What's Up Huntsville Lake of Bays July 2011 - Whatsupmuskoka.com

WHAT’S UP
July 2011
MUSKOKA’S NEWS SOURCE
HUNTSVILLE
LAKE OF BAYS
www.whatsupmuskoka.com
Help for health care
The Great Escape
remembered Page 20
Finding solutions
to alleviate shortages
See page 5
Serving YWCA
nationally Page 18
Stage show marks
30th year Page 27
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www.whatsupmuskoka.com July 2011 3

Join the celebration
Recognizing individuals and groups who care about Muskoka and its residents
NOMINATION DEADLINE
Friday, August 19
3rd Annual Gala Dinner Presentation
Friday, September 23, 2011
at The Rosseau, a JW Marriott Resort & Spa
Presented by
For details on how you can nominate or participate in The Muskoka Awards, visit our websites:
www.muskokamagazine.com | www.whatsupmuskoka.com
705-646-1314

Alleviating the health care crunch
Article by Karen Wehrstein
Some bold and creative steps are
being taken to combat the shortage
of health care personnel in
Muskoka. But the problem isn’t
completely solved yet, and leaders in the
field are continuing to explore new
options.
Dr. David Mathies, who was chief of
staff for Muskoka Algonquin Healthcare
until July 1, says the doctor shortage is
well on the way to being alleviated.
“We’re not in that bad shape in
Muskoka,” he says, making educated
guesses that Huntsville is short one family
physician and Bracebridge short two.
“We are anticipating, looking at the
demographics of the doctor population.
There are more older physicians in
Bracebridge than in Huntsville; I anticipate
soon they’re going to want to hang
up their stethoscopes and go on to
another part of life.”
More doctors are always needed in
summer, he notes, since they tend to take
summer vacations while at the same time
the seasonal population creates greater
demand for care. Both hospitals in
Muskoka are actively recruiting internal
medicine specialists, he notes, and with
the aging population, a geriatric specialist
is needed in Bracebridge.
Mathies gives credit to Ontario establishing
the program HealthForceOntario
a few years ago as a recruiting and job
hunting tool for the entire province. But
perhaps more importantly, the government
provides perks to physicians who
locate in rural areas, for which Muskoka
qualifies. A new doctor locating in Bracebridge
will receive $94,000, and in
Huntsville, more than $100,000.
What might help most of all is more
newly graduated doctors coming into the
system.
“Medical schools have ramped up
enrolment in the past few years, and
there’s quite a few more physicians coming
on stream now,” says Mathies. “I
think five years from now we’ll be looking
at a doctor shortage as a thing of the
past.”
An educational initiative directly
aimed at combating the province-wide
problem of doctor shortages in northern
rural areas is the Northern Ontario
School of Medicine, established in 2005,
which specifically trains medical students
to orient their practices towards northern
communities. According to Sue Featherston,
site administrative co-ordinator for
the school’s programs in Huntsville and
Bracebridge, two new grads of the programs
will be setting up practices in
Muskoka soon – a trend likely to continue.
Two years ago, the study commissioned
by the District of Muskoka pointed
out some alarming trends. First of all,
according to Muskoka Cares: Muskoka
Health Sector Labour Market Research
Photograph:Tim Lum
Nurse practitioner Christine Fitchett examines a patient at the South Muskoka Memorial Hospital Site while
nurse practitioner student Cheryl Dove observes. Muskoka Algonquin Healthcare has a new mentorship program
for graduate nurses.
2009, the shortage is not confined to
Muskoka or even Ontario, but happening
across the country. It is caused by the
combination of an aging population
requiring more care, and an aging health
care provider population, heading for
retirement. But it promises to be worse
in Muskoka due to a concentration of
age 65-plus residents – 20 per cent as
compared to 14 percent throughout the
province.
The study found the nursing field in
Muskoka was six per cent understaffed,
and interviews revealed health care
organizations were having trouble
recruiting new staff, possibly due to low
or disparate pay rates, shift work, irregular
hours and extended hours. Perhaps
most alarming, the study found that over
half of Muskoka’s health care force was
over 45, and 48 per cent of them could
be retired within 10 years.
“We’ve got some unique challenges in
Muskoka, such as a high summer population,
so that we have to staff our health
care system a lot more over the high summer
months,” says Jean Broere, manager
of community programs with the district.
“Our geography makes it challenging
for some health care folks; there’s so
much travel for personal support workers
and nurses, occupational therapists and
physiotherapists.”
As well, she notes, housing costs in
Muskoka are high for a rural area, and
finding jobs is difficult for spouses of
health care workers.
“When families move up here,” she
says, “it’s a bit of a challenge, finding
work in other fields.”
A more recent study conducted by the
Simcoe-North Muskoka Local Health
Integration Network (LHIN) found a
shortage of people for clinical and
administrative leadership positions in the
health care field.
“A lot of professionals have retired earlier
than normal, so that succession hasn’t
happened,” says Susan Plewes, director
of integrated health system design for
the LHIN.
Both this and the nursing shortage,
she says, were predictable.
“We had a purge of clinical nurses
because the retirement age was lowered
to 55,” she says. “I am a nurse, and I
remember the day very well. A lot of my
colleagues left the profession. It was predicted
that by 2010, frontline care and
leadership would be in short supply.
That prediction came true. There are a
lot of competing occupations that allow
them full-time work in technical areas –
meaning no shift work – that may be
more attractive.”
Robert Hughes is the director of
human resources and organizational
effectiveness for Muskoka Algonquin
Healthcare, which manages the two hospitals
in Muskoka along with other services.
“There’s definitely a shortage that has
occurred and is occurring, and it’s probably
only going to get worse in the
future,” he says. “When a vacancy comes
up in positions like speech/language
pathologist, diagnostic technologist, lab
technologist, registered nurse or registered
practical nurse, it becomes difficult
to fill. People are not waiting at the
door.”
It can take weeks to fill those vacancies,
Hughes says, and the gaps are covered
by existing staff.
“We have amazing people here at
MAHC. When the calls go out they
come in and work long hours and pick
up extra shifts, and really pitch in for the
kind of health care we can provide here.”
But initiatives such as the two-semester
personal support worker program
available at Georgian College’s Muskoka
Campus are helping. According to
Broere, the shortage of personal support
workers in the region has mostly been
alleviated. Meanwhile, Georgian College
and Nipissing University both offer various
continuing education courses for
health care workers, which is always
www.whatsupmuskoka.com July 2011 5

Looking
to the
future
Bracebridge and Muskoka Lakes
Secondary School will be offering a
specialized high skills major program
in health and wellness, allowing senior
students to work in co-op positions
in local health care outlets. The
program received final approval
from the Ministry on June 28.
“Our school was already offering
all the courses to supply the strands
necessary for the course,” says
teacher Jason Sprathoff, who is head
of health, physical education and
family studies for the school. “We
were offering the academics part, so
I did a little bit of research to see
where a lot of our kids are going, to
see if there was an interest.”
Out of graduating classes that
range from 150 to 200, he found, 30
to 40 students per year were going
into health or wellness related fields,
including nursing, fitness, early
childhood education and others.
So, after consulting with teachers
in other schools that had already put
high skills majors in place, and with
help at the school board level,
Sprathoff went ahead with the application
to provide the course.
What makes a high skills major
special is the co-op placements it
requires, giving students a leg up
both into post-secondary programs
and the workplace.
“We needed to identify locations
where our students would be able to
get four months of experience in the
sector,” says Steve Spiers, a pathways
consultant with the school board,
who aided in the application.
So far about 30 students have
signed up for the course, and that
will be narrowed down to 20 in
interviews, mostly students going
into Grade 11.
High skills major programs run
for two years, in Grades 11 and 12,
so next year’s Grade 12 students have
been cautioned that they won’t get
the full certification – though they’ll
still get the experience. The program
will be expanded more in future
years.
“My hope is that these kids that
are interested in health and wellness
will take it, and it will draw more
into health and wellness,” Sprathoff
notes. “The long-term goal is to get
them interested in health and wellness
earlier than college and university,
because health and wellness is an
area, especially in Muskoka, where
we’re going to need more people.”
Nurse practitioner Christine Fitchett takes a patient’s blood pressure.
attractive to health care professionals
considering where to locate.
A steering committee comprised of
representatives of health organizations,
educational institutes and municipal
governments was formed in response to
concerns raised by the district’s 2009
study. Its first project was an effort to
attract Muskoka’s youth cohort to the
health field at an even younger age and
persuade them to stay in their home
region for health careers. The result was
the Health Care Rocks in Muskoka
career day 2011. Held at the Bracebridge
Sportsplex on April 14, the event gathered
200 high school students from
throughout the district, letting them
spend time with health professionals.
They event included hands-on learning,
such as taking blood pressure and doing
first aid.
“For the remainder of the year, we’ll be
focusing on connecting with post-secondary
colleges and universities to network
with students and almost-graduates,
to tell them there are wonderful
health care opportunities in Muskoka,”
says Jean Broere, who was centrally
involved with the initiative.
Hughes notes Muskoka Algonquin
Healthcare is making great use of a new
mentorship program for graduate nurses
sponsored by the Ministry of Health and
Long-Term Care.
“When nurses graduate, they’re guaranteed
six months of work,” he says.
“They are in a formalized mentorship
program with another nurse, learning
what it means to have a full patient load.
They always have that mentor with
them.”
More than 100 graduating nurses
applied to undergo the program in
Muskoka, and Hughes estimates the
result will be about 12 new registered
nurses and registered practical nurses in
the Muskoka Algonquin Healthcare system.
Plewes sees an increased emphasis on
the team approach, as practiced by Family
Health Teams and in Community
Health Centres, as a solution to the
problem.
“People now across organizations are
getting together to manage the care of
someone who requires that team
approach. That’s helping to expand the
capacity of the individuals,” she says.
She also sees health care positions with
expanded capabilities as another solution.
“A registered practical nurse has education
and training and experience to do a
number of things that only a registered
nurse could do 10 or 15 years ago,” she
notes. “Nurse practitioners have the ability
and legislative support to do a number
of things that only family physicians
could do. There are new positions such
as physician’s assistants and nurse anesthetists
. . . just within the last couple of
years.”
Nurse practitioners, for instance, can
now diagnose illness, order some diagnostic
tests, order some mediations, refer
to specialists and admit or discharge
patients from hospitals, says Leanna
Lefebvre, a nurse practitioner and interim
administrative lead for a new nursepractitioner
clinic that will open in
Huntsville this fall.
The need for such a clinic was first
noticed in the emergency departments of
Muskoka’s hospitals, Lefebvre says.
“Twenty per cent of visits were from
people who didn’t have a health care
provider. We got together as a group of
nurse practitioners and looked at how we
could fill that gap.”
The clinic will be staffed by four nurse
practitioners as well as a registered nurse,
dietitian, social worker and pharmacist,
with consulting doctors partnering as
well. The philosophy is based on a nursing
model of care, with emphasis on illness
prevention and health promotion.
“We place a greater value on the therapeutic
relationship and ensure that
clients are full partners in their care,”
Lefebvre says.
The clinic is funded through a Ministry
initiative that began with one clinic
in 2007 in Sudbury. Since then, the decision
has been made to fund 25 more
throughout Ontario. Currently there are
about 1,900 nurse practitioners across
Ontario, most of whom started out as
registered nurses, but went back to university
for more training.
The North Simcoe-Muskoka LHIN is
beginning the formulation of a 10-year
implementation plan to integrate health
services available in hospitals, long-term
care facilities, community health centres,
community support services and mental
health agencies. It will include measures
to address the health care staff shortage,
says Plewes.
But it’s only in its beginning stages.
“We have a working group that’s come
together over the last months to put their
heads together to identify what an integrated
health human resources council
needs to look like to develop an effective
health human resources plan for the
region,” says Tammy McLennan, manager
of organizational talent and corporate
services for the LHIN. That council
will be formed over the summer, she says.
The LHIN will also conduct a detailed
survey of all North Simcoe and Muskoka
health service providers to create a
detailed inventory, examining not just
numbers of staff, but their interests and
skills to use as a workforce planning tool.
McLennan expects the survey to be complete
by sometime in the fall.
On June 20 it held a spring forum,
drawing 302 people from Muskoka and
North Simcoe to envision a more integrated
system of health care using new
models of health care with greater collaboration.
“We have 140 organizations, and 63
have nothing to do with the LHIN,” says
Plewes, noting that they include education
and justice groups as well as municipalities.
“Everybody saw the bonus of
having an integrated plan.”
Bill Innes, CEO of Muskoka’s Community
Care Access Centre, notes that
the centre’s increased use of personal support
workers in the home has lessened
the need for hospital care, thus alleviating
the pressure.
“I’m constantly looking for new workers,
but we have attained steady growth
over the last two years,” he says.
That’s keeping people out of hospital –
130 of them throughout the LHIN in
the past year, he says.
Meanwhile, he sees possible solutions,
both long-term and short-term, in new
technologies. With today’s high-tech
home monitors, he says, patients’ weight
and blood pressure can be tracked.
“So if you are watching blood pressure
and you see a drop, you can catch it
before that person falls and breaks their
hip, saving a hospital visit,” he enthuses.
But down the road, Innes envisions
more innovative solutions, such as the
elimination of cancer through gene therapy,
or robots providing care and even
surgery, more accurately than a human
hand. “
“The questions for me are, what is the
real need, how are we prepared to
respond to whatever that need is . . . and
where we choose to invest money as a
society,” he says.
That, and how to make use of limited
resources more efficiently, are the questions
that many people in Muskoka are
wrestling with, to address the health care
personnel shortage.
Photograph: Tim Lum
6 July 2011 www.whatsupmuskoka.com

Huntsville goes solo on employee benefits
By Karen Wehrstein
After traditionally pooling with the
District of Muskoka and the other area
municipalities to provide extended
health, dental and disability plans for its
employees, the Town of Huntsville has
abandoned the arrangement to contract
with an outside provider.
“We’ve been involved with the district
for a number of years,” says town councillor
Chris Zanetti, who heads up
Huntsville’s corporate services committee.
“We thought that we should shop it
and see if we could get a better rate and
we certainly found that: a savings of
about $30,000. That’s substantial, so we
opted out of the district plan.”
According to Zanetti, Selectpath Benefits
& Financial is able to provide the
same benefits package to town employees
for that much less cost. The move was
passed by the committee on May 30 and
town council on June 20. It comes into
effect immediately.
An amount of about $230,000 that
was being held in an insurance reserve
fund by the district for the Town of
Huntsville will also be returned to the
town. Zanetti says it will be continue to
be kept as an insurance reserve.
Stephen Cairns, commissioner of
finance and corporate services, continues
to believe the strategy of pooling insurance
money is best. “If you’re self-insured
and have a fairly regular and predictable
cost, you save in not paying the middle
man,” he says, explaining that the district
“We thought that we should
shop it and see if we could
get a better rate ...”
hires an outside agency to manage the
program, but otherwise no administration
fee, extra overhead or profits are
drawn from the funds. “We pay the actual
cost rather than an external premium.”
Cairns is not concerned about one
town leaving the plan. “Huntsville not
being there is not going to materially
affect us one way or another,” he says.
Cairns notes the district and the
municipalities, other than Huntsville,
will be putting out a request for proposals
for life and long-term disability insurance
for employees. Selectpath will be
one of the carriers it approaches, he says,
since it’s one of the main carriers.
“We might find a similar saving,” he
says, noting that the request will go out
once all relevant information is gathered
from the municipalities.
But he feels the medical and dental
plans should stay in the shared self-insurance
program.
“I’d have to have a very good documented
business case to move away from
that concept, because it’s served us well in
the past,” he says.
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www.whatsupmuskoka.com July 2011 7

Experience
BRACEBRIDGE
UNDERSTANDING
YOUR NEEDS
UNIQUE AND FUN
CLOTHING STYLES
Find your Unique and Fun clothing styles at
Tiggs. Come in for our Sizzling Hot
Summer Sales from 20-50% off most styles.
Visit us at Midnight Madness on July 29th for
our store wide sales.
48 Manitoba Street | 705-645-4743
Buffy, Lisa and Heather have moved
back into their old location and are
eager to serve you better than ever.
They understand their customers’
needs and challenges. They offer
everything from printing, packaging,
shipping, designing to mail box service.
The UPS Store can help you save time
and money where it counts.
505 Hwy 118 West | 705-646-2153
PAMPER YOURSELF
Monica and her staff provide quality services to both
men and women. Offering facial treatments, manicures,
pedicures, waxing, massage, cosmetic application,
hairstyling and wedding packages. Shop here for your
AVEDA organic hair and skin care products as they are
now the exclusive AVEDA retailer in Muskoka. With their
varied services and expertise, you'll find all the elements
here to make for a rewarding visit.
31 Dominion Street | 705-645-9600
www.elementssalonandspa.ca
YOUR LOCAL BIKE EXPERTS
Nielsen's Bicycles is your source for Bicycles, Parts
Accessories and Professional tune ups and services.
Specializing in Hybrid road and trail bikes such as Scott,
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21 Armstrong Street (across from Monck Public School)
705-645-8534
Bwana Johns
SHOP THE WORLD’S EXOTIC MARKET
Unique jewellery ,fashion ,gifts and other cool stuff from far away
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26 Manitoba Street | 705 457 3078
www.bwanajohns.com
NATURAL PAIN RELIEF
Providing Registered Massage Therapy, Low Intensity Laser for Soft tissue
repair, Acu-Laser for quitting smoking, weight loss and depression and
Detoxification therapies, Also on the service menu are body scrubs and
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8 July 2011 www.whatsupmuskoka.com

Bliss
Boutique
of Muskoka
FIND YOUR BLISS
Bliss Boutique of Muskoka offers women a new and unique
shopping experience right in the heart of Cottage Country. Bliss
carries fun and fashionable clothing, footwear, swimwear
(specializing in C & D cups) golf wear and fashion accessories.
WHAT CHILDHOOD
MEMORIES ARE
MADE OF
Whether you are looking for an elegant dress to wear to a
dockside wedding or trying to find your new favourite pair of
jeans, you can find it all at Bliss Boutique of Muskoka. Let us be
your one stop destination this summer for feminine cool and
everything fantastic!
63 Manitoba Street, Bracebridge | 705-645-2292
When you walk into this
family owned toy store,
you’ll discover what
childhood memories are
made of. Classic toys such as
Thomas the Train, Playmobil, Corolle Dolls, Meccano and oodles of craft kits,
puzzles, and games. Inside there is a baby boutique with all the latest baby
gear, organic baby food, Padraig slippers and natural sunscreens for kids.
Shop online at www.applausetoystore.com
6 Manitoba Street, Bracebridge | 705-646-2287
Muskoka Wharf, Gravenhurst | 705-687-7333
15-17 Main Street East, Huntsville | 705-787-0709
ECLECTIC, VIBRANT ON TREND
The Chancery Lane Company is eclectic and colourful, on trend.
From timeless classics through art nouveau and vintage, to
contemporary, there's something for every fabulous woman in
your life. A gift for your hostess, your special BFF or the
essentials for the ultimate girlfriends getaway weekend, this is
the perfect place to shop.
40 Manitoba Street | 705-645-4246
FREE YOURSELF FROM
HARMFUL CHEMICALS
Beauty Comes Naturally offers organic
skin, hair and body care products &
treatment at their private day spa.
10% of Onesta proceeds go to cancer
research.
Keeping you and our lakes beautiful
naturally.
77 Tamarack Trail | 705-645-4441
COMFORT AND STYLE FOR
YOUR HOME AND COTTAGE
YOUR FARMERS’ MARKET EVERY DAY
Visit us at January's Market just south of the Bracebridge Falls,
to peruse our selection of flowers, specialty items, baked goods
from Mariposa Market and of course, the freshest produce in
Muskoka.
196 Ecclestone Drive | 705-645-8919
A unique and beautiful collection of custom
furniture, décor and accessories for every room
in your home or cottage. Fabric and wallpaper
collections available by the yard, semi-custom
draperies and toss cushions. Our services
include: interior decorating,
re-upholstery, wedding registry and delivery.
24 Manitoba Street
ph. 705-645-6451 | fax 705-645-6436

WHAT’S UP MUSKOKA
EDITORIAL
Small steps
to improve
health care
Muskokans generally enjoy excellent health
care but there are shortcomings. It doesn’t take
long to find someone who has faced a long wait
time in an emergency department or can’t find a
family doctor.
Overall the region fares much better than
other areas of the province, but there is always
room for improvement, especially as baby
boomers enter their golden years, further taxing
the system.
It’s refreshing to see innovative initiatives
underway in Muskoka to make the health care
system stronger. From the new nurse practitioner-led
clinic in Huntsville to nurse mentoring
programs, there are signs things are looking up.
One of the most innovative approaches, however,
is the new specialized high skills major program
planned in Bracebridge and Muskoka Lakes
Secondary School for next fall. It will provide
students with an opportunity to learn about and
experience working in the health and wellness
field.
This program will include some classroom
time plus give students an opportunity to gain
experience in a hospital, doctor’s office and other
related workplaces. Students will be getting firsthand
knowledge about the vast variety of jobs
available. Learning about the health and medical
field will surely open doors for many students.
This new course is a step towards solving two
longtime Muskoka problems.
First, it could support Muskoka’s health care
system by providing qualified staff.
Secondly, students who pursue a career in
health care can return to work and live in
Muskoka. For years we have been told that there
aren't enough careers and well paying employment
opportunities to encourage youth to come
back to the area.
While this program won’t have immediate tangible
benefits for the region, in the long term it
could be significant. It could both retain Muskoka’s
youth, who tend to relocate to find jobs, and
strengthen the health care system locally. One
hopes this innovative program will soon be
offered in all Muskoka secondary schools.
Now the question remains whether or not
Muskoka’s youth see the possibilities and enrol in
the program.
Send us your letters to the Editor
Email to:
editor@northcountrymedia.com
Mail to:
Box 180, Bracebridge, ON P1L 1T6
Letters to the Editor
Councillors shouldn’t have to pay
for information from the district
I just finished reading Sandy
Lockhart’s article, District structure
under scrutiny, in the latest
issue of What’s Up Muskoka and
was wondering which clerk in the
district office is earning $30 per
hour ($7.50/15 minutes x 4)?
Perhaps Councillor Cragg, who
was charged $7.50 for each 15
minutes of time required to scan
information he requested, should
be looking into this as well.
Today’s modern multi-function
printers can create PDF files in an
instant just by dropping the sheets
in the feeder and don’t require any
other operator intervention.
As a councillor, Mr. Cragg
should have access to any district/municipal
reports at no
charge and without having to use
the Freedom of Information Act
to get it. What is so secret about
these reports?
Doug Philp
Lake of Bays
Article on alcoholism sheds light
on difficult subject
I just wanted to congratulate
you on the comprehensive and
well-written article, Overcoming
Alcoholism by Karen Wehrstein,
which appeared in the June edition
of What’s Up Muskoka.
The article is informative and
balanced. You were able to present
not only the broad scope of
harms, impact and issues with
respect to alcohol abuse, but were
also able to reflect the programs,
resources and services that we
have for people in Muskoka –
from prevention to treatment. I
am inspired by the number of
providers you were able to connect
with as well as the non-judgmental
and hopeful essence of the
article.
Thank you for taking the time
to write this. I believe your readers
will benefit from this information,
whether the message they take is
preventative or may lead others to
the help that they may be looking
for.
Thanks again!
Suzanne Witt-Foley
Program consultant
Policy, education and health
promotion Centre for Addiction
and Mental Health
Donald Smit h
Publisher – Print & Digital
Melissa Kosowan
Editor – Print & Digital
Sandy Lockhart
Assistant Editor
Donna Ansley
Curtis Armstrong
Martha Gillan
Laurie Johle
Judy Vanclieaf
Connie Zator
Multimedia Sales
Marc Bonitatibus
Production Manager
Addie Collins
Matthew Walker
Design Department
Angy Gliddon
Ken Northey
Susan Smith
Reader Sales and Service
What’s Up Muskoka is published by Cottage
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Copyright© 2011, Sun Media Corp. All rights
reserved. Reproduction of any material
published in What’s Up Muskoka is strictly
prohibited without the written permission
of the publisher. The publisher assumes
no responsibility for unsolicited material.
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Website: www.whatsupmuskoka.com
Cover Photo
Nurse practitioner Christine Fitchett
supervises nursing student Cheryl
Dove as she examines a patient.
Photograph by Tim Lum.
10 July 2011 www.whatsupmuskoka.com

Service clubs unite
to better help others
By Chris Occhiuzzi
The District of Muskoka and service
clubs across the region are working
together to provide help to as many people
as possible.
Known as the Financial Assistance
Partners Group, these independent service
organizations are aimed at making it
easier for people to get needed assistance.
“The first time we got together was
about a year ago,” says Heather Moore,
director of programs for Muskoka Community
Services. “The premise of the
first meeting was we
all help people; can we
do it better or differently?
It didn’t take us
long to realize that yes
we could.”
Currently, the
Financial Assistance
Partners Group consists
of the District,
Rotary and Lions
clubs of Muskoka,
Muskoka Victims
Services and the
Bracebridge Salvation
Army. However, many
other service clubs and
organizations are in
the process of getting
on board.
One of the major
changes made by this
unified group of
helpers is limiting the
amount of time and
effort it takes a person
in need to get financial
assistance.
“Brenda Boothby is
our emergency assistance
person here at community services,
so she’s our front lines person,” says
Moore. “She knew and we knew that A)
the need seems to be growing and B) we
were getting requests for things that we
couldn’t help with ourselves. But, we
knew whom they had to call. We were
doing a lot of, ‘We can’t help you, but
you should go and see A, B, C. So, we
got together with A, B, and C.”
Prior to the inception of the Financial
Assistance Partners Group, a person seeking
help may have had to go to many
groups and tell their story to several different
people before finding the right
one. Each time they would be required to
go through a screening process of sorts.
“That’s not a very dignified way to
maintain any sense of self worth,” says
Moore. “So, we got together and decided
very early on that there was an absolute
opportunity for us to co-operate. We
have a lead on the screening process for
applicants, but people can go to any of
the service clubs as well.”
“With access
to this fund,
we’re able
to help more
people...
They aren’t
huge things,
but when you
don’t have a
lot of money,
$40 can be
like $400”
Now, by making a simple phone call to
the District of Muskoka and speaking
with Boothby, a person will only have to
go through a screening process once.
With a pooled fund and unified groups,
the access to assistance is readily available,
no matter how big or small the need
may be.
“We can either help them through our
pooled fund, which everybody has contributed
to. That’s for small things, up to
$300,” says Moore.
For larger costs, she explains, the
group can come
together to find the
needed funds. She
gives the example of
an individual living
with a severe physical
disability who
required a hospital
bed. He had one, but
it was worn out and
needed replacing at a
cost of about $2,000.
“We couldn’t help
with it, but Brenda
sent out an e-mail and
three different service
clubs each contributed
$500 and the
Canadian Paraplegic
Society donated the
other $500. The community,
the cooperation
worked together
and helped provide a
new hospital bed,”
Moore says.
It is just one example
of how the Financial
Assistance Partners
Group can work
to help those in need. And while the District
of Muskoka distributes around
$150,000 per year in emergency assistance,
these funds are attached to specific
items. This is where the pooled fund
really comes into play.
“We might be able to help with utilities,
we might be able to help with rent
arrears,” says Moore. “But, for other
items we can’t help. With access to this
fund, we’re able to help more people.
We’ve helped with several things, and
some have been as low as under $40 and
as high as $220. They’re not huge things,
but when you don’t have a lot of money
$40 can be like $400.”
Of course, the groups will continue to
work individually and those in need of
help can still seek out a service club
directly. The Financial Assistance Partners
Group is just another way to make
getting assistance easier.
“It doesn’t replace anything anybody’s
doing,” says Moore. “It’s in addition to
the work everybody’s already doing.”
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www.whatsupmuskoka.com July 2011 11

New CEO optimistic about future of hospitals
By Karen Wehrstein
After six months on the job as CEO of
Muskoka Algonquin Healthcare, Natalie
Bubela is happy with the way things are
going, but has one particular concern.
“Basically, after an external review,
there was acknowledgement from the
Ministry of Health and the North Simcoe-Muskoka
Local Health Integration
Network (LHIN) that there was a $6
million structural deficit,” Bubela says,
explaining that this refers to annual
operating costs. “They gave us the first
installment of $4.5 million in November.
But we need the remaining $1.5
million to balance out this year.”
The CEO has yet to hear a response
from the ministry, even as to the timing
of a decision.
“It would be nice to have an idea of
when we’re going to hear one way or the
other,” she says.
But otherwise, things are going well,
Bubela feels. “What’s really important is
that the hospitals had a balanced budget
for the hospitals at the end of the year,”
she says, noting that the corporation
showed a $50,000 surplus as of March
31.
At the same time, signs indicate the
corporation is providing good care.
“With our performance metrics in the
emergency department, in terms of flowing
patients through, we’re one of the
Natalie Bubela is the new CEO of
Muskoka Algonquin Healthcare.
top five performers in Ontario,” Bubela
says.
Survey results on the hospital website
show consistently above-average ratings
in patient satisfaction.
Muskoka Algonquin Healthcare
(MAHC) is to embark on a strategic
planning process, Bubela says.
“It’s going to involve speaking not
Photograph: Heather Douglas
only to internal stakeholders – our
physicians, staff, auxiliary – but external
stakeholders, meaning our residents,
both permanent and seasonal, and the
municipalities. This is not a case where
the administration has already decided
what they’ll do, but a real consultative
exercise in which what we say together
will determine what the strategic direction
of the hospital.”
A shortage of available health care staff
will be one of the considerations, she
says. As well, new forms of technology,
mostly in surgical techniques, may
require that the hospitals organize themselves
a little differently.
“What’s also important is to differentiate
the MAHC hospitals from others in
the LHIN,” Bubela says. “Do we want
to be noted for great elder-friendly care,
or just as good community hospitals?
One of the things that the South Muskoka
Hospital Foundation found when
polling donors and community was an
emphasis on trauma care. People want to
know when they come into the emergency
department that that kind of care
is available, and it’s good care.”
And, in fact, the strategic plan may
not produce many changes at all, Bubela
says.
“We’ll have to see what makes sense
now.” Bubela hopes to have the strategic
plan in place around the end of October.
To lay to rest any concerns, she notes
that there are no plans to close either
hospital. “We need both emergency
departments,” she says.
Bubela started on Jan. 24, and her first
weeks in the position were spent orienting
herself.
“I’m an experienced health care
administrator, but it’s a matter of learning
the local culture: reading the local
documentation and getting to know
who the people are. Even though people
consider this a small place, a lot is going
on, so it took a while to get up to speed.”
Bubela moved up from Ajax, where
she had administered another hospital
system with two sites, and so far has
enjoyed Muskoka.
“I love it but the bugs can go someplace,”
she says. “I have found the people
warm, friendly, very interested in me as
an individual, and it’s beautiful up here.
My family loves it.”
One of her sons even had to sample
Muskoka Algonquin Healthcare’s emergency
care after a wakeboarding mishap,
and he gave it the thumbs up, she says.
The family is considering making a permanent
move to Muskoka.
“It’s very clear to me that the hospitals
are ones our communities are proud of
and want to remain vibrant, and that’s
great,” Bubela says. “It’s wonderful to
work with a community that cares.”
12 July 2011 www.whatsupmuskoka.com

We are fortunate to call Canada home
Around Huntsville
By Don McCormick
On Friday, July 1, Canada celebrated
the 144th anniversary of
its official institution as a country.
We are incredibly fortunate
in this country and I believe we
have a moral obligation to share
our good fortune with others. I
love the notion that we care and
look out for each other.
My wife and I have done a lot
of world travel. We have been
around the world at least a couple of times and have
visited over 65 different countries on every continent
except Antarctica. When we see how people in other
parts of the world live we are reminded yet again of our
great fortune to have been born and raised in this country.
While Canadians are not given to breast-beating,
where else would you rather live?
I have always admired the vision of the founding
fathers and have always been very appreciative that they
pushed through their nation-building notion, often
against great opposition. And, I am equally appreciative
of the vision of Sir John A. Macdonald and his colleagues
for their foresight in pushing through the building
of the trans-Canada railroad against almost insurmountable
odds. The railroad was, in Macdonald’s day,
the equivalent of the CBC of my day or the Internet of
today in connecting the people of this country so that
they would eventually see themselves as one.
There is much to celebrate on Canada Day and
Huntsville was full of celebratory activities. Festivities
kicked off in River Mill Park, complete with music by
the Muskoka Concert Band, opening remarks by
Mayor Claude Doughty and MP Norm Miller and a
massive birthday cake.
The Trillium Jazz Band entertained on the town hall
steps and there were family activities, a barbecue, a
roast beef dinner and entertainment at the Legion.
There was a strawberry social and heritage train tours
at the Muskoka Heritage Place. There was a free barbecue
and free transit through the locks at the Brunel
Locks.
Local female performing artists presented an evening
concert at the River Mill Park. There were also activities
and entertainment at Robinson’s Independent Grocers
and Arrowhead Park.
Every venue had a great turnout. The day was
capped off with a spectacular fireworks display over
Hunters Bay, presented by the Huntsville Volunteer
Fire Department. And, it was almost all free.
The weekend of celebration was somewhat muted
with the news that David Harris, editor of Huntsville
Online, had finally succumbed to the cancer he had
been fighting for the past several years. I have known
David for several years and we shared an interest in
photography, writing, cycling, Mac computers and golf
(he a pro and me a hacker) activities.
His Huntsville Online gained quite a considerable
readership and the local politicians and bureaucrats
paid a lot of attention to what he had to say. He made
an impression on the community and he will be
missed. Our condolences go out to his wife, Nancy,
who has been a stalwart in supporting and caring for
David through these very difficult times.
The 16th edition of the Muskoka Triathlon was held
on the weekend of June 25-26th. In 2009 the event
had to be held in the middle of a construction site (the
Summit Centre) and, in 2010, had to be moved to
another weekend in July because of the G8 Summit.
This dislocation took its toll and the number of triathletes
participating this year was down substantially. It
will take some effort to rebuild this event to its former
golden days when Olympic and world champions came
to Huntsville to test themselves on this very demanding
course.
Luckily, there is an organization that has been
formed to do just that. Triathlon Muskoka in a newly
formed, incorporated, not-for-profit organization that
has a mission to advocate for, support and promote
triathlon, triathletes and the community.
Its most immediate goal is to raise the $50,000 in
cash and/or services to ensure that both the Muskoka
Triathlon and the Muskoka 70.3 events remain in
Huntsville. The local business community, recognizing
Arrowhead park celebrates 40 years
To celebrate its 40th anniversary, Arrowhead Provincial
Park has special events planned this summer.
The main event will be a birthday bash on Saturday,
July 16, which will include music for all ages. The fun
continues all summer, however, as Arrowhead hosts a
multitude of musical and artistic talents found in
Muskoka. Artists are being booked for a concert every
week. All concerts will be held at the Mayflower Lake
Amphitheatre inside the park.
There are plans for 10 concerts and 10 “open mic”
nights and a special Made in Muskoka music show on
July 13 and Aug. 13, with local host and performer
Dressed in Canada’s colours, the Muskoka Concert Band performs at River Mill Park in Huntsville
on Canada Day.
“Papa John.” Singer-songwriters and performers of original
music from Muskoka are invited to enter the show.
Studio Arrowhead is another attraction to check out.
Local artisans are invited into the park to demonstrate
their craft and hold workshops. Studio Arrowhead is
located in the centre of Arrowhead in the main beach
parking lot. The goal is to have an artist in the cabin
every day and all summer.
Arrowhead first opened for camping in 1966, but was
not formally established until 1971. Since that time the
park has grown to approximately 1,237 hectares and
welcomes more than 100,000 visitors in the summer.
what a significant boost these events give to the local
economy, have responded. To date, about $42,000 has
been raised. The local hotels and restaurants are just
coming on board and the group is very confident they
will reach their goal.
It’s summertime, summertime, sum, sum, summertime!
Photograph: Don McCormick
www.whatsupmuskoka.com July 2011 13

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Taylor Carpet One owners Danny Pabst and Wren Mann offer no charge
estimates and visit customers’ homes to help with product selection.
Friendly smiles and certified professionals
await you at Taylor Carpet One in
Huntsville.
From the first phone call or visit, to the
clean up at the end of an installation, the
folks at Taylor Carpet One offer the best
in customer service.
“Service is our main focus. People can
find products pretty well anywhere they
want to,” says Wren Mann, co-owner of
Taylor Carpet One. “We feel we have
more than competitive pricing. We guarantee
we will match anyone’s price and
feel that no one can touch our service.”
They even offer no charge estimates,
coming to your home to measure and
find the right product for you. The Carpet
One team takes time to ensure a
proper fit for all flooring: carpet, laminate,
vinyl, tile and hardwood.
“There’s no commitment when we go
out and do an in-house measure,” says
Mann, who along with business partner
Danny Pabst, purchased the company in
2008 from the Taylor family. “Some customers
want to meet in the house and
have a colour consultation as well as an
on-site measure. In other cases, the customer
will come into the store and pick
out what they want, then we go and do
the measuring.”
Going into the store is a great
opportunity to see exactly how each
product feels and looks. With two levels
of show rooms, Taylor Carpet One
shows off its products by laying them
out on the floor. Customers can walk
around and really know what they
want to put into their homes.
Taylor Carpet One offers a huge
selection of products and materials at
competitive prices.
In addition to carrying brands such
as Tigressa, Bigelow, Rustic River and
Earthscapes, Carpet One provides its
own top-notch products to consumers.
There’s the Attitude II and
Soft Comfort Tweed in carpets, Bancroft
and Natural Oak Hardwood in
flooring, the Hemet II and Ralston in
laminate, as well as a Durable Ceramic
Tile.
Once a choice is made, the measurements
taken, colour chosen and the
product installed, Taylor Carpet One
takes things one step further to ensure
customer satisfaction.
“After we do the installations of all
our hardwood, we clean the floors
when we’re done,” says Mann. “After
installing carpets, we vacuum all the
carpets and take away all the scrap
pieces. Our goal is to make it look like
we were never there.”
A couple of Taylor Carpet One exclusives
are the trademarked slogan: The
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The Beautiful Guarantee is a Carpet
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been installed by Taylor Carpet One.
“This way if the customer is not
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The Healthier Living Carpet Installation
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To find out more, visit the website at
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14 July 2011 www.whatsupmuskoka.com

Celebrating milestones in Lake of Bays
Around Lake of Bays
By Judy Vanclieaf
What a glorious
long weekend
to start off our
summer! One
couldn’t ask for
better weather.
The kids are all
out of school and
the lake is finally
warm enough to
swim in, although some people have
been swimming since May. Brrrr!
All three towns in Lake of Bays held
their fireworks displays and the Baysville
Farmers’ Market began on Friday of the
long weekend. Whoot! Whoot! Summer
is here!
Now that summer is officially here,
plans are well underway for all the
events going on in each town. Mark
your calendars for the Baysville Walkabout,
which will be held on Saturday
July 23 from 9 a.m. 4 p.m. Come out
and browse the streets of Baysville and
shop over 120 vendors who are displaying
arts, crafts, antiques, woodworking,
foodstuffs and so much more. There
will also be a live band across from the
general store and a DJ down around the
corner. For the young and the young at
heart, there will be clowns, animals and
face painting. Admission is a donation
at the gates.
You can also mark Art in the Park on
your calendars. There will be around 75
vendors displaying their wares on Aug. 6
and 7, but due to ongoing work on the
bridge in Baysville, the art show will be
moved to the parkette over by the
arena.
Due to the ongoing work on the
bridge and lack of volunteers, the
Baysville Antique and Classic Boat
show, normally held on the second
Sunday of August, will be cancelled
Beatrice Regina Purens turned
100 on June 18. A birthday party
was held in Baysville.
Photograph: Judy Vanclieaf
this year.
On a brighter note, the Baysville Public
School reunion is in the makings. An
invite is extended to all former Baysville
Public School students to the reunion
being held on Saturday, Sept. 17. This
exciting event will have a social hour
starting at 3 p.m. with a dinner and
dance to follow. It will be held at the
Baysville Community Centre.
If you attended Baysville Public
School at any time, the committee is
looking for your help to gather memorabilia.
Please share your favourite
Baysville Public School memories, old
school photos and any information on
students that have passed on. Old photographs
can be forwarded to Murray
Wright at murray_wright@
hotmail.com
If you have any questions or suggestions
or would like an official invite,
please contact any one of the planning
committee members: Darryl Morrow
705-767-3958 or Murray Wright 705-
765-5361 or Shelly 905-648-6159
Our dear friend Beatrice Regina
Purens would like to extend her heartfelt
gratitude to everyone who came out
to help her celebrate her 100 years of
life on June 18. Approximately 70
friends and family gathered at the
Autumn Leaves Seniors Centre in
Baysville.
Bea would also like to send a very
special thank you to all the volunteers of
the Baysville Horticultural Society and
her friends from the Latvian Centre in
Toronto for putting on such a memorable
event for her. Bea has conquered
many feats during her lifetime, as we
learned from a toast made by Sue Smith
– too many for this column to cover!
Bea, we are looking forward to celebrating
your 101st birthday next June.
Through the narrows in Dorset
Come on out and do your Christmas
shopping at the Dorset Arts and Crafts
Show being held in the Dorset Parkette
on Sunday, July 31 from 9 a.m. to 4
p.m.
This arts and crafts show is a show
where only handmade goods are presented
by a variety of artisans from the
area. Also on hand, the Dorset Lions
Club will have a bake sale and barbecue
at the show. All this takes place on the
shores of beautiful Little Trading Bay on
Lake of Bay in Dorset, at Highway 35
between Main Street and the bridge.
There’s a lot to do at the Dorset rec
centre this month. A family activity
night will be held every Wednesday
evening starting at 6:30 p.m.
Everyone is invited to come out and
join the Day Campers program with
Logan and Jenny for a movie night,
campfire night or children’s crafts.
Also, a creative expressive art night
will be held on Thursday evenings from
7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Every week you will
create one or more different artistic
projects through this workshop, which
is suitable for adults and youth. The
Family and friends celebrate the 100th birthday of Beatrice Regina
Purens (centre). About 70 people gathered in Baysville for the occasion .
evening is run by trained expressive arts
facilitator, Elise Muller of Stone Tree
Studio. It should prove to be a fun and
creative evening out!
Across the Bay in Dwight
The Andrew Daniels Fish Stewardship
Program on Lake of Bays will be
hosting a fish stock brunch on Wednesday,
July 20 from 11:30 a.m. to 2 pm at
the Port Cunnington Lodge in Port
Cunnington. You can come by boat or
vehicle.
Entertainment by Darryl Hollingsworth
and Co. will be there to delight
the crowd and a silent auction and raffle
Homes and Cottages
Offer ends July 31st, 2011
draw will be held as well. Monies raised
through this fundraiser will help go
towards protecting the Lake of Bays fish
habitat and to improve fish regeneration,
streams and shorelines. It will also
aid in helping improve the Lake of Bays
water quality and aquatic system. Tickets
can be purchased at the Dwight Garden
Centre or Port Cunnington Lodge
or at any Marina on Lake of Bays.
If you have any happenings our something
you would like to see in my column
please drop me a line or give me
a call at 705-767-1080 or suite@
surenet.net
Planning to
build in 2012?
Save 20%!!
www.whatsupmuskoka.com July 2011 15
Photograph: Judy Vanclieaf

La Dolce Vita Trattoria
Authentic Italian Cuisine
Century Home Charm
705.787.0662
21 West Street South, Huntsville
ladolcevitahuntsville.ca
Dinner daily at 5pm
Closed Tuesdays
Advertising Feature
GETTING TO KNOW US
Tasty treats baked daily
at Henrietta’s
Henrietta’s Pine
Bakery
2 locations:
Hwy 60
DWIGHT
705-635-2214
* * * * *
Hwy 11
PORT SYDNEY
705-385-2555
The Old Palmer House
Private Lessons:
Rustic & Cottage Furniture
Home & Cottage Accessories
Unique Gifts & Antiques
Spring, Summer
& Fall Hours
10 – 5 Daily
#2827 HWY 60, DWIGHT
705-635-9376
www.theoldpalmerhouse.com
Edwards Electric
Generators
• Sales • Service
• Installation • Maintenance
• Generator Rentals
• Commercial & Residential
ECRA/ESA Licence# 7001861
Cummins Onan
Authorized Cummins Onan Dealer
Roger Edwards
Huntsville, ON
P: 705-788-9892
C: 705-380-0475
email: edwaelec@vianet.ca
www.edwardsgenerators.com
Carine and Geoff Harriss with a tray of the ever-popular Muskoka
Clouds. Henrietta’s has over 150 varieties of baked items available.
Everything at Henrietta’s Pine Bakery
is inviting: the warm, rustic décor,
the delicious aroma of baked goods,
the enticing sight of pastries and cookies
in the display case and the friendly
smiles of the staff.
It’s no wonder that the parking lot of
the Dwight bakery is usually so full
that there are more cars lining the
shoulder along Highway 60.
Henrietta’s has been a Dwight fixture
since 1963, providing tourists,
cottagers and locals with delicious
breads and pastries.
Current owners Geoff and Carine
Harriss have owned the bakery since
2003 and have kept up the Henrietta’s
tradition of good quality, homemade
baking.
Regulars to the shop return again
and again for their favourite treats:
large, gooey sticky buns; Muskoka
Clouds, a biscuit overflowing with
cream cheese flavouring and cranberries;
butter tarts oozing with filling,
and rich, chocolate brownies.
Over time, the Harriss family has
introduced some new favourites
including Muskoka Trails bread, a variety
of cobblers, apple strudels, and
chocolate croissants. In all, there are
over 150 varieties of pastries available
plus they have recently begun serving
sandwiches and chicken pies.
Last year, Geoff and Carine decided
it was time to expand the hours at
the Dwight bakery. They are now
open almost year-round, except for
November and the week between
Christmas and New Year.
“Last year was our first December
being open and it was very successful.
We have a really exciting range of
Christmas pastries and cookies and we
do a lot of gift baskets,” says Harriss.
“And at Easter, we have hot cross buns.
We’ve had people who have travelled
all over the world tell us they are the
best hot cross buns they’ve ever had.”
Through the summer months, the
bakery is open seven days a week.
In addition to the new hours and
menu items, the Harrisses have also
opened two other Muskoka locations.
A second Henrietta’s opened in Port
Sydney last year and Northern
Delights in Dorset will increase its
offering of Henrietta’s baked goods this
year.
Henrietta’s is truly a family affair.
Geoff, who trained as a bread and pastry
chef in Belgium, Carine and son
Kyle create pastries in the wee hours of
the morning while son Nick does most
of the bread baking through the night.
“Almost everything we make is from
scratch,” says Geoff. “Providing good
quality fresh baking every day is
important to us.”
The family relocated to Muskoka
from South Africa via Toronto specifically
to run the bakery. They are joined
by a staff of about 15 people who
ensure every visitor to Henrietta’s
leaves with a smile.
“We are proud of the Henrietta’s
name,” says Geoff. “People talk about
us all over the place.”
piano singing guitar drumming
Music for Young Children TM
group keyboard classes
& Music Pups TM classes
RESTORING BEAUTY AND VALUE
TO HOMES SINCE 1988
INTERIOR/EXTERIOR WOOD RESTORATION
Log Homes, Wood Siding, Decks, Fences,
Cob/Soda & Crushed Glass Blasting,
Painting, Staining, Pressure Washing
INTERIOR TRANSFORMATION
Design & Custom Finishes, Painting,
Staining, Textured Paint
MUSKOKA
705-644-4619
www.CedarLaineRestoration.com
chris@cedarlainerestoration.com
16 July 2011 www.whatsupmuskoka.com

Portraits preserve Muskoka’s history
By Dianne Park Thach
Gravenhurst residents will soon have
the opportunity to look into the eyes
of those who helped shape the town in
its early days.
Local artist Helene Adamson will be
donating her collection of painted portraits
to the Town of Gravenhurst at a
presentation on Aug. 11. The eight
portraits feature some of the town’s
most prominent figures who have contributed
to Gravenhurst’s early development.
They were first shown last October
at the Auburn Gallery of Fine Art’s
Legacy exhibit. Gallery owner Teresa
McLaughlin wanted to do an art show
that represented the history of Gravenhurst.
She approached artist Michelle
Basic Hendry, known for capturing
landscapes and old properties around
Muskoka on canvas; the family of the
late photographer Henry Fry for the
images he captured; and Adamson,
inspired by her recent well-received
portrait of resident Tom Brooks.
Adamson got to work right away
with some heavy researching at the
library to choose who she should
paint.
“I thought that if I wanted to show
the history of Gravenhurst – what
makes it unique and special – I should
really go and look back,” she says.
Gravenhurst artist Helene Adamson painted portraits of some of Muskoka’s
most prominent historical figures.
Landmarks in town also provided
ideas: A.P. Cockburn was inspired
from the steamships, Dugald Brown
for Brown’s Beverages, and Dr. W.B.
Kendall for the Muskoka Centre, once
a hospital for tuberculosis patients.
The other five figures consist of Herbert
Ditchburn, Thomas Greavette,
Charles Mickle Sr., Mary McBride,
and James McCabe.
With the help from Cyril and Marion
Fry at the Gravenhurst archives,
Photograph: Don MacTavish
Adamson worked from black and
white photocopies of her subjects’ old
photographs.
“And their personalities just developed.
I thought about what it would
be like to go back and have them sit
there in front of you while you painted
them,” says Adamson. “These pictures
were just in black and white so I
wanted to bring them to life.”
She wanted the portraits to appear
as if they had been painted back in
their time.
Adamson, who moved to Gravenhurst
with her husband in 1999 from
Toronto, is happy with her subject
selections.
“In the end I think I chose well
because at the show people came with
their families and when they saw the
portraits it reminded them of memories
and stories,” she reflects. “I chose
who I thought orchestrated the early
direction of Gravenhurst.”
Donating the portraits to the town
had been on her mind from the beginning.
“People could come and enjoy the
portraits and see who these figures
were and I believe they belong in the
public’s trust,” says Adamson. “I’d like
them to be a reminder of the strength
of people here from back then, and
now, and hopefully the future.”
BROKERAGE
Come visit us at our New Bracebridge Location:
195 ECCLESTONE DRIVE
705-646-5592
Al Bullock
705-644-3894
Brent Giacomini
705-641-8969
Sally Boyes-Bullock
705-641-8699
Jim Fife
705-644-9025
Linda Conway
705-644-0961
www.EnjoyMuskoka.com
“Your success ... Our reputation depends on it.”
Brian Morrison
705-644-2997
www.whatsupmuskoka.com July 2011 17

Serving nationally for YWCA
By Nancy Beal
A young Muskoka woman has been
given the opportunity to make a difference
for women and children on a
national level.
Katie Ungard of Huntsville just
started a four-year term as a board
member on the national YWCA. She
initially became involved with the
Muskoka YWCA through the Eco-
Internship program funded through
the Government of Canada’s Economic
Action Plan.
Ungard grew up in Muskoka,
attended Huntsville High School and
recently graduated with a bachelor of
arts and sciences degree in English
and psychology from the University
of Guelph. The opportunity to participate
in the internship came up while
she was still at university and she
managed to continue her courses part
time while working at the YWCA.
“This particular internship focused
on women’s environmental health,”
says Ungard, “and consisted of conducting
a literature review on
women’s environmental health issues,
community engagement and research
that both brought the information to
the community while examining
which issues were particularly important
to women in Muskoka.”
Ungard combined the literature
review with her own community
research and included those results in
the final document, which can be
found on the YWCA Muskoka website.
It concludes that the most significant
environmental health concern
for women in Muskoka (where environment
is defined as social, natural
and built factors) is transportation.
“It’s a vicious cycle,” Ungard
explains, “living rurally is mostly
cheaper than urban, but in terms of
accessing jobs, getting kids to activities,
it’s a big struggle for women. It’s
tied into economics and social isolation.”
Her experience with the YWCA
and the work it does didn’t end for
Ungard when her internship did.
“Becoming involved with the
national YWCA was a way of continuing
my connection to the YWCA
movement, but at a different level,” ”
says Ungard. “The opportunity to
participate as a young woman at the
board level of a national organization
such as the YWCA is very exciting.”
Ungard is particularly interested in
the areas of advocacy, diversity and
the role of young women, which is
defined by the YWCA as women
under 30.
When asked what obstacles young
women face today, Ungard says, “The
obstacles are the product of inequality
around the world: violence,
inequality in the workforce, lack of
representation in political leadership.”
Ungard believes that the YWCA’s
services across Canada help
“YWCAs provide comprehensive
services across Canada that take into
account the need for intervention in
many situations, but also prevention.
For example, girls’ programming
works to reduce the influence of risk
factors in the lives of girls. Increases
in self-esteem, greater awareness of
mental health issues, and interpersonal
skills can help reduce the impact of
risk factors in the lives of girls.”
Including both long-term and
immediate needs are also important,
Ungard says, to ensure safe housing
and counselling services.
“It’s a big deal to me,” Ungard says
of being on the national board. “I’m
impressed and happy that they do
consider the voices of young women,
not inclusion for the sake of inclusion.
They want me to speak up.”
Katie Ungard of Huntsville started
her four-year term as a member
on the national YWCA board.
Photograph: Don McCormick
440 Ecclestone Drive, Bracebridge, ON P1L 1Z6
(705) 645-9827 www.ywcamuskoka.com
COMING EVENTS
NETWORKING LUNCHEONS
Networking luncheons will resume in the Fall. See you then!
Women in Business and Men in Business
Start thinking ahead to the fall! Women in Business and Men in Business offer an
opportunity to explore starting a business, going back to school, changing career
paths, developing new skills and expanding professional and personal networks.
Women in Business will be offered in Gravenhurst, Huntsville and Bracebridge
beginning mid-October.
Men in Business is coming to Huntsville in November.
Details and registration forms are available on-line at www.ywcamuskoka.com
Granite Steps & Entrances ◆ Pathways & Patios
Retaining Walls & Boulder Accents ◆ Shrubs & Trees
(705) 635-1148
www.lakesidelandscaping.ca
GIRLZ UNPLUGGED SUMMER Spaces still available!
Girls ages 9 to 12
July 11 - 15 at Monck Public School, Bracebridge
July 18 - 22 at Spruce Glen Public School, Huntsville
Aug 2 - 5 at Muskoka Beechgrove Public School
August 8 - 12 at Spruce Glen Public School, Huntsville
August 15 - 19 at Monck Public School, Bracebridge
NEW this year! GIRLSPACE LEADERSHIP RETREAT!
Girls ages 13 to 16 years! 3 days – $75
Wed July 27 – Fri July 29 at YWCA Muskoka, Bracebridge
AN EVENING WITH VICTORIA BANKS
A Benefit Concert to Support YWCA Muskoka
8:00 pm; September 3, 2011
Tickets available at Algonquin Theatre, Huntsville
NOMINATE A WOMAN OF DISTINCTION TODAY!
Final Nomination Deadline: Thursday, Sept. 22, 2011
Women of Distinction Gala: Thursday, October 27, Deerhurst Resort, Huntsville
18 July 2011 www.whatsupmuskoka.com

Huntsville receives
grant for the arts
Huntsville is one of five Ontario communities selected
to receive a matching grant and sponsorship training
program that operates at a local level to spark business
sponsorship of arts and culture and bolster municipal
cultural plans.
Business of the Arts, which operates the artsVest program,
will provide $25,000 in matching incentive grants
to Huntsville’s cultural organizations and offer free sponsorship
training to help cultural organizations build
mutually beneficial partnerships with the business community.
In May of 2011, municipalities in the process of
developing or implementing a cultural plan were invited
to apply for artsVest and a chance to bring $25,000 to
$75,000 in matching funds to their cultural sector.
Cultural organizations in Barrie, Guelph, Hamilton,
Huntsville and Markham are now set to receive training
on securing private sector support and will be encouraged
to apply for a matching incentive grant from $500
to $10,000, which they must then match with sponsorship
from the local business community.
“The artsVest program seems to be a perfect fit to
stimulate the implementation of the Town of
Huntsville’s Cultural Strategy,” says Kelly Haywood,
executive director of Huntsville/Lake of Bays Chamber
of Commerce.
artsVest Ontario is a program designed by Business
for the Arts, a non-profit organization of business leaders
who support the arts, and delivered with funding
from the Government of Ontario, The Ontario Trillium
Foundation and Canadian Heritage. Since 2005,
artsVest has been in 16 municipalities in Ontario.
ALL
ONTARIO
RECYCLING INC
METALS
211 MUSKOKA RD. 10, PORT SYDNEY, ONTARIO POB 1L0
Over the last 25 years, All Ontario Recycling has
earned the reputation as a company you can trust
and depend on.
All Ontario Recycling specializes in recycling your
metals for top $$ cash on the spot!
Cars
Buses
Aluminum
Copper
Brass
Trucks
Mixed Metals (shred)
Heavy Equipment
Farm Equipment
Roll Off Bin Service
For fast and reliable services with top $$$ pricing
call All Ontario Recycling today!
Trucking services available
Specializing in:
Zone hardy perennials
Ornamental grasses
1728 Muskoka Beach Road
District Road 17
(Between Bracebridge and Gravenhurst)
705-645-7956
Monday to Saturday 9 – 5 • Sunday 11 to 4
10% off purchases of $100 or more
on regularly priced items
$10,000
Grand Prize Draw!!!
*Chances of winning are subject to frequency of loads; every
10th load of scrap metal we receive from you between July 5th
and December 15th enters your name into the draw. Non
ferrous material is subject to minimum of 50lbs/load and
ferrous material is subject to a minimum weight of 500lbs/load.
Bonus: any 5000lb load automatically enters you into the draw.
Draw to be held on December 16th, 2011 at noon in our office
located at 211 Muskoka Road 10, Port Sydney, ON
Non ferrous material: copper, aluminum, brass, etc. • Ferrous material: steel, tin, heavy steel, etc.
For Details Please Call 705-385-0933
www.whatsupmuskoka.com July 2011 19

Honouring an airman killed in the Great Escape
By Allan Cook
In a small churchyard in the hamlet of
Hrabuvka in the Czech Republic stands a
memorial to two Allied airmen killed
there during the Second World War, one
of them the uncle of Port Sydney resident
Gord Kidder.
On June 12, Kidder took part in a
dedication ceremony at the memorial. It
was an emotional endpoint in a journey
that began for Kidder’s family before he
was born – one that has taken him
halfway around the world to trace his
uncle’s final days.
Kidder’s uncle, Flying Officer Gordon
Arthur Kidder, a Lieutenant in the Royal
Canadian Air Force, was shot down and
captured by the Nazis in October 1942.
A prisoner of war at Stalag Luft III
near Zagan, Poland, Lt. Kidder was one
of 76 men who made it through a narrow
102-metre hand-dug tunnel in the
mass breakout that became famously
known as The Great Escape. All but three
escapees were eventually recaptured by
the Germans. In reprisal, Hitler ordered
the execution of 50 of them before they
could be returned to camp. Gestapo
agents murdered Lt. Kidder and his
escape partner, RAF Squadron Leader
Thomas Kirby-Green, in Hrabuvka on
March 29, 1944.
Gord Kidder was born 10 months
later, named for his deceased uncle. Kidder’s
father never talked much about his
brother, though it was apparent to Kidder
that he had been deeply affected by
the loss.
When Kidder learned of a British
motorcycle club’s plans to retrace the
wartime route of many of Stalag Luft III’s
prisoners from a former RAF base in Biggin
Hill, England, through France, Belgium
and Germany to Zagan, he and his
son Andrew made arrangements to join
them.
The tour’s first Polish stop was at the
Old Garrison Cemetery in Poznan,
where the ashes of “The Fifty” have been
interred and memorialized by the Commonwealth
War Graves Commission.
Port Sydney resident Gord Kidder (sixth from left) attended a memorial service in Hrabuvka, in the Czech Republic,
for his uncle. The monument is tended to by local school children and a service is held each year.
“I still have very vivid recollections of
it,” Kidder says. “For me to see where he
is buried, in this beautiful setting, knowing
that he was there and all the things
that lead up to that . . . it was a very emotional
experience.”
The group visited the site of Stalag
Luft III, where visitors can enter a replica
of a portion of the escape tunnel and see
the route of the original outlined in stone
on the ground.
Also travelling with the group was Sqn.
Ldr. Thomas Kirby-Green’s son, Colin,
and a side trip was arranged for Kidder
and Kirby-Green to visit the memorial in
Hrabuvka for a family dedication. For
Kidder it was a chance to pay tribute to
his uncle and, with his son at his side,
recognize the role future generations will
play in preserving their memory.
“All those emotions and all those
thoughts came forward when I was actually
there,” Kidder says.
A special needs school is adjacent to
the church where the memorial marker
lies, and the assistant principal oversees
the memorial’s maintenance, teaching
the kids about the men it honours and
holding a ceremony every year on the
date of their execution. After the family
dedication on June 12, Kidder was presented
with an album of the memorial’s
history by the schoolchildren.
“It was really a very moving experience,”
Kidder says. “To see how much
care had been taken – where they were
buried and the memories preserved – you
couldn’t not be overwhelmed by it.”
Kidder was moved by the care that had
been taken to preserve his uncle’s memory
in this tiny Czech town, and believes
that it is essential to keep such stories
alive.
“There has to be a constant reminder
of how much these people sacrificed –
their lives – for us,” Kidder says. “I had to
do a speech at the memorial, and I ended
it by saying I could hardly imagine what
would happen without the memories of
our loved ones, if we didn’t honour them
all the time. It’s just so important.”
Photograph: courtesy of Gord Kidder
Gord Kidder visits his uncle’s grave, accompanied by his son Andrew Kidder.
Flying Officer Gordon Arthur was executed by the Nazis.
Photograph: courtesy of Gord Kidder
The Old Garrison Cemetery in Poland is the final resting place of 48 of the
50 escapees of Stalag Luft III who were executed by the Nazis.
Photograph: courtesy of Gord Kidder
20 July 2011 www.whatsupmuskoka.com

Add water for more summer fun
For many of us, summer means
water sports, the refreshing coolness of
water, and the relaxed atmosphere of a
beach. Whether taken next to a pool,
lake, river, or sea, vacations are so
much more fun when water is
involved.
Wild rivers, crystal clear lakes, spas,
and swimming pools are great places to
plunge into summer activity. For families
with young children, going to the
beach is the easiest way to enjoy summer
heat and sunshine.
Bring along some sand toys in a
mesh bag and let the kids build sandcastles
with moats and rivers around
them. Don’t forget the sunscreen and
bottles of fresh water.
For a more active holiday, try kayaking,
canoeing, or water-skiing.
Kayaking blends the visual pleasures
of boating with exercise as you navigate
low on the water, along the shoreline.
It is a sport widely appreciated for its
simplicity, its peacefulness, and the fact
that it is non-polluting.
Expecting visitors? Prepare a list of
interesting activities.
The summer holidays are here, and
perhaps you have family or friends
coming to stay for a few days. The
first thing you’ll do, of course, is welcome
them and catch up on their
news.
The day after their arrival, though,
you may want to get out and about. If
you’d like to be a dynamic host, why
not plan some group outings?
You won’t have to drive for hours to
have fun: just look around and
you’ll find plenty to do. Make the
most of this opportunity to visit
places in your region you’ve never discovered.
Show your visitors the star attractions
in your vicinity: special festivals,
cultural and artistic events, zoos,
parks, or visit a local farm or a unique
geographical feature of the local
Water-skiing is a great way to take advantage of a beautiful summer day.
Similarly, canoeing is a peaceful way
to get close to nature, with the added
advantage of having room for parents
and kids together in the same vessel.
Water-skiing, if you have access to a
motor boat, is a more animated water
landscape.
Historical sites can also be very
interesting for a group visit. Just about
every region has museums, as well as
historical homes to visit.
Towns and cities throughout
Canada have heritage routes which are
fascinating ways to discover a region.
Your visitors might love to
stretch their legs on the local golf
course or discover a lake or marina
near you.
They might enjoy walking the
nature trails in a park or wilderness
area, or if they are more adventurous
you might take them on a more
challenging Muskoka adventure.
Naturally, you can also introduce
them to the crowd-pleasing restaurants
in your district, where you can
all enjoy delicious dishes created by
talented chefs.
To finish off a perfect day, end your
Advertising Feature
sport. You can ski on one or two skis,
on a board, or even on your knees or
bare feet.
Whatever kind of water-oriented
activity tickles your fancy, make sure
that there is a life-jacket for everyone.
Guests will find plenty to do in Muskoka
gourmet adventure with a ice-cream
cone from your local dairy bar or a
refreshing drink at your favourite pub.
Photograph: Sandy Lockhart
MUSKOKA SHRINE CLUB
COMING EVENTS
July 16 Surf & Turf
Sportsplex, Bracebridge
Contact Ron for tickets
705-645-8202 $40. pp
July 29, 30, 31, August 1
Hillbillies Unit Fundraiser
Robinson's Y.I.G., Huntsville
Hotdogs, pop, hamburgers
10 a.m. to approx. 4 p.m.
August 14 Corn Roast
Kerr Park, Bracebridge
August 27 Fall Fair
Emsdale
September 3 Fall Fair
Magnetawan
Join the Shrine - Have fun - Help
support Shrine Hospitals for Children
muskoka-parrysoundmasons.ca/shrine1.htm
muskokashrineclub@cogeco.ca
1-800-537-4746
www.shrinershq.org
Join us for the 2nd Muskoka Opera Festival
if you like the music of Broadway, opera and operettas
Monday, August 22 to Friday, August 26, 2011
28th
Annual
2011
THE AGRICULTURAL BUILDING
Fraserburg Road Fairgrounds, Bracebridge ON
Fri., August 26th 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Sat., August 27th 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Sun., August 28th 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
ADMISSION: $5.00 Good for the weekend!
SELECTED DEALERS: Canadiana • Furniture • Lamps • Jewellery • Coins • Silver • China • Paper Items
and Advertising • Dolls • Pressed Glass • Prints • Books • Toys • Quilts • Linens • Hats • Musical Instruments
FEATURING CANING DEMONSTRATION
August 22 • Mary Lou Fallis, Canada’s foremost musical comedienne
and her pianistic partner in crime, Peter Tiefenbach
August 23 • “Songs for a Summer Evening” starring soprano Bridget Best
August 24 • A donor screening of Donizetti’s “Daughter of the Regiment”
August 25 • Stars of Tomorrow” concert featuring young artists:
Jennifer Fletcher, Jason Bacon, Jessica Bacon, Mollie
Moloney, Daniel Nicks, David Pepper and Tori Wines
August 26 • “Mostly Mozart” concert starring soprano Lucia Cesaroni
At the new state-of-the-art Rene M. Caisse Memorial Theatre
100 Clearbrook Trail, Bracebridge, ON
1.705.645.8400 • www.atthecaisse.com • www.muskokaopera.com
www.whatsupmuskoka.com July 2011 21

DISCOVER
HUNTSVILLE
Welcome to Downtown Huntsville
Visit Huntsville once and come to life. Visit again
and you’re here for life. This is where adventures
in the art of living begin every day.
www.downtownhuntsvilleadventures.ca
La Dolce Vita Trattoria
Due to the chef's ongoing back pain, La
Dolce Vita Trattoria will focus on dinners
only at 5 pm daily (closed Tuesdays)
rather than doing lunch as originally
planned. Thanks for your understanding.
Enjoy Authentic Italian Cuisine in a charming
century home at
21 West St. S. | 705-787-0662
>
Artisans of Muskoka
ARTISANS offers an eclectic mix
of Canadian made for the home and garden
since 1993. Our gallery hosts work
from Muskoka and a large selection from
Tom Thomson and the Group of 7
2-14 Main St. E. | 705 789-2748
www.artisansofmuskoka.com
>
>
Intimate Reflections
Fine Lingerie. Specializing in hard to fit,
small and large. We carry Olga, Spanx,
Blush, Calvin Klein and Chantelle
77 Main St E. | 705-788-3644
Muskoski Urban Living
Urban Rustic Living a unique mix where
urban elegance meets rustic retreat. Offering
total Home Décor and Design services.
Fabric and Leather Seating -Ambient
Lighting –Bedding and Linens-Eclectic
Wood Pieces-Eco-Friendly Solutions-
Unique Accessories - Gift Registry
15 Main Street W and 4 Lorne St.
705-788-2612
www.urbanrustic-living.com
>
Pie Iron Sandwicherie
A specialty sandwich shop, featuring
slow roasted meats, and gourmet
cheeses prepared on artisan breads.
Fresh salads, delicious soups, baked
beans, traditional fondue, and Pie Iron’s
classic desserts. Enjoy a beverage on
the licensed patio overlooking the river.
79 Main Street E. | 705-789-0000
>
>
Muskoka Jewellery Design
An amazing collection of one-of-a-kind
pieces designed by our in-house metalsmiths.
Many other handmade designs
by other artisans from coast to coast.
Jewellery repairs,restorations and custom
work performed on the premises.
Muskoka Jewellery Design, Since 1990
68 Main St. E. | 705-788-0795
www.muskokajewellerydesign.com
Seven Main Café
We’re ready for you...serving
breakfast and lunch – coffee, tea
and home-baked treats!
7 Main St. W.
(Across from the Capitol Theatre)
705-789-3107
www.sevenmaincafe.ca
>

This Summer Discover Downtown Huntsville and let the adventure begin...
• Music at Noon
Free Concerts Downtown
July 11-15, 18-22
• Huntsville Firefly Festival
Friday July 15th, 6pm-Midnight
• Summer Sidewalk Adventure
Saturday August 20th, 9am-5pm
• Shades of Autumn Antique,
Classic Car Show
Saturday September 17th
• Girlfriends’ Getaway Weekend
November 11-13
• Downtown Divas Fashion Show, w/Host Dini Petty
November 11-13
Pharmasave
All your Pharmacy needs and so much
more. Specializing in Diabetes
Care. Huge selection of Magazines in
Muskoka. Variety of Toys & Puzzles
including Webkinz, Playmobil. Unique
gifts for everyone including Muskoka
Made product and Environmentally safe
product. Fashion accessories and all
your summer needs.
29 Main St. E. | 705-789-7300
>
Tall Trees Restaurant
This Chef owned & operated restaurant
overlooking Hunters Bay in Huntsville’s
historic westend is operating in one of the
town’s oldest buildings dating back to
1875. We offer fresh /in house prepared
meals & pastries and to top it all off
Muskoka’s only triple award winning wine
list. 87 Main St W. | 705-789-9769
www.spencerstalltrees.com
>
Applause! Toy Store
When you walk into this family owned toy
store, you’ll discover what childhood
memories are made of. Classic toys such
as Thomas the Train, Playmobil, Corolle
Dolls, Meccano and oodles of craft kits,
puzzles, and games. Inside there is a baby
boutique with all the latest baby gear,
organic baby food, Padraig slippers and
natural sunscreens for kids.
15-17 Main Street E. | 705-787-0709
www.applausetoystore.com
>
Gifts 4 Friends
A unique little shop with something for
everyone. Collectibles,vintage items,
second hand items, candles, crafts and
so much more! Find the right gift for
yourself or that someone special.
16 Main St W. | 705 789 6977
>
Ahimsa
Decadent sessions with skilled practitioners
in: Hot stone Massage, Yoga Massage
and Ayurveda. Daily Yoga classes
for all levels of skill and ability including
Tweens, Laughter Yoga, Restorative and
from gentle to vigorous. Ask about our
life changing Yoga Teacher Training program….
Find yourself here.
705-789-0367 | info@ahimsa.ca
www.ahimsa.ca
>
YOU-unique Boutique
Visit our new location and check out
the hot new trends in apparel from
classic to evening wear.
We also carry a great selection of the
latest styles in footwear.
59 Main St. E. | 705-224-4000
>
Algonquin Outfitters
Algonquin Outfitters has been sharing
your adventure for 50 years. To
celebrate, you can enter to win over
$10,000 in adventure gear by visiting our
website & entering our "Live Your
Adventure" contest with this free code:
WUM50LYA. Ten stores in Muskoka,
Algonquin Park & Haliburton.
Store: 705-787-0262
Reservations: 1-800-469-4948
www.algonquinoutfitters.com
>
Algonquin Theatre >
Year-Round Live Entertainment in an
intimate 408 seat theatre. Enjoy a wide
variety of entertainment – Musicians,
Comedians, Plays, Orchestras and much
more! Something for everyone’s interest!
37 Main Street East
Box Office – 705-789-4975 or
1-888-696-4255 ext 2352 Online Ticket
Sales 24/7
www.algonquintheatre.ca

WHAT’S UP MUSKOKA
SPORTS
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Muskoka dancers take on the world
By Norah Fountain
With a little help from their Muskoka
friends, a dozen dancers from
Muskoka will be on their way to
Europe to represent Canada at a series
of World Dance Championship events
this fall.
The 12 dancers represent a quarter
of the entire Canadian National Dance
Team of 48 junior and senior competitors
who will compete against other
elite dancers from about 30 countries.
The only barrier for the dancers is
money, and they will be pounding the
pavement this summer as they look for
support.
Team Canada Dance director Bonnie
Dyer explains dance is not recognized
in Canada as a sporting event,
and so each competitor has to find his
or her own sponsors to help them get
to the world events in Austria, Germany
and Poland.
“They need a total of $3,400 by the
end of September,” says Dyer. She
notes it’s a “competition all on its own”
to secure rooms near the event venues.
For example, the jazz, modern and ballet
competitions in Mikolajki, Poland
are located in Polish cottage country,
almost four hours north of Warsaw, so
accommodations can be tough to
come by.
But logistics are far from the minds
of the dancers who are confident
they’ll get the money they need to represent
their country and hometowns.
“I promise to make Muskoka proud
when I get to Poland,” says 13-yearold
Shannon Conner, who has been
competing since she was eight.
A member of the Just 4 Kicks Dance
Academy in Gravenhurst, the Bala girl
is coached by Wendy Laidlaw and has
attended sessions with famous choreographers
such as Blake McGrath,
By Don McCormick
On Saturday, Aug. 13, 2011, the
Muskoka Trails Council will host the
third annual Muskoka’s Amazing
Race, an event modeled on the popular
TV series, The Amazing Race.
The race starts in Honey Harbour
and will pass through Port Severn
and MacTier, eventually finishing
back in Honey Harbour. The event
is a fundraiser for the Muskoka
Trails Council.
Selected to represent Canada are Holly Maher, Veronica Burkholder, Tilly MacDonald, Shannon Caplan, Kaylin
Matchett, Emma Burkholder, Kenzie Morris, Shannon Conner and Kalene Corcoran.
Luther Brown, and Stacey Tookey,
who also judge and choreograph the
television competition So You Think
You Can Dance.
Conner’s experience is an example of
how stellar the talent is among Muskoka
dancers. She will be competing on
the junior jazz, modern and ballet
team, along with Kenzie Morris,
Veronica Burkholder and Tilly Mac-
Donald. MacDonald also made the
junior showdance team.
On the senior teams are Emma
The Muskoka Trails Council is a
not-for-profit organization that
advocates for trails in Muskoka and
promotes active and healthy living.
There will be up to 50 two-person
teams competing. The object of the
race is to navigate from the start line
to the finish line through a series of
checkpoints and be first over the finish
line.
At the start line, and at each of
the checkpoints, the team will
Burkholder, Kalene Corcoran, Shannon
Caplan, Alicia Smith, Holly
Maher and Monica Norman.
Junior and senior jazz, modern and
ballet events are being held in Mikolajki,
Poland in December, while the hip
hop world showdown happens in
Graz, Austria this October.
Kaylin Matchett will represent
Muskoka on the Children’s Canadian
National Tap Team in Reisa, Germany
in November, where the senior tap and
showdance events are also being held.
receive a clue card that will either
name their next checkpoint or give a
riddle from which the team will have
to figure out the next checkpoint. It
may also specify how they must travel
(bus, taxi, on foot, etc.) to that
checkpoint. There may also be specific
tasks to be performed at each of
the checkpoints.
The teams must pass through the
checkpoints within a specified time
period or they are eliminated from
Making the Canadian National
team is no small feat, comments
Wendy Laidlaw, who says 20 of her
Just 4 Kicks dancers auditioned. From
Ontario alone, about 200 dancers
competed for the 48 national team
spots.
Adds Dyer, who is one of the international
judges, “Nothing is more
thrilling than to stand on the podium
representing Canada and hearing your
national anthem being played as our
flag is raised.”
Race takes competitors on amazing adventure
the competition.
There will be two divisions – competitive
and recreational.
There is a $100 registration fee
per team and, in addition, each team
must raise $100 in pledges for the
Muskoka Trails Council. The money
raised is used to support the programs
of the Muskoka Trails Council,
including trails advocacy, trail
signage, maintaining a website, education
and so on.
Photograph: Sandy Lockhart
24 July 2011 www.whatsupmuskoka.com

Peake Fields set to host provincial tournaments
By Chris Occhiuzzi
Home runs, diving catches and
double plays are on tap for Bracebridge
this summer.
The recently opened Peake Fields
Park is set to host two Ontario Amateur
Softball Association tournaments,
with both fastball and slopitch
being showcased.
From July 15-17, 2011 the Provincial
OASA Masters Tournament takes
place, with men aged 40-plus flashing
the leather on the diamonds. There
will even be athletes who once represented
Canada in international competitions
playing in the tournament.
“One of these players will be Bracebridge’s
own Todd Martin who is
bringing a team from Aurora,” says
Ted Conway, who is organizing the
tournaments. “It will be great to see
Todd back to his home town where he
grew up playing in the Bracebridge
Minor Ball system.”
The masters tournament is locked
in for both this year and next as part
of OASA standards. There is also an
option for a third year and Conway is
hoping the first two years will be successful
enough to be able to add
another.
Conway, who owns Black Dog
Farm & Feed, has been helping revive
competitive fastball in Bracebridge
over the past couple of years. He takes
The Farm fastball team and travels to
provincial tournaments all across
Ontario.
“Back in the late ‘80s, early ‘90s we
had a competitive intermediate team
out of Bracebridge. And we did a lot
of travelling with it,” says Conway.
“We’ve been going to different places
and tournaments and sort of rebooting
a new bunch of guys.”
The August tournament, scheduled
from Aug. 26-28, is set up with four
divisions and Conway is hoping to fill
them up with 32 teams. Already
teams from Toronto, Saugeen Shores,
Wyevale, Newmarket and New
Liskard are entered.
To help with administrative costs,
such as advertising and training staff,
Conway applied for a tourism grant
last fall from the Town of Bracebridge.
“I found out about being approved
in the spring,” says Conway, who
received $3,000 in funding from the
Town of Bracebridge to help bring
the tournaments to the town. A
cheque presentation was held on June
30 at Peake Fields.
In addition to the two tournaments,
on Aug. 27, a team of NHL
Alumni will take the to the field for a
charity slo-pitch game benefiting
Camp Maple Leaf, a camp in the
Kawarthas for underprivileged kids.
Photograph: Tim Lum
Rick Maloney and Ted Conway hold a cheque for a $3,000 grant that
helped secure two provincial ball tournaments to be held in Bracebridge.
Runners lace up for half-marathon to help end cancer
By Dawn Huddlestone
On the Labour Day long weekend,
running enthusiasts in Muskoka can
participate in the region’s only halfmarathon
and support a worthy cause
at the same time.
The second annual Run For a Way
takes place on Sunday, Sept. 4 and is
sponsored by Muskoka Fitness in
Bracebridge. A fundraiser for ovarian
and pancreatic cancer research, it
offers three race routes so that the
whole family can participate.
“There were no stand alone halfmarathons
in Bracebridge,” says
Katherine McPhee, race director and
assistant general Manager at Muskoka
Fitness. “We wanted to offer that
option for local runners and also
include their family members so we
added a one-kilometre race for kids.
Then we added a five-kilometre
option so that people participating in
our learn to run clinic or those who
don’t want to run 21 kilometres would
have the opportunity to participate in
something shorter.”
The Santa’s Elf one-kilometre route
for children runs through Santa’s Village.
“The park is closed for the race,”
says McPhee. “It’s fun for anyone who
hasn’t been to Santa’s Village before.”
The longer routes start and end at
Santa’s Village.
“The 21K route is nice and flat,”
says McPhee. “It’s good both for first
timers and those who want to get a
personal best because it is so flat.”
Funds raised will go to Ovarian
Cancer Canada and Pancreatic Cancer
Canada.
“Several people on our committee
have been affected by ovarian cancer
and one was diagnosed with pancreatic
cancer shortly after last year’s
event,” says McPhee. “Neither of
these cancers have high-profile
fundraising and we wanted to provide
some support.”
Registration is only available online
at www.muskokafitness.com. Participants
will receive a technical runner’s
t-shirt, a finisher’s gift, a day pass for
Santa’s Village and post-event food,
drinks and festivities.
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
www.whatsupmuskoka.com July 2011 25

WHAT’S UP MUSKOKA
JULY ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
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Art exhibit explores life of Tom Thomson’s lover
By Karen Wehrstein
A musician and an artist from
Huntsville have teamed up to create an
exhibition exploring the life and identity
of Winnifred Trainor, the lover of Group
of Seven artist Tom Thomson.
Imagining Winnie by Beverley Hawksley
and Sarah Spring will be on display
at the Art Space Gallery in Huntsville
from Aug. 5-28. The exhibit will include
about 10 paintings by Hawksley, along
with 3-D “atmospheric installations”
and some text she plans to write, Hawksley
says. They will be accompanied by
recorded music composed especially for
the show by classical pianist Sarah Spring
and played by Spring on piano and
Amanda Penner on violin.
Hawksley was inspired last fall after
reading Roy McGregor’s book Northern
Light, which delves into the mysteries
surrounding Thomson, including an
exploration of his relationship with
Trainor. She remained single and became
a recluse, living in Huntsville into her
80s, apparently never able to get over his
early death.
“I was just completely inspired by his
writing,” says Hawksley. “I started to
visualize who she might have been. I
really wondered what kind of a person
would be interested in a focused and
obsessed artist . . . What sort of a young
woman would be drawn to a man like
that? Clearly she wasn’t a shrinking violet;
she had to have had some gumption,
or he wouldn’t have been attracted to
her. She was her own person long before
any connection with him, and yet her
story seems lost.”
Sarah Spring and Beverley Hawksley have joined forces to explore the life and identity of Winnie Trainor, the lover
of Group of Seven artist Tom Thomson. Imagining Winnie will be on display at the Art Space from Aug. 5-28.
Hawksley’s paintings are mostly portraits,
depicting Trainor metaphorically
through a contemporary model.
“I thought, ‘What would you say to
me, Winnie, if you were a contemporary
woman with this story?’ That is how I
have depicted her; these are contemporary
images, with an emotional feel of
what it might have been like to be her.
It’s more my imagining of a woman who
was a little girl with hopes and dreams in
the early 1900s. Any young girl in that
era would have found it difficult to find
her voice.”
Spring has a connection with Canoe
Lake, where Thomson died, through
multi-generational camping experiences
there. Her family rented a late-19th century
cottage there throughout her childhood.
“There is definitely a feeling of magic
and sacredness on the lake,” she says.
“When Beverley asked me if I’d do
the music,” Spring says, “I wanted to see
the paintings. I was so inspired I just
came home and those paintings and my
experience of Canoe Lake and what I
think of the Tom Thomson myth all
came together, and it all came out that
night.”
She composed the piece entitled
Imagining Winnie, and is still working
on subsequent pop-cum-classical pieces
for the five-track production. When
Spring first played the music for her,
Hawksley was moved to tears.
The show will kick off with a reception
on the evening of Aug. 5, at which
Spring will perform live.
Photograph:Kelly Holinshead
Muskoka author releases new novel
By Dawn Huddlestone
Perseverance has paid off for local
author Liam Dwyer. On the heels of his
successful Murdoch in Muskoka series
of six books, the first novel the 88-yearold
writer ever completed, Of the Faithful
Departed, was published in April.
“When I retired at 62, I was cajoled
into doing something other than annoying
my wife,” laughs Dwyer. “She
prompted me to write and so I wrote
this 650-page book. The idea for it was
rattling around in my brain over the
years. My uncle was a parish priest in
Madawaska and I modeled the principal
character after him.”
Of the Faithful Departed tells the
story of Father William O’Brien, a rural
Ontario priest who is murdered in a
dangerous Vatican plot. He leaves
behind a box entrusted to his friend Dr.
James Maloney, which contains a
revolver and a journal with startling revelations.
“I thought it was a magnificent piece
of work. My daughters-in-law were the
only ones who agreed to read it,” he
says. “They were very polite and said it
was good. I sent a one-page synopsis to
65 publication houses and got 65 rejections.
That kills your enthusiasm.”
The manuscript was shelved but
Dwyer later hired a professional editor
to critique it. She advised him to remove
250 pages and better develop the characters.
“I didn’t know anything about fiction
writing,” says Dwyer. “I had
written policies and procedures for
manufacturing, but that’s all.”
He rewrote the manuscript five
times and Largo Literary Productions,
a small publishing company in
Bracebridge, decided to publish it
this past spring. It is available at
Scott’s of Muskoka in Bracebridge
and is also being sold in two Toronto
bookstores.
Now that his novel is in print and
the Murdoch in Muskoka books marketed
to networks as a possible television
series, Dwyer has no current
plans to resurrect the characters. He
does, however, have another book in
mind.
“I have one in my head and have
started writing the prologue. I have an
idea what I want to do but we’ll see if
anyone wants to publish it,” he says.
“I’m now 88 years old. I’m on borrowed
time. If there’s any accomplishments
you want to complete you’d
better do it or else. And the or else is
pretty definite.”
26 July 2011 www.whatsupmuskoka.com

Stage show celebrates 30 years
By Chris Occhiuzzi
Deerhurst Resort is celebrating its
30th year of providing stage entertainment,
an anniversary that coincides
with the official opening of its newest
creation, Decades 2011.
This season’s performances promise
to bring good music, laughter and plenty
of dancing to the audience.
“I think people will be surprised at
how much energy and how much fun
that we have on stage and that the audience
has as well,” says Kasey Stephan,
one of the performers of the Decades
show.
The cast of Decades has been responsible
for conceiving, directing, choreographing,
arranging, and managing the
show.
“We’re not just the directors, we’re
also the people who are learning it. We
have to change our hats frequently,
whether we’re setting the numbers,
learning the numbers, or sewing the
costumes, or whatever needs to be
done,” she says. “It’s good because we’re
doing everything in-house now, and if
there is something we don’t like, we can
make changes. When it’s your baby, you
tend to take care of it a little bit more.”
The cast is made up of talented performers
who all call Huntsville home.
They include Glenn Bladon, John
Nobile, Leaynne Connolly, Jennifer
Johns, Will Main, Natasha Lowe,
Stephane Aubin, Serge Charlebois, and
Kasey Stephan.
Decades 2011 is set to take the audience
on a trip through time, using popular
music as the medium. There are
even some funny moments planned.
“Because we go through the decades,
we always try to pick a couple of really
good artists,” says Stephan. “And some
of the classic artists, like Tina Turner,
we’ve taken a comedic spin on them.”
For 30 years Deerhurst has been presenting stage shows. Decades 2011
promises to be better than ever.
Photograph:courtesy of Deerhurst Resort
Looking for the perfect match
Rob Reid plays Mat and Phillis Johnson plays Val in Looking, a comedy
about middle-aged singles looking for love.
Photograph: courtesy of Jim Dwyer
Opening Tuesday, July 19, at the
Gravenhurst Opera House, is Norm
Foster’s hilarious comedy Looking.
Meet Andy, Mat, Nina and Val.
They’re middle-aged, single and looking.
Andy, a lonely divorcee, puts a personals
ad in the newspaper seeking
female companionship. Val, an O.R.
nurse, replies. On their first date Val
brings along her friend Nina, an O.P.P.
officer while Andy drags along Mat to
keep Nina occupied. Much to Andy’s
dismay, Mat and Nina hit it off immediately
and a hot and heavy romance
develops. Andy’s pathetic attempts to
impress Val get him nowhere.
“Be yourself,” Mat advises Andy.
“Be myself?” muses Andy. “Yeah, that
might work . . . if I was someone else.”
A series of hilarious double dates follow
and what happens next is funny,
touching and very true to life.
Looking was originally performed at
the Orillia Opera House last March
with outstanding success. Brad Rundle,
Gravenhurst Opera House manager,
asked if the cast would re-stage the play
and present it during his summer season.
Producer, Jim Dwyer (Tuesdays with
Morrie, The Dinner Party and Steel Magnolias)
was delighted.
“Working on the magnificent main
stage of the Opera House will allow us
an extra dimension. The focal point of
our all-new set will be a 20-foot rendering
of the CN Tower … with flashing
lights and the works.”
Looking features Rob Reid as Mat,
Phyllis Johnson as Val, Patti Scott as
Nina and Jim Dwyer as Andy. It plays
the Gravenhurst Opera House July 19,
20, 21 and 26-28.
www.whatsupmuskoka.com July 2011 27

WHAT’S UP MUSKOKA
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JUNE CONTEST WINNERS
1st Prize – Karen Snell, Huntsville
2nd Prize – Keith Montgomery, Bracebridge
3rd Prize – Jill Inwood, Bracebridge
4th Prize – Bruce Dart, Gravenhurst
1st Prize:
2nd Prize: Dinner for two at Tall Trees Restaurant, Huntsville. $75. value + 1 Year Subscription to Muskoka Magazine
3rd Prize: 1 Year Subscription to Muskoka Magazine
4th Prize: 1 Year Subscription to Muskoka Magazine
Dinner for two at Tall Trees Restaurant, Huntsville. $125. value + 1 Year Subscription to Muskoka Magazine
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28 July 2011 www.whatsupmuskoka.com

Oh Canada!
A girl gets her face painted at the Royal Canadian
Legion in Huntsville, which hosted family activities.
Photograph: Don McCormick
Photograph: Don McCormick
MPP Norm Miller and Huntsville
Mayor Claude Doughy cut a cake
at Huntsville’s River Mill Park.
Photograph: Kristy Glover
Photograph: Tim Lum
The sky lights up over Bracebridge Bay during the Big
Bangup Fireworks Spectacular, presented by the
Rotary Club of Bracebridge (above). Before the show,
rubber ducks were dumped over the falls for the
annual Duck Derby Rotary Club fundraiser (left).
Photograph: Don McCormick
A woman shows her Canada Day
spirit at the festivities in Huntsville.
Pipes and drums of the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 232 in Huntsville kick off Canada Day
(above). A woman makes a sand sculpture during a contest at Port Sydney’s festivities (right).
Photograph: Don McCormick
www.whatsupmuskoka.com July 2011 29
Photograph: Melanie Vanderveer

WHAT’S UP MUSKOKA
SOCIAL SCENE
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
1. Manager Renjith Vengalil (left) and staff from the Residence Inn by Marriott at the Gravenhurst
Muskoka Wharf hosted a charity barbecue and car wash to raise funds for the Toronto Sick Kids
Foundation on June 16. They raised $1,200.
2. Jenny Gibson, Carrie Acton, Tanya Rietveld, Tracey Young, Miranda Thomas and personal
trainer Katie Wilmshurst after a five-kilometre race hosted by Ignite Personal Training.
3. Children help build a Lego version of the Muskoka wharf, which included a replica of the RMS
Segwun, during a special Canada Day event at the Muskoka Boat and Heritage Centre over the
Canada Day weekend.
4. Chef Jeff Suddaby chats with Gavin Brice as he enjoys the food at Flavours of Muskoka held at
The Rosseau, A JW Marriott Resort & Spa on June 29.
5. David Purdon of Muskoka Meats, Kristin MacDonald of Muskoka Brewery visitors Kyle McClure
and Patrick Spedding, Mitch Kacsmar and Claire Dawson of Lake of Bays Brewery celebrate
Email photo submissions to editor@northcountrymedia.com
Ontario Craft Brewery week with a fundraising barbecue and activities to raise money for the
Muskoka Heritage Trust. Muskoka Meats donated meat and time to the June 24 event.
6. Jessica and Bart Carswell and Jim Ansley found lots to laugh about at the Cottage Country
Comedy Festival at The Rosseau, A JW Marriott & Spa in Minett on June 24.
7. Jeni Robinson, Allison Hulme, Bianca Agemian enjoyed the Windermere strawberry social on
June 25. (Photograph by Tim Du Vernet)
8. Royal LePage agent Rita Malchuk and husband Ken Malchuk prepare breakfast for Karen
Ramer and other volunteers on July 1. Ramer co-ordinated the many volunteers who decorated
the Town of Gravenhurst with flags donated by Royal LePage Lakes of Muskoka in Gravenhurst.
9. Krysia Waszkiewicz of the Bracebridge OSPCA accepts a donation valued at over $500 from
Savanah Sutcliffe, Emma Sutcliffe, Taryn Lamouroux and Adison Lamouroux. Savanah and Taryn
held a joint 13th birthday party requesting gifts be donations to the OSPCA.
30 July 2011 www.whatsupmuskoka.com

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Open 9 – 5:30 Monday – Saturday, 10 – 5 Sunday
www.muskokafurniture.net
195 WELLINGTON STREET, BRACEBRIDGE
(705) 645-8183
www.whatsupmuskoka.com July 2011 31