Katchewanooka Lake

Scottish Country Dance Instruction

1- 8 1s+2s dance double Fig of 8 (1s cross down to start)
9-16 1s lead down middle and up to end in middle at top facing down nearer hands joined. 2s step in nearer hands joined to face 1s
17-20 1s+2s set advancing to change places (1L and 2M pass LSh), 1s and 2s turn partners 2H to 2s facing down, 1s facing up
21-24 2s+1s repeat bars 17-20 returning to places. 1 2
25-28 1M and 2L set and cross into their partner's place while 1L and 2M set advancing and turn 2H to face partners
29-32 1L passes partner RSh to dance to 2L's place while 2M passes partner RSh to dance to 1M's place while 1M and 2L give RSh to their partners to start ½ diagonal reel of 4 to change places. 2 1

(MINICRIB. Dance crib compiled by Charles Upton, Deeside Caledonian Society, and his successors)

Dance Information

The lake stretches approximately 8 kilometres in length and 0.8 kilometres in width, with a maximum depth of around 15 metres. It sits at an elevation of 233 metres above sea level.

The lake receives inflow from Stoney Lake and drains into the Otonabee River at its southern end, near the community of Lakefield. This outflow continues through the city of Peterborough and eventually reaches Rice Lake. Katchewanooka Lake is integrated into the Trent-Severn Waterway, a canal system that connects Lake Ontario to Georgian Bay.

Lakefield College School, an independent boarding and day school, is located on the eastern shore of Katchewanooka Lake. In the 1830s, author Susanna Moodie resided on a farm near the lake, an experience that influenced her 1852 publication, "Roughing it in the Bush". Additionally, Canadian author Cathy Pelletier, writing under the pseudonym K. C. McKinnon, drew inspiration from the lake for her 1997 novel, "Dancing at the Harvest Moon".

While water levels in Katchewanooka Lake are managed through a system of locks and dams, the area remains susceptible to flooding, particularly during the spring thaw when runoff is at its peak.

Sunset Over Lake Katchewanooka, From Mountain View, USA

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