District launching 30-year solid waste plan

 The District of Muskoka is attempting to come to grips with the mounting issue of solid waste.

During a recent meeting, District councillors heard staff are officially launching the creation of the solid waste master plan. The goal of the plan is to help guide the district through solid waste management over the next three decades. The district has hired
a consultant who will work with staff and other stakeholders on the best way to deal with solid waste processing and disposal.

The district is currently running out of real estate when it comes to solid waste disposal, as its only landfill, the Rosewarne site in Bracebridge, is expected to be filled by 2036 barring significant efforts toward waste diversion.

District councillors heard that limited landfill space is a problem being encountered across the entire province and many municipalities are grappling with the same issue.

Staff said the district will consider all options when creating the master plan, including incineration. However, they warned that any incineration would likely require partnerships with adjacent municipalities as the creation of such a facility would be financially prohibitive for an entity as small
as the District of Muskoka.

 Huntsville Festival of Arts reveals stacked fall lineup

The summer may be drawing to a close but the Huntsville Festival of the Arts remains in full swing. Throughout the month of September the HFA studio at 58 Main Street presents Sacred Strength as part of the Hope Arises Project.

Hope Arises Project founder and president Joyce Jonathan Crone, travelled to Huron Heights Secondary School to share her knowledge of Indigenous ribbon skirts and cultural practices with Grade 11 and 12 fashion students. The students spent a month sewing and crafting unique skirts, they wrote profound emotion-filled reflections on their connection and the humbling experience.

Sandhill Nursery will play host to live musical entertainment throughout the autumn, as Elliott Brood visits on September 14, Danny Michel plays September 21, Madison Violet plays September the 28 and Angelique Francis will perform in person on October 5.

Meanwhile at the Algonquin Theatre on Main Street a full lineup of Canadian legends are ready to hit the stage. That includes Matthew Good and his band on September 19, Tom Cochrane with his Songs and Stories tour on October 6, Donovan Woods on his Living Well tour October 24, Matt Dusk performing Tony Bennett on November 2, country star George Canyon on November 8, Sue Foley with her One Guitar Woman show on November 21 and Glass Tiger on November 27.

Three new waste drop-off locations planned for South Muskoka

 Residents living in south Muskoka will soon have three new locations to drop off solid waste but for the time being the situation will remain status quo in north Muskoka.

During a recent District of Muskoka Engineering and Public Works committee meeting, councillors heard plans for new waste drop-off facilities in Gravenhurst, Bracebridge and Muskoka Lakes. The new facilities are intended to complement the district’s bin site transition project, which is currently underway.

The first new site is set for a fall opening and will be located at 1990 Housey’s Rapids Road in Gravenhurst. The site is intended to service the communities of Riley Lake and East Kahshe Lake.

The second location will be the Lake Muskoka Depot on Beaumont Drive in Bracebridge, which is set to open mid-year of 2025. The site is intended to service Strawberry Bay, Beaumont Farm Road and water access residents on Lake Muskoka East.

The third location will be the Southwood Depot in Muskoka Lakes Township, which will service 9 Mile Lake and Bastedo Lake.

All of the facilities will accept district-wide residential waste but commercial materials will not be accepted.

There was some concern from District councillors representing north Muskoka that no sites were planned for their region. District staff said there will be consideration given to a Huntsville site during the preparation of the solid waste master plan, which is currently underway.

Muskoka Lumber Community Centre to open in August

The long wait is nearly over for one of the biggest capital projects in Bracebridge’s history.

August marked the official opening of the Muskoka Lumber Community Centre, the state-of-the-art social hub meant to consolidate community activities and services under one roof. The centre will be home to a new arena, library, multisport fieldhouse, outdoor courtyard play space and include the option for future expansion.

The new facility is located on Salmon Avenue, just off Wellington Avenue. The road is eventually expected to be expanded to reach Highway 118 West.

The library, auditorium, concessions and other group meeting spaces are expected to be used by special interest clubs, service clubs, arts and cultural groups as well as local businesses.

The entire project cost more than $75 million, with the province of Ontario chipping in $16.9 million and the Town of Bracebridge and community fundraising filling in the remainder.

The decommission and demolition of the Bracebridge Memorial Arena is also taking place beginning in August and is expected to last until November. The future use of the site has yet to be determined although affordable housing has been discussed.

The future use of the former Bracebridge Library in the Carnegie building at 94 Manitoba Street is also under discussion. Town staff have recommended that the 117-year-old building remain in municipal hands and potentially be used by Town staff, as well as the Chamber of Commerce, the visitors information centre and other organizations. There has also been some talk of storing the historic Woodchester collection of local artifacts inside the former library.

District of Muskoka threatens to withhold hospital funding

The route Muskoka Algonquin Healthcare has planned to take towards two new hospitals in Muskoka has become more challenging.

Following resolutions from the Town of Gravenhurst and the Town of Bracebridge councils threatening to withdraw funding for MAHC’s hospital proposal, District of Muskoka council recently said they won’t release their share of the funding to redevelop the Bracebridge and Huntsville hospitals unless they are allowed to approve the final plan for redevelopment.

In total Muskoka Algonquin Healthcare is seeking an estimated $225 million as the local share of the contribution towards the $1 billion plus project. Some $77.4 million dollars of that local share is expected to come from the District of Muskoka.

The motion was put forward by Muskoka Lakes councillors Peter Kelley and Guy Bury, who said the motion was intended to act as guardrails rather than to suggest any specifics for the new model.

The new model has met with considerable criticism from residents and politicians in south Muskoka, who feel the new hospital in Bracebridge will be losing many of its current services and capabilities.

Fall fairs arrive across Muskoka

With the cooler temperatures comes a flurry of activities across the region in the form of the annual fall fairs.

The season kicks off with the 149th annual Severn Bridge Fall Fair taking place on September 7. The fair takes place at the Severn Bridge Fairgrounds located at 1153 Southwood Road in Gravenhurst. The fair features musical acts performing on stage, vendors, a children’s maker market, a hall of displays for prize winning produce and homemade items and other events.

September 13 to 15 the 2024 Bracebridge Fall Fair and Horse Show takes place at the JD Lang Activity Park. For more than 156 years the Bracebridge Fall Fair has been an opportunity for locals and visitors alike to gather and celebrate the farming season. The event features a midway, petting zoo, pony rides, tractor and horse pulls, spinning, weaving and wood carving demonstrations and much more.

The Huntsville Fall Fair runs from September 20 to September 22 at the Huntsville Fairgrounds located at 407 Ravenscliffe Road in Huntsville. This will be the 142nd edition of the Huntsville Fall Fair and will feature all the traditional favourites including live entertainment and a midway. It will also include a wide variety of exhibitions including archery, air cadets, quilting, mixed martial arts demonstrations with UFC fighter Kyle Nelson, sheepdog trials and even a demolition derby on Sunday afternoon.