Temple grand opening; LOB’s new MAT; Public Works Palooza; Gravenhurst STR map; Increased Waste Transfer Use

Select Muskoka Newsbites from various sources including our own reporting, media releases, and a few notes contributed by our friends at The Bay 88.7 FM.

Krishna Temple Grand Opening

The Krishna Cultural Centre in Downtown Huntsville (at the site of the old movie theatre) is having a grand opening festival on Sunday, May 19 in River Mill Park from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Construction on the temple and cultural centre has taken about three years. There will also be a restaurant, named Govinda, featuring vegan and vegetarian dishes opening on the lower floor of the building.

The grand opening will celebrate the temple’s offerings, including cultural showcases, meditation, yoga sessions, food, gift shops, and children’s activities.

Organizers say the temple will be open to everyone, regardless of faith or background, as it aims to serve as a cultural center for the community, not just the Hindu community.

MAT Program in LOB

The Township of Lake of Bays will be implementing a new Municipal Accommodation Tax program after council agreed to the proposal during their May meeting.

Accommodations under the MAT program include hotels, lodges, bed and breakfasts, motels, inns, and short-term rentals (STRs).

The MAT applies to accommodation revenue only, excluding other fees or taxes. It is charged to the provider as additional tax on accommodation and submitted to the Township.

The report indicates that fifty percent of this tax revenue will be shared with eligible tourism entities to promote tourism.

Other municipalities in Muskoka have already implemented MAT, including Huntsville, and in those areas it is used to help support projects and initiatives that increase tourism in those areas.

Committees in those areas accept proposals and determine how much funding – if any – goes to support the individual ideas or events.

Public Works Palooza

The District of Muskoka’s Engineering and Public Works department is inviting residents to learn more about how infrastructure, construction and operations staff keep critical services running safely and smoothly all year round.

The first Public Works Palooza (a free, family friendly event) is set for May 25 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Rosewarne Landfill (1091 Rosewarne Dr., Bracebridge), rain or shine.

The event is being held in recognition of National Public Works Week.

The theme this year is, ‘advancing quality of life for all.’ Residents can ask questions and see what trucks and equipment are used to provide service to Muskoka residents.

Muskoka Paramedic Services will also be in attendance as they celebrate Paramedic Services Week from May 19 to 25. Paramedics are dedicated to providing medical care first to those with acute illnesses or injuries while on route to a nearby hospital. Paramedics also provide community paramedicine to help residents stay in their homes longer by filling in gaps within their care plan.

Those visiting Public Works Palooza can get free compost (BYO buckets and shovels); sample award-winning water; vote on the name of a new compactor; see Muskoka Birds of Prey falcons; take the diversion challenge; and much, much more.

Gravenhurst’s STR Map Online

Having implemented a new short-term rental (STR) by-law at the start of 2024, the Town of Gravenhurst recently launched an online map to show where the licensed properties are located within the town borders.

The searchable map is available at short-term rentals and each legal STR is outlined on the map using a red border. Each properties address is also available by clicking on the property.

According to the Town, a short-term rental Short-Term Rental is defined as “the use of a dwelling unit that operates or offers a place of temporary residence, lodging or occupancy by way of concession, permit, lease, licence, rental agreement, or similar arrangement for any period equal to or less than 28 consecutive calendar days, throughout all or any part of the calendar year, unless otherwise prohibited by this By-law or any other By-law of the Town of Gravenhurst.”

All Gravenhurst properties – be it homes, cottages, or apartments – being used as short-term rentals, as defined by the by-law, must have an annual licence.

The STR by-law itself came into effect in January, after community consultations and reviews of other community best practices. The Administrative Monetary Penalty System (AMPS) by-law was also passed to describe the enforcement and the penalties related to licenced and regulated STRs.

Financial penalties range from $150 for fail to park in an approved location to $1,500 for failing to obtain a licence – with fines for failing to comply with STR rules and regulations, fail to post a licence, advertising and operating without a valid licence, and more.

Increased Waste Transfer Use In Muskoka

A recent report by Renee Recoskie, the District of Muskoka waste management and environmental services director, shows waste transfer use going in the wrong direction.

According to the report, Muskoka’s waste facilities managed more than 420,000 transactions in 2023, a five percent increase over 2022.

The busiest sites last year were Rosewarne in Bracebridge, Eveleigh in Muskoka Lakes, Beiers in Gravenhurst and McLean in Lake of Bays. Stisted Transfer Station, which serves the majority of Huntsville and the surrounding area, surprisingly had lower than expected use – averaging only 46 daily transactions compared to Rosewarne’s 307 average daily transactions.

With landfill space predicted to run out in under 10 years, this is a significant concern.

If everything remained the same, based on the average volume landfilled from 2017 to 2023 the estimated closure year of the Rosewarne Landfill is 2039 (two years earlier than originally anticipated).

If reductions materialize in annual volumes, the landfill life could be extended beyond 2040. Reducing the amount of garbage received will have a direct effect on the expected closure date and when alternative disposal options must be available.

A major point made in the report is the fact that Muskoka’s waste diversion rate is very low. Residents continue to landfill significant amounts of garbage when compared to what is being diverted using recycling and composting programs.

The diversion rate varies for various collection programs. Curbside collection continues to have the greatest diversion rate (47 percent) followed by transfer stations (32 percent) and Lakeside Waste Collection (31 percent) – with bin sites performing exceptionally poorly (23 percent).

Ownership of waste and supervision are critical to ensure bag limits are being respected and diversion tools used.

The report states that municipal programs with more stringent limits on garbage have better diversion rates. Restricting garbage gives an increased incentive to residents to use free diversion options such as blue (recycling) and green (compost) bins.

Expansion of the organics program and the transition of a significant number of unstaffed bin sites are expected to bring some positive change to the District’s diversion rate in 2024.