Draft:Marina del Rey, Orillia, Ontario, Canada

History of Marina del Rey and Joyland Beach.

It all began when Earl and Ethel Joyce purchased a 189 acre farm from Lee Middleton with lake frontage on both sides of the property.

The McRae Point General store was then located on the original foundation of the Old Log Farm House which burnt down in 1951.

Earl and Ethel Joyce subdivided the farm in to 3 plans: 416, 515 and 687. Plan 416 consisting of Hilltop Road and Lakeview Drive was the first to be developed and divided into lots. As the lots sold, Earl built more roads and developed Plan 515. Two lakefront private parks were given for the sole use of the property owners in the subdivision as well as a lage ballpark on the main road. Plan 687 was the last to be developed and unfortunately the two parks given could not be made to private but had to be made open to the public. Many of the first buyers to purchase properties from the Joyces in the early '50s had to carry their building materials by boat as some lots had no accessible roads.

The only school house was located on Highway 12 across from Muley Point Road. The children had to walk three miles from Joyland Beach and cross the highway. The old school house had no inside facilities, no lunch room and was heated by a wood furnace. The new Uptergrove Public School was finally built in 1962 so parents no longer had the worry about their children walking three miles in freezing weather. The children are now bussed to school.

Earl Joyce hired McKay Brothers to dredge a canal approximately 1761 feet long from McPhee Bay , Lake Simcoe, creating 21 lots off Glenn Cedar Drive with as 25 foot strip left on the side of the canal for maintenance purposes. The east side of the canal was purchased by Harry Robbins, consisting of approximately 40 acres, fronting on Bayview Avenue. Harry Robbins build a marina on this man made canal approximately 500 feet from the entrance of Lake Simcoe. Construction and dredging of the marina started at the beginning of 1968 and the first 15 covered slips were completed and ready to open by May 20th, 1968. There were two homes built on the marina property, a restaurant of 1400 square feet with 3 dining rooms, 2 kitchens, washrooms, also a recreation building plus workshop with boat gantry. All buildings were of Pan-abode construction. the marina was named "McPhee Bay harbour Marina". The name changes to "Marina del Rey' over the following years. The marina has had six owners since it was first developed and a lot of facilities have been added. It now has 160 covered and open boat slips and is a haven for boaters wanting to cruise Lake Simcoe and the Trent-Severn Waterway all the way Georgian Bay.

A new road has been constructed through Joyland Beach to the entrance of Mcrae Provincial Park

References

Written by Eleanor Todish