Frequently Asked Questions

My Lake – What It Is. What It Is Not.

My Lake is written collaboratively by cottagers. Nobody knows their cottage community better than the people who love to spend time there. We welcome the inclusion of lakes from across Canada and the United States (and the world!), so long as the primary focus stays on recreational waterfront properties.

My Lake Is not written by Cottage Life staff. It is written by cottagers like you. Visitors do not need specialized qualifications to contribute. When you are a registered user, you can edit your lake's profile, simply by clicking the Contribute link. Anyone is welcome to participate, provided the information shared is accurate, respectful, and representative of your lake.

But what if my place is on a river? Or a Great Lake?

As much as this site is called “My Lake”, we recognize that there are many cottage communities on rivers, islands, cottage towns, the Great Lakes, and specific bays on bigger lakes. Feel free to contribute a listing for your specific locale, such as Sauble Beach on Lake Huron, Point au Baril on Georgian Bay, or Thousand Islands in the St. Lawrence River. Just make sure you assign it to the right region first - see below under How Do You Get Started for more details on how regions work on the map.

General Info

Please keep this a family-oriented site that celebrates the best of the cottage lifestyle.

My Lake is not designed to be a buy/sell site. For Cottage Life’s free Cottager to Cottager Buy & Sell Forum, click here.

My Lake is not here for businesses and commercial enterprises to promote themselves. Unauthorized advertising messages will be removed. Click here  to find out more about advertising on cottagelife.com.

If you ever see something questionable, alert us by clicking the “Contact Moderator” button that appears at the top of the page.

My Lake – How do you get started?

In order to create or update an entry about a lake, you must be a registered user. Click here to register.

Check to see if your lake already has a profile started. Within Ontario, start on our map on the main My Lake page. There are some lake names that are duplicated within Ontario - i.e. several Otter Lakes, a few Loon Lakes, etc. - so start with the region first so everyone knows which lake you are referring to.

Outside Ontario, click on your region on the map.

If your lake isn’t in the list, you are invited to contribute! Remember, this is user generated content, so YOU write it!

1. Get registered - if your lake is on the list, assign it to your profile when you are registering. If your lake is not on the list yet, leave this field blank. You can assign your lake to your profile once you have created the lake.

2. Once you are registered and logged in, come back to the main map and choose your region, then click on Create New Lake.

You have the responsibility (and the fun!) to go out and find the facts on your lake. Use google, Environment Canada, and your own knowledge to fill in the Vital Stats. Upload a photo that shows your lake at its best – sunrise, sunset, boating fun, misty morning (and then watch to see someone update it with their interpretation of what the lake looks like). You can also create a link to your lake’s association.

Minimum requirements to start a lake profile - you need to have one photo, some intro copy and some history about your lake.

Why do I need to be a registered user?

In this social networking space, we need a way to control who is contributing, and a way to block those who abuse the space. Registering as a user also has benefits:

• you can be notified when any change is made on your lake’s page (if you enable this option on your profile)
• you can opt-in to receive updates on up to 3 additional lakes (i.e. your parent’s lake, a lake you’re considering buying on, etc.)
• it creates sense of credibility when your name is attributed with great photos and factual updates

What is the difference between a Nickname and a User Name?

A user name is the name you use to login with your password. A nickname is what shows on some of your contributions to My Lake. It's fun to see who is writing what about your lake. You may choose to use the same user name and nickname - that's up to you. 

How do I upload a photo?

Be smart about privacy for your family. Anyone can view the photos on this website. Don’t post photos of people without their permission.

From your Lake's page, click on the Contribute link under the Photo Gallery section, choose an existing gallery or start a new one. You can add photos to someone else’s gallery, so long as it fits the theme (i.e. Canada Day on Lake XYZ).

Browse for your photo on your computer. Photos should be less than 2.0MB. Enter up to 4 tags per photos. Click on Submit.

What are photo tags?

A tag is a (relevant) keyword or term associated with or assigned to a photograph. Tagging an item makes it easier to classify and find. You assign a tag to each photo when you upload it. Tags could be:
Kawarthas
Lake of Bays
Canada Day
canoe
sunsets
waterskiing
You can enter up to 4 tags per photos, and we suggest one of them be the lake/community name.

My google map is showing the wrong lake

The google map, by default, might not show the correct lake and often goes to U.S. locations. You can manually update the map to show your lake. 

1. you must be logged in to make a change

2. when you are logged in, you'll see "Configure Map" appear under the map - click Configure Map

3. further instructions will appear on the "Configure Map" page. If you're on a small lake, or it's not showing up in the search, try entering the nearest town and then scroll around the map to pinpoint your exact lake location.

Where do I go for help?

If you need to reach a real person at Cottage Life, email us at mylake@cottagelife.com  Monday-Friday 9:00am-5:00pm with time off on long weekends! (Hey, we’re cottagers too!)