My family cottage is located on the shore of Lake St. Joseph, since 1954. As a child, I spent my summers at the cottage with my cousins playing in the water, making tree forts, and simply hanging out on the dock. As an adult, this is a place where I love to go connect with nature and with my family.

Over the years the Muskoka Lakes, including Lake St. Joseph have become very popular cottaging areas, and this has driven property taxes very high, and has made long term family cottages a rarity, as few families can afford to keep the cottage. With the death of my grandmother in 2017, her 11 children (of which my mom is one) had differing opinions about the cottage. As a result, 2/3 of the property have been sold off - and I'm expecting to see development on these sections of land in the coming years. I am hoping that my family can hold on to the remaining 1/3 for as long as possible.

This is what I love about Lake St. Joseph:
- Clear, beautiful, refreshing lake to swim in
- Watching the rock bass nest along the shoreline in June
- Seeing the ducks, loons & herons swimming in the lake
- In the past: watching the local snapping turtle nest on the family property ( but sadly not anymore)
- We use the lake water for cooking & drinking (treated through a UV filter)