• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • RSS
  • Twitter
Huntsville Doppler

Huntsville Doppler

Read Local

  • Home
    • All Stories
    • Community Guidelines
    • Get in touch
    • Advertise with us!
  • News
  • Community
  • Commentary
    • Letters
  • Business
    • Professionally Speaking
    • Real Estate
  • Sports
  • Obituaries
  • Public Notices
  • Lifestyle
    • Art Fx
    • Contests and Deals
    • Arts, Culture, and Entertainment
    • It’s All Good
    • Wayback Wednesday
  • Events
    • Event Listings
    • Add Your Event
  • Speak Up, Huntsville!
  • Subscribe
  • Donate
  • South Muskoka
You are here: Home / Lifestyle / Wayback Wednesday / It’s Wayback Wednesday!: The Portage Flyer | Sponsored by Jamie Lockwood, broker/owner of Sutton Group Muskoka Realty
(Edna Hutcheson, Photographer/Muskoka Digital Archives)

It’s Wayback Wednesday!: The Portage Flyer | Sponsored by Jamie Lockwood, broker/owner of Sutton Group Muskoka Realty

By Doppler Online On June 29, 2022 Wayback Wednesday

Share on Facebook
Facebook
Tweet about this on Twitter
Twitter
Share on LinkedIn
Linkedin
Email this to someone
email
Print this page
Print

It’s Wayback Wednesday, sponsored by Jamie Lockwood, broker/owner of Sutton Group Muskoka Realty!

Muskoka Digital Archives from Rebirth of the Portage Flyer by Russ Nicholls, c2005. The major obstacle to water navigation between Huntsville and the resorts on Lake of Bays was the portage between Peninsula Lake and Lake of Bays. Although only a distance of one mile separated the two lakes, the difference in elevation between the lakes was 100 feet with the ridge of land adding an additional 70 feet. This made it impractical to build a canal.

In 1900, the Huntsville and Lake of Bays Navigation Company obtained a charter to construct a railway over the portage under the name of The Huntsville and Lake of Bays Railway. Construction began in 1903 and was opened for operation in 1905. The railway was built to the narrow gauge of three feet and one-half inches between rails based on second-hand equipment purchased from the E.B. Eddy Company of Hull Quebec, consisting of two 1888 vintage H.K. Porter 0-4-0 saddle tanks locomotives and two 12 by 5-foot four-wheeled box cars. In 1948, the original locomotives were sold and replaced by Locomotives Number Seven and Number Five, and a new engine shed was erected to accommodate them.

The S.S. Iroquois which had been built at the South Portage in 1907 to do the South Portage-Dorset run, sank at the South Portage in 1950. The S.S. Iroquois II which began the South Portage-Dorset run in 1949 saw its last season in 1958. The S.S. Algonquin which ran from Huntsville to the South Portage was retired in 1952. The Portage Flyer operated on its own for its last season in 1959.
A provincial plaque commemorating the Huntsville and Lake of Bays Railway Company was unveiled at the South Portage Dock, on August 21, 2007.

Photo: Portage Flyer at the South Portage, Lake of Bays, Muskoka, Ontario. (Edna Hutcheson, Photographer/Muskoka Digital Archives)

See more Wayback Wednesday photos here.

Don’t miss out on Doppler!

Sign up here to receive our email digest with links to our most recent stories.
Local news in your inbox three times per week!

Click here to support local news

Reader Interactions

1 Comment

  1. Linda Housser says

    June 30, 2022 at 10:01 am

    Jamie

    I remember riding the Portage Flier between North and South Portage….really a cool ride!

Join the discussion:

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

All comments are moderated. Please ensure you include both your first and last name and abide by our community guidelines. Submissions that do not include the commenter's full name or that do not abide by our community guidelines will not be published.

Primary Sidebar

  • Recent Stories
  • Popular
  • July 15, 2022 31

    Councillor responds to criticism of Kent Park redesign

  • July 16, 2022 15

    It is time to call for the Town of Huntsville to convene a public forum on short-term rental accommodations | Commentary

  • July 26, 2022 14

    Huntsville BIA to purchase three umbrellas for Kent Park

  • August 1, 2022 13

    Consultant delivers Huntsville’s new brand

  • July 27, 2022 12

    Council told there are about 1,700 people without a family doctor in Huntsville and that number is growing

  • August 12, 2022 0

    Facetime threats lead to drug bust

  • August 12, 2022 0

    Residents donate classic car to Hospice Huntsville and Huntsville Hospital Foundation

  • August 12, 2022 0

    Swim advisory for Dwight Beach has been lifted but there is a swim advisory for Port Sydney Beach

  • August 12, 2022 0

    Huntsville man charged with weapons offences

  • August 12, 2022 0

    How are we doing in our contributions to mitigate climate change? | Commentary

  • A Sponsored Profile (347)
  • Advertise (1)
  • Around Muskoka (3)
  • Art Fx (48)
  • Breaking (36)

Footer

About Doppler

Established in 2015 by a bunch of local news hounds, Doppler strives to be the go-to source for people wanting to know more about what is going on in Huntsville and the surrounding community.

We strive to provide local news that is relevant and timely. We also look to tell local stories that inspire, inform and engage.

Notice the persistent use of the word local? Our mantra is local. From features on local people doing extraordinary things, to local business spotlights, news and sports coverage, all supplemented by provocative opinion pieces on topics near and far, we are working hard for you.

Feel free to drop us a line at huntsville@doppleronline.ca and tell us how we are doing, what you would like to see more of, or to just say ‘Hi’.

Thank you for reading Doppler.

Huntsville Doppler – READ LOCAL
A division of C3 Digital Media Group Inc.

Recent Comments

  • Thomas R Spivak on Speak Up, Huntsville!
  • Brenda Begg on Visits to Huntsville Hospital’s ICU suspended
  • Jay Johnston on HHS graduate gets his doctorate in astrophysics
  • Kathryn Henderson on Speak Up, Huntsville!
  • Ron Nairn on HHS graduate gets his doctorate in astrophysics
  • John Rivière-Anderson on HHS graduate gets his doctorate in astrophysics
  • Ralph Cliffe on Visits to Huntsville Hospital’s ICU suspended
  • Martin Mann on Kiwanis raises funds and food for members of the community in need through the Salvation Army

Copyright © 2022 ·Doppler Online, a division of C3 Digital Media Group Inc. · Log in
  • About
  • Support Local News
  • Community Guidelines
  • Advertise with us!
  • Contact