Stony Lake

By Guy Scott

Stony lake is the easternmost of the Kawartha Lakes, and arguably the most famous lake in the chain. It sits on the edge of the Canadian Shield and St. Lawrence Lowlands. It is on a transition point between granite and limestone. It was widely revered by the natives of the Kawartha Lakes as a mystical place. The natives called the place lake “Kawakonikong” (place of edible moss) or “Cheboutequoin” (big, long, rocky water). By the 1880s, it was called Salmon Trout Lake, but by 1900 the term Stoney Lake was in popular use. It is also often spelled Stony Lake, without the e.

The lake is dotted by hundreds of islands; some large, many small. These islands are mostly granite and the lake has a rock bottom, as opposed to the mud bottoms of most of the other Kawartha Lakes. The rock bottom means Stony Lake is a “cold-water lake,” and has a slightly different ecosystem than the mud bottomed lakes. Thus, the profusion of salmon (lake) trout who need cold water. The countless islands and rocky shores make Stony Lake a very picturesque place, and the natural beauty translated into tourism. As early as the 1850s, locals were using the lake for recreation and tourism. The Strickland Family of famous authors from Lakefield constantly wrote about this beautiful lake, all in glowing terms.

The north end of the lake lies in Burleigh Township. Access could be gained to the lake via the Burleigh Road and by road from Warsaw. But in pioneer days, this road access was difficult. The better way to visit Stony Lake was by steamboat from Lakefield or Burleigh Falls. At the height of the (summer) tourist industry (1880-1940), 3 steamboat trips per day left Lakefield for ports or landings along the lake. Some of this traffic was related to the lumber business, but most was tourist trade.

In 1873, the Midland Railway reached Lakefield, making Stony Lake readily accessible to the outside world. The Stoney Lake Navigation Company began regular trips in 1885, and the golden age of the tourist hotel was born. Early tourists camped on the shore or islands in canvas tents. A few private cottages were constructed in the 1800s, but the main base was a series of spectacular hotels. The hotels catered to the rich who would often stay for several weeks. The campers and cottagers needed to purchase supplies and several summer or branch stores sprang up along the shores at places like McCracken’s Landing and Crowe’s Landing. These were often branch stores for local businessmen. They sold fresh milk and produce grown locally, and the local farmers also prospered.

These early centres were called ‘landings’ because the customers came by boat and ‘landed’ there. Later, the name ‘marinas’ was used to refer to these businesses. In the age of the motor boat, services such as gas and repairs were added. The Stony Lake steamers called at most of the landings, and a substantial wharf was a necessity. The landings gradually became social centres where visitors gathered informally or formally for regattas.

Popular pastimes for these tourists (besides just ‘hanging out’ included fishing, swimming, boating, picknicking and sightseeing. The boat of choice was the canoe. Peterborough was often called the “Canoe Capital of Canada.” So famous was Stony Lake among canoeists, that the American Canoe Association held several North American conventions on the lake. The first in 1883, attracted over 400 canoe enthusiasts from all over North America. They shipped in their canoes and held a regatta that included races. The resulting publicity further enhanced Stony Lake’s reputation, especially among Americans.

Picnics were hugely popular among the tourist crowd. They would canoe to one of the smaller, unoccupied islands and pick berries, fish, swim and generally relax. The islands in Stony Lake were noted for their profusion of wild berries that included blueberries, cranberries, blackberries, wild cherries and wild currants. The larger hotels included the Belvedere at Crowe’s Landing, the Victoria House at McCracken’s Landing, Irwin Inn, Burnham Lodge and the Glenwood Hotel. Juniper Island became a centre for cottagers, with a large store and an even larger pavilion. A pavilion was a large hall, often with just a roof and floor, where local events such as dances, parties, etc. were held. The south shore of Stoney Lake was dotted by several elaborate pavilions to add to the social life. Many of the larger pavilions held Sunday church services. Tourists would arrive by boat (especially canoes!) formally dressed for the highlight of the week. To save the effort of long paddles in formal attire, small steam boats and launches would tow strings of canoes to church!

Regattas were also a popular boating pastime. They featured races and parades. But for many, the point of the regatta was to arrive by boat and visit with the other attendees.

A curious incident in the history of south Stony Lake was the Indian River water diversion project. The Indian River runs through Warsaw into Rice Lake and was the power source for many local mills. Its headwaters are in White Lake, and mere half-mile south of Stony Lake. The Indian River suffers from low water flow in dry times, forcing the mills to shut down. The local mill owners developed a scheme to dig a canal from White Lake to Stony Lake and divert water from the larger lake down the Indian River. The difference in elevation between Stony Lake and White Lake was a mere 7 feet after the dam at Young’s Point was built, so in 1838 the “Choate Canal” was blasted out and water flowed south down the Indian River. The project actually worked!

In the 1920s, huge improvements to the road system increased the access to Stony Lake and further opened up the tourist industry. But it doomed the steamboat industry, the last boat being scrapped in 1944. Private cottages replaced the grand old hotels of the Golden Age on Stony Lake. Property values rose and cottages became more elaborate (and expensive!). Today Stony Lake is still a very popular tourist destination, and the cottages on the lake are the most expensive in the Kawarthas.