Good Afternoon Muskoka Bay,

I know I am overdue for an update so here goes! First off, you are receiving this email because you are a paid member of Muskoka Bay Property Owners Association. The annual expiry for all memberships is on August 1, 2019. (However, I will be bothering you long before that for your renewal!) Our numbers are currently the largest since my involvement so thank you for that! We just keep getting stronger.

We may need all of your annual dues as Gravenhurst and the Province of Ontario have once again raised the prospects of selling the Muskoka Regional Centre. The Property is still owned by the Ontario Government but has changed hands in terms of who controls the file. It is now run by Bill Walker MPP who is in charge of the Ministry of Government and Consumer Services.  The Mayor and Senior Staff from the Town have met with the Province on three separate occasions during the past few months including bringing along Maple Leaf Schools. Here is a bit of the article that went out to the press on December 18, 2018.

“We had a very constructive conversation with the Ministers in which we stated our case and they revealed more insight into where the file currently rests,” said Glen Davies. “What we’ve learned is that another interested party exists and that negotiations are ongoing exclusively with the Province.  No further detail was provided.  However, we are very pleased to hear that the Province fully understands our desire to ensure that any potential development should become an economic/employment driver for the Town.  

“I believe this to be a positive step forward none the less,” said Mayor Kelly. “We’ve reaffirmed our position, helped to keep the Maple Leaf School proposal on the radar and strengthened our relationship with the Province and will continue to do so in an effort to bring a mutually beneficial outcome. I’m confident that dialogue between the Province and our economic development team will continue to move forward,” said Mayor Kelly.”Paul.kelly2@gravenhurst.ca

Should we wish to launch a letter writing/email campaign with the other twenty-seven Lake Associations who have already offered their help, I will let you know.

An exciting development at the Wharf has been the possibility of restoring a third ship to our waterfront. “She’s the largest private steam yacht in Canada and one of the finest examples anywhere of the private steam yacht era. She’s also a marvellous piece of machinery,” John Miller of Muskoka Steamships went before Council with a plan to raise funds to restore the Wanda 3 and build a new state of the art boathouse to house her which would attach to the Discovery Centre. I believe an Eco Walking trail is also in the mix. Good luck John!

Keeping at the Wharf, Boston Pizza is once again up and running. As always, they continue to make huge charitable contributions towards our Community. They are providing the food free of charge for the next two big Community events both taking place on February 23^rd. The Chamber of Commerce After Hours Meet and Greet and the Coldest night of the Year walk through town in support of GAP. (Gravenhurst Against Poverty). Go tohttps://cnoy.org/location/gravenhurst if you want to take a look. Full Disclosure, I was appointed to this Committee by Council and all I can say is that it has opened up my eyes to the “other” side of Gravenhurst.

Another interesting addition is the installation of the first “Mobipad” at the Gull Lake Swimming area with more to come. I can see the look on your faces. What is a Mobipad? It is a wheelchair/walker friendly pad that allows these apparatuses to enter right down into the water. I’ve never seen one in use but they seem to be quite popular and helpful.

On a more political note, Council did vote to “opt in” to having retail Cannabis Stores in Gravenhurst. There really wasn’t much of a choice for a Town our size. The April 1^stdeadline of acquiring a retail location only applied to Cities with a population greater than 50,000 which we do not have. If the Town opted out, they would not qualify for the tax rebates from the Province yet would still have to deal with enforcement.

Onto some more Regional news from our Friends of Muskoka:

Major Changes in Village of Minett Plans

We are very pleased to let you know that Mitchell Goldhar, a long-time resident on Lake Rosseau and an active participant in our organization, has recently entered into a contract to purchase the Clevelands House Resort and associated properties from its previous purchaser and will soon close on the property. This change in events has given us some reason for optimism that Cleves will be developed in a less impactful way than is permitted under the Official Plan or as earlier depicted in other schemes we have seen from previous proposals. We will keep you posted as this project proceeds.

Another tidbit from our partners at the MLA:

Upgrades to Muskoka Beach Water Treatment Plant -District council has approved a budget amendment to allow needed upgrades to the 1983 Muskoka Beach Water Treatment Plant. The project was originally budgeted at $4 million in 2017, but additional recommended upgrades and higher U.S. tariffs have increased the project cost to $6.7 million dollars. The project includes rebuilding existing filter under-drains, reconstruction of the current building and installing new sedimentation tanks. Construction is slated to begin January 2019 with an estimated completion date of June 2020.

In closing I should let you know that the Gravenhurst Winter Carnival runs from Feb 14^th to Feb 18^th this year. It’s always a good time if you can make it up for the long weekend. As Skokie says “You Otter join us!”http://skokie.wixsite.com/gravenhurst

For an entire list of events this year, please go to:.http://experiencegravenhurst.com/experience/ 

Cheers Everyone,

Jo

Very saddened by the recent passing of Ken Allen, a long time Muldrew Laker, dear friend and neighbour to so many of us.  Sending condolences, thoughts and prayers to the Allen’s during this sad time, from your Muldrew community.

https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/thestar/obituary.aspx?n=kenneth-ralph-allen&pid=191430833

Fellow cottagers John and Joanne Twist will be participating in a fund raiser called Coldest Night of the Year, a nation-wide event on February 23, 2019.  They are raising money locally for G.A.P. (Gravenhurst Against Poverty), a local organization established to help hungry, homeless, and hurting families in our community.

This is a very important cause for John and Joanne.  Joanne is currently chairing the GAP committee, and her tenure on the Gravenhurst Women's Centre Board gave her further insights into the plight of the poor in our town.  There is a rich Muskoka, and there is a very poor Muskoka. The latter is often hidden from sight, but it is there.

At 4 pm on the 23rd I will be walking in the cold for an hour or so, and need your assistance..
The Twist's need 2 things:

1. Walkers to accompany them and be part of the "Dewdroppers" team; and

2. Donations.
If you want to be part of the team, or know anyone else who might be
interested, please let them know. Or go on the website (https://cnoy.org/home), go to
their page, click on the "join" button, and sign up.

If you want to contribute, you have several choices:
a. mail in some money - mail a cheque, made out to Coldest Night of the Year (626 Dewdrop Lane, Gravenhurst, P1P1R2)
 b. go on the website  https://cnoy.org/home and follow the instructions.

Thank you for reading my email, and, hopefully, getting involved.

John
Team Captain, "The Dewdroppers"

Sad to share this news of fellow cottager Margaret Spalding.  Sending our thoughts and prayers to her family.

https://memorials.cavillfuneralhome.com/margaret-spalding/3682126/service-details.php

- Message from the President -
Summer 2018 will be remembered as a perfect summer weather-wise: very few storms, warm days and nights and thankfully no boating accidents.  This summer, too, saw a record number of young participants in the canoe lessons prior to the regatta. Your board took some new initiatives this season: 1. Restore Your Shore:Under the direction of Sarah Bale, our lake Steward, the first ever “restore your shore“ planting took place.  A work party of volunteers planted native plants (provided by the Watershed Council) at two cottage sites on Muldrew – a winning combination for both cottager and Muldrew shoreline quality and preservation.  We hope to continue this program in the future if possible. We should add that this is a program funded by the Ontario Government and MLCA had to apply to participate. 2. Silent Auction and Bake Sale:  On July 14th cottagers came together with treasures they wanted to purge at Memorial Pines. On personal note, my pies and Andrea Lukes gave Gravenhurst Bakery a run for the money! Funds in excess of $1,600.00 were raised. This money will used to for property maintenance at Muldrew owned properties (north, south lake landings and memorial pines) 3. MLCA 2018 Survey Results:Thank you to all that participated in the survey. This survey was geared toward lake use specifically and 132 respondents provided excellent feedback. The summary of all results can be found on the Muldrew Lake Website. TOPLINE SURVEY RESULTS Cottagers are very interested in “Community” events during the summer. 90% of respondents strongly agree with conducting a lake planning process (85 respondents are very interested in being involved!) 90% of respondents strongly agree with conducting a lake planning process (85 respondents are very interested in being involved!) 80% of respondents wish to receive communication via email. More members use FB page Muldrew my second home vs. the Muldrew FB page. Only 2% still wish hard copy communication. Respondents feel greatest value in membership is community events (regatta, fireworks, water quality, boating safety, landings) 63% think that using funds for appealing applications on properties was appropriate with membership knowledge 40% support fall and winter inspections… while 33% do not want them as part of membership 2019 1.    Looking forward to summer of 2019: Based on the support in the survey, the Board will strike a Lake Plan task force. MLCA Directors, Sarah Bale and Jessica Rohr, will work together to lead this task force. At present some government grants are being considered to help fund this project on Muldrew. 2.    July 13th- Safe and Quiet Lakes: will be presenting results from a Muskoka-wide survey we participated in, on boating and safety practices. This event will take place at memorial pines along with another event we are cooking up. Watch for the Spring Newsletter for more details! 3.   Bio Blitz: We are looking into a BIO BLITZ for the lake. It may be a one-day event or multiple afternoons possibly following canoe lessons. Please see spring newsletter for details. 4.     Calendar: Please review the calendar below to save the date for Muldrew Events Summer 2019. TOWN OF GRAVENHURST We are fortunate to have a local resident and MLCA board member, Joanne Twist, keeping the board informed regarding developments at town level. Joanne will continue to liaise with the Town on matters that concern us.  Our new mayor Paul Kelly is reaching out to all the lake associations to hear their concerns. He has developed a SWOT team to focus on Gravenhurst strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and treats. The results of the analysis formed part of an information package for Town Staff and the new council. Here is a summary. In each case, (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats – SWOT) it came from the feedback of the lake associations.  Top four strengths: Beauty & Environment – water, trees, etc. Muskoka Regional Centre property Location Heritage Top four weaknesses: Senior staff runs the town Disconnect between Council and permanent/seasonal residents Irresponsible spending Lack of respect for the Official Plan Top four opportunities identified were: Environment first with policy built into the Official Plan Muskoka Regional Centre Property Collaboration between Town and District, Town and Seasonal Residents and Town and Volunteer Groups Better Governance Top Threats Staff running town not elected officials High density development in Muskoka e.g. Minett Taxes Inability to attract business due to lack of employees and housing and lack of living-wage jobs Jo Morphy is the councillor for Ward 2 and Stephen Klinck for Ward 3. OTHER ITEMS OF NOTE Garbage bins at north and south lake landing for “island users and properties with no garbage collection only “is becoming a large concern as there seem to be many items just left by the side of the road. I would not be surprised if the bins were removed. If that happens, we will all need to go to the dump in the future. Loon sightings this summer were abundant. At one point there was a gathering (gaggle) of six swimming together. IN MEMORIAM Sadly the Muldrew community lost Rev. Don Gillies this past fall. Past president of the board for years, long-time preacher at Memorial Pines, sounding board and counsel of all that is good – a dear friend who will be missed by us all. I sign off wishing you and your loved ones a Merry Christmas and healthy, happy New Year. IF you love the lake, (and who doesn’t?) GET INVOLVED.  It is the best way to meet the awesome community of people we are a part of on Muldrew. Please email me or call me anytime 416-550-6922.  Better yet drop by cottage 2MM15 (the island across from Peck’s Landing). Janet Kincaid kincaidclan@outlook.com  Save the Dates Event Date Membership Renewal starts  May 1, 2018 Early bird deal on Membership ends May 31st2019 Last date for early bird membership  June 1, 2018 Dock Drop delivery  June 16th to 25th2018 Fireworks June 29th2019 Worship Service – 1stone of the year June 30th2019  Fireworks rain date  June 30th2019 Canoe Canada Day  Mon., July 1st 2019 Bugs in the Mud Early July - exact date TBA Worship Service  July 7th2019 Publication Deadline for nominations to Board July 12th2019 Safe Quiet Lakes Event @ Memorial Pines (kids & adults TBD) July 13th2019 Worship Service July 14th2019 Worship Services July 21th, 2019 Canoe Lessons  July 22nd -25th, 2019 Swim and Canoe Regatta July 27th2019 Worship Service July 28th2019 Swim and Canoe Regatta Rain date  July 30th – 1 pm Bugs in the Mud Late July - exact date TBA Worship Service August 4th 20189 Sailing Regatta August 10rd 2019 MLCA AGM  August 10th, 2019  Sailing Regatta rain date  August 11th h, 2019 – 1 pm Worship Service August 11th 2019 Worship Service August 18th 2019 Worship Service August 25th 2019 Fall board meeting  September 21st 2019

Presumable because of the wind storm there is a blue and pink paddle board at the shoreline of the South Channel next to the Luke's cottage.

The All Candidates Meeting sponsored by the lake associations on Aug. 30 was recorded and can be viewed on You Tube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QwTgCORqGcA&t=536s&pbjreload=10

You can also type “Gravenhurst All Candidates Meeting” in the search box on the You Tube Home Page. 

 

 

 

 

Gull & Silver Lakes Residents’ Association	Kahshe Lake Rate Payers’ Association
Loon & Turtle Lake Cottage Association	Muldrew Lakes Cottagers Association
Loon & Turtle Lake Cottage Association	Muskoka Lakes Association
Pine Lake Ratepayers Association	Riley Lake Property Owners Association
South Muskoka Lake Community Association	Sunny Lake Cottagers & Ratepayers Association

 

Gravenhurst Election – Aligned Candidates

 

The ten lake associations listed above are pleased to announce their Gravenhurst Aligned Candidates List for the upcoming October municipal election. The list reflects those candidates whose views best align with the core values of our members and have been approved by the Boards of the lake associations.

In July, the lake associations met and agreed on five core or shared values – they are:

1.         The Environment is our Economy

2.         No High-Density Residential Developments on our Lakes

3.         We are One Community of Permanent and Seasonal Residents

4.         Improved Fiscal Responsibility

5.         Good and Civil Governance

The associations also agreed to provide information and guidance to our members regarding the candidates running for office through the following selection process:

• ·         All of the 13 candidates running for office were interviewed by a committee consisting of Presidents or Directors of five different associations.

• ·         The candidates were also evaluated based upon their positions on key issues and the answers they provided during the two hour All Candidates Meeting sponsored by the lake associations, held on August 30 at the Terry Fox Auditorium .

• ·         For incumbents candidates running for re-election, the selection process also considered their performance on Council and their voting records over the past four years.

For your convenience we have listed below the Gravenhurst Aligned Candidates List. We suggest you save it on your computer, print out several copies, and share them with your friends and neighbours. We also encourage you to share this post broadly with your Muskoka community.

We are fortunate to live in Canada where we get to choose our representatives through open and fair elections.  We are also fortunate to be guaranteed the freedom of association, as well as the freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression by the Canadian Charter of Rights & Freedoms. 

The lake associations who have undertaken the task of developing the attached Aligned Candidates list take those freedoms seriously.  We trust our members will consider all pertinent information and make an informed vote in October.

 

The Group of Gravenhurst Lake Associations Aligned Candidates

  

Mayor: No Election – Paul Kelly has been acclaimed mayor

District Council: John Gordon - www.johngordon.ca

                             Heidi Lorenz - heidi.lorenz@cogeco.ca

                             Sandy Carins - sanmar@cogeco.ca

Ward 1 Councillor: Penny Varney - varney@muskoka.com

Ward 2 Councillor: Joanne (Jo) Morphy - joanne.m@rogers.com

Ward 3 Councillor: No Election - Steven Klinck has been acclaimed Ward 3 Councillor

Ward 4 Councillor: Terry Pilger - http://terrypilger.com/

Ward 5 Councillor: Audrey van Petegem – www.audrey4gravenhurst.ca

 

 

 

For more information contact Janet Kincaid – president@muldrewlakes.ca

 

Are you interested in learning about native flowers, trees and shrubs? 

The MLCA is looking for volunteers to help with two Restore Your Muskoka Shore planting events on the 16th of September. 

Volunteer for the morning, the afternoon, or both! 

To sign up, please email Sarah at muldrewlakessteward@gmail.com.