Sawdust City

I am from a town called Gravenhurst, located in Muskoka. Gravenhurst Ontario, today known as a major tourist destination and nicknamed the Gateway to Muskoka, was once known for something entirely different. It’s true that the town’s history has been intertwined with tourism since 1887, when the R.M.S. Segwun (the oldest steamship operating in North America) was launched, and people from across the country began arriving on the railway to enjoy the tranquil lakes and forests of the region (Gravenhurst, 2014). However, before this, Gravenhurst had come to be known as Sawdust City (Maher, 2014). Along much of the Lake Muskoka shoreline, there was a booming lumber mill industry (Maher, 2014). The span of this industry included the Muskoka Wharf (the homeport of the Segwun)(Gravenhurst, 2014). During the second half of the 19th century and into the 20th century, Muskoka Wharf was known for it’s sawmills and marinas (Gravenhurst, 2014). Today, Muskoka Wharf is in one of Gravenhurst’s main tourist attractions and features a board walk, the Muskoka Boat and Heritage Center, many waterfront restaurants and trendy shops, as well as a beautiful park and green space (Muskoka Tourism, 2013). This transformation from an industrial site to a thriving tourist hub was no accident (Maher, 2014). The project, which started in the 1980’s, cost the Town of Gravenhurst approximately 170 million dollars (Muskoka Tourism, 2013). I feel a person connection to the Wharf as I frequently enjoy visiting it, had my prom on the Wenonah II (sister of the Segwun), and my Aunt was the CAO of the Town of Gravenhurst during much of the development process for the Wharf project.