The Township of Muskoka Lakes will be spending nearly $344,000 to replace the Windermere Wharf on Lake Rosseau.
During an Oct. 15 council meeting, Corey Moore, Manager of Parks, Recreation and Facilities, presented a report explaining that the Windermere floating docks have reached the end of their useful life and need to be replaced.
“Through the public engagement survey we held for the Windermere Wharf, there was an overwhelming response for a need for more docking,” said Moore. “As we looked at the Windermare Wharf itself, given its size, there was only so much we could do with it without getting too, too big.”
According to the report, the wharf replacement will increase the total number of dock slips from 45 to 60 and will see the addition of longer slips at the ends of the docks to accommodate larger boats.
A report previously submitted to the council on Aug. 13 stated the project is slated for completion by June 2026 and is currently concluding phase two and preparing to move into phase three.
That August report indicated that the main concern of the public is regarding parking. It stated that on average, the wharf sells about 16 seasonal permits annually, blending commercial, seasonal permit holders, and transient use. Of the 16 seasonal permits, approximately half are allocated to commercial users and the other half to residential users.
The report also showed that on average, there are about 20 additional requests for seasonal permits that are currently placed on a waiting list.
During the Oct. 15 meeting, Moore suggested that eliminating seasonal permits at the Windermere Wharf would help alleviate the parking situation but cautioned that “time will tell.”
As a result, council voted to proceed with the project and awarded it to the lowest bidder, Pipefusion Services Inc/Nydock.
