Lake Simcoe, ON

My name is Cathy Emms and originally, I’m from Barrie, Ontario.

I was brought up in Barrie on Lake Simcoe, or Kempenfelt Bay. Lake Simcoe is a spectacular body of water that goes from all the way from Barrie to Orillia. It is connected in there, it is clean, it is fresh. I learned to swim on Lake Simcoe, I was a swimming instructor as I grew up, and a lifeguard.

I also remember friends of my parents taking me to Johnson’s Beach and saying you’re like a fish, you’re just like a fish, you love the water. I’ve always loved the water. I’m very fortunate, it was a very comfortable place for me to be, it was calming. My grandmother lived on Lake Simcoe, she had a place there. So just to have that experience and I love the water, it’s beautiful. My grandmother always said to me there’s something about being brought up on the water, living on the water, a calming effect.

So something I’m very privileged to have experienced. I have a daughter who also is so comfortable in the water – she’s 30 today. She also became a lifeguard and an instructor. So there’s things about it that just connects you to a place that feels really comfortable and safe. So it’s very special.