The cottage is a powerful image of rural Canada. This image, however, often ignores the rural community that surrounds it, producing a geographically and socially divided landscape and creating friction between cottage owners and rural communities. Cottage Country in Transition is a wide-ranging exploration of the interaction and evolution of these two communities.

North of the heart of Ontario’s scenic Muskoka District are the Almaguin Highlands, a loosely organized collection of villages, townships, and municipalities. In the mid-1800s, the region was home to loggers and farmers, as well as seasonal residents in simple cottages and camps. Since then, the impact of economic globalization and government policies has transformed the countryside into a luxurious recreational, residential, and tourist destination. John Michels investigates change in the Almaguin Highlands, exploring the modern faces of cottaging, tourism, agriculture, forestry, and economic development initiatives. He shows how years of neoliberal policies have displaced agriculture and logging as the principal sources of employment in northern Ontario, generating tension and unexpected alliances between tourists, residents, loggers, farmers, developers, and governmental officials over the proper uses and meanings of rural space. The repercussions of this new service-oriented countryside include increased youth outmigration, decreased full-time employment opportunities, and an ever-growing gap between the rich and the poor. A rich and detailed study based on long-term interviews and fieldwork, Permanent Weekend critically explores the catalysts and outcomes of gentrifying rural areas.

"Claire Campbell draws from recent work in cultural history, landscape studies in geography and art history, and environmental history to explore what happens when external agendas confront local realities - a story central to the Canadian experience. Explorers, fishers, artists, and park planners all were forced to respond to the unique contours of this inland sea; their encounters defined a regional identity even as they constructed a popular image for the Bay in the national imagination."--Jacket.

Covering the idyllic cottage destinations of the Muskoka and Kawartha areas, the natural splendor of Algonquin Provincial Park, the bustling National Capital Area and all the way up to North Bay on Lake Nipissing in the north, this Mapbook is your ultimate guide to one of the country’s most popular outdoor recreation destinations. Known as the heart of Ontario’s outdoors, Cottage Country is home to thousands of scenic lakes and rivers, vibrant forests and rugged and rocky Canadian Shield. Algonquin Park, in particular, is one of the world’s most popular canoeing destinations, attracting people from far and wide to paddle, camp and fish among its iconic natural beauty. Features - Map Key & Legend - Topographic Maps - Detailed Adventure Section >> Backroad Attractions, Fishing Locations, Hunting Areas, Paddling Routes, Parks & Campsites, Trail Systems, ATV Routes,Snowmobile Areas, Wildlife Viewing, Winter Recreation, Service Directory, Accommodations, Sales & Services, Tours & Guides, Index, Adventure Index, Map Index, Trip Planning Tools,

This collection reveals the situation in rural Canada in a new light; but more than that, it shows us that the ability to renew our rural communities remains within our grasp if we have the will to do so."--BOOK JACKET.

Looking beyond the smoke screen of Toronto's rapid and costly growth to re-envision sustainable planning in Ontario's neglected regions.

This book explores concrete ways to achieve urban sustainability based on integrated planning, policy development, and decision-making.