Code of Conduct

chairs overlooking the river

Following a Code of Conduct will help preserve the serenity and beauty of Muskoka Lakes for the enjoyment of all.

Be Friendly, Be Courteous

Introduce yourself to the neighbours.
Be considerate, be reasonable and handle problems politely.
The best way to be a good neighbour is to follow the Golden Rule – treat others the way you would like to be treated.
Respect private property. Do not trespass on to neighbouring properties.
If renting your cottage, post a phone number of a local representative to promptly assist with issues.
Comply with all applicable Provincial and Municipal regulations. For a list of Municipal By-laws and/or to file an online complaint, visit Township of Muskoka Lakes website www.muskokalakes.ca or call the By-law Officer at (705) 765- 3156.

Limit excessive noise at any time of the day.
Control amplified sound so that it cannot be heard beyond the limits of your property.
Avoid using profanity or swearing as young children may be nearby.
When the sun sets, turn down the music and keep voices low. Noise carries across the lake, especially at night and when the wind is light. Neighbours are more sensitive to loud noises at night.
The Township noise by-law applies between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. and can be enforced for noises which disturb the peace of other residents, including: loud music, engines and shouting.

Follow all applicable municipal parking by-laws, which include: no parking areas, street parking, parking on sidewalks, and parking near fire hydrants.
Limit the number of vehicles on your property to the number of parking spaces available on the property.
Do not park on neighbouring properties without permission. This includes parking on lawns and driveways, or blocking walkways.
Do not impede emergency vehicle access.
Do not park vehicles on the septic system filter bed.

Keep outdoor illumination to a minimum, avoid placing spot lights where they may shine over the lake, or are highly visible from other properties, and turn lights off wherever possible.

Keep your property neat and tidy.
Store all garbage and recycling indoors or in a secure container or bin to deter animals.
Follow the garbage collection schedule. Put out garbage and recycling only on collection days.
Ensure that all garbage and recycling is properly sorted.
Utilize the local landfill or waste transfer station if the amount of garbage produced or collection day schedule results in excessive waste on the property.

Use detergents, cleaners and soaps that are phosphate free and septic system safe to avoid harming the septic system and degrading water quality.
Ensure that the number of cottage occupants does not exceed the capacity of the septic system.
Reduce water usage by limiting the number of showers, loads of laundry, and dishes to avoid harming the septic system and degrading water quality.
No washing in the lake. Keep soap/shampoo out of the lake because they degrade water quality.
Preserve natural vegetative growth along the shoreline. Tree removal is not permitted within 200 feet of the shoreline.
Do not move firewood to protect our forests from pests. Use only local firewood.

Ensure that all boat operators have the necessary Pleasure Craft Operators Card.
Understand local water hazards or other dangerous conditions.
Follow all applicable boating regulations, particularly those restricting speed close to shorelines. Boaters must keep at least 30 metres (100 feet) away from the shoreline when moving at speed and reduce speed to dead slow near docks and swimming areas.
Ensure that wakes are appropriate to the distance from shore and speeds are reduced in narrow areas to produce no wake. Wakes can accelerate damage and erosion to fragile shorelines.
Ensure the safety of swimmers and other boaters, particularly when water skiing and tubing.
High speed, high powered and excessively noisy boats are strongly discouraged.
Ensure that floating water toys and swim rafts do not impair boating safety.
Avoid fishing close to neighbouring docks and swimming areas.

Follow all applicable municipal fire regulations before lighting fires or fireworks for any purpose.
No day-time burning (between sunrise and sunset) is permitted without a permit.
Fireworks are only permitted on Victoria Day, Canada Day and New Years Eve. Please refer to the updated fireworks by-law for more information.
Be aware of posted fire ratings as they may prohibit all fires and fireworks.
Ensure that the property has working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms.

Be courteous and respectful with your language and behaviour as children and others may be nearby.
Children and pets may live or play nearby, so drive carefully and slowdown.
When off your property, keep pets on a leash at all times and stoop and scoop any poop.

Do not feed the birds or any other wildlife.
Keep garbage in bear-proof containers, clean your BBQ, and don't leave pet food outside to avoid attracting bears, raccoons and other unwanted animals.
If you spot a bear, go inside the cottage, use your car panic button, and advise the neighbours.