Event Details

Founded in 1973 in Gravenhurst, the Muskoka Steamships & Discovery Centre is the leader in preserving, promoting and celebrating the culture and heritage of Canada’s Muskoka District. The Centre is a membership-based, not-for-profit registered charity with an ongoing objective of presenting compelling, entertaining and educational experiences, attractions and events.

This application is for “The Muskoka Story” launching July 15, 2023. This project includes the grand opening and summer operation of the new $9M expansion to the Muskoka Discovery Centre. “The Muskoka Story” is a cultural learning centre for Muskoka that offers a venue, virtual and physical, for engaging experiences on topics of Muskoka's people, history, natural environment, and sustainability. The project aims to contribute to the cultural fabric of Muskoka by focusing on untold stories of settler and Indigenous history in a Canadian context.

The Muskoka Story will be shared through a collection of three new permanent exhibits including;

(1) “Misko- Aki: Confluence of Cultures”, an Indigenous-led and crafted permanent exhibit showcasing authentic stories and lived experiences from this confluence of cultures of First Nations and Metis peoples. An Advisory Circle comprised of 20 elders, scholars and knowledge keepers have ensured the history is conveyed to visitors through the knowledge and perspectives of Indigenous peoples themselves;

(2) “Evolving Muskoka: Life on the Edge of the Shield”, highlights the entry of settlers around the 1800's. The industrial revolution enabled steam-powered trains and steamships to connect urban areas with Muskoka on the Canadian Shield; and

(3) “Wanda III: Steam to Green”, is a major exhibit with the complete restoration of the Wanda III, a 107-year-old steamship. A working artifact and first of its kind to be completely electrified, the Wanda III will offer a unique opportunity for small groups to tour the Muskoka lakes in turn of the last century style. Housed in its own boat house, the Wanda III will have a permanent home allowing it to be exhibited and maintained for future generations.