Muskoka Lakes Association January NewsBites

January 16, 2015

As a cottager, I always found news from Muskoka warming this time of year. So here from the Muskoka Lakes Association is January NewsBites.

Courtesy of the Muskoka Lakes Association

Welcome to January 2015 NewsBites

The MLA reminds everyone to check their cottages and homes regularly during the winter season. The Muskoka area has received well over four feet of snow in the last few weeks and we encourage you to ensure your roofs are shovelled. It’s always good to routinely check your property. If you are unable to make the trip to Muskoka, there are many service

Muskoka Watershed Council Welcomes New Director

December 19, 2014

Welcome MWC’s new Director of Environmental and Watershed Programs!
Muskoka Watershed Council is very excited to welcome Christy Doyle, the new Director of Environmental and Watershed Programs, to the organization beginning January 26th.

2014 Muskoka Summit on the Environment

September 24, 2014

I am a volunteer in Muskoka. As well as being on the executive of the Muskoka Watershed Council, I am also the videographer/video editor. This gives me a great opportunity to ensure that truly wonderful ideas and presentations are not lost after the words are spoken and the video projector is turned off. I record, edit and post to our YouTube channel, lectures and presentations at Muskoka Watershed Council events.

Kai Chan from the University of British Columbia presents the 3rd lecture from the 2014 Muskoka Summit on the Environment. On June 8th and 9th I recorded the presentations over the two day summit. Broadcast, in part, by CBC Radio’s Ideas with Paul Kennedy, (here’s the 2014 Muskoka Summit CBC broadcast), these were world-class lectures, presented here in Muskoka. I am delighted to be able to ensure these are available to the world.

CBC Ideas: Muskoka Summit on the Environment

Kai’s engaging presentation: Towards a Future Both Better and Wilder: Harmony Through Small-Planet Ethics.

It is time for small-planet ethics, wherein we treat our planet as we do our house and home.

The question, of course, is how to enable such behavior. The answer—to be elaborated—lies in unlocking the immense potential of human ingenuity and compassion, and the filtering the current cacophony of competing noise. Enable people and organizations to contribute simply and enjoyably—but meaningfully—to a future both better and wilder, and they will.

The Age of Elegance. Muskoka Lakes Association Antique Boat Show – This Saturday

August 8, 2014

Not to be missed is this wonderful show at the Port Carling locks. From the MLA:

The Age of Elegance – Saturday August 9, 2014 from 10 am to 4 pm.

Old photographs of life in Muskoka are irresistible. Whether you see them at the Muskoka Boat and Heritage Centre in Gravenhurst or are lucky enough to have peaked into to a friend’s old family album, the images take you back to a dreamy time – graceful old cottages, beautiful mahogany launches, sporty little gentlemen’s racers, and men and women dressed in their finery. What was it like to live in the “Age of Elegance”?

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A few of the cottages in those photos have been maintained and can be seen today on parts of the Muskoka Lakes. Not so visible are many wooden boats, several approaching their centennial, hidden away in boathouses around the lakes. Mostly they were built right here in Muskoka for Muskoka cottagers. They may have been bought and sold, but they stayed in Muskoka accumulating history as integral parts of summer life for the generations that interacted with them.

The MLA Antique Boat Show is a bi-annual event held in Port Carling and sponsored by the Muskoka Lakes Association. It was started in 1971 by the late Bob Purves to honour boats that have been built in Muskoka or have spent most of their life in Muskoka Waters.

Come out and enjoy a day with these fine craft and their owners along with displays including vintage outboard motors, seafleas and antique Buicks from the 1920’s. One of our presenting sponsors will also be bringing a brand new Bugatti Vitesse that will be on display for all to see. It’s not very often a million dollar car comes to Muskoka!

The Show is on Saturday August 9 and runs from 10 AM until 4 PM at the Port Carling locks. Admission is free.

This event would not be possible without our presenting sponsors; Grand Touring Automobiles, Northfield Capital, Purves Redmond Insurance Brokers and Walker’s Point Marina.

NOW SOLD! Muskoka Cottage For Sale. Income waterfront property in Port Carling.

July 23, 2014

We have a waterfront listing in Port Carling – on Mirror Lake at the top of Lake Muskoka. This property comes with a 3 bedroom home, a small cottage, and a waterfront building with 3, 1 Bedroom rental units and long-term tenants.

3 bedroom home circa 1916

The property features a lovely historic home in downtown Port Carling, on Mirror Lake. This home was built in 1916 and pulled across Mirror Lake in the winter of 1928. Walk from the property to restaurants, shopping, locks, museum. Three bedrooms, two full baths provide plenty of room.

Cottage and 3 unit apartment building.

Three unit apartment at the water allows for extra income. Each unit has one bedroom, one bath. Cabin and storage shed round out the picture. Views are lovely, and this popular location just makes it all the more appealing. Let us know when you’d like to come and see it.

View of docks and out into Mirror Lake.

You’ll find more details in the listing here, and I just added a virtual tour below.

2014 Muskoka Summit on the Environment

July 23, 2014

As a volunteer, as well as being on the executive of the Muskoka Watershed Council, I am the videographer/video editor. This gives me a great opportunity to ensure that truly wonderful ideas and presentations are not lost after the words are spoken and the video projector is turned off. I record, edit and post to our YouTube channel, lectures and presentations at Muskoka Watershed Council events.

Elena Bennett from McGill University presents the 2nd lecture from the 2014 Muskoka Summit on the Environment. On June 8th and 9th I recorded the presentations over the two day summit. Broadcast, in part, by CBC Radio’s Ideas with Paul Kennedy, (here’s the 2014 Muskoka Summit CBC broadcast), these were world-class lectures, presented here in Muskoka. I am delighted to be able to ensure these are available to the world.

CBC Ideas: Muskoka Summit on the Environment

Understanding the relationship and implications of planning future multiple land use – bundling cottage use with agriculture for example – can help municipalities and land owners. This lecture is now available at the following link on Muskoka Watershed Council’s YouTube channel: Using Ecosystem Services to Design Multifunctional Landscapes. With a project still underway in La Vallée-du-Richelieu, Elena discusses how communities and scientists can get together to plan land use (bundling certain ecosystem services) while minimizing some negative environmental impacts.

The Question & Answer video is also available here.

The length of the “petals on the “flower” indicate the amount of the ecosystem service provided.

Muskoka Lakes Association AGM

July 19, 2014

This Friday, the Muskoka Lakes Association will hold its AGM in Port Carling. Details below and here.

The 121st Muskoka Lakes Association Annual General Meeting will be held on July 25^th at the Port Carling Community Centre. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the meeting will begin at 7:00 p.m.

Come and enjoy some refreshments and snacks and have to opportunity to meet other members. You’ll hear about new MLA programs and updates on activities we’ve undertaken on your behalf. You’ll also meet incoming President Michael Hart and hear about his ideas for the coming years.

We hope you’ll come out and enjoy an evening with your fellow MLA members.

Please reserve your space by emailing info@mla.on.ca or calling 705-765-5723.

Robert Sandford Questions & Answers

July 18, 2014

I just completed and posted another video of Robert Sandford from the University of Saskatchewan, at the 2014 Muskoka Summit on the Environment.

This is the question & answer session following his talk: Come Hell & High Water:
Scientific Truth and Economic Consequences In Hollywood Disaster Movies mentioned here.

Shark-Filled Tornado (Sharknado) Unlikely in Muskoka!

July 17, 2014

Don’t be put off by the “grabber” title; this is an engaging and informative presentation on hydrologic change brought about by Climate Change and well worth your time.

A highly engaging presentation, this one by Robert Sandford of the University of Saskatchewan, is the 1st lecture from the 2014 Muskoka Summit on the Environment . On June 8th and 9th I recorded the presentations over the two day summit. Broadcast, in part, by CBC Radio’s Ideas with Paul Kennedy, (here’s the 2014 Muskoka Summit CBC broadcast), these were world-class lectures, presented here in Muskoka. I am delighted to be able to ensure these are available to the world.

CBC Ideas: Muskoka Summit on the Environment

This lecture is now available at the following link on Muskoka Watershed Council’s YouTube channel: Come Hell & High Water:
Scientific Truth and Economic Consequences
In Hollywood Disaster Movies In this entertaining and informative talk, Robert compares Hollywood’s ideas of environmental disasters and their consequences to the realities we all face today.

Sharknado; probably not in Muskoka.

Among Robert’s key messages: It’s time for courageous and relentless citizenship.

One Atmospheric River can hold the same amount of water as the daily output of the St. Lawrence

NOW SOLD! Sparrow Lake cottage update.

June 2, 2014

This cottage property is now sold. Its new family is looking forward to fishing and wakeboarding; not necessarily in that order, depending on who you ask. The new cottage buyers asked about lake regattas and other events – they are in luck here with the very active Sparrow Lake Association.

They have already met some of the neighbors even though they won’t be moving in for about a month!

The Cottage In Muskoka Blog

Muskoka Real Estate Listings

Muskoka Lakes Association January NewsBites

Muskoka Lakes Association January NewsBites

Muskoka Watershed Council Welcomes New Director

2014 Muskoka Summit on the Environment

The Age of Elegance. Muskoka Lakes Association Antique Boat Show – This Saturday

NOW SOLD! Muskoka Cottage For Sale. Income waterfront property in Port Carling.

2014 Muskoka Summit on the Environment

Muskoka Lakes Association AGM

Robert Sandford Questions & Answers

Shark-Filled Tornado (Sharknado) Unlikely in Muskoka!

NOW SOLD! Sparrow Lake cottage update.