Stay informed with The Cottage Almanac, showcasing all that’s great about the cottage lifestyle
The Cottage Almanac fills a niche for cottagers wanting to stay in-the-know about cottage country. It is founder Sean Menzie’s carefully curated podcast, social content and five-minute 52-week newsletter for those who love the lake lifestyle.
Menzie recognizes that people are busy, so his newsletter really only takes about five minutes to read. “Five-minute newsletters have proven to be an effective medium to engage with fast-paced, busy audiences” he says. “Our readers have a million things on the go, and the cottage is a place where they go to relax and unwind. Our primary goal is to help educate and inform our audience on what’s happening in their neck of the woods, along with the best of Canadian cottage lifestyle.”
The top performer is the Muskoka Almanac with almost 500 subscribers. The newsletter arrives in their email box every Thursday morning around 6 a.m. It features popular sections like weather and events but also advertisers of interest to cottagers. “Community news is tied creatively to topics of interest to cottager,” he explains. “National reach, local feel — free weekly editions tailored to your corner of Canadian cottage country, in under five minutes.”
Podcasts make for a great drive to the cottage
In addition to the newsletter, The Cottage Almanac also has regular podcasts catering to cottagers and the lakeside lifestyle. “We look at it as the official podcast for the drive to the cottage. It’s informative, fun and about 30 to 45 minutes long,” says Menzie. He calls them fireside conversations, similar to relaxed informal conversations around a campfire. Podcast guests are selected because they are of interest to people all across cottager country. Recent podcast guests include Muskoka Airport CEO Maciej Habrych, YWCA of Muskoka Executive Director Hannah Lin and Trisport Events Owner and Race Director Nick Stoehr.
The Cottage Almanac also has socials, videos that are shot on site, with special guests. Many include tours of interesting places as part of the conversation. “We just completed a great one with Artisan Chocolatiers Cacao Boys of Bala,” he says. These socials are then used to create short captivating hook reels for social media.
Menzie started spending time in Muskoka when attending University in North Bay. The cottage lifestyle drew him and intrigued him enough to start The Cottage Almanac. “I’m what I call a ‘proud weekender’,” he says. 
“The Almanac is about the connection to the activity that is cottaging, not the physical cottage.”
Menzie has already developed a community partnership with Discover Muskoka and is looking to grow more partnerships with The Cottage Almanac. “Our content is tailored to our audience and focuses on cottage stories.”
He sees the newsletter as a weekly ritual connecting readers to the cottage. “It’s 6 a.m. on Thursday morning. You are excited when you get the newsletter. What’s going on at the cottage?” he says. “Get ready, tomorrow is Friday and you will be at the cottage soon my friend.”
And for those who can’t go to the cottage every weekend, the newsletter is a piece of the cottage available at home, to help mentally transport them to their happy place.
Muskoka is not the only location of the cottage Almanac. They are extending east and west and further north. “We get to write about people’s favourite places,” he says.
The newsletter runs all year long. This means people are still connected to the cottage over the winter. That means content could include snowplowing, finding the right people to close up the cottage or even snowmobiling.
Advertisers are an important part of the formula for success and Menzie asks interested people to reach out to him for a conversation. “We work to understand what the advertiser wants. What are their goals? What are their key dates? Then together with our team we come up with a strategy and implementation plan.” He favours brands that resonate with his cottage audience and align with their expectations.
Menzie has a degree in Commerce and experience in sales and marketing but it’s his entrepreneurial spirit that resulted in The Cottage Almanac. “I saw a gap and set out to fill it.” Almost one year in, he says the cottage community is enjoying his product and interest is growing.
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Sean Menzie’s The Cottage Almanac is a Visionary level Member of the Muskoka Lakes Chamber. This feature profile and social media posts that drive to it are a perk provided to our Visionary Members. Thank you, Sean, for your support.
