Growing up, I spent summers and long weekends at our cottage in Muskoka, where I experienced the lifestyle as it was meant to be enjoyed: unplugged, relaxed, and centred on friends, family, and the water. The days felt both simple and full, and getting into the lake at least once a day was practically a rule.
The cottages were not separated by fences. Instead, narrow footpaths linked one property to the next, and then to the next beyond that. If you did not feel like walking, the easiest way to get around was by boat, travelling from dock to dock. Even as children, we learned to handle small motorboats on the lake much as children in the city learned to ride bicycles.
Every cottage had a canoe, a practical runabout with an outboard motor, and usually a primary boat that, for the season, took the place of a car as the main way to get around. Much of our time was spent on the water or in it.
At the heart of that lifestyle were the Muskoka Chairs. They were where the day began with a coffee and a book, where lunch was eaten while watching the activity on the water, and where the evening often ended around a fire pit. There were a couple on every dock, a few more beside the waterfront fire pits, and others on the cottage deck. It was simply understood that every cottage had a handful of them. In those days, they were made of wood and could endure only a few seasons of intense sun before needing care such as sanding, staining, or painting.
Today, the modern version offers the same iconic comfort and cottage character without the upkeep. Companies such as C.R. Plastics manufacture these chairs from up to 100% recycled plastic, including materials such as bottle caps and other HDPE plastics, turning waste into durable outdoor furniture through a more circular approach to production. The result is a chair that is weather-resistant, long-lasting, and maintenance-free, with no need for sanding, staining, or painting—making it both a beautiful and more sustainable choice for outdoor living.
Scott Donaldson
