Glen Orchard Groundbreaking, TML Arena Feasibility Study, 40th Mayor’s Tea, MPP Community BBQs, Homelessness Prevention, A Modern Planning Department

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.

Construction begins on Glen Orchard Paramedic Station

The District of Muskoka marked a major milestone with the groundbreaking for the Glen Orchard Paramedic Station at 3843 Muskoka Road 118 West. This new station, purposefully located to optimize response times in West Muskoka, is set to be fully operational in 2025 and will replace the existing Port Carling Paramedic Station.  

Construction on the new Glen Orchard Paramedic Station is underway. The design incorporates energy-efficient systems and green building practices that not only support the District’s environmental goals but also enhances the functionality and resilience of the structure. This new facility supports paramedic services today and is designed with future growth in mind. 

“With nearly 5,000 square kilometers of Muskoka to cover, the location and condition of our paramedic facilities are paramount,” says District Chair Jeff Lehman via press release. “This new building is truly a ‘next generation’ station, with energy efficiency and technology that will save taxpayer dollars and help us best support our patients.”

He adds, “the facility helps our front-line paramedics do what they do best – get to you as quickly as possible when you need them, with the tools they need to deliver first-class emergency response.”

A ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Glen Orchard Paramedic Station at 3843 Muskoka Road 118 West is planned for Spring 2025 to celebrate the opening of Muskoka’s newest addition in healthcare infrastructure.  

Muskoka Lakes’ Arena Feasibility Study

The Township of Muskoka Lakes council recently received the final report for the Arena Feasibility Study.

The report documents all background information, the analysis of the site and building conditions, overview of the community needs, and a range of alternatives, with cost estimates, for consideration moving forward.

Builty in the early 1970s, the Bala and Port Carling Arenas have many upcoming needs and known deficiencies, such as new floor slabs, low roof structures and structural upgrades.

The community’s recreational needs have also evolved since the arenas were constructed. Common themes heard from the community included a desire for new amenities such as a walking track, dry space, gym, program rooms, pool as well as an ice pad.  

Following the consultant’s review and analysis of the information generated from the building analysis and community’s needs, a range of alternatives for the provision of indoor recreation space complete with an estimate of the associated costs were developed.

Several combinations and permutations for the provision of the indoor recreational services were evaluated, including: rehabilitation of existing facilities; one arena/facility for the Township; or an arena in one community and a pool or dry space in the other community.

The next step will be to consider the Arena Feasibility Study’s findings, along with the recommendations of various Master Plans, through a level of service study project.

It is through this study that Council will identify a future vision of service levels for roads, emergency and recreational amenities.  More information about the Level of Service Study and related community engagement opportunities will be provided in the coming months.

40th Mayor’s Tea in Gravenhurst

The 40th annual Mayor’s Tea event in Gravenhurst is set to take place on June 5 at 1 p.m. at the historic Gravenhurst Opera House.

The theme for the performance is a retro drive-in party with hits of the 1950s and 1960s.

During the afternoon, Mayor Lorenz will announce Gravenhurst’s 2024 Ontario Senior of the Year. Annually, local municipalities nominate an individual who has enriched the social, cultural, or civic life of a community.

“This will be our 40^th annual tea, which is pretty significant,” Mayor Heidi Lorenz said via news release. “To think we have been coming together as a community like this for such a long time is truly special.”

Muskoka-based Sonny Boy Mick, a solo act featuring award-winning singer and songwriter Stephen McPhail, will provide musical entertainment from the opera house stage. 

There is no cost to attend the tea, however, the town does ask that people reserve a spot at the event in advance: RSVP to Mayor’s Tea.

Save the Date(s) for Community BBQs

Parry Sound-Muskoka MPP Graydon Smith announced the dates for his Community BBQs across the region this summer.

The free event encourages family and friends to attend one (or all of them) to enjoy an afternoon of food, live music, face painting, games and treats.

On June 15, the first of three events takes place from noon to 2 p.m. at Annie Williams Park in Bracebridge. Tobin Spring will provide the entertainment, while the Beavertails food truck will be on hand, plus more fun!

The subsequent events will also take place from noon to 2 p.m. with the Huntsville BBQ happening on July 13 at River Mill Park followed by Parry Sound on August 24 at Waubuno Beach.

From Smith in a press release/community invite: “Last year’s BBQs were a blast and I know this year will be the same.”

Homelessness Prevention Program

A Homelessness Prevention Program was announced by Huntsville Mayor Nancy Alcock and supported by the District of Muskoka council at its monthly meeting earlier this week.

This is a province-wide provincially funded program (Muskoka is set to receive over $2 million this year to support it) that supports municipalities to provide affordable housing and related services to community members facing homelessness. Services include emergency shelters, housing, community outreach, and housing assistance.

An investment plan for the funding will be presented to the province in the near future.

The funding will be divided to include $941,354 for community outreach and supports, $38,603 for emergency shelters, $638,000 for housing assistance, $346,843 for supportive housing, and $103,400 towards administration.

Huntsville Modernizing Planning Department

The Town of Huntsville is taking steps to modernize its Planning Department with an upgraded website, updated notification procedures, and the launch of Cloudpermit for planning applications, starting June 3, 2024.

Included will be a revitalized and upgraded planning department section on the Town website, promising to be more user-friendly for submitting applications and learning more about planning fundamentals, permits, and by-laws. The new planning page can be seen at Huntsville.ca/planning.

As well, on June 3, the Town is launching a Cloudpermit system for planning applications, which will allow individuals to better track the status of their application, receive notifications when updates have been made, have the ability to access their workspace from any device, and allow for a seamless transition to building permit applications.

To learn about how to use Cloudpermit, access our Cloudpermit Guide and FAQ by visiting Huntsville.ca/CloudpermitFAQ or attend a public information session webinar on June 5 at 10 a.m. Click here for Zoom link

“The municipal planning process can be difficult to navigate, especially for private individuals. Through the launch of the revamped Huntsville Planning website and Cloudpermit platform, we aim to make it easier for both professionals and private residents alike to find the information they need and submit their planning applications,” says Richard Clark, Manager of Planning at the Town of Huntsville via press release. “We are also increasing efficiencies and modernizing through an update to the Planning Notification procedures.”