First populated bythe Huron, Iroquois and Chippewa Nations, Orillia is now a well-loved, year-roundrecreation destination. Its history is deeply tied to its water. Situated inthe narrows where Lake Simcoe flows into Lake Couchiching, Orillia was agathering place for centuries before Europeans used it to bring furs to market. Sir John Simcoe, first governor of Upper Canada, fostered permanent settlementof the region after commanding Loyalist regiments in the American War ofRebellion. A gateway to the Muskokaregion, it has been home to lumbering, manufacturing and artistic endeavours. Today, summer cottagers and winter athletes alike enjoy the Sunshine City andits more than twenty annual festivals. Local author Dennis Rizzo tells thefascinating and diverse history of Orillia, Ontario.