Dorset, Ontario

Dorset is a small community located on the boundary between the Algonquin Highlands Township in Haliburton County, Ontario and Lake of Bays Municipality in Muskoka District, Canada.

As of 2009[update], Dorset has a local permanent population of approximately 400 although these numbers increase more than tenfold in the summer months due to cottagers and vacationers.

No one knows who the first white travelers were, but someone carved 1675 into a rock in the area – found in the early 1800s by Tom Salmon, one of the first settlers on Lake of Bays.

Over the years the hamlet saw an influx of loggers, timber barons, hunters and trappers, soon to be followed by settlers in 1868 taking up free grant land .

The abutting ward, Franklin took its name from the great Arctic explorer who died seeking the fabled Northwest Passage.

A driving force in developing the young village, Zac used to claim he wanted his coffin made from tamarack, because it burned with loud cracks and noises, so everyone in Hell would know he had arrived.

The summer months tend to be the busiest time of the year for the community as thousands of people from the Greater Toronto Area and abroad flock to their cottages.

The community has among other amenities: Health hub, art galleries, pottery, post office, bakery, day spa, restaurants, ice cream shops, real estate brokerages, marinas, gas stations, building suppliers, bed and breakfasts, motel, as well as a general store and LCBO liquor store to name a few.

[1] Built in 1967 on the site of the original fire tower (1922–1962), the scenic lookout is open to cars from late spring until Thanksgiving.