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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 />

TERRY<br />

PILGER<br />

FOR<br />

MAYOR<br />

FOR MEANINGFUL CHANGE<br />

Please view my website www.terrypilger.<strong>com</strong> for updated information<br />

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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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 />

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“We’re open to whatever the need is<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 bathroom of the home offers a<br />

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<strong>com</strong>forts.<br />

As a private facility, Carolyn’s Comfort<br />

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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 />

throughout the house, and a fire and<br />

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 />

Carolyn’s Comfort Homes Inc.<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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Media Publishing Inc. which is a part of:<br />

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Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction of any<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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Dec 3 7:30 PM Gravenhurst Powassan<br />

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 />

Get connected to Muskoka<br />

Buy space on these websites for as low as<br />

$165Quarterly<br />

• Package includes set-up fee<br />

• All four Muskoka websites<br />

• One low payment<br />

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News<br />

www.whatsupmuskoka.<strong>com</strong><br />

Real Estate<br />

www.muskokacottagehomeproperty.<strong>com</strong><br />

Lifestyle<br />

www.muskokamagazine.<strong>com</strong><br />

Attract visitors interested in your Muskoka business<br />

Call 646-1314 or email: info@northcountrymedia.<strong>com</strong><br />

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 />

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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 />

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“We are equipped and insured to do<br />

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about 70 per cent of the work is <strong>com</strong>mercial.<br />

“We do a lot of <strong>com</strong>mercial<br />

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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 />

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Vettese and his crew take that same<br />

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“Our employees are certified Certain-<br />

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One of the foreman on the crew has<br />

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Vettese’s <strong>com</strong>pany does tar and gravel,<br />

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“Sometimes it may cost a little more<br />

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He notes that customers often have ice<br />

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“With my construction background, I<br />

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Customers John and Judy Shaw<br />

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“We chose them for their quality and<br />

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Their roof had five different roof lines<br />

so required extra diligence.<br />

“We would highly re<strong>com</strong>mend them,”<br />

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“The roof, it looks so much better than<br />

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Whether it is a <strong>com</strong>mercial or residential<br />

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“At the end of the day,” says Vettese,<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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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 />

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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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✓ Sidewalks<br />

✓ Patios<br />

✓ Crawl Spaces<br />

Leveled & Polished<br />

Leveled & Stepped<br />

Polished & Blocked<br />

Sloped & Broomed<br />

Stamped & Sealed<br />

Sealed & Capped<br />

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 />

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MAGAZINE<br />

Garden giants<br />

Muskoka’s growers share their<br />

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COTTAGE HOME & PROPERTY<br />

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Tremendous<br />

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HUNTSVILLE • BRACEBRIDGE • GRAVENHURST • MUSKOKA LAKES<br />

LAKE OF BAYS • PARRY SOUND • ALMAGUIN • GEORGIAN BAY<br />

www.muskokacottagehomeproperty.<strong>com</strong><br />

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 />

roof project with a lifetime warranty.<br />

Your stocking distributor for<br />

Muskoka, Parry Sound, Almaguin,<br />

Haliburton & More!<br />

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information 705-645-3355<br />

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Royal Winter Fair<br />

QUALITY<br />

MENNONITE<br />

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Wide Selection of Top Quality<br />

Furniture For Every Room In<br />

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November 5 to 14<br />

gives you<br />

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reasons to advertise<br />

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195 Wellington Street, Unit 7<br />

BRACEBRIDGE (Across from Monck Public School Yard)<br />

645-8183<br />

Locally Owned & Operated<br />

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It’s anticipated 330,000 people will once<br />

again visit the Royal Winter Fair and our<br />

publications will be there.<br />

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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www.whatsupmuskoka.<strong>com</strong> October 2010 31


Discover why more people choose Muskoka Window and Door Centre<br />

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“Our Business is Satisfied Customers”<br />

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Featuring quality<br />

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