Accumulated news pieces from councils, MAHC, OPP, and more.

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.

Huntsville Road Projects Update

Today, the Town of Huntsville issued an update on its ongoing road projects around the municipality.

Minerva Street Reconstruction (Centre Street to West Street) – re-opened on August 21. Reconstruction works are nearing completion, including storm sewers, sidewalks, and road resurfacing. With the Minerva re-opening, the temporary Transit Stop location has been moved back to its original location in front of the Huntsville Public Library.

Silver Street (West Road to Thunder Bridge Road) – Completed – Road work included new asphalt road surface along with ditching.

East Elliot Street (Yonge Street to Wilmott Street) – Re-Opened as of August 21, 2024 – Road work is completed, including new asphalt road surface, catch basins, storm pipes and ditching.

Kitchen Road South (Main Street West to Cairns Crescent) – Completed – Road work included road base patching and new asphalt surface.

Dara Howell Way Streetlight Replacement – Completed – Work included removal and replacement of existing streetlights.

High Float and Gravel Work on area roads has been completed.

Slurry Seal Work on area roads is expected to start at the end of August.

For full details on the 2024 Capital Project Program and timing of construction, visit huntsville.ca/Roads.

Huntsville Hospital Foundation Celebrates 40 Years

The Huntsville Hospital Foundation celebrated its 40th anniversary on Thursday this week. Established in 1984, the Foundation says the milestone marks decades of dedication to enhancing care at Huntsville Hospital.

The Foundation marked the occasion with a reception at the Huntsville Hospital Garden of Honour.

They extended a heartfelt thank you to everyone who has contributed to advancing healthcare in our community, writing on their Facebook page: “We’d like to remember and thank those with the vision and commitment throughout the past four decades that have allowed Huntsville Hospital Foundation to advance state of the art care within Huntsville Hospital.”

Bracebridge Issues Tender for Winter Equipment

The Town of Bracebridge has issued a tender for the rental of two (2) Tandem Axle Plow/Sanding/Salting Combination Units with a minimum ten (10) cubic metre sand and salt spreader equipped with plow and wing for winter operations for the 2024/2025 season with the option of extending for the years of 2025/2026 and 2026/2027 winter seasons, should both parties be satisfied. 

The Tender document is available online only at Biddingo.com

The tender will close on Thursday, September 5, 2024 at 2 p.m. local time at the Public Works Department, Town of Bracebridge Municipal Office at 1000 Taylor Court in Bracebridge.

Tender(s) will be opened virtually via a Zoom meeting at 2:30 p.m. on the Tender Closing Date. All Proponents and the public have the option of accessing the virtual meeting as a viewer only.

Those interested in attending the virtual meeting, contact publicworks@bracebridge.ca

For full up-to-date details on this an other tenders, visit the Town’s Bids and Tenders page.

High Falls Bridge Replacement begins

The Town of Bracebridge issued a news release stating that on Monday, August 26 work will begin on replaced the High Falls Bridge on Power Point Road. The project, expected to take three months, will close Power Point Road between High Falls Road and the Lakeland Generation Hydro Plant.

Access to the High Falls picnic and viewing areas from Brodie Crescent will remain open during construction.

The Bay Food Crew Keeps on Giving

Earlier this week, The Bay Food Crew delivered a shipment of fresh blueberries and raspberries with a $7,000 value to the Table Food Bank, sharing the delivery with the Burk’s Falls Food Bank, Manna Food Bank and Gravenhurst Against Poverty.

Table Food Bank Manager Lynn Doyle told The Bay 88.7 FM that usage of the food bank is up 43 per cent year over year – a fact supported by other area food banks.

The Table has been serving the community for over 17 years and is struggling to meet the needs of the community in this economic climate. Doyle, says that the food bank gives out 900 baskets of food each week, and is designed to help people fill the gaps in their food shopping.

The Table also serves 160 ready made meals twice a week to those in need and offers other services including clothing and a men’s hostel.

The Bay Food Crew with its partners including Bullock’s Independent, Dairy Lane Dental, Capstone Markets and DBR Marketing make regular donations through the year and can report that the shelves are continually near empty.

Donations to the food bank are appreciated and necessary to support those in need.