Unique Muskoka August

Muskoka’s 

Steamship 

Revolution 

AUGUST 2016 

Muskoka Bees: 

Abuzz with activity 

PETER FROMME-DOUGLAS: 

Evolution of an artist 

HITTING THE HIGHWAY 

with Muskoka’s road show

Real Estate Professionals 

Serving the Muskoka Lakes since 1978 

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705-646-4807 

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Jeff Crowder* 

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Richard Wallace** 

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www.realestateinMuskoka.ca 705-765-6176 

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38 years of selling Muskoka 

Lake Joseph $3,000,000 

Lake Rosseau $1,095,000 Lake Rosseau $2,795,000 

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August 2016 UNIQUE MUSKOKA 1

...telling the Muskoka story 

Features 

13 

On high alert for ash borers 

By Dawn Huddlestone 

Ash borers are lean, green, eating 

machines and they’re making their way 

to Muskoka. When they do, it could 

have devastating effects on our local 

forests. 

17 


By John Challis 

Beekeeping is booming across Ontario, 

but domestic and wild bees alike are 

under fire from environmental threats. 

Pollinators, like bees, play a crucial role 

in our ecosystem, which is why everyone 

has a role to play to help 

them persevere. 

24 


By Dianne Park Thach 

Port Carling artist Peter 

Fromme-Douglas has 

spent his entire career 

pushing the creative 

envelope. After a lifetime 

devoted to art, he still 

manages to find new 

outlets to let his creativity 

run free. 

[30] 

[24] 

[24] 

30 

The man behind Muskoka’s 

steamship revolution 

By Jack Hutton 

When a sidewheeler named Wenonah 

was launched on Gravenhurst Bay 150 

years ago, it inspired a steamboating era 

that would forever change Muskoka. 

But few know the story of A.P. 

Cockburn, the man behind the 

revolution. 

[17] 

2 UNIQUE MUSKOKA August 2016

HARVEY KALLES 

R E A L E S T A T E L T D., B R O K E R A G E 

1005 Henshaw Lake Road, Unit 1A, Port Carling ON P0B 1J0 

705 765 6677 

www.HarveyKallesMuskoka.com 

Muskoka…….invest in your dreams. 

Murray Lepard 

Sales Representative 

Cell 705 646 5107 

Susan O’Connor 


Cell 705 205 1028 

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Broker 

Cell 705 205 3752 

Tom O’Hara 


Cell 705 205 3235 

Chelsey Penrice 

Broker 

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Richard Scully 


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www.HarveyKallesMuskoka.com 

3 UNIQUE MUSKOKA August 2016 




Departments 

50 

Cottage Country Cuisine 

By Chris Occhiuzzi 

Muskoka’s craft breweries are developing 

a loyal following as beer enthusiasts 

discover everything they love about 

cottage country – in a bottle. 

56 

Muskoka Calendar 

Discover what’s happening in Muskoka 

this month. 

64 

Living in Muskoka 

By Dale Peacock 

When you’re a busy physician and 

philanthropist, spending time at the 

cottage with family is exactly what the 

doctor ordered. 

Opinion 

9 

Muskoka Insights 

By Don Smith 

72 

Muskoka Moments 

By Les Stroud 

As a boy, Survivorman 

star Les Stroud went 

searching for 

adventure and found 

his calling in the 

Muskoka wilderness. 

[72] 

[56] 

Features 

38 

Hitting the 

highway 

with Muskoka’s 

Road Show 

By Dianne 

Park Thach 

Muskoka 

classic car 

collectors are 

opening their stunning 

showrooms to the public in 

support of the South Muskoka 

Hospital Auxiliary. Step inside and 

step back in time. 

[44] 

Muskoka’s 

Steamship 

Revolution 

Muskoka Bees: 


AUGUST 2016 

PETER FROMME-DOUGLAS: 


HITTING THE HIGHWAY 

with Muskoka’s road show 

Our Cover 

Photograph by Tim Du Vernet 

The Segwun, North America’s oldest 

operating steamship, passes through 

the locks in Port Carling. 

[38] 

44 

Trekking 

through the trees 

By Sandy Lockhart 

High above the forest 

floor in Bracebridge and 

Huntsville, adventure 

seekers race through 

the trees on zip lines, 

balance on rope courses 

and make a leap of 

faith off jump towers. 

Whether you’re looking 

for an adrenaline rush 

or challenging 

workout, Muskoka’s 

aerial parks await. 


Your Muskoka 

law firm. 

…telling the Muskoka story 

Unique Muskoka is published six times 

per year by Unique Publishing Inc. 

Donald Smith 

Publisher 

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Editor 

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Designer 

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ASSOCIATE 

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Our locally-based lawyers offer big city talent with 

small town customer service. Choosing lifestyle and balance, 

many of our lawyers have bid farewell to big city firms, 

bringing their Bay Street experience to clients at our 

Huntsville, Bracebridge and newly opened Port Carling office. 

Our offices in Simcoe County provide further bench strength 

when additional lawyers are needed on complicated or 

multi-layered cases. Our team, consisting of over 

100 lawyers and staff, is at your disposal. 

We're in your neighbourhood and we're here to help. 

Give us a call. 

Paul Bennett 

Laura Bombier 

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John Challis 

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Tim Du Vernet 

Kelly Holinshead 

Dawn Huddlestone 

Jack Hutton 

Eleanor Kee Wellman 

Sandy Lockhart 

Chris Occhiuzzi 

Dianne Park Thach 

Dale Peacock 

Mark Reeder 

Les Stroud 

Scott Turnbull 

Andy Zeltkalns 

Contributors 

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{Muskoka Insights 

{ 

Taking a cruise on the RMS Segwun is like 

taking a step back in time. 

Shutting your eyes during the calm of a 

late-night cruise, it doesn’t take one long to 

envision they were there, 

some 150 years ago, when 

the first steamer crossed Lake 

Muskoka. The rippling of the 

water against the hull, the 

powerful whooshing of the 

mighty piston drive, the 

blending of the cool night 

breeze with the intense heat 

from the coal-fired boiler… 

all interrupted by the 

piercing sound of the ship’s 

steam whistle. 

With a little imagination, our senses 

allow us to do some travelling to a time 

before automobiles and highways. It’s the 

closest we can get to understanding the 

thoughts of the entrepreneurial Alexander 

Peter Cockburn who invested in the 

launching of a steamship company on the 

waterways of Muskoka. 

For Muskoka, it was a time when its 

potential would be opened to the rest of the 

world. It took a person with vision and 

daring, and A.P. Cockburn demonstrated he 

had both and more as he set about building 

the small fleet that would push development 

up the lakes. 

It seems only natural that an area as 

blessed as Muskoka – with so many 

navigable lakes and rivers – would welcome 

its first settlers and visitors by ship. And, 

when natural obstacles stood in the way, as 

they did in Port Carling, it took a person 

with Cockburn’s determination and 

connection to overcome them. 

In this issue of Unique Muskoka, we are 

marking the 150th anniversary of the 

launching of the Wenonah, the first of A.P. 

Cockburn’s fleet but just as importantly, we 

are also celebrating Cockburn, the man who 

made it all possible. 

While Cockburn accomplished much, 

contributor Jack Hutton tells us this pioneer 

of transportation died before the truly 

golden years of steamship travel in Muskoka. 

However, without Cockburn’s initiative, the 

Muskoka story might be much different. 

Also in this issue of Unique Muskoka, our 

readers can be a part of another more recent 

era with a visit to the 

collections of automobiles 

and memorabilia that have 

been preserved by some 

longtime Muskokans. They 

have a passion for antique 

and classic vehicles and are 

opening their doors to the 

public as part of a fundraiser 

to support the South 

Muskoka Hospital Auxiliary 

on Aug. 13. 

For those interested in the 

outdoors, balancing on a cable – high in the 

treetops – might provide you with the thrill 

you are seeking. Or, you might be interested 

in what steps are being taken to stem the 

invasion of the emerald ash borer. And, 

there is the dedicated group of beekeepers 

who are doing their part to ensure these 

important pollinators will continue to 

provide diversity within our flora. 

Muskoka is known for its artisans and 

one who has a reputation for his creativity is 

Peter Fromme-Douglas. Always pushing the 

boundaries and finding new ways to 

demonstrate his talent, Fromme-Douglas 

brings vibrancy to his work… a perfect 

reflection of his personality. 

And for a truly unique taste of Muskoka, 

you won’t want to miss our regular feature, 

Cottage Country Cuisine. In this issue, we 

tell the story of Muskoka’s brew masters and 

share some recipes that pair well with their 

ales. 

For our close, adventurer Les Stroud 

shares how a childhood in Muskoka 

prepared him for his role as Survivorman. 

Muskoka… so much to celebrate… so 

unique! 

Happy reading. 

Photograph: Susan Smith 

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On high alert 

for ash borers 

Article by Dawn Huddlestone 

Photograph: Daniel Herns, The Ohio State University, Bugwood.org Photograph: Penn. Dept. of Conserv. and Nat. Resources 

It’s a lean, green, eating machine and it’s 

making its way to Muskoka. When it 

does, it could have devastating 

effects on our local ash population. 

The emerald ash borer is a 

small – about one centimetre 

long – metallic green, bulletshaped 

beetle that attacks all 

true species of ash (Fraxinus 

spp.). It was discovered in the 

County of Simcoe in 2013 

and has been found on 

Manitoulin Island and in Sault Ste. 

Marie. Traps have been set in Bracebridge’s 

Kerr Park, in a partnership between the 

Muskoka Conservancy and the Town of 

Bracebridge, to determine if the beetle has 

arrived in Muskoka. 

“The beetle is lethal to ash trees,” says 

Allison Winmill, a forest health specialist 

with BioForest Technologies, who helped to 

set the traps. “If left untreated, an 

infested tree will die.” 

It’s the beetle’s larvae that 

does the most damage, says 

Winmill. “The adult female 

will lay her eggs on the bark 

of the tree. When they hatch, 

the larvae then tunnel into 

the cambial layer of the tree 

(its growing layer) and begin to 

feed. They chew in a characteristic 

“S” or serpentine pattern, which causes the 

vascular tissue to become compromised by 

preventing the flow of essential water and 

nutrients between the leaves in the crown 

and the roots. The larvae overwinter under 

the protective bark, and in the spring the 

adult beetle emerges and the cycle begins 

again.” 

By the time it’s apparent the tree is in 

distress, it has already experienced severe 

internal damage. Early detection of the beetle 

is crucial, which is why green prism traps 

have been hung in Bracebridge. They use a 

“green leaf volatile in combination with a 

pheromone to attract the beetles, which then 

stick to the trap,” says Winmill. 

Emerald ash borers migrate slowly on 

their own – only a few kilometres per year, 

according to Ontario’s Invading Species 

Awareness Program – but they can travel in 

infested wood products like firewood, lumber 

and wood chips. 

“For Muskoka, this is a big concern,” says 

Winmill. “People should not be transporting 

firewood around the province to try and 

Left: The beetle’s larvae do the most damage. 

When they hatch, the larvae tunnel into the 

cambial layer of the tree and begin to feed, which 

prevents the flow of essential water and nutrients 

in the tree. Top left: About one centimetre in length, 

the emerald ash borer is a metallic green, 

bullet-shaped beetle that attacks all true species 

of ash. Top right: Traps have been set in 

Bracebridge in a partnership between the 

Muskoka Conservancy and the Town of 

Bracebridge, to determine if the beetle has 


August 2016 UNIQUE MUSKOKA 13 

Photograph: Allison Winmill

Photograph: Jan McDonnell 

reduce the spread. With ash being a 

component of the natural and urban forest 

in Ontario, this invasive insect pest has 

caused severe and significant mortality. 

(Once the beetle arrives) a municipality can 

then decide which high value trees they 

would like to protect and start a 

treatment plan right away. All 

infested non-treated ash trees will 

die and must be removed as soon as 

possible.” 

For now, Muskoka is watching 

and waiting. The beetle’s arrival is 

almost certain, if it’s not here already. 

“We want to raise awareness 

about the potential threat to our 

forests,” says Jenn LeMesurier, land 

stewardship co-ordinator for the 

Muskoka Conservancy. “If they are 

here, they would be emerging from 

the trees now.” 

She hopes the traps, which will 

be checked at the end of August, won’t 

contain any of the beetles. Without knowing, 

the local ash population can’t be protected. 

Treatment can be successful if the beetles are 

found early. 

“We encourage people to be aware of what 

could be on their property,” says LeMesurier. 

“Closely monitor your ash trees and be on 

the watch for signs that the beetle is here.” 

Infested ash trees may be thinning at the 

Above: After feeding on the growing layer of a tree, which 

prevents the flow of water and nutrients, the ash borer 

larvae overwinter under the protective bark. Left: A green 

prism trap is prepared to test to see if the ash borer has 


crown, and have dead branches or yellowing 

of leaves. Look for the beetle’s D-shaped exit 

holes in the bark. 

If you do find evidence of the emerald ash 

borer on your property, contact the Ontario 

Ministry of Natural Resources at 1-800-667- 

1940 or report sightings to the Invading 

Species Hotline at 1-800-563-7711. 

Contact a certified arborist regarding 

treatment plans. 

Photograph: Penn. Dept. of Conserv. and Nat. Resources 

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Article by John Challis 

Photography by Eleanor Kee Wellman 

Out in the garden right now, a bit of magic is 

going on. 

Single-minded bees barely two centimetres 

long are dipping into flowers, guzzling their own body 

weight in nectar. Back at the hive, workers are collecting 

digested nectar from the gatherers as they arrive, passing 

them along in a bee bucket brigade to the honeycomb. 

Digestive enzymes in each bee are breaking down the 

nectar into a sweet goo. 

The bees beat their wings around the nectar now 

resting in combs to evaporate water content. As it 

evaporates it becomes the sticky ambrosia we call honey. 

The honey gets a cap of wax for storage. It takes more 

than 10,000 bees sipping at about eight million flowers 


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to create a pound of honey. And a beekeeper 

can expect to harvest up to 50 pounds (23 

kg) of honey or more from a hive. 

Small wonder beekeepers risk a few stings 

to keep their hives. 

Beekeeping is booming across Ontario. For 

a host of reasons, newcomers are coming to 

the practice in – well, in swarms. Some have 

come driven by news headlines, with the urge 

to help threatened honeybees. Others are keen 

to tap into that strange, special relationship 

between a beekeeper and 25,000-plus 

industrious, stinging insects. 

At a recent meeting of the Muskoka Parry 

Sound Beekeepers’ Association, half the 

people in attendance were beginners. In 

Muskoka, beekeeping is primarily a pastime, 

the association’s president, Cathy Crowder, 

says. 

“They’re all hobbyists; they have 15 or 20 

hives at the most,” she says. 

Many beginners are quite content to deal 

with one or two hives. Crowder herself 

operates four yards in Milford Bay and 

elsewhere, with a handful of hives at each. Her 

father-in-law, Jim Smith, who’s been at it 

since the early 1980s, is one exception: he’s 

managing eight yards with about 60 colonies. 

He keeps about 40 of them at Deerhurst 

Resort, where Poppa Jim’s Honey is used in 

their kitchens. The veterans know it’s best to 

keep hives scattered in different locations. 

Smith says he started because he had a little 

extra money one year and went shopping for 

bees from an older beekeeper in Hillsdale. He 

was warned he had a lot to learn. So he started 

reading. 

“I’m still learning today,” he says. When he 

began he had a lot of welts from angry bees. 

Today, he says, he can work in a hive and 

barely needs to use the smoker that calms 

bees. 

“I’m always asked, ‘How many times have 

you been stung?’” he says. “Well, I ask right 

back, ‘How many times have you made love?’” 

Who cares? Who counts? 

Smith’s personality is classic beekeeper: 

part curmudgeon, part poet. People mired in 

the rut and squabble of the business world 

will label beekeepers as eccentrics. But a 

beekeeper is a person deeply in sync with the 

rhythms of the hive – the rhythm of nature. 

“I love it,” Smith says. “You’re out there 

with the bees, working with them and you’re 


not concentrating on the cost of the dollar or 

anything else.” 

For newcomers, there are a few lessons 

before getting to that state of oneness with 

the bees. 

First off: it’s expensive. And time 

consuming. Starting a hive requires an outlay 

of about $170 for the hive alone – plus parts. 

Queens run from $25 to more than $45 and 

the starter colony to go with it – known as 

the nucleus, or “nuc” colony – is about $180. 

Smith is ordering six queens from 

California. Others are shipped from 

Australia, New Zealand or Chile: it’s an 

international trade. New frames have to be 

added as the existing ones fill with eggs or 

honey. 

An electric fence is a necessity in Muskoka. 

Bears love hives: they’re after the larvae as 

much as the honey, and their technique is 

smash and grab. You also run the risk of 

losing the whole hive with winter die-back. 

A harsh winter or a changeable spring is hard 

on a hive; experience teaches when the hive 

needs sugar water for extra food. 

And there’s medication. Honeybees are 

vulnerable to a host of diseases, pests and 

parasites. Formic acid, for example, is an 

organic pesticide that protects against varroa 

mites, which can wipe out an entire hive. 

“Honeybees are not natural; they are 

domesticated,” explains Susan Chan, one of 

Ontario’s top bee researchers and a faculty 

Top: Tri-colored bumblebees are common wild bees in Muskoka. Above: Beekeeper Jim Smith checks a 

frame to find the queen. Right: A hive holds several frames that can be removed individually. 


member at Fleming College’s School of 

Environmental and Natural Resource 

Sciences. They do not survive well in the 

wild. They’re sensitive to changes in weather 

and atmospheric pressure, she adds; the 

wrong change can make them grumpy. 

Certain scents will set them off, too, like 

wool clothing, or the wrong shampoo. 

And although he boasts he can work with 

them without being stung, Smith admits 

they can be temperamental. “You can be out 

there one day and they’ll be gentle, nice as 

anything,” he says. “And the next day you go 

out…,” Smith says, using some colourful 

language to describe their change in 

demeanour. 

We value honeybees for the honey, but 

their wider value, as they collect pollen and 

nectar for the hive, is in pollination. 

Honeybees are generalists, feeding on 

anything that blooms, including trees and 

agriculture, where pollination is worth 

billions to farmers. 

But they pass over some crops. Some have 

no interest in tomatoes or eggplant and don’t 

do a good job with others. 

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Enter the native bees. 

Chan’s studies have taken her beyond the 

beehive to the rest of the enormous 

superfamily that comprises bees. There are 

400 species of bee in Ontario, with names 

like mason bees, leafcutters and squash bees. 

Roughly two per cent specialize in farm 

crops. Many focus strictly on one type of 

plant. The aptly named squash bee pollinates 

squash, pumpkin and zucchini. Bumblebees 

excel at pollinating tomatoes, and are often 

kept in greenhouses for that purpose. “I 

consider the bumblebee as the workhorse of 

the bee world, in the wild and in agriculture,” 

she says. 

And native bees are hardier. Where 

honeybees stop work in cold and wet 

weather, the wild bees continue blithely on. 

“Native bees are the true Canadians,” 

Chan says with a laugh. 

Domesticated or wild, all bees are facing 

threats to their breeding success on many 

fronts. Smith laments how difficult it has 

become to keep bees. “In the early ‘80s, it 

was awesome,” he recalls. “We didn’t have 

the diseases, the viruses and the mites that 

Nancy Yanaky, 40” x 52”, Algonquin 

Paul Garbett, 60” x 40”, Wolf 


have come in now.” 

Pesticides are the most controversial 

threat. Neonicotinoid-soaked seeds protect 

plants from pests but kill beneficial insects in 

the process. Agricultural practices are 

changing in ways that are crowding out 

habitat for native bees. Chan is project 

manager with Farms at Work, helping 

farmers modify their practices in ways that 

keep their operations profitable but restore 

bee habitat. Fortunately for Muskoka’s bees, 

farms are small-scale with lots of bush and 

meadow between tilled fields. And, 

neonicotinoids aren’t used. 

But Chan says the larger threat of climate 

change does exist. As annual mean temperatures 

rise, the southern extent of the bees’ 

territory shrinks. Bees move farther north in 

search of new territory. Bee larvae and pupae 

are emerging as adults earlier in the spring. 

In Muskoka, the honeybees were out a week 

and a half earlier than normal this spring, 

only to be faced with freeze-up and snow 

that followed a week later. If the flowers 

aren’t blooming earlier too, they’ll face food 

shortages. 

We all have a role to help bees. Pollinators 

can be attracted to gardens by providing 

them with nesting sites. Many hardware 

stores now offer “bee houses” filled with 

tubes that mason bees and leafcutter bees 

will use to lay their eggs. At your garden 

centre, ask if the plants were treated with 

neonicotinoids. 

Your manicured lawn could be much 

more attractive if it was converted to 

meadow. All it takes is benevolent neglect 

and wildflower seeding. Meadows will 

produce wild clovers, sumach, basswood and 

alder, goldenrod and asters, adding colour 

and aroma to the yard. More blossoms help 

the bees, which in turn help build healthier 

gardens and meadows. 

And the thrum of dozens of species of bee 

will be the audible reward. 

Top: A smoker is used to calm the bees so that the beekeeper can work on the hive. Above: A honeybee gets nectar from a dandelion 


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evolution of an artist 



T 

io be an artist, you 

need a few key 

attributes and the 

understanding that 

you’re in for a solo 

trip, says Port 

Carling artist Peter 

Fromme-Douglas. 

“You have to have the gift, you have to 

have the passion, and it’s a lonely walk,” he 

says, explaining that creating art is an 

individual journey. “Getting into it is a big 

black hole that only you and your Maker and 

your abilities can live in. You have to go 

through all that first to come out the other 

side. Artists are not alone in their insecurities.” 

Fromme-Douglas has been an artist since 

he was five years old. He grew up in northern 

Ontario and Toronto, took off for California 

at the age of 15, and spent some time in 

Vancouver before heading back to Toronto 

to work in his father’s photography shop on 

Yonge Street. 

He retreated to Muskoka in the 1990s, 

away from the big cities and the travelling 

that were constant parts of his art career. “I 

had riches and fame and I walked away from 

it,” he says. “I didn’t like what it did to me or 

what it did to my work.” 

Article by Dianne Park Thach / Photography by Scott Turnbull 

The 66-year-old began his career painting 

women. People told him his work wouldn’t 

sell and that it was too personal. But he 

wanted to make it work and did it anyway, 

painting women who lived in the 1930s and 

‘40s. He later went to New York City to 

show his art. The rest, as they say, is history. 

“It was just around the time when 

women’s lib(eration) was getting powerful 

and these women were stunningly beautiful. 

When you looked into their eyes, there was 

an unbelievable strength and you knew that 

no matter how beautiful and delicate and 

fragile they looked, you weren’t going to 

mess with them; they were solid,” he says. 

At one of his shows in Boston, a woman 

approached him and asked, “You realize 

what you’re doing here, right? There’s 

strength in every single one of these women 

and I can see that.” 

Fromme-Douglas smiles as he describes 

how happy and excited he was to hear that, 

remembering the feeling. His career took off 

with that series and it all began with 

something others told him he couldn’t do. 

Being an artist is the path Fromme- 

Douglas believes he was meant to follow. 

“When we are born, we are given certain 

abilities, certain gifts that we follow as we go 

Above: Peter 

Fromme-Douglas with 

one of the many 

vintage cameras from 

a collection passed 

down by his father. 

His wife, Leda, reads 

in the background of 

his gallery in Port 

Carling. Opposite 

page: Fromme- 

Douglas is working on 

a series of new 

encaustic paintings, 

also known as hot 

wax painting. Colour 

is added to heated 

beeswax and then 

applied to a type of 

canvas surface. Heat 

and different tools 

are used to mould it 

and push it around. 


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through life,” he says. “So 

mine was the creative 

problem-solving mind and a 

sense of rightness. I know when 

something is off.” 

While his focus is mainly 

impressionist fine art, his work 

has ranged from painting, 

photography, building design, 

graphic design, boat design, 

commissioned portraiture, and 

custom work commissioned 

by corporate clients. He has had exhibitions 

throughout North America and has earned a 

number of awards, including a Golden 

Squeegee Award/ World’s Best Serigraph from 

the Screen Printers Association. He created the 

silkscreen work in collaboration with Michael 

Caza of Atelier D’Art in Paris, France, who is 

world-renowned for his work with Picasso, 

Miro, Chagall and Dali. 

Fromme-Douglas has worked in all 

mediums and enjoys the creative stimulation 

that comes with mastering a new technique. 

For example, he will take a photograph and 

transform it using a different medium and 

his 30 years of photo editing and manipulating 

skills. 

“There’s a constant desire for me to come 

up with something that no one else has done. 

That’s what drives me to the next thing,” he 

says. 

Fromme-Douglas is currently working 

with 500 of more than 1,500 black and 

white photos from the 

Cameron Peck boat collection. 

These photos, which 

have not been seen by the 

public, feature boats that 

Peck had either built or 

acquired. These boats were 

seen around Lake of Bays and 

the Muskoka area in the ‘20s, 

‘30s and ‘40s. Since he was a 

boy, Peck and his family used 

to travel from Chicago, IL to 

the Baysville area for their summer vacations. 

He later became a boat enthusiast and 

amassed a collection of 40 to 50 boats and 

steamers. Some of the vessels were stored at 

the Baysville Marina, which he once owned. 

Fromme-Douglas stumbled upon the images 

when a friend had a CD that contained a 

small sampling of the photos. 

In addition, Fromme-Douglas is also 

working on a series of new art titled 

Movement. He started it last summer and 

Top: Peter Fromme-Douglas created this massive John Lennon painting, A Crack In The Wall, which is on display in his Port Carling gallery. 

Above: Fromme-Douglas stands next to his wall of “romanticized” historic photographs of Muskoka. He is currently working with 500 of more than 1,500 

black and white photos from the Cameron Peck boat collection. These photos have not been seen by the public and feature boats that Peck had either 

built or acquired, seen around Lake of Bays and the Muskoka area in the 1920s, ‘30s and ‘40s. 


Above: Peter Fromme-Douglas stands with a piece from his new series entitled Movement. Below: Fromme-Douglas uses a propane torch to heat an 

encaustic piece from a the same series. 

some pieces of work have or will become 

encaustic paintings, also known as hot wax 

painting. Colour is added to heated beeswax 

and then applied to some type of canvas 

surface. Fromme-Douglas has been building 

his own wood canvas frames 

from scratch and pouring his 

own wax into blocks in a 

workshop next door to his 

gallery. 

“It’s a weird medium to work 

with but I love the quality of it. 

It has a softness, translucent, 

kind of eerie quality that I really 

like,” he says. He loves the 

feeling of movement and has 

been experimenting with 

different ways of putting 

movement into his photography 

or paintings. 


When Fromme-Douglas expresses why he 

does what he does, he refers to a saying his 

friend George, a retired pastor, once told him. 

“I wrote it down on the back of this card 

because I didn’t want to forget it,” he says, 

reaching for a white index card propped up 

on a table next to him. He reads, “‘You can’t 

have a true biography without love.’ When he 

said this to me I took out the word biography 

and put anything in there,” he says. 

“You can’t do what you do 

without love and if you do, it’s 

biased. When I paint, when I 

create, it’s all about love. It is a 

commitment to looking for the 

best of the best in whatever I am 

doing, whether it’s a subject, a 

boat, a woman, an old man, a 

flower,” he explains. 

And he can’t imagine 

spending his time on anything 

except art. “If I make it to 90 

years old I will still be doing this 

every single day, 20 hours a day 

if I can.”

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150th Anniversary Feature 

Photograph: Courtesy of the Muskoka Lakes Museum 

Muskoka's Steamship Revolution 

Article by Jack Hutton 

The history of Muskoka may have 

been far different if a stubby little 

sidewheeler called Wenonah had 

not been launched on June 1, 

1866 on Gravenhurst Bay, becoming the 

first steamboat to sail on Lake Muskoka. 

The 80-foot ship had been under 

construction all winter, not far from where 

Boston Pizza is located today. Folks on shore 

watched in suspense as it was slowly eased 

through the marshy shoreline into the lake. 


There was both applause and a huge sigh 

of relief when the Wenonah was finally 

afloat. More than a few wondered, however, 

whether Alexander Peter Cockburn, the 

29-year-old businessman who commissioned 

the steamboat, had taken leave of his senses. 

Everyone knew that lake levels varied nine 

feet between spring and late fall. There were 

no lighthouses, no wharves around the lake 

to dock a steamboat, no skilled mechanics to 

repair the ship’s engine. Who was crazy 

enough to launch a steamboat at this time? 

Now, 150 years later, we know that the 

scoffers were wrong. The launching of the 

Wenonah inspired a steamboating era that 

would change Muskoka forever. It has taken 

us all these years to realize the full impact 

that Cockburn had on Muskoka, not only in 

steamboating but also immigration and 

tourism. 

Born in 1837, Cockburn came with his 

parents at the age of 20 to Kirkfield, east of


Photographs: Courtesy of the Muskoka Lakes Museum 

Above: At 123 feet long, the Cherokee was slightly smaller than its 

sister ship, the Sagamo. The Cherokee was launched in 1908. 

Right: This postcard depicts summer resort guests, dressed in their 

finery, watching the Sagamo arrive on Lake Rosseau. Opposite page: 

This photo of A.P. Cockburn as a dashing young man with full black 

beard was taken in 1867, three years after he married Helen and one 

year after launching the Wenonah. 

Lake Simcoe, where he first worked in his 

family store and then opened a store of his 

own. A natural politician, he was elected as 

township reeve in his late 20s. The family 

moved to Orillia in 1864 where he met and 

married Helen Proctor, daughter of the 

richest man in Beaverton. 

In 1865 Cockburn visited the Baisong 

Rapids at the future location of Port Carling 

and saw the tourism benefits of a lock linking 

Lakes Muskoka and Rosseau. He put his 

thoughts on paper for D'Arcy McGee, the 

minister of agriculture, who urged him to 

publish a pamphlet. 

Cockburn wasted no time in following his 

new vision. Armed with a $10,000 loan from 

his father-in-law, Cockburn decided to place 

a steamboat on Lake Muskoka. The keel was 

laid on a shore of Gravenhurst Bay in the fall 

of 1865, supervised by two residents of 

Sparrow Lake with overseas experience in 

shipbuilding. The flat-bottomed ship, which 

had a running speed of just over 10 miles per 

hour, was completed in time for launching 

on June 1, the following spring. The Wenonah 

kept running aground or hitting unexpected 

rocks until 1874 when a new dam at Bala 

Falls made it possible to control lake levels. 

Right from the beginning, Cockburn was 

lobbying vigourously for a lock system 

linking Lake Muskoka and Lake Rosseau. The 

project won provincial approval in 1869, but 

ran into construction difficulties. It wasn’t 

until late 1871 that the Wenonah was the first 

ship to pass through the lock. 

Meanwhile, Cockburn had been elected 

MPP for the riding of Victoria, which 

included Muskoka. He persuaded the 

coalition government to pass legislation in 

1868 providing free land grants. He urged 

the formation of a settlers’ association and 

became its first president. In 1872, he moved 

into federal politics as MP for his Muskoka 

riding. 

Cockburn was only a sneeze away from 

going broke during his first two years of 

running the Wenonah, but was in the black 

after that. He incorporated the Muskoka and 

Nipissing Navigation Company in 1881 

with a fleet of six ships that included the 

Wenonah, the Wabamik, which became the 

first steam ship on Lake Rosseau, the Nipissing 

and three tug boats. They were soon followed 

by the Kenozha (1883) which carried 350 

passengers, the Oriole (1886) a secondary 

steamer, the Nipissing II (1887) and the 

Medora (1893). 



Photographs: Courtesy of the Muskoka Steamship & Historical Society 

Photograph: Courtesy of the Muskoka Lakes Museum 

The Wenonah was 

retired in 1885 to an 

island northwest of 

Walker’s Point, serving as 

a house boat for the 

Cockburn family, which 

owned property there. 

The ship was sunk off the 

island after a season or 

two, but not before 

Cockburn’s daughter had 

sketched the boat at their shore. 

Cockburn continued as general manager 

until his death at 68 in June, 1905. By then 

he had built “one of the most prestigious 

boat lines on the inland waterways of 

Canada,” according to Muskoka historian 

Richard Tatley. Unfortunately, Cockburn 

did not fare as well as his company. He was 

no longer the chief shareholder in his later 

years and a younger man was being groomed 

for his job as general manager. 

A discouraged Cockburn died 

just before the arrival of what Tatley 

calls “the Golden Age of the 

Muskoka steamers.” Huge crowds 

turned out in 1906 to welcome a 

new flagship that could carry as 

many passengers as any two of the 

previous steamships. The Sagamo, 

which had its maiden voyage on 

June 15, 1907, was 152 feet long 

and could hold 800 passengers and 

26 crew members. It was followed a 

year later by the Cherokee, which was 

similar to the Sagamo but smaller at 

123 feet long. 

The navigation company soon 

needed another steamboat to meet 

Clockwise from top: The navigation company’s fleet 

included the Islander, Cherokee and Medora. They 

would transport tourists to and from Muskoka resorts 

in luxury. A.P. Cockburn described himself in his later 

years as “one of the hardest worked and worst paid 

transportation managers upon the continent.” That 

frustration is evident in a photograph taken not long 

before he died in June 1905. An undated photograph 

shows several Muskoka and Nipissing Navigation 

Company steamers in winter drydock. A.P. Cockburn 

provided land transportation to bring his customers 

to Gravenhurst and the Wenonah, this poster reveals. 

APRIL 7, 1837 

1865 

JUNE 1, 1866 

1868 

1871 

Alexander Peter 

Cockburn, the father 

of Muskoka’s 

steamboat era, is 

born. 

A.P. Cockburn 

visited the Baisong 

Rapids at the future 

location of Port 

Carling and sees the 

tourism benefits of a 

lock linking Lake 

Muskoka and Lake 

Rosseau. 

Wenonah launches 

on Gravenhurst Bay, 

becoming the first 

steamboat to sail on 

Lake Muskoka. 

After being 

elected MPP in 

Victoria, which 

included Muskoka, 

A.P. Cockburn 

persuades the 

coalition government 

to pass legislation to 

provide free land 

grants. 

Wenonah becomes 

the first ship to pass 

through the new lock 

system linking lakes 

Muskoka and 

Rosseau.


the demand. They turned to the Nipissing II, 

which had been dry docked since 1914. The 

old ship was in bad shape but its 124-foot 

iron hull and lower decks were still 

sound. Months later, the old side-wheeler 

was converted into a propeller steamer and 

set sail on July 29, 1925. It was renamed as 

the Segwun, which is Ojibway for springtime. 

Boom years lasted until the 1920s, but the 

world was changing. Cottagers were using 

their own motorboats to get around the 

lakes. The automobile also gave people a new 

form of mobility. Then came the stock 

market crash of Oct. 29, 1929, which 

triggered the Great Depression. Tourism 

crashed in Muskoka as people could not 

afford to come north. 

In 1958, the Sagamo and the Segwun, the 

last two steamboats on the Muskoka lakes, 

stopped cruising. The Sagamo was turned 

into a floating restaurant but was destroyed 

Above: The Sagamo, which had its maiden voyage on June 15, 1907, was 152 feet long and could hold 

800 passengers and 26 crew members. It was destroyed by fire in 1969. 

Below: The early fleet of the Muskoka and Nipissing Navigation Company in summer drydock. 

Photograph: Courtesy of the Muskoka Steamship & Historical Society Photograph: Courtesy of the Muskoka Lakes Museum 

1874 

1881 

1885 

1887 

June 1905 

A new dam is 

built at Bala Falls, 

which makes it possible 

to control lake levels 

and allows the 

Wenonah to navigate 

without running aground 

or hitting unexpected 

rocks. 

A.P. Cockburn 

incorporates the 

Muskoka and Nipissing 

Navigation Co., which 

has a fleet of six ships 

that includes 

Wenonah, 

Wabamik, Nipissing 

and three tug boats. 

The Wenonah is 

retired to an island 

near Walker’s Point 

and serves as a house 

boat for the Cockburn 

family. 

The Nipissing II 

launches. 

A.P. Cockburn dies at 

the age of 68.


CAPTIVES IN PARADISE 

By J. Patrick Boyer 

Steamboats changed everything. 

Muskoka had been opened for settlement and 

folks in the United States and Britain learned about 

free-land farming – the once-in-a-lifetime chance to 

win big – through Ontario government brochures, 

national railway and trans-Atlantic steamship 

company advertisements. Muskoka newspaper 

publisher Thomas McMurray also provided 

unrivalled accounts in The Northern Advocate and 

his book, The Free Grant Lands of Canada. 

In the early 1870s, McMurray’s weekly was 

crammed with practical information, news, 

advertisements for local services, poetry, serialized 

novels, reports on the fledgling District’s activities 

and Muskoka’s attraction for immigrants wanting to 

farm. 

The first newspaper in northern Ontario, the 

Advocate contained plenty of what McMurray 

called “information from practical experience” 

for would-be settlers. His mission was “to bring 

the Free Grants Lands now at the disposal of the 

Government prominently before the notice of those 

who want to find homes. Every opportunity will 

be seized upon to open up and develop this Great 

Territory.” 

Working with editor James Boyer and printer 

David Courtney, his Bracebridge weekly published 

travel schedules, ship and train fares, tips to guide 

those coming for land, and advice from farmers 

already prospering here. A local sheet with a grand 

mission, half the copies were mailed to the United 

States and Britain. 

But there was a serious problem. In an era when 

newspapers were the main way people learned about 

things, Free Grant Lands were getting a bad rap. 

Sour reports about “farming” the Canadian 

Shield were spreading as discouraged settlers 

penned letters-to-the-editors of city newspapers. 

Disgruntled farmers in southern Ontario, 

whose land values were not 

appreciating as they’d hoped 

because the government was 

giving away free farm land, 

wrote their MPPs. Opposition 

members, to discredit the settlement project, 

quoted all with glee in the legislature. That was also 

making news. 

Something had to be done. Just in time, the 

steamboat had begun Muskoka’s fundamental 

reorientation. 

In addition to mud, rock, stumps and swamps 

glimpsed along bug-infested inland trails where 

horse-drawn wagons and coaches struggled to 

advance, the place could now be easily travelled by 

water and viewed from majestic lakes. 

McMurray’s crusade and A.P. Cockburn’s quest 

to develop Muskoka by steamer inspired them to 

invite Canadian newspapermen from the cities, 

tour them around on the steamboat Wenonah, feed 

them with information and ensure hard-drinking 

reporters achieved true insight. Editors could see 

for themselves what a grand place Muskoka was 

and how narrow, sour and wrong its critics. 

Their guests would be captives in paradise. 

In the summer of 1871, the Canadian Press 

Association’s editors and newspapermen duly 

toured Muskoka, its memorable highlight a 

day aboard Cockburn’s Wenonah. Muskoka’s 

champions, McMurray and Cockburn vied to 

outshine each other with educational addresses to 

the enchanted scribes. Boyer circulated the decks, 

answering questions while refilling every glass. 

Returning to their city newsrooms after their 

well-lubricated and closely-guided tour, the men 

glowingly informed thousands of readers that 

Muskoka was one of Canada’s most promising 

places, easily three-quarters of it ideal for farming. 

Yes, steamboats changed everything. 

Photograph: Courtesy of Boyer Muskoka Archive 

Engraving: Courtesy of Boyer Muskoka Archive 

At the corner of Dominion and 

Quebec streets in Bracebridge, 

the prominent Northern 

Advocate building is where the 

first newspaper in northern 

Ontario was published in the 

1870s, promoting Muskoka 

settlement. 

An elected municipal official and 

enterprising Muskoka businessman 

with diverse interests, 

Thomas McMurray published 

The Northern Advocate and 

invited newspapermen to see 

“the real Muskoka” from the 

decks of Wenonah. 

1958 

1982 

The 800-passenger 

Sagamo has its 

maiden voyage and 

ushers in the 

“Golden Age of the 

Muskoka steamers.” 

After being dry 

docked since 1914, 

the Nipissing II is 

relaunched as the 

Segwun to meet the 

passenger demand. 

The stock market 

crashes, triggering 

the Great 

Depression, which 

causes a tourism 

crash in Muskoka. 

The Sagamo and 

the Segwun, the 

last two steamboats 

on the Muskoka 

lakes, stop cruising. 

After a full 

restoration, the 

Segwun sets sail 

again. It holds the 

distinction of being 

the oldest operating 

steamship in North 

America.

y fire in January 1969. Thanks to local 

steamboat enthusiasts who campaigned to 

save it, the Segwun became a dockside 

museum in the early 1960s. 

The Ontario Road Builders’ Association 

came to the rescue and the Segwun was slowly 

restored with the help of hundreds of 

volunteers. It has been cruising since 1982 

and was later joined by the Wanda III in 1996 

and Wenonah II in 2002. 

To celebrate the 150 th anniversary of 

steamboating in Muskoka, on Aug. 20 both 

the RMS Segwun and Wenonah II will recreate 

the nostalgic 100-mile cruise featuring all 

three of the Muskoka lakes and will be 

escorted by over 100 antique and classic 

boats. 

The Muskoka Discovery Centre (formerly 

the Muskoka Boat & Heritage Centre) also 

has a new exhibit with a spectacular side view 

of what the Wenonah looked like in 1866. 

As for the man responsible for Muskoka’s 

steamboating legacy, the Town of 

Gravenhurst agreed to change the name of 

Central Square at the Gravenhurst Wharf, 

which overlooks where passengers board the 

RMS Segwun and Wenonah II, to A.P. 

Cockburn Square. The request was made by 

the A.P Cockburn Initiative Committee, 

which is made up of history-minded 

citizens. 

The dedication ceremony took place on 

June 1 and there is already discussion of a 

municipal holiday in his name, similar to 

John Graves Simcoe Day in Toronto. Years 

from now, we may see a statue of Cockburn 

staring out at Gravenhurst Bay where he 

launched the Wenonah on a beautiful June 

day. 

Cockburn died believing he was a 

failure. We’re finally setting the record 

straight that he got that wrong. 

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AUG. 20 2016 

The Segwun and 

Wenonah II will 

recreate the 

nostalgic 100-mile 

cruise featuring all 

three of the 

Muskoka lakes. 


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Above: John Rennie’s collection 

includes antique gas pumps from the 

1930s, ‘40s and ‘50s, as well as a 

1954 Chevrolet Bel Air, a 1954 Meteor 

Special Niagara and a red 1953 Ford 

pickup. Right: International trucks, 

like this 1940 tow truck with Holmes 

wrecker body, hold a special place in 

Paul Hammond’s heart. Opposite 

page: Visitors to Paul Hammond’s 

garage will see this powder blue 1957 

International Travelall 4x4. 

Hitting the highway 

with Muskoka's

Article by Dianne Park Thach / Photography by Paul Bennett 

Everyone has fond memories of the first car they’ve ever 

owned. Bracebridge resident Mel Smith’s first car was a 

black 1959 Chevrolet Impala. 

“I bought it brand new for $2,900. I was only 18 years old 

and had saved my money up for it,” he says with a smile. “My 

mom hated it,” he laughs. 

Those memories of his youth were what inspired Smith to buy 

a ’59 Impala for the second time in his life. While the Impala 

Smith owns now is red with a white roof, not black like the original, 

this car also represents another first for him – the first classic car 


This 1959 Chevrolet Impala is among the many classics that hold a special place in Mel Smith’s custom garage. 

“If something catches my eye and I can see it finished, 

then the challenge begins.” 

he’s ever purchased and will be one of the six 

vehicles on display at the Muskoka Road 

Show, a fundraising event being hosted by 

the South Muskoka Hospital Auxiliary on 

August 13. 

The tour will feature four locations in the 

Bracebridge area where private collectors will 

be opening their personal treasury of antique 

and classic cars, trucks, boats, machinery and 

memorabilia. Tickets for the event are $20 

and a guide containing a map of the tour will 


be provided to participants. All funds will go 

directly to the hospital auxiliary and will be 

allocated to help pay for a digital 

mammography machine. 

Smith has never shown his collection in a 

tour before but the General Motors fan is 

happy to have his hobby on display for a good 

cause. Joining the ’59 Impala in the custombuilt 

garage are 1965 and 1967 Chevrolet 

Corvairs, a 1986 Pontiac Parisienne, a 1988 

Corvette, and a fully restored 1977 twotonne 

truck. 

Having owned a trucking business before 

retiring, Smith couldn’t resist getting the 

truck for a project to work on with his son, 

Danny. Unfortunately, Danny passed away 

suddenly, but Smith completed the 

restoration as a tribute to his son. The project 

took two years and Smith rebuilt every 

component of the stake body truck, painting 

it Honduras Maroon Metallic, the colour of 

his company trucks.

There is a bit of an emotional 

bond with Smith and each of his 

vehicles. 

“Each car has a story,” he says 

with a grin. 

Much like Smith, collector John 

Rennie, who is located just outside 

Bracebridge, selected the cars in his 

garage based on his teenage years. 

The first thing you’ll notice when 

you step into Rennie’s garage is his 

collection of antique gas pumps 

from the ‘30s, ‘40s and ‘50s. Each 

pump has been lovingly restored by 

Rennie and his son John Rennie Jr., 

complete with pristine paint jobs, 

new glass and working lights. 

“When we first get them, they 

don’t look anything close to this,” 

explains John Jr. “They’ve rotted 

out; they’re all beat up.” 

Behind the pumps are a 1954 

Chevrolet Bel Air, a 1954 Meteor 

Special Niagara, and a red 1953 

Ford pickup. Rennie started his 

collection with the Meteor and restored it, as 

he also did with the other two vehicles. He 

grew up around the time of these classics and 

the ’54 Chevy was his first car. 

“There’s something about the old nostalgia 

of the ‘50s stuff that is of interest to me,” says 

Rennie. 

Antique gas company signs hang on the 

walls and from the ceiling. Rennie’s collection 

also includes antique gas pumps, old gum 

machines, framed calendars 

from garages, and restored 

Coke and Pepsi coolers. 

John Jr. says the search for 

the next treasure is all part of 

collecting. 

“The hunt is half the fun,” 

he says. “When you get 

something you really like, 

you’re holding on to it tight.” 

Lloyd Quinton of Port 

Sydney also enjoys the search 

and has been collecting and 

restoring antique tractors for 

25 years. He was born and 

raised on a farm, and has 

restored about a dozen tractors, 

so far. 

Coming across his next 

Lloyd Quinton will be showcasing his 1928 Worthington tractor, the oldest tractor he has ever restored. 

project can happen at any time. “Sometimes 

they’re on the side of the road, sometimes 

people call me through word of mouth,” he 

says. “If something catches my eye and I can 

see it finished, then the challenge begins.” 

Quinton says each tractor is unique and 

can be a challenge to work on in its own way. 

“It’s always kind of interesting to think 

about how a farmer, who previously had the 

tractor, tried to maintain it and get by on it 

Mel Smith poses with his collection of classic vehicles, which will be on display 

for the Muskoka Road Show. 

without spending a lot of money,” he says. 

Quinton is not partial to any brand, in 

particular, and he often sells his projects once 

the restoration is complete. 

“You can only drive them to the general 

store for ice cream so many times,” he laughs. 

On the tour he’ll be displaying his 1961 

Oliver tractor as well as his 1928 Worthington 

tractor, the oldest tractor he’s restored so far. 

He first spotted it at an auction and it was 

originally used at a hunt camp 

before the days of ATVs. “It was 

total scrap but I could see 

something in it,” he says. 

In addition to Quinton’s 

tractors, about 30 to 40 antique 

cars and trucks, muscle cars, 

and antique boats from the 

community will be on display. 

Paul Hammond of 

Bracebridge has been collecting 

antique vehicles and memorabilia 

for 30 years. His 

friendships with other local area 

collectors, and his role as the 

chair of the South Muskoka 

Hospital Foundation, inspired 

him to suggest the tour as a 

fundraiser. 


Hammond looks for vehicles that are just 

a little bit different. 

“Everyone has a Ford Model A,” he says. 

“But not too many people would have a ’28 

International.” 

Having also owned his own trucking 

business, Hammond was fortunate to be able 

to bring home new finds from hundreds of 

kilometres away. 

“I could find something in Idaho or 

Montana, and we might have a truck out 

there. Most people would have to pay to 

have it brought home,” he says. 

Hammond’s collection of 32 cars and 

trucks includes a red 1935 International 

truck, a 1972 International pickup, a 1978 

International Scout SUV with original parts, 

and a 1940 International tow truck. 

International trucks hold a special place in 

Hammond’s heart because they were the 

brand of truck he used in his business. His 

collection also includes an entire wall of 

antique framed calendars and local Muskoka 

memorabilia. 

Hammond can’t choose just one vehicle 

as his favourite. When he feels up to tinkering 

with his next project, he dons his work 

coat and puts on his old time country music. 

“When I’m out here, I do what I want to 

do,” he says. “There are no meetings and no 

phone out here.” 

Above: Paul Hammond holds a road atlas published in the 1940s by truck manufacturer International. 

It’s one of the many collectors’ items he has in his collection of memorabilia. Below: Among the 

many vehicles in Paul Hammond’s collection is this powder blue 1957 International Travelall 4x4. 


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Article by Sandy Lockhart 

personal challenge, a workout 

and an adrenaline rush are all 

part of the experience at 

Muskoka’s aerial parks. 

Treetop Trekking in Huntsville and 

Muskoka Zip Lines and Aerial Park at 

Santa’s Village in Bracebridge offer 

hours of adventure. And while there are 

specific age and height restrictions for 

children, it’s an activity you never grow 

too old to enjoy. In fact, Treetop 

Trekking has had at least one guest in 

his 80s enjoy the course. 

“Visitors are anyone over the age of 

nine up to bucket-listers,” says Phil 

Konoby, manager of Huntsville’s 


Photographs: Andy Zeltkalns 

The zip line canopy tour is one of the most popular attractions at Muskoka Zip Lines and Aerial Park at Santa’s Village. 

Treetop Trekking. He adds that one can 

experience the course with no prior 

knowledge of high ropes. 

In Huntsville, guests purchase a threehour 

pass for a zip line and aerial course tour 

and spend their time in their favourite areas. 

There is a challenging and fun ropes course 

with some zips built in, a string of seven zip 

lines, where the longest is 350 feet and about 

60 feet in the air, and an adrenaline-pumping 

Tarzan swing. 

It’s a good thing to save the Tarzan swing 

until you’ve been climbing in the trees for 

awhile. If you started with the 45-foot drop 

into the vertical cargo net, you might not go 

any further. 

“It’s a freefall jump out of the trees,” says 

Konoby. But don’t worry; the guides ensure 

you slow down just enough to enjoy the ride. 

The swing drop is a favourite of all ages at 


Treetop Trekking. While you are busy 

summoning the courage to commit, the rope 

tightens up, you get a quick warning and 

you’re swinging through the air. 

The first few rope courses in Huntsville 

are the easiest and are designed for children 

and adults. The course gets tougher as you 

progress, culminating with Mighty Moose, 

where trekkers face a challenging walk 55 

feet in the air. 

At the end of the whole tour, which takes 

about three hours, the average person is 

tired, having used many muscles that they 

don't use in normal day-to-day life. “People 

feel they accomplished something,” says 

Konoby. 

The guides at Treetop Trekking are fun, 

offering an extra bounce for those looking 

for a thrill and steadying the line and offering 

encouragement for those who need a bit of 

support and courage. 

“Some guides that started here when we 

opened are still here five years later,” says 

Konoby, adding that some with full-time 

careers still return for shifts. 

For the season pass holders, they make it 

more interesting, adding challenges to the 

course. 

“We have a lot of fun; it’s a great place to 

be,” says Huntsville guide Annie Logan. “It’s 

a workout, too. I had someone tear up their 

gym membership and buy a season’s pass.” 

Located in the midst of a bustling theme 

park with a bird’s-eye view of the Muskoka 

River, Muskoka Zip Lines and Aerial Park at 

Santa’s Village offers a one-of-a-kind view. 

Guests can choose a zip lining tour, the aerial 

park adventure, which includes a few zips, 

the jump tower, or a combination of two or 

three. 


Above: Guide Evan Payne and a climber take a break on a platform at the aerial park in 

Huntsville. A series of zip lines and challenges make up the course that runs through the 

treetops. Left: All safety equiptment, like these carabiners, are checked daily for wear. 

“The most popular is the zip line 

canopy tour,” says Santa’s Village general 

manager Jamie Hopkins of the zip line 

attraction, now in its second year at the 

park. 

“It’s an aerial adventure. The thrill of 

zipping.” The seven zip lines cover 

almost 1,000 feet and start 45 feet up in 

the air. 

The aerial adventure course was 

completely redesigned and rebuilt last 

season. 

“Nothing is the same as it was in 

2014,” says Hopkins. “It is more 

challenging but easier as you start. As 

you progress, it is more difficult.” 

The aerial park and adventure course 

at Santa’s Village was designed by 

Challenges Unlimited, a Bracebridge 

company that builds and supplies adventure 

courses all over North America. 

“It has great flow, excellent variety and it 

is unbelievably safe,” says Hopkins. 

“There is a lot more variety in the actual 

course as you progress through it,” he adds. 

“The challenges grow more difficult and you are 

very high. There is the thrill of accomplishing 

something out of your comfort zone.” 

At Santa’s Village, the Quick Jump offers 

a thrill to those courageous enough to take 

the leap off a few planks of wood that are 42 

feet from the ground. The device lets you 

drop 15 feet before slowly lowering you to 

the ground. There is also the option with a 

shorter drop, but from the same height. 

The Quick Jump is a tough step to take 

Photographs: Sandy Lockhart 



and waiting in line watching others 

might be the hardest part. Once 

you take that step, there is no 

turning back. The adrenaline rush is 

real and it’s hard not to scream. 

Then suddenly it’s over and you 

are gently lowered to the ground. 

“It is not a bungee,” says 

Hopkins. “It is controlled and brings 

you down slowly and lets you have a 

soft landing. 

“The Quick Jump is a bragging 

rights thing,” says Hopkins. “People 

like to challenge their friends.” 

Muskoka’s aerial adventure parks 

are for thrillseekers and adventurers, 

but they also offer tamer options for 

anyone looking for a fun day in the 

great outdoors. 

Both locations also include 

mandatory introductory training 

sessions. 

To take advantage of all the aerial 

parks offer, plan a visit of at least 

three hours and book ahead to 

secure your spot. 

Above: Visitors are briefed on equipment and safety before tackling the challenges of the aerial park. 

Below: A visitor navigates his way across a tricky element at Muskoka Zip Lines and Aerial Park, Bracebridge. 

Photographs: Andy Zeltkalns 


...telling the Muskoka story 

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Photographs: Heather Douglas 


{Cottage Country Cuisine 

{ 

Article by Chris Occhiuzzi / Photography by Scott Turnbull 

Muskoka is becoming a hotbed of craft brewing as local 

breweries bring new suds to the marketplace and find innovative 

ways for beer aficionados to savour the craft beer experience. 

Muskoka Brewery in Bracebridge launched Kirby’s Kolsch this 

year, Baysville’s Lake of Bays Brewing Company is unveiling 

Summer Sunset as part of its Wild North seasonal offerings, while 

Sawdust City Brewing Company in Gravenhurst has a few new 

things to keep craft beer drinkers coming back. 

“We try to keep it fresh. We always have something new on tap,” 

says Sawdust City brewmaster and co-founder Sam Corbeil. “We’re 

usually running 10 or 11 of our own brands plus a couple of guest 

taps.” 

Celebrating its 20 th anniversary this year, Muskoka Brewery is 

not only taking part in several events showcasing local craft 

brewers, but it’s also creating four specialty brews with craft brewers 

outside of provincial and national borders. 


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Lake of Bays Brewery owner Darren Smith pours a pint at the taps in the retail store. 

“We picked some great breweries who are 

like-minded,” says Gary McMullen, who 

founded Muskoka Brewery in 1996 with his 

friend, the late Kirk Evans. 

Muskoka Brewery is working with 

Vancouver’s Howe Sound Brewing, 

BarrelHouse Brewing Company in California, 

Ellicottville Brewing Co. from New York 

and Quebec brewery Le Trou Du Diable. 

“Muskoka and Ellicottville, as 

communities, have a very similar feel,” says 

McMullen, adding they’ve also developed a 

relationship with BarrelHouse in California 

over the years. “We also have a lot of respect 

for what the folks at Le Trou Du Diable 

brewery are doing with their beers, so we 

reached out to do a brew with them.” 

Lake of Bays Brewing Company owner 

Darren Smith says there is a unique sense of 

camaraderie within the craft beer industry 

based on a recognition that more craft 

brewers are better off if more people are 

drinking craft beer. 

“Craft beer is a component of a larger 

trend of consumers generally wanting to see 

local and independent ownership and 

wanting to know where the things they are 

consuming are coming from, how are they 

made, and wanting to see the benefits of 

those goods felt locally,” says Smith. “Craft 

beer is a movement unto itself but is part of 

a larger trend.” 

Creating flavourful beer is an art form 

Muskoka Brewery has been perfecting for 

20 years since opening the operation with 

its flagship Muskoka Cream Ale. 

“Twenty years, believe it or not,” says 

McMullen. “I was yucking it up the other 

day when I was cleaning some files out of 

my desk. I have a copy of the original 

business plan that Kirk and I had developed 

for the brewery. It’s always funny when you 

look at stuff like that. We have far 

outstripped our expectations in terms of 

what our original plan was. It was kind of 

cool to see that.” 

McMullen recalls the elation of launching 

Muskoka Brewery in June 1996 followed by 


Cans of beer make 

their way along the 

canning line at 

Muskoka Brewery. 

the devastation of losing Evans, who died in 

a car accident the following year. 

It was a difficult decision that took a lot 

of internal fortitude, but he says the team 

chose to keep moving forward. This year’s 

new beer, Kirby’s Kolsch, is a nod to Evans’ 

legacy at the brewery. 

“I’m not going to say it’s in honour or 

memory of Kirk,” says McMullen. “But it’s 

really more to celebrate Kirk and his life 

and his involvement with the brewery. We’re 

having lots of fun with 

that, so that’s pretty 

exciting.” 

Muskoka Brewery 

has over 100 employees 

and has been growing 

quickly over the years. But McMullen 

emphasizes that it hasn’t lost the family feel 

that comes with a small business. 

“It has been cool to watch people grow 

up at the brewery,” 

McMullen says. “Some 

of our staff that have 

been here a long time 

– watching them grow 

up and watching their 

kids grow up.” 

Although Lake 

of Bays Brewing 

Company has 

only been 

operating for 

six years, it 

has grown quickly and Smith has made a 

name for himself amongst fellow craft 

brewers. 

“It’s really in the past five or six years that 

the rate of brewery openings has really 

jumped up in Ontario,” says Smith, who 

serves as vice-chair of 

the Ontario Craft 

Brewers 

Association 

board of 

directors. 

Left: Muskoka 

Brewery 

brewing manager 

Andrew Crowder 

holds out a 

handful of hops 

and barley. 

Middle: Head 

brewer Dan 

Unkersov in the 

Lake of Bays brewery. 

Far right: Brewmaster 

Sam Corbeil at Sawdust 

City. 


Photograph: Jake Baranik 

“When we opened there were less 

than 50 breweries in the province. 

The market share is continuing to 

expand, but there are a lot of people 

getting into the game as well,” says 

Smith. 

By late 2015, he says there were 

just under 180 operating breweries 

and 50 contract breweries in the 

province of Ontario. He says the 

challenge for individual brewers is 

to figure out the “magic formula” to 

remain fresh and relevant for 

consumers. 

“There’s so much choice and so 

much competition out there,” says 

Smith. “The industry is still growing 

at a pretty nice clip. Obviously 

there’s now more places that sell 

craft beer than ever. These are 

historic times we live in.” 

Lake of Bays has several core 

brands which are available year 

round, including the Top Shelf 

Classic Lager, which is the official 

beer of the NHL Alumni 

Association. The brewery also offers 

limited specialty edition flavours 

throughout the year. 

Smith says they try to attend 

craft beer events across the province 

and generally go to about half a 

dozen annually. Still, celebrations 

taking place closer to home, such as 

the Muskoka 2-4 Craft Beer Festival 

on the Victoria Day weekend and 

Griffin Session Muskoka on July 30 

in Bracebridge, are a priority. 

“Muskoka is home base for us 

and we have to stay involved here,” 

Muskoka Mice are jalapeños stuffed with 

cream cheese and wrapped in bacon. They pair 

well with Sawdust City's Lone Pine IPA. 


Muskoka Mice 

Recipe provided by Sawdust City Brewing Co. 

The perfect snack to have at any barbecue. 

Enjoy some spicy Muskoka Mice with Sawdust 

City’s full-flavoured Lone Pine IPA. 

Serves: 4-5 | Prep time: 10 mins | Cook time: 

10-20 mins 

Ingredients 

12 fresh jalapeño peppers 

8 ounces of cream cheese 

12 pieces of sliced bacon, cut in half 

Directions 

Cut jalapeños in half and remove seeds and veins. 

(Use gloves to work with peppers). 

Fill jalapeños with cream cheese and wrap a half 

slice of bacon around each (If necessary, secure 

with a toothpick). 

Bake in oven or barbecue at 425 degrees until 

bacon is done. 

Enjoy with a Lone Pine IPA! 

Mulligan Bacon 

Cheddar Beer Bread 

Recipe provided by Muskoka Brewery 

Ingredients 

3 cups of flour 

1 tablespoon baking powder 

1 teaspoon salt 

3 tablespoons sugar 

1 ¼ shredded marble or cheddar cheese 

500 ml of beer (Muskoka Brewery Cream Ale or 

Winterweiss recommended) 

4 slices cooked and chopped bacon 

(optional) 

Recipes 

Directions 

Preheat oven to 350°F 

Grease pan, or use non-stick one 

Combine dry ingredients, stir 

Add bacon, ¾ of cheese, and full 

beer. Stir mixture until combined 

Pour into pan, leaving it slightly 

unmixed. Sprinkle remaining cheese 

on top. Bake for 60 minutes 

Eat that bread! 

Milford Bay Smoked 

Trout Chowder 

Recipe provided by David R. Binsted, Executive Chef, 

Muskoka Lakes Golf & Country Club 

Serves 4-6 

Ingredients 

1 side Milford Bay Smoked Trout 1/4 medium 

sized sweet onion – fine diced 

1 stalk celery fine diced 

1 small/medium carrot fine diced 

1/2 medium sized red pepper diced 

1 medium Yukon gold potato – medium diced 

1/8 bulb fennel thin sliced and diced small 

2 cloves garlic pressed or fine chopped 

1/4 medium sized jalapeño pepper fine dice, with 

seeds 

1 cup of corn kernels (frozen or sliced off the cob) 

A generous splash of Lake of Bays Spark House 

Red Ale or your favourite ale for deglazing 

6 cups low salt chicken stock 

175 ml clam juice 

1/4 cup 10% cream 

1/4 cup milk 

4 tbsp corn starch 

Worcestershire sauce and Sriracha (or your 

preferred hot sauce) to taste 

Directions 

In a medium sized stock pot preheat olive oil and 

butter until hot, add all vegetable except corn, 

and sauté for 3-5 minutes, or until very aromatic. 

Deglaze with Lake of Bays Brewing Company’s 

Spark House Red Ale (or your favourite ale), add 

chicken stock and clam juice. Then deskin the tail 

and belly of the Milford Bay Smoked Trout and 

crumble into chowder. 

Bring to a boil, reduce and let simmer for 40 

minutes, and then add corn. Make slurry with 

1/4 cup 10% cream and 1/4 cup milk, and corn 

starch, and gently whisk into broth. 

Let cook out another 5-10 minutes, gently stir in 

the rest of the Milford Bay Smoked Trout in small 

bite-sized pieces. Season to taste with 

Worcestershire sauce and/or your favourite 

Sriracha or hot sauce. 

Serve and enjoy.

Muskoka Brewery founder Gary McMullen, owner Bob Macdonald and Todd Lewin, vice-president of sales and marketing, raise a glass outside their 

Bracebridge facility. 

says Smith. “Those types of events can be a 

great way to gauge people’s reaction to new 

beer styles that are coming out.” 

Sawdust City Brewing Company in 

Gravenhurst is becoming well-known for 

combining good brews and live music on a 

weekly basis. The brewery hosts live music 

events every Thursday, Friday and Saturday 

in addition to bingo nights, trivia nights 

and more. 

“We’ve had a great reception from the 

locals, the visitors to Gravenhurst and the 

cottagers, as well,” says Corbeil, who started 

the brewery five years ago before moving it 

home to his Muskoka roots in 2014. “It has 

been fantastic.” 

Corbeil mentions Sawdust City’s Funkfest 

event, which was held on the Canada Day 

weekend, as an example of how the craft 

brewers came together to support each other. 

It brought together brewers from Ottawa, 

the Kitchener-Waterloo area, Toronto, 

Sudbury and more to share their concoctions 

alongside live funk bands, food trucks and a 

juice bar. 

“It’s not about us selling lots of beer. It’s 

about showing off the great beer Ontario is 

producing,” he says. 

McMullen says part of the support comes 

from the fact the beer industry is, at its 

essence, a social industry. 

“There was a propensity to band together 

for protection against the big brewers,” says 

McMullen. 

“To this day, craft breweries in Ontario 

represent only seven or eight per- cent of 

the market . . . It makes a lot of sense for us 

to co-operate together to grow craft beer as a 

space and a mindset among consumers as 

opposed to fighting with each other.” 

Craft brewers are continually creating 

new flavours and collaborating locally and 

beyond to spread good cheer to beer 

aficionados everywhere – and giving people 

another reason to love Muskoka. 


{Muskoka Calendar 

{ 

Michaelson, painter Mark Kulas, potter 

Dan Hill, egg tempera painter Catherine 

O’Mara, fibre basket maker Sandra Pim, 

cast bronze sculptor Brenda Wainmen 

Goulet and jeweller Danielle Goulet. 

New artists on the tour include: 

driftwood sailboat sculptor Daniel Gallant, 

potter Susan Colavecchia, wind sculptor 

Peter Kourtz, painter Karen Leslie Hall, 

potter and Gina Denne. 

For more information visit www. 

artistsofthelimberlost.ca 

The Artists of the Limberlost will welcome the public into their studios on Aug. 13-14 for the annual 

Open Studio Weekend. Participants will meet and see the work of 19 artists along a 20-kilometre route. 

The Artists of the Limberlost will once 

again welcome the public into their studios 

on Saturday, Aug. 13 and Sunday, Aug. 14 

for the annual Open Studio Weekend. 

Comprised of seven artists and 

craftspeople with studios along 

the Limberlost Road, north of 

Highway 60 near Huntsville, 

the Artists of the Limberlost 

work in a broad range of media 

and styles. While their studios 

can be visited by appointment 

throughout the year, every August 

the Artists of the Limberlost 

open their doors for visitors to 

explore their art, techniques and 

working environments. The art 

work is for sale, so everyone 

can take home a “piece of the 

Limberlost” for themselves. 

With guest artists at each 

location, participants on this 

free self-guided tour will meet 

and see the work of 19 diverse and talented 

artists along a compact, 20-kilometre route. 

Artists participating in this year’s tour 

include: driftwood sculptor Jerry Friedman, 

potter Jessica Brabant, wildlife watercolour 

painter Brad Wookey, fused glass artist 

Susan Higgins, fibre artist Marni Martin, 

woodturner Brian Markham, photographer 

Don Spring, jeweller Carol-Ann 

Over 100 juried artisans and craftspeople from across Canada will gather at the 

Muskoka Wharf Special Events Field in Gravenhurst from Aug. 19-21 during the 

Dockside Festival of the Arts. 

Photograph: Kelly Hlinshead 

Enjoy art, entertainment, craft beer, gourmet 

food and family activities at the Muskoka 

Wharf Special Events Field in Gravenhurst 

from Friday, Aug. 19 to Sunday, Aug. 21 

during the Dockside Festival of the Arts. 

The festival features the work of over 100 

juried artisans and craftspeople from across 

Canada. From accessories, clothing and 

jewellery, to fine art, photography and glass 

work, to furniture, sculptures and woodcarving, 

there’s something for everyone. 

Plus, there will be gourmet food vendors 

that are sure to leave mouths watering. 

Festival goers can take a break inside the 

Sawdust City Brewing 

Company’s food and music 

lounge, where singers and song 

writers will perform live and 

unplugged. The lineup of 

performers includes Muskoka’s 

own Sean Cotton, as well as 

Toronto up-and-comer Nico 

Henderson, country musicians 

Bett Smith & The Currie 

Brothers and Aussie singersongwriter 

Gina Horswood. 

And with family activities 

Photograph: Gravenhurst Chamber of Commerce 

and a splash pad, even the 

kids will want to spend the 

day at the festival. 

For more information, visit 

www.docksidefestival.com 


106 Manitoba Street 

Bracebridge, ON 

Since 1949 

Gleaming boats and polished cars make their way to Baysville on Sunday, Aug. 21 for the Lake of Bays 

Antique and Classic Boat and Car Show. 

Photograph: Tim Du Vernet 

With you over 

the generations 

8 Main Street West 

Huntsville, ON 

Since 1948 

Gleaming mahogany and polished 

chrome will add a sparkle to Baysville on 

Sunday, Aug. 21 for the Lake of Bays 

Antique and Classic Boat and Car Show. 

Walk along the riverfront docks and see 

floating history at its finest. Bridge Street 

and Bay Street will be blocked off to allow 

one of the best antique car shows in the 

area. Entertainment will be provided by 

the Northern Lights Steel Orchestra Band 

and musician Darryl Hollingsworth. In 

addition to the antique Muskoka boats 

and classic cars that make an appearance, 

the SS Bigwin will sail into Baysville where 

people can climb aboard and take a tour of 

the historic ship. 

At 4 p.m., when the show is over, 

bagpiper Sharon Mace will play as the 

procession of boats leave. Admission to the 

show is by donation with all the proceeds 

going to the Baysville Winter Food Program. 

There’s no shortage of quality 

entertainment to be found in Huntsville 

during the month of August, as 

Huntsville’s Festival of the Arts brings top 

performers to the stage each week. 

On Thursday, Aug. 4, the Huntsville 

Festival of the Arts presents Donnell Leahy 

at the Algonquin Theatre. Described as 

one of the finest fiddlers on the planet, 

Leahy is well-known as the frontman of 

the Leahy Family and a regular Huntsville 

performer with his wife Natalie 

MacMaster. 

Join Valdy, one of Canada’s most 

noteworthy troubadours, for a free concert 

on Friday, Aug. 5 at the Rotary Bandshell 

in River Mill Park. Having taken his music 

around the globe, this “ambassador of folk” 

always manages to get the crowd singing 

along to his many hits. 

Kevin Lavigne hits the stage of the 

Algonquin Theatre on Saturday, Aug. 6. 

Downtown Bracebridge (across from the post office) 

Momma Bear’s 

Ice Cream & Sweets 

Photograph: Sonic Entertainment Group 

Hey Rosetta! will be performing Friday, Aug. 19 at the Algonquin Theatre in Huntsville. 

bracebridge 

Offering Fitness and 

Yoga Classes 

227 Wellington St., Bracebridge 

705-646-0884 

Follow us on Facebook! 


Blending a classical tenor sound and 

modern stylings, Lavigne takes his audience 

on a riveting and enchanting journey, 

retelling his personal campaign to sing at 

Carnegie Hall with the New York Pops. 

Told with spectacular songs and 

entertaining and hilarious stories, Lavigne 

embodies the spirit of the underdog. 

On Wednesday, Aug. 10, the Algonquin 

Theatre welcomes Alex Cuba. A proud 

Canadian with Cuban roots, the Juno and 

Latin Grammy winner and Grammy 

nominee brings sugarcane-sweet melodies, 

pop-soul hooks and powerful guitar riffs. 

Taking the stage on Friday, Aug. 12 is 

Juno Award-nominated artist Tyler Shaw. 

One of the nation’s brightest emerging pop 

artists, there is a distinctive quality to his 

raw vocals and musicianship. 

On Saturday, Aug. 13, pianist Kyung-A 

Lee will perform a two-piano concert at 

Huntsville’s Algonquin Theatre with 

Younggun Kim. Their performance will 

include works from Rachmaninoff, Poulenc, 

Infante and Mayevsky. 

Join Bruce Cockburn, Canada’s preeminent 

folk musician, on Thursday, Aug. 

18 at the Algonquin Theatre for a musical 

journey that promises to rekindle memories. 

With numerous awards to his credit, 

including an Order of Canada, Cockburn 

has been able to combine musicianship and 

songwriting with a social conscience that 

has allowed him to be an outspoken 

advocate for a number of causes. 

On Friday, Aug. 19, the Huntsville 

Festival of the Arts welcomes to the 

Algonquin Theatre Hey Rosetta!, a sevenpiece 

indie rock band that hails from St. 

John’s, Newfoundland. Expect songwriter 

Tim Baker’s haunting and distinctive voice, 

lyrical sensibility, indie-rock precision with 

a pop sensibility and fierce cello, violin and 

French horn. 

Rounding out the lineup for August are 

the Nylons, who perform on Saturday, Aug. 

26 at the Algonquin Theatre. Since the mid 

‘70s The Nylons have been weaving their a 

cappella magic around the globe, but all 

good things must come to an end and they 

are now saying goodbye to fans during a 

year-long series of farewell shows. 


www.huntsvillefestival.on.ca 

If you appreciate stunning gardens and 

equally stunning artwork, mark Saturday, 

July 23 to Sunday, Aug. 14 on your calendar 

for the 19th annual Artful Garden, an 

outdoor gallery in Bracebridge that features 

the work of over 40 artists. Now in its 19th 

year, the Artful Garden as a show has grown 

as much as the gardens have. 

From sculptures to wall hangings, jewellery 

to bird feeders and ironwork to stone 

carving, hundreds of handcrafted works of 

art work is displayed in the gorgeous gardens 

of Jon and Suzann Partridge. This year, the 

Artful Garden will also include metal 

sculptures by Hilary Clark Cole. 

The Artful Garden is open daily from 10 

a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, with a kids’ art camp 

also running during the show. The camp 

uses the setting of the Artful Garden as 

inspiration for a variety of mix-media art 

projects. The emphasis of the camp is on 

the process of creating but children will 

enjoy their finished works of art. 


www.theartfulgarden.ca 

Muskoka Chautauqua presents the 7th 

Annual OperaMuskoka Festival from 

Tuesday, Aug. 23 to Thursday, Aug. 25 at 

the Rene Caisse Theatre in Bracebridge. 

The festival kicks off with Tchaikovsky’s 

Eugene Onegin on Tuesday, Aug. 23 at 7:30 

p.m. Bracebridge’s own Daevyd Pepper is 

the producer and will be performing the 

role of Lensky in the opera. It will be sung 

in Russian with English subtitles. 

Wednesday, Aug. 24 features a vocal 

masterclass with Jennifer Tung from 1-4 

p.m. Witness five performers auditioning 

and learning from a renowned Royal 

Conservatory soprano, teacher and Glenn 

Gould Studio vocal coach. Participants will 

be auditioning at no charge to appear in 

Tung’s evening concert. 

At 7:30 p.m. Tung will invite 

outstanding local singers who have achieved 

a level of excellence in her vocal masterclass 

to join her evening concert. 


MUSKOKA 

AUTUMN STUDIO 

T O U R 2 0 1 6 

CANADA’S ORIGINAL STUDIO TOUR 

SEPTEMBER 24-25 & OCTOBER 1-2 | 10AM - 6PM 

38TH ANNUAL 

OUR ARTISTS: 

Miranda Britton & Scott Turnbull | Johnathan Bullock | Pam Carnochan | Jim Carter | Laura Carter 

Pat Fairhead | Elizabeth Johnson | Brian Markham | Marni Martin | Wendy Moses | Mary-Ruth Newell 

Catherine O’Mara | Jon & Suzann Partridge | Jennifer Pimentel | Sue Pritchard 

Mark Reeder | Stan W. Tait | Penny & Tony Varney 

muskokaautumnstudiotour.com 


Muskoka Chautauqua presents the 

Toronto All Star Big Band 

Experience an artful 

Muskoka summer 

Saturday, August 20, 8pm 

Port Carling Community Centre 

Tickets: $35 per person 

Buy online at MuskokaChautauqua.com or call 705 765-1048 

Other August Highlights 

Wednesday, August 17 – Friday, August 19: Harp School, 

Muskoka Place Gallery. Limited space: Call to learn more 

Tuesday, August 23 – Thursday, August 25: OperaMuskoka, 

Rene Caisse Theatre, featuring a performance of Eugene Onegin 

For Tickets and to Learn More (various prices for each 

OperaMuskoka event), visit www.TheCaisse.com 

Learn more about these and other August events 

www.MuskokaChautauqua.com or call 705 765-1048 

BRACEBRIDGE 

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Water Power Generating a Cleaner Environment 

Interested in more information or a free tour? 

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Five participants will have the opportunity 

to take part in a violin masterclass on 

Thursday, Aug. 25 from 1-4 p.m. with 

Moshe Hammer. 

That evening, at 7:30 p.m., the festival 

wraps up with the 7th Annual Stars of 

Tomorrow concert. Janelle Laarakker and 

several other young singers and musicians 

and their accompanists will entertain. 

For more information, visit www.thecaisse.com 

Over 70 antique boats will cruise into Port 

Carling on Saturday, Aug. 13 for the 

Muskoka Lakes Association Boat Show, which 

has been running biennially since 1971. 

The theme of this year’s show is Curvaceous 

to celebrate the unique lines of Muskokabuilt 

boats, which feature ample flair under 

their bow and transoms that curve in as the 

decks narrow at the back of the boat. The 

poster boat is a very curvaceous 1937 

Greavette Streamliner called Curlew, which is 

double-ended, meaning it comes to a point 

at both ends. 

There is also a display of antique 

outboard motors presented by the Maple 

Leaf outboard motor club, and some 

outboard “sea fleas” built in the 1950 

traditions of small racing style boats. 

A casual show, attendees often get to chat 

with boat owners and learn about the boats 

and the families that own them. The show 

runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the locks. 

ONTARIO LAND SURVEYORS 

Est. 1885 by William Galbraith, O.L.S. 

D.L.S., P.ENG. 

John W. Hiley, B.Sc., O.L.S. 

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Limited 

127 Keith Road 

Bracebridge, Ontario 

P1L 0A1 

Phone: (705) 645-4611 

(800) 494-1443 

Fax: (705) 645-1845 

Latitude: 45°00'58.467" N • Longitude: 79°18'33.152" W 

Email: surveys@muskokasurveyors.com w Website: www.muskokasurveyors.com 

Former YWCA Muskoka executive 

director Beth Ward is walking across 

Muskoka on Monday, Aug. 8 to raise 

awareness and funds in support of YWCA 

Muskoka’s programs for girls and she’s 

asking for the public’s support. 

The YWalk4Women&Girls will begin 

Monday, Aug. 8 in Dwight, following a 

route that will connect Lake of Bays, 

Huntsville, Muskoka Lakes, Bracebridge, 

Gravenhurst, Wahta and Georgian Bay 

60 UNIQUE MUSKOKA July 2016

Township. Walking on consecutive days, the 

goal is to complete the walk in Port Severn 

nine days later on Tuesday, Aug. 16. 

Those who want to show their support can 

make a donation, join her on the walk, use 

social media to share Ward’s progress or 

recruit a sponsor. For those who want to join 

in, the time and location of each day’s start 

will be posted, along with photos and facts of 

the day, that participants can share with 

friends and family. 

Last year over 50 participants covered 197 

kilometres in nine days and raised $18,000 

in support of YWCA Muskoka’s programs. 

YWalk connects Muskoka’s communities in a 

common purpose and raises funds so that 

YWCA Muskoka can continue to serve 44 

different locations throughout Muskoka to 

help over 1,600 people whose lives are 

affected by domestic abuse, unemployment, 

lack of housing, transportation and poverty. 

For more information, or to donate, visit www. 

ywcamuskoka.com/ywalk or follow 

@ywalk on Twitter. 

227 Wellington St., Bracebridge · 705-645-7681 · 1-888-815-4714 

Summer is far from over, but it’s never too 

early to make plans to attend the Muskoka 

Autumn Studio Tour, which takes place 

Saturday, Sept. 24 and Sunday 25 and 

Saturday, Oct. 1 and Sunday, Oct. 2 at 18 

select studios located throughout Muskoka. 

From 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day, visitors 

can venture into participating studios to 

witness the creative process first-hand while 

also enjoying the height of the fall colours as 

they travel between locations. 

This year’s tour includes painter Catherine 

O’Mara; woodturner Brian Markham; wool 

artist Pam Carnochan; Jennifer Pimentel, 

who captures people, wildlife and 

architecture in drawings; weaver Marni 

Martin; painter Mark Reeder; painter 

Elizabeth Johnson; jeweller Miranda Britton; 

photographer Scott Turnbull; woodworker 

Jim Carter; painter Wendy Moses; potter Jon 

Partridge; Suzann Partridge, a multimedia 

artist specializing in sculptures for the home 

and garden; woodturner Sue Pritchard; 

jeweller Stan W. Tait; painter Pat Fairhead; 


Oliver Jones 

Saturday, July 30 • 8PM 

Woodturner Brian Markham’s studio is one of 18 throughout Muskoka featured on the Muskoka 

Autumn Studio Tour, which takes place Sept. 24-25 and Oct. 1-2. 

Photograph: Mark Reeder 

Donnell Leahy 

Thursday, Aug. 4 • 8PM 

Ken Lavigne 

Saturday, Aug. 6 • 8PM 

Alex Cuba 

Wed., Aug. 10 • 8PM 

painter Laura Carter; jeweller Penny Varney; 

photographer Tony Varney; and potter 

Johnathan Bullock. 

Dubbed “Canada’s original studio tour,” 

the Muskoka Autumn Studio Tour is now in 

its 38th season and has presented some of 

Muskoka’s finest professional artists and 

craftspeople over the years. 

For more information visit 

www.muskokaautumnstudiotour.com 

The Red Canoe Gallery will be presenting 

a showing of Paul Garbett’s latest works on 

Saturday, Aug. 6 from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. 

when you can meet the artist. 

Garbett’s large wildlife works are created 

in his Muskoka studio using the encaustic 

painting technique, an ancient painting 

method that has made a huge comeback. 

This difficult technique involves mixing the 

artist’s oil paints and pigments with wax 

using brushstrokes created in the few seconds 

when the mixture is still melted. Over a 

dozen layers in different tones and colours are 

then added to create amazing depth and 

texture. 

For more information 

www.redcanoegallery.com 

Paul Garbett's work will be presented at the Red 

Canoe Gallery Saturday, Aug. 6 

The Nylons 

Friday, Aug. 26 • 8PM 

huntsvillefestival.on.ca 

Box Office 705.789.4975 

Rotary Centre for Youth 

131 Wellington St., Bracebridge 

705-644-2712 

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705-646-9079

{Living in Muskoka 

Philanthropists find calm 

at Lake Rosseau retreat 

Article by Dale Peacock / Photography by Kelly Holinshead 

{ 

Early in his career, Dr. Bernie Gosevitz 

made a commitment to give back to his 

community as soon as he had the ability to 

do so. Along with his wife, Susan, he has 

honoured that pledge by working his entire 

life to foster a love of conservation, art and 

the environment. 

He and Susan, an accomplished artist in 

her own right, agree that “it is just the right 

thing to do” when you have the means and 

a voice that can be used to raise awareness 

and funding for causes 

that matter to them 

both. 

In addition to having 

a family practice in 

Toronto, Gosevitz is vice 

president and chief 

medical officer of Rogers 

Communications. He is also corporate 

medical director of Barrick Gold and Post 

Media. Gosevitz sits on the board of the 

foundation of the Toronto General and 

Toronto Western Hospital, as well as the 

Muskoka Chautauqua Foundation. He chairs 

the Canadian Wildlife Foundation, which is 

the funding arm of the federation. 

Susan has contributed to the arts 

community and uses her artistic talents to 

help many charities. She was also a 

founding member of the Herbie Fund in 

support of the Hospital for Sick Children. 

Gosevitz quotes his good friend and 

former patient Ted Rogers who famously 

said, “I’m giving, I’m not giving back.” 

Toronto is home to the busy couple, but 

after 40 years of visiting friends and renting 

cottages on various local lakes they decided 

to buy a cottage on Lake Rosseau in 2011. 

“We chose Lake Rosseau in part to be 

near my good friend Loretta Rogers,” Susan 

Above: A spacious, 

well-appointed kitchen 

was important to Susan, 

who enjoys cooking. 

Right: The family room 

features a fireplace and 

beautiful view of Lake 

Rosseau. 


explains. She credits Rogers with being the 

driving force behind the formation of the 

Tobin Island School of Fine Art. The art 

group has had three children’s books 

published: Chucky the Lonely Inukshuk in 

2009; Larry the Loon in 2011; and Under 

Your Nose in 2014. A fourth book is 

underway. 

Regular sessions at the island art studio 

have become a staple of Susan’s summer life. 

“Our work revolves around nature and 

especially the beauty of Muskoka,” Susan 

explains. “We are lucky to be able to work 

in such a beautiful place.” 

The Tobin Island artists were the 2012 

recipients of the Robert Bateman Award for 

outstanding contribution to conservation 

awareness through artistic expression. 

Interestingly, Bateman was Susan’s art 

teacher at the Lord Elgin High School in 

Burlington, ON, where she was raised. They 

reconnected after 50 years when Bernie 

made a call and asked Bateman if he would 

do the forward for Larry the Loon. Family 

friend and veteran cartoonist Andy Donato 

contributed as a guest artist. 

“As I got more involved up here with the 

Muskoka Chautauqua Foundation and as 

Susan seemed to be driving here more 

frequently, it made more and more sense to 

Above: The family 

gathers together 

as often as 

possible at the 

cottage, soaking 

up the sun and 

enjoying the 

water. 

Left: Tired of 

renting cottages 

over the years, 

the Gosevitz 

family was 

thrilled to finally 

have a piece of 

paradise to call 

their own. 

buy a place,” says Dr. G, as Gosevitz is 

affectionately known. 

Susan adds, “Muskoka was just drawing 

us in.” She muses, “When you come from 

the fast-paced city environment, Muskoka 


MuskokaCottagesForSale.com 

 

 

 

 

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has a way of calming and relaxing you 

that feels very spiritual.” 

Fishing is one of Bernie’s passions in 

life. He has dozens of rods lining the 

walls of a room in the boathouse, along 

with a sign proclaiming “Bernie’s Bait 

Shop.” He cherishes the sign, which was 

a gift at an event that paid homage to his 

40 years in medicine and philanthropy. 

The fundraiser proceeds went to the 

Campaign to Cure Arthritis at Toronto 

Western Hospital and the guest list read 

like a who’s who of Canada. Eddie 

Greenspan and former Prime Minister 

Brian Mulroney, along with many 

others, honoured Bernie for his work 

and for his good works. 

One of the points speakers stressed 

was how he treats everyone the same. 

One of his oldest fishing buddies – and a 

man he greatly respects – is Laurie 

Mackinnon, a longtime property manager 

for the Rogers family and a lifelong resident 

of south Muskoka. 

Bernie has only one rule when out on the 

water – no talking about medicine. He 

ruminates, “Last year Laurie and I were out 

in the fall and for a long while we just drifted 

and looked at the autumn colours and 

thought about how lucky we were.” Even 

the fishing took a back seat for awhile. 

Bernie and Susan describe family as 

“everything” to them. They have four 

accomplished daughters, two of whom 

are married with children. 

Despite the good life he’s enjoyed, the 

accolades he’s received and the friends 

he’s made, Bernie never forgets his 

modest beginnings. His parents were 

Polish immigrants who worked hard to 

raise their children. His earliest days were 

spent in a one-room Ottawa tenement 

where love and respect were in abundance, 

even as material things were not. 

“I think that if you forget where you 

came from, you risk losing your very 

identity, your sense of self,” he muses 

pensively. 

The cottage, which was nonwinterized, 

is 2,550 square feet and was 

built in 1974. A master wing was added in 

1991 and provides a serene bedroom retreat 

for the couple. A large boathouse/bunkie 

Bernie and Susan 

Gosevitz relax in one 

of their favourite 

spots. The dock on 

the side of the 

boathouse provides 

close proximity to 

the water with shade 

from the hot sun. 

Above: Rebecca, her 

husband David and 

their daughter 

Hannah share a 

moment in the 

boathouse. It 

provides a retreat 

for the couple and 

their four children. 

Rebecca enjoys 

spending time at her 

parents’ cottage. 


completed the additions in 2007. The house 

sits high above Lake Rosseau and is 

accessible to the waterfront via terraced 

stairs and a newly installed lift. 

The cottage is multi-levelled and suits the 

Gosevitz family perfectly. According to 

Susan, “We have areas to gather together as 

a family, but everyone has some space where 

they can have some privacy, too. We aren’t 

all on top of each other.” 

The interior cottage theme is upscale 

casual and the simplicity is enhanced by a 

distribution of Susan Gosevitz’s own works 

of stunning art that adorn the walls. She is 

an award-winning artist and an elected 

member of The Society of Canadian Artists. 

“I see art as a collaboration with nature,” 

Susan says. “Together we create the real and 

sublime in one, providing a return from 

hectic and stress, from consumption and 

chaos, to meditative simplicity.” 

Life has been good to the couple and 

time in Muskoka has been an important 

part of that life. Asked if there is anything 

more he would like from life Dr. G. quips, 

“Well, I definitely wish I could spend more 

time fishing!” 

Above: Although the Gosevitz cottage is nestled in trees, guests can catch a glimpse of the water waiting on the other side. Top left: Susan Gosevitz 

keeps minimal supplies in her studio at the cottage, but always finds time to paint. Top Right: Bernie Gosevitz is an avid fisherman, and has an impressive 

collection of rods, all of which get used. 


Your cottage vacation begins here. 

OntarioCottageRentals 

.com 

We have been creating joy 

for vacationers and cottage owners alike since 1999. 

1.877.788.1809 August 2016 UNIQUE MUSKOKA 71

{Muskoka Moments 

Boyhood adventures inspire 

Survivorman TV show 

By Les Stroud 

{ 

It is ridiculously difficult to pick only one 

defining moment in Muskoka, when in 

reality, Muskoka is made up entirely of 

moments. Wonderful, whimsical, inspiring, 

memory-laden moments. Those of us lucky 

enough to enjoy it here know this with all 

our hearts. 

I travel the world for a living and yet 

when I am asked to name the places I 

believe to be “world class,” Muskoka is 

always on that list. It is Muskoka that I tell 

others about when they ask me, “What 

beautiful places on this planet should we 

see?” In fact, I carve my travelling schedule 

around my favourite months to be in 

Muskoka; spring thaw, dead of winter and, 

of course, the autumn. I will not be in 

jungles or deserts or on mountains or across 

the oceans during those times, I will be in 

my home – Muskoka. And no doubt, I will 

be having a moment. 

My family was connected to the Muskoka 

River. I grew up having summers at what 

was once my grandmother’s house, which 

subsequently became our cottage when she 

passed away. A small, yet classic Muskoka 

cottage, with a “screen room” and windows 

overlooking the river. My bedroom had no 

insulation and was open to the 2x4 studs, 

which had the added advantage of offering 

up a place to put my glass of water for the 

night. A dysfunctional family life took its 

toll back in the city, but here in Muskoka I 

found my refuge, my escape. It was an 

escape to the natural world. 

Back in Mimico, Etobicoke, I would 

watch Jacques Cousteau films and Tarzan 

movies on TV. Ahhh, but here in Muskoka, 

I would chase and catch frogs and snakes. I 

would explore endlessly in the swamps. I 

would spend all day fishing for that “big 

lunker” bass that I just knew was out there, 

somewhere. I would smell the fresh forest 


breezes and climb the rock outcroppings in 

behind the cottage. I would learn to swim at 

Muskoka Beach, just off Highway 118. In 

my mind I would actually live and experience 

what I witnessed during the winters down 

south, my face stuck in the “boob tube.” 

My fascination with the natural world 

ran deep within my soul, so getting dirty 

while clambering through the Muskoka 

forest was a daily occurrence. Ants fascinated 

me and I remember when, every spring, the 

flying ants would take wing and fill our 

horseshoe and Frisbee field. I learned to 

respect yellow jackets! I felt like I was in the 

most exotic place on the planet when a luna 

moth would land on our window. It was just 

so big! 

I developed a solo game I would play up 

on the rocks, far from the call of my mother 

(so I could pretend I couldn't hear her). I 

would use moss as a pillow and make these 

little shelters out of branches and pine 

bows. In my young mind I was surviving in 

all the far-flung places that Tarzan and 

Jacques Cousteau went. I even remember 

thinking, wouldn’t it be cool if I could be a 

professional at this surviving and adventure 

thing? Well, that dream came true. Truer 

than I could have imagined. It was my 

Muskoka moment on that rock to which I 

owe my current professional life. If there 

ever was a defining moment in my life, it 

surely was when I first moved around a little 

club moss and propped up a few sticks on a 

rock in Muskoka and called it “survival.” 

Les Stroud is best known as the Canadian 

Screen Award winning producer, creator and star 

of the hit TV series Survivorman. He has been 

nominated for 21 Canadian Screen Awards 

(formerly the Geminis) and has won for Best 

Writer (twice) and Best Photography. A celebrated 

keynote speaker, musician and author, his books, 

Survive!: Essential Skills and Tactics to Get You 

Out of Anywhere – Alive! and Will to Live made 

the New York Times bestseller list. Visit lesstroud.ca 

Photograph: Laura Bombier

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