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WHAT’S UP<br />
October 2010<br />
MUSKOKA’S NEWS SOURCE<br />
BRACEBRIDGE<br />
GRAVENHURST<br />
www.whatsupmuskoka.<strong>com</strong><br />
Road hockey challenge<br />
Muskokan named<br />
best vocalist Page 13<br />
Tournament raises money for Muskoka kids<br />
See page 19<br />
Teddy bear project<br />
recognized Page 7<br />
Rethinking local<br />
politics Page 5
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Taking a new look at an old system<br />
By Sandy Lockhart<br />
Saving money and keeping taxes from skyrocketing is<br />
a <strong>com</strong>mon theme among those running for council in<br />
the up<strong>com</strong>ing municipal election, but District restructuring<br />
has not been a topic of discussion.<br />
Every few years, the topic of District amalgamation, as<br />
a way of cutting costs and increasing efficiencies, <strong>com</strong>es<br />
to the table. Most Muskoka politicians are more interested<br />
in doing away with District government than<br />
adopting the District of Muskoka as the single tier representing<br />
Muskoka.<br />
Huntsville Mayor Claude Doughty admits to not<br />
spending any time thinking about amalgamation during<br />
his term as mayor of Huntsville.<br />
“The past 10 minutes is the most thought I’ve given<br />
it,” he says when asked about it.<br />
He hasn’t been involved in District amalgamation<br />
discussions in the past but says there are definitely<br />
some areas in Muskoka that need to be examined.<br />
Planning and public works are two areas he feels could<br />
find cost savings in economies of scale if other models<br />
were chosen.<br />
“I still see some benefits for the two-tier system.<br />
Community services is handled well at the District<br />
level as is sewer and water,” he says. “That infrastructure<br />
is handled well as opposed to each town having its<br />
own department.”<br />
He thinks it would be more of a challenge for each<br />
<strong>com</strong>munity to keep its unique flavour if Muskoka had<br />
only one tier of government. “Some of the independence<br />
would be lost,” he says.<br />
Doughty believes the present system is a good governance<br />
model for Huntsville because it would be<br />
challenging for the town to finance water and sewer<br />
on its own. He adds that the District is now carrying<br />
a large debt.<br />
Huntsville mayoralty candidate Hugh Mackenzie<br />
believes there is a need for reform at the District<br />
level, but doesn’t advocate a transition to single-tier<br />
government.<br />
“First of all, I would be totally opposed to a singletiered<br />
government for Muskoka,” he says. “I believe that<br />
the area municipalities are the grassroots of the <strong>com</strong>munity<br />
and I believe, in fact, that there probably should be<br />
single-tier but it could be more efficient at the local level<br />
than it is at the District level. Having said that, I think<br />
the reality is that will never happen.”<br />
He believes local municipalities need to have more<br />
control over decisions made at District.<br />
“I think the public perception is because some councillors<br />
from each municipality are elected directly to<br />
District and sit on local councils, that local councils<br />
have direct say into what happens at District. That is<br />
not correct.”<br />
He says that because District councillors are not<br />
accountable to their local councils, major expenditures<br />
such as sewer and water should be decisions that the local<br />
council should have a vote on.<br />
He suggests a process whereby the majority of municipal<br />
councils have to agree to large multi-million dollar<br />
decisions, as they are ultimately taxed back to the local<br />
ratepayers.<br />
“What I’m looking for is a partnership between District<br />
and local municipalities so local municipalities, as<br />
councils, have a direct say, especially in large financial<br />
decisions,” he says.<br />
While some people look to Toronto as a model – it has<br />
45 elected politicians representing 2.5 million people<br />
since its amalgamation in 1998 and Muskoka has 51<br />
elected politicians representing its 200,000 full and parttime<br />
residents – Mackenzie doesn’t think the two can be<br />
<strong>com</strong>pared.<br />
“I think you need to make the <strong>com</strong>parisons between<br />
urban <strong>com</strong>munities and rural <strong>com</strong>munities because it is<br />
a <strong>com</strong>pletely different form of governance,” he says.<br />
“Secondly, I have no problem with reducing the<br />
number of politicians. What I have a problem with is<br />
eliminating the local <strong>com</strong>munities any more than they<br />
have been, as a result of the redistribution that was<br />
done 25 years ago,” adds Mackenzie, who notes that<br />
when District government first came to Muskoka in<br />
the 1970s, the number of municipalities was reduced<br />
from 24 to six.<br />
He says the way to address the problem is to make sure<br />
www.whatsupmuskoka.<strong>com</strong> October 2010 5
all of the <strong>com</strong>munities are involved in the decisionmaking<br />
process.<br />
“Frankly, you can do that with half the number of<br />
people. You don’t have to get rid of all the local municipalities<br />
to cut down on the number of officials,” he says.<br />
“Have a single tier at the bottom and have a service<br />
board or county system where representatives already<br />
elected make up the board of the county,” he suggests.<br />
“That is another model, and I think realistically, you<br />
won’t get that model.”<br />
Gravenhurst mayoralty candidate Terry Pilger says<br />
while going door to door talking to constituents, he has<br />
not heard anyone mention the idea of amalgamating the<br />
municipal and district governments.<br />
“I haven’t heard a whole of lot of people wanting to get<br />
into that again,” he says, recalling his time at council<br />
when restructuring was on the table.<br />
He adds, “Very few questions ever <strong>com</strong>e up about<br />
District. It’s strange when you consider it is one third<br />
of the tax bill.”<br />
He says people are very concerned about rising taxes<br />
and some even expressed concerns about their ability<br />
to keep their homes. But Pilger says many people don’t<br />
realize that water, sewer and waste are all District<br />
responsibilities.<br />
“People <strong>com</strong>plain about bureaucratic indifference,”<br />
says Pilger. “I hear that everywhere, not just Gravenhurst.<br />
If you took it to one level of government, people<br />
would even feel further removed,” he says.<br />
Bracebridge councillor and mayoralty candidate Graydon<br />
Smith says he hasn’t put much thought into reorganization<br />
of the District,<br />
“I don’t think it’s top of mind right now for me personally,”<br />
he says. “I’m in the middle of a mayor’s campaign<br />
and I’m focusing on running a municipality and<br />
how that municipality fits into the District.”<br />
However, he doesn’t think amalgamation has proven<br />
itself to be a success where it has been tried in the past.<br />
“We can look to large cities and small cities and see a<br />
lot of <strong>com</strong>plaints so it’s not a panacea for the kinds of<br />
problems that municipal government faces,” he says.<br />
Smith says people have always been concerned about<br />
government losing contact with the people and believes<br />
a single-tier government at the District level would make<br />
it worse.<br />
“Everyone wants openness and transparency. Those<br />
are the words that we hear most often,” he says. “Is going<br />
to a one-tier system going to achieve that? With fewer<br />
representatives, I think it definitely doesn’t.”<br />
He is not convinced that one tier of government will<br />
mean less taxes. “I don’t have an objection if someone<br />
wants to bring forward some information to the table<br />
that suggests we can save money,” he says. “I am all for<br />
looking at it, but at the end of the day, you have a road<br />
network that is the same size, there are growth related<br />
issues in every <strong>com</strong>munity and the intent now between<br />
the two tiers of government is not to be duplicating<br />
work. The work that is there has to be done one way or<br />
another.”<br />
In some planning functions, Smith says there may be<br />
an opportunity to eliminate duplications, but he doesn’t<br />
see that option with public works.<br />
“When you get into public works, the town public<br />
works department deals with town roads and the District<br />
public works department deals with District roads and<br />
they kind have very separate spheres that they are dealing<br />
with,” he explains.<br />
Township of Muskoka Lakes taxpayers want to have<br />
more representation on District council, according to<br />
mayoralty candidate Patricia Arney’s experience at a<br />
recent all candidates event. They are not looking to be<br />
part of one single-tier District government.<br />
“The Township of Muskoka Lakes, which pays 49 per<br />
cent of its collected taxes into the District process, was<br />
looking at trying to increase the representation from the<br />
Township to the District level to ensure that those dollars<br />
are spent wisely and to ensure there are no further<br />
downloading of expenses and costs based on assessment,”<br />
says Arney.<br />
According to Mike Durnan, the District of Muskoka<br />
director of finance, 38.2 per cent of the assessed value of<br />
property in Muskoka is in the Township of Muskoka<br />
Lakes so the general tax rate for Muskoka Lakes is 38.2<br />
per cent of the District tax base.<br />
“It is an interesting concept, going from increased representation<br />
to something that would be probably less<br />
representation,” Arney says. “If you go on the model of<br />
permanent population, therein lies the problem that has<br />
faced the District and the amalgamated <strong>com</strong>munities<br />
since the Muskoka act first came into place.”<br />
Arney says it may be time to revisit restructuring, but<br />
says, “Is that an easy thing to do? Definitely not.”<br />
She says the District is responsible for huge infrastructure<br />
projects that would be prohibitive for the individual<br />
<strong>com</strong>munities.<br />
“Very few questions<br />
ever <strong>com</strong>e up about<br />
District. It’s strange<br />
when you consider<br />
it is one third of the<br />
tax bill”<br />
“There is a definite risk there, if we want to do away<br />
with that structure as all of our water and sewer and<br />
main roads, plus our waste collection are the responsibility<br />
of the District.”<br />
Arney recognizes there are frustrations with the District<br />
system, but believes a review would probably find<br />
the present system as the most efficient option.<br />
Gravenhurst District councillor and mayoralty candidate<br />
Mark Clairmont says he recognizes that Muskoka<br />
could be represented by fewer politicians but isn’t sure<br />
that would save money.<br />
With 22 elected representatives at the District table,<br />
he believes they are better able to best represent the crosssection<br />
of people that make up Muskoka.<br />
“That is not to say that Norm Miller or Tony Clement<br />
can’t represent all the people of Parry Sound/Muskoka,”<br />
he says.<br />
Clairmont says there are many ways to restructure,<br />
other than a single-tier District government.<br />
“You could have a south Muskoka, east Muskoka and<br />
west Muskoka,” he says, suggesting that Bracebridge and<br />
Gravenhurst join, Huntsville and Lake of Bays amalgamate<br />
and Muskoka Lakes and Georgian Bay connect.<br />
He believes District debt is a big issue but says that is<br />
because of the high cost of the water and sewer projects<br />
across the area. With treatment plants spread from Mac-<br />
Tier to Baysville, Clairmont recognizes it will be expensive<br />
but says it is something the District must take care<br />
of. “If you don’t protect the lakes, the cottagers won’t<br />
<strong>com</strong>e,” he says.<br />
Paisley Donaldson, mayoralty candidate for Gravenhurst,<br />
has served two terms as South Ward councillor<br />
and thinks if exploring the District restructuring, it<br />
would make more sense to remove the District level and<br />
just focus on the municipal level.<br />
“Maybe the district restructuring is at the District<br />
level, and we don’t actually need the District anymore so<br />
that the towns run themselves,” she says.<br />
“The town currently does its own planning and its<br />
own tax collection. We have our own economic developers<br />
so we take back things that the District is doing. We<br />
could contract out the police and ambulance like they<br />
do, we take back our landfill, contract out the garbage<br />
collection,” she says.<br />
“We could handle the roads as well and then hire the<br />
potential District staff back for water and sewer. Each<br />
town could run their own town and have no more District,<br />
potentially.”<br />
She recognizes this in not a five-year vision, but something<br />
they could start planning to take place in 15 or 20<br />
years. She doesn’t see a single upper-tier government as<br />
an option. “I see it the other way – each town handles<br />
their own issues.”<br />
When Gravenhurst was looking to rezone more lands<br />
as urban during the official plan process, she was frustrated<br />
when the District did not want to rezone the land.<br />
“I just think we are the ones that know our town better<br />
and how it should grow, rather than getting permission<br />
at the District level,” she says.<br />
Gord Adams has been the chair of District of Muskoka<br />
since 1994 and was chair in 2000 when he says District<br />
restructuring was last discussed.<br />
“There has been no talk at all that I know of on<br />
restructuring in Muskoka since that time,” Adams says.<br />
“That being said, I believe the bar that the province put<br />
for us to get over, or any municipality to get over before<br />
approving restructuring, was simply too high.”<br />
According to the Municipal Act, a triple majority is<br />
required before the province will even consider municipal<br />
restructuring. The majority of the District council<br />
must approve a request for restructuring. The majority of<br />
area municipalities must agree. In Muskoka that means<br />
at least four of the six. Those four councils must represent<br />
a majority of electors in the District of Muskoka.<br />
“It is a tough test that the province has set,” says District<br />
CAO Jim Green. “There is no guarantee that the<br />
province would consider the request.”<br />
He adds it would also need to be supported by a business<br />
case and related documents.<br />
Adams also doesn’t think you can <strong>com</strong>pare Muskoka’s<br />
representation to the system in Toronto.<br />
“With 30 miles of solid people in two directions,”<br />
he says, Toronto is a very different scenario than in<br />
Muskoka.<br />
“I don’t know how many times you could fit Toronto,<br />
geographically in Muskoka,” he says. “We are a huge<br />
geographic area with many little towns and villages.”<br />
When looking at the cost of Muskoka’s politicians,<br />
Adams says, “It is still a pretty inexpensive representation<br />
for the people. There is no doubt it could work easier.”<br />
He adds that Muskoka could get by with fewer councillors.<br />
“I think probably everybody would agree with<br />
that.”<br />
He suggests referring to the Patterson report, which<br />
re<strong>com</strong>mended three municipalities absorbing the rural<br />
<strong>com</strong>munities into the urban as a place to start.<br />
“That would not go over well in Muskoka Lakes, Lake<br />
of Bays or Georgian Bay. Where would Georgian Bay<br />
go?” he asks.<br />
Adams sees opportunity for improved efficiency but<br />
says sometimes the towns are not interested. He gives the<br />
example of winter road maintenance. Each year, when it<br />
is time to contract winter road maintenance, the District<br />
asks the municipalities if they would like to include some<br />
of their roads in the tender process. Adams says winter<br />
road maintenance provided by the private sector costs<br />
less than those maintained by the municipalities for the<br />
District. The private provider has said that it would<br />
make sense and be more efficient if they could do some<br />
town roads too but at this point, the towns have not<br />
expressed interest.<br />
“Our biggest budget every year, after social services,<br />
is public works. The roads budget is huge, so there are<br />
things in delivery of service that can save us money,”<br />
he says.<br />
From a personal perspective, the District chair doesn’t<br />
have a desire to talk about amalgamation.<br />
“It chews up a lot of time and a lot of money, and<br />
unless the bar was lowered by the province of Ontario, I<br />
just don’t think it feasible at this time.”<br />
6 October 2010 www.whatsupmuskoka.<strong>com</strong>
Muskoka paramedics, joined onstage by their management team, were honoured with the nation’s highest award for service at a gala on Sept. 30.<br />
Muskoka paramedics receive top honours<br />
Photograph: Muergen White<br />
By Allan Cook<br />
Some of area’s top paramedics were honoured with<br />
the nation’s highest award for service at a gala on Sept.<br />
30 as Muskoka hosted the annual Association of<br />
Municipal Emergency Medical Services of Ontario conference.<br />
Fourteen Muskoka paramedics were presented with<br />
the EMS Exemplary Service Medal for displaying the<br />
highest standard of personal and professional conduct<br />
over a minimum of 20 years of front line service. The<br />
recipients were Bob Goodfellow, Dave Anta, Jerry<br />
Barnes, Reg Baxter, Irene Demaine, Jeurgen Gerich,<br />
Phil Jean Marie, Ken Mccaskie, Fraser McFarlane,<br />
James Norrie, Tim Waite, Steve Webb, Kim Thwaites<br />
and Dave Gravelle.<br />
“It’s the highest honour in EMS and it <strong>com</strong>es<br />
through the Governor General’s Canadian Honours<br />
program,” explains Terri Burton, director of emergency<br />
services for the District of Muskoka. “For us it was<br />
extremely special because Major General Rohmer presented<br />
the medals; he’s our most highly-decorated<br />
Canadian.”<br />
Burton herself was also honoured at the gala with the<br />
Richard J. Armstrong Leadership Award, which is presented<br />
to a paramedic who has demonstrated outstanding<br />
leadership skills and has contributed significantly to<br />
emergency medicine in Ontario. In addition to her role<br />
with the District, Burton also sits on the board of directors<br />
with the Municipal Emergency Medical Services of<br />
Ontario and is past-president of the organization.<br />
“I was very surprised,” she says of the award. “I didn’t<br />
even know I’d been nominated. It was a great honour.”<br />
Muskoka paramedic Tara Portelli was honoured at<br />
the gala with the Premier of Ontario’s Humanitarian<br />
Award for her volunteer work with GlobalMedic in<br />
Haiti following the devastating Jan. 12 earthquake. The<br />
organization set up two field hospitals, treated over<br />
7,000 patients, purified over nine million litres of water<br />
and distributed over $1 million in medicine and equipment<br />
in its relief efforts.<br />
“Tara was pivotal in that with the contribution she<br />
made down there,” Burton exclaims. “GlobalMedic felt<br />
that she was one of the exceptional volunteers for what<br />
she did while she was there. She stood out as someone<br />
extremely strong and was nominated for this award.”<br />
Portelli volunteered her own time to join the Haiti<br />
mission, and Medavie EMS Ontario, the District’s contracted<br />
paramedicine provider, supported her by granting<br />
the time off to participate. The award was a <strong>com</strong>plete<br />
surprise to Portelli, according Bracebridge paramedic<br />
Stuart McKinnon, who reveals that Portelli was<br />
told she won the ticket given to her for the gala in a ticket<br />
lottery.<br />
McKinnon, who is also treasurer of the Muskoka<br />
Paramedics Association and public relations co-ordinator<br />
for Medavie, was on stage to help present the awards.<br />
“You try to remain as professional as possible onstage<br />
but it was difficult when I saw my guys and co-workers<br />
<strong>com</strong>ing up there; I smiled for every one of them,” he<br />
says. “You don’t often get a big thank you in the EMS<br />
world. You do your best, and you know that you’ve<br />
made a difference, and you know that people appreciate<br />
what you do, but I think it’s nice to give a thank you<br />
and give something back to our medics after such long<br />
terms of service. They deserve that.”<br />
Founder of worldwide teddy bear initiative recognized<br />
Diane Chantler receives the Rotary Foundation<br />
Regional Service Award from Bob Neibert.<br />
By Sandy Lockhart<br />
Teddy bears have brought international attention to<br />
the Rotary Club of Bracebridge-Muskoka Lakes.<br />
Diane Chantler recently received the Rotary Foundation<br />
Regional Service Award for a Polio Free World, a<br />
Rotary initiative to eradicate the disease. It was one of<br />
eight awards given out in the world and the only one in<br />
the World Health Organization region representing<br />
North and South America.<br />
In 2002, just before Chantler became club president,<br />
she came up with the idea of her club selling teddy bears<br />
as a fundraiser to fight polio. She describes it as “a silly<br />
idea that worked.” Chantler is a teddy bear collector and<br />
even had a business making custom bears in the past.<br />
Originally, the Rotary Club of Bracebridge-Muskoka<br />
Lakes turned the idea down in 2002, but Chantler convinced<br />
them otherwise, found a supplier and turned it<br />
into the club’s very successful fundraiser.<br />
“We are known as the teddy bear Rotary Club,” says<br />
Bob Neibert, District governor-elect, who presented<br />
Chantler with the award at the Oct. 5 Rotary breakfast<br />
meeting. He explains that while Chantler did have help<br />
from club members, “She was the impetus and moving<br />
force behind it all.”<br />
Through 40 clubs in the United States and Canada,<br />
plus one offshore, thousands of bears have been sold. In<br />
the first year alone, $48,000 was raised to help fight<br />
polio. “We’ve been instrumental is raising more than<br />
$100,000 US for polio,” says Chantler.<br />
The Bracebridge-Muskoka Lakes Club, through<br />
Chantler, deals with the supplier, acting as the middle<br />
man providing teddy bears for the many clubs. Even<br />
Rotary International has sold the bears provided by the<br />
Rotary Club of Bracebridge-Muskoka Lakes, a relatively<br />
new club, established in 2001.<br />
“In today’s words, it’s gone viral,” says Neibert of the<br />
teddy bears. He estimates the club has been involved in<br />
the sale of about 10,000 bears.<br />
“Today we sell bears for other projects as well,” says<br />
Chantler, explaining they have now been used to raise<br />
funds for Hospice Muskoka and the South Muskoka<br />
Hospital Foundation.<br />
Teddy bears are very important to the Rotary Club of<br />
Bracebridge-Muskoka Lakes and, as a result, there are a<br />
few special rules about the treatment of teddy bears. “It<br />
is a fineable offence to carry a teddy bear by the ears,” she<br />
says.<br />
Chantler says bears make a great fundraising item as<br />
they make everyone smile and all age groups like them.<br />
“Bears are an international language,” she says.<br />
www.whatsupmuskoka.<strong>com</strong> October 2010 7
The extra station in Huntsville’s dialysis unit means Lorne Elmer, shown with dialysis unit team leader Evan Turner, can get treatment closer to home.<br />
Photograph: Sandy Lockhart<br />
Muskoka’s hospitals ready for the future<br />
While Muskoka Algonquin Healthcare has been<br />
working to keep the deficit under control, its hospitals<br />
have been busy preparing for the future despite rumours<br />
of impending closures.<br />
“There are a lot of good things happening,” says Barry<br />
Monaghan, interim chief executive officer for Muskoka<br />
Algonquin Healthcare, which operates both the<br />
Huntsville District Memorial Hospital and South<br />
Muskoka Memorial Hospital<br />
“The South Muskoka Hospital site is not closing,”<br />
says Monaghan in reaction to rumours. “The evidence of<br />
that is very clear,” he says, referring to the <strong>com</strong>mitment<br />
by the South Muskoka Hospital Foundation to agree to<br />
fund a $500,000 urology table. “That is pretty strong<br />
evidence of the hospital going forward.”<br />
In the original operational audit, as part of due diligence<br />
in the deficit recovery plan, Monaghan says closing<br />
one site and the consolidation and rationalization of<br />
services was considered.<br />
“It was decided that was not in the best interest of the<br />
<strong>com</strong>munity and they chose not to go down that path,”<br />
he says.<br />
With renovations and new equipment for the pathology<br />
section of the lab at the South Muskoka Memorial<br />
hospital and extensive renovations and equipment for<br />
the imaging department at Huntsville District Hospital,<br />
both locations are better equipped to serve the <strong>com</strong>munities<br />
and attract new staff in the future.<br />
Lab services Manager Bryon Palmer says the lab at<br />
South Muskoka has doubled in size, and has new equipment<br />
that is more efficient, safer for staff and creates a<br />
less congested workspace. The work was temporarily<br />
relocated to the Huntsville site during renovations but<br />
reopened at South Muskoka in mid-May.<br />
With the culmination of Bracebridge’s capital campaign,<br />
the South Muskoka Memorial Hospital Foundation<br />
is now fundraising for $5 million of equipment on<br />
the hospital’s wish list. They <strong>com</strong>pleted the fundraising<br />
campaign for the CTC scanner and state-of-the art<br />
8 October 2010 www.whatsupmuskoka.<strong>com</strong><br />
imaging equipment last year.<br />
The Huntsville District Memorial Hospital Foundation<br />
is now serving more people with a temporarily<br />
expanded dialysis unit.<br />
“Working with regional and provincial teams, we are<br />
working through the process to expand it on a permanent<br />
basis,” says Monaghan.<br />
The goal is to expand the unit from five to six stations,<br />
increasing the capacity and ability to meet the need locally.<br />
Pathologist Dr. John Penswick works at new<br />
lab equipment at South Muskoka Hospital.<br />
Photograph:Sandy Lockhart<br />
The organization is hoping a new permanent CEO<br />
and manager of financial services will be in place for<br />
the new year. Muskoka Algonquin Healthcare<br />
planned to start interviewing candidates for the<br />
CEO’s position in October.<br />
“If everything goes according to plan, I leave in<br />
December but I will stay a little longer if needed,”<br />
says Monaghan.<br />
Although Muskoka Algonquin Healthcare and the<br />
Trillium Health Centre in Mississauga have decided<br />
not to work together on a management services contract,<br />
an option explored earlier this year, other benefits<br />
have <strong>com</strong>e from that relationship. They will be<br />
working together on some board training opportunities<br />
and are linked to a network developing best practices<br />
and consistent standards.<br />
Muskoka’s hospitals served about the same number<br />
of patients as last year, despite reducing the number<br />
of beds and staff in some areas. With new technology<br />
at the hospitals, they are now able to link Muskoka’s<br />
hospitals with the trauma centre at St. Michael’s<br />
Hospital in Toronto, in a pilot project to help deal<br />
with emergency trauma situations. As a result, it<br />
improves the out<strong>com</strong>e for trauma patients in Muskoka.<br />
Monaghan says the hospitals continue to do well,<br />
when <strong>com</strong>pared to the provincial standard for emergency<br />
wait times.<br />
“The expectation is that you will be seen in a fourhour<br />
period, and that time is shorter here,” he says.<br />
The board will also be busy focusing on the new<br />
Excellent Care for All Act.<br />
“It’s an act that focuses the attention of the organization’s<br />
governance on the quality <strong>com</strong>ponent of<br />
healthcare,” says Monahan.<br />
He adds that the Muskoka Algonquin Healthcare<br />
already has a quality <strong>com</strong>mittee of the board, so they<br />
will be ready to take the next steps and prepare both<br />
sites for the future.
South Muskoka has $5 million wish list<br />
About $5 million dollars of equipment is needed by the<br />
South Muskoka Memorial Hospital and the <strong>com</strong>munity is<br />
stepping forward to help out.<br />
Items like a $500,000 urological imagery table system<br />
and two $250,000 ultrasound and imaging machines are<br />
two priorities to enable the hospital to better serve the <strong>com</strong>munity.<br />
“Approximately 40 per cent of surgical volumes at the<br />
hospital are urological, so this is an important piece of<br />
equipment,” says Colin Miller, executive director of the<br />
South Muskoka Hospital Foundation.<br />
He adds that one quarter of all the urological procedures<br />
in North Simcoe Muskoka take place at the South Muskoka<br />
Memorial Hospital. The new table is badly needed, as Miller<br />
says packing tape is holding parts of it together.<br />
The new ultrasound equipment needed is used for everything<br />
from cancer and pregnancy to bladder, eyes, muscles<br />
and even prostate. Ultrasound allows imaging of tissue<br />
without risk of radiation associated with other traditional<br />
imagery.<br />
Miller says the <strong>com</strong>munity is very supportive with about<br />
3,000 donors this year.<br />
“Overall, most of our fundraising programs reached or<br />
exceeded last year’s revenue goal,” he says.<br />
The foundation is a charitable organization that fundraises<br />
to supply all of the equipment and other hospital needs<br />
not supplied by hospital funding.<br />
“The foundation and the hospital auxiliary are really the<br />
only sources of funding for new equipment for hospitals,” he<br />
says.<br />
At year end, June 31, 2010, the foundation raised<br />
$1,688,432. This is about $800,000 less than last year’s<br />
record breaking $2.49 million raised.<br />
“The big difference was gifts received through<br />
bequests,” explains Miller. In 2009 bequests to the South<br />
Muskoka Hospital foundation were almost $1.3 million but<br />
in 2010 they were just $550,000.<br />
“We have no way of influencing or controlling the money<br />
that <strong>com</strong>es in through bequests,” says Miller, who explains<br />
many people have arranged donations to go to the hospital<br />
foundation upon their death.<br />
Miller is frustrated by rumours circulating that the hospital<br />
is closing and says while the hospital is working with its<br />
financial situation, it is also making plans for the future to<br />
take care of patients for many years to <strong>com</strong>e.<br />
“People are wel<strong>com</strong>e to call with concerns,” he says.<br />
“Nobody likes to see programs reduce in size but our health<br />
care system is changing.”<br />
Miller explains that in the last 20 years, the number of<br />
acute care hospital beds in Ontario has reduced from about<br />
50,000 to 30,000, but that is because most surgeries are<br />
now day surgeries.<br />
Also on the hospital wish list are new beds at $4,500<br />
each. “Provincial standards have changed for beds so we<br />
need to upgrade a number of beds,” says Miller.<br />
Four bedside monitors at $30,000 each are also needed.<br />
A new dual-energy bone densitometer costs over<br />
$100,000 and is needed to help check the people<br />
Repairs to the building are also something that the foundation<br />
assists with.<br />
“The building was built in the 1960s and extensive roof<br />
repairs, of about $800,000, are needed,” says Miller. “It is<br />
not always about medical equipment, but also the supporting<br />
infrastructure.”<br />
Also on the list are a plate warming system, disposable<br />
bed pan system, patient pain control pumps and an auto<br />
dispensing unit for the pharmacy.<br />
Miller explains that a person making a donation can<br />
request exactly where the money is to be spent.<br />
“We have a fiduciary responsibility to make sure the<br />
money goes where they donor wants it to go,” he says.<br />
Of course, many of the pieces of equipment are so<br />
expensive that funds are pooled from several donors to purchase<br />
the big ticket items.<br />
Miller says it is easier to get funding for some items than<br />
others. “People get more excited about a something like a<br />
defibrillator. You slap it on someone’s chest and bring them<br />
back from the brink of death,” he says, adding that once<br />
you’ve been saved by a defibrillator, you don’t think twice<br />
about purchasing one for the hospital. “But we still need the<br />
plate warmer. Patients are not going to get better without<br />
meals.”<br />
Money for the hospital <strong>com</strong>es from different areas. “It is<br />
not just the very wealthy that support our hospital,” he says.<br />
The memorial program raised about $90,000 last year.<br />
“To honour someone who has died, you can make a donation<br />
to the foundation,” he says. Some people are also<br />
doing that to celebrate birthdays and anniversaries.<br />
This year’s mail-out campaign to former hospital patients<br />
and previous donors started in-mid March and by the end of<br />
June had received a little over 600 donations totalling<br />
$95,000. “This hospital is very well supported by the <strong>com</strong>munity,”<br />
he says.<br />
Of course, the hospital foundation still needs more<br />
money to purchase equipment needed by the hospital.<br />
“Unfortunately, people don’t really think about their hospital<br />
until they are thrown into a crisis situation,” he says.<br />
Thanks to the generosity of donors, the necessary equipment<br />
is there to help them.<br />
Township of Muskoka Lakes<br />
RE-ELECT<br />
LIZ<br />
DENYAR<br />
Councillor<br />
Ward B<br />
www.lizdenyar.<strong>com</strong><br />
ELECT<br />
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FOR<br />
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Email me at terry@terrypilger.<strong>com</strong> or call 687-4575<br />
EXPERIENCE, ABILITY, VISION & LEADERSHIP<br />
www.TerryPilger.<strong>com</strong><br />
www.whatsupmuskoka.<strong>com</strong> October 2010 9
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An impaired driver could be:<br />
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Remembering<br />
Terry Fox in Bala<br />
Around Muskoka Lakes<br />
By Jack Hutton<br />
Thirty years<br />
ago this past July,<br />
Terry Fox ran<br />
through Bala.<br />
The 21-year-old<br />
cancer survivor<br />
was attempting to<br />
run across Canada<br />
on an artificial<br />
leg. I saw him<br />
that day, an exhausted young man who<br />
showed the strain of hip-hopping 40<br />
kilometres a day since his start in Newfoundland<br />
on April 12.<br />
Last month, 86 people remembered<br />
Terry through Bala’s ninth annual Terry<br />
Fox Run, raising $6,300 for cancer<br />
research. The oldest participant on Sept.<br />
17 was Tom Fisher, 82, from Walker’s<br />
Point, raising $1,210, the day’s highest<br />
pledge. Granddaughter Brooke Asolfi,<br />
18 months old, followed in a baby carriage,<br />
raising $230. Meanwhile, Windermere<br />
attracted 235 participants, raising<br />
more than $18,000 with the help of<br />
a silent auction.<br />
During his Bala stop in 1980, Fox<br />
was offered overnight ac<strong>com</strong>modation<br />
at the home of Edna Templeton and<br />
then continued running north to a<br />
driveway almost opposite the old<br />
Hacienda Restaurant. He left a stone<br />
to mark where he would start the<br />
next morning and was driven back to<br />
Bala. The next day, Tom and Isabel<br />
Edwards, nearby cottagers, wrote<br />
Fox’s name and the date on the stone<br />
and kept it as a family heirloom<br />
before passing it on son Paul for one<br />
of his children’s school projects. Days<br />
after Fox left Bala,, Templeton found<br />
one of Fox’s socks in her dryer. She<br />
kept it as a memento before passing it<br />
on to a favourite granddaughter.<br />
What an election we are having!<br />
There are 24 municipal candidates running<br />
in the Township of Muskoka<br />
Lakes, including four for mayor. We<br />
met all candidates but one on Sept. 25<br />
at a meeting superbly run by the<br />
Muskoka Ratepayers’ Association. On<br />
Sept. 28, the Muskoka Lakes Chamber<br />
of Commerce presented an excellent<br />
forum in Torrance for Ward A candidates.<br />
As expected, the proposed hydroelectric<br />
plant at the North Bala Falls<br />
highlighted both meetings.<br />
An issue that also will not go away is<br />
a District proposal to base garbage collection<br />
fees on the assessed value of<br />
ratepayers’ property. The proposal<br />
would add more than $1.6 million to<br />
the township’s taxes while reducing taxes<br />
in Gravenhurst, Bracebridge and<br />
Huntsville by about $600,000 each.<br />
The District proposal is to <strong>com</strong>bine<br />
the garbage collection costs of all six<br />
municipalities and allocate them to the<br />
municipalities on the basis of the per<br />
cent of assessed value. Up until now, the<br />
township has been paying on the basis<br />
of garbage it generates (17.5 per cent).<br />
The new scheme would boost that to<br />
37.9 per cent, which is our share of the<br />
District’s total assessment. District councillors<br />
voted to defer the proposal early<br />
last month after hearing objections from<br />
Susan Daglish, president of the Muskoka<br />
Ratepayers’ Association.<br />
Elsewhere, the Muskoka branch of<br />
the Architectural Conservancy voted<br />
unanimously at its annual general meeting<br />
on Sept. 18 to ask the Township of<br />
Muskoka Lakes to investigate the possibility<br />
of a Heritage Conservation District<br />
around the Bala Falls. The ACO<br />
has also nominated the Bala Save the<br />
Falls <strong>com</strong>munity group for a prestigious<br />
advocacy award.<br />
Finally, what a wonderful mixture of<br />
chili, apple pressings, hot dogs and<br />
turkey dinners in the fall air! The Bala<br />
United Church UCW will be selling<br />
hot chili Saturday and Sunday noon<br />
hours during the Bala Cranberry Festival.<br />
There was an Open House on Oct.<br />
9, at the Muskoka Lakes Museum, with<br />
pioneer demonstrations of spinning,<br />
butter churning and apple pressing, followed<br />
that evening by a Port Carling<br />
Lions’ Club turkey dinner at the town<br />
<strong>com</strong>munity centre.<br />
Have fun at the Bala Cranberry Festival<br />
this weekend and don’t forget to<br />
mark Saturday, Dec. 4, on your calendar<br />
for the Bala Trek to Bethlehem. It has<br />
be<strong>com</strong>e an annual “must-do” family<br />
event ever since the first one in 1993.<br />
Tom Fisher, 82, enjoyed the ninth<br />
annual Bala Terry Fox run with his<br />
granddaughter Brooke Asolfi.<br />
Photograph: Anne Young<br />
10 October 2010 www.whatsupmuskoka.<strong>com</strong>
Gravenhurst officially opens new town hall<br />
By Nancy Beal<br />
It’s been years in the making, but Gravenhurst<br />
finally celebrated the official opening of its new town<br />
hall on Oct. 2.<br />
“This is something that previous administrations<br />
have been looking at since 1985,” Mayor John Klinck<br />
explains. “The two-storey addition to the west side (of<br />
the Harvie Street town hall) was opened around 1992.<br />
At that time they determined it would be a five-year<br />
fix and they could look at other alternatives in the<br />
mid-90s.”<br />
Although discussed over the years since, Klinck says it<br />
was at the beginning of the last term of office when the<br />
strategic plan called for a consolidated medical presence.<br />
“As our term progressed, the issue of a medical presence<br />
issue forced our hand and we purchased a $6 million<br />
building for $3.2 million,” he says.<br />
That building on Pineridge Gate was formerly occupied<br />
by the Simcoe-Muskoka District Health Unit,<br />
prior to their restructuring. The new town offices are<br />
almost double the square footage of the old facility, all<br />
on one level and will address the town’s needs for the<br />
next 30 to 40 years.<br />
An agreement was reached with the Ministry of<br />
Health and Long-Term Care to share facilities and to<br />
construct an addition to the building, for use by the<br />
Cottage Country Family Health Team, says Cindy<br />
Maher, the Town of Gravenhurst’s chief administrative<br />
officer. The agreement the town entered with the<br />
Ministry included a 99-year lease on the footprint of<br />
the building for $1/year and a contribution from the<br />
town for infrastructure of $1.8 million. The cost of<br />
this two-storey, 2,800-square-foot addition, says<br />
Photograph: Sandy Lockhart<br />
Town of Gravenhurst dignitaries cut the ribbon, officially opening the new town hall on Oct. 2.<br />
Klinck, was $10 million.<br />
The Gravenhurst branch of the health unit has a fiveyear<br />
lease for the 6,700 square feet <strong>com</strong>prising the east<br />
section of the original building. This leaves approximately<br />
18,000 square feet, for the new municipal<br />
offices. Renovations were budgeted at $1.9 million to<br />
adapt the former pod structure to a layout more suitable<br />
to their needs, says Maher.<br />
There was some controversy over the fact the town<br />
hall renovations were not put through the tender<br />
process. Council made the decision to save $400,000 it<br />
would cost to tender, explains Maher, and utilize the<br />
existing on-site architectural contractor, Monteith<br />
By Sandy Lockhart<br />
Take a walk through Muskoka’s creative economy at<br />
the CreativeShift workshop and career fair, which is<br />
designed to bring more attention to Muskoka’s creative<br />
economy and create opportunities for it to expand. Creative<br />
Shift will take place on Friday, Oct. 29 at the Rene<br />
Caisse Theatre and Bracebridge Sportsplex.<br />
“It’s giving us an opportunity to bring together creative<br />
not-for-profits and creative sustainable businesses,”<br />
says Carolyne Wagland, Creative Path project coordinator<br />
who, with FedNor intern Becky Conlon, is organizing<br />
the event.<br />
Creative Paths, which is a project funded by the Ministry<br />
of Culture through the Arts Council of Muskoka,<br />
Huntsville Music Festival and the Muskoka Lakes Music<br />
Festival, is <strong>com</strong>mitted to empowering Muskoka’s youth<br />
by encouraging the development of creative thinking<br />
skills that translate into practical working tools for future<br />
careers. The daytime session is intended for students, but<br />
post-secondary students and the public are also wel<strong>com</strong>e<br />
to attend, space permitting.<br />
High school students from across Muskoka will have<br />
an opportunity to learn about career opportunities at a<br />
hands-on creative career fair where they can meet people<br />
involved in Muskoka’s creative and innovative businesses.<br />
Open stages will be used to showcase Muskoka artists<br />
and artisans and Savour Muskoka chefs and farmers will<br />
be offering samples of their products to the students.<br />
Participants attending the fair will not receive<br />
brochures or papers but instead get a USB wrist band<br />
that includes information from all the booths. “We are<br />
trying to <strong>com</strong>e at things from a different angle” she says.<br />
Wagland is very excited about the creative core in the<br />
centre of the career fair, which is designed to give students<br />
and youth an opportunity to be heard. Working<br />
with TV Cogeco, they have set up a central video camera<br />
idea area where students can have their say about<br />
Muskoka and what it would take them to remain here as<br />
adults.<br />
“It should be fun,” says Wagland, adding that some of<br />
the footage will probably be included in her final Creative<br />
Muskoka report that will be submitted to the Ministry<br />
of Culture.<br />
Dev Aujla will be the keynote speaker of the event and<br />
is a social entrepreneur and founder of dreamnow.org.<br />
He will be presenting to the students in the morning and<br />
again in the evening for all <strong>com</strong>munity members.<br />
“This generation has a heightened social awareness.<br />
He talks about how you can choose a career where you<br />
can do good for the world. He puts ideas that changes<br />
the world into action,” says Wagland. “It is very inspirational.”<br />
Building Group.<br />
“The new building certainly allows us to serve the<br />
public a whole lot better,” says Maher, “At the old town<br />
hall, we had one meeting room, and so we were always<br />
using the mayor’s office. It had two separate floors, so it<br />
was not accessible and the council chambers were not<br />
able to ac<strong>com</strong>modate the audience. Here, each of the<br />
departments has a shared meeting room.”<br />
Large public counters to unroll plans and one large<br />
file room are some other features that help to make the<br />
new building more functional. Final touches such as<br />
displaying some of the town’s historical artifacts are still<br />
under discussion.<br />
Innovation takes centre stage at CreativeShift<br />
The evening is open to all members of the <strong>com</strong>munity.<br />
It begins with a Savour Muskoka reception, then<br />
keynote speaker followed by performances by local talent.<br />
The movie Downside Up will be shown at 5 p.m. and<br />
is open to all guests. It tells the story of how art can<br />
change the spirit and economy of a <strong>com</strong>munity.<br />
Wagland believes that creativity translates into future<br />
skills. “By fostering creativity and generating innovative<br />
thinking, you have problem solvers that are going to be<br />
able to take issues and <strong>com</strong>e up with answers,” she says.<br />
Both the District of Muskoka and the Ministry of<br />
Culture are taking part in the creative fair and Wagland<br />
is thrilled that they recognize the value in creative<br />
thinking. There will be something to interest everyone<br />
at Creative Shift, says Wagland. “Creative thinking is<br />
empowering.”<br />
www.whatsupmuskoka.<strong>com</strong> October 2010 11
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Shortage is a word all too often associated<br />
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Shortage of beds in hospitals and nursing<br />
homes and a shortage of respite, palliative<br />
and convalescent care facilities all<br />
mean families struggle to cope with the<br />
needs of a loved one as they age or their<br />
health deteriorates.<br />
Carole Fallon saw this happen to people<br />
in her own life. It was this shortage<br />
of facilities that inspired her to recently<br />
open Carolyn’s Comfort Homes in<br />
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Located centrally in a quiet residential<br />
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“We’re open to whatever the need is<br />
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Homes. “The waiting list to get into a<br />
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and families are really struggling to keep<br />
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The house offers an open-concept living<br />
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the back of the house means the resident<br />
can have solitude when necessary.<br />
The bathroom of the home offers a<br />
wheelchair accessible slide-in bathtub<br />
with heat and jet massage, among other<br />
<strong>com</strong>forts.<br />
As a private facility, Carolyn’s Comfort<br />
Homes does not require approval<br />
from any healthcare agency, says Fallon.<br />
“The choice is yours.”<br />
In addition to providing a <strong>com</strong>forting<br />
living space, Fallon is also able to help<br />
families arrange any healthcare<br />
providers needed to tend to their loved<br />
ones during their stay.<br />
“I can work with the families and<br />
help them through that process of<br />
arranging home care,” she says.<br />
There is no minimum or maximum<br />
length of stay and details such as utilities<br />
and telephone are taken care of for<br />
the families. In addition, the house is<br />
equipped with a heat recovery ventilation<br />
system to provide fresh air<br />
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security alarm system for peace of<br />
mind.<br />
For more information on Carolyn’s<br />
Comfort Homes or to book a tour of<br />
the facility, log onto their website at<br />
www.carolyns<strong>com</strong>forthomes.ca. Fallon<br />
can also be reached by phone at 705-<br />
706-HOME (4663).<br />
Lets Talk Now! We Can Help<br />
1-705-706-HOME (4663)<br />
For More Info Visit Our Website<br />
www.carolyns<strong>com</strong>forthomes.ca<br />
carole@carolyns<strong>com</strong>forthomes.ca<br />
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12 October 2010 www.whatsupmuskoka.<strong>com</strong>
Art exhibit brings history to life on canvas<br />
By Allan Cook<br />
Places and faces from Muskoka’s past<br />
will be brought to life this month at the<br />
Auburn Gallery of Fine Art in Gravenhurst.<br />
Local painter Helene Adamson’s portraits<br />
of historic Gravenhurst personalities<br />
will <strong>com</strong>bine with evocative paintings<br />
and photographs by Gravenhurst<br />
artist Michelle Basic Hendry to tell the<br />
stories of the homes, families and figures<br />
of the area’s past.<br />
Entitled Legacy, the show will also<br />
feature an exhibit of late Gravenhurst<br />
photographer Henry Fry’s photographs<br />
and equipment and will run from Saturday,<br />
Oct. 9 to Oct. 29 at the gallery’s<br />
new location on the corner of Royal<br />
and First streets.<br />
“The new gallery space is the catalyst<br />
behind the show Legacy, actually,”<br />
explains Auburn Gallery owner Theresa<br />
McLaughlin. “This was (Fry’s) home,<br />
and when we purchased it his darkroom<br />
was still downstairs. That was what got<br />
the wheels turning that it could be<br />
quite exciting to put on a show that<br />
touches on the roots of Gravenhurst.”<br />
McLaughlin asked Adamson if she<br />
would be interested in producing a<br />
series of portraits as part of the show.<br />
Adamson was inspired by the archival<br />
photographs being chosen for the show<br />
and chose to focus on luminaries from<br />
the past. Legacy features her series of<br />
seven historical portraits that spotlight<br />
lumber baron Charles Mickle Sr., hotelier<br />
and owner of Brown’s Beverages<br />
Dugald Brown, steamship magnate A.P.<br />
Cockburn, schoolteacher Mary<br />
McBride, Muskoka Sanatorium chief<br />
physician Dr. W.B. Kendall, and boatbuilders<br />
Herbert Ditchburn and Tom<br />
Greavette.<br />
“I wanted them to look as if I had literally<br />
been able to go back in time and<br />
do this,” Adamson says of the paintings,<br />
which are more staid than her<br />
usual colourful, light style.<br />
Adamson researched archival photos<br />
and interviewed surviving family members<br />
to learn details of not only appearance<br />
but of personality as well.<br />
Through her work, Hendry invites<br />
the viewer to imagine the lives of<br />
Muskoka’s early families through<br />
images of abandoned pioneer homes.<br />
Paintings and photographs show how<br />
the homes are today, and Hendry has<br />
written their ac<strong>com</strong>panying histories<br />
from research and interviews with<br />
remaining family members.<br />
“It’s been fun to go and meet the<br />
families and see the photos of these<br />
By Karen Wehrstein<br />
Country singer-songwriter Victoria<br />
Banks was stunned when it was<br />
announced she had won Female Vocalist<br />
of the Year at the 2010 Canadian Country<br />
Music Awards last month.<br />
“That was a <strong>com</strong>plete shock,” says<br />
Banks, who originally hails from Port<br />
Carling. “I had no clue.”<br />
At the awards, held in September in<br />
Edmonton, she had already shared top<br />
songwriter honours with Johnny Reid<br />
and Tia Sellers for the country song<br />
Dance With Me. In 2009, she had six<br />
nominations and Songwriter of the Year<br />
honours on the strength of her debut<br />
CD, When You Can Fly.<br />
But the award for top female vocalist<br />
came as a surprise to Banks and she<br />
hopes it will boost her fledgling career as<br />
a singer.<br />
Formerly known as Vicki Dodington,<br />
Banks was born into a musical family<br />
places when they were in their heyday<br />
and to hear about the goings on,”<br />
Hendry explains. “Of course it creates<br />
an emotional connection too, so I walk<br />
in there and I get the sense of the people<br />
that lived there. I don’t paint portraits,<br />
but I like to think that people can<br />
find a way to put themselves into it and<br />
imagine what the lives of these people<br />
were like.”<br />
McLaughlin has an additional special<br />
exhibit for the show; quilts made by<br />
fibre artist Nancy Lynch honouring and<br />
incorporating the work of her uncle,<br />
Henry Fry.<br />
“Within the panels of the quilt are<br />
actually Henry’s photographs,”<br />
and grew up listening to antique records<br />
on an old record player. As a child she<br />
made up songs, later scribbling lyrics in<br />
the margins of her calculus notes. She<br />
attended Bracebridge and Muskoka<br />
Lakes Secondary School, where she<br />
played in the same bands as fellow musician<br />
Deric Ruttan, who has since gone<br />
on to achieve country music stardom.<br />
More than 10 years ago, after saving<br />
up money waiting on tables, washing<br />
dishes and painting houses, Banks<br />
staked her fortune on a move to<br />
Nashville to knock on doors pursuing a<br />
career as a songwriter. Despite spending<br />
the first six months sleeping on Ruttan’s<br />
couch, success came fairly quickly and<br />
she went on to pen such country hits as<br />
Saints and Angels, sung by Sara Evans,<br />
and Remember That, sung by Jessica<br />
Simpson. She also co-wrote recordbreaker<br />
Come on Over with Rachel<br />
Proctor and Simpson.<br />
McLaughlin says, explaining that Lynch<br />
has utilized a new process where photographic<br />
images are printed directly onto<br />
fabric which she has then incorporated<br />
into the quilts. “It’s going to be quite<br />
fascinating.”<br />
McLaughlin envisions the show<br />
growing to other venues in Gravenhurst<br />
and expanding beyond with additional<br />
material.<br />
“We hope to continue the theme on<br />
in Bracebridge and Huntsville as well,”<br />
she says. “I think it’s going to be a wellreceived<br />
show. I hope that everybody<br />
gets a deeper insight into what was the<br />
background for these people and how<br />
they started things.”<br />
Country singer named top female vocalist<br />
Port Carling’s Victoria Banks won<br />
Female Vocalist of the Year.<br />
Photograph: Grant W. Martin<br />
Helene Adamson has teamed up with fellow painter Michelle Basic Hendry for a unique art exhibit that brings<br />
faces and places from Gravenhurst’s past to life. The show runs from Oct. 9 to Oct. 29 at the Auburn Gallery.<br />
But performing is a whole new field<br />
to break into.<br />
“When I won the award, there were<br />
probably quite a few people out there<br />
going ‘who?’” Banks says. “I’ve had<br />
many hits, but people didn’t connect my<br />
name with the hits. People knew my<br />
music but didn’t know they knew my<br />
music.”<br />
When You Can Fly, she says, is made<br />
up of songs that were special, but which<br />
didn’t find the right artist. “My album<br />
was the undiscovered gems in my years<br />
of songwriting.”<br />
Though Banks loves songwriting for<br />
others and doesn’t want to quit, she<br />
expects the award to give her performing<br />
career a boost.<br />
“I haven’t had that degree of face<br />
recognition,” she says. “I think this<br />
award probably went a long way<br />
towards that. I think it’ll help with<br />
that.”<br />
www.whatsupmuskoka.<strong>com</strong> October 2010 13<br />
Photograph: Don MacTavish
WHAT’S UP MUSKOKA<br />
EDITORIAL<br />
Rethinking the way<br />
Muskoka operates<br />
It seems like everyone running for political<br />
office in Muskoka is talking about responsible<br />
government, reducing expenses and addressing the<br />
District debt, but few are looking beyond Band-<br />
Aid solutions to these problems. Unless they are<br />
willing to critically examine Muskoka’s political<br />
structure and how it operates, how can they possibly<br />
make any real progress?<br />
While not everyone agrees with a single-tier<br />
District government for all of Muskoka, as has<br />
been discussed in the past, it is but one of many<br />
possibilities. Existing municipalities could be<br />
<strong>com</strong>bined, the District level could be eliminated,<br />
there could be a better allocation of responsibilities<br />
or a whole new concept could be developed.<br />
Perhaps the current system is the best option but<br />
one way or another, it’s time to examine how<br />
Muskoka operates with a view to reducing costly<br />
duplications.<br />
This should be a priority for candidates running<br />
in the up<strong>com</strong>ing election, yet many admit they<br />
haven’t given restructuring any thought or don’t<br />
see how it relates to their campaign. More money<br />
is spent around the District Council table than<br />
anywhere else in Muskoka but that detail seems to<br />
be evading many mayoral and council candidates.<br />
It’s time to look at the big picture and to look<br />
at it critically. If one isn't willing to look at the<br />
system in its entirety and how it operates when<br />
looking for a way to reduce costs, the biggest piece<br />
of the solution is missing.<br />
A vision for downtown Gravenhurst<br />
After graduating from University, I<br />
worked for a year at the Toronto Sun on<br />
King Street East in Toronto. My favourite<br />
thing to do on my lunch was walk down<br />
to the nearby St. Lawrence Market on<br />
Front. I would spend my lunch walking<br />
around, browsing the vendors, grabbing a<br />
bite to eat from one of the specialty shops,<br />
or grab a nice fresh brewed coffee and<br />
baked good.<br />
Checking out the fresh seafood,<br />
spices, unique crafts, and sandwiches of<br />
the day was a great way to take my mind<br />
off my work for an hour. The market<br />
would bring people from all over the<br />
downtown core in Toronto and was<br />
always a bustling place.<br />
I can imagine Gravenhurst with the<br />
same type of indoor marketplace. The old<br />
Canadian Tire building would be the perfect<br />
location. A group of investors or a<br />
joint venture between business and government<br />
could easily turn the building<br />
into an indoor market for year round<br />
<strong>com</strong>merce.<br />
Letters to the Editor<br />
Twenty or 30 specialty and niche vendors<br />
under one roof would create a unique<br />
shopping experience that does not exist<br />
anywhere in Muskoka. This would create<br />
a very viable anchor to the downtown core<br />
and would bring traffic to all other local<br />
merchants on the street.<br />
It’s time for local government to start<br />
thinking outside of the box and to bring<br />
something exceptional and exciting to<br />
Muskoka Road.<br />
John Graham<br />
Gravenhurst<br />
Huntsville is a home away from home<br />
for the Waterloo Warriors<br />
On behalf of the University of Waterloo,<br />
Department of Athletics and the<br />
Warrior Hockey team I would like to<br />
extend our thanks and appreciation for<br />
the warm wel<strong>com</strong>e we received during<br />
our visit to Huntsville in September.<br />
The Warrior Hockey team travelled to<br />
Huntsville to play an exhibition hockey<br />
game and conduct a number of clinics<br />
for youth in the <strong>com</strong>munity. The reception<br />
we received from the entire <strong>com</strong>munity,<br />
Huntsville minor hockey, the<br />
mayor, local businesses, and alumni was<br />
extraordinary. This was much more than<br />
an exhibition of hockey; it was an important<br />
educational outreach opportunity<br />
for the youth of Huntsville. Hopefully it<br />
inspired these young citizens to pursue a<br />
path where they can <strong>com</strong>bine their love<br />
of hockey with all the riches that a great<br />
education has to offer.<br />
This was also a tremendous educational<br />
opportunity for the student-athletes<br />
on our team who benefitted from<br />
the experience as much as the young<br />
players they inspired. Huntsville is the<br />
proud home of the University of<br />
Waterloo Summit Centre for the Environment,<br />
and with more events<br />
planned in partnership with our athletics<br />
program, we are proud to call<br />
Huntsville our “home away from<br />
home” for the Warriors.<br />
Bob Copeland<br />
Director of Athletics<br />
University of Waterloo<br />
Donald Smit h<br />
Publisher<br />
Melissa Kosowan<br />
Editor<br />
Sandy Lockhart<br />
Assistant Editor<br />
Donna Ansley<br />
Curtis Armstrong<br />
Alan Bruder<br />
Laurie Johle<br />
Judy Vanclieaf<br />
Advertising Sales<br />
Marc Bonitatibus<br />
Production Manager<br />
Addie Collins<br />
Matthew Walker<br />
Design Department<br />
Angy Gliddon<br />
Ken Northey<br />
Susan Smith<br />
Reader Sales and Service<br />
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Cover Photo<br />
Bracebridge/Gravenhurst:<br />
Chris Occhiuzzi<br />
Huntsville/Lake of Bays:<br />
Kelly Holinshead<br />
14 October 2010 www.whatsupmuskoka.<strong>com</strong>
Foundation honours stewards of natural and built heritage<br />
By Sandy Lockhart<br />
Muskoka’s stewards of natural and<br />
built heritage were recognized on Oct. 2<br />
at the Muskoka Heritage Foundation’s<br />
annual awards ceremony.<br />
Three properties were recognized in<br />
the Built Heritage Category. Charybdis<br />
Island (formerly Oram Island) at the<br />
Kettles near Mortimer’s Point on Lake<br />
Muskoka is a cottage originally <strong>com</strong>pleted<br />
in 1891 by John Oram, and been<br />
carefully retained and restored with little<br />
change over the years.<br />
Owners Mr. and Mrs. Allan Morson<br />
have worked very hard to retain the look<br />
and feel of the earliest days on Lake<br />
Muskoka. The 1894 boathouse was<br />
designed for a steam launch and still<br />
houses one today. The gazebo was<br />
recently rebuilt to match the way it<br />
looked in 1905.<br />
A Beaumaris area cottage that spent its<br />
early years as an annex hospital ward,<br />
received recognition. During the Second<br />
World War, the owner lent the property<br />
to the military to use as a recuperative<br />
hospital for wounded air force pilots.<br />
The government built the annex on the<br />
main cottage to house 100 injured men.<br />
“During the war, there were a number<br />
of such temporarily converted cottages<br />
outside Toronto to avoid concentrating<br />
in a central location one of Canada’s<br />
most valuable war assets – its pilots,”<br />
explained award presenter Nancy Cox-<br />
Godfrey, foundation director.<br />
This annex is now the nucleus of the<br />
cottage, owned by Anne McCall Cooper,<br />
located on Moot Point, Lake Muskoka.<br />
Traces of the past can be seen in the<br />
wide hallways that were used for<br />
manoeuvring gurneys, remnants of original<br />
linoleum and lawn bowling balls on<br />
the mantel.<br />
Ramatola Cottage on Tondern Island,<br />
Lake Muskoka, which was recognized,<br />
has been in the same family for six generations,<br />
since about 1905. It is believed<br />
to have been built in the late 1890s.<br />
Elsie and Henry Hillman, their children,<br />
grandchildren and great grandchildren<br />
continue to use the cottage today.<br />
The building, of wood clapboard and<br />
shingles, has been painted dark brown to<br />
blend in with the surroundings and not<br />
detract from the masses of granite that<br />
abound on the property.<br />
The Community Cultural Heritage<br />
Award was presented to the Village of<br />
Dorset and the Township of Lake of<br />
Bays Heritage Advisory Committee.<br />
Today Dorset has a very active heritage<br />
<strong>com</strong>mittee that maintains the Dorset<br />
Heritage Museum, the scenic Lookout<br />
Tower. The restored SS Bigwin, owned<br />
by the Lake of Bays Marine Museum<br />
and Navigation Society, is in Dorset.<br />
The Commercial/Government heritage<br />
category was awarded to the<br />
Muskoka Classic Cottage Emporium in<br />
Port Carling.<br />
The emporium is in a building built<br />
in 1932 to house Hanna’s General Store<br />
after it had been destroyed by fire. The<br />
building was restored by Greg Mannion,<br />
Recipients of the Muskoka Heritage Foundation Awards were recognized at the annual general meeting and<br />
awards ceremony. The foundation protects, conserves and nurtures the environment and traditions of Muskoka.<br />
who opened the Emporium in 2009.<br />
The award in the Built Urban Heritage<br />
category went to Westlawn on<br />
McMurray Street in Bracebridge, owned<br />
by Boyd and Kathy Smith. It is the first<br />
brick house in Bracebridge, built in<br />
1880, and was home to the first resident<br />
doctor in Bracebridge. The back of the<br />
home was used as an infirmary and<br />
office.<br />
In 1966, it was converted into apartments<br />
but in 1989, the Smiths purchased<br />
it and brought back its historical<br />
charm and Victorian style.<br />
The 2010 Natural Heritage Steward<br />
Award went to two recipients. Robin<br />
and James Ingham own 35 acres of property<br />
south of Gravenhurst, which has an<br />
impressive variety of biodiversity, including<br />
some species considered at risk or<br />
threatened. With the exception of the<br />
area cleared for the house, it is mostly<br />
forested with spruce trees and areas of<br />
upland hardwood with rock outcrops<br />
and wetlands.<br />
As relatively new owners of Happy<br />
Isles on Leonard Lake, Mark and Lorraine<br />
Greenham were also the recipients<br />
of a Natural Heritage Stewardship<br />
Award. Both islands were used as local<br />
party spots in the past, but the Greenhams<br />
have cleaned them up and are<br />
working to attract wildlife. Mark has<br />
installed birdhouses, a bat nest, loon nest<br />
islands and is working to attract turtles.<br />
Don Smith, publisher of What’s Up<br />
Muskoka and Muskoka Magazine, was<br />
recognized with the prestigious Robert J.<br />
Boyer Award, recognizing Smith’s support<br />
and promotion of cultural and historic<br />
heritage in Muskoka over the last<br />
four decades.<br />
“He always has a Muskoka focus,” said<br />
presenter Dan Brooks, president of<br />
Muskoka Heritage Foundation. “What a<br />
wonderful award for a very worthy recipient.”<br />
Smith has a long career in the<br />
Muskoka publishing industry beginning<br />
in 1971. Brooks described Muskoka<br />
Magazine, founded by Smith, as one of<br />
the premier regional publications in the<br />
province and the country.<br />
“It was almost 39 years ago, to the day,<br />
that Bob Boyer agreed to hire me,” said<br />
Smith, of starting as a junior reporter<br />
with the man who became his mentor.<br />
“It is a tremendous honour to receive the<br />
Boyer Award.”<br />
The Wayland Drew Award went to<br />
Mike Walsh who recently retired from<br />
the Ministry of Natural Resources after<br />
36 years. He is known as an environmental<br />
leader, advocate and educator for<br />
his work with everything from founding<br />
the Ontario Tree Marking Certification<br />
Program to his work with youth.<br />
“I’m extremely humbled by this<br />
award,” he said. “A lot of good people in<br />
this room have helped to make this happen.<br />
I’m just the front man.”<br />
Presenter Jan McDonnell added, “I’m<br />
very confident Muskoka is a better place<br />
because of the work Mike has done.”<br />
Brooks concluded the awards by<br />
thanking the volunteers the not-forprofit<br />
organization relies on to help protect<br />
Muskoka’s natural and built heritage.<br />
“Sixty-eight per cent of our employment<br />
in Muskoka is contingent upon a<br />
healthy environment,” says Brooks. “All<br />
of Muskoka looks to us to preserve it.”<br />
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www.whatsupmuskoka.<strong>com</strong> October 2010 15
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www.whatsupmuskoka.<strong>com</strong> October 2010 17
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Dec 4 2:30 PM Gravenhurst Deseronto<br />
Dec 10 7:30 PM Gravenhurst Bobcaygeon<br />
Dec 17 7:30 PM Gravenhurst Algoma<br />
Jan 8 2:30 PM Gravenhurst Elliot Lake<br />
Jan 14 7:30 PM Gravenhurst Powassan<br />
Jan 15 7:30 PM Gravenhurst Jamestown<br />
Jan 21 7:30 PM Gravenhurst Algoma<br />
Jan 28 7:30 PM Gravenhurst Bobcaygeon<br />
Feb 11 7:30 PM Gravenhurst Vaughan<br />
Apr 1 7:30 PM Gravenhurst Oro-Medonte<br />
*Schedule is subject to change<br />
Come out and support<br />
your local hockey team.<br />
See you at the game!<br />
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18 October 2010 www.whatsupmuskoka.<strong>com</strong>
WHAT’S UP MUSKOKA<br />
SPORTS<br />
YOU’VE JUST PROVED<br />
Advertising Works<br />
Call 646-1314 or visit<br />
www.whatsupmuskoka.<strong>com</strong><br />
to learn how we can help your business<br />
Road hockey tournament supports local kids<br />
Rotarian and tournament organizer Gary Williams, Rotary Centre for Youth president Margaret Walton and Rotarian<br />
and tournament co-organizer Paul Mascarin challenge the <strong>com</strong>munity to play road hockey for a good cause.<br />
By Chris Occhiuzzi<br />
The Rotary Centre for Youth in<br />
Bracebridge is using an age-old Canadian<br />
pastime to raise funds for a good<br />
cause.<br />
The first annual Rotary road hockey<br />
tournament is set to take place on Oct.<br />
23 with proceeds going towards support<br />
for the youth of Bracebridge.<br />
With games beginning at 8 a.m. in<br />
the Rotary Centre parking lot, participants<br />
and spectators can enjoy hot food<br />
and cold drinks throughout the day.<br />
“There will be beer gardens,” says<br />
Gary Williams, one of the tournament<br />
organizers. “All money raised is going<br />
to for the youth of Bracebridge.”<br />
The tournament will see 12 teams<br />
<strong>com</strong>peting for a trophy. Each team<br />
must have a minimum of eight players<br />
and can bring a maximum of 12.<br />
“Everyone is going to be guaranteed<br />
two games. It will be a co-ed affair, so<br />
the teams will be mixed,” says<br />
Williams. “It is quite possibly going to<br />
be a three-day tournament next year<br />
with more teams. It’s the first year for<br />
it, but we’re going to grow it.”<br />
The entry fee is $15 per person and<br />
at publication time there were still a<br />
couple of spots available in the <strong>com</strong>petition.<br />
At least two members of each<br />
team are required to be of the opposite<br />
sex and most of the equipment will be<br />
supplied.<br />
“We’re supplying the road hockey<br />
nets,” says Williams. “We’re supplying<br />
the road hockey balls. We’re also supplying<br />
all the road hockey goaltender<br />
equipment, mask, gloves and pads. All<br />
they need to bring is their sticks.”<br />
The idea behind the road hockey<br />
tournament was to bring in some variety<br />
in terms of activities and people to<br />
By Dianne Park Thach<br />
Being a fitness trainer is what<br />
Marisa Anderson is passionate about,<br />
and now that passion is being showcased<br />
to the world online.<br />
Anderson, who works at Muskoka<br />
Fitness in Bracebridge, is one of four<br />
trainers featured this month on Train<br />
or be Trained, a website started by a<br />
Toronto-based clinical practitioner<br />
who wanted to showcase the range of<br />
different techniques and styles of<br />
trainers.<br />
“There are so many beliefs out there<br />
in training and everyone has their own<br />
techniques and ideas,” explains<br />
Anderson. “At Muskoka Fitness all of<br />
the trainers use the same platform to<br />
teach, but they each have their own<br />
style and technique.”<br />
People who log on to the site can<br />
Rotary fundraising. Road hockey was a<br />
natural choice since many people in<br />
the <strong>com</strong>munity grew up playing the<br />
sport.<br />
“The premise behind it was to bring<br />
in different people than we normally<br />
watch Anderson’s clip and the three<br />
other trainers being featured for the<br />
month and vote for the trainer they<br />
identify with. All of the trainers were<br />
asked the same questions and<br />
answered on their personal beliefs and<br />
style.<br />
“All of the information I cover in<br />
the clip <strong>com</strong>es from me,” says Anderson,<br />
who’s dubbed as “the First Lady<br />
of fitness” on the website. “I wasn’t<br />
influenced by anyone else. It’s my<br />
training and it’s what I believe in.”<br />
Most of the trainers featured on the<br />
site are from the Toronto area, and<br />
Anderson’s name was suggested to the<br />
website creator after she participated<br />
in a recent fitness <strong>com</strong>petition.<br />
She sees the opportunity as a great<br />
way to represent an area north of the<br />
city. After votes are tallied at the end<br />
get for fundraisers,” says Williams.<br />
“Something that’s very Canadian,<br />
which is road hockey. We want to get<br />
men and women out that might not<br />
necessarily <strong>com</strong>e to Rotary or know<br />
anybody at Rotary.”<br />
Personal trainer vies for top spot online<br />
Marisa Anderson is hoping that<br />
Muskokans will vote for her.<br />
Photograph: Sandy Lockhart<br />
of the month, the winner will be spotlighted<br />
on the website and will then<br />
go on to <strong>com</strong>pete for Trainer of the<br />
Year.<br />
With more than 15 years of experience<br />
as a trainer, Anderson says she’s<br />
had her struggles with weight and fell<br />
in love with the idea of being a trainer<br />
when she experienced her first aerobics<br />
class.<br />
She also likes to keep in shape by<br />
participating in a range of sports as<br />
well as classical ballet.<br />
“I love helping people and it’s nice<br />
knowing that I have the tools and<br />
knowledge that will help them reach<br />
their goals,” says Anderson.<br />
To see Anderson in action and to<br />
vote for your favourite trainer, visit<br />
the Train or Be Trained website at<br />
www.whotrains.<strong>com</strong>.<br />
www.whatsupmuskoka.<strong>com</strong> October 2010 19<br />
Photograph: Chris Occhiuzzi
Participants spring from the staring line at the CIBC Run for the Cure in Dwight on Oct. 3. Over 200 people participated, raising $62,000.<br />
Photograph: Don McCormick<br />
CIBC Run for the Cure raises $62,000<br />
By Don McCormick<br />
On Sunday, Oct. 3, in brilliant sunshine and cool,<br />
fresh air, an estimated 220 participants sprung off the<br />
starting line from the Dwight Community Centre in<br />
the annual CIBC Run for the Cure.<br />
440 Ecclestone Drive, Bracebridge, ON P1L 1Z6<br />
(705) 645-9827 www.ywcamuskoka.<strong>com</strong><br />
COMING EVENTS<br />
The run has been held in Dwight for the past eight<br />
years. However, the previous seven years it was considered<br />
a “developing site.” This is the first year that<br />
the event has earned official status and qualifies for all<br />
the prizes of an official run site. Last year the 200 participants<br />
raised $54,000. Participants surpassed this<br />
year’s goal to raise $60,000, bringing in a total of<br />
$62,000.<br />
This year’s run was co-directed by Lynn Logan and<br />
Judy Storey. This is the third year for Logan and the<br />
first year for Storey. The local event was originally<br />
started eight years ago by Virginia Malone.<br />
“I did it in memory of some friends of mine who<br />
had passed away and I felt that I wanted to do something<br />
very tangible for breast cancer and find a cure,”<br />
explains Malone.<br />
Ironically, three years later, Malone herself became<br />
a victim of the disease. Today, she is a breast cancer<br />
survivor.<br />
“It helped me appreciate everything that God’s<br />
blessed me with,” Malone says. “It helped me get<br />
more in touch with my spiritual side and slowing<br />
down and just enjoying what God’s given me with my<br />
family, my friends and just wanting to reach out more<br />
to others – be more <strong>com</strong>passionate.”<br />
Malone explains her motivation for walking in this<br />
year’s event. “I’m walking for so many ladies. I’ve lost<br />
so many friends.”<br />
WOMEN OF DISTINCTION<br />
Wednesday, October 20, 2010<br />
Mark O’Meara Club House, Delta Grandview Resort Huntsville<br />
5:30 pm Cocktails and Silent Auction | 6:30 pm Dinner and Awards<br />
Tickets are $80 per person<br />
Historic day for rowing club<br />
October 10-15 is WEEK WITHOUT VIOLENCE<br />
YWCA Muskoka cheers on the Otters and the Shield in a Clean<br />
Game Challenge!<br />
Log on to our website to access the Week Without Violence E-Kit<br />
Contact YWCA Muskoka to register for the for Women in Business<br />
starting October 13th & Men in Business starting November 2nd<br />
NETWORKING LUNCHEONS 12:00-1:00<br />
Bracebridge: YWCA Office<br />
Friday, Oct. 29th | Women & Environment Panel<br />
Gravenhurst: Trinity United Church<br />
Friday, Nov. 5th | Women & Environment Panel<br />
Huntsville: Partners Hall, Algonquin Theatre<br />
Friday, Nov. 12th | Beth Ward, YWCA Muskoka Executive Director –<br />
One Year In<br />
YOUTH PROGRAMS<br />
Girlz Unplugged, Quest, Girlz Choice are 8-12 week programs delivered<br />
through Muskoka schools.<br />
The Power of Being a Girl – Friday December 3rd at Bracebridge &<br />
Muskoka Lakes Secondary School.<br />
The Severn River Rowing Club entered its first coxed four entry into the race at the Head of the<br />
Trent Regatta on Oct. 2. Penta Ledger, Meagan White, Esther Childs and Madeleine<br />
Berrevoets, along with lightweight Mike Smith as the coxswain, rowed hard into sixth place.<br />
20 October 2010 www.whatsupmuskoka.<strong>com</strong>
Be thankful for the precious things in life<br />
Around Bracebridge<br />
By Maria Duncalf-Barber<br />
Wel<strong>com</strong>e<br />
to another<br />
fabulous fall.<br />
What a wonderful<br />
canvas<br />
is painted out<br />
there. While<br />
the days have<br />
suddenty<br />
be<strong>com</strong>e<br />
chilly, amazingly<br />
it was the hottest Sept. 1 since<br />
1953.<br />
As the students went back to school<br />
following Labour Day celebrations, I<br />
prepared for my return as well. It is<br />
hard to believe I am entering the<br />
eighth year of working in the schools<br />
teaching peer support. I love going<br />
into the high schools when the students<br />
are eager to learn.<br />
Another inspiring group of people<br />
are members of the Grandmothers to<br />
Grandmothers movement. The<br />
Muskoka Lakes chapter, joined by<br />
their Huntsville sister group, hosted a<br />
gathering in Rosseau with proceeds<br />
going to the Stephen Lewis Foundation.<br />
Two members shared their experiences<br />
from a special mission to<br />
Africa.<br />
Around Gravenhurst<br />
By Gord Durnan<br />
Fall has certainly<br />
arrived in<br />
town with<br />
colourful leaves,<br />
cool temperatures<br />
and the<br />
blessings of<br />
Thanksgiving to<br />
all of our readers.<br />
An update<br />
from last month is that we are fortunate<br />
that within the last two weeks<br />
there is once again a family of cardinals<br />
playing in the cedar trees outside<br />
our kitchen window.<br />
On Labour Day weekend, Dale and<br />
I enjoyed our traditional reunion of<br />
childhood friends whose parents all<br />
cottaged on Gull Lake. Some 20 of us<br />
enjoyed the dinner cruise on the RMS<br />
Segwun and the rain also brought us a<br />
double rainbow over Lake Muskoka.<br />
We were shown a framed plaque<br />
mounted on the ship’s hull of a dollar<br />
bill and a letter on town letterhead<br />
signed by Mayor Gerry Simmons and<br />
clerk-treasurer Glen Williams<br />
acknowledging and purchasing the<br />
RMS Segwun from George Morrison<br />
and Jack Vincent to serve as a muse-<br />
Sept. 9 brought two events, the celebration<br />
of my 11th wedding anniversary<br />
to my husband Peter, and my<br />
bike ride to raise money with the Big<br />
Bike Heart and Stroke Foundation.<br />
Five Bracebridge teams <strong>com</strong>peted raising<br />
$8,000. I was one of 21 women<br />
from Curves Bracebridge who won<br />
first place by raising $2,716.75. We<br />
also received the Team Spirit Award. I<br />
have been a member of Curves for<br />
over eleven years and I love it. Owner<br />
Jan Schumacher is an advocate of<br />
women in the <strong>com</strong>munity and offers a<br />
service far beyond the aspects of keeping<br />
fit. She is a gem.<br />
“I am really proud of our team,”<br />
says fitness trainer Sharon Veitch. “We<br />
represented every possible age group<br />
and enjoyed every minute. Physical<br />
activity is so important to overall<br />
health and this event is a great opportunity<br />
to promote awareness while<br />
helping those who need it. Special<br />
thanks to Marg Nixon who raised over<br />
$400 and Thorna Collis for being a<br />
great inspiration.”<br />
Money raised goes to research projects,<br />
new medicines and medical and<br />
rehabilitative therapies for those<br />
stricken with heart and stroke disease.<br />
On Sept. 16, I, with many other<br />
<strong>com</strong>munity advocates, attended the<br />
Addiction Recovery Breakfast Celebration<br />
Outreach, presented by Addiction<br />
um. This was dated Aug. 2, 1962. We<br />
are sure lucky these gentlemen helped<br />
to preserve the ship some 48 years ago.<br />
September is always a busy family<br />
time with both our daughters celebrating<br />
birthdays 10 days apart. However,<br />
this year will be remembered for<br />
the telephone call I received just<br />
before my daughter Sarah’s birthday.<br />
It was from a young man by the name<br />
of Lucas Ouimet asking my permission<br />
to ask for her hand in marriage.<br />
Of course after due consideration and<br />
discussion we shouted an enthusiastic<br />
‘Yes!’ Later in the month we went to<br />
their home in Whitby for a wonderful<br />
engagement party, which based on the<br />
excitement, is still going on.<br />
The Gravenhurst Chamber of<br />
Commerce recently held a social event<br />
at Wood’s End Studio near Kilworthy.<br />
If you have never visited and walked<br />
through the enchanted forest to see all<br />
the nursery rhymes <strong>com</strong>e alive, you<br />
should find a child to take for this<br />
walk and also enjoy John de Lang’s<br />
bird carving studio while there.<br />
As you know, I love lunches and<br />
bazaars so I encourage you to attend<br />
one of my favourites on Wednesday,<br />
Oct. 20 from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.<br />
This one is organized by the South<br />
Muskoka Memorial Hospital Auxiliary<br />
and is held at the Gravenhurst<br />
So many things worth celebrating<br />
Outreach Muskoka and Parry Sound.<br />
It was the launch of the fifth annual<br />
Lifelines to Healing Campaign. The<br />
goal was to de-stigmatize addiction by<br />
educating the <strong>com</strong>munity to the fact<br />
that substance abuse is a health issue<br />
that requires treatment.<br />
Addictions are an issue for many<br />
individuals and families in our area<br />
and professional help can be had. Four<br />
per cent of the population over the<br />
age of 15 are dependent on alcohol<br />
and men are three times more likely<br />
than women to have substance abuse<br />
issues. The speakers spoke eloquently<br />
about their brave journeys and how<br />
their lives are better after treatment<br />
and <strong>com</strong>mitment to recovery.<br />
As vice president of Spinning Reels,<br />
I represented my group at the Toronto<br />
International Film Festival on Sept.<br />
17. I attended all movies at the new<br />
Bell Lightbox/Festival Tower, which<br />
opened its doors on Sept. 12 with a<br />
block party and the launch of the<br />
Essential 100, an exhibition of what<br />
have been voted as the most influential<br />
film. With a gallery, reference<br />
library, museum, café, lounge, restaurants<br />
and library featuring special<br />
guests and concerts, cinema and<br />
offices for TIFF staff, the building is<br />
like a cathedral of film.<br />
I was also at the Cinefest Sudbury<br />
International Film Festival with Tamsen<br />
Tilson, the chair of Spinning<br />
Reels, and Saundra Turnbull. We<br />
watched movies to determine which<br />
ones to bring here. We met Thom<br />
Ernst who is the new host of TVO’s<br />
Saturday Night at the Movies, and Jesse<br />
Wente from the CBC who is head of<br />
film programs at Bell Lightbox.<br />
I went to a session with the Ontario<br />
Arts Council on film funding. I met<br />
and spoke to members of Weengushk<br />
Film Institute on Manitoulin Island.<br />
This is a non-profit organization dedicated<br />
to unlocking the creative potential<br />
of Aboriginal youth. I saw actor,<br />
director and founder of Weengushk,<br />
Shirley Cheechoo, who I had met 10<br />
years ago at the Sundance Film Festival.<br />
Sudbury has a truly an awesome<br />
northern film festival.<br />
Also worth noting is the Terry Fox<br />
Run, which took place in September<br />
and celebrated its 30th year with lots<br />
of people walking and raising money.<br />
Cancer is a terrible thing. Sadly my<br />
family is going through it right now<br />
with Mary, my special sister-in-law in<br />
England. I talk to her on the phone<br />
and tell her how much we love her.<br />
Do the same. Tell someone you love<br />
them; you never know when you get<br />
the chance again. Surrender to the<br />
beauty of fall and be thankful for family<br />
and all that <strong>com</strong>es your way.<br />
Seniors Centre. I must warn you not<br />
to spend all your cash since many<br />
Gravenhurst churches and the Legion<br />
will also host Christmas bazaars and<br />
lunches between now and Christmas.<br />
Another wonderful celebration will<br />
also happen on Oct. 20 when the<br />
YWCA of Muskoka hosts their<br />
Women of Distinction Gala at Delta<br />
Grandview in Huntsville. The event<br />
honours some of Muskoka’s most special<br />
and talented female leaders who<br />
are recognized for their contribution<br />
to the quality of life in our district.<br />
Finally, I want to wish special congratulations<br />
to all 16 men and women<br />
who were recently honoured by the<br />
Town of Gravenhurst at the Spirit<br />
Awards on Sept. 30 at the Opera<br />
House.<br />
The mayor also presented three<br />
extra special awards to Alana Robinson,<br />
Marion and Cyril Fry and Chi<br />
Ming, an honorary member of<br />
Gravenhurst Rotary Club from<br />
China. Following all the clapping,<br />
cheering and photographs, as chair of<br />
the <strong>com</strong>mittee I surprised the retiring<br />
mayor with his own Achievement<br />
Award for his 16 years of service.<br />
2010/2011 ICE SEASON PRIME TIME ICE<br />
Ice available for Rent<br />
at the Gravenhurst<br />
Centennial Centre.<br />
Please contact Kim at<br />
705•687•6774, ext. 21<br />
On FRI SAT SUN<br />
and during the weekdays<br />
Don’t miss out on this<br />
opportunity!<br />
www.whatsupmuskoka.<strong>com</strong> October 2010 21
WINTER CAR CARE<br />
Special Feature<br />
Winter Car Care<br />
In tough economic times like these,<br />
most people cut back on major purchases<br />
and try to make what they already<br />
own last longer.<br />
One sure way to make certain the<br />
family vehicle gives you reliable service is<br />
to follow the manufacturer’s maintenance<br />
schedule, note the experts at the<br />
non-profit National Institute for Automotive<br />
Service Excellence. In fact, a survey<br />
of ASE-certified master automotive<br />
technicians indicated that motorists<br />
could expect a well-maintained vehicle<br />
to last up to twice as long as one that’s<br />
neglected.<br />
“Putting off maintenance and service<br />
or, worse – neglecting ongoing problems,<br />
is penny-wise and dollar foolish,”<br />
says ASE’s editorial director, Martin<br />
Lawson. “Today’s vehicles are designed<br />
for years and years of reliable service.”<br />
Among the items motorists frequently<br />
neglect are oil changes, tire and brake<br />
service, wheel alignment, and air and<br />
fuel filters. Some even ignore engine<br />
Get ready for winter on the road<br />
lights and warnings, which, if left unattended<br />
can cause a relatively minor problem,<br />
such as a problem with the air and<br />
fuel mixture, doing damage to more<br />
expensive <strong>com</strong>ponents.<br />
To help consumers choose a repair<br />
shop that fits their needs, ASE offers the<br />
following checklist advice:<br />
• Look for a neat, well-organized facility,<br />
with vehicles in the parking lot equal<br />
in value to your own and modern equipment<br />
in the service bays.<br />
• Look for a courteous staff, with a<br />
service consultant willing to answer all of<br />
your questions.<br />
• Look for policies regarding estimated<br />
repair costs, diagnostic fees, guarantees,<br />
and acceptable methods of payment.<br />
• Ask if the repair facility specializes or<br />
if it usually handles your type of repair<br />
work.<br />
• Look for signs of professionalism in<br />
the customer service area such as civic,<br />
<strong>com</strong>munity, or customer service awards.<br />
• Look for evidence of qualified technicians:<br />
trade school diplomas, certificates<br />
of advanced course work, and certification<br />
by ASE.<br />
Fall car care helps forgo frosty frustration<br />
Properly preparing your car for winter<br />
is simple and doesn’t require a lot of time<br />
or technical expertise. The payback in<br />
reduced risk of a preventable breakdown<br />
and improved performance is well worth<br />
the minimal effort.<br />
According to the experts at the nonprofit<br />
National Institute for Automotive<br />
Service Excellence (ASE), “cold weather<br />
will only make existing problems worse.”<br />
Here are a few items that are easy and<br />
simple to check before fall turns to winter:<br />
First, familiarize yourself with your<br />
owner’s manual and follow the manufacturers<br />
re<strong>com</strong>mended service schedules.<br />
No one knows your car better than the<br />
<strong>com</strong>pany that manufactured it.<br />
Motor oil: The easiest way to protect<br />
and improve the performance of your car<br />
is to upgrade to a high-performance synthetic<br />
motor oil and change it regularly.<br />
Synthetic motor oils have better low temperature<br />
fluidity and a lower coefficient<br />
of friction than mineral-based motor oils.<br />
Tires: Worn tires can be extremely<br />
dangerous on rain, snow and ice. Examine<br />
tires for remaining tread life and<br />
uneven wearing. Be sure to check the<br />
sidewalls for cuts and nicks as well. All<br />
season radials or winter tires are a wise<br />
investment for those who must drive in<br />
inclement weather regularly. Check tire<br />
pressure, it should be checked once a<br />
month and tires rotated as re<strong>com</strong>mended.<br />
Don’t forget to check your spare and<br />
be sure the jack functions properly.<br />
Cooling system: It may be time for a<br />
flush and refill if it’s been more than a<br />
couple of years since the coolant has been<br />
changed. The level, condition, and concentration<br />
of the coolant should be<br />
checked periodically. A 50/50 mix of<br />
antifreeze and water is usually re<strong>com</strong>mended.<br />
Additionally, hoses should be<br />
checked for cracks and leaks.<br />
Windshield wipers: Check the condition<br />
of your wiper blades and replace<br />
them if needed. If your climate is harsh,<br />
purchase rubber-clad, winter blades to<br />
fight ice build-up. Stock up on winterformula<br />
windshield washer solvent. You’ll<br />
be surprised by how much you use.<br />
Battery: A dead battery can make a<br />
cold winter morning a miserable one. If<br />
your battery is beyond its re<strong>com</strong>mended<br />
service life, replace it. Top any low battery<br />
cells with distilled water. Clean and tighten<br />
battery terminals to ensure electricity<br />
gets from the batter to the starter on<br />
chilly fall mornings. If corrosion is present,<br />
clean it with a mixture of baking<br />
soda and water, and put on a set of battery<br />
washers to keep corrosion from <strong>com</strong>ing<br />
back. Make sure the battery terminals<br />
and hold downs are tight. It’s also good to<br />
clean and lubricate hinges and the hood<br />
latch.<br />
Fuel: It’s important to keep gas lines<br />
from freezing in cold weather. No vehicle<br />
can run if it can’t get fuel. A full gas tank<br />
will help prevent moisture and ice from<br />
forming. Particularly cold weather may<br />
warrant using a fuel deicer to prevent fuel<br />
lines from freezing. A block heater is<br />
another option that is fairly inexpensive<br />
and easy to use.<br />
A few minutes of preparation this fall<br />
will help prevent a much more time-consuming<br />
and unpleasant experience this<br />
winter.<br />
Master Mechanical Repairs &<br />
Maintenance to ALL Makes of<br />
Trucks and Cars<br />
SERVING MUSKOKA & AREA<br />
645-9073<br />
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22 October 2010 www.whatsupmuskoka.<strong>com</strong>
WINTER CAR CARE<br />
Tire care is crucial for road safety<br />
For most people, their car is their<br />
lifeblood. It gets them to work, to school,<br />
to their lives. It might be tempting to<br />
neglect regular maintenance tasks in the<br />
name of saving money, but in the long<br />
run, that could end up costing you even<br />
more. And proper maintenance is crucial<br />
now, with winter just around the corner.<br />
When it <strong>com</strong>es to car maintenance,<br />
tire care is the first line of defense. But<br />
according to the Rubber Manufacturers<br />
Association (RMA), an alarming number<br />
of consumers don’t pay attention to their<br />
tires, and the results can be costly – and<br />
dangerous. Underinflated tires pose a<br />
definite safety risk:<br />
• The National Highway Traffic Safety<br />
Administration (NHTSA) acknowledges<br />
that underinflated tires contribute to<br />
many accidents throughout the year<br />
• 50 per cent of vehicles have at least<br />
one underinflated tire<br />
• And only nine per cent of vehicles<br />
have four properly inflated tires!<br />
But it doesn’t have to be this way;<br />
proper tire care is simple. Continental<br />
Tire re<strong>com</strong>mends getting in the habit of<br />
taking five minutes every month to check<br />
your tires, including the spare.<br />
“Your tires are the only part of your<br />
vehicle that actually touch the road when<br />
you drive,” says Joerg Burfien, director of<br />
R & D, Continental Tire. “It only takes<br />
a couple of minutes of maintenance each<br />
month to keep your tires working at their<br />
best, and the resulting safety benefits far<br />
outweigh the time it takes.”<br />
The Rubber Manufacturers Association’s<br />
“PART” campaign gives consumers<br />
an easy way to remember the basics of<br />
monthly tire maintenance:<br />
Pressure: According to the RMA,<br />
underinflation is a tire’s number one<br />
enemy. It results in unnecessary tire<br />
stress, irregular wear, loss of control, and<br />
accidents. A tire can lose up to half of its<br />
air pressure and not appear to be flat!<br />
And the air pressure listed on the side<br />
of your tire is not the correct air pressure<br />
for your vehicle. That number is the<br />
maximum air pressure for the tire. The<br />
correct tire pressure can be found in the<br />
car’s owner manual, on the gas tank lid,<br />
on the driver’s side door edge, and on the<br />
door post.<br />
Alignment: A bad jolt from hitting a<br />
curb or pothole can throw your front end<br />
out of alignment and damage your tires.<br />
Misalignment of wheels in the front or<br />
rear can cause uneven and rapid treadwear.<br />
Rotation: Regularly rotating your vehicle’s<br />
tires will help achieve more uniform<br />
wear. Unless your vehicle owner’s manual<br />
has a specific re<strong>com</strong>mendation, the<br />
guideline for tire rotation is approximately<br />
every 6,000-8,000 miles.<br />
Tread: To prevent hydroplaning and<br />
skidding, your tires must have proper<br />
tread depth. The minimum tread depth<br />
is 2/32 of an inch (1.6 mm).<br />
In regions with harsh winters, Continental<br />
re<strong>com</strong>mends that drivers switch to<br />
winter tires when the temperature dips<br />
below 7 C. Colder weather brings on a<br />
whole new set of driving challenges –<br />
slush, ice and hard-packed snow – and<br />
once the temperature drops below that 7-<br />
degree mark, so does an all-season tire’s<br />
ability to grip the road.<br />
Many cars have all-season tires, but<br />
they just aren’t built to hold the road in<br />
the same way that winter tires do. Winter<br />
tires provide safety and control in cold<br />
weather as well as snow and ice, because<br />
they are specifically engineered to deliver<br />
a 25 to 50 per cent increase in traction<br />
over all-season radials. That’s enough<br />
added traction and braking power to<br />
avoid a severe weather-related accident,<br />
Burfien says.<br />
Take care of your tires during winter<br />
and they will take care of you. Remember<br />
your winter tires are not designed just<br />
for snow. They are designed to increase<br />
traction in cold winter conditions. Make<br />
the switch to winter tires when the temperature<br />
hits 7 degrees.<br />
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www.whatsupmuskoka.<strong>com</strong> October 2010 23
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GETTING TO KNOW US<br />
Get the roof of your dreams<br />
Standing in front of his house, John Shaw shakes hands with<br />
Mike Vettese, the owner of Gravenhurst Bay Services.<br />
Replacing the roof on your building is<br />
a huge undertaking. Mike Vettese, owner<br />
operator of Gravenhurst Bay Services,<br />
understands the importance of doing the<br />
job right and making customers happy.<br />
For the last 11 years, Gravenhurst Bay<br />
Services has been providing roofing services<br />
in Muskoka and the surrounding<br />
area. The <strong>com</strong>pany specializes in <strong>com</strong>mercial<br />
roofing but also does residential<br />
roofing too.<br />
“We are equipped and insured to do<br />
all types of roofing,” he says, adding that<br />
about 70 per cent of the work is <strong>com</strong>mercial.<br />
“We do a lot of <strong>com</strong>mercial<br />
work and projects for municipalities.”<br />
Vettese explains that with the flat roofs<br />
on many <strong>com</strong>mercial buildings, his<br />
team’s expertise and attention to detail is<br />
imperative. “If you don’t do it properly<br />
on a flat roof, it will leak,” he says.<br />
Vettese and his crew take that same<br />
meticulous attention to detail and apply<br />
it to all of their projects.<br />
“Our employees are certified Certain-<br />
Teed shingle installers,” he says. This<br />
allows Gravenhurst Bay Services to give<br />
extended full-replacement warranties.<br />
One of the foreman on the crew has<br />
25 years experience installing roofing all<br />
over the world.<br />
Vettese’s <strong>com</strong>pany does tar and gravel,<br />
torch-on (SBS modified bitumen),<br />
EPDM (single ply membrane rubber<br />
roofing) Sarnafil, and TPO (vinyl roof<br />
with membrane) roofing.<br />
Because Gravenhurst Bay Services<br />
does so many types of roofing, Vettese<br />
Advertising Feature<br />
can help his customers determine the<br />
best roof available to suit their needs.<br />
“Sometimes it may cost a little more<br />
but then it may turn out to be better in<br />
the end,” he says of the products available.<br />
He notes that customers often have ice<br />
damming and insulation issues that need<br />
to be resolved before their roof is<br />
replaced. Fortunately Vettese’s past experience<br />
working as a contractor gives him<br />
the knowledge and skills to address these<br />
problems.<br />
“With my construction background, I<br />
also understand ventilation, construction<br />
and design,” he says. “There is no point<br />
in putting on a new roof before solving<br />
the problem first.”<br />
Customers John and Judy Shaw<br />
recently had Gravenhurst Bay Services<br />
replace their shingle roof.<br />
“We chose them for their quality and<br />
professionalism,” says John. “They were<br />
excellent – diligent and meticulous.”<br />
Their roof had five different roof lines<br />
so required extra diligence.<br />
“We would highly re<strong>com</strong>mend them,”<br />
Judy says of Gravenhurst Bay Services.<br />
“The roof, it looks so much better than<br />
it did before and we won’t have to worry<br />
about it again for a long time.”<br />
Whether it is a <strong>com</strong>mercial or residential<br />
project, Gravenhurst Bay Services<br />
goes the extra mile to ensure the job is<br />
done right and the customer is happy.<br />
“At the end of the day,” says Vettese,<br />
“we want to be sure the consumer has a<br />
no-worry roof.”<br />
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24 October 2010 www.whatsupmuskoka.<strong>com</strong>
Aiming high to help children<br />
By Carlye Malchuk Dash<br />
Scott MacLaren wants to help children<br />
in Muskoka get a fair chance at participating<br />
in sports and to do so he’s<br />
looking up – way up.<br />
Next April, MacLaren, who owns the<br />
Canadian Tire store in Gravenhurst, will<br />
travel to Kathmandu,<br />
Nepal to climb to the<br />
base camp on Mount<br />
Everest in support of<br />
Canadian Tire’s Jumpstart<br />
program.<br />
MacLaren, who will<br />
do the climb alongside<br />
other owners and<br />
members of the corporate<br />
team from<br />
across the country,<br />
hopes to have at least<br />
$5,000 pledged<br />
toward his climb to<br />
support local children<br />
who want to participate<br />
in sports.<br />
Jumpstart was created<br />
to help give all<br />
children a fair chance<br />
at playing sports by<br />
paying for registration<br />
fees, says MacLaren.<br />
“In Muskoka in the last five years . . .<br />
we’ve been able to donate over $80,000<br />
to help kids participate in sports,” he<br />
says.<br />
Although the team will not summit<br />
the entire mountain, base camp is no<br />
small feat.<br />
By Carlye Malchuk Dash<br />
Living in a society where people<br />
have to be encouraged to exercise and<br />
use alternate methods of transportation,<br />
such as a bicycle, can make it<br />
hard to imagine that owning one<br />
could be the deciding factor on<br />
whether or not a child goes to school.<br />
But in rural Cambodia, where some<br />
children have 10 kilometres between<br />
them and the nearest schoolhouse,<br />
that is exactly the case.<br />
Two winters ago Gravenhurst<br />
humanitarian Lisa McCoy, who has<br />
been working to improve the lives of<br />
land mine victims and those living in<br />
rural Cambodia for the past six years,<br />
began raising funds to purchase bicycles<br />
to distribute to children in need.<br />
Now 300 bicycles later, the Rotary<br />
Club of Gravenhurst has taken on<br />
Rotary Wheels for Learning.<br />
“We decided to take this on as a<br />
club project and by doing so we can<br />
make it grow a lot bigger,” says Nancy<br />
Beal, co-chair of the club’s international<br />
<strong>com</strong>mittee. “We are involved<br />
in international programs and this<br />
type of project really appeals to<br />
Rotarians.”<br />
“What<br />
amazes me is<br />
when you get<br />
to base camp<br />
you look up<br />
and there’s<br />
another<br />
12,000 feet<br />
to go”<br />
Already an experienced climber,<br />
MacLaren’s previous best has been 6,000<br />
feet. A base camp climb is 17,500 feet.<br />
“I’m hoping that people will see the<br />
effort (I’m putting in) and make a contribution<br />
on our behalf,” he says.<br />
That effort started this past spring<br />
when MacLaren<br />
began training with<br />
daily hikes of 10 to 12<br />
kilometres with a<br />
weighted pack and<br />
walking sticks.<br />
“Personally it’s been<br />
good for me because<br />
I’ve lost 48 pounds,”<br />
he says. “The goal was<br />
just to get myself fit<br />
enough to hike. The<br />
only concern I have is<br />
the altitude because<br />
your fitness level doesn’t<br />
matter because altitude<br />
sickness can<br />
affect anyone.”<br />
The air at base<br />
camp has about half<br />
the oxygen that air at<br />
sea level does, says<br />
MacLaren.<br />
“You take 10 steps<br />
and catch your breath and 10 steps and<br />
catch your breath so I’m sure it will be a<br />
challenge,” he says. “What amazes me is<br />
when you get to base camp you look up<br />
and there’s another 12,000 feet to go.”<br />
MacLaren will leave for his trip up<br />
Mount Everest on April 10 and return<br />
Within a week of announcing the<br />
initiative, the club was able to raise<br />
enough money to purchase the first<br />
April 30.<br />
Donations are being accepted at the<br />
Gravenhurst Canadian Tire. As well, a<br />
web link to support MacLaren’s hike will<br />
soon be available by logging on to<br />
instalment of 75 bicycles, which<br />
McCoy will help to distribute this<br />
fall. She left for a six-month trip to<br />
www.canadiantire.ca/jumpstart and<br />
clicking on the Everest Base Camp link.<br />
When donating online, select<br />
MacLaren’s name to ensure the funds<br />
support local children.<br />
Bicycle donation program gets rolling<br />
Lisa McCoy, shown here with fellow Rotarian Nancy Beal, is the driving<br />
force behind the Rotary Wheels for Learning bicycle donation program.<br />
Scott MacLaren will be climbing to the base camp on Mount Everest in<br />
the spring to raise money for Canadian Tire’s Jumpstart program.<br />
Photograph: Carlye Malchuk Dash<br />
Cambodia on Oct. 3 and hopes to<br />
have the bicycles distributed within a<br />
few weeks.<br />
Now the club is aiming to raise<br />
another $3,450 to purchase 75 more<br />
bicycles that will go specifically to<br />
children of land mine victims.<br />
“Cambodia has still an estimated 5<br />
million land mines in the Battambang<br />
province. That’s where we’re focusing<br />
next,” said McCoy. “In rural areas<br />
land mine survivors are at the bottom<br />
of the poverty scale.”<br />
The bicycles will be purchased in<br />
Cambodia to help the local economy<br />
and will be equipped with a basket,<br />
carrier, lamp and lock.<br />
In addition to providing vital transportation<br />
to and from school, a bicycle<br />
can improve the well-being of an<br />
entire family, says Beal.<br />
“The family can also use the bicycle<br />
to take some goods to market or to go<br />
to a medical clinic or see a doctor, so<br />
it just improves their lives and makes<br />
a vast difference,” she says.<br />
For more information on Rotary<br />
Wheels for Learning, log onto their<br />
website at www.rotarywheelsfor<br />
learning.blogspot.<br />
Photograph: Carlye Malchuk Dash<br />
www.whatsupmuskoka.<strong>com</strong> October 2010 25
WHAT’S UP MUSKOKA ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT<br />
OCTOBER<br />
P057020CN 11/05<br />
There are good reasons to<br />
FOLLOW THE CROWD<br />
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46 Ann St.<br />
Bracebridge, ON P1L 2C1<br />
Bus: 705-646-9995 Toll Free: 877-877-3929<br />
<br />
Huntsville hosts inaugural Film North festival<br />
By Karen Wehrstein<br />
Moviegoers at Film North,<br />
Huntsville’s first international film festival,<br />
gave organizer Lucy Wing a standing<br />
ovation and demanded an encore in the<br />
form of an annual event.<br />
“Our presence in Huntsville and the<br />
undertaking of bringing an international<br />
film festival to Muskoka was so wellreceived<br />
that it really bolstered us to continue<br />
with the huge amount of organizing<br />
that went into bringing so many<br />
players into this wonderful town,” says<br />
Wing. “I was very impressed with how<br />
the industry took us under their wing,<br />
talking it up and going out of their way<br />
to <strong>com</strong>e and attend.”<br />
The festival had a very intimate feel,<br />
with film buffs in the audience easily<br />
hobnobbing with the industry creators.<br />
About 15 producers, directors and actors<br />
were in attendance to answer questions<br />
about their work from the audience.<br />
One of those directors was Kris<br />
Booth, whose feature At Home by<br />
Myself… With You, in which a reclusive<br />
woman’s life is changed by a new, outgoing<br />
neighbour, was voted by the audience<br />
the winner of the Golden Antler<br />
Award for Viewers’ Choice. Though the<br />
romantic <strong>com</strong>edy was named one of the<br />
top 10 Canadian films at the Vancouver<br />
Film Festival, and selected to play next<br />
May at the Marche du Film at Cannes, it<br />
hadn’t previously won an individual<br />
award.<br />
“What an award is is a very quick way<br />
of telling people you do good things,”<br />
says Booth. “It opens doors. The award<br />
will definitely open conversations and<br />
ease the transition to the next level or the<br />
next project. It’s very valuable to an independent<br />
filmmaker to get as much<br />
recognition as possible.”<br />
Film North supporters and sponsors flocked to have their photograph taken in front of the official festival background<br />
during the opening night reception at the Algonquin Theatre in Huntsville.<br />
Lead actor and director Ryan Ward<br />
won Best Feature for his romantic drama<br />
Son of the Sunshine, in which a young<br />
man with Tourette’s Syndrome is cured<br />
through surgery, but also loses his gift of<br />
healing. Ward, a Winnipeg native with<br />
numerous film and stage acting credits<br />
under his belt, is just starting out as a<br />
director. Son of the Sunshine has won<br />
awards at other festivals, but Ward is still<br />
delighted.<br />
“It is always nice to win Best Feature<br />
at an inaugural festival, since it means<br />
you will be remembered as being there<br />
forever,” he says. “We were their first<br />
Best Feature! It was a great screening at<br />
Film North, with a lot of great response<br />
and interesting conversations post<br />
screening.”<br />
Any award is a vote of confidence in a<br />
movie, he says. “It makes people want to<br />
watch it. You can put it on your DVD<br />
box.”<br />
The Bullseye Award for Lifetime<br />
Achievement was awarded to Graeme<br />
Ferguson, one of the inventors of Imax,<br />
a paradigm-change in the silver-screen<br />
world. He and two partners, who started<br />
out as high school friends, made two<br />
films for Expo ‘67 in Montreal in 1967.<br />
“As a result of the success of expanding<br />
cinema screens there, we decided to<br />
invent a new kind of movie theatre,” he<br />
says.<br />
The number of partners was expanded<br />
to five, and four of them – Ferguson,<br />
Robert Kerr, William Shaw and Bill<br />
Breukelman – ended up owning cottages<br />
on Lake of Bays.<br />
“Most Canadians have an attachment<br />
to the north and we tend to gravitate<br />
north when we can,” says Ferguson,<br />
whose first Imax film was North of Superior.<br />
“So the award for Film North<br />
seemed appropriate.”<br />
What about future plans for the festival?<br />
One priority is upgrading the projection<br />
system. Saturday night’s feature,<br />
Photograph: Kelly Holinshead<br />
Don Tapscott and Lucy Wing present Graeme Ferguson (centre) with the<br />
Lifetime Achievement Award for his role in developing the IMAX.<br />
Photograph: Don McCormick<br />
Wayne Thompson, Kathryn Griffiths and Lucy Wing accept the award for<br />
Best Feature on behalf of Ryan Ward for his film, Son of the Sunshine.<br />
Photograph: Don McCormick<br />
26 October 2010 www.whatsupmuskoka.<strong>com</strong>
Photograph: Don McCormick<br />
Lucy Wing presents producer Renzo Zanelli and actress Annika Beaulieu<br />
with the RBC Environmental Award for their film, El Perro Del Hortelano.<br />
Photograph: Don McCormick<br />
Dustin Cohen (far left) and Lucy Wing (far right) present producers<br />
Andrea McCullough and Chris Booth with the Viewers’ Choice Award.<br />
Genius Within: The Inner Life of Glenn<br />
Gould, had to be called off a few minutes<br />
into the screening after the disc was<br />
damaged by overheated equipment. But<br />
Wing says she has already talked to<br />
experts on how to improve the system,<br />
and the Huntsville audience will likely<br />
have an opportunity to view the film<br />
through the Reel Alternatives film club.<br />
The date for Film North 2011 is not<br />
yet set but Wing hopes to lock in the<br />
third weekend in September again.<br />
“We’re going to put our thinking caps<br />
on and continue to create and offer a<br />
program that has its finger on the pulse<br />
of what the audience is looking for,” she<br />
says.<br />
One idea she has is to do all local films<br />
on the Thursday of the event, offer<br />
showings in retirement homes and contact<br />
all educational institutions that have<br />
film-making students to get them out.<br />
“One thing that resounded is that<br />
truly, the starving artist syndrome does<br />
exist,” Wing says. “They’re brilliant and<br />
they’re waiting tables, when they’ve got<br />
talent as brilliant as Clint Eastwood<br />
when he acted. Some of them struggled<br />
to get up here; they didn’t have money to<br />
buy bus tickets. We’re going to work on<br />
approaching sponsors for financial contributions<br />
towards the awards.”<br />
Wing’s ultimate dream is a permanent<br />
home for the festival, possibly even a<br />
film theatre <strong>com</strong>plex.<br />
“Other towns have them,” she says.<br />
“We’re going to work on that next year,<br />
for sure.”<br />
Opening new doors<br />
for Habitat for Humanity<br />
Awards emcee Tina Fontana and festival founder Lucy Wing present producer<br />
Mike Humble with the award for Best Short for his film, The Lake.<br />
Photograph: Don McCormick<br />
By Karen Wehrstein<br />
Muskoka artists are transforming cupboard<br />
doors into unique masterpieces for<br />
Opening New Doors, a fundraising<br />
event in support of Habitat for Humanity<br />
Muskoka.<br />
The 25 plain cupboard and vanity<br />
doors will have been transformed into<br />
one-of-a-kind pieces of art by local<br />
artists, a few celebrities with ties to<br />
Muskoka and two young people who will<br />
benefit from Habitat’s good work. They<br />
will be auctioned off on Oct. 21 at Six<br />
Degrees Muskoka in Bracebridge.<br />
“We’re thrilled to have some wellknown<br />
local artists participating,” says<br />
Habitat executive director Ellen Frood.<br />
She notes that artists in many media,<br />
including metal workers, were specifically<br />
invited, and there are no rules and no<br />
limits on how the doors can be transformed<br />
into art. A call for artists was put<br />
out in early September, and the doors<br />
were gone by the end of the month.<br />
Former NHL player Chris King, who<br />
was born in Bracebridge, will try his<br />
hand at cupboard door art, as will Parry<br />
Sound-Muskoka MPP Norm Miller and<br />
possibly another surprise local celebrity.<br />
“Two of our partner families are going<br />
to be contributing doors as well,” says<br />
Frood, noting that the families will be<br />
living in Bala once Habitat finishes<br />
building their homes.”<br />
All financial proceeds will go towards<br />
future builds by Habitat, which has<br />
already helped eight families in Muskoka<br />
achieve home ownership. The Bala project<br />
will raise that total to 10 homes.<br />
Habitat for Humanity Muskoka also<br />
saves material from landfill through its<br />
ReStore in Bracebridge and recycling<br />
efforts. “In a little over four years, we<br />
have diverted 2,356,000 pounds of product<br />
from landfill. In three years we’ve<br />
recycled 250,000 pounds of aluminum<br />
cans – that’s 840,000 cans – to raise<br />
$13,000.”<br />
The auction and reception will start at<br />
5:30 p.m. Admission is free.<br />
Bala Cranberry Festival<br />
October 15, 16, 17, 2010<br />
26th Annual<br />
Featuring – OPP Golden Helmets<br />
1 pm – Saturday, October 16<br />
In Town and Daily shuttle buses from Gravenhurst<br />
Wharf and Port Carling Township offices<br />
Friday & Saturday 9 – 5pm, Sunday 9 – 4pm<br />
For <strong>com</strong>plete list of events visit<br />
balacranberryfestival.on.ca<br />
www.whatsupmuskoka.<strong>com</strong> October 2010 27
WHAT’S UP MUSKOKA<br />
MARKETPLACE<br />
440 Ecclestone Drive<br />
Bracebridge<br />
HOT TUB WAREHOUSE<br />
www.hottubwarehouse.ca<br />
HOT TUBS/CHEMICALS<br />
PARTS & SERVICE<br />
POOL TABLES &<br />
GAME ROOM SUPPLIES<br />
705-645-8613<br />
Serving Muskoka for over 15 years<br />
Sherry<br />
ABR, SRES<br />
RONDEAU<br />
Sales Representative<br />
705-645-5257 Ext. 231<br />
800-606-2636<br />
Fax: 705-645-1238<br />
muskokarondeau@sympatico.ca<br />
www.muskokarondeau.ca<br />
100 West Mall Road,<br />
Bracebridge, ON P1L 1Z1<br />
Brokerage, Independently Owned and Operated<br />
STEVENSON<br />
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295 Margaret St., Gravenhurst, Ont<br />
Your Total<br />
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PLUMBING,<br />
ELECTRICAL<br />
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705-687-4994 Shop 705-687-7840<br />
Fax 705-687-1048<br />
www.stevensonplumbingandelectric.<strong>com</strong><br />
stevensonplumbingelectric@bellnet.ca<br />
Subscribe Today!<br />
Outside Muskoka, in Canada<br />
One Year $25.00 Including HST<br />
Two Years $45.00 Including HST<br />
Call<br />
705-646-1314<br />
Jacqui Semkow<br />
Muskoka Mortgage<br />
Specialist<br />
Muskoka and Parry Sound<br />
705-646-4238<br />
Fax: 705-646-1810<br />
Pager: 1-866-767-5446<br />
semkoj@td.<strong>com</strong><br />
ABSOLUTE<br />
CONCRETE FINISHING & FORMING<br />
✓ Floors<br />
✓ Footings<br />
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CONCRETE – CUTTING & REMOVAL<br />
ICF ALIGNMENT BRACING RENTALS<br />
705-788-3575<br />
Financial & Estate Planning<br />
Dan Willett<br />
MBA, ,CLU,CSA,RHU<br />
Certified Financial Planner<br />
P 705-645-7850<br />
866-445-7850<br />
23 Dominion St., Unit #1<br />
Bracebridge, ON<br />
dan@willettfinancial.ca<br />
STUART &<br />
CRUICKSHANK<br />
BARRISTERS, SOLICITORS &<br />
NOTARIES PUBLIC<br />
Peter B. Stuart, Q.C.<br />
James W. Cruickshank, B.A., LL.B.<br />
(705) 687-3441<br />
facsimile (705) 687-5405<br />
Office: 195 Church Street, Gravenhurst, ON<br />
Mail: P.O. Box 1270, Gravenhurst, ON P1P 1V4<br />
AREAS OF PRACTICE:<br />
– Real Estate and Mortgages<br />
– Wills and Trusts<br />
– Corporate and Commercial<br />
– Municipal and Land Use Planning<br />
Next advertising<br />
deadline<br />
OCT. 28<br />
28 October 2010 www.whatsupmuskoka.<strong>com</strong>
WHAT’S UP MUSKOKA<br />
SOCIAL SCENE<br />
1<br />
2<br />
3<br />
4<br />
5<br />
Photograph: Don McCormick<br />
Photograph: Don McCormick<br />
6<br />
7<br />
1. Over 1100 Grade 4 and 5 Muskoka students attended Race Against Drugs at the Bracebridge<br />
Fairgrounds at the end of September supported by <strong>com</strong>munity agencies and private businesses.<br />
Students learned the consequences of alcohol and drug use and how to make healthy choices.<br />
2. Karin Rapsch chats with door prize winner Ellen Frood at the Bracebridge Chamber of<br />
Commerce after hours event at James St. Place on Sept. 27.<br />
3.What’s Up Muskoka contributor Chris Occhiuzzi and his wife Kandis celebrate their wedding day<br />
in Huntsville on Oct. 2, 2010 with their son, Dante.<br />
4. Krystal Hewitt and Hunter, a young lynx, and Laura Gallagher and Selwyn, an adult female lynx,<br />
Email photo submissions to editor@northcountrymedia.<strong>com</strong><br />
were the Muskoka Wildlife Centre’s stars of the evening during a fundraising cruise aboard the<br />
Wenonah II on Sept. 19. The event raised close to $10,000.<br />
5. Residents of Port Sydney gathered at the <strong>com</strong>munity hall on Oct. 2 to feast on turkey,<br />
homemade pies and other mouth-watering food during the annual Thanksgiving dinner.<br />
6. Participants at the CIBC Run for the Cure in Dwight show their support by wearing pink during<br />
the Oct. 3 event, which raised $62,000 for breast cancer research.<br />
7. Georgian College staff and students took part in the Heart and Stroke Big Bike for Heart event at<br />
Gagnon’s Independent Grocer in Bracebridge on Sept. 9, 2010.<br />
www.whatsupmuskoka.<strong>com</strong> October 2010 29
Define Your Space with...<br />
Superior Canadian<br />
Crafted Furniture<br />
Reflecting the beauty and serenity<br />
of the Muskokan landscape<br />
Appreciating autumn from the air l Social media spreads the message of Muskoka l Made-in-Muskoka gift ideas<br />
MuskokaOctober 2010<br />
$4.95<br />
MAGAZINE<br />
Garden giants<br />
Muskoka’s growers share their<br />
quest for the biggest pumpkin<br />
COTTAGE HOME & PROPERTY<br />
Showcase<br />
October 2010<br />
REAL ESTATE<br />
Tremendous<br />
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HUNTSVILLE • BRACEBRIDGE • GRAVENHURST • MUSKOKA LAKES<br />
LAKE OF BAYS • PARRY SOUND • ALMAGUIN • GEORGIAN BAY<br />
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We borrow many motifs from the past, creating a solid,<br />
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Every piece offers unique hand craftsmanship, precise<br />
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The enduring quality of Mennonite<br />
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A day in the life of a geocaching fanatic l Engineering a model train world l Land donation protects the past and future<br />
Hot Tubs<br />
Pool Supplies<br />
Pool Tables<br />
Game Room Supplies<br />
Parts &<br />
Services<br />
HOT TUB<br />
WAREHOUSE<br />
Bracebridge 705-645-8613<br />
www.hottubwarehouse.ca info@hottubwarehouse.ca<br />
Our booth at the<br />
The ENVIRONMENTALLY friendly product for your next<br />
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Your stocking distributor for<br />
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Royal Winter Fair<br />
QUALITY<br />
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November 5 to 14<br />
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645-8183<br />
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It’s anticipated 330,000 people will once<br />
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For more details, call a sales representative, today<br />
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30 October 2010 www.whatsupmuskoka.<strong>com</strong>
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“The Ultimate in Green”<br />
www.whatsupmuskoka.<strong>com</strong> October 2010 31
Discover why more people choose Muskoka Window and Door Centre<br />
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