The Land o' Lakes Vacation Region

Why Buy in the Land O' Lakes?

Don't pay outrageous prices for property, then get saddled with outrageous property taxes!

Here are some questions for you...do you want to buy a cottage for the prestige of the area, for the huge fancy log home near the cafes and shopping?
Or do you want a cottage for that old style cottage enjoyment? Do you want to introduce your family to the way you used to cottage in your childhood? Do you want clean water? How about quiet mornings sitting in a boat fishing with your children without the constant disruption of motor boats whizzing by?
Drive a little; Save a LOT!  Try the Land o' Lakes area, north of Hwy 7!
Cottage Life Magazine has determined that the Land o' Lakes region is the most affordable area for Lakefront Property!   And it's relatively undiscovered!  They're calling it the "New Muskokas"
Here are the facts:
  • The Land o' Lakes area North of Hwy 7 has some of the most pristine Lakes in Canada, certainly in Ontario.
  • Approximately 70% of the land in this area is Government owned Crown Land...so with the potential for only 30% private ownership on most lakes, the water has a much better chance of staying clean.  Plus, consider the VIEW: when you're out on the lake, you see trees, rocks & water!
  • The lakes in this area are safe...you can swim any time of day without worrying about too much boat traffic.  One recent "busy" day on our lake, we went out for a boat ride and we saw a total of 7 other boats.  And that was a busy day!
  • There are approximately 5,000 lakes in the Land o' Lakes region...they vary in size and characteristics but north of Hwy 7 there are 5 Premier Lakes - Kashwakamak Lake, Mississagagon Lake, Mazinaw Lake, Skootamatta Lake and Big Gull Lake.  These are the bigger, more sought after lakes.  On the premier lakes you can do anything - water sports, sailing, fishing, swimming, etc.  They are all big enough to boat around without getting bored.  There are also many smaller lakes with clean water and terrific exploration possibilities. Smaller lakes draw lots of wildlife...you can be one with nature on a smaller lake.
  • The government hasn't opened up Crown Land in this area for about 40 years and there are currently no plans to do so - meaning what you see is basically what you get.  There are very few privately owned vacant lots available in this area because most of the land can't be bought.
  • You'll find larger lots, cleaner waterfronts and happier cottagers in this area.  Privacy is maximized, the area has maintained that cottagey atmosphere...this is the place for true cottage living.
Do we have cafes? NO
Do we have Tim Hortons? NO
Do we have fast food? NO - unless you want to count the chip trucks, and all the blueberry stands
Do we have cell phone service? Sometimes (occasionally you'll get a signal...but don't count on being able to make or receive calls from everywhere.)
Do we have high speed internet? Sometimes (if you go with satellite &  there are some wireless internet spots)
Do we have huge, massive mansions on a lake?   Not yet. There are some gorgeous newer homes but the majority of the lakefront properties are older style cottages with little to no insulation, one room cabins, etc. However, there are also quite a few smaller year-round homes. The year-round residents on the lakes are mostly retired people who have downsized from their large city homes and don't want to have too much to maintain.
But don't you want to go to a cottage to get away from all that?  This isn't a city in cottage country...this is cottage country at its finest, purest.  Everything moves at a different pace. The people are friendly, the food is great, the trees are present & abundant, the air is clean, the water is absolutely pristine...drinkable even!  You won't get caught up in a traffic jam up here. There's lots to do and see, but at the same time you'll feel refreshed and relaxed after a weekend up here. We are all about relaxation!!
The Ottawa Citizen Newspaper published a study of all the waterways in Ontario a couple years ago. The waterways were scored from 1-100
1 = pretty much toxic
100 =  pristine, drinkable, 0 bacteria found in the water, etc.
This area scored 100. This was the only area that scored 100.  Water quality studies have indicated that the water in our lakes is clean enough to drink!
This area is centrally located: less than 2 hours to Ottawa, approximately 3 hours to Toronto. 1.5 hours to Kingston, 45 minutes to Napanee, 1 hour to Belleville. The towns of Northbrook & Cloyne have all the necessary amenities: groceries, bank, LCBO, Beer Store, hardware store, restaurants, motel, general store, Sears depot, etc.
Now, you might be wondering why I specify NORTH of Hwy 7. Once you go south of Hwy 7 you get into farmland.  Farmland means run-off = pollution in the waterways = weeds, zebra mussels, algae, etc.  The only thing we can farm north of Hwy 7 is rock.  That means NO farm run-off, very few weeds (only of the natural kind - due to the individual lake characteristics), no zebra mussels, no algae problems.  In fact, you can check the Mississippi River Conservation Authority website - they test the various lakes on a yearly basis.  There have been years when they've tested a lake and found zebra mussel larvae (likely from people bringing their boats in from other lakes - PLEASE make sure your boat is clean before launching in our lakes!) but the next time they test the same lake, the zebra mussels are gone.  This is likely because there isn't anything to sustain them. Zebra Mussels clean up lakes...ours are already clean.
So if you want a true cottage experience and you don't want to waste your hard-earned money, drive a little, save a lot!  Come home to the Land o' Lakes - North of Hwy 7!
To see some available properties in this area visit our website: http://www.landolakesproperty.com and look under Waterfront Homes/Cottages.
Thank you for reading about this beautiful area; come for visit to fall in love with the area!
Chris Winney, Broker
Chantel Winney, Salesperson
Royal LePage ProAlliance Realty, Brokerage
12309 Hwy 41,
Northbrook Office (next to the LCBO)
613-336-1737 (O)
1-866-969-0998