FALL / WINTER 2018
Magical Winter Wedding
DECORATING FOR CHRISTMAS
Tips for decking the halls and trimming your tree
Gaining traction on fat bikes Rosseau carollers share a tradition
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Fall / Winter 2018 UNIQUE MUSKOKA 1
...telling the Muskoka story 30
Features 18
Decorating – A Part of the Christmas Experience [18]
Fat Biking Gains Traction
Article by Matt Driscoll Photography by Andy Zeltkalns The popularity of fat biking year round has exploded over the last several years, but particularly during the long Muskoka winter. Fat bikes are essentially regular bicycles, except their wider than normal tires allow one to traverse through snow and other obstacles.
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Winter Wedding – A Magical Weekend
Article by Sandy Lockhart / Photography by John White When Katherine East and Julian Knutzen were wed, this past winter, the two world travellers decided a cosy Muskoka winter weekend would be the perfect way to celebrate. The magic of a winter wedding included horse-drawn sleigh rides, skating on the frozen lake, snowshoeing and more at Sherwood Inn.
2 UNIQUE MUSKOKA Fall / Winter 2018
Article by Meghan Smith / Photography by Tomasz Szumski Decking the halls, trimming the tree and hanging stockings with care are all parts of traditional Christmas decorating. Choosing décor and even a single theme that appeals to your style is important. Learn some tips from Muskokans who are known for their Christmas decorating talents.
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Rosseau Carol Singing – Connecting with Tradition
Article by Meghan Smith / Photography by Tomasz Szumski For 15 years, a group of merry singers has made its way from home to home in Rosseau, spreading Christmas cheer. Each year, the group has been sharing the holiday spirit in their community by singing carols on the longest night of the year. In return, they’ve found a way to connect with tradition and their neighbours.
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Carving a Niche in the World of Music
Article by Judy Vanclieaf / Photography by Heather Douglas Through skill, determination and never letting his sights stray away from his goals, Ray Peyton has been able to create guitars, both acoustic and electric, that are gaining a reputation for their quality and beauty.
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Muskoka’s Enduring Commercial Activity
Article by J. Patrick Boyer The story of fur as Muskoka’s most enduring commercial activity begins in the mists of long-ago times. Indigenous relics confirm trade in this locale has been underway for many centuries. The scale of North America’s barter economy increased with European contact. Today, fur harvesting is a well-regulated economic and cultural activity.
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Fall / Winter 2018 UNIQUE MUSKOKA 3
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Departments 11
[54]
Muskoka Calendar
Fall and early winter bring a whole different experience to activities in Muskoka. From traditional Thanksgiving events to Bala’s annual celebration of the cranberry, there are still lots of outdoor activities. As the nights get longer and the days colder, many activities move indoors with arts shows, concerts and a food festival. And finally, as winter approaches, don’t forget local Santa Claus parades and seasonal celebrations.
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Opinion
What’s Happened
Programs to protect Muskoka’s watershed will be receiving a muchneeded financial boost with $5 million coming from the province, along with another $5 million in matching funding. A major donor has provided the Huntsville Hospital Foundation with $1 million. Resort development will be studied, the 55+ Winter Games are coming to Muskoka and a group of volunteers plan to brighten Christmas for 1,000 Muskoka women.
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Muskoka Insights By Don Smith
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Muskoka Moments By Paul Kelly
FALL / WINTER 2018
Magical Winter Wedding
DECORATING FOR CHRISTMAS
Tips for decking the halls and trimming your tree
Gaining traction on fat bikes Rosseau carollers share a tradition
54
Cottage Country Cuisine
There’s more than one way to cheer the soul while bitter winds howl outside. For three sweet ideas, our culinary contributor Karen Wehrstein has the recipes for some delicious desserts that are certain to warm you up and provide an energy [11] rush.
Our Cover
Photograph By Tomasz Szumski Decking the halls, trimming the tree and hanging stockings with care are all parts of traditional Christmas decorating. Photograph taken at Westlawn Bed & Breakfast.
Fall / Winter 2018 UNIQUE MUSKOKA 5
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…telling the Muskoka story Unique Muskoka is published six times per year by Unique Publishing Inc. Donald Smith Publisher and Editor Donna Ansley Sales Lisa Brazier Design Susan Smith Administration J. Patrick Boyer Heather Douglas Matt Driscoll Dawn Huddlestone Sandy Lockhart Meghan Smith Tomasz Szumski Judy Vanclieaf Karen Wehrstein John White Andy Zeltkalns Contributors Annual Subscription Rates: (including HST where applicable) In Ontario $30.00 All Other Provinces $36.00 U.S. $60.00 All Other Countries $72.00 HST: 773172721 Canada Post Publications Mail Agreement Number: 43268016 Copyright © 2018 Unique Publishing Inc.
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No content published in Unique Muskoka can be reproduced without the written permission of the publisher. Mailing Address Box 616, Bracebridge ON P1L 1T9 Street Address 28 Manitoba St., Bracebridge ON P1L 1S1 www.uniquemuskoka.com info@uniquemuskoka.com 705-637-0204
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Muskoka Insights and tenacity of the early settlers. So, as we learn, our responsibility to preserve Muskoka’s environment grows. For this reason, we attempt in each issue of Unique Muskoka to provide readers with an insight into our past and an appreciation for where we are today. This issue of Unique Muskoka is no exception. Regular contributor Patrick Boyer provides insights into the tradition of trapping in Muskoka. He takes a look at the time when the First People of the area harvested animals, not only for their food, but also for the hides that were put to many uses. With the arrival of European traders and later settlers, trapping became a major contributor to local commerce. As Boyer notes, with changing knowledge, fur harvesting is a well-regulated activity. It is now much more limited as a part of the Muskoka economy. In keeping with introducing more people to the pleasures of Muskoka but minimizing our footprint is the growing interest in Fat Biking. These unique bicycles utilize wide tires that allow cyclists to not only get out in the winter but traverse areas that might otherwise be inaccessible on a year round basis. From the magic of a winter wedding at a quaint Lake Joseph resort to the sense of community that a group of Rosseau carollers share with their neighbours, there is lots of the Unique Muskoka story in this issue. Photograph: Susan Smith
As we go about our busy day-to-day lives, it is so easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle. We can lose perspective as we focus on the short-term rather than the big picture. There’s nothing like a bit of a disruption to make us take a pause and consider something more than the immediate. As a robust early autumn storm blew through Muskoka, late in September, it left much of the district without electrical power. While there are those who are truly dependent on the flow of electricity, for most, it was an inconvenience that was short-lived. However, for me, it was a disruptor that got me thinking. The night sky was black. The universal darkness left only a few shadows to provide a sense of there being a bigger universe. Except for the occasional passing car, there was a quiet that provided greater clarity. The calm that preceded each swirl of the wind-blown trees added a transition that made the endless gusts seem even stronger. The disquieting silence left me searching for a familiar sound. It was eerie and disconcerting. The longer I sat on our deck, the more I embraced the moment. The solitude. It allowed my thoughts to wander to the early settlers and how they prospered despite the lack of any of the conveniences we now take for granted. While they had the resilience and fortitude to not only survive but to prosper, they followed practices that would be frowned upon today. Clear-cutting, burning garbage and dumping toxic waste into the watershed would be but a few of the commonplace activities of that day that would be frowned upon today. Were they wrong and we right? Hardly. Today, a short 150 years later, we have much more knowledge and a better understanding of the impact we have on our environment. We also live the benefits of a lifestyle that had its roots in the survival
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Muskoka Calendar
Wagon cart rides through Muskoka Lakes Farm with a backdrop of autumn colours will be one of the features of the annual Bala Cranberry Festival, Oct. 12 - 14.
Go pioneer for Thanksgiving at Muskoka Lakes Museum
Anne of Green Gables lookalike contest
The Muskoka Lakes Museum at Port Carling will hold its annual Thanksgiving Open House on Oct. 6 and 7, all day Saturday and afternoon only on Sunday. Check out the museum’s demonstrations of pioneer life while enjoying free pumpkin muffins, hot mulled cider and other goodies. It’s a great outing for the entire family that is both fun and educational.
One of the most popular Bala Cranberry Festival events is the Cran-Anne Contest, happening on Oct. 13 at the Bala Museum, registration at 1:30. What would Anne of Green Gables look like if she came to the Cranberry Festival? That’s how contestants are challenged to dress. The judges will choose a winner based on their knowledge of the story, their costume and their sheer Anneness. All contestants will receive a prize.
mlmuseum.com/special-events/
If you want to give your children two Halloweens in one year, Algonquin Park is the place to go on Oct. 26 and 27. The spirited camping fun starts Friday night with an owl prowl, creepy campfire and Tales from the Camboose Shanty, a historical peek into logger lore. On Saturday, it’s time for the Skeleton Tour, a viewing of animal skeletons led by a park naturalist, plus Halloween face painting, contests for best costume, spookiest campsite and pumpkin carving, trick or treating at the campsites in Mew Lake and Lake of Two Rivers Campgrounds, and that most Algonquin of haunting experiences, a wolf howl. algonquinpark.on.ca/visit/programs/special_events.php
Photograph: Bala’s Museum
Photograph: Muskoka Lakes Farm & Winery
Camp with the spooks at Algonquin’s Haunted Halloween Weekend
balasmuseum.com/cran-anne.php
Bala celebrates its cranberry harvest
Cinematic smorgasbord at fifth Muskoka Independent Film Festival
On Oct. 12-14 (always the weekend after Thanksgiving), the cranberry growers of Muskoka and related organizations throw a community-wide event to celebrate the harvest of the delicious berry, attracting thousands of people. The Bala Cranberry Festival has been named one of Ontario’s Top 100 festivals and among the top 15 harvest festivals in the world. This year, Friday is Seniors’ Day, Sunday is Kids’ Day and Saturday, traditionally the busiest day, will feature live music on two stages plus The Kee, which will host tribute bands to the Tragically Hip and the BeeGees.
Founded in 2014 by screenwriter and playwright Vince Grittani, who continues as festival director, the Muskoka Independent Film Festival happens Oct. 18-20 at the Gravenhurst Opera House. Judged selections from submissions received will include full-length features, shorts, documentaries and animations of all kinds: drama, comedy, social documentary, biography, musicals, kids’ movies and more, from established, up-and-coming and student filmmakers.
balacranberryfestival.on.ca
muskokafilmfestival.com
The Cran-Anne Contest, Oct. 13, at Bala’s Museum gives aspiring Anne of Green Gables lookalikes a chance to bring the popular character to life.
Raising your spirits in Gravenhurst Halloween will be here before you know it, and a great midday event to help warm up for it is Let the Spirits Rise in downtown Gravenhurst, happening Oct. 27. You can count on spooky fun such as trick or treating at those stores throughout the downtown area which are decorated with orange and black balloons, live
Fall / Winter 2018 UNIQUE MUSKOKA 11
entertainment and Halloween games and activities at the Gravenhurst Opera House.
Sharpen your kitchen skills with Chef Roger Mooking
downtowngravenhurst.com/event/let-the-spirits-rise-in-
Photograph: Courtesy of Matt Basile
downtown-gravenhurst/
Celebrity chef Matt Basile, returning for a fifth year, will be one of the star attractions of What’s Cooking Bracebridge, Oct. 28.
Trinidadian-Canadian chef, author, Juno-Award-winning musician and culinary TV personality Roger Mooking hosts an entire weekend of culinary fun at Deerhurst Resort Oct. 26-28. The host of the TV series Man Fire Food draws on his culturally-rich family background, his travel and interest in flavours from all over the world to bring a unique taste experience to Muskoka. deerhurstresort.com/offers/roger-mooking/
Orillia Silver Band to perform wide-ranging concert at Opera House The Orillia Silver Band is a British-style brass band, except with silver instruments, with 34 members and a history that began in 1949 and saw it through various incarnations. Currently it is conducted by Neil Barlow, known and loved for directing
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12 UNIQUE MUSKOKA Fall / Winter 2018
musicals in Muskoka and for his appearances with the Muskoka Concert Band. At the Gravenhurst Opera House on Oct. 28, the Silver Band will perform Fall Harvest, a concert including selections ranging from baroque to rock, by Bach, Sousa, Vaughn-Williams, Bacharach, John Williams, the Beatles and more. gravenhurst.ca/en/opera/shows.asp
Two more delicious dates with What’s Cooking Bracebridge This popular meet-and-learn-from-theChef series continues into late fall with two tasty events that are all about brunch: Brunch at the Brewery with Chef Matt Basile – Oct. 28: Creator of the Fidel Gastro street food brand and host of the TV Show Rebel Without a Kitchen Chef Matt Basile will return for his fifth year, joining Kyla Zanardi at the Muskoka Brewery in Bracebridge to teach you how to make the perfect weekend brunch. Learn their decadent and creative techniques on this meal, then happily consume the results
accompanied by a paired local craft brew. Holiday Brunch with Chef Signe Langford – Nov. 18: Chef and author Signe Langford, originally from Quebec, invites you into the intimate kitchen of the Creative Cook in Bracebridge to show you how to make a spectacular holiday brunch: Orange Cream Nog, Curried Deviled Eggs, Shakshuka with Local Fresh-from-the-Oven Bread, Eggnog French Toast and Light and Fluffy Citrus Curd with Local Fresh Baked Goods. Mouth watering already? There are also two afternoon “Around the World in
Downtown Bracebridge” culinary walking tours planned for Oct. 20 and Nov. 17. bracebridge.ca/en/explore/what-s-cooking-bracebridge-.aspx
Great Pumpkin Trail offers spooky but safe trick or treating The Great Pumpkin Trail has been an Oct. 31 tradition in Huntsville for so long that the organizers have lost count, calling it the “Umpteenth” edition this year. Local businesses, individuals and organizations
Photograph: Town of Huntsville
The Great Pumpkin Trail has become one of the highlights of Halloween in Huntsville and is a social event for the entire family.
spookily decorate the vintage buildings in Muskoka Heritage Place’s pioneer village, and you can take your costumed young ones trick or treating without fear of automobiles. It’s a social event for the adults as much as the kids. The mayor of Huntsville will choose the best decorated house. muskokaheritageplace.org/en/whileYouAreHere/ annualevents.asp#GPT
Start your Christmas shopping at Muskoka Lakes Christmas Market This great Christmas craft show happens at the Port Carling Community Centre at 3 Bailey St. in Port Carling on Nov. 3, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and is presented by the Muskoka Lakes Chamber of Commerce. Dozens of artists and artisans offer one-of-a-kind works that are perfect gifts for loved ones, or yourself. Plenty of food vendors, including many Port Carling Farmers’ Market regulars, will also be on hand to provide you with yummies.
Large Original Paintings sculpture, wood & gift open until xmas Fri. & Sat., 11-5:00 p.m. call for Jan. to Apr. hours or appointment 111 Medora St. (Hwy 118 West.) Port Carling, Muskoka 705 765 7474 www.redcanoegallery.com Celebrating 25 years in Muskoka
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Fall / Winter 2018 UNIQUE MUSKOKA 13
Santa Claus will be returning to Santa’s Village in Bracebridge for Santafest for three weekends in December.
BAYSVILLE – 1 P.M., DEC. 9 This is the only Santa Claus parade that goes around twice, giving you two chances to admire each float. You’ll have no trouble finding it. discovermuskoka.ca/events/baysville-santa-claus-parade/
Photograph: Santa’s Village
Bala lights up and sings in Christmas
Biggest and best women’s party happening in Huntsville The Huntsville Girlfriends’ Getaway Weekend has become a cherished annual tradition for women across the province and beyond. This year, it happens on Nov. 9-11, hosted mostly at Deerhurst Resort but spilling out into the town of Huntsville. Friday night will feature a tropical-theme Hawaiian Luau party at Deerhurst and a comedy show at the Algonquin Theatre, featuring Jillian Welsh of Second City. On Saturday night it’s an all-Paul McCartney show at the Algonquin while Serena Ryder will take the Deerhurst stage as the event headliner. Female fitness freaks will enjoy the Firefighter Escape rooms, axe-throwing in the bush and Booty Fitness Class. huntsvillegirlfriendsgetaway.ca/
Shopping at the Muskoka Arts and Crafts Christmas Show One of Muskoka’s premier arts organizations presents its 38th Annual Muskoka Arts and Crafts Christmas Show & Sale on Nov. 16-18 at the Bracebridge Sportsplex. It will offer top-of-the-line work from 27 of Muskoka’s best artists and artisans. For the list of vendors, photos of their work and show hours, visit the website. muskokaartsandcrafts.com/Christmas_Show/christmas_ show.htm
14 UNIQUE MUSKOKA Fall / Winter 2018
It’s not the Christmas season until the Santa Claus Parade And every Muskoka town has one, of course! BALA – 1 P.M., NOV. 17 Bala’s 41st annual Santa Claus Parade will celebrate the village’s 150th anniversary. After the parade, enjoy free family skating at the Bala Arena and visit the Bala Community Centre for hot dogs, hot chocolate and seeing Santa in person. muskokalakeschamber.ca/event/41st-annual-bala-santaclaus-parade/
PORT CARLING – NOV. 18 Parade starts at 6:30 p.m. from Foreman Road and then travels through Port Carling. GRAVENHURST – 11 A.M., NOV. 24 Starts at the Gravenhurst Legion and proceeds down Gravenhurst’s main street. gravenhurstchamber.com/event/santa-clausparade/?instance_id=545
HUNTSVILLE – 7 P.M., NOV. 30 The only night-time Santa Claus Parade in Muskoka. Festivities start with a 6:15 tree lighting ceremony on the town hall steps, with music by the Huntsville Community Choir and free hot chocolate. The parade runs along Main and King William Streets.
The 19th annual edition of this ceremony happens on Nov. 23. “We’ll flip the switch on the new lights on the tree outside the Bala Community Centre,” say the organizers, the Muskoka Lakes Chamber of Commerce, “and sing a few carols to kick off the holiday season.” muskokalakeschamber.ca/news-events/
XMUS Festival gets Bracebridge into the holiday spirit This year’s XMUS festival happens Nov. 30-Dec. 2 in Bracebridge, featuring a Food and Wine Festival at Muskoka Brewery on Dec. 1, with live entertainment, a Santa photo booth, celebrity bartenders and beer samples and, at the same time and place, a holiday gifting market featuring art, crafts, culinary artisanry and more. There will also be downtown shopping specials and a festival of lights. And, of course, the Bracebridge Santa Claus parade happens on the Sunday. eventsinmuskoka.com/xmus-festival.html
Relive the Christmas story on Bala’s Trek to Bethlehem
BRACEBRIDGE – 1 P.M., DEC. 2 The 72nd Annual Rotary Bracebridge Santa Claus Parade runs along Manitoba St. through downtown, and after you can sip chocolate and visit Santa in Memorial Park.
Bala shuts off its lights on the evening of Dec. 1 to stage possibly the most innovatively traditional Christmas event in Muskoka. Starting from the Bala Community Centre, small groups of guests are led through an outdoor guided tour of the Christmas story, complete with armoured Roman soldiers, shepherds, Wise Men following a star, lepers, innkeepers who say they have no room, farm animals and a cranky Roman tax collector. Local residents play all the parts, and it’s free – Bala’s Christmas gift to everyone.
bracebridgesantaparade.com
discovermuskoka.ca/events/balas-trek-bethlehem/
huntsvilleadventures.com/events/santa-claus-parade/
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Dwight Library presents Light Up Dwight Night This holiday event happens Dec. 1 at the Dwight Public Library and includes photos with Santa, Christmas crafts for the kids, baked goods for sale, refreshments and music by the Christmas Cookies. Come at 5:30; the tree-lighting happens at 6. discovermuskoka.ca/events/light-dwight-night/
Santa returns to his summer home for Santafest Everyone knows where Santa Claus hangs out all summer: in his Muskoka cottage in Santa’s Village. He’ll be back, dressed more warmly, for three December weekends: Dec. 8 and 9, 15 and 16, and 22 and 23. Bring the kids for gingerbread cookie decorating, a petting zoo, a scavenger hunt, ornament making, marshmallow roasting and other Christmas crafts, not to mention photos with the jolly old elf himself. discovermuskoka.ca/events/santafest/
The Portage Flyer is Huntsville’s historic Holiday Torchlight Parade passenger train, which usually runs in On Dec. 22, the train will be lights up the Hidden Valley slopes summer. festooned with coloured lights and the
It’s another magical holiday event, happening at Hidden Valley Highlands Ski Area on the night Santa makes his worldwide sleigh-ride. The Christmas Eve torchlight parade can be viewed from the base of the Flying Dutchman run or from inside the chalet. Santa and his entourage of Hidden Valley Snow School instructors and ski patrollers will descend the run carrying torches, creating a procession of lights. There’ll be hot chocolate and cookies in the Chalet 5-6 p.m., and the parade starts at 6. http://skihiddenvalley.ca/events/
Huntsville’s Portage Flyer takes children on magical train ride to Santa We recommend you arrive early with your young ones to this holiday event because it is very popular.
engine will be fired up for a night-time ride that takes you through a winter wonderland along the Muskoka River to Santa’s station at the end of the line, where the kids can get photos with him. There’s free hot chocolate and cookies while you wait. The train is open-air, so dress warmly. muskokaheritageplace.org/en/whileYouAreHere/ annualevents.asp#Portage
Fireworks light up the New Year’s Eve sky Hidden Valley will provide another spectacular night-time show with fireworks to celebrate the ringing in of 2019. There’ll be live music 5-8 p.m. with free cookies and hot chocolate; the bar closes at 8. The fireworks will start booming at 6. Happy New Year! http://skihiddenvalley.ca/events/
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Fall / Winter 2018 UNIQUE MUSKOKA 17
Fat biking provides avid cyclist Kerry Harmon with the opportunity to pursue his passion in the winter as well as the rest of the year. 18 UNIQUE MUSKOKA Fall / Winter 2018
FAT BIKING GAINS TRACTION
on area trails Article by Matt Driscoll / Photography by Andy Zeltkalns
W
inter is the season of the bikers’ discontent. Or rather, it was. The popularity of fat biking year round, but particularly during the long Muskoka winter, has exploded over the last several years. “It seemed silly to me at first. The idea of going outside in the freezing cold and snow, and riding a bicycle,” says avid cyclist Kerry Harmon. “Then I rode one.” Now during the winter months, you can find the 71-year-old and his faithful Dalmatian Charlie pedaling around Lake Muskoka nearly every day that ice conditions allow. When Harmon retired seven years ago he was free to spend more time pursuing his passion for cycling. A resident of Bowyer’s Beach Road, he faced the problem of what to do about the long and snowy winter. “About four years ago, I had to give up my road cycling in October due to an early winter onset,” says Harmon. “I set up one of my bikes inside on exercise rollers facing inwards. I road for five minutes and decided that was far too boring. I turned it around to the picture windows, which have a beautiful view over the lake. I cycled for another five minutes and decided that was far too boring.
Then I went into town and bought a fat bike.” Fat bikes are essentially regular bicycles, except their wider than normal tires allow one to traverse through snow and other obstacles. Harmon became such a fan of the fat bike that the rest of his bikes now just hang in storage “It’s much more versatile and more fun,” he says. “You see that big puddle over there? You might think you’ll get stuck in that but my first time, to my complete surprise, I just went right through. Rocks, logs, mush and swamp, it just seems to handle it.” In the winter, Harmon likes to cycle around in the area near his home on Lake Muskoka. If the weather is particularly nasty, he’ll head over to Kerr Park, High Falls or the trails around LivOutside in Bracebridge. LivOutside is something of a Mecca for fat bikers in Muskoka and from abroad. Its owner Peter DeMos has created a system of biking trails for the fat bikes and mountain bikes, and he was one of the earliest proponents for fat bikes in the area, even selling Harmon his first bike. For the past four years, DeMos and his team have spent the winters grooming the 6.5 km track, which is located adjacent to his Ecclestone Drive shop. “We’ve improved the trails every year. We’ve bought new equipment and we’re learning how to do it better,” says DeMos. “There are different levels of difficulty. We do have a section that’s located on a big dome hill that looks out over most of Bracebridge, which is a tough ride but there’s a good mix of trails.”
Fall / Winter 2018 UNIQUE MUSKOKA 19
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DeMos said he first began importing the bikes, roughly eight years, from Anchorage, Alaska, where virtually all of the early fat bike manufacturers were located. “I always wanted to try one,” he says. “We used to just take a regular mountain bike out when the snowmobile trails were packed down hard enough or closed later in the season.” Aside from the trails near his shop, he says you can fat bike on virtually any trail that’s used by snowshoers or snowmobilers. He does caution that you need to exercise some common sense when using snowmobile trails. “You just don’t go out on a weekend. It’s too busy out there,” he says. “If you do encounter snowmobilers, just step off to the side and wave.” Devil’s Gap and Torrance Barrens are hotspots in Muskoka Lakes Township, as are Simcoe Forest, Hardwood Hills (located roughly between Orillia and Barrie), The Georgian Nordic Ski Club and the Seguin Trail, which are both in the Parry Sound area. Although fat bikes get more press for providing a novel way for cyclists to tackle winter, DeMos says they’ve become a year round activity. “I’d recommend using them all year. Especially for cottagers,” says DeMos. “Any time you need more grip, it’s ideal. That stability breeds confidence and gives you more control.”
A focused rider part way through the 11km race at the inaugural Muskoka Winter Bike Festival Fat Bike race at Deerhurst Resort in Huntsville.
One of the hills on the three lap - 11 km race course that challenged riders in the 2018 fat bike race at Deerhurst Resort in Huntsville. DeMos says the bikes can provide some big advantages in the spring months. The bikes move easily over swampy areas and puddles and have much less environmental impact than other trail activities. “Its larger surface means they don’t trench and do as much trail damage as a mountain bike,” he says. “Those big tires really displace the size. In fact it does less damage than hikers
and walkers, and It helps allow those mushy trails to firm up.” DeMos now sells and rents fat bikes year round, and also offers guided corporate fat bike retreats across his trails. Further north, Algonquin Outfitters are doing the same thing with the range of bikes at their locations in Huntsville and Algonquin Park.
“Originally, we had them for winter riding but now it’s year round,” says Carlee Woods, the bike department manager at Algonquin Outfitters. “I bought one for myself, about five years ago, and I liked it right off the bat. I like the stability and the control of riding one.” Randy Mitson, the marketing manager at Algonquin Outfitters, says they began stocking the bikes nearly a decade ago. The bikes they stock typically run somewhere in the $1,000 range. He admits they can be a little intimidating at first look, and riders are caught off guard by the actual experience of riding a fat bike. “Everybody says, ‘wow it’s so much easier than I thought it was going to be’,” says Mitson.” A lot of people see the big tires and the big bike, and they think, this is going to be hard but it’s actually a lot easier because you have so much surface area.” Outside of the winter months, Mitson says the bikes can be especially good at tackling any loose surfaces like gravel or sand. Nowhere was the rise of fat biking more
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evident than in the first Annual Muskoka Winter Mountain Bike Festival, which was held last February at Deerhurst Resort in Huntsville. The event featured a 11 km race course, a kids’ race, bonfire, live entertainment, beer tasting and food, as well as other trails to ride. Among those in attendance was Adam Galt and his son Noah, who tackled the event together. “Noah always spends the majority of the summer on his bike,” says Adam, whose son Noah was actually the 2017 Ontario Cup Champion in mountain biking for his age category. “Having to put his bike in the rafters when the season was over was always a disappointing time for him, so the opportunity to ride in February was exciting. Cycling’s been a great sport that allows the whole family to participate and winter fat biking is no different. My youngest son is also a great rider, and I expect him to start asking if he can join in soon.” The Bike Festival was actually Adam’s first chance to ride a fat bike.
“I was really impressed with how well these bikes floated across the packed snow and provided excellent traction on hills and around turns,” says the Huntsville resident. “The bike wasn’t as heavy as I was expected. The big tires provided some extra rolling resistance but the bike still moved quickly.” Adam says he and several local mountain biking enthusiasts are currently in the process of starting a mountain biking club in Huntsville. He’s hoping that if all
goes according to plan they can incorporate fat biking into the mix. “I think it provides a great alternative to cross country skiing, and a chance to explore nature and keep active through the winter months,” he says. “I’m sold on making it a regular winter activity.”
A lot of smiling faces at the mass start of the 2018 Muskoka Winter Bike Festival Fat Bike Race at Deerhurst Resort in Huntsville.
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A MAGICAL WEEKEND
r e t n i W g n i d d e W IN MUSKOKA
Article by Sandy Lockhart / Photography by John White
M
agical is the word Katherine East uses to describe the snowy February day, this past winter, when she and Julian Knutzen were wed at Sherwood Inn. The two world travellers decided a cosy Muskoka winter weekend would be the perfect way to celebrate their wedding. “The whole weekend felt like I’d entered into a fairyland, just for a moment,” she says. “It was magic there.”
24 UNIQUE MUSKOKA Fall / Winter 2018
East is a Canadian actor with deep Muskoka and northern Ontario roots. At one point her parents owned Muskoka Sands (now Taboo) before purchasing and operating Killarney Mountain Lodge for 53 years. Her father, Maurice, was also one of the driving forces behind Rosseau Lake College. Julian is an engineer who works for Audi in Germany. Among the extended family who came for the occasion was his brother, the best man, who recently worked at
“It was the perfect winter weekend.
The resort was abuzz with people taking advantage
of all the winter activities of an authentic Canadian winter”
Fall / Winter 2018 UNIQUE MUSKOKA 25
Katherine East and Julian Knutzen embraced the outdoors in the plans for their wedding when they exchanged vows at Sherwood Inn, this past February. CERN as a particle physicist. Friends and family from all over gathered to help Katherine and Julian celebrate with a weekend that included horse-drawn sleigh rides, skating on the frozen lake, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing and more
at Sherwood Inn in Port Carling. “They had exclusive use of the resort for Friday to Sunday,” explains Sherwood Inn’s conference and catering manager Christina Van Kempen. The historic inn, built in 1939, is intimate with just 49 guest rooms.
Groom Julian appreciated all the little details. “The fire was going 24 hours a day,” he says. “They put up a German flag to welcome me and my family.” Guests included Julian’s family who came from Germany, but others came from England, British Columbia, the Killarney area and Toronto, too. It was an interesting group of people who gathered for the wedding. East was raised in northern Ontario and in her younger years attended a one-room school – except when her family sailed the Bahamas and explored uninhabited islands each winter. After high school, she studied acting and lived in England for six years. “It wasn’t an event of who’s who, the people were too diverse,” she says. “As I am in the entertainment industry, there are many artists . . . among many – Jennifer Dale the actress, Ron James the comedian, Ed Bartram the painter. Our photographer is the celebrated celebrity photographer John White. As well, there were German scientists, a Canadian rubgy player, the daughter of a British Lord, famous Canadian architects along with First Nation fishermen
Annabelle and Katherine East share a mother-daughter moment during Well-known comedian Ron James was among the guests who joined bride Katherine’s winter wedding, this past February. Katherine East to enjoy some time around a campfire prior to her wedding. 26 UNIQUE MUSKOKA Fall / Winter 2018
Katherine East’s attendants were all smiles and warmly dressed for the occasion when they posed for photographs on the snow-covered grounds of Sherwood Inn, overlooking Lake Joseph, near Port Carling. and miners from the north and many of my bridesmaids are First Nation ladies from Killarney.” On Thursday, about 26 had already arrived at Sherwood Inn in Port Carling but by Friday, the place was exclusively wedding guests. Festivities started with a group dinner with German specialties including schnitzel and strudel, recognizing the groom’s family background. Following that, it was time for a winter outdoor bonfire, complete with s’mores and hot cider. “Everyone gathered together and had a wonderful time,” says Katherine. The outdoor party did not end until the wee hours of the morning. “Julian’s mother and I were sledding in our sequined dresses, just after midnight. We hit a snowbank and were buried in snow.” Then early the next morning, guests and even most of the resort staff had the opportunity to enjoy a horse and sleigh ride. “The ladies who run it (Mother Fudrucker’s Farm) have these epic fur coats and created an atmosphere of drama,” says East. “The sleigh was the cherry on top – it was a magical, fairy tale thing for our wedding.” All guests received a small handcrafted sleigh as a keepsake. The bride and groom hope guests will hang it on their Christmas trees, as an annual reminder of the winter
wedding weekend. Following the sleigh ride, a lunch of chili was served by the outdoor fireplace. “The
weather was so fabulous,” said Katherine. “Our guests skated on the lake, snowshoed, used the spa and tried out the fat bikes. Comedian Ron James went snowshoeing and almost got lost.” Julian adds that guests from Germany enjoyed the weekend. “The frozen lakes with people on them, driving Ski-Doos, skiing – you don’t see that in Germany,” he says. The wedding ceremony was performed by Steve Percy, a Justice of the Peace from England who is Katherine’s father’s cousin. “During the ceremony, the snow was gently falling,” she says. To keep it legal, Percy performed the service along with a local officiant. “I almost felt, before the ceremony, like I was backstage,” East explains. “Not like it was fake – because it was very real and genuine – but there was electricity in the air. For Julian, there was one moment he will never forget. “I was standing up front and all the bridesmaids had entered, and I was just waiting for Katherine to appear,” he says. Dressed in a gown of taffeta with white fur accents, carrying black and red calla lilies, blood red roses and cedar, she was regal and beautiful. “Everybody gasped, including me. You could hear it through the whole room.” Some guests thought East looked like a
Fall / Winter 2018 UNIQUE MUSKOKA 27
snow queen or Elsa, the Disney ice princess. “The wedding was a black tie affair,” says East. “We had champagne cocktails and a gorgeous dinner.” Entertainment included welcome guest and celebrated former Killarney resort entertainer Andrew Lowe plus a classical duo from the area. East describes the celebration as an old-fashioned, epic or grand celebration. “It was like the olden days at Muskoka Sands that my parents talked about.” Van Kempen says the wedding was very elegant. “You could feel the couple’s personality come out,” she says. Katherine was thrilled that her guests seemed to enjoy every moment and came ready to celebrate in style. “I’m an actor so I love the theatrics,” she says. “People dressed fabulously and were celebrating. They were not awkward in fancy
28 UNIQUE MUSKOKA Fall / Winter 2018
clothes but enjoying them, owning them.” Then on Sunday morning, everyone gathered over brunch before departing. While many weddings are held at Sherwood, Van A horse-drawn sleigh ride Kempen knows she will was part of remember this one. the magic for “It was the perfect winter the winter weekend. The resort was wedding of abuzz with people taking Katherine East advantage of all the winter and Julian activities of an authentic Knutzen. Canadian winter,” she says. “And the warmth of the guests, they were just so happy to be here and celebrate with Katherine and Julian.” East admits to shedding a few tears on Sunday, especially for her father Maury East who died late in 2017. He was supposed to be there for his daughter’s big day. But looking back, Julian and Katherine will always have wonderful memories of their magical winter weekend wedding in Muskoka.
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A PART OF THE
Christmas Experience Article by Meghan Smith / Photography by Tomasz Szumski
D
ecking the halls, trimming the tree and hanging stockings with care are all parts of traditional Christmas decorating. Whether you like to spend hours getting your décor just so or have only a few selected decorations you choose to bring out, everyone has a process to get them in the spirit of the season. “I love Christmas,” shares Cathy Smith, Bracebridge resident and owner of Westlawn
30 UNIQUE MUSKOKA Fall / Winter 2018
Bed & Breakfast. “Anybody who knows me, knows I love Christmas. I love red. And I like decorating, too. I just go crazy at Christmas.” “I have a lot of handmade decorations and I put them up every year,” says Lynne Quattro of Beaumaris. “I have a Father Christmas that was made by a friend. I like having special pieces to include.” The South Muskoka Memorial Hospital Auxiliary Christmas Home Tour visits seven
homes that range from new to old, mainly in Bracebridge. Homes are decorated for Christmas and participants visit each location in any order on their self-guided tour. All money raised goes directly back to the hospital to help with the purchase of equipment. Participants come from all across Ontario and both Quattro and Smith’s homes were featured last year. “My good friend is a member of the
Lena Patten and her team from Hilltop Interiors co-ordinate their Christmas decorating with the tastes of the family who owns a home, even rearranging existing pieces by adding a plaid throw to a chair to create a cosy, inviting feel.
hospital auxiliary and she asked if I would consider taking part,” explains Quattro. “It was a lot of fun. So many people came through and they had questions about our home. It was a cozy and warm event.” “Last year, the committee asked if I would be on the tour again and I said ‘yes,’ as long as they thought it had been enough time since people had seen it,” says Smith. “The house was on the hospital auxiliary tour
when the first one was hosted in Bracebridge eight years ago. It was like ‘oh man, this has got to be really good,’ so I really went all out. People like to see some of the old, traditional homes and experience some of that nostalgia at Christmas. Seeing a log house as well as a newer subdivision home helps give people ideas on how to decorate at Christmas.” Decorating takes time and not everyone has the time to dedicate to decorating their
entire home, or potentially more than one space. Several years ago, one of Lena Patten’s clients dropped in and asked for help. With four kids, lots of extracurricular activities and living in Toronto, there was no way the cottage would be ready for the family to arrive on Christmas Eve and enjoy the holidays together. Patten asked how she could help, and since then has built a small client list of those who annually enlist her
Fall / Winter 2018 UNIQUE MUSKOKA 31
Whether using a reindeer featured by Lena Patten (above) or Dickens-era figures in the home of Lynne Quattro (below), quality decorations are an integral part of the special touches they use.
help in Christmas decorating at their cottage. “I started off just asking what it is they wanted or needed help with and its grown from there,” says Patten. “I get the tree and put the lights on it, so when they arrive they can add their decorations.” With a busy family and living in a different location, it can be difficult to co-ordinate the details of decorating for the holiday season in the available time. Patten ensures her clients have a festive welcome when they arrive for their family time by including details such as poinsettias and switching out candles to red or white to add colour. Often families arrive on Christmas Eve or the day before to a decorated home and festively set dinner table. “Everyone I work with helps and they’re all seasoned cottage Christmas veterans now,” laughs Patten. “We rearrange things each year to keep the décor interesting and new for our clients.” Patten and her team co-ordinate the family’s tastes and existing home décor with
the festive, holiday décor they bring in. Even rearranging existing pieces, such as adding a plaid throw to a chair to create a cosy, inviting feel. “The table setting is the most fun for me,” says Patten. “I like to add a natural centrepiece with pine boughs and flowers, depending on the timing of the family’s arrival and when the holiday is.” Choosing décor and even a single theme that appeals to your style is important. Christmas decorations should be no more flashy than your regular décor or style and should complement, rather than oppose existing home décor. “I have some very traditional favourite decorations,” says Quattro. “I love my carollers at the front entrance. My husband surprised me with them one year, which is unlike him, and I absolutely love them. They look much better here than they did in Mississauga.” The entryway is the first thing people see when they walk into a home. Ensure the entrance is decked out in the spirit of Christmas. A real arrangement with pine boughs and berry branches outside the front door also helps to create a Muskoka cottage feel for the whole setting right from the beginning. “Make sure you have an outdoor arrangement,” urges Patten. “It doesn’t have to be elaborate but it’s so welcoming for visitors. Tie a red ribbon or some burlap around the vase or planter to really add cheer.” “The front entrance is always key,” shares Quattro. “We use things from nature. We have white birch in a planter all year but we make it festive at Christmas with pine boughs and lights. I have dried hydrangeas that I spray painted gold and they’ve lasted for several years. It’s Muskoka. Bring nature into it.” Quattro decorates the common spaces in her home, including the dining room, living room, entrance, hallway and the bathrooms, and adds a few special touches to the bedrooms. Restricting the colours used in decorating keeps Quattro’s traditional décor to gold and burgundy and pulls the entire home together. “People always comment on how cosy our
home is at Christmas,” shares Quattro. “We love having a fire, it’s a wood-burning fireplace and we decorate the mantel quite nicely.” Decorations in Smith’s home stay on the traditional side of the spectrum. She maintains a gold, silver, red and white colour palette and stays away from pinks, purple and blues. The décor often consists of hand-me-downs and antiques from garage sales that add uniqueness to the Christmas décor. “I have stuff that’s not just for Christmas, that I use year-round,” explains Smith. “I have Christmas dishes, but a lot of stuff I use is just gold and white and a lot of silver, like my serving dishes. Some people get those items out special for Christmas but I use it all the time.” Keep it simple advises Quattro. Search for good quality items with good craftsmanship so they will last. She recommends sticking with things you like and decorate with what appeals to you. “I don’t think of myself as that traditional but I guess about Christmas I am,” laughs Quattro. “I like well-made and handmade ornaments and decorations. I like picking things up at craft shows. I prefer to stick with burgundy, gold and white for everything.” In the dining room, Quattro sets a classic Charles Dickens village on the buffet. Once setup with cotton batting for snow and the lights on in each little home, the porcelain village is a perfect backdrop through Christmas dinner. The exterior of Smith’s home is as fully decorated as the inside. She’s even heard, through friends of friends, that her home is known as the “candy cane house.” She takes time placing greenery along the railings and wrapping large red bows around the white columns. In addition to the outside of her house, Smith decorates four trees in her home - one tree in the carriage house, one in the parlour, one in the sunroom and a small table top tree on the dining room table, specially decorated with decorative silver spoons and handpainted miniature china dishes. The real tree, the family tree, is the special one in the Smith household. The real tree has all of the ornaments her kids made at school and all the special memories that go along with it. Smith’s children and now
The traditional decorations Cathy Smith uses match the décor in her historic Bracebridge home.
Fall / Winter 2018 UNIQUE MUSKOKA 33
A small table-top tree in the dining room is one of the four decorated, each Christmas, by Cathy Smith. It is adorned with decorative silver spoons and hand-painted miniature china dishes.
grandchildren come to the house after the Bracebridge Santa Claus Parade, every year, and decorate the family tree together. “Now we kind of sit back and the grandchildren do it with their mom and dad’s help,” shares Smith. “They’ll pull out something and say ‘oh remember when I made this.’ That’s the tree that really means the most to everyone in our family.” Smith’s key to decorating is planning and organization. During the fall and winter, Smith and her family travel to Florida but always come home for Christmas. Decorations are kept in labelled Rubbermaid containers and are brought out early, after Thanksgiving and placed in the corresponding rooms. Preparing and allocating time to decorate around events and other appointments allows for time to appreciate the process. Set your table a few days in advance, suggests Patten. Thinking ahead and preparing helps to remove something from your list, so you’re not worrying and have more time to enjoy the season. Gather the serviettes, candles, and cutlery together. Order flowers or make the arrangement ahead of time, so
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into the same, you have a plan and labelled bins. Staycan enjoy the time ing organized and with family. planning helps each When first maryear’s decorating go ried, Smith rememsmoothly. bers attending a “It’s a lot of work garage sale near Winto decorate your dermere and found home, so enjoy it,” ornaments and decsays Smith. “It takes orations from the a lot of time. It 1940s and 1950s, probably takes a which are still part of her Christmas couple weeks to get everything done. It’s décor, 36 years later. not the presents and “I think it’s a really good idea for stuff I enjoy. It’s because I know all shower gifts, for a the kids are going to couple getting marbe here. It’s the ried, to get them family tradition.” Christmas decora“I love the tions,” shares Smith. Above: Designer Lena Patten ensures her clients experience,” states “It’s something that have a festive welcome when they arrive for their Patten. “It seems so no one ever gets. family time by including details such as stockings much more relaxed When you’re first hung with care. Below: Cathy Smith of Bracebridge married, you don’t loves decorating for Christmas and, of course, loves through the holiday for everyone when have anything. You the colour red. there’s a plan. The get pots and pans and things like that but you don’t get whole family is there and can enjoy the holiday all together without the stress. It’s so decorations.” Start early recommends Smith. Organize much more family oriented.” “I have memories of always going to my your decorations and ensure they go back grandparents’ place and seeing cousins,” shares Quattro. “Just being together as a family and that warm feeling you get.” “It’s the time of year when people are so kind, generous and loving,” says Quattro. “It’s not really the decorating that I love,” shares Smith. “It’s that decorating means it’s Christmas and everything that goes along with that.” Beyond decorating, Christmas is a time of gathering, connecting and family traditions. The decorations represent the memories shared among family members and the special moments that are celebrated throughout the years.
Fall / Winter 2018 UNIQUE MUSKOKA 35
Carol Singing ROSSEAU
CONNECTING WITH TRADITION Article by Meghan Smith / Photography by Tomasz Szumski
W
ith the stars twinkling and snow falling in the village of Rosseau, a group of merry singers make its way from home to home, spreading Christmas
cheer. Each year, an annual carol sing gathers residents, both seasonal and year-round, along with students from Rosseau Lake College to share in the festivities. The song choices could be “Oh Come All Ye’ Faithful”, “O’ Christmas Tree” or anything in between. The important part is the gathering of neighbours to share a special feeling and nostalgia. “It’s a small little village and it still feels like a village, here,” explains Lena Patten, Rosseau resident and owner of Hilltop Interiors. “It’s not a big city place and going carolling around the village just furthers that old-fashioned, warm, cosy feeling about the place and about your neighbours. It’s a special sentiment to share.” Carolling has long been a tradition during the holidays, whether at home, in church or out in the community. Carols were sung in Latin and in English as early as the 12th century to commemorate the holidays, though the tradition has waxed
36 UNIQUE MUSKOKA Fall / Winter 2018
and waned in popularity throughout the centuries. About 15 years ago, Lena Patten and her friend Deb Cooper, both residents in the village of Rosseau, decided to spread the holiday spirit in their community by singing carols, on the longest night of the year, to those who were unwell or unable to partake in other local festivities. The idea was not unusual but provided a way to connect with neighbours at what should be a happy time of year. “During that first year, we made a point of seeing the elderly in the village, people we knew couldn’t get out and visit everyone,” says Patten. “We gathered our kids and anyone else who wanted to join and we got into the old-fashioned spirit of the season.” The carol sing in Rosseau has seen a few years missed while the most recent five years have been met with new enthusiasm. As residents moved on, the numbers dwindled for a time. However, as seasonal residents decided to spend time at their summer home through the Christmas holidays, they too have joined in on the carol singing tradition. Over the last five years, the tradition has reignited and continues to grow.
Fall / Winter 2018 UNIQUE MUSKOKA 37
Rev. Peter Simmons of the Church of the Redeemer coordinates the stops along the carollers’ route, as he knows the community members quite well. Businesses as well as individuals participate, with stops planned at the Rosseau General Store and the Rosseau Bakery, as well as stops at local homes. Each stop is full of welcome and often a special treat or drink. “It’s lovely to spread the cheer to those who can’t get out,” says Patten. Always on the longest night, even if for only an hour or so, the Rosseau carol sing benefits the community beyond spreading good cheer. Those who participate are asked to contribute donations to the local food bank, which are then provided to those in need in the surrounding area. In the early days, Patten’s carol-singing coevent creator Deb Cooper would open her home afterward to everyone who participated in the event, so they could warm up with hot chocolate and a snack. Since the tradition’s revival, Crossroads Restaurant has participated in the local holiday event as the final stop for hot chocolate. “We walk in to Crossroads singing and people are shocked to see that,” explains Patten. “People just light up. It’s so much fun.” The small village of Rosseau comes alive during the darkest, longest night with the joy and spirit of the holidays. Much like the story in a Christmas carol, while the streets may be dark and chilly, the hearts and voices of those participating in the annual Rosseau carol sing are warm and festive beyond measure.
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Rosseau resident Karen Metzger enjoys a hot chocolate during the annual community carol sing.
The Rosseau carollers walk along a pre-planned route, stopping at homes, singing a carol or two and then continuing on. Through any weather – rain, sleet or snow, the carollers continue on their merry way. “Carolling really embraces the community and the community enjoys it,” shares Patten. “It’s a bit of a throwback and it makes us feel connected, like we’re still in a simpler time.” The idea came to Patten as she remembered the fun of carolling at a work function with her family. When Patten’s children were young, three or four, they accompanied her to a company holiday party. As part of the gathering of families, everyone sang carols around a bonfire. Patten felt that entertaining,
Above: The Rev. Peter Simmons of the Church of the Redeemer co-ordinates the stops along the carollers’ route. Right: Lena Patten, far right, one of the organizers of the carol sing, says the event provides the opportunity to connect with neighbours.
holiday fun could be just the thing a small community like Rosseau could enjoy together. “It inspired me. It was such a wonderful, old-fashioned thing to do during the holidays,” says Patten. Patten also recalls carolling as a young teenager as part of her church group in Toronto. The group would travel a bit and congregate, usually at a cousin’s house, afterward for hot chocolate and cookies. The
fond memories from Patten’s childhood and adult life have lived on as she continues to participate in the annual carol sing. In recent years, the community carolling has started from Church of the Redeemer, the Anglican church in Rosseau. As everyone arrives and learns the route, they receive candles to hold during the event. “We’ve had anywhere from a dozen people to well over 50 in some years,” says Patten. “Last year, we ran out of candles so many people came out!” As soon as everyone is ready to set out into the weather, the group walks along a pre-planned route, stopping at homes, singing a carol or two and then continuing on. Through any weather – rain, sleet or snow, the carollers in Rosseau continue on their merry way. “There’s a great connection with Rosseau Lake College and there has been throughout the years,” says Patten. “A big group of kids joined us last year, which helped increase our numbers. They really added some great voices to the mix and we’re so happy to have them come out.”
Fall / Winter 2018 UNIQUE MUSKOKA 39
40 UNIQUE MUSKOKA Fall / Winter 2018
Carving a niche
in the world of music Article by Judy Vanclieaf / Photography by Heather Douglas
W
ood carving is a relaxing and challenging art form that can transform a piece of raw nature into a collectable wood sculpture. For Ray Peyton, it’s a form of meditation. Carving realistic wildlife comes naturally for him. Growing up, carving wasn’t all Peyton had on his mind, he had a dream that one day he would build his own guitar. Peyton was born and raised in Botwood, Newfoundland, a small town in the North Central part of the Island. It was the perfect location for a young lad to develop a passion for recreating the
beauty of all the wildlife that surrounded him. The oldest of four, two brothers and a sister, he and his brothers would often get out their trusted pocket knife, pick up a stick and create some kind of rugged work of art. As Peyton got older, his rugged carvings became more personal and detailed. By the time he was in his midteens, he was making and selling mantel-sized sailboats, up to four feet long. When his hands weren’t busy manipulating wood, the teenager also strummed away on his father’s old guitar. Peyton has always had an exploratory mind and loved to take things apart to see how they worked.
Fall / Winter 2018 UNIQUE MUSKOKA 41
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dad’s, so he could hear it. I hadn’t “If there was a screw, I knew it had even put the other strings on yet,” he to come apart,” he smirks. He once laughs. He was so excited to finally took apart his mom’s old stand-up achieve the very thing he had been mixer and had it sprawled out over telling his dad for most of his life; the kitchen table. After getting in that he was going to one day build a trouble from his father, he quickly guitar that sounded superior to his put it back together. “Yes, it worked old Martin. just fine,” he grins. Peyton still has that guitar and it’s It was this same thirst for knowing something he will never let go. His that drove him to try to figure out second guitar was also a special one, what made that beautiful sound in his as he and his dad made it together. dad’s guitar. Peyton recalls. “I took “Being able to build a guitar my dad’s 1948 Martin and set to alongside my dad, was a pretty figuring out how it was made. I put special moment in my life,” beams my hand in the hole in the guitar and Peyton. felt around, then I would get a light Since that first guitar, he has made and a mirror and placed it into the nine more acoustics, each one made hole.” from a different type of wood. He Peyton moved to Windsor when has even mentored others on he was 19. The move caused him to building their own. put his carving talents to the side, so In 2017, Ray took one of his he could begin his life in Ontario. guitars into a very busy music store Fast-forward five years to life in in Bracebridge, to see what they Oshawa, where he met world Ray Peyton creates both acoustic and electric guitars from the thought of it. Keith and Kathy champion carver Ron Lace, who kitchen of his Baysville home. Lumley, owners of Precision Music, inspired him to return to It wasn’t until 2006, when a quick search have been selling guitars since 1988. carving. Peyton would attend carving shows “We had one of Ray’s guitars hanging in and enter competitions, often winning first on the Internet to find the answers that he couldn’t figure out with a mirror and the showroom. Everyone who came in and second place in the wildlife divisions. “My winning sculpture of two bucks flashlight, led to a lifelong dream come true. looking for a guitar, was drawn to his piece,” smiles Kathy Lumley. “The sound was fighting (he points to the meticulous carving The 46-year-old finally made his first guitar! “As soon as I heard the beautiful tone of phenomenal.” that sits proudly on the top shelf in his home Keith Lumley and Peyton played the in Baysville) “was once featured in a wood that pluck of the first string, I got so excited that I drove all the way across town to my homemade product, up against some of the carving magazine.”
The unique bracing system is integral to the design of the acoustic guitars built by Baysville luthier Ray Peyton.
Fall / Winter 2018 UNIQUE MUSKOKA 43
Martins in the store. “I would put Ray’s guitar comparable to some of these valued at $1,700. It had a really unique and different sound,” states Lumley. “Ray has developed a unique bracing system; there is no one out there that I am aware of, that has this same style. This is what, I believe, gives his guitars that unique sound.” The bracing system, the music shop owner refers to, is the internal pattern of wood reinforcements used to secure the guitar’s top and back, and prevents the instrument from collapsing under tension. It is an important factor in how the guitar sounds. Peyton ended up removing that guitar from the store because of a little bubble behind the bridge. Since then, he has changed the kind of wood he used and has perfected the bridge problem. Lumley would really like to see Peyton’s guitars hanging in his store. “Whenever Ray is ready, I have a hook here waiting!” Although he enjoys the acoustic guitar, Peyton much prefers playing the electric. “The acoustic is beautiful, but you need an electric for volume and tone.” In 2008, he built a prototype electric guitar to help him figure things out. Six years later, in 2014, he built this first complete electric guitar made from one solid piece of African Wenge wood. “This is the one I play all the time. Just holding it feels so satisfying and smooth, and its tones are so rich and full, not to mention that it’s really beautiful to look at,” says Peyton. To date, this luthier has made three electrics and 10 acoustic guitars, with orders for two more on the go. Peyton moved to Baysville in 2016. Between working full time as a stonemason and building custom order guitars, he is slowly making room in his garage for his workshop. But in the meantime, his wife Samantha has been very patient, while he works away on his guitars at the kitchen table. Through skill, determination and never letting his sights stray away from his goals, Ray Peyton, has been able to create a small line of guitars that in time, he hopes, will continue to grow. In the meantime, he will just put his heart and soul into every guitar he makes.
44 UNIQUE MUSKOKA Fall / Winter 2018
A bonfire at the end of the day provides Ray Peyton with the perfect opportunity to enjoy playing one of the guitars he has built.
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Fall / Winter 2018 UNIQUE MUSKOKA 45
Fur
is Muskoka’s Most Enduring Commercial Activity
E
ntering Muskoka Heritage Centre at Huntsville, near water’s edge, you first encounter a teepee, then a trapper’s cabin, and only after, buildings from subsequent pioneer settlement. That sequence is instructive: First Nations first, second trappers, finally settlers. If two thousand and eighteen years ago, far-away, Mary used narrow lengths of cloth to enwrap her newborn baby whose birth anchors Christendom’s calendar in use today; in this territory, Indigenous mothers had already been swaddling their infants for countless millennia in soft rabbit fur. The story of fur as Muskoka’s most enduring commercial activity begins in the mists of those long-ago times. Carbon-dated artefacts establish Indigenous presence across this swath of Ontario during the past seven to 10 thousand years. Living in holistic harmony with Nature, people native to
46 UNIQUE MUSKOKA Fall / Winter 2018
In North Muskoka and areas beyond, trappers formed an association in 1947. Today, it operates as the Ontario Fur Managers Association. North America constructed buildings of various designs and materials, cultivated field crops, gathered wild berries and plants for
food and medicines, caught fish and slayed animals. Animals gave meat for food, liquids for chemical processes, hides to fashion everything from containers to teepee walls, bones and claws for medical and spiritual uses, fur to clothe and blanket themselves, and pelts to exchange with strangers for something novel of equal value. It’s hard to say when harvesting fur-bearing animals shifted from subsistence living to trade and commerce, but artefacts unearthed in Muskoka and identified by the Royal Ontario Museum’s program for dating and classifying Indigenous relics confirm that trade in this locale has been underway for many centuries. A distinctive oblong stone which Toronto lawyer Donald Wright discovered on his Lake Muskoka island but which naturally occurs only in mid-regions of what is now the U.S.A., plus other
Photograph: Boyer Family Archives
Article by J. Patrick Boyer
travel on this continent. They adopted it. They also depended on Native guides to navigate the wilderness highways of rivers, lakes and trails. They, as well, needed Native interpreters to bridge established Indigenous languages and cultures. They depended on Natives for foodstuffs, including healthy varieties unknown in Europe. Indigenous people traded furs for European iron tools, knives, axes, muskets, ammunition, woollen blankets, glass jars and pewter or brass vessels which made certain tasks easier. But European traders also bartered with cheap jewelry, brass buttons, sweet foodstuffs and whiskey, taking advantage of people unfamiliar with such low-cost or unhealthy items. Questing to discover new regions, resources and riches, they found in North America’s limitless supply of high-quality pelts – a commodity Photograph: Muskoka Heritage Place, Huntsville
archeological evidence, and oral history of Indigenous peoples, confirm a continent criss-crossed by trade routes. Furs of northland animals became part of this barter economy. Records from the 1700s, after these exchanges included Europeans, show pelts from today’s Muskoka, Haliburton and Parry Sound districts included beaver, bear, otter, wolf, marten, mink, muskrat and fox. More recently, after 1881 when Mohawks began trapping fur-bearing animals on their West Muskoka lands, they added fisher, raccoon, squirrel and weasel furs to that mix. The scale of North America’s barter economy increased with European contact but its fundamental nature did not. Indigenous people had ideal transportation with canoes, suitable for portaging and superior to anything Europeans had for
Left: Legendary trapper Ralph Bice has parked his snowshoes while setting a trap. Above: Using a canoe to reach secluded hunting areas, men with rifles advanced Muskoka’s attractiveness as a prime place to hunt deer – both for sustenance and sport.
they could swap for relatively cheap material and then, across the Atlantic, sell for handsome prices on European markets. This drew more traders to North America. To meet growing demand, Indigeous people increased supply. Now trading for business made trapping fur-bearing animals an end in itself. Rather than providing food and hides in proportion to tribal needs according to the long-standing “hunting, trapping, and fishing” triumvirate, animal harvesting became a free-standing vocation. For a life of financial and social worth, one could be “a trapper.” In the early stages, the Europeans traders were either French or English. Some, by their names, straddled historic animosities between the European rivals and among First Nations who’d aligned themselves with either the French or English. George Cowen, who in the late 1700s was successfully trading for most of Muskoka’s furs, also went by Jean Baptiste Constance, which helped with French-speaking squatters living and trapping along the district’s Georgian Bay shoreline. Another hybrid was flamboyant Quetton St. George, a royalist from republican France, who, after starting several stores in southern parts of the province in 1798, launched into the northland fur business. St. George’s trading post at The Narrows (present day Orillia) between lakes Simcoe and Couchiching drew trappers from Muskoka. Those with pelts to trade, in this early phase, were Indigenous trappers, skilled woodsmen who knew the land, waterways, animals and curing techniques, reinforced by centuries of discovery, tradition, patience and experience. Although fur remains Muskoka’s oldest continuously operating form of commerce, it is not clear who, exactly, began trade in specific areas because migrations of Indigenous peoples and ascendancy of some Nations with eclipse of others created changing patterns. In the era of French colonial control and Huron dominance, for instance, furs from Muskoka and Haliburton went by the large fleets of Huron trading canoes to Quebec then finally France, as Muskoka historian Florence Murray has noted. But when the
Fall / Winter 2018 UNIQUE MUSKOKA 47
Photograph: Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources
Trapper Betty Brown stretches a beaver pelt in 1948 as part of the process of curing the hide. 48 UNIQUE MUSKOKA Fall / Winter 2018
Photograph: Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources
Iroquois held sway across this region and colonial supremacy passed to the English, local furs went instead by the Toronto Portage or Trent System to Lake Ontario, thence south to Albany and New York, and finally England. In this phase, Indigenous trappers in Muskoka took furs to trading posts on Georgian Bay or Lake Simcoe and the Holland River, or bartered closer to home with traders in the district. These Muskoka posts were numerous, but small. They were, primarily, convenient. Never did the district boast a major fur exchange because larger trading posts in the general vicinity beyond Muskoka’s immediate boundaries drew the business. But long before commercial logging began in Muskoka’s southerly townships along the Severn River, and decades prior to pioneer settlement, explorer Alexander Shirreff canoed Muskoka and wrote detailed descriptions. His 1829 map depicts a trading post already existing, in the vicinity of today’s Huntsville, at the neck of land in north Muskoka where Fairy Lake and Muskoka River link two watersheds, reachable by Native trappers from those fur-rich hinterlands. Agents from the Hudson Bay Company’s Muskoka office in Orillia bartered with First Nation trappers at Trading Lake, which would be renamed Lake of Bays when the Grand Trunk Railway was later boosting
At the Huntsville fur trappers convention in 1954, trapper Walter Hessman (centre) won top prize for “Largest Bundle of Furs” which he supports on his back with help of two other North Muskoka trappers. sport hunting and fishing while downplaying the cruel fur trade. Hudson Bay traders from Orillia also bargained for fur along other Muskoka’s waterways, including upriver from Lake Muskoka toward North Falls, which also would later be bizarrely renamed Bracebridge by distant civil servant W.D. LeSueur. By the era of Confederation, Muskoka’s fur trade was in full swing. Through the 1860s and 1870s, Thomas Goffat was running the Hudson Bay’s active Muskoka office. In the early 1860s, around the site of north Muskoka’s 1820s trading post, William Cann traded with Indigenous people, swapping tools and utensils for furs. He and another fur trader, John Bildson, constructed permanent log dwellings at this location. Significantly, they no longer just bartered with Indigenous peoples for pelts; they were also trapping fur-bearing animals themselves. Captain John Hunt, a soldier, is celebrated as founder of Huntsville. But fur-traders Cann and Bildson had been on the scene some years prior to 1869, the beginning date of Huntsville. William Cann worked hard to advance the fledgling community, despite it not being named Cannsville and despite his fear settlement would ruin the fur trade. Settlers, farmers and loggers began trapping fur-bearing animals, in the pattern of Cann and Bildson, which actually boosted
the trade. And this expansion of fur commerce roles ran in both directions. Perhaps the most unusual blurring of lines began in 1834 when Jerry Casselman, aged three, was kidnapped from Morrisburg along the St. Lawrence River by an Algonquin woman who considered the red-haired child a gift from Manitou and brought him to Muskoka where the child travelled in canoes and lived in the woods with the Indigenous people all summer. When his parents managed to retrieve Jerry, they invited the woman who so treasured him to join their household as his nursemaid. Thus, in his formative years, the boy’s attraction to Indigenous ways and knowledge of the language continued. The pull of woodland life became so strong that, at age 12, Jerry left home and rejoined his alternate family on their north Muskoka trap lines. Youthful Casselman became obsessed about owning a spectacular small lake, well wooded with a large rock face along one shore, and setting up a trading post. Not only did he get the lake and establish his fur business, but Jerry Lake, just north of Peninsula Lake, still bears his name. In a flat shoreline clearing, the only current structure at present is his trading post’s remnant stone fireplace. More typical was how Indigenous people, who’d focused on trapping and curing pelts since the Europeans showed up, reverted as
practices and metropolitan values. Muskoka’s controlling narrative has suffered from narrow perspectives in which fur trappers are generally marginalized and Indigenous peoples rendered completely invisible. Leila M. Cope’s History of the Village of Port Carling, published in 1956, begins with the settlers, her only nod to the substantial pre-existing Ojibwe village Obagawanung on the same location a single passing mention of “Indian Village” without any explanation. Her revised 1972 edition perpetuated this exclusion. This selective presentation of Muskoka history fits within the broader confrontation between hinterland and metropolis. This cultural divide frames current conflicts over pipelines, Internet connections in wilderness Algonquin Park, flood control, forest management and trapping. Fur remains important to Muskoka’s new generations of registered trappers. They work at other tasks as well, appreciate the wilderness adventures of trapping and remain silent about most of it in the presence of city folk who wear fur, sport leather boots, belts and bags, and savour eating meat.
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well to their original role as fur traders. They began acquiring unused animal hides from settlers who only hunted for meat. Chief John Bigwin did this in the 1920s as he travelled between Lake Simcoe and Trading Lake, visiting families he knew en route, obtaining hides. He’d write in advance to the Boyes family at Vankoughnet, get good deer hides and enjoy meals indoors with the family as a guest. Though invited to stay indoors, Chief Bigwin pitched his own tent and slept in the woods nearby, in the dignity of privacy, closer to Nature, able to silently read the night sky. Fur drove the exploration of Canada, became a pillar of the Canadian economy, a component of Muskokans’ livelihoods, and a way of life. Today called fur management, it remains a vital, well-organized and wellregulated economic and cultural activity. But the rise of Muskoka’s all-important vacation economy changed public perceptions of trappers and trapping. With railways and steamships, the district was ideally situated for urban folk from southern Ontario and northern American states seeking a wilderness experience. In the early phase of this era, they’d arrive in hunting and fishing parties. A week or so later they’d leave with pleasing photographs of themselves and their bountiful harvests of Muskoka’s deer and fish, and, back home, proud of the trophy animal heads soon lining their spacious wood-panelled rooms. They’d fish. They’d hunt. But they never came to Muskoka to trap animals for fur. The triangle of interrelated skills for balanced hunting, trapping, and fishing was newly broken. It had been severed when Indigenous trappers focused on supplying the huge demand for fashionable furs. Now, with Muskoka’s vacation economy shifting to accommodate southern urbanites, trapping became segregated in the non-Indigenous community as well. This dichotomy between different versions of killing wildlife would increase as more city dwellers became parttime or full-time Muskokans. With trapping sidelined from this expanding element of Muskoka life, it was no longer spoken of as openly, or in the same way. Fur became a controversial battleground between Muskoka’s traditional hinterland
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Whats Happened Calling it a highlight of the province, Ontario’s Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks Rod Phillips announced last month that the Muskoka Watershed would be the focus of a multimillion dollar conservation and management initiative. The province plans to invest $5 million in the initiative and will match tax-deductible donations from individuals and businesses, as well as funding from other levels of government, up to an additional $5 million. “The Muskoka Watershed is one of the highlights of our province and a vibrant hub of Ontario’s tourism industry,” said Phillips in a media release. “This is why we are committed to working with the local community to protect it. Together, we will ensure that future generations can continue to enjoy the beauty and the economic benefits this watershed brings to the region.” The ministry says that this initiative will help inform future development and will respond to concerns raised by the community about projects like the North Bala Small Hydro Project, including a water management plan that “requires minimum continuous flow to protect water quality and aquatic habitat and to meet Lake Muskoka’s water level objectives.” An advisory group will engage local organizations, municipal representatives, Indigenous communities and the broader community to identify priority projects that could form part of the initiative.
Huntsville Hospital Foundation receives $1M donation from seasonal residents It’s one of the largest gifts the Huntsville Hospital Foundation (HHF) has ever received. Eric and Vizma Sprott of the Sprott Foundation have donated $1 million to
50 UNIQUE MUSKOKA Fall / Winter 2018
Photograph: Dawn Huddlestone
Province commits millions to help protect the Muskoka watershed
The members of the Huntsville organizing committee for the 2019 Ontario 55+ Winter Games are already meeting and making plans to host the event. HHF and hope that their gift will inspire others to give generously. Huntsville hospital needs up to $3 million per year to buy new equipment and upgrade technology not funded by the government. “This gift is a wonderful addition to the momentum we are experiencing and the support we are seeing from both local and seasonal residents as well as local businesses that are getting behind the hospital and its capital needs,” said Katherine Craine, executive director of HHF. “Our fundraising continues to grow and we are grateful for the support.”
Ontario 55+ Winter Games coming to Muskoka Huntsville will host the next Ontario 55+ Winter Games, with events happening from Gravenhurst to Burk’s Falls between March 5 and 7, 2019. The municipality last hosted the Games in 2013. “We’ve had a long history of sports and tourism in our community and this adds another layer to what we have successfully done,” said Fran Coleman, chair of the Huntsville 2019 Games Organizing Committee. Almost 1,000 athletes will participate in 10 sports during the Games: badminton, 10-pin bowling, curling, duplicate bridge,
alpine skiing, Nordic skiing, ice hockey, precision skating, table tennis and volleyball. More than 400 volunteers will be needed to help make the event a success. Learn more at Huntsville2019.ca.
Resort Village of Minett to be reviewed by special committee Earlier this year, the Township of Muskoka Lakes Council froze development at the proposed Resort Village of Minett, a 322-acre, high-density development on the shores of Wallace Bay in Lake Rosseau, to allow for further studies and a site-specific review of Official Plan policies. The decision followed public outcry over the proposed development. Now, in conjunction with the District of Muskoka Council, the Minett Joint Policy Review Steering Committee has been created to review Official Plan policies as they relate to that area. The first meeting of the steering committee, comprising 13 members appointed by the two councils, is expected to happen in October. The committee will review and discuss relevant Township of Muskoka Lakes zoning bylaws and issues like recreational carrying capacity, water quality, natural character and
Photograph: Courtesy of Joanne Buie
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Muskoka Shoebox Project organizers Joanne Buie, Penny Burns and Barb Baldwin are aiming to distribute 1,000 of the packages for women in times of crisis. the long-term economic impact of the Minett development. The steering committee won’t make decisions regarding policies related to Minett; rather, it will provide recommendations to the councils for their consideration.
Getting the scoop on garbage and recycling The District of Muskoka has made it easier for residents to be informed about when and how to dispose of their garbage and recycling. Collection schedules are detailed in a new online calendar where you can search your address to see what’s being collected each week, print a copy of the calendar or add it to your personal calendar on iCal, Google or Outlook, and sign up for weekly phone or email reminders. You can also sign up for alerts to be notified about delays due to weather, for example. While you’re there, you can search the Waste Wizard, if you’re not sure how to properly recycle or dispose of specific materials. Do you know what to do with take-out coffee cups? (Put the cup in your blue box for paper products and the lid in your blue box for containers.)
Or, how about the Styrofoam trays your meat comes packed on? (This can go in your blue box for containers. But not all Styrofoam products can be recycled – check the Waste Wizard for other details on other items.) To check out the calendar or try the Waste Wizard, visit muskoka.on.ca and look for the Garbage and Recycling button.
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Little things do make a difference. The Shoebox Project began with a simple goal: support women in times of crisis over the holiday season with items that make them feel special. The initiative started in 2011 in Toronto and quickly spread to communities across Canada, including Muskoka in 2015. Since then, volunteers in our region have distributed 2,099 shoeboxes with a total value of $104,950 to local agencies including the Salvation Army, the Muskoka Women’s Advocacy Group which runs two women’s shelters, Muskoka Parry Sound Sexual Assault Services and Muskoka Victim Services.
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“Through the Muskoka Shoebox Project, we have gained a deeper understanding of unemployment, abuse, poverty and mental illness affecting many women in Muskoka,” said Muskoka Shoebox Project co-ordinator Joanne Buie. “These beautiful, filled shoeboxes do make these women smile, letting them know that they are not forgotten, their community does care about them, they are worthy, they are special.” “With combined efforts, we really can put smiles on the faces of someone, a woman in our community, who may find it tough to smile,” she says. “Helping one person might not change the whole world, but it could change the world for one person.” Shoeboxes usually contain “something yummy, something warm and something sparkly,” said Buie. A full list of suggested items is available at shoeboxproject.com/ muskoka. The boxes are filled and distributed prior to the Christmas holidays. Some donors host a party and gather friends and family together to fill many shoeboxes at once; others prefer to create a box or two on their own. The 2018 deadline for dropping off filled shoeboxes is December 1 and organizers are hoping to distribute 1,000 filled shoeboxes this year. Learn more about the Muskoka Shoebox Project and how to participate on their Facebook page (search The Muskoka Shoebox Project) or email muskoka@ shoeboxproject.com.
District Chair will not be elected by voters after all On August 14, 2018, the Province of Ontario passed the Better Local Government Act which reverses changes made to the Municipal Elections Act in 2016 that would have allowed for the direct election of Muskoka’s District Chair. The remainder of the fall municipal elections will proceed as planned. Electors can vote for their ward councillors, District councillors and mayors by Internet or telephone from October 12 to October 22, 2018.
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Fall / Winter 2018 UNIQUE MUSKOKA 53
Desserts to warm your heart in a cold winter Article by Karen Wehrstein / Photography by Tomasz Szumski The leaves are falling fast and winter impends, like a harsh awakening after a beautiful dream. As Canadians and Muskokans, we are all readying our cold-season survival strategies to face the icy onslaught. If yours don’t already include the savouring of sweet decadent delicacies with a warming feel at the end of hearty, hot winter meals, read on. Our first selection one might actually call a late fall dish, as its star ingredients are
apples and cranberries. It comes from the Whimsical Bakery in Huntsville, whose co-owner Christine Kropp leaves cooking to her husband because she has preferred to bake ever since she began doing all her friends’ birthday cakes. “It just evolved,” she says. “More so when the fondant cakes came in; they’re more fun and there’s so much you can do with them. It always
Whimsical Bakery owner Christine Kropp has evolved her Apple Cranberry Pie/ Crumble recipe to provide a dessert that’s warm and comforting. 54 UNIQUE MUSKOKA Fall / Winter 2018
evolves. That’s why our name’s Whimsical. We’re not traditional.” Kropp has operated in Huntsville since April of 2012, starting off with a custom, strictly-byorder bakery using an offsite commercial kitchen and offering mostly wedding cakes, celebration cakes and cupcakes. In 2016, the business moved to a spot close to Brunel Road and Main Street but it’s only since April 2017 that the permanent staff of four, plus an additional two or three in summer, has been able to enjoy having store and kitchen under one roof at their current downtown Huntsville location. There, you can buy locally-produced jams, granola, juices, Beaver Rock coffee from Barrie, espresso, soup, frozen yogurt, Kawartha Dairy ice cream and a full-service sit-down breakfast or lunch. Oh and, of course, a wide range of baked goods that are all made on-site. What makes a good winter dessert? “One that’s warm and comforting,” Kropp says. Yes, in this nation, we need it. “You want the oats, the sugars, the warm crisp pies for sure,” she adds, and offers up a two-option recipe: Apple Cranberry Pie/Crumble. It was created like all her recipes: “We do a lot of Internet searching, look in magazines, always follow trends. And then we tweak.” This recipe, especially the crumble
version, has been tweaked into doing what good foods often do: offering an intriguing tension between conflicting flavours. The filling is not overly sweet, and now and then the sudden burst of tartness from a cranberry serves as a foil to the sweetness there is; you can turn then to the crumble, which is mouth-wateringly sweet.
One way to cheer the soul while bitter winds howl outside is sharing hot cups of mulled wine. A German variety called Gluhwein was the inspiration for our next winter dessert, soon to be served at the Inn at the Falls in Bracebridge. The Inn was built in 1876, but recently renovated by innkeeper Robert Henry, who bought it in February 2018. “We redid the dining room, the entry room and the parlour,” he says, noting that the dining room had been closed for about seven years prior to his re-opening it in April 2018. Floors, tables, walls, trim and furniture have all been updated. Henry and executive chef Joe Wood have known each other for 19 years, so it was natural for Henry to offer Wood the position. Wood started cooking with his grandfather and went on to cooking school, then a position at a restaurant in his hometown of Brantford. Like many chefs, he then travelled, working as he went, visiting Lake Louise and Australia among other places. He has been a Muskoka resident for eight years and worked for seven at Trillium Resort. “Two years ago, we had a wedding at the resort, a German couple, and they asked if we could do Gluhwein,” Wood recalls. “At the time I said no, but I’d research it.” By researching and tasting, he found a Gluhwein recipe he liked, which was served to the happy couple and their guests, and which he has used ever since. While developing this winter’s dessert menu for the Inn, Wood had the idea of incorporating Gluhwein into a cake. “I did some experiments yesterday,” he says, speaking in early September. “I liked what I
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While developing this winter’s dessert menu for the Inn at the Falls, executive chef Joe Wood included the Gluhwein Inspired Winter Cake he created, two years ago.
saw and I liked what I tasted.” So, did I. Wood says similar recipes often incorporate chocolate chips, but he left them out because “I wanted to be different.” Despite being a big fan of chocolate, I think it would overcomplicate
things and take away too much from the subtle Gluhwein taste of the cake and the more intense Gluhwein taste of the glaze. The onset of winter means Christmas is coming, and Christmas is all about warming festive desserts, of course. One
such dessert is Muskoka Christmas Pudding, created by Chef Michael Wright, co-owner of Tower Bistro and the Thirsty Elk at the Nordic Inn in Dorset.
Apple Cranberry Pie/ Crumble
portion on a lightly floured surface. If the dough is sticking, chill again for another hour or two. • Transfer the prepared dough to pie plate. • Trim and flute shells, ready for pie filling.
Crumble Topping
Christine Kropp, Whimsical Bakery
(Remember this is a recipe with two options: if using crumble topping you only need the lower pie crust.)
Pie Crust 5 ½ cups cake and pastry flour 2 tsp salt 1 lb. lard 1 Tbsp vinegar 1 egg, lightly beaten Ice water • Whisk together flour and salt. • Cut in lard with pastry blender or two knives until the lard is pea sized within the flour. • In a measuring cup, combine the vinegar and egg. Add enough ice water to make 1 cup. • Gradually stir liquid into flour mixture, adding only enough liquid to make dough cling together. • Gently gather the dough into a ball and divide into 6 equal portions. • Wrap the portions in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 15-30 minutes. • Take out two dough balls, roll out each
56 UNIQUE MUSKOKA Fall / Winter 2018
Makes three double crust pie shells. They can be frozen.
Fruit Filling 4 cups peeled and sliced apple wedges 2 cups fresh cranberries ¾ cup white sugar 1 Tbsp cornstarch 1 tsp ground cinnamon 2 Tbsp butter, cut into small pieces • Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). • Combine apples and cranberries in a large bowl. • Whisk sugar, cornstarch, and cinnamon together in a small bowl. • Combine sugar mixture with apples and cranberries. • Place mixture into the pie shell. • Distribute butter pieces over pie filling. • Place remaining crust over filling, crimp both crusts together, and cut several slits into top crust to vent steam.
1 cup quick-cooking rolled oats ½ cup packed brown sugar 1/3 cup all-purpose flour ¼ tsp ground nutmeg 1/3 cup butter, melted • In a small bowl, whisk together oats, brown sugar, flour and nutmeg; stir in butter until combined. Sprinkle over apple filling. • Bake until pie is browned and fruit filling is bubbling, 45 minutes to one hour. Serve hot in winter, but add Kawartha Dairy vanilla ice cream or whipped cream if you want a touch of cold. Baker’s Tips “I use fresh apples and fresh cranberries, not frozen,” Kropp advises. Granny Smith is her preferred variety of apple; McIntoshes, she says, are “too mushy.” To make flaky pie crust like a pro: use lard and don’t overwork it. “Butter doesn’t hold its shape. It’s made to melt,” she advises. “The less you work with the dough, the better. Don’t roll it more than once.”
Gluhwein Inspired Winter Cake Joe Wood, Inn at the Falls
Ingredients 1 ¼ cup sugar ½ lb. butter 4 eggs 2 tsp baking powder 2 cups flour ¼ cup red wine (Wood uses Cabernet) 1 tsp cinnamon ¼ tsp nutmeg Zest of one orange ¼ tsp ground cloves • Mix eggs, butter and sugar in mixer until creamy, usually 4-5 minutes. • Add remaining ingredients and mix for a few more minutes. • Grease pan. (Wood uses mini loaf pans but you can use a large loaf pan, a Bundt pan, or mini Bundt pans.) • Place in a preheated 350-degree F oven for roughly 30-40 minutes if using a Bundt or loaf pan, 15-20 minutes for cupcakes or mini pans. Check frequently by inserting a toothpick or skewer: when it comes out clean, the cake is done.
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To make the topping, thicken some Gluhwein with cornstarch. Decorate with strawberries, blackberries, orange sections, orange rind and mint.
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Bonus Recipe: Gluhwein 1 750-ml bottle of red wine (Wood uses Cabernet for this, too) 1 orange 10 cloves 2 cinnamon sticks ¾ cup water ¾ cup white sugar • Combine water, sugar and cinnamon sticks, bring to boil. Lower heat to simmer and reduce to thicken (3-4 minutes). • Squeeze juice of the orange into mixture, press the cloves into the orange rinds and add to the mixture. • Simmer another 2-3 minutes. • Add wine and simmer for five minutes to allow the flavours to mull together.
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Muskoka Christmas Pudding Michael Wright, Nordic Inn
Ingredients 1 lb. mixed dried fruit (figs, dates, apricots, cherries, cranberries, blueberries, currants: your choice of which and how much of each) ½ cup butter ½ cup brown sugar 2 ½ oz. your choice of whiskey, bourbon, brandy or dark rum Zest and juice of one small orange (can be a clementine) 2 eggs, beaten 55 grams self-rising flour 55 grams fresh breadcrumbs 2 oz. chopped nuts (your choice of walnuts, pecans or almonds; peanuts don’t work) 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
Method
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• Preheat oven to 265 degrees F. • Mix dried fruit, alcohol, zest and juice of orange in a bowl. Keep in refrigerator for two days. • Cream butter and sugar, fold in eggs. Fold in marinated fruit. Fold in flour and bread crumbs. Mix until blended. Fold in nuts and spice. • Divide into six 6-oz. ramekins. • Cut six discs of wax paper using
one ramekin as a guide. • Place discs on top of ramekins and wrap in plastic wrap. Place in baking pan and fill half full with water, cover whole pan with a layer of plastic wrap and, on top of it, a layer of foil. Bake for two hours. • Serve with maple butter or crème anglaise (pouring custard). Decorate with whipped cream, ice cream, nuts, cranberries, etc. (be creative!) To Flambé Lower the lights in the room. Drizzle an undecorated pudding with ¾ oz. brandy and touch a flame to the brandy quickly (or else it will soak away into the pudding). Use all appropriate safety precautions for having a small fire in your home! If you’re nervous of flames near your fingers, use a barbecue lighter. Chef ’s Tips Don’t over-mix the mixture (prior to adding fruit, nuts and spice); mix just enough to blend. You can replace currants with raisins if you prefer. A good brand of custard powder to use for the crème anglaise: Bird’s. Other possible extras to serve with the pudding: hazelnuts, shaved almonds, Baileys Irish Cream poured over.
Muskoka Christmas Pudding, created by Nordic Inn chef Michael Wright, features local ingredients. 58 UNIQUE MUSKOKA Fall / Winter 2018
The Inn was built in the 70s and despite several changes of ownership has retained the name throughout. Wright and his business partner Paula Sylvester began at the Inn on June 1, 2018 and now feed people from all over the world. “People are loving the food,” Sylvester says. “We’re developing a real solid regular clientele here, which means you’re doing something right.” That includes innovative things such as a chip stand that will be open during the season of fall colours, until late October. What makes this Christmas pudding Muskoka? “The cranberries, the maple butter,” says Wright. “My family had recipes that I went through, and I concocted this mix of things. Paula threw in suggestions and we picked the things we liked the flavour of. The important thing is that you put in what you like.” This recipe requires a two-day marinade to properly permeate the dried fruit with booze (it’s Christmas!), so you need to plan ahead. You can even make it well ahead of time and freeze it, right in the ramekins, because it is moist. (“It still crumbles and if you freeze it, it will cut,” says Wright. “It’s not a batter per se.”) Then defrost it on Christmas Eve (or the day before whichever day you’re serving it), and warm it before serving by placing it in a 250-degree F oven for 15 minutes or a microwave for 30 seconds. “Some like it warm, some like it hot, some cool,” notes Wright, ever an advocate for individualizing recipes to taste. You can even do Muskoka Christmas Pudding Flambé, if you dare, for Wright’s version of an old traditional Yuletide ritual. “It’s not super sweet, not even too heavy, as we stick with the lighter sugar,” he says. True enough, though I would say it is still rich. Like any proper Christmas pudding or cake, it’s deliciously complex with fruit and nuts and spices all combined, traditional but with that dash of Muskoka. Happy holidays and bon appétit! P.S.: All three of this month’s food pros sent me home with goodies. So I tried pouring some of Wright’s crème anglaise on Kropp’s applecranberry crumble. It worked, and I bet adding some of Wood’s Gluhwein topping in addition would also work. I hope they all forgive me.
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Muskoka Moments
The Morrison Lake Story By Paul Kelly Life in Muskoka started at an early age when my parents rented a cottage on Morrison Lake in 1955. As a family, we fell in love with the lake and my parents built our family cottage in 1958. The tradition carried on as our children grew up loving Mo Lake. My wife, Sue, and I have been permanent residents since 2007 on the site of our original cottage. Given that we are the parents of three married children and now enjoying six wonderful grandchildren, we have a vested interest in the future of Gravenhurst and Muskoka. My early memories of going to the cottage in the 50s involved the car trip with my sister, parents and our dog Skippy, taking close to three hours and then happily reaching the old Kilworthy Road. At that time, there was no high float with a slurry topping, it was potholes, washboard and dust for the next 20 minutes. We prayed that we would not be behind another car! However the fresh air and smell of pine always welcomed us to the lake. Our original cottage was a Viceroy prefab 24 feet by 30 feet with no drywall ceilings, just wide open and curtains for doors. This provided us great opportunities for throwing things over the walls at unsuspecting family and friends. I also recall making forts out of blankets and pillows up in the rafters. As children, most of our summer was spent in the water – swimming,
60 UNIQUE MUSKOKA Fall / Winter 2018
making sand castles, catching frogs and a little fishing. Speaking of fishing, I was always known for getting my line tangled in knots. This was never fun. Finally one day, I had experienced enough tangled and knotted lines. I took my entire fishing rod and threw it as far as I could into the lake, never to fish again. This trauma unfortunately caused me to never teach my kids or grandkids how to bait their hooks, untangle their lines or reel in a fighting catfish. Oh well! I do not see any abnormal behaviour from them as a result of being fishing deprived. During those childhood days we would pack a lunch, fill our canteen with Kool-Aid and head off into the woods for most of the day. We created forts that we protected against the enemy, usually the girls! Did our parents ever worry? If they did, they sure never told us. Our summers as teens were full of water-skiing, canoe trips and eventually in the late 60s and early 70s, concert trips to The Kee in Bala, The Pav in Orillia and the Hidden Valley Inn in Huntsville. Those were great times going with friends while singing and dancing the night away. Since moving permanently to Morrison Lake, there has been a significant increase in the number of seasonal residents making the lake their full-time home. The longestablished summer social life has now become yearlong. However, we realized we needed to expand our social network and then became involved in a variety of Gravenhurst activities. I assumed a leadership role as the Chair of the Gravenhurst Environmental Advisory Committee, we became members of the Probus Club of Gravenhurst, Curling Club, actively involved in the Morrison Lake Residents Association and have been long standing members of St. Paul’s parish. These
organizations provided us incredible opportunities to broaden our horizon of friends and allowed us to be really engaged in our community of Gravenhurst. Municipal politics were never really in our plan until 2014 when I ran for District Councillor. In this role the many new connections, experiences and opportunities have certainly been incredible. Being the acclaimed Gravenhurst Mayor, starting in December 2018, provides me with an opportunity to lead our community and hopefully make a significant positive difference over the next four-year term. My hope is that residents, staff and council can work in collaboration to continue to provide to our generation, our children and those to come, the legacy of a prosperous town and sustainable environment. Throughout his professional life, Paul Kelly has been devoted to public education in various roles as teacher, principal/vice principal, senior administrator of employee relations in Ontario and as associate superintendent of human resources in Alberta. More recently, before becoming involved in municipal politics, he was a co-ordinator with University of Toronto Teacher Education program.
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