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WHAT’S UP
May 2010
MUSKOKA’S NEWS SOURCE
HUNTSVILLE
LAKE OF BAYS
www.whatsupmuskoka.com
Peter Pan play takes off
Tourism award
for councillor Page 9
Fabulous feedback
for famous tale
See page 11
Two new soccer
fields open Page 25
Cottage Comedy
offers laughs Page 27

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Flying high above Muskoka
Photograph: Don MacTavish
The view high above Muskoka is spectacular from Earle Robinson’s Cessna 172 as he comes in for a landing at Muskoka Airport.
By James Waterman
Muskoka is home to a group of likeminded
individuals who keep a high
profile – literally. As the people of
Muskoka go about their lives, they
cruise the skies high above the towns
and villages below.
The Muskoka Flying Club took
flight seven years ago when pilot Earle
Robinson arrived in Muskoka and discovered
there were no rental aircraft
with which to enjoy his favourite pastime.
His original idea to form a club of
local pilots and aviation enthusiasts in
order to purchase an aircraft as a
group was fraught with difficulties
and never got off the ground.
“So,” says Robinson, “I went ahead
and bought my own airplane and
started flying it.”
His early experience as a civil pilot
in Muskoka taught Robinson there
was a need for a different type of flying
club than the one he had proposed
originally.
“There was no ability for these people
to get currency,” he says. “With
private pilot’s licenses there are currency
requirements every couple of
years. What that means is that they’ve
actually had exposure to safety seminars
or some recurrent training. They
take a flight instructor up and do
some stalls and steep turns and some
practice take-offs and landings.”
So, five years ago, Robinson began
to organize “a loose association of
pilots” as the Muskoka Flying Club.
The club now has approximately 65
casual members ranging from aspiring
pilots, commercial pilots and even war
veterans. Like Robinson, they love to
fly.
The Muskoka Flying Club organizes
one or two seminars per year to
update local pilots on new safety
regulations and refresh their knowledge.
Robinson notes that having
well-trained and well-informed pilots
in our skies is critically important for
public safety.
“That’s the whole objective,” he
says, “to make our pilots safe and
make sure the community is safe with
Muskoka Flying Club members Ron Tomlinson, Henry Longhurst, Glenn
Willoughby and Earle Robinson chat in a hangar.
Photograph: Don MacTavish
our pilots up there.”
The efforts of the Muskoka Flying
Club often involve collaboration with
Transport Canada, Nav Canada and
the Muskoka Airport. The safety seminars
are largely run by Transport
Canada and they deal mostly with air
safety, procedural issues and regulatory
changes.
“Another thing that we’re proactive
in is working with the airport to try to
give a civil aviation voice to the airport,”
he says. “So, if they have
changes that they’re planning, I try to
act as a point of contact on behalf of
the civil aviation pilots here.”
Robinson is a strong promoter of
the Muskoka Airport. A number of
the members of the club also use the
airport as a centre for their social
interaction with each other, congregating
at the shop where the site’s airplane
mechanic does his work.
“That airport is absolutely a jewel,”
he says. “And I don’t think it’s recognized
for its true character.”
Robinson wonders how the airport
could be used to add a formal social
component to the club’s activities,
both among the members of his group
and with the other similar clubs
throughout southern Ontario with
which he is frequently in contact. His
main focus, however, will continue to
be ensuring the safety of Muskoka’s
pilots and communities through programs
such as the safety seminars.
www.whatsupmuskoka.com May 2010 5

Challenge promotes area trails
Muskoka Trails Council board member Amy McLeish takes some time to
enjoy the Wilson Falls trails with her son Isaac McLeish Lafleur.
Photograph: Sandy Lockhart
By Chris Occhiuzzi
The Muskoka Trails Council wants
people to get their hiking boots on
and explore Muskoka.
At the beginning of May, the council
launched its Passport to the Trails
Challenge to promote the use and
enjoyment of Muskoka’s many trails.
“This challenge is free for everyone.
Anyone can participate, it can be done
individually or with others and no
special equipment is needed,” says
Sandra Beausoleil, Muskoka’s regional
trails coordinator. “There are a variety
of unique features to watch out for on
the trails, such as floating bridges.”
The Muskoka Trails Council wants
people taking the challenge to have
fun, get exercise and explore the beauty
of Muskoka’s natural environment.
“The idea is for everyone to have
fun, enjoy the natural playground that
is in our backyards, and appreciate
some of the benefits of being physically
active,” says Beausoleil. “Muskoka
is such a beautiful place, full of important
wildlife species, life-giving trees,
fresh-water lakes and rivers, rocks and
granite outcroppings. This Trail Challenge
is all about getting outside to
experience all that Muskoka has to
offer, while being physically active.”
The challenge is to visit six different
trails marked on the passport: Gravenhurst’s
Kahshe Barrens, Georgian
Bay’s McCrae Lake Conservation
Trail, the Huckleberry Rock Lookout
Trail in the Township of Muskoka
Lakes, Bracebridge’s Wilson Falls
Trail, Huntsville’s Hunter’s Bay Trail
and Lake of Bays’ Dwight Beach Trail.
A Trail Passport Code will be clearly
marked on a sign at each of these
trails.
While there are no prizes, other
than good health, after completing the
trail challenge participants can have
their name added to the website by e-
mailing Beausoleil at
info@muskokatrails council.com with
the codes.
Plus, the Muskoka Trails Council
encourages people to take pictures and
submit them for display on their website.
“This brilliant program was developed
by my predecessor, the past
regional trails coordinator, Katie Pellerin,”
says Beausoleil. “She put
together this idea based on the
Muskoka Trails Council’s vision and
mission, and utilized Muskoka’s fantastic
venue of the trails to promote
health benefits of healthy active living.
The program is flexible – there is no
end date, and you can take part at any
time, any day of the year, and for as
long as you like.”
Passports are available at local
libraries, chambers of commerce,
Muskoka Tourism offices or local
parks and recreations departments.
They are also available online at
www.muskokatrailscouncil.com.
For Beausoleil, hiking is a family
affair enjoyed through all seasons.
“For me, any trail I can take my
kids on is a great trail. Our family
often takes in a trail or two on the
weekends all year round,” she says.
The sun’s shining, the birds are
singing and there’s no time like the
present to get up, get out and get on
the trails.
Frost Centre Institute closed due to significant loss
By Jenn Watt
Two months shy of its third anniversary,
the Frost Centre Institute north of
Halls Lake near Dorset will close down
permanently because of overdue rent.
Run by Al Aubry, a former IBM businessman,
the institute took over the
Frost Centre in June 2007 with the
intention of capitalizing on the environment
and arts to create a vibrant
summer camp, education system and
year-round conference centre.
But despite all efforts, Aubry couldn’t
stop the institute from losing money.
“Like any new business . . . it was
tough,” Aubry says. “It was brutally difficult
to find capital investments.”
Over the past three years, the institute
bled money through the winter
months, unable to get the numbers
needed to stay afloat. In a public report
released in November, Aubry wrote:
“The one goal that continues to elude
us is the all-important goal of making
the Frost Centre Institute economically
self-sufficient. Like many businesses
6 May 2010 www.whatsupmuskoka.com
and governments these days, we are
operating at a deficit and we are accumulating
some debt. The reason is that
our activity levels drop off dramatically
in the period from November to April,
just at the time when the operating
costs are at their highest levels.”
The provincial government, which
owns the Frost Centre, was at first
lenient with the institute, says Rick
Johnson, MPP for Haliburton-
Kawartha Lakes-Brock, but eventually
it had to make a decision.
“The bottom line is they’re facing
some incredible financial challenges.
The province has gone above and
beyond trying to assist them with this
through not collecting rent I think
since the first payment and it just got to
a point where he’s not going to get out
of that,” he says.
The Frost Centre Institute hasn’t paid
rent on the building since its first
installment nearly three years ago, he
says.
Johnson wouldn’t disclose how much
money was lost on the venture, but
called it “significant.”
“We’ve really gone above and beyond
to help them out and make it work. If
it had been viable, if we could see a
point at some point where they’d have a
chance to repay the money that hadn’t
been collected, but it got to the point
where it didn’t seem that it was an
option,” he says.
Aubry had proposed a few scenarios
to the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure
hoping to break even, but by
that point they weren’t biting, he says.
“We reduced the loss by 60 per cent .
. . and were to break even in 18
months,” he says.
He asked that the centre close down
in the winter months, but found the
government unwilling to take over the
building in the downtime.
Finally, he developed an idea to
launch the Frost Environmental College
to keep the place sustainable year
round, but needed large capital investment,
which couldn’t be found.
The government’s plan now is to take
over the building, keep it up to standard
and look for a new tenant or
owner.
“It’s unfortunate. I think [Aubry] had
some good ideas,” Johnson says.
“Whether the economy or just whatever
undercut his operation is unfortunate,
but it’s a great facility and I know
the government, we believe it’s got a lot
of history in the area. So the intent is to
find someone else to come in and operate
it.”
The government will be requesting
proposals for the Frost Centre in the
coming months.
Aubry, meanwhile, is planning to
spend time with his six grandkids and
do some woodworking.
“I feel extremely privileged to have
the opportunity to work on a project
that gave thousands of kids a learning
experience they wouldn’t have had otherwise,”
he says.
The Frost Centre Institute will close
at the end of the month.

Henny Brown, Lynda Hutt, Rosemary King, Virginia Hastings, Debi Davis, Jane Langmuir and Melissa Key were award recipients at the third annual
Muskoka Outstanding BusinessWomen’s Awards, presented at the Mark O’Meara Ballroom at Grandview Resort on May 4.
Event celebrates Muskoka’s business women
Supporters, friends and colleagues
gathered to recognize the contributions
of Muskoka’s business women at the
third annual Muskoka’s Outstanding
BusinessWomen’s Awards on May 4 at
Delta Grandview’s Mark O’Meara Ballroom
in Huntsville.
Keynote speaker at the event was
Libby Norris, the fitness expert on Canada
AM. She spoke about work life balance
and how many people in the business
world struggle to achieve it.
“Balance is relative to you, to the day
and the season of your life,” she says,
explaining that balance may look different
at different times in your life.
When Norris was focused on boxing,
she spent considerable time training. She
says that time in her life was not balanced,
but it opened other doors, such as
working with CTV and Canada AM.
“Balance ebbs and flows,” she says.
“Don’t overlook the ebbs and flows and
the opportunities of being in the
moment. Often the best things end up
creating waves.”
Following Norris and an auction, with
proceeds going to YWCA Muskoka,
awards were presented.
The Businesswoman of the Year, with
one to four employees, was Henny
Brown of Cottage Cravings and the Old
English Fudge Co. in Gravenhurst. She
was recognized for her life-long entrepreneurial
spirit and her support of the community.
The award recipient in the category of
Businesswoman of the Year, with five to
10 employees, was Rosemary King, coowner
of Vacation Time Real Estate and
Watts Printing in Gravenhurst. She is
involved with two businesses but still
finds time to support the community’s
economic development as president of
the Gravenhurst Chamber of Commerce.
Jane Langmuir, owner of the Muskoka
Natural Food Market, was named the
Businesswoman of the Year in the category
of 11 or more employees. While operating
a successful health food store, she
also helps to nurture the growth in
Muskoka’s wellness community.
The Heart and Soul Award went to
two recipients, Debi Davis of the
Huntsville District Memorial Hospital
Foundation and Virginia Hastings of
Starshine Video Productions. Hastings
was also named Young Entrepreneur of
the Year. Despite challenges that threatened
to derail her dreams, Hastings persevered
and started her own film business
at the age of 20.
Lynda Hutt of YWCA Muskoka was
honoured as the Employee of the Year,
recognizing her work with the YWCA’s
business programs.
This year’s special category, Businesswoman
of the Year, focussing on Health
and Fitness, went to Melissa Key of FITT
Gym and Personal Training Studio in
Huntsville. Key is known for her innovative
ideas, enthusiasm and community
involvement.
The Muskoka Outstanding Business-
Women’s Awards are presented by North
Country Business and Muskoka Magazine.
The silver sponsor for the event was
Delta Grandview Resort. Bronze sponsors
include Les Bell with State Farm
Insurance, Jacqui Semkow, mortgage
specialist with TD Canada Trust, North
Muskoka House and Royal LePage Lakes
of Muskoka Realty. Over $5,000 was
raised for YWCA Muskoka at the event.
Photograph: Heather Douglas
Photograph: Heather Douglas
Photograph: Heather Douglas
Libby Norris, a fitness expert for Canada AM, was the keynote speaker at
the third annual Muskoka Outstanding BusinessWomen’s Awards.
Muskoka Magazine and North Country Business publisher Don Smith
presents a donation to Beth Ward and Virginia Hastings of the YWCA.
See the May North Country Business for more photographs and reports.
www.whatsupmuskoka.com May 2010 7

WHAT’S UP MUSKOKA
EDITORIAL
Environmental
jewel dumped
by government
It is sad news that the Frost Centre Institute,
formerly the site of the Leslie M. Frost Centre, is
closing but it’s not totally surprising. Those
involved in the operation of privately run educational
facilities will tell you it’s no easy task.
However, the failure of this most recent
endeavour is more than simply the story of an
educational facility that is no longer in business.
It is a story that must bring back memories of the
concerns that were raised when the provincial
government was contemplating what it would do
with this jewel, located beside an easily accessible
piece of relative wilderness.
It appears the government will again be
requesting proposals for the facility in the next
few months. After investing almost three years in
the centre, the most recent owners were unable to
even make the rent payments. But if an experienced
executive with deep pockets and solid ideas
can’t make it work, who exactly is the province
hoping will come forward next?
In today’s world, a place that teaches people
about nature and respect for the environment is
an essential service. In our province, the role of
education has traditionally been a provincial
responsibility, in part because it is a service too
expensive for a private company to operate. Yet,
here, that responsibility is being offered to the
highest bidder. And while the public might recognize
the potential of the Frost Centre, it is hard
to find a buyer who can afford to operate or
replace these old buildings. Who, then, will teach
future generations about our natural environment?
There is no doubt that the centre is a unique
piece of property. The Frost property is adjacent
to about 24,000 acres of Crown land. It would be
very disappointing to see that piece of property
and its heritage lost to private development.
While the facility is not technically in Muskoka,
it borders the district and there has been a
long-standing connection with local residents.
What happens at the Frost Centre will impact us.
We need to watch what happens there and be vigilant.
If the government is willing to give up this land
for a commercial development, we could find
ourselves on a slippery slope that puts at risk
huge amounts of land held by the Crown in
Muskoka.
Send your Letters to the Editor to:
editor@northcountrymedia.com
Box 180, Bracebridge, ON P1L 1T6
8 May 2010 www.whatsupmuskoka.com
Letter to the Editor
‘Sufferer of depression’ urged to
seek help
We were very troubled to read
the letter to the editor in the April
issue of What’s Up Muskoka regarding
the individual accessing mental
health services and would like
to respond with the following:
We want to invite the “sufferer
of depression” to contact the
Muskoka-Parry Sound Community
Mental Health Service in order
for us to address their concerns
and as an opportunity to improve
our services.
We would like to confirm that
people are assessed over the phone
because we can respond more rapidly
and to more people in this
way. If we, for any reason, think
that it would be best to see a person
face to face, then this is
arranged. The telephone screening
is the initial assessment and consists
of asking people questions to
clarify and understand what their
struggles are and what they need.
If the person is not in a crisis the
assessment information is
reviewed to decide which service
would best meet the needs of the
person. Sometimes people do not
meet the mandate of the agency
and are referred to other services in
the community. If people are in a
crisis, they are asked to come in as
quickly as possible for an appointment
to begin to resolve/cope with
the immediate issues.
The mandate of the agency is to
provide crisis service and serve
people with serious mental illness.
The agency would love to provide
all referrals with services but are
not funded to serve everyone.
However, there are services that
can be accessed through Family
Health Teams, Employee Assistance
Programs, OHIP funded
physicians who provide mental
health services, all at no cost to the
individual. Private practitioners
are available as well, but as the
writer points out, there is a fee for
their services.
Regardless of the circumstances
we would like to hear from the
individual to correct and improve
their experience with our service.
Charlane Cluett
Muskoka Parry-Sound
Community Mental
Health Service
Bracebridge
Donald Smit h
Publisher
Melissa Kosowan
Editor
Sandy Lockhart
Assistant Editor
Donna Ansley
Curtis Armstrong
Alan Bruder
Jennifer Cooper
Laurie Johle
Advertising Sales
Marc Bonitatibus
Production Manager
Addie Collins
Matthew Walker
Design Department
Angy Gliddon
Ken Northey
Susan Smith
Reader Sales and Service
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E-mail: info@northcountrymedia.com
Website: www.whatsupmuskoka.com
Cover Photo
Bracebridge/Gravenhurst:
Scott Turnbull Photography
Huntsville/Lake of Bays:
Don McCormick

Power boost for Huntsville radio station
By Don McCormick
The Moose FM in Huntsville will
now look and sound different thanks to
a new name, new programming and a
power boost from five to 43.4 kilowatts
for its Dwight transmitter.
“We’ll be able to serve the community
better,” says general manager Sean Connon.
“It’ll be the biggest, strongest signal
you’ll be able to get in all of Muskoka.”
Now called the new 105.5 FM –
Muskoka’s Lite Favourites, the station
will feature adult contemporary programming
featuring music from the
1970s, to today, Connon told supporters
at a press conference on April 19.
The new sound will include a lunch
time program focusing on music of the
70s, a Saturday Night Oldies show featuring
music of the 50s, 60s and early
70s and a Sunday morning brunch playing
music of the 80s.
The new 105.5 FM is one of 13 stations
owned by the Haliburton Broadcasting
Group.
“It is the crown jewel of the group,”
says Christopher Grossman, owner of
Haliburton Broadcasting Group.
“Our goal (since purchasing 105.5
FM) was always to get a larger signal and
to get more coverage for the northern
part of Muskoka and the Lake of Bays
regions,” says Grossman.
Prior to the power boost, there were
Sean Connon, general manager of the new 105.5, talks about some of the changes to the radio station during a
press conference on April 20. The station now has a new name, sound and a stronger signal.
pockets in Muskoka where listeners
could not pick up the signal. Now,
assures Connon, “It will come in everywhere.”
The Haliburton Broadcast Group
now serves from Parry Sound in the west
to Haliburton in the east and from
North Bay in the north to Barrie in the
south.
Photograph: Don McCormick
Councillor wins award for sports tourism
By Don McCormick
Huntsville councillor George Young
has been awarded the prestigious President’s
Award by the Canadian Sport
Tourism Association in recognition for
his work promoting sport and event
tourism in the Huntsville-Lake of Bays
area.
After 28 years of working with the
CBC as a sportscaster, Young retired to
his hometown of Huntsville in 1994.
He almost immediately immersed
himself into the local political scene
and was elected a Town of Huntsville
and District of Muskoka councillor
shortly thereafter.
In 2002, Young was appointed chair
of the economic development committee
for the Town of Huntsville. In a
survey relating to the economy of the
town it was discovered that tourism
made up about 50 per cent of the local
economy.
After almost three decades of reporting
at provincial, national and international
sporting events, Young was well
aware of the economic impact sporting
events had on communities.
“I went down to the Canadian
Sport Tourism conference and it
became pretty obvious that, for
Huntsville, being the sports town that
Huntsville councillor George Young was honoured by the Canadian Sport
Tourism Association for his work promoting sports tourism locally.
it is, sports tourism was a good idea,”
says Young.
According to Young, so many things
had changed over the years that
Huntsville and Lake of Bays needed to
be more than just a scenic area with
welcoming people in order to thrive in
the tourism industry.
“You had to give people a reason to
come here – you had to find a niche
Photograph: Kate Austin
tourism market,” says Young.
He promoted the idea of sport
tourism and his council slowly bought
in.
The Town of Huntsville formed two
committees, the sport/event tourism
committee to organize the events and
the sport/event marketing committee
to promote the area and the events.
They made a four-year commitment of
$100,000 a year.
The events committee placed winning
bids for the Ontario Paralympics
Winter Championships, the Muskoka
70.3 Triathlon, the 2010 Olympic
Torch Relay and, most recently, the
Ontario Winter Youth Games. These
events, along with the 1992 World
Triathlon Championships, the annual
Muskoka Triathlon and the National
Pond Hockey Championships, helped
establish Huntsville and Lake of Bays
as one of the premier venues in the
province for sporting events.
“I’m satisfied with the way the whole
sports tourism initiative has gone,”
says Young.
The new sporting facilities that have
resulted from the G8 funding has
pushed Huntsville to a new level.
“Huntsville is definitely on the
sports tourism map,” says Young.
www.whatsupmuskoka.com May 2010 9

Unity Plan draft to be unveiled in June
By Don McCormick
The Town of Huntsville is engaged in an ambitious
planning process to set the course for future development
in the community that will ensure a prosperous
and sustainable future. It is called the Unity Plan.
The draft plan was to be presented to a working
group in early May and will be presented to the community
at large on June 1 at the Algonquin Theatre.
An informal drop-in is planned from 5:30 to 7 p.m.
and the formal presentation will take place from 7 to 9
p.m. At that point there will still be opportunity
for input into the draft plan.
“Local residents have a considerable vested
interest in the both the process and the
plan that eventually evolves out of this
process,” says Mary Jane Fletcher,
Huntsville town councillor and chair of the
environmental committee .
“There are two great strengths in the
process being followed,” says Mike Greaves,
Huntsville town councillor and co-chair of
the Unity Plan working group.
“The first is that it gives equal consideration to environmental,
economic and social/cultural aspects of the
community,” he says. “The second is that it has relied
heavily on input from the public to set the vision, to
identify the areas that need addressing and to recommend
actions that can be taken to reach its goals.”
Greaves says that traditionally strategic plans have
essentially ended up as economic plans.
“Lip service is usually paid to the environment and,
perhaps, to social/cultural aspects but when push comes
to shove, economics rules,” he says.
Instead, Huntsville’s Unity Plan uses a three-legged
stool as a metaphor for the plan with all three legs
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every weekday morning
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10 May 2010 www.whatsupmuskoka.com
(economics, environment and social/cultural) of equal
length. As a result, council’s future decisions will have
to meet the test of giving equal consideration to all
three aspects.
“We think this is a very forward-thinking and even
courageous commitment on the part of the Huntsville
council,” says Greaves, who gives a great deal of the
credit to fellow councillor Fletcher.
There have been over 1,200 contacts with local people,
according to Fletcher.
“We think this is a very
forward-thinking and even
courageous commitment...”
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“We think that one of the great strengths of the planning
process is that it has proactively engaged the community
from the very outset and has continued to
engage them at every step of the process, ” she says.
“We have sought input from individuals at public
forums, at meetings of their organizations, at sporting
events, in the streets and in the coffee shops. We have
gone to where people are and not waited for people to
come to us.”
Lura Consulting is the environmental and sustainability
planning firm, engaged by the town to steer the
community through the process. The Town of
Huntsville and the Canadian Federation of Municipalities
are jointly funding it. Once the plan is in place the
municipality will be able to qualify for funding for
municipal “green” projects.
According to Lura reports, the people of Huntsville
value their beautiful natural environment, the small
town atmosphere, the vibrant downtown, the rich history,
the artistic, cultural and recreational opportunities
the town affords and the sense of community. They
want it protected.
They identified the challenges in protecting what
they value, such as balancing the three pillars
(economics, environment and social cultural)
and getting the community to buy in. The
fact the District has control over some of
these aspects, the impact of climate change
and even affordable housing also played a
role.
Those involved in the process recognize
opportunities with new post-secondary facilities,
successes with niche forms of tourism,
job creation with green technologies and so
on.
On the basis of this input, Lura will design a plan
with the goal of achieving a sustainable balance of the
economic, environmental and social/cultural needs of
the community.
It will try to promote a high quality of life for everyone
in the community by trying to achieve a strong,
resilient economy. It will foster a sense of stewardship in
the natural environment so that the community will
protect and, if necessary, restore it. It will foster an ethic
of participation and collaboration in trying to achieve
these goals. It will build upon the already strong sense
of community and caring for each other. It will support
and promote the artistic, cultural and recreational communities.
According to Lura reports, the public identified 12
different aspects of community life that will have to be
considered. They are natural heritage and environmental
protection, municipal versus district operations, land
use planning, social well being, critical needs such as
clean air and water and safe, nutritious food, energy
conservation, transportation, health care, recreation,
arts and culture, economic development and affordable
housing.
At the last community forum in February, participants
were asked to suggest specific strategies and
actions in each of these aspects that will move the community
in the direction of its vision. Lura has collated
these suggestions and incorporated them into the draft
plan.
Once the plan is finalized the very important next
phase – developing the implementation plan – will be
undertaken with still more opportunity for public
input.
“Developing a well-designed plan for shaping the
future of the community – the way we want it to be –
is a very important and very exciting project,” says
Greaves.
Next advertising
deadline
June 3
Call now to book
your ad space
646-1314

It was a busy and interesting month
Around Huntsville
By Don McCormick
Ahhh, spring! I
love spring. And
what a spring this
has been. It started
unseasonably
early and blue
skies and warm
days have continued
almost
unabated ever
since. “Isn’t this a
beautiful day,” has become a common
salutation.
One of the downsides of spring is that,
with the disappearance of the snow, the
roadside litter accumulated over the winter
becomes all too obvious. Coffee cups,
fast food wrappers and containers, plastic
and glass drink containers and cigarette
butts and packages make up the bulk of
the litter.
I have always found it quite disgusting
that some people have so little regard for
other people and the environment that
they would just open their car window
and dump their garbage onto the roadsides.
To me, it seems like such a simple
thing to keep a garbage bag in one’s car
for collecting refuse and to dispose of it
with the home garbage or at service stations
or the town litter bins.
Fortunately, there are other people
who see themselves as stewards of the
environment. Over the past 30 years,
community-minded people in Huntsville
have used Earth Day as an occasion to
take it upon themselves to clean up the
mess left by other people.
It’s not easy to convince someone to
clean up other peoples’ garbage. It
offends their sense of justice that the litterers
should not be made to clean up
their own mess. But their greater sense of
caring for the environment overrides
their disgust and they patrol the roadsides
and other community properties picking
up and disposing of the litter.
Various groups organized cleanup
events during the week of Earth Day. The
attendance at these events was sometimes
sparse but, as the saying goes, “a journey
of a thousand miles starts with one small
step.”
Spring has also become the season for
the annual local blockbuster theatrical
production, which this year was Peter
Pan. There were eight shows between
April16-25. This production was particularly
challenging because some of the
actors fly on stage.
Director Gregg Evans engaged the
famous Foy family business, which has
been choreographing stage flights for
Peter Pan productions since 1947, to provide
the equipment and the training for
the stage flight.
The feedback has been “fabulous,”
according to Evans.
“There is not a weak spot in this
thing,” he says of the play, which sold
about 80 per cent of the 3,600 available
tickets. “We’re quite pleased.”
On April 24, the Huntsville Association
for the Performing Arts concluded
its 2009-2010 season with a presentation
by the Seiler Piano Trio, featuring artistic
director and violinist Mayumi Seiler, cellist
Rachel Mercer and pianist Angela Par.
The local radio station, Moose FM
CFBK 105.5, announced an increase in
power from 5 to 43.4 kilowatts at a press
conference on April 19. This will mean
an improvement in service throughout
Muskoka, but particularly to Huntsville
and Lake of Bays areas. This increase in
power also occasioned the unveiling of a
new look, a new name and new sound
for the station. The former Moose FM is
now known as the New FM 105.5 –
Muskoka’s Lite Favourites and will feature
adult contemporary music from the
1970s through to today.
At the end of April, just in time for the
spring gardening season, the Muskoka
Parry Sound Master Gardeners presented
Paul Zammit, a graduate of the University
of Guelph’s plant agriculture program
and a very engaging speaker, television
commentator and the author of several
articles.
Captain Hook (Bob Stone), his sidekick Smee (Ryan Burda) and their band
of pirates break into dance during the stage play Peter Pan, performed at
the Algonquin Theatre April 16-25.
During the month of May, the Algonquin
Theatre will be presenting a number
of local and professional acts that you
might want to check out. The Huntsville
Festival of the Arts starts its summer program
on the July 1 weekend.
Construction is nearing completion at
the Huntsville Centennial Centre and
the University of Waterloo buildings.
The final form of the buildings is becoming
more evident every day. These two
buildings will be very attractive structures
and a great addition to the infrastructure
of the community. The new soccer field
and track overlooking Cann Lake is a little
further from completion, but it will be
a great addition to the sports facilities of
the town when it’s complete.
After years of trying unsuccessfully to
buy the property adjacent to the lower
level parking lot at the Centennial Centre,
the town was finally able to acquire
the property and a much-needed parking
lot that will accommodate about 60 cars
is currently under construction. That will
be a welcome development for the many
Centennial Centre users who have spent
this past year patrolling the entire area
trying to find a parking spot.
The construction at the Centennial
Centre and the University of Waterloo
changed the topography at the back of
the Centennial Centre significantly,
increasing the pitch of the road down to
the river at the boat launch. The town
decided that it rendered the boat ramp
unusable and closed it. This upset a number
of people who protested loudly on
the radio, in local papers and in person in
front of town hall. The council did not
back down and the ramp will remain
closed. However, as a concession, council
will try to make improvements to
increase the capacity of the Avery Beach
boat launch.
It was another busy and interesting
month in Huntsville. Stay tuned for next
month’s news.
Photograph: Don McCormick
Huntsville rallies for Earth Day
By Don McCormick
It was forty years ago, on April 22,
1970, that U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson
instituted Earth Day, a day
intended to inspire awareness and
appreciation for the earth’s environment.
Today it is observed in over
175 countries worldwide.
One of the many ways Earth Day is
observed in Huntsville is to use the
occasion to do a spring cleanup of
properties, roadsides and public
spaces.
During the week of April 19-24 the
whole community was challenged to
make a difference in their neighbourhood
by spending 20 minutes cleaning
up around their property. Litter
could be dropped off at McCulley
Robertson Park and participants were
invited to partake in a barbecue on
April 24th.
On Earth Day, Huntsville High
School students could choose to do
one of two things. They either went
out with their teachers to clean up
assigned areas in town or they
remained in class to participate in a
lesson relating to the environment.
Town personnel were invited to
clean up around the town hall and in
River Mill Park. The businesspeople
along King William Street cleaned
the area from Centre Street to Highway
60.
Delta Grandview invited the businesses
and residents along Highway
60 from the resort to King William
Street to join their staff in a barbecue
and cleanup along Highway 60 from
Grandview in towards town.
On April 24 and on May 8, the
District of Muskoka picked up bags
of leaves left at the curbside.
And, to complete the circle, on
Earth Day residents were invited to
come and take home compost from
the town’s Madill Church yard.
The community banded
together to clean up Huntsville
during Earth Week.
Photograph: Don McCormick
www.whatsupmuskoka.com May 2010 11

Advertising Feature
GETTING TO KNOW US
May is hearing awareness month
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Private Lessons:
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May is hearing awareness month and
Deaf Access Simcoe Muskoka and The
Canadian Hearing Society want to raise
awareness about the services available
locally for deaf, deafened and hard of
hearing individuals.
Deaf Access Simcoe Muskoka and
The Canadian Hearing Society organizations
have partnered to offer programs
to people over the age of 55 who
are deaf, oral deaf, deafened or hard of
hearing. They share an ideal of respect,
communication and participation for
all of society.
Locally, the services are free and open
to both residents and visitors through
funding provided by the North Simcoe
Muskoka Local Health Integration
Network.
“These programs are important in
Muskoka because it’s an underserviced
population of people,” says Christine
Cox, general support service counsellor
for Deaf Access Simcoe Muskoka. “The
programs we offer are mainly senior
based and we go into their homes. It’s no
charge to anyone thanks to the funding
we receive.”
Deaf Access Simcoe Muskoka offers
services to those who are culturally Deaf.
Deaf Access provides general support
services, American Sign Language-to-
English interpreters, sign language classes
and advocacy and communication
accessibility education.
“The Deaf population’s language is
American Sign Language,(ASL)” says
Cox. “There are sometimes difficulties
bridging English to American Sign Language,
so I find there are a lot of times
when I’m helping to create understanding
between people.”
Services provided by The Canadian
Hearing Society are for those who are
hard of hearing, but not culturally Deaf.
The Canadian Hearing Society provides
counselling, which includes home
visits and education for those with hearing
loss, their family members and
other caregivers.
As well, The Canadian Hearing Society
provides demonstrations, information
and assistance with communication
devices such as visual smoke
alarms, specialized telephones and personal
listening devices.
“We offer ways for people to cope
with their new or continuing hearing
loss,” says Sara Clipsham, hearing care
counsellor at The Canadian Hearing
Society. “Our programs are offered to
55 plus, but we like to hear from anyone,
so we can help them find out who
they do need to speak to, even if we
can’t help them.”
With new legislation under the
Accessibility for Ontarians with
Disabilities Act requiring all public
places to become accessible in the next
year, Deaf Access and The Canadian
Hearing Society can be a resource for
those with questions on how to comply
with the law.
“Basically, we’re here as a resource for
the community at large and as a support
for deaf individuals,” says Cox.
Apart from the aforementioned programs,
throughout the year Deaf Access
and The Canadian Hearing Society
present seminars as part of their Accessible
Presentation Series. Various presenters
and topics are covered in the
series, with sign language interpreters
and note takers provided.
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Hours: Thurs and Fri 12:30 to 4:00 or by appointment
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wqblinds@muskoka.com
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12 May 2010 www.whatsupmuskoka.com

Advertising Feature
Owner Mike Warr, chef Gwen Holmes and Owen Warr welcome guests to The Old Station Restaurant in Bracebridge, which is celebrating 25 years.
Photograph: Paul Bennett
The Old Station celebrates 25 years
By Sandy Lockhart
The Old Station Restaurant is a fixture in downtown
Bracebridge and has been a popular spot for people to
dine and socialize for the past 25 years.
To celebrate its anniversary, owner Mike Warr pulled
out a menu from 1985 and offered a selection of Old
Station favourites at 1985 prices for one day on
Saturday, May 1, 2010.
The celebration was a great success with more than
450 people visiting the restaurant to join in the
anniversary party.
Warr has been in the restaurant business for a long
time.
“I was a dishwasher at Bigwin in 1972,” he says of his
early restaurant days, adding that he was soon promoted
to bus boy.
Bigwin didn’t open the next year, so Warr never had
the opportunity to learn the kitchen prep and cooking
side of the restaurant.
“I didn’t stay at Bigwin long enough,” he says
laughing. “I’m still doing dishes too but at least I own
this place.”
Warr has always been fond of Muskoka, as his family
had a cottage in Lake of Bays since 1965. After years
of working in western Canada and Toronto, Warr
moved to Muskoka to work at Grandview Resort,
which was then known as Grandview Farms.
He and business partner Doug White purchased the
business in the spring of 1985 and after some renovations,
it opened May 1, 1985. White took care of the
kitchen and staff and Warr looked after the front.
After three years, Warr bought out White’s part of
the business.
“We worked well as partners but he was ready for a
change,” says Warr.
“One of our first clients was Mayor Jim Lang and
(town clerk) Ken Veitch,” says Warr of the two who
came in on the first day that the restaurant was open.
Years later, during the renovations of 2002, Veitch,
who is a local historian, helped Warr pick out the old
photographs that now decorate the restaurant.
The restaurant has grown since those early days when
the capacity was 33 inside and 33 outside. The capacity
has more than doubled, with room for 70 guests
inside plus another 70 outside enjoying the patio.
Warr says the dining room that customers see today
was the size of the entire restaurant when he first
purchased it.
The biggest renovation to the restaurant was in the
winter of 2001 to 2002 when it closed right after
Thanksgiving and opened again at the end of April. A
new timber frame structure, built in 2002, is the sports
lounge part of the restaurant.
“It is a good atmosphere here,” says Warr of the room
with photographs adorning the wall. “It was full for the
Olympics.”
Continues on Page 15
www.whatsupmuskoka.com May 2010 13

Advertising Feature
Warr enjoys social side
Restaurant owner Mike Warr is usually behind the bar on Friday nights.
Congratulations!
TO
THE OLD STATION
RESTAURANT
Congratulations Mike!
Lic # 10217
Leslie J. McCann
Mortgage Broker
Lic # M08000661
Photographs: Sandy Lockhart
Mike Warr, owner of The Old Station
Restaurant, has been a big part of the
Bracebridge community since opening
his restaurant in 1985.
Whether taking part in fun downtown
events, donating to charitable causes or
contributing to the downtown economic
committees, he has always been involved
in the community.
Warr trained for hotel and restaurant
management, then worked at the Skyline
Hotel and later the Park Plaza in Toronto
before heading out west to Vancouver
when he was 21.
There he worked as a front desk clerk
and then moved up through various
management positions at area hotels. In
1980 he was hired as supervisor of passenger
services for Ward Air and moved
back to Toronto.
A few years later he decided to move
to Muskoka, returning to the area of his
family cottage to work at Grandview as
the dining room manager. His next stop
was purchasing The Old Station Restaurant
in 1985.
After those fairly transient early years,
he has remained at The Old Station
Restaurant for 25 years.
Warr enjoys the social part of the job
and is known for taking part in special
events.
For the summer midnight madness
each year, Warr and the staff dress up by
picking a different movie as the theme. In
the past Warr has played the role of
Austin Powers, Shrek, a super hero and
even a pirate from the Caribbean.
One year for Christmas in July, the
whole staff dressed up as Santa’s elves and
Warr was the jolly old man. He even had
a load of Zamboni snow from the arena
deposited on the restaurant’s front lawn
to help everyone get in the mood.
Through the business, Warr has made
a point of giving back to the community.
“We sponsor the MS walk,” he says.
For the past five years Warr and his suppliers
have donated hamburgers and hot
dogs for the event and he and his staff
have run the barbecue.
“We sponsor rep soccer teams and the
kids soccer teams,” he says. He started
sponsoring soccer when his son Owen,
now 23, played soccer and has continued
to do so.
There is a plaque at the South Muskoka
Memorial Hospital Site recognizing
the restaurant’s contribution of over
$5,000 raised over the years.
During the “working for your hospital”
campaign, his staff would put a portion
of their tips aside, then customers
would add something and Warr would
match that total.
“Over the years, there have been so
many charities that I can’t name them
all,” he says, listing Interval House and
the Salvation Army among others.
“I believe in supporting local charities,”
he says, adding that through the
Rotary Club he is also involved in helping
out many organizations.
Each Tuesday morning for the last five
years, the Bracebridge/Muskoka Lakes
Rotary Club has met at his restaurant.
Before his involvement in Rotary,
Warr was a Kinsmen for 10 years.
Warr is a member of both the Bracebridge
Chamber of Commerce and BIA,
and has spent time as a director for both
organizations.
But he does make a little bit of time for
leisure. Each year when the restaurant
closes for about six weeks after New
Year’s, Warr tries to head somewhere
warm for a little while.
He is hoping to have even more free
time in the future, as Owen becomes
more involved in the business.
CELEBRATING
25
705-645-8645 or 1-888-707-0883
leslie@summitmortgage.ca
www.summitmortgage.ca
YEARS
Jim Campbell
Independent Distributor
of Sealtest and Natrel
Products
Mike Warr and his son Owen look over some of the many menus and specials
featured at The Old Station Restaurant over the past 25 years.
14 May 2010 www.whatsupmuskoka.com

Advertising Feature
The Old Station is
constantly evolving
Kelly Warr, Mike Warr, supporter Gary McMullen of Lakes of Muskoka
Cottage Brewery and Owen Warr enjoyed special celebrations on Saturday,
May 1 to mark The Old Station Restaurant’s 25th anniversary.
Photograph: Don MacTavish
Continued from Page 13
He says many of his regular customers
enjoy sitting in this area.
Other additions in 2001-02 included
making the entrance and washrooms
wheelchair accessible, a new
heating and air conditioning system
and adding a gas fireplace and historic
cozy log cabin look to the main dining
area.
The patio was also expanded to the
library side, creating a wraparound
outdoor eating and lounge area. Warr
says he considered expanding the
patio to the front, and going a little
closer to the sidewalk but didn’t want
to lose the lawn.
“We wanted to keep some green
space,” he says. “People like to sit
under the tree on the grass. We even
put a water dish out there for dogs
that need a drink.”
Each year the restaurant closes for
about six weeks after New Year’s,
reopening just in time for Valentine’s
Day. Last year they refinished the bar
and another year they put new wood
flooring in the sports lounge area.
Warr likes opening the restaurant
for special occasions such as Christmas
parties, rehearsal dinners or even
smaller weddings.
“We have the white linen table
clothes and can dress it up for Christmas
or special parties with the gas fireplace
and wooden trim and a Christmas
tree in the corner,” he says.
The restaurant can accommodate
65 people for a sit-down dinner. Warr
says with large enough numbers, the
restaurant is then closed to the public.
“I’m proud to be an independent,”
he says of being in a society where
there are many chain restaurants. “We
make most of our foods from
scratch.”
In 2006, The Old Station Restaurant
was recognized as Established
Business of the Year by the Bracebridge
Chamber of Commerce.
Usually, Warr spends days in the
restaurant but Friday nights are designated
as his night and many regulars
come in just to see him.
“I like to stand behind the bar, talk
to people and socialize,” he says. “I
like to see regular customers.”
With 25 years invested at The Old
Station, Warr has obviously found the
right place to spend his time and energy.
www.whatsupmuskoka.com
www.whatsupmuskoka.com May 2010 15

By Ken Veitch
The Old Station Restaurant, celebrating
its 25th anniversary in 2010, can lay
claim to being located on one of the most
historic sites in all of Bracebridge.
It is located at the top of “Queens
Hill,” so named because across the street
and down the hill was, for many years,
the Queens Hotel, later the Patterson
Hotel. It is now being restored.
The property occupied by The Old
Station Restaurant, the adjoining property
of the Bracebridge Public Library and
the V shaped property south of the
Dominion and Manitoba Street intersection,
in the earliest days was a town park.
It was in this park where the original
Bracebridge bandstand was located,
moved shortly after 1900 to a new park
named, as it remains today, Memorial
Park. The most memorable events that
took place on this property were circuses.
In Reminiscences, Redmond Thomas
wrote about riding a steam-powered
merry-go-round, watching minstrel
shows by the light of coal oil flares and
listening to spielers rave on and on about
their secret oil. All that took place on the
property occupied by The Old Station
Restaurant and surrounding area.
We think the Queens Hill is steep now,
but when Bracebridge was a pioneer settlement,
it was much steeper. During
excavation for municipal services cut tree
stumps have been found over 10 feet
below the surface at the bottom of the
hill. In fact, it was so steep that people
rarely attempted to walk up the west side
of Manitoba Street.
In early records, a wooden structure is
said to have been located west of the
Manitoba and Dominion Street intersection
that housed the manufacturing
operation of the Rogers Pump Works,
which made long-handled manual
pumps for pulling water from the dug
wells of the community. A number of
Advertising Feature
The Old Station Restaurant has a rich history
In the early 1930’s this station was at the Old Station Restaurant site.
these pumps were located on Woodchester
Avenue prior to the installation of
the municipal water supply. This may
not have been on the same lot as that of
The Old Station Restaurant, but it had to
be very close.
In 1928 J. Hudson Burton bought the
property of a Mr. Nelson and added 14
feet to it which he purchased from the
town (part of the Public Library property),
for the purpose of building a service
Photograph: Courtesy of Dorothy (Smith) Leavens
station. The structure was built by Ed
Hunt and the business was operated by
Burton’s son Douglas. This was the first
evidence of a substantial building being
on property now occupied by The Old
Station Restaurant.
In 1975, a Town centennial program
identifying long-time businesses recorded
there had been a service station continuously
on this property since 1929.
The Uptown Service Station, came
under the ownership of Earl Rosewarne
and then Ernie and Fenton Patterson. At
one time they sold Studebaker automobiles
there. These business entrepreneurs
were successful, involved, and an integral
part of Bracebridge economic affairs.
After many years, the business was
taken over by Ted Smith, a long-time and
trusted employee of the Patterson brothers.
An entire generation can remember
wheeling their first car in between the
concrete pillars and the front of the
building where the old fashioned gas
pumps were located and having Ted
Smith there to serve them fuel.
In 1980 the business closed and the
building was converted to the Garden
Café restaurant. In 1985 it was sold to
Mike Warr, who has successfully operated
since that time, now celebrating the
restaurant’s 25th anniversary.
The Norwood Theatre
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Congratulations to
Since 1949
THE OLD STATION RESTAURANT
on your 25th Anniversary!
Wishing you continued success
106 Manitoba Street Bracebridge, ON
boxoffice@norwoodtheatre.com ★ www.norwoodtheatre.com
admin: 705.645.1707 ★ 24-HOUR INFO: 705.645.2333
In 1968, this gas station operated where the restaurant is today.
Photograph: Courtesy of the Old Station Restaurant
Congratulations to
The Old Station Restaurant
on 25 years of success!
phone: (416) 746-3663 • toll free: 1-888-383-3663
www.macgregors.com
Flanagan Foodservice is a proud supplier to
The Old Station and congratulate Mike and
staff on their 25th anniversary.
2125 16th Ave East,
Owen Sound, ON
800.265.9690
16 May 2010 www.whatsupmuskoka.com

The
Muskoka
Watershed
REPORT CARD
2010

The
Muskoka
Watershed
REPORT CARD
2010

The
Muskoka
Watershed
REPORT CARD
2010

The
Muskoka
Watershed
REPORT CARD
2010

Advertising Feature
Enjoy quality food with friends
By Jason Dickson
As head chef at The Old Station,
Gwen Holmes brings an eclectic mix of
fine dining experience and local charm
to the popular Bracebridge restaurant.
This will be her third summer at The
Old Station, and owner Mike Warr is
pleased with the quality of food she
produces.
“It was a good change bringing
Holmes aboard,” says Warr. “Gwen has
a lot of people that follow her from
place to place.”
Over the past two years, Holmes and
Warr have worked hard to establish
The Old Station as one of the best family
restaurants in town.
“There wasn’t a great middle-of-theroad
restaurant in Bracebridge,”
Holmes says. “Mike and I have really
tried to etch out a place for that.”
They decided on a menu that promotes
casual fine dining, with an
emphasis on consistency, flavour and
fresh ingredients.
“I think it is really important for a
town to have that kind of place where
you can get great food but still wear
your blue jeans,” says Holmes.
Holmes creates most of the menu
items fresh on site, including burgers
and soups, as well as the sauces and
ever-popular chicken wings. Improving
the quality of the ingredients, she
explains, enhances the homemade
experience her guests are looking for.
“This is a from-scratch restaurant,”
she says. “We take your order seriously
whether it’s a chicken wing or a 16-oz
steak.”
She says customers have come to love
Photograph: Paul Bennett
A group of friends raise their glass to good times while dining at The Old Station Restaurant in Bracebridge.
the quality and variety of food offered
at The Old Station. Whether you have
a craving for a classic Caesar salad,
fresh fish or fine pasta, you’ll find it at
The Old Station.
“Maybe you simply want to eat a
One of chef’s specialities is a dish of steamed PEI mussels in Muskoka Pilsner Light over wilted greens.
Photograph:Paul Bennett
great prime rib,” says Holmes. “There’s
something for everyone.”
On Friday evenings, The Old Station’s
loyal customers gather to wrap up
the work week at their favourite eatery.
“We’ve got a great bunch of regulars,”
says Holmes. “If I can get out
from the kitchen for a second I’ll come
and do a little twirl.”
Friday is also the night where
Holmes gets to try out some unique,
impromptu recipes.
“Friday is Fresh Cut Night,” Holmes
says. “We’ve served P.E.I. mussels as
well as fresh Ontario pickerel.”
Holmes was born in Bracebridge and
is a graduate of the original food tech
program at Bracebridge and Muskoka
Lakes Secondary School.
Shortly thereafter she apprenticed at
the Riverside Inn under Thomas Hay.
She later worked at Expo ‘86, as well as
the Pan Pacific Hotel in Vancouver, a
four-star dining establishment.
After returning home and working at
Patterson-Kaye Lodge for a decade, she
joined the team at The Old Station.
“We pay very close attention to food
trends,” Holmes explains. “Each
spring, Mike and I sit down and reconsider
the menu, deciding what to keep
and what to drop.”
As a member of Savour Muskoka,
Holmes sources as many local ingredients
as she can. During the summer
you can sometimes see her down at the
Bracebridge Farmers’ Market buying
produce.
“The food here is prepared with
love,” she says. “Everyone here is working
in concert to satisfy our guests.”
This certainly explains why so many
count The Old Station as one of their
favourite local restaurants.
www.whatsupmuskoka.com May 2010 17

Advertising Feature
Special guests visit Old Station
Congratulations on 25 years
of Serving Muskoka
121 Shorncliffe Road
Toronto, Ontario M8Z 5K7
Bus: (416) 234-2290 ext. 222
Fax: (416) 234-1038
ECONOMY
CHEMICAL
& SUPPLY INC.
Congratulations
Mike and Staff!
705-325-9995
1-800-461-0223
265 HUGHES ROAD, ORILLIA
In the past 25 years, well-known movie stars and
athletes have come through the doors of The Old
Station Restaurant in Bracebridge. More important
to owner Mike Warr, however, are the customers
who have been regulars through the years.
Cal and Norah Morrison made their first trip to
The Old Station Restaurant when they were offered
a free dinner there after coming to the Warr
family’s rescue when their car went off the road on a
snowy day.
That was their first trip of many to The Old
Station.
“Shortly after that we had a major renovation at
our house,” says Cal. “We had lunch and dinner,
well most of our meals there, almost every day for
about three months.”
That was about 25 years ago and since then they
have been regular customers.
“We try to make it there once a week,” he says.
“Especially in the summer. We like to sit on the
patio.”
Cal says The Old Station is their restaurant of
choice but a big part of it is visiting with Warr.
“Mike is the quintessential host, so to speak,” says
Cal, noting that Mike makes the time to visit each
table and take time for each customer. “He makes
you feel like he has been waiting all day just to see
you. He has that gift.”
Long-time customers have plenty of company at
the restaurant, some of it quite famous.
On the wall in the bar area are photographs, some
autographed, of famous visitors over the years. Many
years ago Warr was surprised to see Paul Shaffer,
musical director of Late Night with David Letterman
and comedian and movie star Martin Short sitting at
a table. Short has a cottage on Lake Rosseau.
Catherine O’Hara was there, with her baby, shortly
after she’d filmed Home Alone.
“I teased her and said ‘Don’t forget your baby,’”
says Warr, referring to her character in the movie,
who forgets one child home alone when going on a
family vacation.
Kurt Russell, another movie star and Lake Rosseau
cottager, has been in the restaurant.
“He was in with his son,” says Warr. He also
recalls visits by actors Harry Hamlin and Chevy
Chase.
A fan of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Warr has photos
of several hockey players up in the sports bar section
of the restaurant.
“A few years ago, a customer asked to see the
owner or manager,” says Warr, telling of his daughter
Kelly’s experience.
She was working as manager that day and
nervously asked what she could do to help. The
customer was retired Leaf Ron Ellis offering to sign
a plaqued photograph that hung on the wall in the
restaurant. Ellis had just happened to sit below a
photo of himself.
“He was a charming gentleman,” says Kelly.
When Warr returned to the restaurant a little
while later Kelly introduced her dad saying, “Meet
my good friend Ron Ellis.” Warr was thrilled. He
also let Warr and Kelly both try out his 1972
Canada Cup ring.
Of course, Warr was pleased to have the photograph
signed and today it has a special place in The
Old Station Restaurant.
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18 May 2010 www.whatsupmuskoka.com

See the earth in a new way
Geothermal energy is here
Saturday,
May 29/10 @ 9:30 am
Stockey Centre – 2 Bay St, Parry Sound
Owen Warr has worked at the family restaurant for 10 years but is now
taking over more responsibility and learning to operate the business side.
Family business is good fit
Growing up in a family that operated
a restaurant, it seemed natural to follow
that path when it came time for Owen
Warr to choose a career.
“The first year I was out on the floor
as a little bus boy clearing the tables,” he
says. “After bus boy, I went to the
kitchen as dishwasher, then food prep
and even cooked on
the line,” he says.
“I’ve done it all. I
have a pretty good
idea how the front
and back of the house
both work.
Now, after 10 years
of working at The
Old Station, Owen is
his father’s right hand
man and plans to take
over operation of the
business one day.
Owen graduated
from the hotel and
resort management
program at Georgian
College in 2007. He
then spent the summer
working at a high
end bistro in Halifax
before returning in
the fall to work with
his father at The Old
Station.
At 23, Owen recognizes
that he is young
and still has a lot to learn.
“I have a lot of knowledge but there is
a lot to learn from my father,” he says.
“I’ve done it
all and have
a pretty good
idea how
the front
and the back
of the
house both
work.”
Owen usually works the evening shift
but has also been working day shifts,
especially when there are new staff to be
trained.
He truly cares about The Old
Station restaurant and wants to be
involved in its continued success.
“It runs through my veins,” he says of
the family business.
“It is not that I feel
obligated. It just feels
natural.”
Working in the
restaurant is a good
fit for Owen’s personality.
“I love the social
part. By nature, I’m
sociable,” he says.
In his role at The
Old Station, Owen
is getting more
involved in the community.
He is looking
forward to sitting
on the committee
involved in the
Bracebridge BIA’s
September Colourfest
Street Festival.
While work takes
up much of his time,
Owen still tries to
make time to enjoy
the outdoors and
play hockey.
“I’m also very passionate about
music and do some photography as
well,” he says.
Photograph: Sandy Lockhart
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www.whatsupmuskoka.com May 2010 19

MUSKOKA CASUAL FINE DINING TRADITION
Thank you for 25 years of
community support!
We look forward to
serving you for many more
• Exciting new items on our handcrafted menu
• Enjoy our outdoor wrap around patio
• Traditional Prime Rib everyday
• Fridays – Fresh Catch of the Day
88 Manitoba St.
TOP OF THE HILL, DOWNTOWN BRACEBRIDGE
705-645-9776
WWW.OLDSTATION.CA

Helping others one kilometre at a time
Around Lake of Bays
By Judy Vanclieaf
Thanks to G8
f u n d i n g ,
Baysville’s facelift
should soon be
completed.
Along with the
new additions of
the public washrooms
and the
band shelter, new
street signs have
appeared. The old green finger signs
have been replaced with beautiful red
heritage street signs. It’s a stunning
addition, I must add.
The Baysville Friends of the Library
will be holding a Hawaiian Luau on
Saturday, May 22 at the Baysville
Arena. Along with dinner catered by
Tall Trees in Huntsville, there will be a
silent auction to help raise funds for
the Friends. Roger Abbott from the
popular TV show, the Royal Canadian
Air Farce will be the Master of Ceremonies
for this spectacular evening.
Over one hundred people came out
in support of the Baysville Autumn
Leaves “Drop in for Tea” which was
held in memory of Shirley Ellis, a dedicated
volunteer for the Canadian
Cancer Society. It was a huge success
bringing in over $2500. The Autumn
Leaves group would like to thank
everyone for their support.
Across the lake, the Dwight Friends
of the Library held their second annual
archery tournament on Sunday,
May 2, which was hosted by the Logging
Chain Lodge in Dwight. Last
year 80 people came out to participate
in the tournament. With three D targets
located throughout lanes in the
woods there were archery experts
available for those who needed assistance
with the arrow and bow choices.
The event was open to all ages and
abilities.
On May 1, Sherry Welsh from Scotland,
Ontario and her dog Scruffy,
were escorted through Dorset by the
Dorset Fire Department and the Corrections
Canada Beaver Creek Pipe
and Drum Band as she set out on her
600-kilometre walk from Lions Camp
Dorset to the Parliament buildings in
Ottawa. The walk will take her 37
days to complete.
Sherry is walking to raise money for
the Lions Camp Dorset, a resort that
caters to people wtih kidney disease.
Sherry’s late sister Karen suffered from
kidney disease and needed dialysis on a
regular basis. Thanks to the Lions
Camp Dorset, Karen, her husband and
two daughters were able to get away
from their everyday stresses and enjoy a
vacation together while Karen received
the treatment she needed. The disease
ultimately took her life 10 years ago.
Over the last two years, Sherry has
walked over 1,000 kilometres and has
raised $70,000 for Lions Camp
Dorset. For approximately 13 weeks
each summer, the camp is home to a
full medical staff and dialysis
equipment is on location.
The camp is especially in need
of money this year, as it will have to
replace 20 new dialysis machines
in the coming years. Each machine
can cost up to $25,000. The camp
has been in operation for 31 years and
maintenance on the buildings and
the pool is required. There is also a
wish list. If anyone would like
to donate materials, they are in need
of electric smoke detectors, new
pots and pans, new fleece blankets,
cleaning supplies etc. For a complete
list of items needed, or for
information on how to donate to
Karen’s Quest, visit Lions Camp
Dorset’s website www:// lionscampdorset.on.ca/wishlist.html
If you know of any happenings
going on in or around the villages of
Dwight, Dorset or Baysville,
call me at 705-767-1080 or e-mail
suite@surenet.net.
More than just tourism
The G8 Summit in Huntsville is
still more than a month away, but
Muskoka is already making a name
for itself on the world map during the
lead up to the event.
Sanjeev Chowdhury, director general
of the Summits Management
Office, was a guest speaker at the
Muskoka Tourism annual general
meeting on April 28.
The animated Chowdhury walked
around Deerhurst Resort’s Tom
Thomson Room as he provided information
and answered questions from
the floor. He touched on promoting
the region, upcoming events and the
success of various G8 related initiatives.
“Our view is that Muskoka is a lot
more than just tourism,” says Chowdhury.
“I always promote the fact that
there is an investment angle, a business
angle to this region as well . . .
We’d be damned fools if we didn’t
realize that tourism is important to
this region, but there is a lot more, in
my view, to Muskoka than just
tourism.”
Chowdhury updated the audience
on the Muskoka Corridor, which is
set to be part of the International
Media Centre in Toronto.
“Since we could not bring all 2,000
media members up here, we decided
to bring Muskoka to them,” says
Chowdhury. “
A 30,000-40,000 square foot structure
called the Invest In Canada Alley
is being built by Lord Cultural
Resources, which designed the
extremely popular Ontario House at
the Winter Olympics. The Muskoka
Corridor portion of the alley will be
roughly 10,000 square feet.
“People don’t want to be handed
out pamphlets anymore,” says
Chowdhury. “People want an experience.
They want to walk into somewhere
and be told a story.”
The hope is to continue to promote
our region and nation on a large-scale
to the media, much like the January
visit by the handful of international
reporters.
“Sixteen international articles and
pieces were done from the trip in January,
including one on the BBC,” says
Chowdhury, who mentioned an
upcoming visit from 23 more international
media on the Victoria Day
weekend.
Following the media visit, potential
clients from the U.S. will be visiting
Deerhurst Resort from June 6-8 to get
a behind the scenes look at how they
prepare for a big event.
“These are big players from the
United States,” says Chowdhury. “We
are going to expose these top convention
planners to this region.”
So far, so good in the lead-up to the
G8 Leader’s Summit and let’s hope
the good times keep on coming.
The continued promotion of
Muskoka as a world-class destination
will remain a top priority for Chowdhury.
“Every time we talk about (the
region) we focus on tourism and
investment,” he says.
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www.whatsupmuskoka.com May 2010 21

Volunteers build a better community
Muskoka’s Habitat for Humanity
ReStore contributes about $100,000
each year to build projects across the
region thanks to the hard work of dedicated
volunteers.
The regular ReStore staff are supported
by about 40 volunteers who do
everything from assist with merchandising
and set up to extracting valuable
materials from recyclables bound for
the landfill.
“We have everyone from artists to
people who are just trying to give back
to the community,” says Larry
Holditch, ReStore manager. They also
have co-op students and community
organization volunteers helping in the
store.
Each year the ReStore is able to contribute
about $100,000 towards community
habitat builds with the money
made through the store after expenses.
One special volunteer is Drew Corbett
who comes in once each week to
strip the precious and semi-precious
metals out of everything from electric
motors to faucet sets, separating the
metals to get more money once it is
recycled.
“Sometimes the faucets we receive
are no good but we get high value
from the brass underneath,” he says.
Another busy volunteer is Dianne
O’Hara, the unofficial librarian for the
more than 4,000 used books for sale at
the ReStore. Books are sorted into fiction
and non-fiction sections. Most of
the fiction paperbacks are even organized
alphabetically. While there are
about 4,000 books in the store, there
are about another 4,000 waiting to be
organized and put out.
“It is a bit overwhelming,” says
O’Hara, who is working to set them all
up for sale. The ReStore is no longer
accepting donations of books at this
time.
Ann Sova regularly shops at the
The Habitat for Humanity ReStore owes its success to its dedicated volunteers. As a result of their efforts, each
year the ReStore is able to contribute about $100,000 towards community Habitat build projects.
ReStore and decided to volunteer in
her own unique way. Last month she
taught people how to repurpose glassware
into artistic cake platters using
items found at the ReStore. By selecting
a vintage plate and a candleholder
or similar stand, customers could create
and take home a cake platter
thanks to Sova’s idea and epoxy.
“They’ve got an instant gift that is
elegant, functional, affordable and
environmentally responsible,” she says.
Many of the volunteers are involved
in merchandising, organizing and
keeping the store attractive and clean.
“Presentation is everything,” says
Holditch.
On an average day three to six volunteers
help out at the ReStore and
Holditch says more volunteer opportunities
are available for anyone looking
to take part.
Charles Close is in his 80s and volunteers
regularly at the store.
“I think it is a worthy cause and it’s
a nice place to volunteer,” he says.
Volunteer Debby Andrews says, “I
like the recycling part, instead of
throwing it out.”
Emma Dupuis probably sums it up
best. “There is a lot of cool stuff and
great people.”
Holditch believes it is the people
that make the ReStore and Habitat for
Humanity such a strong organization
in Muskoka.
“Your generosity is our success,” he
says. “It is the time people donate and
the product people donate.”
Photograph: Sandy Lockhart
A silly boy’s antics inspire book
By Chris Occhiuzzi
Inspired by her son’s name game,
Bracebridge resident Teresa Leeder has
turned her son Izaac’s playfulness into
an 18-page book.
“Isaac was two-years-old at the time
and there was this game he played
with me, all day, every day, calling me
different names,” says Leeder, who
wrote Silly Boy in only a couple of
hours one night.
After completing the book, Leeder
began to research potential publishers
and sent her work out to see what
kind of response it would get.
“I literally Googled children’s publishers
and looked up as many as I
could and sent it to as many as I
could,” she says.
Eventually, Tate Publishing and
Enterprises agreed to publish the book
and provided an illustrator for Silly
Boy.
“Tate was one of the publishers I
was hoping would like it,” says Leeder,
who contacted the illustrator, Jason
Hutton, by phone. “He was really
good. I told him what Izaac looked
like, and his little stuffed elephant toy
that he has. Jason put it all in the
book.”
Teresa and her husband Adam have
three boys, Izaac, 3, Malakai, 5, and
Nate, 2. She says the boys love to read
Silly Boy, referring to it as “Izaac’s
book.”
However, Leeder is hoping for some
success in order to publish two additional
books she wrote, Kai’s Wise and
No, No Natey.
“If this works out I know I’m not
going to get off the hook until I have
two others,” says Leeder. “The process
has taken about a year. So, I’m going
to wait until I see what happens with
the first one before I get excited about
the others.”
Leeder has book signings scheduled
for May 22 at Muskoka Vegeez in
Bracebridge and on June 5 at the
Bookcase in Huntsville. Silly Boy is
currently available for purchase online
and at retail outlets.
Teresa Leeder was inspired by
her son Izaac, to write Silly Boy, a
children’s book.
Photograph: Sandy Lockhart
22 May 2010 www.whatsupmuskoka.com

School of medicine expands its horizons
By Scott Rowe
The Northern Ontario School of
Medicine has established its first
Dean’s Solicitation Team in
Huntsville, which will help raise funds
to ensure there will continue to be
medical students working with local
physicians and hospital staff.
The volunteer team works with professionals
from Northern Ontario
School of Medicine, a joint initiative
of Lakehead University in Thunder
Bay and Laurentian University in Sudbury,
to raise funds and promote public
awareness of the programs
Huntsville councillor and Deputy
Mayor Fran Coleman was selected by
Dean Robert Strasser to lead the
team and set out to find others to
join her.
Among them is well-known
Huntsville physician Dr. David
McLinden, who will be working closely
with the Dean’s Solicitation Team
to explain the needs of Northern
Ontario School of Medicine. McLinden
spearheads the Northern Ontario
School of Medicine initiatives in
Muskoka. His role as site liaison clinician
for the program is to oversee and
coordinate the clinical experiences of
the students and to ensure they are
able to liaise with specialists in various
fields of expertise.
“The community input has been
terrific. Bracebridge and Huntsville
are very supportive and we are very
appreciative,” says McLinden, who
has practiced in Sioux Lookout.
Dr. David McLinden, who spearheads the School of Medicine’s initiatives
in Muskoka, is joined by donors Betty and Ches Fulton.
Peter and Linda McBirnie are also
excited to be on the Dean’s Solicitation
Team and are particularly interested
in the future science camps that
are planned. Peter has firsthand
knowledge of the area’s medical challenges,
having served on the
Huntsville Hospital board. He sees
important benefits to helping northern
students pursue their interests in
the field of medicine.
“These are children who have
grown up in the north and already
have ties and feelings about being
here,” he says. “Perhaps we could be
accused of being a little selfish too. As
we get older we hope that we could
benefit from the medical care that
these students could one day be able
to provide if they choose to return to
practice here.”
Currently the thrust of the Northern
Ontario School of Medicine is
working in three areas: establishing
science camps for young students to
appreciate the rewards of careers in
Brunel locks get $72,000 makeover
Photograph: Kelly Holinshead
medicine, undertaking unique medical
research in areas that apply to
Northern residents, and offering a
bursary to fund Northern students
who wish to participate in Lakehead
Laurentian Medicine. Part of the
learning experience for these future
doctors is living and working with
hospitals in northern communities.
“The Town of Huntsville is delighted
to have NOSM students in our
community for their third year program,”
says Huntsville Mayor Claude
Doughty.
“The students add a vibrancy to our
health care team in Huntsville and it
is our hope that they want to return
here for their professional practices.”
Ches and Betty Fulton, well-known
Huntsville philanthropists, have
already shown their support for the
program. The Fultons had held Clarica
shares for a number of years and
when that company bought Mutual
Life a sudden cash value was assigned
as part of the restructuring.
“The cash was going to be 100 per
cent taxable in our situation so by giving
it to NOSM we were able to get a
tax credit,” Ches explains.
The bonus for the bursary was the
matched funds provided dollar for
dollar by the provincial government,
which in effect doubled the size of
their donation.
“Two people who were complete
strangers stopped me and thanked me
for helping the hospital. That meant a
lot to me,” Betty says, smiling.
By Don McCormick
The Brunel Community Hall board
is investing $72,000 to upgrade and
spruce up the park at Huntsville’s
Brunel Locks.
The Brunel Community Hall board
has been renting the hall to the
Muskoka Montessori Schools for the
better part of the last decade. Some of
the revenues had been used to maintain
the property but there was a sizeable
sum of money building up in the
treasury.
To determine what to do with the
funds, the board sent out a direct mail
questionnaire to 2,600 households in
Brunel and then compiled the results.
“Three clear directives came out of
there,” says Mike Greaves, Huntsville
town councillor and chair of the
Brunel Hall board. “One of which was
improvements to the locks”.
The board brought together a team
comprised of the Huntsville parks
manager, Colleen MacDonald, the
Huntsville Horticultural Society and
the Master Gardeners.
“We asked them to come up with a
design for improvements for the
locks,” Greaves says.
A design was submitted and
approved and a contractor hired.
“We’ve removed the old lock master’s
cabin and built a new one on the
other side of the locks,” says Greaves.
“There’s going to be an irrigation system.
We’ve installed two very significant
rock gardens. There’s going to be
a lot of additional furniture – Muskoka
chairs, a picnic table for the disabled,
a couple of wooden benches,
one of which will be a memorial to
one of the previous lock masters.”
He continues, “We’ve already planted
a number of trees and we’ll be
planting more. We’re having the old
swing bridge sanded down and
repainted. The flooring of the bridge
will be replaced. The huge wooden
beams used to swing the locks doors
will be whitewashed.”
The budget for the project is about
$72,000. Another $28,000 has been
set aside in a reserve account for the
ongoing maintenance of these
improvements.
Two signs will be installed, one
identifying the Historic Brunel Locks
and the other recounting the history
of the locks.
The Brunel Community Hall Board meets at the Brunel Locks to inspect
some of the work already done and to plan future improvements.
Photograph: Don McCormick
www.whatsupmuskoka.com May 2010 23

WHAT’S UP MUSKOKA
SPORTS
Adrienne’s
Family Restaurant, Gas Bar & Variety
Under
NEW
OWNERSHIP!
On Hwy 11 South, Huntsville | 789.6477
Early Bird Breakfast Special $5.99
Taking fitness goals
to the next level
By Maria Duncalf-Barber
Competing in fitness modelling
events take serious dedication and
hard work, but Muskoka’s athletes
wouldn’t trade their chiseled abs and
sculpted legs for a less demanding
lifestyle.
Bracebridge-based fitness studio
owner Erin Bailey-Boyes gets up at
dawn for a one-hour intense workout
before seeing clients. And that’s only
the beginning of her daily regime.
“The diet is the hardest important
part,” she explains. “You won’t get
dramatic results until you drastically
alter your diet. Competing in a
physique competition gives you a high
like no other. Achieving this gets you
in the best shape of your life, feeling
amazing in the process, getting to
know yourself and learning some life
lessons.”
Her diet consists of five small meals
per day, with few carbohydrates or fat.
A typical meal is a skinless chicken
breast boiled with raw broccoli.
Earlier this year, Bailey-Boyes won
her first competition of the season,
placing first at the Fitness Star Model
Search in March in Mississauga. She
competed in the athletic fitness model
category. Her next competition is the
Serious About Fitness Pro Elite
Continues on Page 25
Marisa Anderson competed in the Ultimate Fitness Events Spring Bash,
in April placing second in the masters fitness model category.
Photograph: Healthy Vision Photography
Erin Bailey-Boyes placed first at the Fitness Star Model Search in March.
Photograph: Jeremy Shortt Photography
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24 May 2010 www.whatsupmuskoka.com

Brandon Occhiuzzi, Kale Johncox and Jeffrey Johnson are looking
forward to playing on Huntsville’s two new soccer fields.
Soccer fields set to open
By Chris Occhiuzzi
A pair of new soccer fields will be
officially opened this month in
Huntsville.
The Huntsville Soccer Club is having
a grand opening for two new fields
in McCulley-Robertson Park on May
25 at 7 p.m.
All are invited to participate in this
event, with the Huntsville Soccer Club
holding a ribbon cutting ceremony
and offering cake to those in attendance.
Although the Huntsville Soccer
Club’s house leagues will begin play
the week before, the celebration has
been scheduled to follow Victoria Day
weekend.
The opening of the new fields is a
culmination of the Huntsville Soccer
Club’s efforts. Around five years ago,
the club began working on a plan to
develop new fields.
With rising enrollments into the
club’s youth programs, more space and
field time was becoming a necessity.
Finally, in Spring 2009, the
Huntsville Soccer Club and the Town
of Huntsville came together with a
plan to make this happen.
Work began on the new fields last
summer and thanks to the tireless
efforts of John Burnside, the cofounder
of the Huntsville Soccer Club
and the current club head, as well as
contributions from many other volunteers,
the fields are ready to go.
“The town’s been great with us.
They have been very co-operative,”
says Burnside. “We’ve worked really
well together and it’s huge bonus to
have these new fields this year.”
Also this year, the artificial turf field
at Conroy Park will be opened, creating
more opportunities from a business
and tourism standpoint.
“The two new fields and Conroy
Park coming on this year will allow us
to do tournaments and bring other
teams to town,” says Burnside. “Sports
tourism is very important to the town
and the club.”
Photograph: Chris Occhiuzzi
Continued from Page 24
Challenge at York University in June.
Marisa Anderson, a personal trainer
and aerobic instructor at Muskoka
Fitness in Bracebridge says fitness
competition has transformed her life.
“I’ve always wanted to compete in
fitness competitions. Two years ago I
finally took the bull by the horns.
People thought I was crazy. I needed a
challenge, something outside of my
comfort zone, to prove the 200 lbs girl
that I was in the past has finally
changed.”
Anderson’s diet consists of oatmeal,
chicken and potatoes, tuna, salmon,
rice cakes with peanut butter, egg
whites and protein powder.
Anderson recently competed in the
Ultimate Fitness Events Spring Bash
in April and placed second in masters
fitness model category and third in
the masters figure model category.
Anderson has been featured on the
cover of Beyond Fitness magazine and
on XtremeLifeStylemag.com.
Kelly Hammond, director of operations
at FITT Gym in Hunstville, also
takes part in fitness competitions
when she’s not helping others transform
their own bodies.
“I know everyone here, their stories,
their goals, seeing their progress and
accomplishments. It’s motivating
helping people change their bodies,”
she says.
Hammond got inspired during an
annual 12-week lifestyle program that
Insurance Brokers
FITT Gym presents. She saw people
making positive changes in their lives
and committed to making changes to
her lifestyle.
In her first competition, the Ultimate
Fitness Event Spring Bash,
Hammond placed in the top ten in
two of the three categories in which
she was entered, earning her elite bikini
modeling card, which qualifies her
for competition at the national level.
“I’ve seen what I can do. I know
that I can accomplish anything. I’m
feeling fit and fabulous at 42,” she
says.
Carol Turner, a landscaper from
Huntsville, has also been bitten by the
bug and now devotes her life to training
and proper nutrition.
“Weight training changed my
physique. With nutrition and good
posture I feel empowered,” she says.
She entered the London Ontario
Physique Association show and competed
at the Ultimate Fitness Events
Spring Bash in Mississauga. Now she’s
got her sights set on the UFE Halloween
mayhem.
“The competition world is welcoming.
I’ve met lots of new friends,” she
says.
This sport requires discipline and
these women take their lifestyle choices
seriously. They go to bed early, eat
properly and follow a strict exercise
regime. The result is a hard, healthy
body, a boost in self-esteem and a lifetime
of stories.
Hutcheson, Reynolds & Caswell
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Bracebridge, ON
dan@willettfinancial.ca
&
Selling Leasing
COMMERCIAL PROPERTY IN MUSKOKA
Helen Thompson, Broker
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50 Cumberland Ave., 3rd Floor
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Telephone: 1-866-922-0777
HUNTSVILLE: 705.571.0700
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www.whatsupmuskoka.com May 2010 25

WHAT’S UP MUSKOKA
MAY
ARTS &
ENTERTAINMENT
P057020CN 11/05
There are good reasons to
FOLLOW THE CROWD
Les Bell Ins Agcy Inc
Les Bell, Agent
46 Ann St.
Bracebridge, ON P1L 2C1
Bus: 705-646-9995 Toll Free: 877-877-3929
Annual art event to fund student bursaries
The Shutterbug Gallery in Huntsville,
in partnership with the Huntsville
Festival of the Arts, is inviting applications
for its first student arts bursary.
Last July the gallery and festival of the
arts launched the 1st Annual en Plein Air
Painting & Auction. Proceeds from the
event were directed to a student art
bursary for students pursuing a fine arts
education in the visual arts.
A total of $3,000 was raised by
Muskoka artists to provide three bursaries
of $1,000 each for students in
Huntsville, Bracebridge and Gravenhurst.
The amount of the bursary will
fluctuate from year to year based on
monies raised in a given year.
In honour of the contribution of the
Muskoka artists in funding the award,
one student from each of the three towns
will be awarded a bursary.
To qualify for a bursary, students must
be enrolled in a secondary school in
Muskoka, be pursuing a post-secondary
education in the visual arts and be in
their graduating year or have graduated
within the past year but are not already
attending college, university or another
form of post-secondary education.
The bursaries will be presented at local
high school graduation ceremonies at the
end of the 2010 school year.
Applications must include a portfolio,
letter of intent, a copy of the student’s letter
of acceptance from a college or university
or a copy of the application and
contact information in Muskoka. Applications
can be submitted from May 15 to
June 5, 2010 at 4 p.m. The portfolio is
the student’s opportunity to present a
collection of 10 original pieces, or a documentation
of the work in the form of
photographs. Portfolios are to be mailed,
couriered or dropped off at the Shutterbug
Gallery and will be returned two
weeks following the deadline. Portfolios
that are sent by mail or courier must also
include a self-addressed return label as
well as sufficient postage and packaging
for its return. No e-mailed applications.
440 Ecclestone Drive, Bracebridge
(705) 645-9827 www.ywcamuskoka.com
Congratulations on a
Fabulous Event!
Community YWCA of Muskoka congratulates
North Country Business, Muskoka Magazine and the
sponsors of the Muskoka Outstanding
BusinessWomen’s Award 2010 event.
Thank you to all who attended,
for your ongoing support of YWCA Muskoka.
David Crombie and Luke Pattison perform at last year’s en Plein Air Painting
& Auction. This year’s even takes place on July 29.
YMCA Child Barrie Care YMCA
You chose the YMCA…
Your child couldn’t be in better hands.
Quality, Licensed Child Care
In Your Community!
Irwin Memorial School Age: 705-788-5040
Home Child Care: 705-788-5040
Deerhurst Child Care: 705-788-5040
Muskoka Falls Child Care: 705-646-7105
Photograph: Kelly Holinshead
Together we DO make a difference.
26 May 2010 www.whatsupmuskoka.com
www.ymcaofsimcoemuskoka.ca
705-726-6421 22 Grove St. W.
f i k k
10-060_ysm_cc_whatsup_v4.indd 1
2/23/10 4:51:56 PM

Spring into the art season with annual tour
There’s nothing quite like exploring an
artist’s studio and seeing how an idea is
turned into a masterpiece, which is why
the Muskoka Lakes Spring Art Tour, now
in its eighth year, can’t be missed.
Guests will have the opportunity to
visit 13 studios, featuring 22 artists in the
Muskoka Lakes area. An important and
exciting part of visiting the studios, is the
opportunity to watch artists at work
creating their unique pieces.
The tour will run from 10 a.m. to 5
p.m. on Saturday, June 12 and Sunday,
June 13 and will feature an extensive
cross section of artistic styles. From painting
to photography, pottery to furniture,
jewelry to stone carving, the work of the
artists on the tour represents some of the
best of Muskoka arts and crafts.
“This tour is fun and gets you really
focused on the new season,” says artist
Wendy Moses of the Alexandra Luke
Gallery in Bracebridge. “It is the first
chance for people to see all of the work
that artists have created over the winter.”
The self-directed tour is simple to take
part in by picking up a guide and map,
available online or at locations across
Muskoka, and following the directions.
Winding around Muskoka’s three big
lakes on some of Ontario’s most scenic
country roads, guests can stop at the
galleries of their choice.
Artists from the Muskoka Lakes area welcome visitors to their studios during the Muskoka Lakes Spring Art Tour.
Prominent yellow signs show the way
to the artist’s individual studios – places
that are often as magical as the art itself.
This year, the tour features hinterglass
painter Bonnie Bews, potter Linda
Hrynyk, wildlife painter Christine Marshall,
jeweller Penny Varney, watercolour
artist Elke Scholz, basketmaker Ise Soja,
photographer John Gurr, watercolour
artist Glenda Davies, metal sculptor
Deborah Harkness, furniture maker
Ryan Coyne, painter Iris Gammon,
acrylic painter Connie Beninger, stained
glass artist Gail Wilson, stone sculptor
Elise Muller, painter Gayle Dempsey, oil
painter Jane Gordon, watercolour artist
Margo Gracey, woodcarver Andrea Turnbull,
sculptor and painter Haysam
Haytaoglu, expressionist painter Wendy
Moses, potters Jon and Suzann Partridge
and jeweller Miranda Britton.
Cottage Country Comedy returns
The hit CBC radio show, The Debaters, will hold a
special live taping at the Rene M. Caisse Memorial
Theatre in Bracebridge as part of the third annual
Cottage Country Comedy Festival. This year’s festival
will take place in Bracebridge on June 25 and 26, the
same weekend as the G8 Summit in Huntsville.
Tickets are available for people who wish to attend
the 2 p.m. Saturday matinee, which is when the special
live taping of The Debaters will take place. The
show is hosted by Steve Patterson, known internationally
as a comedic headliner. He was nominated in
2007 and 2008 for a Canadian Comedy Award as
Canada’s best stand-up comedian.
“Some of the best comedians in Canada will debate
hot issues and some lighter topics,” says comedian
Tyler Morrison, who organizes the Cottage Country
Comedy Festival. With the G8 taking place at the
same time, Morrison expects some international topics
will also come up.
The Cottage Country Comedy Festival opens on
Friday night with a Learn to Laugh event for local
high school students at the Rene M. Caisse Memorial
Theatre on Friday night.
“It is an interactive comedy performance and seminar
for secondary school students,” says Morrison.
On Saturday, June 26, at 8 p.m., the World Leaders
of Comedy gala takes the stage. Hosted by Steve Patterson,
it will feature eight of Canada’s top comedians,
including featured comedian Glenn Wool. It will
showcase diverse talent from across Canada and as far
away as Uganda.
Matt Billon, a writer for This Hour Has 22 Minutes
and Jeff McEnery, the first winner of Yuk Yuk’s Great
Canadian Laugh Off, return this year, while French
Photograph: courtesy of Scott Turnbull Photography
Comedian Matt Billon will perform this year.
Canadian comedian Derek Seguin, Arthur Simeon
of Russell Peters’ Comedy Tour, and Canadian
Comedy Award nominee Allyson Smith will
all make their Cottage Country Comedy Festival
debuts.
The final performance of the Cottage Country
Comedy Festival, headlined by Morrison, will be
called Culture Shock. It will take place at Club One
in Bracebridge at 10:30 p.m. following the gala.
“It is an edgier show with a little more mature
content and subject matter,” he says.
440 Ecclestone Drive, Bracebridge, ON P1L 1Z6
(705) 645-9827 www.ywcamuskoka.com
COMING EVENTS
LUNCHEONS 12:00-1:00
Gravenhurst: Trinity United Church
Friday, May 7 th
Peter Rigby: Community Economic Development Officer Town of Gravenhurst
Bracebridge: YWCA Office
Friday, May 28 th
Mary Lodge: Long Term Care
Huntsville: Partners Hall, Algonquin Theatre
Friday, June 11 th
Melinda Zytaruk, Fourth Pig Worker Co-op: Renewable Energy
All Lunches start at noon and everyone is welcome!
Fee: $5 YWCA members, $10 non-members
($25 for a one year YWCA membership)
To ensure that we order enough food, please
RSVP to Lee Ann at office@ywcamuskoka.com
or by phone 705-645-9827
Girlz Unplugged Summer Day Camps
July 12 -16 at Bracebridge Public School
July 19 - 23 at Spruce Glen PS, Huntsville
July 26 - 30 at Gravenhurst Public School
Aug 3 - 6 at Spruce Glen PS, Huntsville
Aug 9 -13, at Bracebridge Public School
$150.00 per week
Register before May 31st and save 15%
HST Information Session
Wednesday, June 9th, 9:30 am -12:30 pm
YWCA Muskoka, 440 Ecclestone Dr.
Please call to register: 645-9827
www.whatsupmuskoka.com May 2010 27

WHAT’S UP MUSKOKA
MARKETPLACE
440 Ecclestone Drive
Bracebridge
HOT TUB WAREHOUSE
www.hottubwarehouse.ca
HOT TUBS/CHEMICALS
PARTS & SERVICE
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705-645-8613
info@hottubwarehouse.ca
CASTING CALL
Sunday, May 16th, 1 p.m.
TREASURE ISLAND
THE MUSICAL
To play @ Algonquin Theatre in November
Men, Women & a Boy (9 -12 years of age)
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Robinson’s Independent Grocers /
Community Room - Huntsville
705.767.1177
info@templeknightsproductions.com
Sherry
ABR, SRES
RONDEAU
Sales Representative
705-645-5257 Ext. 231
800-606-2636
Fax: 705-645-1238
muskokarondeau@sympatico.ca
www.muskokarondeau.ca
100 West Mall Road,
Bracebridge, ON P1L 1Z1
Brokerage, Independently Owned and Operated
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CALL:
687-9143
24
Cell: 705-641-8898
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Medical Supply
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Muskoka Mobility
• Sales • Service
• Rentals • New & Used
687-4796
950 Muskoka Rd. S., Gravenhurst
*NEW BRACEBRIDGE LOCATION*
645-2177
230 Manitoba St., Bracebridge
(Beside Walk-In Clinic)
www.muskokamobility.com
Lawn and Garden Soil
• Our Soils are Analyzed
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Ask about our stump grinding service
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705.645.4630
Fax: 705.645.6310
Bracebridge
cbalarmsltd@sympatico.ca
www.cbalarmsltd.com
eco living store
products for building, decorating & living green
705.787.0326
www.sustainmuskoka.ca
info@sustainmuskoka.ca
Located in the Greystone Complex,
just off Muskoka Rd. 3
8 Cresent Rd. Unit B2, Huntsville
STEVENSON
PLUMBING & ELECTRIC
295 Margaret St., Gravenhurst, Ont
Your Total
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Fax 705-687-1048
www.stevensonplumbingandelectric.com
Muskoka and Parry Sound
705-646-4238
Fax: 705-646-1810
Pager: 1-866-767-5446
semkoj@td.com
Jacqui
Semkow
Muskoka
Mortgage
Specialist
STAY CONNECTED TO MUSKOKA
visit these websites...
www.northcountrybusinessnews.com
www.muskokacottagehomeproperty.com
www.whatsupmuskoka.com
www.muskokamagazine.com
28 May 2010 www.whatsupmuskoka.com

WHAT’S UP MUSKOKA
SOCIAL SCENE
1
2
4 5
3
6
7
8
1.Helping out at McHappy Day on May 5 at Bracebridge McDonalds were Christopher Rideout,
Derek Wickett, Chris Rainey, Bob Kobe and Lauren McVey.
2. Grade 2 French immersion students at Riverside Public School made a world map for Earth Day.
3. Mary Ray Ward unwraps the first prize of the evening during the Huntsville Hospital
Foundation’s spring gala fundraiser on April 10 at Deerhurst Resort.
4. Paul Brackley, of Brackley Boats in Gravenhurst, hosted visitors to his studio from the Antique
and Classic Boat Society of Toronto during their Spring Tour on April 24.
5. Huntsville Hospice had about 100 people take part in its first annual Hike for Hospice Palliative
Care held at Fairly Vista Trail in Huntsville. The event was held to recognize National Hospice
Palliative Care Week and raise funds and the profile of Hospice Huntsville.
6. YWCA Muskoka interns Erin Thomson and Katie Ungard sold balloons at the third annual
Muskoka Outstanding BusinessWomen’s Awards on May 4 to raise funds for programs at the Y.
7. Summit Management Office director general Sanjeev Chowdhury joined Huntsville Mayor
Claude Doughty, MP Tony Clement and students from Huntsville High School to plant the first of
500 red pines on Hoodstown Road in Huntsville on April 24, 2010.
8. Mike Varieur, Rob Horton and Steve Varieur rest after completing the Frontier Adventure
Challenge in Huntsville on May 5. They placed 9th out of 87 teams in the gruelling race.
Email photo submissions to editor@northcountrymedia.com
www.whatsupmuskoka.com May 2010 29

30 May 2010 www.whatsupmuskoka.com
420 ECCLESTONE DRIVE,
BRACEBRIDGE
www.cavalcadeford.ca
1-800-463-8731 705-645-8731

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