On the Dock
with Megan Thomas

Thanks to everyone who tuned in this summer to On The Dock. In case you missed anything as we explored summer and lakeside life in Ontario, download podcasts of our shows:

August 6th (58.8MB) July 2nd (50.3MB) May 21st (54.8MB)

It was a real pleasure sharing the dock with you this summer. We hope to talk to you again soon. -Megan & Erik

Elliot Lake has become known as the place where a mall roof tragically collased. But the uranium mining town turned retirement community is reinventing itself again as a cottage destination...this thanks to a deal to buy crown land from the province. Listen (runs 5:07)

Elliot Lake isn't the only place that is re-branding. Producer Erik White takes us through the world of cottage branding: Listen (runs 6:54)

That's how the old rhyme goes.
But they are being seen across Ontario, in potentially toxic algae blooms. We take a closer look and get a provincial perspective on how big a problem it is: Listen (runs 10:02)

People immigrating to Canada get a lot of information about what to expect, but the pamphlets don't explain why a lot of people go to something called a cottage or a camp on a long weekend - and immigration officials won't show you how to set up a tent. But rangers from Ontario Parks will through the Learn to Camp program. We hear about that and find out whether new immigrants are taking up the lakeside life: Listen (runs 8:19)

If you are lucky enough to own your own place...sharing it with family can help to make it affordable. But that can also come with it's own set of challenges. For a few suggestions on how to share well...author and cottager Niki Koski stopped by our studio: Listen (runs 4:19)

Summer in Ontario for many means heading to a public beach on the Great Lakes. But in some parts of the province, there are questions about whether the beach actually is public. Fences have been put up, fists shaken, lawyers called. We spoke with Niagara Falls MPP Kim Craitor who wants the right to a walk on the beach enshrined in provincial law Listen (runs 6:32)

We took a look at a sobering cottage country issue: attitudes around drinking and driving while on vacation during the July edition of the show: Listen (runs 7:13)

On our July show, we spoke with the biggest waterfront property owner in Ontario -- the Ontario government! Minister of Natural Resources Michael Gravelle explained how and when crown land is made available for cottages or camps: Listen (runs 7:53)

Throughout the On The Dock shows, we're chating with Ontario musicians about their favorite summer memories...like Faye Blais, Chris Patterson and Brock Zeman: Listen (runs 3:49)

Find a complete playlist for On the Dock, at CBC Music.

Our Victoria Day show featured a documentary on the hundreds of cottagers who lease property from an Ontario First Nation. One of the first to do this, was the Beausoleil First Nation on Christian Island in Georgian Bay. Erik White has the story. Listen (runs 7:55)