Back On the Road to Reconciliation

Twelve Mile Bay Road new name expected to be late 2026 or early 2027

January 28, 2026 (Muskoka, ON) - As part of the Muskoka Area Indigenous Leadership Table's strengthening Indigenous municipal relationships strategy, the District of Muskoka, Moose Deer Point First Nation, and the Township of Georgian Bay are working on a collaborative approach to enrich the name of Twelve Mile Bay Road, the road that connects Moose Deer Point First Nation to Highway 400.

Moose Deer Point First Nation will consult directly with community members over a three-month period to choose and propose up to three potential new road names for Twelve Mile Bay Road. A new name will then be recommended by a tri-council committee involving elected officials from the three governing bodies and proposed to Muskoka District Council for a formal resolution, which is required by the Ministry of Transportation.

Road names can reveal a lot about a community - and how they want their history to be remembered.

The Muskoka Area Indigenous Leadership Table felt renaming Twelve Mile Bay Road provided an opportunity to strengthen the broader community’s understanding of the Moose Deer Point First Nation history, language and culture and help non-Indigenous residents on their path to reconciliation.

This project represents the second road renaming project the District of Muskoka has undertaken. The first road renaming project saw Muskoka Road 38, which runs through Wahta Mohawk territory, renamed in 2023 to Kanien'kehá:ka Iohatátie, which translates to “Mohawk People Road” in the Mohawk language.

The partnership to rename Twelve Mile Bay Road anticipates benefits from this renaming effort to include:

• Increased community awareness of Moose Deer Point First Nation culture, language and history;
• Increased community awareness of, and commitment to, Truth and Reconciliation, as well as the Truth and Reconciliation Committee’s 94 Calls to Action; and
• Stronger Indigenous-municipal relations.

Twelve Mile Bay Road will soon have an important new name but retain its formal number.

Similar to other District roads throughout Muskoka, Twelve Mile Bay Road will retain its number – Muskoka Road 12 – but will showcase a new name. For example, Muskoka Road 26 is also known as Mortimer’s Point Road.

While this is an exciting project and undertaking, the partnership recognizes there will be questions and impacts to community members who own properties along Twelve Mile Bay Road. The District has established a working group to guide this project and offer resources and support during this road renaming.

The District of Muskoka, in partnership with Moose Deer Point First Nation and the Township of Georgian Bay looks forward to updating the community in late 2026 when a new name is selected. For more information on the Road to Renaming project, and to stay updated on the latest news – please visit www.engagemuskoka.ca/mr12