Brechin and the Ramara shore of Lake Simcoe

Ramara's side of Lake Simcoe is the long eastern shore between the Atherley Narrows and the Talbot River. It takes in two provincial parks, a golf-course community, the township's administrative centre at Brechin, the Lagoon City canals and a lock on the Trent-Severn Waterway. Along the way, the services, the exposure and even the municipality change, which is why a listing that just says "Ramara waterfront" tells you very little.

For the township overview (taxes, schools, healthcare), see the Ramara area guide on rossmanteam.com. This page walks the shoreline itself.

Which communities are on Ramara's Lake Simcoe shore?

Ramara lists nine settlement areas. Four of them sit on or near Lake Simcoe: Atherley-Uptergrove, Brechin, Lagoon City and Gamebridge. The others (Cooper's Falls, Longford Mills, Sebright, Udney and Washago) are inland or on Lake Couchiching and other water. For Couchiching frontage, see our sister site, lakecouchichinghomes.com.

Travelling south from Orillia along the shore, roughly:

Stretch	What you will find	Services to expect
Atherley and the Narrows	Village homes, marinas, the bridge into Orillia	Varies; see the Atherley guide
Mara Provincial Park area	Shoreline homes and cottages near the park, about 10 minutes south of Orillia	Private well or lake water and septic unless shown otherwise
McRae Point	Shoreline roads around the provincial park	Private well or lake water and septic unless shown otherwise
Bayshore Village	A lakeside community with its own sewage plant	Municipal sewer (Bayshore Village Sewage Works)
Brechin	Ramara's administrative centre on Highway 12	Municipal sewer and water
Lagoon City	Canal community with boat access to the lake	Municipal sewer and water; see Lagoon City
Gamebridge	The Talbot River mouth and Lock 41	Private systems unless shown otherwise

The middle column is a general description, not a promise about any one street. Always confirm services on the utility bill and the MPAC record.

Where does Ramara end and Brock begin?

At the south end. Beaverton is not in Ramara. It is in the Township of Brock, one of eight municipalities in the Region of Durham, and it sits on the same eastern shore of Lake Simcoe.

Gamebridge is the place to be careful. Ramara lists it as a settlement area, but Lock 41 – Gamebridge has a Region Road 50 address and a Beaverton mailing address, which tells you the municipal line runs close by. Two homes a few hundred metres apart can have different tax rates, different septic programs and a different county or region. The tax bill settles it.

Mailing addresses mislead in the other direction too. Ontario Parks lists both Mara and McRae Point provincial parks as being in Ramara Township with Orillia-area L3V postal codes. An "Orillia" mailing address on this shore usually means Ramara.

What about Brechin itself?

Brechin is Ramara's administrative centre, with the Township office at 2297 Highway 12. For waterfront buyers, its importance is mostly practical: it is where the Building Division takes septic and permit questions, and it shares its sewer plant with Lagoon City.

The Brechin/Lagoon City Sewage Works (WWTP-201) and the Brechin/Lagoon City Water Treatment Plant serve both communities. In January 2026 the Province announced $30 million for Ramara water and wastewater projects, including upgrades to both. That grant goes to capital work and does not directly lower user rates, so ask for recent utility bills on any serviced property.

Where is sewer being extended?

Ramara recently ran sewer to about 80 properties on Ridge Avenue (The Steps to Lake Avenue), Lone Birch Trail (Simcoe Road to the end), Maple Trail (Lone Birch Trail to Lakeshore Drive) and Simcoe Road (Lone Birch Trail to Lake Avenue). The Township cited septic systems and holding tanks there that are often more than 50 years old, and the risk failures pose to Lake Simcoe and groundwater.

If you are buying on one of those streets, these numbers matter:

• Capital charge: $17,097.38 per property as a lump sum, due by April 15, 2026.
• If not paid: automatic 20-year financing on the tax bill starting June 2026, estimated at about $28,000 in total. The Township says the final amount and rate are confirmed once financing is secured.
• Private-side connection: must be done by December 31, 2028, with a building permit, a grinder pump to the Township's specifications and decommissioning of the old septic or holding tank.

Ask the seller whether the lump sum was paid, whether the connection is done and whether the financing charge will carry over to you. Your lawyer should adjust for it on closing.

How does the septic re-inspection program work on this shore?

Everywhere else on the shore, assume a private septic system until you see otherwise. Ramara's mandatory re-inspection program covers properties within 100 metres of the Lake Simcoe shoreline and watershed, and within 100 metres of a municipal well or surface water intake.

The short version:

• Five-year continuous cycle, with inspections in spring, summer and fall.
• $150 fee, collected as $30 a year on the final tax bill (Bylaw 2023.34).
• The owner must get a pump-out certificate from a certified hauler and make sure the Township receives it within the inspection year (or a maintenance report for a tertiary unit).
• A failed system gets a deficiency letter with a deadline.

The comparison with Oro-Medonte, Severn and Orillia is on rossmanteam.com's septic inspection programs guide.

Why does exposure matter so much here?

Ramara's shore faces the main body of the lake from the northeast. That gives many lots long views and open water, but it also takes the brunt of some storms. During the spring 2026 high water, the Township warned of storm surge and wave action, "especially on the northeast Lake Simcoe shoreline," and noted sandbags are not provided unless a municipal emergency is declared.

When you view a lot here, look for:

• Wave or ice damage on the shorewall, steps and dock cribs.
• How high the house and septic bed sit above the water.
• Whether the shoreline is a sheltered bay or open to a long fetch of water.

What drives Simcoe prices explains how exposure, bottom type and frontage show up in value, and ice fishing and winter covers ice push and winter access.

Who regulates the shoreline in Ramara?

Ramara is represented on the board of the Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority (LSRCA), and its Lake Simcoe shore is in the Lake Simcoe watershed. Work near the water, including shorewalls, fill and new structures, can need LSRCA approval as well as a Township building permit. Our Lake Simcoe shoreline rules and docks, boathouses and permits pages cover the approvals step by step.

Many older lots on this shore also have an original shore road allowance between the lot and the water. Ramara has a Sale of Land Policy for buying one; see shore road allowances on rossmanteam.com.

What does Gamebridge add for boaters?

Lock 41 – Gamebridge is the gateway to the Talbot River section of the Trent-Severn Waterway. By Parks Canada's navigation data, it sits about 2.3 km from the Lake Simcoe entrance, and it is the first of five manual locks in an eight-kilometre stretch that climbs 22.2 metres. Lock 41 offers overnight mooring (two nights maximum), washrooms and potable water, but no camping. For routes beyond that, see boating on Lake Simcoe.

What should you ask before you make an offer?

1. Which municipality is the property in, according to the tax bill?
2. Sewer, septic or holding tank? If septic, what year is the next re-inspection and where is the last pump-out certificate?
3. If it is on a newly serviced street, has the capital charge been paid and the connection made?
4. Is there a shore road allowance, and are the dock or boathouse on it?
5. What permits exist for the shorewall, dock and any boathouse?
6. Did spring 2026 bring water onto the lot or into the house?

How Jordan can help

Jordan Rossman is a REALTOR® with Real Broker Ontario Ltd., Brokerage, in Orillia real estate since 2014. On the Ramara shore he can help you confirm the municipality, services and septic status early, and compare a lot against others with similar exposure and frontage. Call 705-345-0797 to start.