AUGUST 2022
THE RETURN OF A JEWEL Custom torpedo is poster boat for MLA
MUSKOKA’S TOWN CLOCKS TELL MORE THAN TIME
Food Truck Vendors are Culinary Mavericks
Finding Muskoka’s Fishing Hotspots
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...telling the Muskoka story 24
The Art of Whimsy – Painting the Past with a Light-hearted Brush
Features 11
It’s All Relative – Murder, Suspense and the Making of an Author
Article by Meghan Taylor / Photography by Tomasz Szumski Susan M. Nairn, author of the Relative series, understands the value of luck and timing, both in writing and publishing. A fortuitous table arrangement in July 2020 made all the difference for her.
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Trees of Muskoka – Ash and Beech
Article and Photography by John Challis Ash and beech trees were once the mighty giants of Muskoka’s forests. However, these giants have been felled by tiny insect invaders. They’re the latest in a litany of trees under attack, causing some species to be classified as endangered.
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Historic Libraries – Then & Now: Bracebridge Public Library
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2 UNIQUE MUSKOKA August 2022
Article by J. Patrick Boyer Bracebridge Public Library, situated in a beautiful Carnegie building on Manitoba Street, anchors the main street and its membership; not just with its selection of books but with the variety of programs and services it offers.
Article by Bronwyn Boyer / Photography by Tomasz Szumski Laurie Stein – artist, illustrator and teacher – combines her animated characters with her interpretation of famous classical masterpieces, creating works of art that capture both the serious and the lighter side of life.
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Thrills and Spills – Muskoka Off-Road Cycling Association Article by Matt Driscoll / Photography by Tomasz Szumski Muskoka is a mountain bikers’ paradise. Muskoka Off-Road Cycling Association (MORCA) acts as stewards and promoters to make trails accessible to as many people as possible.
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Caprice – A Minett-Shields Jewel Returns to the Lakes of Muskoka Article and Photography by Tim Du Vernet The restoration of Caprice brought together three generations of the Mortimer/ Blair family on the Muskoka lakes. Having her selected as the poster boat for the Muskoka Lakes Association Boat Show for 2022 speaks to her style and rarity.
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Culinary Mavericks – Food on the Go in Muskoka Article by K.M. Wehrstein Photography by Josianne Masseau Restaurants aren’t the only game in town. Food trucks and on-the-go meal options in Muskoka open the doors to diversity, flavour and [40] new experiences. Their evolution has developed as food truck culture, which is based on entirely mobile kitchens.
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Muskoka’s Town Clocks Tell More than Time
AUGUST 2022
Article by J. Patrick Boyer Clock towers in Bracebridge, Huntsville and Gravenhurst aimed to define each town’s status when they were originally commissioned. While their ownership and operation may have changed, these timekeepers continue to mark the passing of time.
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Fish Tales – Muskoka’s best discuss fishing hot spots
Article by Matt Driscoll Photography by Andy Zeltkalns While no one can lay claim to a guaranteed method, there are some in Muskoka who have a proven track record of landing more fish than most. Now they’re ready to pass on a few of the secrets to their success.
Opinion
THE RETURN OF A JEWEL Custom torpedo is poster boat for MLA
MUSKOKA’S TOWN CLOCKS TELL MORE THAN TIME
Food Truck Vendors are Culinary Mavericks
Finding Muskoka’s Fishing Hotspots
Our Cover
Photography by Tim Du Vernet Muskoka-built boats are prized throughout the continent for their unique character and limited quantities. Discover the details of the Blair/Mortimer family’s one-of-a-kind MinettShields runabout, Caprice, including her recent restoration.
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By Don Smith
By Krystal Darling
Muskoka Insights
Departments
Muskoka Moments
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Article by Matt Driscoll Muskoka Chautauqua shares their summer lineup, MPP Graydon Smith is tapped as Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry and the Town of Gravenhurst unveils its forthcoming short-term rental bylaw. The District of Muskoka has been granted an extension for unstaffed bin site removal, the Township of Muskoka Lakes pilots a new pedestrian walkway initiative and the Muskoka Lakes Association Antique Boat Show returns to Port Carling.
Article by K.M. Wehrstein Photography by Tomasz Szumski Where there’s smoke, there’s flavour. There’s just something about the byproduct of flames that tingles our taste buds. Explore these smoked food recipes from restaurants across Muskoka.
What’s Happened
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August 2022 UNIQUE MUSKOKA 5
…telling the Muskoka story
This is not just another summer in Muskoka.
Unique Muskoka is published six times per year by Unique Publishing Inc. Donald Smith Publisher
Muskoka’s hospitals are still in the midst of the pandemic with unprecedented hospital use and high occupancy.
Meghan Taylor Editor
Emergency Department volumes are rising. Wait times are getting longer.
Lisa Brazier Design
Seek the most appropriate option for care by choosing the right care in the right place at the right time by the right provider.
www.mahc.ca/wheretogetcareMuskoka/
Stay safe, be well and follow the A-B-C-Ds:
A
Advanced planning and preparations.
B C
Be safe!
D
Consider what is available for care as you plan trips. Ask yourself… Are my prescriptions in order? Immunizations up to date? Should I be going to the cottage when I need stitches removed?
Make safety a priority. Avoid risky behaviour that can lead to illness or injury. Call your primary care provider. Virtual or phone appointments with your ‘home’ doctor or nurse practitioner are available when at the cottage. Decide on right care, right place, right time, right provider. Conserving Emergency Dept. care for real emergencies helps to preserve reasonable wait times.
Make safety a priority this summer! Have a thoughtful plan to avoid an unnecessary trip to the Emergency Dept. 6 UNIQUE MUSKOKA August 2022
Donna Ansley Sales
Susan Smith Administration Bronwyn Boyer J. Patrick Boyer John Challis Krystal Darling Matt Driscoll Tim Du Vernet Josianne Masseau Tomasz Szumski Meghan Taylor K.M. Wehrstein 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 © 2022 Unique Publishing Inc. 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 message of Muskoka’s fishing guides, told by regular contributor Matt Driscoll. As the guides note, the district’s fish stock remains strong. However, more and more, Muskokans are learning the importance of keeping our shoreline naturalized and fish habitat protected, allowing us to continue to enjoy this great outdoor activity. Appreciation of our past is important for setting the course to the future. In this issue, local historian Patrick Boyer has two features for our readers. One outlines the vision of early Bracebridge residents and the support of a wealthy industrialist that resulted in the construction of a library that has served the community well for over 100 years. The other tells the story of how clock features in the buildings of the district’s three major towns tell more than the time of day. We think you’ll find both articles interesting reads. We like experiencing different opportunities and we think the feature, Culinary Mavericks – Food on the Go, by K.M. Wehrstein will open you to some interesting dining options offered by food trucks now operating in Muskoka. Not to be missed are several other features. Among them, Tim Du Vernet tells us about the return of Caprice – an antique watercraft worthy of being the subject of a poster promoting a local boat show. Writer Bronwyn Boyer tells the story of artist Laurie Stein who captures both the serious and the lighter side of life with her artwork that showcases her talent to parody classics. And, contributor John Challis highlights the giants of the forest that are being felled by tiny invaders. Happy reading. Photograph: Susan Smith
Whether you’re a permanent resident, a seasonal resident or someone who is visiting – you’ll know the sense of solace that comes from the healing embrace of Muskoka’s natural environment. After a particularly challenging day, I find the comfort that comes from sitting on our deck is immeasurable. While still part of Bracebridge’s urban area, our backyard includes whispering pines and poplars, whose trembling leaves eradicate the remaining noise cluttering my brain. There is something to be said about closing your eyes and soaking in the quiet sounds of nature; letting a gentle wind speak to you, listening for the songs of the birds. Rising from my deck chair, I feel like I have a fresh start. My thoughts are opened to new possibilities. We are indeed fortunate to call Muskoka home. If nothing, the past two years have made it all the more important to take a few minutes to celebrate the gifts that come from a day, a week, a month, a year, a lifetime in Muskoka. With all the noise in the world, Muskoka remains an oasis. In each issue of Unique Muskoka, we share the stories of the district in an effort to open everyone’s eyes to an environment – fragile but at the same resilient – that should never be taken for granted. As long as we keep our natural world healthy, it will regenerate not only itself but us. Members of the Muskoka Off-Road Cycling Association are among those who have demonstrated we can combine the dual objective of developing a much sought-after natural experience while at the same time preserving the inherent feature that underpins this outdoor opportunity. Their trail networks draw off-road cycling enthusiasts from across the province and beyond, supporting the local economy and making a difference in many lives. It’s also encouraging to read the positive
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Article by Meghan Taylor / Photography by Tomasz Szumski
L
uck and timing can make all the difference in an author’s journey. “We’ve had a couple authors stay at the lodge and every time we talked about any success they’ve had, they’ve said it’s luck and timing,” shares Susan M. Nairn, Muskoka resident, general manager at a Port Carling resort and author of the Relative series. Nairn knows first hand how luck and timing can factor into success. The journey to self publishing is a challenging one and not one that Nairn intended to pursue. Her own six-book Relative series, which includes The Waking Hours, One Eleven, Darkroom, Root Cellar, Gemini (released in June 2022) and Abbey in the Oakwood (coming January 2023), would not be published without a fortuitous table arrangement in July 2020. Nairn’s love for writing first came to be in sixth grade at Glen Orchard Public School, shortly after she moved to Muskoka fulltime with her family. Her teacher, Wayne Stimpson, started the class on writing poetry and Nairn quickly fell in love with words. “I could not get enough of words,” explains Nairn. “I just wanted to deal with words, be in words, immerse myself in words. I started writing short stories and I can’t even tell you where the ideas came from.”
The idea for Nairn’s first book, The Waking Hours, came to her in 2001 but it sat unfinished, for 15 years. Since self publishing that first book, she has written and published four more, with the sixth and final book in the series to be added in 2023. August 2022 UNIQUE MUSKOKA 11
Nairn says she continued to write based on ideas from dreams, or from things she saw. The idea for her first book, The Waking Hours, came to her in 2001 but it sat in limbo, unfinished, for 15 years. After writing a blog for 10 years, Nairn returned to her book idea in 2016. “I really was enjoying the writing and the story started coming back, and I finished it,” says Nairn. Once the novel was complete, Nairn pursued a traditional publisher. Like many authors, she wanted the support of an agent guiding her through the process and assisting with marketing. However, Nairn’s novel didn’t fit what publishers were looking to pick up at the time. The more frustrated Nairn became with the process, the longer it took and the less interest she had. She did begin to open up about her novels with people, including her bosses and guests she’d met over the last 10 years working at Shamrock Lodge. In July of 2020, she recalls talking to one of the guests who knew Nairn was trying to find an agent. As Nairn shared the details of her struggle to publish, Neil Orlowsky and his family were seated at the table behind them. Orlowsky overheard and asked for more information. “I emailed him the manuscript and he
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Self publishing is a challenge and not one that Nairn planned to navigate. Initially, Nairn sought an agent and publishing house but, with the support of a guest turned mentor, Nairn has now self-published five novels. Gemini, the fifth book, is available now.
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As general manager at Shamrock Lodge for the last 10 years, Nairn has come to know many of the repeat guests well. Hospitality and psychological thrillers may not seem to have a strong connection but it has made all the difference in Nairn becoming a published author. emailed me a couple weeks later and said ‘I can see this as a show on Netflix’ and my mouth hit the floor,” says Nairn. Orlowsky returned to the lodge that August for another week and he and Nairn talked through all of her ideas. By the end of the week, they had figured out the scope of the first four books in the Relative series with ideas for books five and six as well. Nairn credits Orlowsky as her mentor and agent. Through weekly Zoom meetings on Monday afternoons, he keeps her on pace with word count and helps her navigate the challenges of self publishing. “He’s the reason I have five books out,” comments Nairn. “He’s so supportive. He keeps me accountable. I can now basically get a first draft of a novel done in three and a half months.” Once the sixth book is published, Nairn and Orlowsky plan to complete a pitch deck and submit it to contacts in the film industry. Plus, the whiteboards that adorn Nairn’s living room to keep track of her current series also contain the ideas for several standalone novels she intends to work on, one based on her family’s cottages in Port Carling.
“It’s been generations of my family who have come here and it’s part of my blood,” says Nairn. While Nairn was born in Oakville, her familial roots are in Muskoka. Related to the Massey family, she fondly recalls the three family cottages on Armstrong Point. The last cottage in the family, her cousin’s recognizable yellow boathouse with a red roof, has recently sold but Nairn has plans to commemorate the family compound. “It’s fully based in Muskoka,” says Nairn of the standalone novel. “It’s going to be a murder mystery. They’re reading this book together in a book club and start realizing it reads more like a memoir than it does a fiction.” She’s looking forward to giving the book to her family members, when she’s finished writing it. “Although they may think ‘you’re a weirdo because you murder people in every book you write’,” she comments. While the psychological thriller genre may not be for everyone, it’s clear Nairn has put in the time writing and developing her voice as an author. Luck and timing, along with dedication, are her story.
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August 2022 UNIQUE MUSKOKA 13
TREES OF MUSKOKA
Ash and Beech
GIANTS OF THE FOREST
felled by tiny invaders Article and Photography by John Challis There are over 40 species of trees native to Muskoka and another 24 smaller trees classified as shrubs. All play significant roles in the balance of Muskoka’s ecosystem. This series explores some of the more visible of our trees.
T
his is a sad tale of two majestic trees slowly disappearing from Ontario. Beech and ash have been hit hard by invasive pests. They’re the latest in a litany of blights, beginning with Dutch elm disease in the 1950s and now causing some tree species to be classified as endangered. American beech trees can live more than two centuries. They grow up to 30 metres in height and a
metre and a half across. Beech nuts have been an autumn staple for bears that need to fatten for hibernation, as well as for squirrels, deer and other animals. Germinated beech seeds usually grow under the dense shade of their parent, resulting in slow growth. Beech wood is hard and has been used for centuries for flooring, barrels and even railway ties. Its grain is a bit cantankerous, though, making it less desirable for fine furniture. Many will remember or recognize beech as the massive tree we carved our initials into as kids. Its smooth, grey-blue bark was an ideal canvas; scar tissue growing around the knife cuts embellished our art.
Bark is a defining feature of ash and beech trees. Beech bark (pictured) constantly regenerates its outer bark, maintaining a smooth skin., while ash bark can be identified by the finely furrowed, irregular ridges in its bark, often described as little canoes. August 2022 UNIQUE MUSKOKA 15
Bark differs from tree to tree and is a key to recognizing different tree species. Beech constantly regenerates its outer bark, maintaining a smooth skin – a tree that exfoliates! By contrast, ash bark thickens over the years to protect itself. Ash can be identified by the finely furrowed, irregular ridges in its bark, often described as little canoes. Another tip to clinch ash identification: the leaves. Ash trees have compound leaves; a cluster of leaflets growing opposite each other on stalks that branch out from the main stem. Ash has between four and eight oval, smooth edged leaflets in a compound leaf, plus one more as the terminal leaflet. There are three species of ash in the Muskoka area - green, white and black ash – each growing in different environments. They grow straight, up to 25 metres or more, charging to the sunlight in as short a distance as possible. The strong, lightweight, clean grain of ash is prized for paddles, tool handles and furniture. Because of their growth, they’re also popular for planting in urban parks. Ash tree seeds, resembling one-winged maple keys, disperse well on winds. This year there has been a bumper crop of ash keys in many forests. However, ash trees are being compromised by a tiny green beetle; the emerald ash borer. The beetle’s larvae burrow in long “galleries” under the ash bark, blocking the flow of sap to the leaves. The loss of ash trees has been high profile since the infestation has wiped out urban park forests. Attempts to halt the spread of the emerald ash borer have failed. In 2012, infestations were
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Ash trees are easily identified by their leaves; a cluster of leaflets growing opposite each other on stalks that branch out from the main stem. There are between four and eight oval, smooth edged leaflets in a compound leaf, plus one more as the terminal leaflet.
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south of Lake Simcoe; by 2020, ash stands were dying as far as Sault Ste. Marie. American beech has been under attack from a parasitic fungus. It’s a native fungus, but has found a new means of spreading, with help from a tiny European insect called woolly beech scale. Holes drilled into the trees by the insect allow the fungus to invade. The result is cankers in the bark, and loss of foliage, culminating in the rot of limbs and the trunk. There are treatments for beech,
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but they are cost-prohibitive to apply to entire forests. The sad truth is children may never see their initials carved in the bark of a beech tree or they may no longer see ash trees in their urban parks and playgrounds. One can only hope the few trees surviving have found some resistance, enabling them to produce new, hardier generations.
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Canada Day Celebration and Fireworks Show The Rotary Club of Bracebridge, with the support of the Town of Bracebridge and Rotary Club of Bracebridge Muskoka Lakes, was pleased to once again be the organizer of our community Canada Day Celebration and Fireworks Show. Our ability to host this event is only made possible by both the generous donations of those who attend, and by the support of our community partners/sponsors. We hope you enjoyed the show and look forward to seeing you next July 1.
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HISTORIC LIBRARIES: THEN & NOW
Above: The building the Bracebridge Public Library occupies today was built with the financial support of the Patron Saint of Libraries, Andrew Carnegie. Below: During her tenure as CEO from 2001 to 2006, Jill Foster, pictured with the library’s oil portrait of Carnegie, promoted literacy, enhanced facilities and initiated plans for a worthy celebration of the Library’s centennial in 2008.
Photograph: Russ Mackinnon
E
ven before organizing a fire brigade to protect their lives and property, Bracebridge folk in 1874 created a library. It has operated continuously ever since, making library service one of the community’s most venerable institutions. The following year, in 1875, the existence of a library in the settlement helped convince provincial authorities to grant the Macaulay Township village independent municipal status – reflecting the interwoven history of Bracebridge and its library.
Article by J. Patrick Boyer Local citizens created the library using the Mechanics’ Institute model, popular in the province since the 1830s and governed by legislation enacted in 1851. After it opened, the Institute’s collection of 225 volumes grew, as demand for reading material increased. A $400 provincial grant, received in 1877, helped boost holdings to 700 books, among them the American Cyclopedia costing a quarter of the funds. In addition to books, the library sponsored scientific presentations, educational lectures and
August 2022 UNIQUE MUSKOKA 19
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literary entertainment. Being a private organization meant not just anyone could stroll in and access library resources. Participation required a membership. But Bracebridge’s Institute was not exclusionary. In 1881, two canvassing committees called at every home to enlist members at 80 cents a year and harvest suggestions for better service. Everyone wanting to use the library was now entitled to, and by popular request a reading room soon joined its circulating library and stage for events. By rounding out the cultural and intellectual dimensions of life with its organized program, the Mechanics’ Institute initiated a pattern of book-centred activity for peoples’ enrichment that would endure, with intermittent relocations to larger second-floor premises. By late in the century, the “public library” movement was ascending across North America and in 1897 the Mechanics’ Institute directors themselves brought their library under Ontario’s Free Libraries Act. The Bracebridge Free Library was on the public governance path it still follows. The next step, moving into a purpose-built permanent library, began a challenging dimension of municipal involvement that has also been continuous. Andrew Carnegie, the world’s richest man, became the philanthropic champion of free libraries. When application was made, a bizarre contest between Carnegie and Bracebridge council ensued. Envying Gravenhurst’s Opera House/Town Hall, council proposed using its Town Hall for the library and Carnegie’s money for an exceptional Bracebridge municipal building.
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The plaque hanging in the Bracebridge Public Library denotes the 1906 board members, critical to the proposal and planning of the Carnegie building the library has occupied since 1908.
Photograph: Tomasz Szumski
Photograph: Boyer Family Archives
Left: The original Carnegie building had one entrance at the top of many stairs. Construction of a new side entrance as part of the 1984-85 restoration and expansion of Bracebridge’s main street library increased accessibility and matched the addition with the existing design. Right: The expansion allowed for increased book collections and spaces for programs. “If you already have a building that will serve for a public library,” came the icy rebuke, “you have no need of Mr. Carnegie’s money.” Another boomeranging proposal was building a library with books and Turkish baths on a tiny sloping triangle of land. Despite continuous derailments, by 1908 a
splendid Carnegie Library finally opened, without ceremony, on Bracebridge’s main street. The library continues to admirably serve the community in ever-modernizing ways – from special programs for children to interlibrary loans to computer services. In 1967, space needs led council to tack
on an addition in the Industrial-Grade Revival style of public buildings flourishing in Bracebridge by the mid-20th Century. The unappealing exterior addition was overcome when library board chairman Robert Dolphin engineered its replacement with Brian Chamberlain’s architecturally
OPEN STUDIO WEEKEND August 19, 20 and 21, 2022 • 10 am to 5 pm Meet 22 artists at 8 studios and historic lodge settings featuring painting, woodturning, stone and wood sculpture, furniture, fibre, pottery, knifemaking, and jewellery by artists from Muskoka and beyond. Limberlost Road is Muskoka Road 8 just 10 minutes east of Huntsville on Hwy 60 Studios open other times by apppointment. See website for map and details or call 705-635-2093 Join us on facebook.com@artistsofthelimberlost1
artistsofthelimberlost.ca August 2022 UNIQUE MUSKOKA 21
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inspired extension. “The heritage character and graceful architecture of the library building are integral to our view of the library,” emphasized CEO and chief librarian Jill Foster, describing it as “the brick and stone grande dame of Manitoba Street. It sits at the crest of the hill as a monument to an era when form was not a slave to function and building design was as much an art form as an engineering project.” Bracebridge residents, canvassed about the town’s future in 2008, found their ideas in a “Convergence Report” including widespread desire for the library to remain in its central and accessible pivotal location. When a subdivision developer gave the Town land elsewhere, a decision was made to move both the library and the Bracebridge arena there, adding road and utility services to the raw land. Currently, the Bracebridge Public Library continues to serve the community from its Carnegie space on Manitoba Street. The move to a new space will undoubtedly The Bracebridge Library continues to admirably serve the community from its place as “the brick and create a gap on Bracebridge’s main street but it will bring the next iteration of growth to the stone grande dame of Manitoba Street”, quoting former CEO Jill Foster, in ever-modernizing ways – from special programs for children to interlibrary loans to computer services. Bracebridge Library as well.
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L
aurie Stein finds it much easier to work when she’s at her cottage near Gravenhurst. “When I’m in Muskoka, I just paint,” she explains. “I can cover the dining table with all my paint supplies and not get in anyone’s way.” Stein’s cottage has been in her family since the 1960s, and it makes an ideal studio space. She likes to work on a few paintings at a time, moving to another canvas while the previous one dries. The Toronto-based artist wears many creative hats. In addition to painting, Stein also teaches, illustrates children’s books and designs characters for licensing. Licensing allows for the use of images on anything from animation to puzzles and greeting cards. She has also created characters for about 120 children’s books. “I like to go from one thing to the next,” says Stein. “When they all overlap, the work is more fun.”
Laurie Stein (above) shares that her artistic passion is fuelled by giving life to her characters in unexpected ways. She is inspired by famous, classical masterpieces, and by the beauty that surrounds her cottage in Gravenhurst.
Stein’s artistic passion is fuelled by giving life to her characters in unexpected ways. By combining her animated characters with famous classical masterpieces, she’s created a bittersweet genre that captures both the serious and the lighter side of life. Working digitally allows Stein to call up a classic, recognizable painting to see what it would look like to replace the subjects with her characters. And although Stein intends the copies to pay homage, she only parodies artists that are long gone. “Something serious like Whistler’s Mother was so much fun to do because that painting is just so miserable and sombre,” Stein laughs. “I feel like the artists I’m parodying would be mortified if they were alive to see them. I don’t think they’d approve.” Stein originally got the idea while trying to figure out a wedding present for someone who had two dogs. “I had pictures of these beautiful dogs,” she explains. “And I got the vision of them paddling a canoe through a Group of Seven landscape, and I thought it was pretty funny.” Stein’s “fake paintings” as she calls them can be described as parody versions of the original ones. She injects new life into iconic images, giving them a modern twist. Even the cheeky titles suggest the opposite of what the painting represents. Dog Without a Pearl Earring, for example, instead of Girl With a Pearl Earring. And playful titles like Mo-dogliani, Vin-Sit van Gogh, Pig Casso, and Frida Catlo send a strong message that even the most serious art can be fun. But even the most whimsical projects can prove challenging. “It’s really hard to copy famous paintings,” Stein says. “At first I thought it would be easy, but the deeper you get into it, you realize there are so many more layers and colours intertwined than what meets the eye.” Adding her character to the painting is her reward for getting the copy finished. As soon as she puts her own creative energy into it, the painting comes alive. When Stein visits the paintings that she has parodied at galleries, she feels like something is missing. “I think it’s because there’s no story to a simple landscape,” she explains. “But when there is a character inserted into the setting, you wonder what it’s doing there and it
Stein’s original idea for her “fake paintings," as she calls them, came about from needing a wedding gift for someone with two dogs. She decided a painting of the dogs paddling a canoe through a Group of Seven landscape fit the bill. August 2022 UNIQUE MUSKOKA 25
By combining her animated characters with famous classical masterpieces, Stein has created a bittersweet genre that captures both the serious and the lighter side of life.
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makes it more fun. I think we need that.” Stein’s sense of humour and creative talent always went hand in hand. Ever since she was a small child, she loved to draw. Her first memory was taking a crayon to all the walls of her family’s new house because she was upset about the move. “I consider that my first work of art,” Stein laughs. “And believe it or not, my mother didn’t even get mad at me. In fact, she encouraged me and considered it cathartic.” Stein also loved cartoons as a child, especially Hanna-Barbera shows, which gave her an eye for the whimsical side of life. Stein’s mother encouraged her to go to Ontario College of Art (now OCAD), though she didn’t really take herself seriously as an artist. “I applied to art school as a lark,” Stein says. “I thought I’d never get in so it didn’t really matter. I showed up with these funny cartoons, and the other applicants had such serious submissions. It was really embarrassing, but I actually got in. I didn’t really choose this career as much as it chose me.” In 2020 The Globe and Mail ran Stein’s piece entitled Even Me, in which she altered
her painting called Red Bull featuring a moose sitting in a red Muskoka chair by giving it a mask. The addition of the mask carries the message that everyone is equally vulnerable, even a big bull moose. At the same time, it was Stein’s attempt to bring some levity to a terrible situation. Stein currently teaches art classes online. Until COVID-19 prevented her from teaching in person, she taught classes for the Art for Cancer Foundation, which provided free courses to cancer patients. The paintings from this program were sold at an art show that was very successful. The money was donated to ArtBarn in Toronto with the hopes that the classes would continue. Stein also studied classical animation at Sheridan College, which gave her the best tools for teaching students to draw. But she finds there are always new skills to discover. “Teaching is a great way to push myself out of my comfort zone and discover new territory,” she explains. “I learn so much.” Stein seems to be fuelled by pushing the boundaries, her own as well as the art realm in In addition to her paintings, Stein pushes her own boundaries by teaching art classes and illustrating general. Spontaneity and freedom keep her children’s books with her business partner, Lisa Lucas.
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Initially, Stein thought parodying famous paintings would be easy. However, she’s learned that the layers and colours prove a challenge and adding her own characters is her reward for completing the copy.
inspired. “I like when I start painting a dog and then it ends up being a teapot,” she says. “That’s the most fun for me, when the creativity takes over and it turns into something completely different.” One of Stein’s next paintings will be a parody of The Mona Lisa with a golden retriever. More Van Gogh copies and a fake Norman Rockwell are also in the works. But her favourites seem to be animals enjoying cottage life. “I really enjoy painting a moose on a Jet Ski, a dog boating or animals driving cars or tractors,” laughs Stein. “I just love the absurdity of creating things that shouldn’t be.” Stein’s paintings are displayed at the Red Canoe Gallery in Port Carling and the Koyman Gallery in Ottawa. So far, Waiting for Vincent is the only painting Stein will never sell, as it’s very special to her. It features a white dog who had
chewed a slipper in Van Gogh’s bedroom. It’s not surprising that it’s been a popular commission piece in which Stein paints the client’s dogs misbehaving in the Dutch master’s very serious iconic space. Stein is also working on a book with her business partner Lisa Lucas. “We’ve been working together for 12 years now,” Stein explains. “She writes the stories and I illustrate them. We work neck and neck every step of the way.” Stein and Lucas are embarking on a new adventure, a graphic novel that’s different and more comical than what they’ve done before. Their other books include the awardwinning Spectacularly Beautiful, based on a true story about a refugee. Another was When the Earth Shook, which Stein illustrated in pastel about the importance of Earth Day and caring for the environment. Despite Stein’s strong convictions, bringing levity to the world is her first priority. “I just want to do fun things from now on,” she says. “I don’t want to do anything serious; I think we’ve all had enough of that.”
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Biking trails at the Bracebridge Resource Management Centre range from the family-friendly Turtle Trot to the double black diamond Gnarnia, which has intense climbs, rock features and steep downhills.
Article by Matt Driscoll / Photography by Tomasz Szumski
W
ith an abundance of granite outcrops, elevation changes and heavily treed hinterland, M u s k o k a is a mountain bikers’ paradise. Working to make that paradise accessible to as many people as possible, the Muskoka Off-Road Cycling Association (MORCA) act as stewards and promoters for two of the best used and most loved trails in the region. The Porcupine Ridge trail system and the Bracebridge Resource Management Centre (BRMC) trail system are both located within the limits of the town of Bracebridge and are both maintained by MORCA. “Ten years in, I still pinch myself that I’m
30 UNIQUE MUSKOKA August 2022
able to ride trails like these,” says Scott Wilson, local resident and president of MORCA. Wilson and Roy Davies were instrumental in establishing MORCA, and the creation of the extensive mountain biking trail system at the BRMC, which is located off Highway 11, just north of High Falls. Wilson first became involved in the local mountain biking scene following a work transfer, 10 years ago. “My wife and I considered several different locations but one stipulation I had was that it also needed to have good mountain biking,” explains Wilson, who is a millwright with Ontario Power Generation. “I knew about
Buckwallow and Porcupine Ridge, so we decided to move here.” The Buckwallow Cycling Centre was located off the Gravenhurst Parkway but has subsequently closed. In the meantime, membership with MORCA has exploded, going from 150 members in 2020 to 250 in 2021. “It’s hard to say how much the closing of Buckwallow affected our membership. I’m sure it was partly due to that but it’s also partly due to the pandemic and the overall increase in cycling,” says Wilson. The trails at the BRMC offer a wide range of difficulty levels, while Porcupine Ridge is
much less forgiving for the novice rider. The MORCA website succinctly sums up their description of the trails, which are located off Santa’s Village Road, as follows: ‘there are no easy trails, no easy way in and no easy way out, once you have started.’ Wilson, who grew up in Georgetown and got his start mountain biking in the trail systems of Kelso and Hilton Falls Conservation Area, became a regular at Porcupine Ridge. But every time he drove north of Bracebridge on Highway 11, his mind began to fill with possibilities. “I kept driving by the Resource Management Centre and seeing that rock cut, and how amazing that looked,” Wilson says. “I kept thinking to myself ‘why isn’t anyone building trails in there’.” That line of thinking led to the creation of MORCA, and the push to create a new trail system in the Resource Management Centre starting in 2018. While jumping through the hoops required to gain approval was no mean feat, Wilson says they were fortunate their proposal coincided with a new direction from the Town of Bracebridge to build more trails in the area. From there, it was a matter of plotting the trails and using GPS technology to formulate their layouts. “There was a lot of walking in the bush but, for us, it was all about the rock cut,” Wilson shares. Wilson further explains that granite not only offers numerous natural obstacles but, once a trail is constructed, there is minimal maintenance required as rock does not wear down like a conventional dirt track. More than 40 MORCA volunteers worked on the project, contributing more than 1,100 hours to help co-ordinate trail routes, clear brush, prune trees, build bridges, design trail maps and solicit sponsors. There are now more than a dozen trails mountain bikers can use at the BRMC, including a number that predate MORCA. The MORCA-designed trails range from the family-friendly Turtle Trot to the double black diamond Gnarnia, which has intense climbs, rock features and steep downhills. Ryan Smith is a volunteer and a frequent guest to the BRMC trails. Smith says MORCA considers him their “tech guy,” and a significant part of his role with the organization is to use The Muskoka Off-Road Cycling Association aims to increase accessibility to quality mountain biking mapping software to pinpoint the existing in Muskoka and also to advocate for mountain biking trails in the region.
August 2022 UNIQUE MUSKOKA 31
MORCA hosts trail riding outings every Monday, with a women's ride on Wednesdays and fat biking trips in the winter. Details of upcoming rides and events are updated regularly on their website. routes and help to maintain the website and the routes listed on it. “The role of MORCA is really to increase accessibility to quality mountain biking in Muskoka and also to advocate for mountain
biking trails,” explains Smith. “Essentially we’re trying to maintain what’s here but we’re always looking to see what more we can do.” Smith says his entire family enjoys mountain biking, and his son competes in
the Ontario Cup series. “It’s amazing to have trails like this so close and accessible,” Smith comments. Since the pandemic, Smith notes he’s seen a huge increase in the number of people
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mountain biking, and in particular the number of people using the BRMC. All of that increased traffic has direct economic spinoffs for Muskoka, as the area continues to grow its reputation as a destination for the sport. Wilson says on many occasions he’s engaged in conversations with people at the BRMC who have said they’re staying in the region for a few days to enjoy the trails, but also to stay at local hotels and eat in local restaurants. Keeping the trails in shape requires a great deal of work. That includes leaf blowing of the trails in the fall so they dry out more quickly in the spring. Volunteers also walk the trails regularly to make sure no trees or limbs have fallen across the travelled areas. In the winter, they use a machine called a Snow Dog, which they acquired through a THE RIOBEL MOMENTI™ COLLECTION grant from the District of Muskoka, to AVAILABLE AT KNOWLES PLUMBING! maintain the trails for fat bike use. Smith says the popularity of riding fat bikes has also taken off in the past few years as well. Granite rock cuts within the trails offer numerous natural obstacles but also, once a trail is “I do fat biking in the winter,” says Smith. constructed, there is minimal maintenance required as rock does not wear down like a conventional dirt track “The firstHtime sawTC people BAT & I KI H EfatNbiking SHIOW ROOM DESI GN. INSTALLATION. REPAIR S E RVI NG A LL OF MUSKOKA 279 MA N ITOBA ST, B R AC EBR ID G E
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Since the pandemic, MORCA members have noticed a significant increase in the number of people mountain biking and, in particular, the number of people using the Bracebridge Resource Management Centre trails. thought it actually looked pretty silly but then I tried it and it’s a great activity.” The BRMC is also heavily used by snowshoers and cross-country skiers during the winter months, but Smith says so far there has been a great level of co-operation between the different user groups. Wilson agrees and says the spirit of co-operation goes
34 UNIQUE MUSKOKA August 2022
even further to include the many businesses that sponsor MORCA, which requires considerable funds every year to pay for insurance. MORCA now hosts trail riding outings at the BRMC every Monday, with a women’s ride on Wednesdays and fat biking trips in the winter. Wilson says it’s best to check out
their website for specific information on the rides, as well as information on how to become a member. “Obviously, I like mountain biking but trail building has become addictive,” Wilson shares. “For me, the thrill is really watching other people enjoy these trails.” There are plans in the works to continue expanding the existing trail system at the BRMC, Wilson says. In the meantime, the group will continue their work ensuring Bracebridge is home to some of the best mountain biking experiences in the entire province.
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B
oat builders of Muskoka never produced boats in the numbers of their southern counterparts. As a result, Muskoka-built boats are prized throughout the continent for their unique character and limited quantities. Greavette Boats, out of Gravenhurst, came closest to becoming a production builder but the company’s
36 UNIQUE MUSKOKA August 2022
products are still considered rare. Becoming known for the dramatic curves of its Streamliner – Greavette’s bullet design and fluid shaped riding lights were signatures. Ditchburn Boats were the most conservative in design, with straight, more subdued lines. Minett-Shields added flair here and there in a most elegant form. Eaglet II and similar long
deck Minett-Shields launches of the mid to late 1920s demonstrate the preferred classic lines with subtle adornments. Despite the incomparable character of Muskoka watercrafts, there were variations on a theme. Caprice, a restored 1936 MinettShields runabout, is based on the standard 26foot hull so she shares lines with contemporary
Above: Jonathan Blair (right), drives the restored 1936 Minett-Shields runabout Caprice while his grandfather and the former owner, Alf Mortimer (left), enjoys the ride. Caprice is a one-of-a-kind antique boat. Top right: Restoration work addressed issues with her hull, as well as a number of details, including her flagpole, which returned her to her former glory.
forward drives. While a few boats display some of the features of Caprice, none have her transom. The history of the Minett family is deeply woven in the history of Muskoka, well beyond their contribution to the boat building industry. The history of Caprice’s design is an evolution of tradition, taste and style. Minett Motor Boat Works was first established in Bracebridge in 1910. Minett-Shields Ltd. was formed in 1925 and continued operation until the late 1940s. The tremendous legacy of Minett boats has justified their appearance on several antique and classic boat show posters over the years, such as sisters Norwood II and Norwood III, among the earliest launches built by Bert Minett. So, where does Caprice fit in the evolution of Minett-Shields? Bert Minett worked with John Hacker, a renowned American mahogany pleasure craft builder. Hacker is famous for his many winning racing boats and one of the earliest designers to work with the concept of the planing hull. The lineage of Caprice’s hull design has a strong connection to this American builder. By the 1930s, boating styles were drawing influence from the auto industry and the
evolution of Art Deco design trends evolving in Europe and the U.S. Art Deco design features a “streamlined” look that is geometric, fluid and symmetrical. The 1930s Greavette Streamliner draws heavily from this philosophy of design. All this is to say that the boats of the 1930s look especially dramatic. Muskoka Lakes Association (MLA) Boat Show committee chairman and wooden boating show judge Rick Terry comments that Caprice would have looked very modern in her day. When reflecting on a formal term for the character of Caprice, Terry feels the term “custom” would best fit. She is a “runabout” in the technical sense, but her special transom cries out for a more descriptive term. Gary Clark, another MLA Boat show committee member and wooden boat builder, has used the term “torpedo.” Perhaps she is best described as a “custom torpedo.” The Minett-Shields style carries a notable set of design features, beginning with the hardware. The throttle is readily at hand in the left covering board. The steering wheel uses the banjo spokes to the wooden wheel. The engine vents’ chrome louvers are coloured red and green. Chrome pieces, such as handles and scoop vents, are streamlined in shape to complement the flowing character of the boat. The rudder hatch is held in place with a
August 2022 UNIQUE MUSKOKA 37
Muskoka-made antique wooden boats can be among the most challenging to restore because of the endless compound curves in the hull and deck. The “torpedo” transom of Caprice added even more challenge to the mix. twist latch and two spring-loaded clamps. Terry explains that, in wooden boats, access to the rudder can be required when cables get fouled or something breaks in the steering and a tiller, tucked nearby, is used to steer the boat. Above the centre of the flush deck windscreen is the 9-mile ray spotlight in black with a bare metal rim. The seats are a conservative navy-blue leather with the elegant added touch of a finely crafted glove box in the dash area. Yellow putty deck pinstriping runs nearly from bow to stern. The boat riding lights are inset into the rounded, flowing wedge, reminiscent of a few very early Minett boats. To top it all off, the dash sports the Minett-Shields, Bracebridge plaque. Classic wooden boats take on a personality of their own and can even become members of the family. When a unique boat remains in a family for generations, it is especially significant. For the Blair/Mortimer family of Port Sandfield, Caprice is one such craft. For most of her life, Caprice was owned by Alf Mortimer. Now, she draws three generations of the family together. Mortimer gave Caprice to his grandson, Jonathan Blair, a number of years ago, to ensure her continued connection to the family. Owning the boat is deeply meaningful to Blair who reflects on the legacy of the boat as a family heirloom and his grandfather’s long connection with the boat.
38 UNIQUE MUSKOKA August 2022
Similar to the Minetts, the Mortimer name is well-established in the history of Muskoka with Eddie Mortimer and Sons at Mortimer’s Point on Lake Muskoka and the Port Sandfield Marina, founded by Alf Mortimer, in 1952. Turning 99 years old in August, Mortimer has seen the many changes in Muskoka throughout his life. Boats like Caprice carry memories and the passion for antique and classic wooden boats through the ages. Mortimer acquired Caprice in a trade for a 16foot fiberglass boat in the very early days of his business. The manifold had burnt out and
it was one of the first boats he worked on. “I was tickled to get it,” Mortimer says. Originally there were three boats in this design. While the first was a custom order, and Mortimer believes Caprice may have been the first, two others existed at one point. Mortimer recalls that one burned and the other was destroyed when the weight of snow crushed a boathouse roof. Caprice is the sole craft of her style. At the time Mortimer took the vessel, he did not have the opportunity to work on her. As a result, she sat in storage for many years.
The Minett-Shields style carries a notable set of design features. On Caprice those details include chrome pieces, streamlined in shape to complement the flowing character of the boat, and yellow putty deck pinstriping running nearly from bow to stern.
Seeing Caprice restored was a special goal of Blair’s, so his grandfather would have the opportunity to see Caprice completed and back on the water. Truly, Blair wanted the restoration to be something they could enjoy together. The process of her restoration took an investment of several years. While the work-in-progress photos may look as though Caprice received an extensive restoration, Clark, whose shop did the work, remarks at how complete and intact she was. Clark notes her hull was in very good shape and her hardware was complete. Wooden boats of Muskoka can be among the most challenging to restore because of the endless compound curves in the hull and deck. The “torpedo” transom of Caprice added even more challenge to the mix. Mortimer remembers the restoration well and, while she was in good shape, Caprice’s revival involved covering many details. Two new gas tanks were needed, all wiring was replaced with period correct material, and one of the gauges needed repair as did the flagpole. Blair and the team at Port Sandfield Marina looked after work beyond the hull, such as restoring the 150-horsepower straight 8-cylinder Chrysler Marine Royal twin carb engine. Mortimer noted this as a big, heavy engine. Caprice was formally launched just in time for the last MLA boat show before COVID ended summer events. For both Mortimer and Blair, it will be especially memorable to see their launch in action at the MLA Classic Boat Show in Port Carling this year. After all, Caprice is celebrated as the “poster” boat for the 2022 event. The MLA has presented bi-annual boat shows since the early 1970s and the organization is pleased to return to the event in 2022. The theme is Moving Forward and features a selection of beautiful 1930s boats, along with numerous other selections and exotica. On behalf of the committee, Terry explains that Caprice was chosen for the poster for several reasons. A key part of the MLA Boat Show mandate is also education and recognizing the heritage of wooden boating in Muskoka. Caprice checks all of these boxes. Furthermore, Caprice indirectly celebrates Mortimer’s legacy in turning what was once a
Top: The dash of Caprice sports the Minett-Shields, Bracebridge plaque. Bottom: Her history, restoration and return to the waters of Lake Muskoka will be further celebrated at the MLA Antique Boat Show, as Caprice is the “poster” boat for the event. livery business into a thriving marina that continues to serve hundreds through his grandson, Blair. A first priority for selection is a boat that makes an impression; a boat freshly restored that the public would find especially dramatic. Caprice is immediately recognizable for her unique transom. The stern, aft end, trailing lines of Caprice bring a final flair to all the details that make a Minett-Shields special. At the end of the day, Mortimer remarks, “she is
a damn good boat, with nice lines.” The journey from weathered and decaying strips of wood to freshly installed new wood, which then gets stained and varnished, is a miracle of traditional craftsmanship. The end result of a restored classic boat is sparkling chrome that accents the deep richness of stained mahogany; irresistible in any era and to any walk of life. Despite being surrounded by all the latest modern boats on the water, Caprice is the jewel.
August 2022 UNIQUE MUSKOKA 39
Cheesus Murphy and the Grateful Bread, now located in Dwight, is owner Dawn Stead’s ode to the Grateful Dead.
Article by K.M. Wehrstein Photography by Josianne Masseau
I
n the culinary world, food truck owners are the mavericks, the refugees from the corporate world, the lone bikers in herds of sedans, the bold-colour artists. The world of hospitality already presents a challenging landscape and operating from a truck only increases the complexity. Food carts have been in operation for generations. Their evolution has developed as food truck culture, which is based on entirely mobile kitchens. In the late 2000s, as
40 UNIQUE MUSKOKA August 2022
the recession took hold, many chefs found themselves out of work with no new restaurants hiring. Food trucks presented a solution. At the time, trucks were cheap to buy, and easy to run. Plus, chefs already had all the requisite skills from working in a restaurant. Since then, regulations for food trucks may have increased, but no more so than a regular food and beverage establishment. “People used to think the cleanliness and hygiene were not up to par,” says Samantha Kuryliak, co-owner with her husband, Thibaut Bellenoue, of Frenchie’s Crepe Truck. “But all food trucks – food refreshment vehicles, they’re legally called – have to adhere to the same regulations as restaurants.” Similarly, at-home kitchens used for commercial cooking or baking adhere to the same regulations. Delicious, innovative creations can come from an at-home commercial kitchen, too. Morgan Duff, owner and operator of Urban Jars Muskoka, provides an eco-friendly food delivery concept, based in Gravenhurst, from a growing Canadian company started in Stratford, Ontario. Born in Ottawa, Duff spent her youth working in kitchens before pursuing a degree in accounting. She worked in that field for six years before returning to her first career interest – hospitality. “I had been ordering jars while I was a new mom,” Duff says. “I thought this is something that could be really great, here, in Muskoka.” How does the service work? Select a menu for the week, ordering by noon on Tuesdays. The allvegetarian foods are prepared fresh on Thursday, placed in mason
Sandwiches at Cheesus Murphy continue to increase in popularity, especially with names like Sweet Cheesus and Lard Tunderin’ Cheesus.
Frenchie’s Crepe Truck in Huntsville offers Parisian-style crepes, cooked on creperies imported from France, with sweet or savoury fillings.
jars and delivered to your doorstep. Empty jars are returned the next week. “I cater to a lot of working pros who are always on the go,” Duff says. “They find it reduces their grocery bill because they’re not throwing out as much that goes bad. It reduces waste in general because there is not as much packaging. And they like the convenience. It’s nice to get so much positive feedback about how much easier it makes people’s lives. I love it.” Duff serves clients all over Muskoka and new items are continually added to the offerings, based on seasons and ideas. Breakfast and lunch jars are made ready to eat (or “just add egg” for some breakfasts), and dinner “skillets” can have meat added to them for cooking; snacks and desserts are also available. The fare draws from diverse cuisines including Mexican, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Indian, Chinese, Greek and Middle Eastern. What’s the allure of the food truck?
Diversity – the options of fare available at food trucks are endless. Tacos, fries, sandwiches, baked goods and street food, potentially found nowhere else in a region like Muskoka. Arlina Keough, owner of My Neighbour’s Kitchen and Grill in Bracebridge, was born in Manila, the seventh of eight children. Her family moved to Windsor in 1972 when she was 10 years-old. “Not many Canadians even knew where the Philippines were,” says Keough, operating the only Filipino eatery currently in Muskoka. “In school, everybody was having their baloney sandwiches and I was having adobo.” Keough worked in a Bay Street skyscraper for about 30 years until she took early retirement and moved to Gravenhurst with her husband in 2015. All along she took after her mother in loving to cook. Neighbours would come over to eat what she cooked; hence the name of her truck, which she began operating in 2019.
August 2022 UNIQUE MUSKOKA 41
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Urban Jars Muskoka, owned and operated by Morgan Duff, offers subscription-style prepared all-vegetarian meals. Prepared fresh weekly and delivered to your home or workplace, Urban Jars provides an innovative, eco-friendly option for those on-the-go. “Because I have this truck, I can cook again,” exclaims Keough. Filipino food is oriental, but not like Chinese or Japanese cuisine, or any other for that matter. Its essence defies description, except there is an unmistakable warmth of flavour to it. Keough cooks up Canadian food too, and one fusional treat: poutine topped with one of three delicious Filipino options. Personal touches and an expression of individuality are the hallmarks of beloved restaurants across Muskoka. Food trucks and those offering pickup or on-the-go prepared meal options are no different. Cheesus Murphy and the Grateful Bread wears its mavericity on the outside, starting with a paint job that makes it look like a giant brick of Swiss cheese with tires. Their individuality continues with dish names like the 4:20 Burger, Sweet Cheesus, Baby Cheesus
Arlina Keough, owner of My Neighbour’s Kitchen and Grill in Bracebridge, operates the only Filipino eatery currently in Muskoka. She blends childhood favourites and Canadian cuisine from her food truck.
and Lard Tunderin’ Cheesus. Classic rock music is always playing. “The whole idea was a play on the Grateful Dead,” says owner Dawn Stead. “We sat down over the course of a few evenings over adult beverages, then later toned it down to something publicly acceptable.” Stead’s sister did talk her out of calling the truck “Jesus Murphy,” noting there are five churches in Baysville, its original home. Originally from Cookstown, Stead has lived 30 years in Huntsville and is a chef by trade, having worked in restaurants and resorts all
her life. A friend found the trailer, parked at a gas station in Baysville, and her husband Tom gutted it. It is now equipped with three freezers, a deep fryer, two panini presses, and more. Why a food truck? “I like doing my own thing,” shares Stead. “I really, really enjoy this.” Now in its eighth year, Stead was forced to relocate the food truck when the gas station in Baysville changed owners. Cheesus Murphy has now found a new home in Dwight, near the LCBO. “There are people I
The idea for Taco Stop in Huntsville came about when owners Melanie Levert and Kurt Musselman visited a similar operation while on vacation in Costa Rica.
will never see again,” Stead predicts – but true Cheesus freaks will make the drive. Similarly, this year Frenchie’s moved from their traditional riverside spot near downtown Huntsville to the waterfront at Deerhurst Resort, and thus has become an alcoholic refreshment vehicle, too. Frenchie’s offers Parisian-style crepes; the recipe is Bellenoue’s grandmother’s, slightly modified, and they’re cooked on creperies imported from France. Diners can select savoury fillings such as smoked salmon with hollandaise sauce or honey garlic chicken, and sweet ones such as maple syrup. Originally from Toronto, Kuryliak started working in kitchens at the age of 15, became a trained chef and then switched to baking. Bellenoue, who was born near Paris, was already a professional baker, and they met as colleagues in a French-style bakery in British Columbia. After two years in Toronto, they moved to Muskoka in 2017. Kuryliak was familiar with the area from cottaging as a child and from working as a seasonal corporate trainer. “I loved the area, he had never experienced it,” Kuryliak reminisces. “We gave it a try and fell in love with Huntsville.” After building a kitchen to commercial standards in their home in spring 2020, the couple began offering baked goods including danishes, twists, turnovers, pies, quiches and three-days-in-the-making croissants. As expected in this highly weather-dependent business, the truck shuts down in winter, but
August 2022 UNIQUE MUSKOKA 43
loyal customers can still pick up baked goods in Huntsville. Unlike Frenchie’s, Taco Stop has not left the aforementioned riverside spot in Huntsville but it does capitalize on its owners long careers in hospitality. Owners Melanie Levert and Kurt Musselman, born in King City and St. Catharines, respectively, have worked in resorts across Muskoka, such as Deerhurst, Sherwood Inn and Rocky Crest Golf Club. “I think because we’d done the corporate thing for so long, it was nice not to be bound by those restrictions,” shares Levert. “It was nice to be working for ourselves. We’d never worked this hard ever, but it’s more fulfilling.” While vacationing in Costa Rica nine years ago, they were struck with inspiration. They met a man from Idaho who had opened a taco bar there with its name “Taco Stop” emblazoned on a standard red octagon, like a stop sign.
44 UNIQUE MUSKOKA August 2022
While on-the-go food options may seem to target specific cuisines, their charm lies in the fusion of classic menu items and unique ingredients. “There was nothing like that in Huntsville at the time,” Levert says. “We figured, if he can do that, we can do that, with our tons of experience dealing with people and food.” While on-the-go food options may seem to target specific cuisines, their charm lies in the fusion of classic menu items and unique ingredients. While traditional restaurants rely on favourite dishes to build repeat clientele, mobile food vendors can maintain creative offerings, trying new dishes and adapting favourites over the years. As the longest-existing and possibly most popular food truck in Muskoka, Shelby’s Chipwagon in Gravenhurst understands building a following. Slinging classics from its window since 1998, Shelby’s has racked up awards, been featured on Vinyl Cafe and been visited by celebs including
Sarah McLachlan and Megan Follows. Success could all be because food-onwheels is in owner Sherry Martin’s blood; her father operated hot-dog carts. Born in Scarborough to a Muskoka-cottaging family, Martin moved to Gravenhurst as a six-yearold. After managing a sports bar then losing the job to a change of ownership – and having just bought a house – she learned the chip truck was for sale. “We decided to take a leap,” Martin explains. The truck was renamed after her daughter Shelby, then four years-old. Now a young woman, Shelby has found she enjoys working there. They have second-generation customers now, too. “We’ve always tried to cater to everyone,” says Martin. “Fries, poutines, burgers… steak in a bun is huge. We also offer incredibly generous sizes, which are great for families.” As well as updating the colour scheme now and then – the current striking pink and black is eight years old – Martin adds a new menu item every year. Classics with a twist keep diners returning. Found in unique spaces, offering flavourful dishes, food-on-the-go in Muskoka can be a delightful journey for the tastebuds. No reservations required. Bon appetit, mavericks!
Shelby’s Chipwagon in Gravenhurst, owned by Sherry Martin and named for her daughter, is the longest-existing and possibly most popular food truck in Muskoka, slinging classics from its window since 1998.
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46 UNIQUE MUSKOKA August 2022
Photograph: Muskoka Heritage Place Collec
tion, Huntsville, Ontario
W
hen Prime Minister Wilfrid Laurier declared “The 20th Century will belong to Canada!” he burnished a confident spirit of nationhood. In response, public buildings across the country began to embody newfound grandeur and Muskoka was no exception. William Wright, Muskoka’s member of parliament at the time, was at the vanguard of building for a Canadian future, supporting new wharfs at Gravenhurst, Bracebridge, Huntsville, Baysville and Port Carling. The idea of a dedicated public building for postal service, rather than just the postmaster’s own premises, had also taken hold. In 1914, a truly imposing federal building was under construction in Bracebridge to house a post office, Canada customs office and armoury for military purposes. Bracebridge’s council, keen to increase the town’s gravitas as District capital, wrote to Wright urging him to ask Ottawa to add a clock to the multi-purpose building. “A fine clock,” Wright promptly replied, “has already been provided for.” In fact, Wright had lined up post office buildings for three Muskoka towns. In Huntsville, on land acquired in February 1914, the federal government provided $20,000 for construction. In 1913 for Gravenhurst, the federal government bought a prime site on the northwest corner of Muskoka and Bay streets. However, that August a global war of empires derailed colonial Canada. Early casualties were these government buildings in Gravenhurst and Huntsville.
In Bracebridge, construction was so advanced at the onset of the war that, with Wright’s urging, Ottawa pressed on to complete the local building. For a post office with a clock tower, the site was ideal. The busy southeast corner of Manitoba and Thomas streets (now Taylor Rd.) had been dominated by Whitten’s Hardware Store. But following a fire in December 1908 that devastated not only Whitten’s but the adjacent Hunt Block, the land remained vacant for six years. The federal government bought the property from John McCosh and in 1914 contractors began. The Dominion Building, as it was called, was designed by architect David Ewart, who had designed similarly attractive buildings across Canada.
Encapsulating the pre-war ethos of prosperity and confidence, no effort or cost was spared. The limestone blocks were cut and carved in distant Scotland, then numbered and shipped to Canada as ballast in an empty returning munitions ship in 1915. The $30,000 structure was completed in late 1915, standing 45-feet above Manitoba Street, the clock tower a further 30-feet above that. The clock for the tower, like the limestone, came from Britain. It was built in 1914 at Whitchurch, England, by J.B. Joyce & Co. Upon its arrival in Bracebridge, J.H. Elliott, a trained watchmaker and downtown merchant, installed the large timepiece. The four dials – facing north, south, east, and west – were each backlit by electric bulbs for night. In the room below these clock faces, the clock’s custodian regularly hand-cranked 200 pounds of iron fastened to cables up the
40-foot shaft from the bottom of the tower. Although vastly larger, this mechanical clock runs on the same principle as a grandfather clock. The weighted chains provide the gravity pull that turns the wheels, moves gear mechanisms, and advances the clock’s minute and hour hands. Each dial is 4½ feet in diameter, its minute hand 2½ feet long, and the hour hand 12 inches shorter. The weights and gears that turn these eight synchronized clock hands also ring the 800-pound bell, housed in a higher separate chamber, the number of rings counting out each successive hour. The clock tower building distinctly defined the town’s status as Bracebridge’s council in 1914 had hoped. Despite the clock’s operation and presence being a long-coveted defining feature of the town, the work and costs for maintenance and accuracy were left
Photographed in 1967 for the centennial of Confederation, Huntsville’s handsome town hall and its special clock was a defining feature of the community and continues to be today.
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Photograph: City of Toronto Archives
largest clock, Sheffield said “I bought the building with a vision of preserving its beautiful architecture and of preserving the rare, historical clock itself.” After getting the town clock working again, Sheffield paid a professional clockmaker to maintain its operation. Huntsville’s town clock came much more slowly but timing can be everything. The two decades spent planning Huntsville’s Main Street town hall, a clean-lined structure capped by a businesslike clock, was complicated by local and national government joint planning and an overriding world war.
Photograph: Terry Smith
on the shoulders of a private citizen. In 1959, Bracebridge’s post office relocated from its handsome red brick edifice into a clockless greystone structure further up the street. Local citizen John Burton submitted a lowball bid for the abandoned post office building. Burton was stunned to receive word the heritage building was his. He’d been the only bidder. By 1985 the building needed extensive repairs. John Burton’s son, Bob, now operating the facility, obtained $25,000 from Ontario’s Ministry of Culture in exchange for granting a heritage easement on the building’s exterior. Bringing the building under protection of the Ontario Heritage Act covered slightly less than one-third of the $80,000 restoration, completed by Ontario Restoration Limited of Brantford. A decade later, Muskoka Heritage Foundation recognized the Burton Family’s stewardship of the old post office building with its “Muskoka Built Heritage” award. Transition to new ownership came in 2015 when Martin Sheffield, a jeweller and gemologist by trade and horologist by interest, acquired the old post office. Sheffield, a seasonal Muskokan with a Lake Joseph summer home, was devoted to clockcraft and the unique value of history’s artifacts. Becoming owner of Bracebridge’s
With miraculous timing, the venerable 1870 clock in the mid-tower of Toronto’s old Union Station became available just when Huntsville had need of it.
The inner workings of Huntsville’s 1870s Howard clock show (top left) the upward shaft’s gear wheel turning the four rods leading to the clock dials where they imperceptibly turn the hands on the exterior.
Meetings beyond count debated which combination of government services should be housed in it. Once that was resolved, differences erupted over the best location and construction. Some envisaged a prestigious clock atop, while others contended that a standard pole and flag would be just fine. The compromise was to allow space for a clock, but defer its installation. Huntsville was experiencing Muskoka’s first major “co-location” experiment – putting a variety of different government agencies in a single building. The town hall would house three Government of Canada functions – post office, customs office and armoury – plus the municipality’s council chamber, police office, lock-up, courtroom, fire hall, a public auditorium (for plays, dances and political meetings), a firemen’s room and the caretaker’s living quarters. Without the federal funds, the building would not have been affordable. As it was, the Town still needed to issue debentures for $68,250 that taxpayers had to approve by referendum and then pay off in 30 years. Because public aspirations for fine public buildings ran high, the ballot question was approved February 22, 1926, by a vote of 241 to 10. Then, when plans by Toronto architects James Ellis and Franklin Belfry were finally approved, unexpected delays extended construction. Since the 1890s, the chosen site had been a graveyard and manse behind Huntsville’s Methodist Church (now a United Church). Workers excavating the
August 2022 UNIQUE MUSKOKA 49
50 UNIQUE MUSKOKA August 2022
on July 5, 1926. However, there was no clock atop the building, nor even a tower waiting for one. Only a modest flagpole on a flat roof. With pressure and persuasion, a contract was let in 1931 to add a second storey for essential offices and a town clock. A straight timekeeper with no bell, the modern clock was powered by a General Electric motor. Requiring far less maintenance than a mechanical clock run by a pendulum, weights and the force of gravity, it operated with scant attention for decades. Gravenhurst Archivist Judy Humphries today chuckles to recall how, when she first arrived in town to teach high school, all four dials told different times of day. The post office, ultimately responsible for the clock’s operation, intermittently ordered inspections when complaints about its flawed working reached a crescendo. After several attempts over the years, John Scott, arrived from Hamilton with an impressive record of restored clocks to his credit.
The first Dominion of Canada building in Muskoka was constructed in 1914 to house the Bracebridge Post Office, Canada Customs Office, and Armoury (at rear). Its clock and bell, built in England, were installed in the tower by Bracebridge watchmaker J.H. Elliott.
Photograph: Boyer Family Archives
foundations discovered that not all mortal clock was “later given to the town of remains had been reinterred in the newly Huntsville.” In reality, the transfer was not opened Locks Cemetery along Brunel Road. “later” but right away, and Huntsville’s civicBy August 3, amidst the 1926 Old Home minded lumberman and resort-owner, Week festivities, the building’s cornerstone Charles E. Paget, ponied-up hard cash for the was officially pronounced “well and truly laid” heritage clock. Upon their jubilant return to Huntsville, by none other than Canada’s Prime Minister Mackenzie King and Ontario’s Premier installation of the clock required particular Howard Ferguson. Both politicians arrived to finesse. Briggs reconstructed its damaged and bless the town hall’s long-delayed beginning, worn parts – including the hands, dials, and then remained for coveted vacations. other moving parts – using special tools built Huntsville’s mayor and Forester publisher to his specifications. This clock, like the one Harmon Rice declared the building “the only in Bracebridge, operated mechanically, its one of this type in the Dominion of Canada.” motive power provided by weights. They Again deploying Muskoka’s magic, the were suspended on a cable, and had to nearly-complete structure was officially balance precisely with the task to be opened in peak summer – Dominion Day, performed. To get this right, Briggs’s sons 1927 – as the high-point of Huntsville’s Harold and Edward kept adding pieces of exuberant July 1 patriotic festivities. Proud old car crankshafts to increase the weight to locals could gaze from east, west, north, or 1,800 pounds. By mid-morning on Tuesday, October 11, south to savour the inescapable evidence of municipal progress embodied by the imposing 1927, an immense throng formed around red-brick structure. Yet from any direction, as the town hall. At precisely 11 o’clock, watcheyes fell upon the clock tower, a blank circle maker Briggs, positioned inside the clock was seen as its most dominant feature. Harmon tower, started the pendulum swinging. A Rice, at the centre of everything, got word that couple moments later, a cheer erupted below when it became clear the a clock in Toronto might solve the crisis. On August 17, 1927, demolition of the old minute hands, synchronized for all Union Station building in Toronto began faces of the clock, had actually with careful dismantling and removal of the begun moving. In Gravenhurst, where the clock’s mechanisms and four dials from its centre tower – news of which had reached federal government bought a Harmon Rice. If a world war, railway prime location on the northwest competition, and city councillors stalemating corner of Muskoka Road and with rail companies’ lawyers had not Bay Street in 1913, construction combined to delay demolition for so many of the post office only began in years, the treasured clock, built in Boston by 1925. Brantford’s Schultz E. Howard & Co. around 1870, would have Brothers completed been disposed of long before Huntsville ever the red-brick building for had need of it. Huntsville council asked jeweller and an official watch-maker Edward Hugh Briggs to go opening down to Toronto and investigate the clock’s size and suitability for relocation. Briggs was accompanied by councillor Tom Millest, representing the town, and municipal engineer George Ralston, to assist with the assessment. Finding the clock a dream come true, Briggs supervised crating its working parts for secure shipment north in a freight car, and carried aboard personally its more delicate components. A published Toronto account states the
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Photograph: Claude Snider / Gravenhurst Historical Committee
The Gravenhurst Post Office to be built in 1914 was delayed by the Great War. In 1926, this clockless one-storey structure was officially opened. By the 1930s, a second storey added needed offices and the desired town clock.
When Scott examined Gravenhurst’s clock he carefully dismantled parts to be replaced, such as a beveled gear cluster. Then he wrapped and labeled them, leaving them on site as is his practice so in future, if needed, they’d be available in a new application. His meticulous methods next led to replacement of needed parts, either purchased from sparepart stocks or that he fabricated. Then, Scott incorporated modern components, one being an antenna to take GPS readings from satellites. For Gravenhurst’s nowsynchronized GPS clock, the antenna’s motor only activates a slight impulse a couple times a day to ask the satellite atomic clocks for data. This is done automatically, with no human maintenance required to keep perfect time. While their ownership and operation may have changed, the town clocks in Bracebridge, Huntsville and Gravenhurst continue to mark the passing of time. More than that, they are an ode to all clock-makers and custodians of time-bound experience, offering a moment to be grateful for them all as the clock strikes the hour.
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L
ake trout, bass, northern pike, walleye and myriad other species of fish can be found in Muskoka’s waterways. However, where and when to find them is a question that has perplexed anglers for generations. While no one can lay claim to a guaranteed
54 UNIQUE MUSKOKA August 2022
method, there are some in Muskoka who have a proven track record of landing more fish than most. Now they’re ready to pass on a few of the secrets to their success. “There’s a saying that 90 per cent of the fish can be found in 10 per cent of the water, and that’s especially true here in Muskoka,”
says Garrett Green, who operates Muskoka Guided Fishing Tours, along with Dave Rochette. Few people understand better than Green what’s going on underneath the surface of the water in Muskoka. An avid fisherman since his parents purchased a cottage on
Garrett Green, who operates Muskoka Guided Fishing Tours along with Dave Rochette, says catching fish regularly in Muskoka takes time, patience and research but there are plenty of fish out there.
Balsam Lake in Kawartha Lakes during his childhood years, Green went on to obtain a Fish and Wildlife Technician diploma from Sir Sandford Fleming College. A tournament fisherman across North America, Green moved to Muskoka in 1995 and has been fishing the region and guiding ever since. There’s a common misperception in
Muskoka that the popularity of the lakes translates into fewer fish in the water. Green disagrees and has the track record to prove it. “There’s plenty of fish out there,” Green says. “I don’t know if five per cent of the people who live on the lakes are fishing regularly. We catch fish every time we go out. Of course, the number of fish depends on
when and where we go out.” Catching fish regularly in Muskoka takes time, patience and research, says Green. “We’ve worked for thousands of hours to find these spots and master these techniques,” Green shares. “You can have someone show you how to fish but there’s nothing that’s more important than time
August 2022 UNIQUE MUSKOKA 55
spent on the water.” The majority of Green’s charters take place on the big three lakes – Muskoka, Rosseau and Joseph – but they will sometimes venture further afield to Lake of Bays, Peninsula and Fairy Lake. Sometimes they even visit the Victoria Harbour area of Georgian Bay, depending on where their clients are based. There are some shallower lakes in Muskoka, such as Three Mile Lake, where Green says bass and walleye abound and can typically be found in the vicinity of weed beds. However, the primary difference Green finds between the lakes around Muskoka and the lakes to the south are the local lakes are typically much deeper. For deeper lakes, like Lake Muskoka, it’s best to search for humps under the water which push bait fish up towards the surface where they can then be eaten by the larger sport fish. The ideal spot for any of the local lakes, explains Green, is near the mouth of a riverbed where all different types of aquatic wildlife tend to congregate. “You can find the entire food chain at the mouth of the Muskoka River,” says Green. Fishing Lake Rosseau or Lake Joseph can be challenging as the fish there, bass in particular, are always on the move chasing smaller bait fish. To help zero in, Green uses a unique, and decidedly old-school, technique. “There’s a spot on Lake Joe where I can
Michael Bertelsen (left), who runs Captain Action Charters, is undoubtedly the most seasoned charter captain in Muskoka. He’s spent the past 34 years teaching anglers, like his client Jake Sherk (right), the tips and tricks of successful fishing in the region. look out over the water and see if there are any seagulls,” he says. “I know if there are a number of seagulls, then there are fish there because the bass are chasing the bait fish to the surface and the seagulls are going after them.” The most seasoned charter captain in
Fishing is about much more than luck. Location, time of year, time of day, season and the right gear can all play a factor. Knowing the area of the lake you’re on can make a difference as well.
Muskoka is undoubtedly Michael Bertelsen, who has spent the past 34 years teaching anglers the tips and tricks of successful fishing in the region. In fact, Bertelsen has been at it so long that he has now added his sons Leif and Erik as fellow guides to his Huntsvillebased Captain Action Charters. Bertelsen got his start working with charter fishing boats in the Florida Keys in his younger years, before deciding the same models might be successful in Muskoka. Bertelsen says guiding has become more challenging as fishing pressure in Muskoka has increased over the past decade, not to mention the ever-increasing cost of fuel. Nonetheless, he says there are plenty of fish to be had in the area if you know where to look. Like Green, Bertelsen spends the majority of his time guiding on the big three lakes. “If you really want good fishing, then it’s better to look for the less populated lakes but for me it’s extremely important to know the lakes I’m fishing and where to find fish there at different times of the year,” Bertelsen says. To find that level of understanding, Bertelsen says you need to fish a lake at least 30 or 40 times a season, as the variety and quantity of the fish change with the
August 2022 UNIQUE MUSKOKA 57
2022 SUMMER PERFORMANCES
August 4 • Dan Mangan Two-time JUNO Award winning
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August 5 • Tynomi Banks Full blown Drag Show featuring
dance, song and comedy from Tynomi Banks and fellow queens!
August 6 • The Men Behind the Music: Beatles Edition Live musical documentary - weaves together over 300 stunning projections, 20 live songs and fascinating behind-the-scenes stories
August 7 • Crystal Shawanda Powerhouse voice sings the blues in partnership with the Etwell Concert Series
August 10 • Kathleen Edwards Celebrated singer-songwriter August 11 • Iskwē | ᐃᐢᑫᐧᐤ & Tom Wilson Indigenous folk duo
August 12 • Toronto All-Star Big Band Spirit, style and sounds of the 30’s, 40’s and 50’s - that golden age of the big bands.
August 13 • Tyler Joe Miller Rising country star August 14 • The Huntsville String Quartet Classical music August 19 • The Last Waltz Celebrate the music of The Band September 15 • Tom Cochrane with Red Rider Folk-based singer, songwriter with a 40 year career, the pride of Lynn Lake comes to Deerhurst!
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temperature of the water. Bertelsen says he is primarily looking for northern pike along with small and largemouth bass, because they tend to put up a better fight and are more fun to fish than other species like lake trout or walleye. “People always think you need to go fishing at daybreak but it’s all about water temperature and time of day,” Bertelsen explains. “For instance, smallmouth bass are all about eyesight. You could go at noon on a sunny day and catch them.” By contrast, northern pike prefer cooler temperatures which means they’re easier to catch earlier in the season, or deeper in the lakes as the season goes on. “Pike generally prefer overcast conditions but in the early spring, they prefer the sun to warm themselves up,” Bertelsen says. “Fish are cold-blooded animals, just like reptiles, and they need sunlight to warm themselves up. They have an optimal temperature which makes them more aggressive and energetic, but if their temperature falls outside of that range, they can become lethargic and you won’t catch anything.” Understanding different lures, including which types work best with which fish and the proper technique for using each lure, is vital to catching fish. “The Rapala husky jerk is one of my favourites but you have to know how to work it or you might as well go cast in your living room,” Bertelsen says. It’s also important to remember that fish like pike and walleye favour low light. While that obviously means overcast days are preferable to sunny, Bertelsen further explains that windy days are also included as the waves break up the sunlight and diminish the light below the surface. Zoe Onley admittedly doesn’t have the guiding pedigree of some of her fellow Muskoka anglers but her passion for fishing runs as deep as anyone on the water. “When I was a kid, we had a cottage in Huntsville on Oxbow Lake and we would fish every single morning in the summer,” says Onley. “I would grab a bag of Cheerios and a pack and I would go out for the day fishing with my dad and my sister.” Onley prefers a more throwback style of fishing, paddling and portaging to reach
Zoe Onley (left) feels the key is to have fun, like her friend Dallas Moller (right), regardless of what you're fishing for or where you do it.
Understanding different lures, including which types work best with which fish and the proper technique for using each lure, is vital to catching fish. August 2022 UNIQUE MUSKOKA 59
Onley prefers a more throwback style of fishing, paddling and portaging to reach backcountry sites. Research and venturing outside of the “usual” fishing spots can provide a once-in-a-lifetime fishing experience.
backcountry sites. Those willing to do their research, like determining the whereabouts of stocked lakes in the area, can be rewarded with a once-in-a-lifetime fishing experience. “One of my favourite experiences was a few years ago when my boyfriend and I went into Algonquin Park backcountry camping, looking for a specific stocked lake,” Onley
shares. “It was very difficult to find and had a portage that was obviously not very welltravelled and that really sparked our interest. Once we got there, we caught lake trout after lake trout. It was a really incredible experience.” Regardless of what you’re fishing for or where you do it, Onley feels the key is to
have fun. “It’s the adventure. It’s the suspense,” she says. Whether it’s a Sunday afternoon on the dock or a daybreak charter in hopes of catching the big one, there’s no shortage of action waiting just under the surface of Muskoka’s lakes and rivers.
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the start of June, Smith was elected MPP for the first time. Smith’s role as the Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry is seen as one of the key positions in the cabinet. The ministry, which is headquartered in Peterborough, is responsible for sustainably managing Ontario’s fish and wildlife resources. As part of its land and water management mandate, the ministry looks after Ontario’s Crown lands, water, oil, gas, salt and aggregate resources. The ministry is also responsible for making Crown land available for renewable energy projects. Premier Ford has said he’s optimistic the new cabinet will help him deliver on his agenda of bringing infrastructure to help improve access to highways, transit and the road to the Ring of Fire region for resource development.
Antique boat show returns to Port Carling The classic beauties of Muskoka’s waterways will be back on display on August 13. After a hiatus due to COVID, the Muskoka Lakes Association (MLA) boat show is returning to the water. The MLA Antique Boat Show has been running since 1971 and is designed as a showcase and a tribute to Muskoka’s boat-building heritage. Fittingly, the theme this year is Moving Forward and the show will feature a selection of vintage watercraft from the 1930s. As per the MLA, 1930 was a pivotal year in the world of boat building. In Muskoka, the heritage of long deck launches with vertical windshields and a steering station located midship and behind the engine hatches gave way to forward drive configurations with steering ahead of the engine and behind stylishly sloping windshields. The poster watercraft for this year’s boat show is the Caprice, a unique 26-foot triple cockpit Minett-Shields built in 1936 and featured at the New York boat show in the same year. Guests can expect the show to demonstrate the evolution of Muskoka boat building beginning from the 1800s. There will also be a display of vintage outboard motors as well as live music. The show runs from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. at the Port Carling locks and James Bartleman Island and admission is free.
Parry Sound-Muskoka’s newly elected member of provincial parliament (MPP) will be holding a prominent position in Premier Doug Ford’s new cabinet. During a recent ceremony at Queen’s Park in Toronto, Graydon Smith was named the Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry. During the provincial election at
62 UNIQUE MUSKOKA August 2022
Those who enjoy exploring Muskoka on foot have a new option to do so in Port Carling. Effective July 1, the Township of Muskoka Lakes has launched a pilot project to convert Lock Street in Port Carling into a pedestrian-only space for the summer. “We consistently heard from the community during the development of the
During a recent ceremony at Queen’s Park in Toronto, newly elected conservative MPP for Parry Sound-Muskoka Graydon Smith was named the Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry. CIP (Community Improvement Plan) the need for more pedestrian safe spaces and connections in the downtown,” says Mayor Phil Harding. “Lock Street will be a great place for people to gather safely and enjoy the beautiful surroundings that Muskoka Lakes has to offer. “We are also excited to be working with the District of Muskoka on the installation of pedestrian crosswalks.” As part of the new project, all vehicular traffic to Lock Street will be restricted until September 6, 2022. The Township is encouraging people to meet up in this space. To that end, it has now installed picnic tables and life-sized board games.
Photograph: Township of Muskoka Lakes
New MPP Graydon Smith joins Ontario Cabinet
Muskoka Lakes launches new pedestrian walkway
Photograph: Graydon Smith
Whats Happened
Effective July 1, 2022 the Township of Muskoka Lakes has launched a pilot project to convert Lock Street in Port Carling into a pedestrian-only space for the summer. All vehicular traffic to Lock Street will be restricted until September 6, 2022.
The Town of Gravenhurst announced recently they will also be launching a short-term rental licensing bylaw, which they plan to have in effect for January 2023.
Gravenhurst STR bylaw to take effect in 2023 Short-term rentals (STRs) have been a hot topic across Ontario this year and Muskoka is no exception. Multiple municipalities in Muskoka have enacted or enhanced the rules surrounding accommodations like Airbnbs and cottage rentals. The Town of Gravenhurst announced recently it will also be launching a short-term rental licensing bylaw, which it plans to have in effect for January 2023. Town council officially signed off on the new licensing bylaw during its meeting on May 31. “We’ve heard from the community that we would greatly benefit from this new licensing platform,” says Gravenhurst mayor Paul Kelly. “It would help ensure compliance of accompanying bylaws and most importantly promote being a good neighbour. I think that is the most important element, mutual respect, so that we can all enjoy our surroundings.” Although the bylaw will not take effect until January, the Town is taking steps now to help spread the word and educate anyone who the new regulations might impact. In addition to the bylaw the town is also initiating an administrative monetary penalty system, or AMPS, which will allow the Town to enforce compliance on their own, as opposed to processing through the Provincial Offences Court. “It’s an effective, quick, clear, and tangible way for regulators to respond to infractions,” says Kristen Ford-Bickers, Gravenhurst manager of bylaw services.
The Windermere area is set to once again welcome world-class cultural and heritage programming in the form of Muskoka Chautauqua. Organizers of the event recently announced their celebration of curiosity and creativity will take place from August 5 to 14. “Chautauqua is about creating and enjoying art, and doing it while being fully immersed in a sense of place,” says Gayle Dempsey, who is co-founder of the festival with Gary Froude. “Our festival is a chance for visitors to take part in some amazing cultural tourism, to create and to celebrate creators, to share this glorious place with others, and to learn more about it in a fun and exciting way.” This year’s summer festival includes over 50 events at intimate venues throughout Windermere, with most events hosted in an open-air theatre in the woods overlooking Lake Rosseau, just as they were 100 years ago. Events include an opening waterfront concert at the Windermere Wharf by Big Smoke Brass Band, daily outdoor morning movement and meditation series, and a series of visual arts workshops, where participants can learn plein-air painting, textiles, nature journaling, wind chime making, mosaics and screen-printing. New this year, the event will feature a performing arts series including a fresh take on Shakespeare, a song writing workshop and a theatre improv workshop. There will be a collection of lectures and literary events, a panel discussing architectural heritage and evening musical performances including blues, folk and opera. Also on the agenda are a four-film outdoor documentary film series, curated by Photograph: Muskoka Chautauqua
Photograph: Meghan Taylor
Muskoka Chautauqua announces summer lineup
Kelly Creasor and Jen Morgan Anderson perform on the Muskoka Chautauqua stage, a pop-up version of the original outdoor theatre near Windermere a century ago.
the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival, historical walking tours around Windermere Village and a family fun art party with music, children’s entertainment, a barbecue by the Windermere Lions Club, and a bake sale by the Windermere Women’s Institute. The Muskoka Chautauqua Bookstore, new this year, features 2022 Reading Circle selections, a display of Muskoka Chautauqua archives, Alcuin Society Book Design Awards winners, and a welcome centre/ticket booth opening July 27 at the Windermere Village Hall.
District granted extension for bin site removal The District of Muskoka has bought itself some extra time when it comes to the removal of unstaffed dumpster sites, also known as bin sites. District recently announced it has been given an extension by the province until 2026 to complete the removal of the bins in the area. Council was also informed that in 2022 staff plan to transition another 15 unmanned sites across the District. Bin sites have been in operation throughout Muskoka for decades and are most commonly found on road allowances, vacant lands and at commercial businesses like marinas. The bin sites have traditionally operated without provincial approval. The District says the sites provide a convenient location for waste collection for residents that do not receive curbside collection at their property. Major users of the site include residents with water access properties who drop their garbage off at marina locations and residents on private roads which are inaccessible for waste collection vehicles. In 2019 the District was formally notified by the Province of Ontario that these unstaffed, unlicensed bins would need to be transitioned to compliant waste collection service over a four-year period with complete abatement by 2023. The District argued that meeting such a deadline would not allow them to provide adequate consultation for each of the affected communities and petitioned the province for an extension to November 2026, which they recently received.
Feature by Matt Driscoll August 2022 UNIQUE MUSKOKA 63
Where there’s smoke, there’s flavour Article by K.M. Wehrstein / Photography by Tomasz Szumski We know it – or else certain foods wouldn’t be so popular. Smoked oysters. Smoked sausage. Montreal smoked meat. Lox. Maybe it goes back to our caveperson ancestry when everything was cooked over fires. There’s just something about the byproduct of flames that tingles our taste buds. To explore this, we’ll start with the largest-scale food-smoking establishment in Muskoka, as far as we know: Smokin’ Hot BBQ, located just east of Huntsville. No surprise, this fun place is the brainchild of a fun personality, Julie Moore, originally of Abitibi, Quebec, who moved to Muskoka following the fortunes of her husband Larry, a stonemason. “I was a home mom and I was bored, so I went to a friend and said ‘I want to open a chip truck’,” Moore recalls. The result was Muskoka Mamas, which opened in 2013 and served authentic Quebec poutine. But then a visit to a cowboy festival in the
Julie Moore, owner of Smokin’ Hot BBQ in Huntsville, decided to expand her business to barbecue and smoking after visiting a cowboy festival in Quebec. 64 UNIQUE MUSKOKA August 2022
Quebec town of St-Tite inspired Moore to expand to barbecue and smoking. From there, it grew into a family business, employing Larry, their grown children Andrea, Michael and Merrissa, plus more family and friends for a total staff of 12. Smokin’ Hot is its own little Wild-West world. It’s all outdoors, with marquees over massive picnic tables, overlooking Fairy Lake. You can sit on a saddle or an antique tractor seat. It’s decorated with wood stacks with big cartwheels integrated into them, sets of horns, antique snowshoes and lamps. Country or rock music plays loudly, especially on Saturday night when it’s live; also on Saturday, the chainsaw carver does his thing. The atmosphere is firmly set by pure woodsmoke from the four 1,000-gallon Texas-made smokers that Larry wakes up at 4:30 a.m. to fire up on open days (in summer, Friday to Sunday). Catering is mostly run by Andrea and Michael. If an event has up to 150 people, they’ll bring their portable 500-gallon smoker; if
Smoked Apple Crisp - Merrissa Moore
Above: The Moore family has its own outdoor Wild-West world with Smokin’ Hot BBQ. Below: Rebecca Egier, chef at the Sawdust City Brewing Company in Gravenhurst shares her tips for smoking meat with tin foil and wood chips. it’s more than 150 guests, they’ll bring the portable 1,000-gallon one. “We have a lot of fun,” Julie grins. The menu is very meaty, of course, with smoked brisket, pulled pork, ribs, turkey and hefty burgers, complemented by large portions of poutine and fries as well as cornbread, corn salad and coleslaw. It’s all generous and moist and sticky with delicious barbecue sauce (or not, if you prefer). But also… Julie can take over from here. “We had no smoked dessert. We all love sweet though. So Merrissa thought of apple pie.” Mostly cooked in the oven, it spends 20 minutes in a smoker to absorb that flavour. If no pie is available the weekend you visit, ask for what is probably the best apple crisp ever tasted: rich, sugary, crunchy and complexflavoured with the tartness of the apples foiling the mega-sweetness of the crust. Chef and culinary visionist Rebecca Egier, who heads up the kitchen at the Sawdust City Brewing Company in Gravenhurst, has a gorgeous recipe for us, but let’s talk
smoke-your-own first. Store-bought smokers range from about $100 if you find a simple one on sale somewhere, up into the thousands for fancy ones. You can build your own: instructional videos abound on the Internet. Or you can easily make your gas barbecue or hibachi into one. “All you need is tin foil and wood chips,” says Egier. Species of tree is user choice; you can get the chips at Home Hardware, Home Depot, Your Independent Grocer and other stores. “Or just use maple scraps off your property, from branches about 2 inches in diameter,” Egier explains. “Any hardwood or fruit tree will work. Stay away from sappy ones because they’ll make a mess. Soak the wood chips in water for about an hour, wrap them into a tin foil pouch about the size of a business envelope and poke holes in top of the pouch, so there’s room for smoke to escape. Put it in the barbecue with your food and the heat will do the rest of the work.” It’s that easy! Just remember the package is one use only. “If you’re doing something
Ingredients 8 apples, sliced into thin wedges 2 Tbsp lemon juice 2 Tbsp white sugar 1 cup brown sugar 1 tsp cinnamon plus 1 pinch ¾ cup of oats ¾ cup all-purpose flour ½ cup cold unsalted butter, diced 1 pinch of salt
Method • In one bowl, mix together the apples, lemon juice, white sugar and the pinch of cinnamon. In a second bowl, mix together the brown sugar, oats, flour, 1 tsp cinnamon and diced butter. Spread apple mix into a buttered pan, then spread oat mix on top of it. Smoke at 220°F until dark brown, about 1½ hours.
Smoker’s Tips • Use a mix of apple varieties to give a more complex flavour. • The lemon juice keeps the apples from going brown. • Season with cinnamon to taste: if you like it strong, add more. • The non-smoked version is good, too: the first step is to preheat your oven to 350° F. Cook the crisp until dark brown, about 40 minutes.
August 2022 UNIQUE MUSKOKA 65
Moroccan Smoked Lamb Leg
1 3-5 lb. lamb leg 1 Tbsp roughly cracked black pepper ½ Tbsp cumin 2 Tbsp turmeric 3 Tbsp paprika 3 Tbsp salt 2 Tbsp smooth Dijon mustard 2 Tbsp olive oil 1 onion 1 carrot 1 head garlic 250 mL Sawdust City Skinny Dippin’ Stout 250 mL your favourite barbecue sauce
• Tent the whole tray with aluminum foil and place in a smoker or barbecue at 325°F for two hours. • Meanwhile, combine Skinny Dippin’ Stout and barbecue sauce in a saucepan and simmer gently. Stir occasionally and continue to simmer for 30 minutes, or until thick enough to coat a spoon in an opaque layer. • Remove aluminum foil from lamb and continue to smoke for another hour. • The lamb leg should now be very tender and easy to pierce with a fork or tongs. Liberally apply sauce and allow to cook until caramelized, about another 30 minutes. • Remove from heat and rest for 30 minutes before serving.
Method
Chef ’s Tips
• In a small mixing bowl, combine pepper, cumin, turmeric, paprika, salt and mustard. • Pat lamb dry with paper towels and coat with olive oil. Rub spice blend on to lamb leg liberally, using all of it. • Peel onion and cut in half. Cut the carrot into rounds; the same length as the onion halves are thick. Cut the head of garlic in half, unpeeled. • Lay parchment paper or aluminum foil down on a baking tray that fits in your smoker or barbecue. Arrange carrots, onion and garlic on their flat sides to act as pedestals for the lamb leg, holding it up off of the baking sheet.
• Use: “as a taco filling with any favourite condiments, in pita pockets with hummus and feta, or with rice and vegetables for something more composed. Skip cooking at the cottage tomorrow by saving the leftovers for fancy grilled cheese, a rainy-day stew, or game-day chili.” • Pairing: Sawdust City’s Love Sweet Love is a full tart beer made with grapes, that gets more like wine with aging. Also, there’s Gnarnia, a very citrus-forward but sweet and fragrant IPA that makes Egier think of freshly cut grass on a summer day.
– Rebecca Egier
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A fall-of-the-bone lamb dish from Chef Egier is an innovative addition to your summer barbecue menu.
really big and long,” Egier adds, “check your package part way through to make sure it hasn’t burned out.” Originally from eastern Ontario, Egier worked as a direct sales manager until the death of her beloved stepfather. A huge culinary influence in her life, his passing brought home to her what she really wanted to do in her life. Entering George Brown College for chef training hooked her entirely, and she landed jobs by word of mouth at such Toronto eateries as the oyster bar at Pure Spirits and the late and legendary blues venue Hugh’s Room. Meanwhile she married Jon Egier and bore their first child, Benjamin, in June 2020; a second child is expected in September. Landing in Muskoka was a stroke of luck; of five houses in various parts of Ontario that fit their budget, the young family fell in love with the one in Gravenhurst, and moved in this past spring. Meanwhile, Sawdust City undertook major renovations to its building, adding a large event room for weddings, receptions and corporate gatherings. That necessitated the next step in the brewery’s culinary evolution, from food truck to small mid-brewery kitchen to a spacious, state-ofthe-art commercial kitchen where Egier landed her chef job just in time to help design. Look for a menu reno too, retaining the beery theme and much-loved pub fare but adding “loads of opportunities for adventurous taste buds,” says Egier. To this expansive-minded young chef, the core of hospitality is creating an atmosphere for building and nourishing relationships. “We love to invite the tourists up here and make them feel welcome, but never at the expense of the locals, so feeding both tastes is important,” says Egier. “Food should never be exclusionary.” Which brings us to our recipe. “I like set-it-and-forget-it recipes, and low and slow meat,” Egier shares. “I wanted to use a protein that’s underutilized, especially on the barbecue. We tend to think of lamb in a British way, and that feels so wintery. In summertime we want casual eating, a dish that different
Mango Smoked Cornish Hens
- Liam Cooper, adapted by John Cooper
To prepare the hens: 4 whole Cornish hens 2 ribs of celery, diced ½ Vidalia onion, diced 1 mango, diced Salt water (same saltiness as sea water) • Brine hens overnight in salt water. • Mix mango, onion and celery and stuff each bird. • Place hens in smoker set to 210°F and let cook for 2-2½ hours, depending on size of birds, rotating halfway through. • Just before serving, reheat oven or the cold side of a covered grill, basting generously with mango sauce.
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To prepare the mango sauce: 2 cups diced mango ½ medium-sized Vidalia onion 2 cups water ⅓ cup apple cider vinegar ½ cup honey ½ tsp each: chili powder, garlic powder, black pepper, cinnamon and nutmeg Salt to taste
Method • Simmer all ingredients until soft • Blend until it becomes a smooth puree. Serves 4-8 depending on size of birds. Wine pairing: Sauvignon Blanc or other dry white.
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Chef ’s & Chef ’s Son’s Tips • Cornish hens are available in Muskoka; check at Your Independent Grocer or a local butcher. • Wood chip formula: two parts maple, two parts hickory and one part pecan goes with sweetness. • This recipe also works with chicken. Just mix more stuffing and smoke longer, three hours or more depending on size of bird.
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August 2022 UNIQUE MUSKOKA 67
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68 UNIQUE MUSKOKA August 2022
people can come around and fix up the way they like. That’s what led me in the Mediterranean direction.” The result is a falling-off-the-bones tender lamb leg with the most delectable heat. And really, who can resist a dish with an ingredient whose blurb says, “soulnourishing as a naked midnight swim”? (Which is true! You know it.) For a chef who gives his son a smoker for his 12th birthday, the payoffs can be awesome. Chef John Cooper did exactly that, and part of the payoff is this edition’s next recipe. You might recall Cooper from a previous edition as the philosophy major who realized he’d make more money as a chef, worked in the Big Smoke (so to speak) for 10 years and then moved to Muskoka to work at the award-winning Old Station Restaurant. But he’s also a family man, having married his high-school sweetheart Kate at age 21 and fathered three children: Liam, now 13 and named after his grandfather, great-grandfather and great-greatgrandfather, Aine, 12, and Finn, 5. Liam says he isn’t actually sure what he
wants to be when he grows up, but it will surprise no one that he likes to cook. “His childhood was spent running around doing restaurant things and seeing restaurant people; it was kind of in the air,” says Chef John, who praises Kate as an excellent cook as well. “I’m teaching him things as we go along. It’s very nice coming home from work and having food prepared by my kids. The smoker was worth every penny we paid for it.” “I’ll just throw something together,” says Liam. “I usually just do modifications of pre-existing ones.” “That’s how you learn,” John inserts. “I saw a thing on the Internet about Mexican people, in Oaxaca, using mangos with chicken,” continues Liam. “We had nice mangos lying around at home, and I had this fancy dandelion honey. Honey and mango go together well.” “And all that sweet is nice to tame on the smoke,” cuts in Chef Dad, adding that dandelion honey isn’t actually honey, and is hard to find, which is why the recipe uses just honey. “I tried it on the family, and everyone liked it a lot,” says Liam with a smile. The recipe has been somewhat adjusted for restaurant use by John. It won’t be a regular menu item at the Station, but a special. He served up the modified version with a delicious sesame rice pilaf with broccolini and grape tomatoes.
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Chef John Cooper (right) shares that the smoker he bought for his son, Liam (left), for his 12th birthday is worth every penny.
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Smoked Cornish hens have succulent, mouth-caressing meat. Plus, the intense smokiness of the tender skin and the rich sweetness of the mango sauce complement each other beautifully. I really didn’t want to finish eating this dish. Dear Liam – no pressure, but I hope you will become a chef.
Bonus Recipe: Liam’s Hot Sauce – Liam Cooper
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“We went to an Asian grocer in Toronto who had peppers on sale,” recounts Liam. “I thought, I want to smoke these and make a hot sauce out of them. Smoking the peppers brings out the sweetness.” Personally, scotch bonnets give me the urge to don a hazmat suit, but John swears that out of the smoker, they’re sweet. This sauce is not for everybody (no one in the Cooper family will eat it except John and Liam) but you heat connoisseurs out there will love its smoky complexity.
Method • Lightly char: 1 cubanelle pepper, 2 jalapeno peppers, 3 Scotch bonnet peppers. • Smoke for three hours: 1 cubanelle, 8 jalapenos and 3 Scotch bonnets. • Leave raw: 1 cubanelles, 2 jalapenos, 2 Scotch bonnets. • Remove seeds from jalapenos. • Blend all ingredients above with ¾ of an average-sized yellow onion. • Add: 3 cloves garlic 2 tsp onion powder 2 tsp garlic powder ½ cup white sugar ½ cup white vinegar 1 pinch of salt Fresh-ground black pepper to taste • Blend thoroughly. Boil for a few minutes, strain with a fine mesh sieve and put into jars.
August 2022 UNIQUE MUSKOKA 71
Muskoka Moments
The Magic of Muskoka Article by Krystal Darling
72 UNIQUE MUSKOKA August 2022
sidewalk. My children have become a major presence within my own businesses. Our customers know them and are delighted to see them when they stop in. Muskoka has an innate ability to bring everyone together with a common love and appreciation of where we call home. It is something I will always cherish. My children will, I hope, grow up with a true sense of pride of where they are from, no matter where they end up. That, in itself, speaks to the pure magic of Muskoka. There is nothing quite like being a part of all this magic whenever we want. Being from the area and knowing we can step outside our front door and within minutes be at the lake. Or take a quick drive into town and be greeted by a friendly face. You hear people say the air here is different and they are absolutely correct. It really is something you can feel and smell when you step outside. You can’t explain it. You can only understand it once you’ve experienced it. I will forever treasure that my children, husband and I are lucky enough to experience this magic every single day. Photograph: Carlyn Rettie of Lenny and Hume
Seasonal residents, visitors and locals, alike, can all agree that Muskoka has a unique kind of magic you cannot find anywhere else. What ignites that special something and how we experience that magic, however, is different for all of us. I’ve lived in Muskoka for 17 years and have spent much of my adult life making this wonderful place mine and my family’s home. We’ve developed deep roots in Bracebridge. Over the last eight years, I’ve established two businesses and have a strong connection with the community as a whole. That, for me, is where the magic begins. Muskoka is a place you can visit and feel like it’s home, while at the same time live here permanently and always feel like there is somewhere to visit. There is always something new to discover, as the saying goes. This distinct feeling of small-town charm really provides this sense of community. As a small business owner, this lends itself to allowing us to all really feel a part of the magic. As a community, we provide this experience for both tourists and locals, and experiencing the magic is really quintessentially Muskoka. It’s boating to town. It’s walking the main streets. It’s browsing in the shops and having lunch on a patio. It’s jumping in the lake after a long day of work. All these elements come together in Muskoka so seamlessly and really bring the magic to life for me. Just a few weeks ago I had my third baby. We have two boys, a four-year-old and a
two-year-old, along with our newborn baby girl. I have been overwhelmed by the support of not only our friends and family in the area but the community as a whole. The outpouring of well wishes for our family has been unparalleled. Being able to now experience this special place with my own family, as a mother, is exceptionally wonderful. My children are able to have an upbringing that is a little bit slower and a little bit friendlier than a lot of other places. What I mean by this is they are a part of this community with us. We live in a place where people know who they are and say “Hi” when they pass them on the
Krystal Darling lives in Bracebridge with her husband, three children and two dogs. She owns and operates two businesses, while also working with her parents in their business. She is a writer, blogging about her experiences as a business owner, about fashion, about motherhood and about life in Muskoka.
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