Making Muskoka: Tourism, Rural Identity, and Sustainability, 1870-1920

Muskoka. Now a premier destination for nature tourists and wealthy cottagers, the region underwent a profound transition at the turn of the twentieth century. Making Muskoka uncovers the connections between lived experience and identity in rural communities shaped by tourism at a time when sustainable opportunities for a sedentary life were few on the Canadian Shield. This rocky section of Ontario was transformed from an Indigenous homeland to a settler community and a part-time playground for tourists and cottagers. But what were the consequences for those who lived there year round?