Residents will have an opportunity to discuss the proposed Cliff Bay development and the province’s proposed Minister’s Zoning Order (MZO) at a community town hall in Gravenhurst on July 14.
Hosted by the Gravenhurst Green Party, Matt Richter has invited Mike Schreiner, MPP and Leader of the Green Party of Ontario, to join him for a community town hall focused on listening to year round and seasonal residents’ perspectives on the proposed Cliff Bay development and the draft Minister’s Zoning Order (MZO).
The proposed Cliff Bay resort would be built on 33 hectares at the south end of Lake Muskoka and is seeking a Minister’s Zoning Order, a provincial planning tool that can accelerate development by overriding portions of the municipal planning process. While MZOs have been used elsewhere in Ontario, organizers say Muskoka has not previously experienced one.
According to the developer, Cliff Bay Muskoka Corp., part of the KS Group of Companies, the proposal includes more than 1,200 residential units, hotel accommodations, two restaurants, a spa, an event centre, a marina with space for 80 boats, additional docks, a 260-foot pier, and over-water villas. Earlier plans proposed 1,400 hotel and residential units, although the developer has since said that number has been significantly reduced without providing an updated total.
One of the most debated aspects of the proposal is the construction of villas over the water, which would require development on Crown-owned lake bed. Critics have raised concerns about potential impacts on the aquatic ecosystem, including habitat for invertebrates and insects that form the foundation of the lake’s food web.
The proposal has generated considerable public interest. Lawn signs reading “Protect Muskoka Bay” have appeared throughout Gravenhurst, and an online public information meeting hosted by the developer in May 2025 reached its 100-person capacity within minutes, leaving additional participants unable to join.
Organizers of the July 14 town hall say the event is intended to provide an opportunity for residents to ask questions, share their views, and discuss the proposal whether they support it, oppose it, or are still seeking more information. They also argue that local communities should have a meaningful role in decisions involving major waterfront developments.
The meeting will take place Tuesday, July 14, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the Gravenhurst Centennial Centre, 101 Centennial Dr.
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