Swimming at the falls
dangerous, foolish, many drownings

Yes, it is a saga.

Muskoka Lakes Township mayor, a Toronto resident and Muskoka cottager, was elected by vocal anti-Bala Falls Hydro Project tourists.

Part-time mayor = full-time issues

Where is the mayor?

Now, the council has voted to put a further barrier to the rebuilding of the Bala Falls Hydro Dam, by giving away part of the highway (#169) along which the construction will take place.
"Then at district council Monday evening, council voted to transfer the portion of district land needed for the project’s construction to the township."

Signage ignored

Despite a call of conflict of interest, as Mayor Murphy was behind the 'save the Bala falls' group, councillors are finding ways to hijack the system. Duly elected officials, McGuinty's Liberals, were elected to put forward a green program. In this municipal/provincial fight, with the MNR being involved, it is now ridiculous.

Swift River Energy has fulfilled the tender process, environmental testing, held numerous Community Engagement sessions to answer questions and respond to concerns.

Yet the Township keeps stalling, much like the filibustering Friday in federal parliament.

'Properties near Bala Falls shortlisted as heritage sites'

Body being removed after being drowned
at the Bala Falls, Aug. 2008

Muskoka Lakes Township council voted to shortlist six properties near the site of the project for heritage designation. With insufficient funds to apply for all sites, proposal involves Burgess Island, Margaret Burgess Park, the Shield parking lot, the cenotaph, and the Moon River and Bala docks.

The act gives municipal and provincial governments the power to protect areas they deem to be of cultural heritage value or interest.

Bala Market,
Shield parking lot 2009

Burgess Memorial Church, 1926

How can you make a dock a heritage site? The docks post-date the steamship docks of the 1850s. I they want, ever, to rebuild them - they cannot as it would be a heritage site. The owner of the old Presbyterian church was in trouble as he replaced old windows with new. Must have cost a fortune to re-redo them!

But in the grand scheme of things... I live near a town founded in 1816. THAT is heritage!

If council wants to declare a building or site heritage, they must ensure that it can be kept up. Otherwise they are simply barring any improvements to sites.

Bala has had a dam for a long time. It had a small hydro dam. The building is long gone. 1950 or so.