5 new region buttons to pick up at the Spring Cottage Life Show

Known for the 800 km Bruce Trail along the Niagara Escarpment, the Bruce Peninsula is a nature-lover’s paradise. There’s the Orchid Festival and beautiful views of Georigian Bay and Lake Huron, and it’s home to Bruce Peninsula National Park, Fathom Five National Marine Park, and a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve. Cottagers here are truly spoiled with natural riches.

Alive with vibrant culture, Manitoulin Island, in Lake Huron, is the largest freshwater island in the world. With forest, rivers, escarpment, alvars, and more than 100 inland lakes, the diversity of habitats make for a rich environment to explore on hikes or bike rides on the island. It is home to the Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory, a prosperous First Nation that has proudly maintained its Indigenous culture and the language of the Anishinabek.

A township in Haliburton County, its border runs through Dorset and Carnarvon, and popular cottage spots such as Boshkung, Buttermilk Falls, Halls Lake, Little Hawk Lake, Maple Lake, Ox Narrows, and Oxtongue Lake. Part of the township falls in Algonquin Provincial Park, home to 2,400 lakes and 1,200 km of streams and rivers.

Shallow and warm, Lake Erie and its beaches are a popular cottage destination in Southwestern Ontario. Lake Erie’s north shore is dotted with charming small towns and sandy beaches such as Erieau, Erie Beach, Rondeau, Port Dover, and Turkey Point. Port Burwell, Canatara, and Port Stanley have certified Blue Flag beaches for water quality and environmental protection, and the region is famous for birding hot spots such as Point Pelee and Long Point.

Wherever you are in Canada, there’s no place like the cottage to while away the long days, warm weather, sparkling lakes, and starry nights.