TORONTO -- With the fall colours in full bloom, one county in Ontario is urging Instagrammers to take their hunt for the perfect picture away from a now-famous lake.
Frontenac County’s photogenic Heart Lake in Ompah, Ont., shaped like a nearly-perfect heart, has become a popular spot for social media users over the past few years, but the county is now telling people to stay away.
“Recently, photographers have been flocking to Ompah to get their own shots of this uniquely shaped lake,” the county wrote in an Instagram post. “We get it, it IS beautiful. But there is no public access. You’re trespassing on private property, and that’s not right.”
The county also notes that it’s currently hunting season, meaning any trek to the lake would be a dangerous proposition.
Within the past month, an account promoting Ontario tourism and an account promoting tourism in North America have posted images of the lake. Frontenac County itself posted an image of the lake on Valentine’s Day in 2018.
This isn’t the only time Instagrammers have been told to stay away from an area made popular by social media. In July, Terre Bleu farm near Milton, Ont. had to tell Instagrammers to stop crushing its lavender plants.
Last year, a sunflower field in Hamilton, Ont. installed signs telling people they were not allowed to take photos after some social media users destroyed crops while searching for the perfect picture.
