Baysville's New Main Street Is Built For Stopping, And That Starts With Where You Park

"While those spots weren't officially designated, they've long felt like part of Baysville's parking." That line comes from the District of Muskoka's project FAQ for the Muskoka Road 117 rebuild, and it describes the change that matters most this winter. The gravel shoulder where you pulled in for takeout or a quick errand is now curb, sidewalk, pedestrian crossings and a multi-use trail.

The District explains the reason in the same FAQ. More than 90% of traffic on Muskoka Road 117 carries straight through Baysville, and only a small share turns onto the connecting roads. For years the road was built for the 90% who pass through. The rebuild is aimed at the people who stop, and this is the first winter it runs that way. Most of the work is finished, and the crews are cleaning up the site to prepare for a winter shutdown.

The parking moved one block over

The District's plan sends overflow parking to Baysville's side streets. The FAQ calls those streets "historically underused" and says on-street parking is available on many of them. The project includes wayfinding signs to point drivers toward those overflow areas.

In practice, a winter stop in the village now means parking on a side street and walking a short way on cleared concrete, not nosing onto a snowbank beside the travel lane. According to the construction drawings, the walking surfaces are a 3-metre asphalt multi-use trail and a 2-metre concrete sidewalk. All of it was built inside the existing municipal right-of-way, and the FAQ says no private property was expropriated.

The University Street end of the village has one more parking wrinkle. In May, the Township closed the Lake of Bays Community Centre, arena and library at 10 University Street after geothermal heating and cooling work uncovered unexpected subsurface conditions, including ground movement inside the building and in the parking lot. The second-floor Community Centre and library reopened first, according to the Township's May 20 update. The arena floor followed on May 26. In that notice, the Township said the affected parts of the parking lot would stay fenced until the geothermal work and repairs were done. If you are heading to the building, plan for the lot to work a little differently from the way you remember it.

Walking the 780 metres

The District describes the project as 780 metres of Muskoka Road 117. The first phase ran from University Street to Bridge Street, and the second, which resumed this spring, ran from Bridge Street to Bay Street. Here is that stretch in the order you would walk it from the community centre:

1. University Street. The Lake of Bays Community Centre at 10 University Street anchors this end. The Township's Babb Family Playground and Splash Pad project sits next to the community centre. The Township's June 22 update was titled "Babb Family Splash Pad Now Open in Baysville."
2. Brunel Road. The new roundabout at Muskoka Road 117 and Brunel Road opened to drivers on June 18. The District chose it over a four-way stop or signals because those would have held up the through traffic. In the District's words, it also creates "a welcoming gateway into the community."
3. The middle of the street. Cast Iron Restaurant is at 2635 Muskoka Road 117, beside the LCBO. Its website lists hours of Wednesday to Sunday, noon to 8 p.m. The project drawings also mark the XTR gas station and the LCBO inside the project area. The plan includes a parkette with benches and "Welcome to Baysville" wayfinding, and project updates confirm the benches and trees are in.
4. Bay Street. Humble Pie Butter Tart Factory & Pizzeria is at 6 Bay St., as MuskokaRegion.com noted in its coverage of the road project. This is also where the new pedestrian crossing went in. Light poles for the Bay Street crossing were installed in August.

The walk from the gas station or the LCBO to a table at Cast Iron or a butter tart on Bay Street used to happen along the edge of a highway. Now it runs on a separated sidewalk and trail.

What is finished, and what is still on the list

The District has posted weekly updates since construction resumed. Together they show a project that is mostly done and has stopped for the season with a short list still open.

The crossings are the item to watch. In its November 2 weekly update, the District reported that crosswalk installation was complete but that the crossings were "awaiting line painting before they will be made operational." It scheduled the painting for the week of November 2 to 6. The same update asked drivers to keep expecting minor delays on Muskoka Road 117 while cleanup carried on.

In March, the District's news release on resuming the project said construction would be completed by the end of 2026. The November 2 update describes site cleanup and general maintenance "in preparation for winter shutdown."

Who asked for this, and what it cost

The rebuild came out of the Township of Lake of Bays Community Improvement Plan consultation in 2023. That consultation ran two surveys with nearly 500 responses, and the feedback pointed to pedestrian safety, traffic calming and streetscape improvements. The District and the Township split the bill. The District put in $2,147,770 and the Township $1,199,600, for a combined $3,347,370.

According to the FAQ, the upgrades are meant "to create inviting spaces where people want to stop, explore, and connect." Moving parking off the main road and onto the side streets is part of that design.

Sleds, fries and the first holiday season on the new street

Winter traffic in Baysville includes snowmobiles. The FAQ says the project was designed to work with the existing snowmobile route. Din's Fresh Fries at the Lake of Bays Garden Centre posts that it is closed until snowmobile season, around the end of January, weather permitting. The Lake of Bays Garden Centre also lists a Christmas Market for Saturday, November 21, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

A Muskoka holiday guide published November 7 says the Baysville Lions Santa Claus Parade usually runs on a Sunday afternoon in early December. It also advises confirming the 2026 date with the Lions or the Township. For reference, the Township's 2025 road-closure notice put last year's parade on Sunday, December 7, 2025, with the road closed from 1 to 4 p.m. The next parade down Muskoka Road 117 will pass a sidewalk and trail where the gravel shoulder used to be.

If you're weighing what Baysville's new main street means for a cottage or home you own on Lake of Bays, or for one you're thinking of buying, I'm happy to talk it through over coffee in the village. Marilyn Mannion has spent decades watching Muskoka's villages change, and she's always glad to compare notes. Let's Connect.