Community group launches website to shape future of former Logging Chain Lodge property

As the Township of Lake of Bays prepares to begin planning the future of the former Logging Chain Lodge property in Dwight, a newly formed citizens’ group is encouraging residents to get involved before development plans take shape.

The group, calling itself the Friends of Logging Chain Heritage Park, has launched a website where residents can register free of charge, share ideas and comment on how they believe the waterfront property should be developed.

The website, Friends of Logging Chain Heritage Park, has been created by a small group of Dwight-area residents who say they want to work collaboratively with the Township while representing the interests of all Lake of Bays residents.

The municipality launched a survey regarding the property last March, but there has been no further public consultation and no information has been released about the survey results, explained group member, resident, and former Lake of Bays Mayor Tom Pinckard.

The Township purchased the former Logging Chain Lodge property in 2025 for $3.1 million with the stated intention of preserving the waterfront site for public use rather than allowing future private development. Located in the heart of Dwight and directly adjacent to Dwight Beach, the property is considered one of the community’s most significant parcels of land. The Township has confirmed the site will no longer operate as a resort and will instead be transformed into public parkland through a multi-year planning process.

Municipal officials have said public consultation will play a key role in determining the property’s future before a design consultant is hired later this year. According to the Township’s engagement timeline, consultants are expected to begin work in late 2026, with conceptual plans anticipated in 2027.

“So where does the public consultation fit in?” questioned Pinckard.

He said he hopes the Friends group website will provide an additional forum for residents to exchange ideas before formal planning begins.

Although the group’s membership is centred in Dwight, organizers say their vision extends across the entire Township, and they hope to work constructively with municipal officials on behalf of all Lake of Bays residents and frequent visitors to the area.

At this point, the Township has not announced any public meeting regarding the property’s future.

The former Logging Chain property is expected to attract significant public interest given its prominent location at the centre of Dwight’s commercial and waterfront district. Concerns about proper public consultation also arise as the current council enters the final months of its term ahead of the 2026 municipal election, with many residents expected to watch closely as plans for one of the Township’s largest recent land purchases unfold.

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Township of Lake of Bays purchases historic Logging Chain Lodge off Hwy 60 in Dwight