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all of the communities are involved in the decisionmaking process. “Frankly, you can do that with half the number of people. You don’t have to get rid of all the local municipalities to cut down on the number of officials,” he says. “Have a single tier at the bottom and have a service board or county system where representatives already elected make up the board of the county,” he suggests. “That is another model, and I think realistically, you won’t get that model.” Gravenhurst mayoralty candidate Terry Pilger says while going door to door talking to constituents, he has not heard anyone mention the idea of amalgamating the municipal and district governments. “I haven’t heard a whole of lot of people wanting to get into that again,” he says, recalling his time at council when restructuring was on the table. He adds, “Very few questions ever come up about District. It’s strange when you consider it is one third of the tax bill.” He says people are very concerned about rising taxes and some even expressed concerns about their ability to keep their homes. But Pilger says many people don’t realize that water, sewer and waste are all District responsibilities. “People complain about bureaucratic indifference,” says Pilger. “I hear that everywhere, not just Gravenhurst. If you took it to one level of government, people would even feel further removed,” he says. Bracebridge councillor and mayoralty candidate Graydon Smith says he hasn’t put much thought into reorganization of the District, “I don’t think it’s top of mind right now for me personally,” he says. “I’m in the middle of a mayor’s campaign and I’m focusing on running a municipality and how that municipality fits into the District.” However, he doesn’t think amalgamation has proven itself to be a success where it has been tried in the past. “We can look to large cities and small cities and see a lot of complaints so it’s not a panacea for the kinds of problems that municipal government faces,” he says. Smith says people have always been concerned about government losing contact with the people and believes a single-tier government at the District level would make it worse. “Everyone wants openness and transparency. Those are the words that we hear most often,” he says. “Is going to a one-tier system going to achieve that? With fewer representatives, I think it definitely doesn’t.” He is not convinced that one tier of government will mean less taxes. “I don’t have an objection if someone wants to bring forward some information to the table that suggests we can save money,” he says. “I am all for looking at it, but at the end of the day, you have a road network that is the same size, there are growth related issues in every community and the intent now between the two tiers of government is not to be duplicating work. The work that is there has to be done one way or another.” In some planning functions, Smith says there may be an opportunity to eliminate duplications, but he doesn’t see that option with public works. “When you get into public works, the town public works department deals with town roads and the District public works department deals with District roads and they kind have very separate spheres that they are dealing with,” he explains. Township of Muskoka Lakes taxpayers want to have more representation on District council, according to mayoralty candidate Patricia Arney’s experience at a recent all candidates event. They are not looking to be part of one single-tier District government. “The Township of Muskoka Lakes, which pays 49 per cent of its collected taxes into the District process, was looking at trying to increase the representation from the Township to the District level to ensure that those dollars are spent wisely and to ensure there are no further downloading of expenses and costs based on assessment,” says Arney. According to Mike Durnan, the District of Muskoka director of finance, 38.2 per cent of the assessed value of property in Muskoka is in the Township of Muskoka Lakes so the general tax rate for Muskoka Lakes is 38.2 per cent of the District tax base. “It is an interesting concept, going from increased representation to something that would be probably less representation,” Arney says. “If you go on the model of permanent population, therein lies the problem that has faced the District and the amalgamated communities since the Muskoka act first came into place.” Arney says it may be time to revisit restructuring, but says, “Is that an easy thing to do? Definitely not.” She says the District is responsible for huge infrastructure projects that would be prohibitive for the individual communities. “Very few questions ever come up about District. It’s strange when you consider it is one third of the tax bill” “There is a definite risk there, if we want to do away with that structure as all of our water and sewer and main roads, plus our waste collection are the responsibility of the District.” Arney recognizes there are frustrations with the District system, but believes a review would probably find the present system as the most efficient option. Gravenhurst District councillor and mayoralty candidate Mark Clairmont says he recognizes that Muskoka could be represented by fewer politicians but isn’t sure that would save money. With 22 elected representatives at the District table, he believes they are better able to best represent the crosssection of people that make up Muskoka. “That is not to say that Norm Miller or Tony Clement can’t represent all the people of Parry Sound/Muskoka,” he says. Clairmont says there are many ways to restructure, other than a single-tier District government. “You could have a south Muskoka, east Muskoka and west Muskoka,” he says, suggesting that Bracebridge and Gravenhurst join, Huntsville and Lake of Bays amalgamate and Muskoka Lakes and Georgian Bay connect. He believes District debt is a big issue but says that is because of the high cost of the water and sewer projects across the area. With treatment plants spread from Mac- Tier to Baysville, Clairmont recognizes it will be expensive but says it is something the District must take care of. “If you don’t protect the lakes, the cottagers won’t come,” he says. Paisley Donaldson, mayoralty candidate for Gravenhurst, has served two terms as South Ward councillor and thinks if exploring the District restructuring, it would make more sense to remove the District level and just focus on the municipal level. “Maybe the district restructuring is at the District level, and we don’t actually need the District anymore so that the towns run themselves,” she says. “The town currently does its own planning and its own tax collection. We have our own economic developers so we take back things that the District is doing. We could contract out the police and ambulance like they do, we take back our landfill, contract out the garbage collection,” she says. “We could handle the roads as well and then hire the potential District staff back for water and sewer. Each town could run their own town and have no more District, potentially.” She recognizes this in not a five-year vision, but something they could start planning to take place in 15 or 20 years. She doesn’t see a single upper-tier government as an option. “I see it the other way – each town handles their own issues.” When Gravenhurst was looking to rezone more lands as urban during the official plan process, she was frustrated when the District did not want to rezone the land. “I just think we are the ones that know our town better and how it should grow, rather than getting permission at the District level,” she says. Gord Adams has been the chair of District of Muskoka since 1994 and was chair in 2000 when he says District restructuring was last discussed. “There has been no talk at all that I know of on restructuring in Muskoka since that time,” Adams says. “That being said, I believe the bar that the province put for us to get over, or any municipality to get over before approving restructuring, was simply too high.” According to the Municipal Act, a triple majority is required before the province will even consider municipal restructuring. The majority of the District council must approve a request for restructuring. The majority of area municipalities must agree. In Muskoka that means at least four of the six. Those four councils must represent a majority of electors in the District of Muskoka. “It is a tough test that the province has set,” says District CAO Jim Green. “There is no guarantee that the province would consider the request.” He adds it would also need to be supported by a business case and related documents. Adams also doesn’t think you can compare Muskoka’s representation to the system in Toronto. “With 30 miles of solid people in two directions,” he says, Toronto is a very different scenario than in Muskoka. “I don’t know how many times you could fit Toronto, geographically in Muskoka,” he says. “We are a huge geographic area with many little towns and villages.” When looking at the cost of Muskoka’s politicians, Adams says, “It is still a pretty inexpensive representation for the people. There is no doubt it could work easier.” He adds that Muskoka could get by with fewer councillors. “I think probably everybody would agree with that.” He suggests referring to the Patterson report, which recommended three municipalities absorbing the rural communities into the urban as a place to start. “That would not go over well in Muskoka Lakes, Lake of Bays or Georgian Bay. Where would Georgian Bay go?” he asks. Adams sees opportunity for improved efficiency but says sometimes the towns are not interested. He gives the example of winter road maintenance. Each year, when it is time to contract winter road maintenance, the District asks the municipalities if they would like to include some of their roads in the tender process. Adams says winter road maintenance provided by the private sector costs less than those maintained by the municipalities for the District. The private provider has said that it would make sense and be more efficient if they could do some town roads too but at this point, the towns have not expressed interest. “Our biggest budget every year, after social services, is public works. The roads budget is huge, so there are things in delivery of service that can save us money,” he says. From a personal perspective, the District chair doesn’t have a desire to talk about amalgamation. “It chews up a lot of time and a lot of money, and unless the bar was lowered by the province of Ontario, I just don’t think it feasible at this time.” 6 October 2010 www.whatsupmuskoka.com
Muskoka paramedics, joined onstage by their management team, were honoured with the nation’s highest award for service at a gala on Sept. 30. Muskoka paramedics receive top honours Photograph: Muergen White By Allan Cook Some of area’s top paramedics were honoured with the nation’s highest award for service at a gala on Sept. 30 as Muskoka hosted the annual Association of Municipal Emergency Medical Services of Ontario conference. Fourteen Muskoka paramedics were presented with the EMS Exemplary Service Medal for displaying the highest standard of personal and professional conduct over a minimum of 20 years of front line service. The recipients were Bob Goodfellow, Dave Anta, Jerry Barnes, Reg Baxter, Irene Demaine, Jeurgen Gerich, Phil Jean Marie, Ken Mccaskie, Fraser McFarlane, James Norrie, Tim Waite, Steve Webb, Kim Thwaites and Dave Gravelle. “It’s the highest honour in EMS and it comes through the Governor General’s Canadian Honours program,” explains Terri Burton, director of emergency services for the District of Muskoka. “For us it was extremely special because Major General Rohmer presented the medals; he’s our most highly-decorated Canadian.” Burton herself was also honoured at the gala with the Richard J. Armstrong Leadership Award, which is presented to a paramedic who has demonstrated outstanding leadership skills and has contributed significantly to emergency medicine in Ontario. In addition to her role with the District, Burton also sits on the board of directors with the Municipal Emergency Medical Services of Ontario and is past-president of the organization. “I was very surprised,” she says of the award. “I didn’t even know I’d been nominated. It was a great honour.” Muskoka paramedic Tara Portelli was honoured at the gala with the Premier of Ontario’s Humanitarian Award for her volunteer work with GlobalMedic in Haiti following the devastating Jan. 12 earthquake. The organization set up two field hospitals, treated over 7,000 patients, purified over nine million litres of water and distributed over $1 million in medicine and equipment in its relief efforts. “Tara was pivotal in that with the contribution she made down there,” Burton exclaims. “GlobalMedic felt that she was one of the exceptional volunteers for what she did while she was there. She stood out as someone extremely strong and was nominated for this award.” Portelli volunteered her own time to join the Haiti mission, and Medavie EMS Ontario, the District’s contracted paramedicine provider, supported her by granting the time off to participate. The award was a complete surprise to Portelli, according Bracebridge paramedic Stuart McKinnon, who reveals that Portelli was told she won the ticket given to her for the gala in a ticket lottery. McKinnon, who is also treasurer of the Muskoka Paramedics Association and public relations co-ordinator for Medavie, was on stage to help present the awards. “You try to remain as professional as possible onstage but it was difficult when I saw my guys and co-workers coming up there; I smiled for every one of them,” he says. “You don’t often get a big thank you in the EMS world. You do your best, and you know that you’ve made a difference, and you know that people appreciate what you do, but I think it’s nice to give a thank you and give something back to our medics after such long terms of service. They deserve that.” Founder of worldwide teddy bear initiative recognized Diane Chantler receives the Rotary Foundation Regional Service Award from Bob Neibert. By Sandy Lockhart Teddy bears have brought international attention to the Rotary Club of Bracebridge-Muskoka Lakes. Diane Chantler recently received the Rotary Foundation Regional Service Award for a Polio Free World, a Rotary initiative to eradicate the disease. It was one of eight awards given out in the world and the only one in the World Health Organization region representing North and South America. In 2002, just before Chantler became club president, she came up with the idea of her club selling teddy bears as a fundraiser to fight polio. She describes it as “a silly idea that worked.” Chantler is a teddy bear collector and even had a business making custom bears in the past. Originally, the Rotary Club of Bracebridge-Muskoka Lakes turned the idea down in 2002, but Chantler convinced them otherwise, found a supplier and turned it into the club’s very successful fundraiser. “We are known as the teddy bear Rotary Club,” says Bob Neibert, District governor-elect, who presented Chantler with the award at the Oct. 5 Rotary breakfast meeting. He explains that while Chantler did have help from club members, “She was the impetus and moving force behind it all.” Through 40 clubs in the United States and Canada, plus one offshore, thousands of bears have been sold. In the first year alone, $48,000 was raised to help fight polio. “We’ve been instrumental is raising more than $100,000 US for polio,” says Chantler. The Bracebridge-Muskoka Lakes Club, through Chantler, deals with the supplier, acting as the middle man providing teddy bears for the many clubs. Even Rotary International has sold the bears provided by the Rotary Club of Bracebridge-Muskoka Lakes, a relatively new club, established in 2001. “In today’s words, it’s gone viral,” says Neibert of the teddy bears. He estimates the club has been involved in the sale of about 10,000 bears. “Today we sell bears for other projects as well,” says Chantler, explaining they have now been used to raise funds for Hospice Muskoka and the South Muskoka Hospital Foundation. Teddy bears are very important to the Rotary Club of Bracebridge-Muskoka Lakes and, as a result, there are a few special rules about the treatment of teddy bears. “It is a fineable offence to carry a teddy bear by the ears,” she says. Chantler says bears make a great fundraising item as they make everyone smile and all age groups like them. “Bears are an international language,” she says. www.whatsupmuskoka.com October 2010 7
Page 1 and 2: WHAT’S UP October 2010 MUSKOKA’
Page 3 and 4: Discounts Available on 3 or more Al
Page 5: Taking a new look at an old system
Page 9 and 10: South Muskoka has $5 million wish l
Page 11 and 12: Gravenhurst officially opens new to
Page 13 and 14: Art exhibit brings history to life
Page 15 and 16: Foundation honours stewards of natu
Page 17 and 18: ADVERTISING FEATURE Ryan Miller, #1
Page 19 and 20: WHAT’S UP MUSKOKA SPORTS YOU’VE
Page 21 and 22: Be thankful for the precious things
Page 23 and 24: WINTER CAR CARE Tire care is crucia
Page 25 and 26: Aiming high to help children By Car
Page 27 and 28: Photograph: Don McCormick Lucy Wing
Page 29 and 30: WHAT’S UP MUSKOKA SOCIAL SCENE 1
Page 31 and 32: Superior Insulation. Superior Perfo

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