Burk's Falls, Ontario, is a charming village nestled in the Almaguin Highlands region of Parry Sound District. This incorporated village is situated 265 kilometres north of Toronto and 90 kilometres south of North Bay, Ontario. Named after David Francis Burk of Oshawa, who selected the land surrounding the waterfall under the Free Land Grant Act, Burk's Falls is part of the Magnetawan River waterway.
Approximately 60 kilometres west of Algonquin Provincial Park, Burk's Falls, Ontario, is a picturesque spot in cottage country. The village is at the intersection of Ontario Highway 11 and the Magnetawan River, making it an enclave within Armour Township. The area is surrounded by the fresh-water bodies that make Northern Ontario famous, including Horn Lake, Pickerel Lake, Three Mile Lake, and the joined Doe and Little Doe Lakes.
The area around Burk's Falls, Ontario, was first settled by loggers during the 1860s. Initially, the only access to the region was via the Magnetawan River from Georgian Bay or through the forests of the unsurveyed townships, north of Bracebridge. However, after 1875, the Rosseau-Nipissing Colonization Road allowed access from Muskoka, to the south. In 1879, steamboat service was established to the foot of the falls, from the historic village of Magnetawan. Railway service arrived in Burk's Falls in 1886, with the opening of Northern and Pacific Junction Railway, absorbed by the Grand Trunk Railway in 1888. The Village of Burk's Falls was incorporated in 1890. A rare swing bridge was later completed over the Magnetawan, just west of Burk's Falls.
The growth of Burk's Falls, Ontario, has been steady, with the village maintaining its independence and not amalgamating with any nearby towns such as Katrine. The population has remained stable over the last decades, standing around 1000. The expansion of Highway 11 as a dual carriageway has prompted a new interchange. The village is also home to the Outward Bound Canadian Base Camp.
According to the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Burk's Falls, Ontario, had a population of 957 living in 465 of its 523 total private dwellings. This represented a change of -2.4% from its 2016 population of 981. With a land area of 3.09 km2, it had a population density of 309.7/km2 in 2021.
Burk's Falls, Ontario, is served by provincial highways 11 and 520. Intercity motor coach service to Burk's Falls is provided by Ontario Northland along its Toronto–Barrie–Parry Sound–Sudbury route's local schedule. Although bypassed by express schedules, the village still receives twice-daily service northbound and southbound.
