of stars.  Turning off outside lights helps preserve our dark night sky.

·       Before starting your evening bonfire, please check Muskoka Fire ratings at www.huntsville.ca/en/home-property-and-planning/outdoor-burning.aspx. Ensure that your fire is out when done, and remember that daytime fires are never allowed.

·       No washing in the lake! Soaps and shampoos – even if they are phosphate free – degrade water quality. Please use phosphate free and septic safe products indoors as well– they are readily available at our local stores, and will help prevent buildup of phosphorus in our lakes.

·       Finally, get to know your neighbours! Kindness, consideration and friendliness will ensure that our time spent here is the best it can be!