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A portion of Bella Lake’s south shore, with the entrance to Swain’s Bay at centre, Betty’s Island slightly to the left, and several Tynoka cottages at the far right. The main lodge, which stood on the hill, is not visible; it is possible that this photo was taken after Tynoka’s first fire, which destroyed the lodge, putting the date ca. 1940 or 1941. (Barbara Paterson Collection) |
Unlike the sandier north shore of Bella Lake, the rocky south shore did not entice settler homesteads. Settler families with homesteads elsewhere in Sinclair Township – Field, Thompson, and Fleming – did take up lots on the shore, however, mainly for timber. Summer camps and cottagers followed as the original 100-acre lots were sold and divided.
The Field Lots
Robert Adam Field, who held Lots 5 in both Concession 7 and 8 between Bella and Rebecca Lakes, began to sell cottage lots on the Bella shore in the 1950s, the first of which (on Buck Island Point) was purchased by Stewart and Kay Burgess, guests at the Fields’ tourist house, Fieldale Lodge, on Rebecca Lake. Others soon followed along the shore leading to the narrows between the lakes.
The Fleming Lots
Hugh Fleming Sr., originally from Lindsay, came to the Huntsville area in 1894. A farmer and builder, he located near what is now the intersection of Highway 60 and Muskoka Road 8. He also held Lots 2 and 3, Concession 7, at the entrance to Swain’s Bay and along its west shore. He received the land grant in 1907 but did not register it until 1915.
In 1918 he sold two acres on the Rebecca Lake shore to J. J. Bailey of Huntsville, who built a cabin as a hunt camp; later, Hugh sold at least a portion of Lot 3, between Bella and Rebecca Lakes, to Harley Tynan of Toronto, born in Chaffey Township, who established the summer fishing camp Tynoka on the property in the 1930s. Hugh Fleming built the first cabin at Tynoka, which became a feature on the lake for several decades, and Earl Robinson built the fireplace. The Tynoka property was subdivided in 1967, after a second devastating fire, into the cottage lots that now line the shore just west of the entrance to Swain’s Bay.
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Landing at Buck Island Point from the bay, 1955, with Stevenson’s old picnic table in the background (Wendy Burgess) |
Fleming’s Camp
In the 1920s, Hugh had three hunting/fishing cabins on what is now Shaw’s Point on Swain’s Bay, which likely makes him the first cottager on Bella Lake. During that decade, his lots were among those logged by the Huntsville Lumber Company, which had various timber contracts in Sinclair Township. The property was left to his grandson Gary and Gary’s cousin Ted; Earl Robinson looked after the cabins until the boys became of age. David Burgess recounted that, according to Gary, Shaw’s Point was considered the “party place” when Gary was a teenager, a great spot to gather and drink beer.
Three generations of the Fleming family have operated Cedar Grove Lodge on Peninsula Lake, and the family still owns land on both sides of the Fieldale Road and Carl Fisher Drive. Lots along the west shore of Swain’s Bay were sold to cottagers over the years.
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| A view of Bella Lake’s south and west shores from Norway Point, October 2010 (Val Kremer) |
Sources:
Bramm, Rick, “Early History of the Bramm Family Cottage,” December 2018.
Burgess, David, “Fieldale Road” (Presentation at Lake of Bays Library, Dwight, October 2013).
Mansell, W. Dan, and Carolyn Paterson, eds. Pioneer Glimpses from Sinclair Township, Muskoka (Peterborough: asiOtus Natural Heritage Consultants, Barbara Paterson Papers, 2015).
Paterson, B., “Cottage History by Road,” Barbara Paterson Papers.