A century ago, Canadian royalty cruised the Muskoka lakes aboard the most elegant steam yacht available. This summer, visitors can experience that same elegance and charm as Wanda III returns to the lakes.
Wanda III now runs silently on electric motors, a repowering that is believed to be a Canadian first. The relaunch is just part of the amazing transformation that has been taking place at the Muskoka Discovery Centre (MDC), which is earning international recognition for its creative and innovative exhibits.
Margaret Eaton, matriarch of the department store empire, commissioned this third Wanda in 1915 to provide suitable – and speedy – transportation from Gravenhurst to the family’s cottage compound on Lake Rosseau. Eventually Wanda ended up back in Gravenhurst, carefully mothballed until it could be restored.
“We knew we needed to build a boathouse to house this truly unique vessel,” says John Miller, president of Muskoka Steamships and Discovery Centre. The registered charity owns Wanda, as well as the much larger Wenonah, and the iconic RMS Segwun, the oldest operating coal-fired passenger ship in North America. “This whole project began as a boathouse. And then it grew.”
In fact, it evolved into a 12,000-square-foot, $10-million expansion that added three remarkable exhibits to the MDC.
It has taken almost a small village to restore and electrify Wanda III, John says. “We are almost there. Several hundred people have been involved – professionals, volunteers, and it would not have been possible without our amazing donors. We are still fundraising to finish so please contact us if you wish to support this amazing project. “
One of the most impressive new additions is Misko-Aki: Confluence of Cultures, which recently won the national award for Outstanding Achievement in Exhibitions. Curated by an Indigenous-led team, and crafted in close partnership with the eight Indigenous communities that are connected to Muskoka, it tells the story of 10,000 years of Muskoka history.
The MDC leadership was, says project director Tim Johnson, “firmly committed to the idea that the exhibit needed to represent Indigenous stories told by Indigenous people.” He spent ten years directing exhibits at the Smithsonian Institution of the American Indian before being recruited to lead the 40-plus-member team that worked on the MDC exhibit.
Fascinating and innovative in all its many galleries, the MDC also emphasizes fun for all. It has large interactive family-friendly exhibits exploring ecology and the science of water; a boathouse packed with gorgeous classic wooden boats; and programming that ranges from concerts and lectures to day camps and PA Day programs for kids.
And, of course, there are the cruises. Wenonah, Segwun and – beginning this summer – Wanda all offer scheduled cruises as well as charter opportunities.
“We invite you to visit us this summer with friends and family. Whether you want to be on the water or indoors, we’re here to help people explore far more of Muskoka,” says John.
TEXT A. Wagner-Chazalon
