SEPTEMBER 2022
A TASTE FOR BAKING
Delectable treats are a time-honoured tradition
Currie’s Music and Antiques, Eclectic Muskoka Epitomized
Horses Carried the Burden of Early Development
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...telling the Muskoka story
Features
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Stripped Bare – Healing through Writing
Article by K.M. Wehrstein Photography by Andy Zeltkalns Kristina Vanderlugt details her struggle with schizoaffective disorder and her path to recovery in her first book, Stripped Bare – the result of journaling during her treatment.
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Trees of Muskoka – Tamarack
Article by John Challis Tamarack is one of the loveliest trees in Muskoka but it is often overlooked. A member of the pine family, tamarack can be found in bogs and on dry, sandy soil, and is well suited to Canada’s boreal forests.
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Historic Libraries – Then & Now: Gravenhurst Public Library Article by J. Patrick Boyer First opened in 1883, the Gravenhurst Public Library has moved but has never stopped catering to its members’ needs. As with many libraries, Gravenhurst’s library continues to evolve to serve its community and its members, far beyond supplying books.
2 UNIQUE MUSKOKA September 2022
Fantastic Fungi – A Magical, Baffling Kingdom
Article by John Challis When most of us hear the word mushroom, it conjures up the white spotted, red-capped “toadstool.” However, fungi are far more complex than that one variety, and much more prolific, even in Muskoka.
Baked in Muskoka – A Time-honoured Tradition
Article by Meghan Taylor / Photography by Josianne Masseau Often, baking is much less about what you make, and more about with whom you share it. The simple tradition of breaking bread is an enduring one that bakeries across Muskoka get to share with their devoted clients on [34] a daily basis.
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Vintage Muskoka Comes Alive – Currie’s Music and Antiques
Article by Matt Driscoll Photography by Andy Zeltkalns Currie’s Music and Antiques in Gravenhurst, owned by brothers Andrew and Rob, is nothing less than Muskoka history epitomized. The people, the building and the eclectic collections all share in bringing vintage Muskoka to life.
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Article by Bronwyn Boyer Photography by Josianne Masseau The Britton Gallery was officially established in downtown Bracebridge by Miranda Britton and her father, Ted, in 2020. The love of research, art and art history is something passed down from father to daughter, culminating in an art gallery that holds unlimited potential.
Article by Matt Driscoll Photography by Tomasz Szumski A twist on the traditional fall fair, Rosseau Pumpkin Festival has grown by leaps and bounds since its inception in 2012. The festival draws crowds of thousands with fun for the entire family.
A Passion for Art & History – A Family Legacy Reborn
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A Fall Favourite – Pumpkin Festival Draws Thousands to Rosseau
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Muskoka Horsepower – Horses Carried the Burden of Muskoka’s Early Development
Article by J. Patrick Boyer Horse stories run deeper and much longer than one might imagine in Muskoka’s history. From draft horses plowing fields and logging forests to carriage horses ferrying travellers and supplies to trotters creating excitement at local fall fairs, horses were critical to Muskoka’s early development.
SEPTEMBER 2022
Opinion A TASTE FOR BAKING
Delectable treats are a time-honoured tradition
Currie’s Music and Antiques, Eclectic Muskoka Epitomized
Horses Carried the Burden of Early Development
Our Cover
Photography by Tomasz Szumski Pumpkin and squash are essential fall pantry items. Chef David Friesen of The Oven in Bracebridge enjoys a fall harvest pumpkin cupcake with cinnamon icing; the cupcakes are derived from an existing recipe, with the flavour adapted for the season.
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By Don Smith
By Dara Howell
Muskoka Insights
Departments
Muskoka Moments
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Article by Matt Driscoll The District of Muskoka makes a final decision on the development of Minett, Muskoka Conservancy launches its fishing line recycling program in three locations and Simcoe-Muskoka District Health Unit aims to reduce the number of ATV injuries in the region through education. District Chair John Klinck announces he will not seek re-election this fall and the Muskoka Marathon, a Boston Marathon qualifier, is set for October 1.
Article by K.M. Wehrstein Photography by Tomasz Szumski Cooking with pumpkin and squash is the essence of autumn. If you’re looking for more ways to taste the season than good old pumpkin pie and squash soup, explore the flavours of fall with recipes from restaurants and chefs across Muskoka.
What’s Happened
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…telling the Muskoka story Unique Muskoka is published six times per year by Unique Publishing Inc. Donald Smith Publisher Meghan Taylor Editor Donna Ansley Sales Lisa Brazier Design Susan Smith Administration Bronwyn Boyer J. Patrick Boyer John Challis Matt Driscoll Dara Howell 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 companions, it is certain much of the progress that was made would have been much more protracted. Today, there are many who celebrate Muskoka’s history but the Currie family of Gravenhurst, with its eclectic collection of music, memorabilia and antiques, has captured many of the celebrated days of the district’s past. As a warm-up to a visit to the Currie’s Gravenhurst store, you can enjoy the feature by regular contributor Matt Driscoll in this issue of Unique Muskoka. Some of my best Muskoka memories while growing up came from trips to local bake shops. Every town, it seemed, had at least one notable location where the aroma of freshly baked goods attracted the senses. Blueberry pies, butter tarts, Chelsea buns, an unending variety of breads – all these and more recall fun times with family. In her feature Baked in Muskoka, editor Meghan Taylor takes our readers on a journey to some of the high points on the district’s trail of amazing bakeries. If you want to discover more about Muskoka and its residents, there’s lots in this issue of Unique Muskoka including a young author who tells her story of living with schizoaffective disorder, the history of the Gravenhurst Library, the passion for art shared by a father and his daughter, the fantastic fungi found in Muskoka, the tale of the tamarack and the community spirit that drives the success of the Rosseau Pumpkin Festival. There are still lots of outdoor activities to enjoy in Muskoka and lots to read in Unique Muskoka. Happy reading. Photograph: Susan Smith
It’s hard to believe but this summer is mere weeks away from slipping into the vibrancy of the autumn splendour that awaits us in late September and early October. It’s a good time to look back and, also, to consider the way forward. With a sense of caution, week after week, Muskokans have welcomed the opportunity to once again take part in traditional activities – boat shows, festivals, concerts, community events and more. Simpler pleasures – a dinner out, a night at the theatre, time with friends and family – all of these have become a way of life again. That’s not to suggest for a moment that pandemic challenges and cautions should be forgotten but rather, we’ve learned to respect the concerns of others and the majority have taken actions that have reduced the impact on our healthcare services. While community co-operation has been important in achieving somewhat of a return to normalcy, there remains an underlying sense of frustration; some might call it hostility and anger. From my perspective, the need to turn down the temperature and open up all lines of communication continues to be paramount. When we can understand and appreciate the concerns of others, we can empathize. That outreach does much more than open our eyes to others; it also gives them insight into us. From the earliest days of settlement, Muskokans have had to work together if they were going to overcome the challenges the district presented. However, as historian Patrick Boyer notes in his feature “Muskoka Horsepower,” it also took the muscle of a legion of horses to accomplish much of the heavy lifting required in opening up the roads and carrying the burden of early development. Much has rightfully been made of the tenacity of our pioneers but had they not been accompanied by their equine
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Stripped Bare chronicles Kristina Vanderlugt’s experiences with schizoaffective disorder, her time in hospital psych wards and her recovery with easy and utterly unaffected prose and unflinching courage.
Article by K.M. Wehrstein / Photography by Andy Zeltkalns
K
ristina Vanderlugt, a lifelong Christian, heard a voice in her mind in 2005 that insisted it was God. Telling her she was chosen to save the world, the voice also gave her commands including “GO TO THE BRIDGE
AND JUMP OFF OF IT.” After she went naked to a neighbour’s house and smashed a window in obedience to this voice, police took her to a psychiatric hospital ward, where she began her journey of healing.
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In fits and starts over the course of the next 12 years, Vanderlugt wrote about schizoaffective disorder, her episodes and recovery through oft-tweaked medication. Her writing became Stripped Bare, a book which was published in 2020. In smooth, easy and utterly unaffected prose, Vanderlugt strips bare her own inner life with unflinching courage. In the psych ward, with its ever-changing cast of fascinating patients, nurses and doctors (names changed to protect identities), Vanderlugt wrestles both with her own demons (the ego-temptation of thinking she is assigned a divine mission, the terrifying demon-shapes that everyday objects turn into) and problems common in everyday life (frictions with friends, heartache over unrequited crushes, and, when she’s out, paying the bills). One could call it a testament to the normalcy of mental illness. Born in 1975, Vanderlugt has lived in Muskoka all her life, raised along with an elder sister by parents she does not criticize at all in the book. Growing up she was normal; at age 23, during a period of excessive alcohol and psychedelic mushroom use to soothe emotional pain, she says, “I thought this little red-hooded thing or person was following
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Kristina Vanderlugt hopes to make a career of writing. To pen her first autobiographical book, she had to wrestle with her fears. She is facing them again as she undertakes her second book.
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Healing can be different for everyone. Kristina Vanderlugt suggests finding a hobby or your own creative outlet, such as writing, drawing, painting or singing. Getting a pet can also bring joy and calm stress. me, over about six months.” Getting sober and clean made it go away, however. The causes are hard to discern, but she does in part blame her former belief in scripture as literal truth. “There are many things in the Bible that do not represent a loving God, and therefore I do not believe it to be from God,” Vanderlugt says. “God is love and only acts in love; the rest is just people getting in the way.” She doesn’t abide the notions of everything happening for a purpose or it all being part of a divine plan. “If that were true, it would make God a cruel God,” she affirms. “It is life, and life happens.” Vanderlugt hopes to make a career of writing. To pen her first autobiographical book, she had to wrestle with her fears. She is facing them again as she undertakes her second, about falling into and then rising out of the substance-abuse lifestyle. But as well as a way to express the stories and release the feelings she experienced during her ordeal, her writing is a mission of love. “As I wrote it, it became just as important to get awareness of mental health issues out
there, to help others who may be experiencing similar things,” she says. “I had no clue what was happening to me, so it was important to let others know that it is an illness – not who you are.” Excellent advice, and this inspiring writer has more. “I want to tell readers who are struggling with a mental illness to not give up,” shares Vanderlugt. “Whatever difficulty you are dealing with, keep going. Look at the little things that bring you joy. Do the things that make you happy.” Healing can be different for everyone. Vanderlugt suggests finding a hobby or getting a pet to bring joy and calm stress. Journaling or writing thoughts and feelings can help to work through or release emotions. Or, find your own creative outlet – drawing, painting, singing. “Do what brings you joy, and joy will find you,” she says. “And know that it’s okay to have tough days, even if it brings you to tears. And for those not struggling with these issues,” she adds, “love those who are dealing with tough times; they need you.”
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A true tree of the Canadian North, tamarack can be found in every province and territory, and is well suited to Canada’s boreal forests. Common in bogs, the tamarack’s meandering branches provide shade for shrubs but it’s equally at home on dry, sandy soil.
Article 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.
Photograph: Norma Van Alstine
O
ne of the loveliest trees in Muskoka’s forests is easy to overlook. The tamarack, Larix laricina, is a member of the pine family. A true tree of the Canadian North, tamarack can be found in every province and territory, and is well suited to Canada’s boreal forests. The genus Larix is circumpolar, with 10 or 12 species across the northern hemisphere. Tamarack is full of contradictions. Common in bogs, the tamarack’s meandering branches provide shade for shrubs like bearberry, sweet gale, blueberry, cranberry and huckleberry – but it’s equally at home on dry, sandy soil. Unlike all the other conifers, which are evergreen, the tamarack drops its needles in
Tamarack needles are as soft as duck down, yet its wood is hard and durable. A high resin content makes it resistant to water.
the fall. After the forests have lost their autumn reds and yellows, tamaracks offer up one more gift of colour in the grey woods. Their needles turn a brilliant gold, filling the forest with patches of lost sunset. Tamarack is important to wildlife as well. Seeds from cones provide winter food for many birds, and several animals feed on its bark, seedlings or young twigs. Its needles are as soft as duck down, yet its wood is hard and durable. A high resin content makes it resistant to water. In the days of wooden ships, the roots of tamarack were used to brace the hull’s ribs and deck timbers. In Europe, the tree is called larch – and therein lies a tale. In the days of the Roman empire, Caesar’s army laid siege to a town in the Alps called Larignum, which was fortified with towers made from stacks of crisscrossed logs. The army tried to set fire to the towers, only to discover flames could not break down the tough wood. The trees of
September 2022 UNIQUE MUSKOKA 15
Photograph: Eleanor Kee Wellman
Tamarack is important to wildlife as well. Seeds from cones provide winter food for many birds, and several animals feed on its bark, seedlings or young twigs.
those logs were named larch, in recognition of the town. When arriving in Canada, European settlers put the tree to more prosaic uses, cutting tamarack logs for railway ties, poles and crates – even grinding it into pulpwood. The trees are known to Indigenous
cultures in Canada by a variety of names; it is believed the common name tamarack derives from the Algonquin or Abenaki hackmatack or akemantak, which means wood for snowshoes. The Cree term muckigwatig, or mashkihkohpakwa means plant of the muskeg. Anishinaabe people call
it mashkiigwaatig. Beyond its name, tamarack can be used for treating wounds, ailments and activities. The oxblood-coloured inner bark of the tamarack can be crushed to treat burns or wounds. The wood is used for toboggans. The tree bark has been woven into bags and
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strips of bark have been sewn together for canoes. The bark was also used for tanning animal hides. Tea brewed from tamarack bark is noted for aiding a variety of digestive and other ailments. The Indigenous community is also to thank for the knowledge that the tamarack’s needles make an excellent garnish on food. Fresh young sprigs of tamarack taste like a cross between dill and rosemary. Used with other native seeds or berries, crushed needles make savory rubs on chicken or steak, and can brighten the flavour in salads. There is one more gift from the tamarack, and that is the wonderfully delicate, flexible stems at the ends of their branches. Plucked from the tree while they are green and young, the twigs can be woven. Skillfully woven likenesses of geese have been used as decoys during the spring goose hunt by generations of Cree. Today, woven geese made from tamarack are sold in many sizes as contemporary arts and crafts. The evergreen that isn’t, tamarack’s fall display of golden tones is just one of its many After the forests have lost their autumn reds and yellows, tamaracks offer up one more gift of colour delights. in the grey woods. Their needles turn a brilliant gold, filling the forest with patches of lost sunset.
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Designed by architect Brian Chamberlain and opened on May 8, 2000, Gravenhurst Public Library currently resides in the town’s second purpose-built library building. A more attractive structure, but no longer in the “Carnegie Family,” the library is behind the Opera House, at 180 Sharpe Street West.
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n 1883, Gravenhurst townsfolk created a Mechanics’ Institute library, the era’s prevailing model for lending libraries, so they could enjoy life and expand their horizons. Members’ yearly fees provided current newspapers and periodicals in the reading room, educational talks by authorities
Article by J. Patrick Boyer on diverse subjects, and books to borrow. This “part-time library,” open several hours a few days each week, was housed with the town clerk’s office in a red brick building (now relocated to a local construction company’s yard) behind the Opera House. On March 24, 1906, the same day Andrew
Carnegie gave Bracebridge $10,000 for a library building, he offered Gravenhurst $7,000. However, Gravenhurst’s councillors were prone to extreme frugality, moving with glacial slowness. Sixteen years later, council reconsidered the project, but discovered the Carnegie Corporation did not fund libraries.
September 2022 UNIQUE MUSKOKA 19
The Sportage
Photograph: Gravenhurst Public Library
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Edith Johns (pictured) and her aunt Rose Johns, became Gravenhurst’s first librarians in 1883 at the Mechanics’ Institute. They continued until 1906, when the Institute’s assets were turned over to the newly constituted public library. Carnegie libraries were personally funded by Andrew Carnegie and the last Ontario grant of $15,000 had gone to Ottawa’s West Branch Library on March 31, 1917. Having dallied, the council now pleaded with the Carnegie Corporation. Since Gravenhurst’s dusty application had theoretically been in the works for years, the grant was graciously “grandfathered” and awarded. In 1923, contractor Andrew Ferguson completed the building, immediately north of the Opera House. With the 17-year delay in accessing the funds, the $7,000 did not go as far in covering costs, resulting in the use of an off-the-shelf Carnegie blueprint. The finished building was rather ordinary, except for its fireplace. Neither in the plans or budget, the only library fireplace in Muskoka had appeared like magic. It was a comfort in the cold building when Librarian Mary Lindsell worked in her winter coat. Converted from Mechanics’ Institute to free public institution, Gravenhurst Public Library would now operate in its Carnegie building on the main street, enhanced by a $45,000 expansion in 1975, until the late 20th century. The town’s second purpose-built library building, designed by architect Brian Chamberlain, opened on May 8, 2000. A
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Photograph: Gravenhurst Public Library
more attractive structure, but no longer in the “Carnegie Family,” it was behind the Opera House, at 180 Sharpe Street West. The story of Muskoka libraries is commonly about male librarians to the mid20th century, with mostly females in charge since. However, from inception Gravenhurst’s library has been the domain of women. From Rose Johns and her niece, Edith, in 1883 to Julia Reinhart today, a dozen women have been librarians in charge. The sole exception was Ron McNabb’s brief stint at the librarian’s desk in 1928. Today, serving a population of 14,000 and double that with summertime Muskokans, Gravenhurst Public Library houses books, Construction of the long-delayed Carnegie Library building by contractor Andrew Ferguson began in periodicals and services. Along with its 1922 and was completed the following year. The Carnegie building on the main street, enhanced by a Muskoka Collection of books on the second $45,000 expansion in 1975, housed the Gravenhurst Library until the late twentieth century. floor, the office of Gravenhurst archivist and historian Judy Humphries can be found. interested in and got them to me,” said library’s interior, including new shelving, THE RIOBEL MOMENTI™ COLLECTION When COVID closed the library for on- resident Gord Durnan. “That is going the carpeting and entranceway. Plans that had AVAILABLE AT KNOWLES PLUMBING! premises operation in 2020, staff found ways extra mile in service!” been developed pre-COVID for an expansion to serve patrons remotely, including getting Taking advantage of the forced hiatus, at the building’s present site are now being them new reading material. CEO and chief librarian Julia Reinhart, with carefully reconsidered in the altered universe “They took the initiative to call from the the support of the library board and town of institutions, public activities and internet library about threeKI new books might be OW council, carried BAT H & TC H EI N SH RO O Mout a major refresh of the practices.
Photograph: Tomasz Szumski
Today, serving a usual population of 14,000 and double that with summertime Muskokans, Gravenhurst Public Library houses books, periodicals and services. Plans developed pre-COVID for an expansion at the library’s present site are now being carefully reconsidered in the altered universe of institutions, public activities and internet practices. Reinhart is particularly attentive to grasping the full dimensions of these changes. She was the first to reopen a Muskoka public library for an in-person author event, a book
launch on June 29 this year. Then, in July, Reinhart participated in a librarians’ conference evaluating changed practices produced by the pandemic.
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As with many libraries, Gravenhurst Public Library continues to evolve to serve its community and its members, far beyond supplying books.
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fter a rain, and for days following, the air in a forest is thick with rich, complex and earthy aromas. Pine needles mingle with the dark funk of soil and the rotting leaves from hardwood trees, augmented by a subtle rawness from the slippery face of fallen logs. The banquet of perfumes – or at least much of it – owes itself to one thing: fungi. What we see above the ground as a mushroom is only a small part of a fungus; it’s the “fruit” that spreads spores to reproduce. There are thousands of species, millions of individuals working almost completely invisibly, in the wood of trees, in the leaf litter, even
high above in the upper branches of trees. Fungi are responsible for decay, turning fallen leaves and wood into humus, converting organic matter into nutrients. They are the machine that keeps forests and grasslands alive. When most of us hear the word mushroom, it conjures up the white spotted, red-capped “toadstool,” also known as Fly Agaric (Amanita muscaria), which has been a favourite of illustrators of children’s books. Fungi are far more complex than that one variety, and much more prolific than can be fully explored in this feature.
Photograph: Jan Thornhill
A
Article by John Challis
The reproductive body of a fungus needs moisture to produce spores, which can happen in hours or years. The Shaggy Mane (Coprinus comatus) sprouts spectacularly in lawns, but in a day or two turns to drooping black ooze. September 2022 UNIQUE MUSKOKA 25
Photograph: John Challis
Fungi require no sunlight to grow. In fact, they have very little in common with plants and, genetically, they’re more closely related to animals. Within the major scientific classification divisions of life on earth, fungi have been separated from the plant kingdom to comprise their own separate kingdom. And such a varied kingdom! The majority of species visible in Muskoka’s natural settings look nothing like the mushrooms in the fridge. They may appear on a log as tiny buttons of bright orange or yellow, on the forest floor as hair-thin “fairy threads,” or masses that look like they belong in a coral reef. There are bright blues and purples, soft tans and pure white. The reproductive body of the fungus (the mushroom, to make it simple) needs moisture to produce spores. That process can happen in just a few hours in some species; the Shaggy Mane (Coprinus comatus) sprouts spectacularly in lawns, but in a day or two turns to drooping black ooze. Others, like the jelly fungi and Painted Suillus, Suillus spraguei, is usually found growing with white pines, as they have a symbiotic some gilled mushrooms, can dry out for as relationship. Also known as Painted Boletes, they are readily identified by their red caps, separated to long as a couple of years, waiting for the rain look like scales by yellow cracks. that will let them flourish.
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Photograph: Jan Thornhill
Like plants, some fungi have medicinal applications. Many cultures have used the Birch Polypore (Fomitopsis betulina), one of the bracket fungi, to staunch bleeding. In China, it is common to make a tea from Reishi, or Ganoderma lucidum, another bracket fungus, for its reputed powers as an antioxidant and as a blood pressure regulator. More and more, there is promising medical research taking place into the benefits of fungi. Identifying fungi takes practice and research but searching the internet or apps can make it simple. George Barron’s excellent guide, Mushrooms of Ontario and Eastern Canada, breaks fungi into several major groups, dependent on various factors, including appearance. Gilled mushrooms are the familiar mushrooms on stems with round caps and little gills, or lamellae, underneath. Boletes look similar to gilled mushrooms but have spongy surfaces underneath instead of gills. Bracket fungi are the tough, wavy things jutting out of tree trunks like shelves, while jelly fungi emerge as slimy, rubbery folds Clavaria zollingeri, more commonly known as Violet Coral Fungus, can be identified in the wooded of many colours. Puffballs are wide-ranging in areas it grows in by the finger-like fruiting bodies, which resemble an underwater coral.
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appearance, from the Giant Puffball (Calvatia gigantea) that looks like an inflated pillow to the Stinkhorns (Phallaceae) that smell like rotting meat. Coral fungi and tooth fungi are separate groups that have clusters of toothy or coral-like stalks. Sac fungi are part of a gigantic division, including the much-sought-after morels and truffles, along with a wide range of colourful cup shapes. If the names did not already give it away, vivid imaginations have enjoyed devising common names for fungi, often unrelated to their Latin classification names. Dead Man’s Fingers (Xylaria polymorpha), a sac fungus that emerges black and crusty out of rotting logs, fulfills the ghoulish delights. There’s the Dung-loving Bird’s Nest (Cyathus stercoreus), a tiny puffball that fruits on the feces of herbivores, and Witch’s Butter (Tremella mesenterica), a jelly fungus that oozes out of twigs or branches. For those with a rosier view of the world, there are the pretty Apricot Jellies (Guepinia helvelloides), which sprout under conifers. Sac fungi cups come in a startling range of colours, Scarlet Cup (Sarcoscypha occidentalis), and Lemon Drops (Bisporella citrina) among them. Some gilled mushrooms grow in circular “fairy rings,” inspiring their fair share of fantastical theories over the generations. These rings are created by fungi that decompose. As the fungi use up their food supply, they fan out in growing circles. One such local species, according to naturalist Bob Bowles, is Marasmius oreades. Bowles has been studying local fungi in Muskoka and Simcoe for decades. His current Muskoka fungi checklist includes 630 species; his lifetime list is over 1,600 species. He explains Marasmius has a relationship with grass, and so it often comes up in lawns. Marasmius is also edible, with a slightly sweet flavour.
Fungi, like this Painted Suillus, require no sunlight to grow. In fact, they have very little in common with plants and, genetically, they’re more closely related to animals.
Photograph: Jan Thornhill
Indigo Milk Cap, Lactarius indigo, is an edible mushroom with striking blue gills. When cut, the fungus stains a darker blue and produces blue "milk.”
Photograph: John Challis
Which brings up one of the most common questions from new fungi enthusiasts and visitors alike: “Is it edible?” Bowles’ response is to refer to an old European proverb: “You can eat any mushroom – but some kinds only once.” Amanita muscaria, the toadstool of fairy tales, has a cousin called Amanita bisporigera, which Bowles has recorded in his Muskoka list. They’re pretty white mushrooms with a delicate fringe or skirt around the stem, just under the cap, and a cup sometimes visible at its base. There are two other Amanita species in Ontario that are also pure white. All three are deadly poisonous, sometimes collectively referred to as “Destroying Angels.” The toxins in these fungi damage the liver and kidneys, and because symptoms do not appear until it’s too late to treat, the effects are often fatal. Locally, there are some edible mushrooms that can be safely identified for consumption. Chicken Of the Woods (Laetiporus sulphureus), a bright sulphur-yellow bracket fungus, is edible. The easy-to-find Shaggy Mane (Coprinus comatus) is apparently mild flavoured
but should be picked when young. However, unless you’re experienced in identifying mushrooms, it’s best to avoid experiments, and just appreciate their interesting shapes, colours and growth patterns. There is no specific hot spot to hunt mushrooms. “They each have their own specific habitat,” says Al Sinclair, another local expert. “The right weather and season are all important when looking for fungi.” Autumn is a good season for many species, but they can be found year-round. Fungi offer up a lifetime supply of new discoveries, as Bowles can attest with his evergrowing checklist. Jan Thornhill, a member of the Mycological Society of Toronto, hunts for fungi for the joy of finding new species. “It’s very hard to go out collecting without finding something that I’ve never seen before,” Thornhill says. In three recent days, Thornhill explained she found 12 species she had never seen before. Over the past 20 years, she has identified 1,000 species of fungus within walking distance of her house. She even recently discovered a species not seen in Canada for more than a century; Resupinatus dealbatus. Thornhill is also drawn to the unseen role fungi play in the forest. The mushroom,
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Photograph: Jan Thornhill
Scarlet Cup (Sarcoscypha occidentalis), is a small fungus that grows most commonly on hardwood sticks and logs, particularly when in shaded, rich soil. Most prolific in summer, it can also make appearances in late spring and fall.
Thornhill’s niches, there are the mycorrhizal fungi, which grow around the root tips, or inside the root cells, of trees and other plants. New research is revealing the critical importance of mycorrhizal fungi to the health of forests. They can reach beyond tree roots, providing nutrients like nitrogen for the trees, while drawing sugar from the trees. In her book Finding The Mother Tree, the B.C. researcher Suzanne Simard describes it as a communication network. She refers to it as the “wood wide web” between trees, passing vital resources back and forth based on need, not just among trees of the same species, but between neighbouring species for the benefit of the whole forest. A slow stroll in the woods will always reveal mushrooms, and there’s really no need to do anything more than enjoy their appearance. However, the nearly infinite world of fungi will undoubtedly beckon you to delve deeper. Photograph: Jan Thornhill
above ground, has one function, to produce spores to reproduce. The actual “body” of a fungus is, in most species, a network of hidden, microscopic threads called hyphae that clump together to form networks of mycelium. As part of her own process, Thornhill distinguishes fungi by the ecological niches they fill. There are the decomposers, which eat their way through anything dead, from logs to leaves, even breaking down herbivore scat. There are parasitic fungi that feed on living plants and animals. The Honey Mushroom, Armillaria, is not just a parasite but one of the largest and oldest organisms on the planet. A forest in Oregon has become famous for being host to a Honey Mushroom that has spread its mycelium over 965 hectares and is estimated to be at least a staggering 2,400 years old. In true American fashion, it is dubbed the Humongous Fungus. Finally, and the most fascinating of
Bisporella citrina, commonly known as Yellow Fairy Cups or Lemon Drops, is a widespread but tiny fungus, and therefore is often overlooked. 30 UNIQUE MUSKOKA September 2022
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W
hile cooking is often compared to art, baking is chemistry. Not to say it’s less creative. Patience and a process are required when it comes to handcrafting breads, pastries, pies and all manner of sweet and savoury delights.
“There’s an assumption that everything comes from boxes,” says Michelle MacIsaac, owner of Humble Pie Butter Tart Factory & Pizzeria in Baysville. “But there are hours before the doors open and hours after they close, preparing for the next day.” MacIsaac has been baking fruit pies, butter
Muskoka bakeries have become known for their specialty items, which draw crowds, lineups, and advance orders for delectable treats.
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tarts, specialty breads, and more in Baysville for 13 years. Originally from the corporate world in Toronto, MacIsaac moved to Muskoka in 2003 and settled in Baysville in 2005. With little baking experience and, at the time she opened, no bakery in town, MacIsaac partnered with a baker for the first year of operation and paid close attention. “I never anticipated that Humble Pie would be as popular as it is,” shares MacIsaac. In baking, one must know how ingredients interact to make a pie crust just flaky enough, cookies just crunchy enough and bread rise just enough. Undermixing dough may mean flavours will not develop but overmixing batter may result in too much air and a final product filled with holes. Big River Baking Company in downtown Bracebridge uses all its own recipes for its handcrafted artisan breads. Plus, the bakers outline the many steps in the process right on the walls of the shop. The signage is an ode to their dedication to baking great products as well as an indication to customers that a great deal happens before the shelves are filled with fresh loaves of bread. “All our breads are sourdough,” explains Warren Dix, co-owner of Big River with his business partner, Sean Sullivan. “They all take at least 24 hours before they go in the oven and develop their flavours.” Starting with weighing or measuring ingredients is a must for a consistent final product. For sourdough, fermentation and
The demand for fresh baked goods is relentless and line-ups at Muskoka’s bakeries are anticipated daily. Selling out of in-demand breads and sweets happens on a regular basis. retarding are key steps in developing the dough. First fermentation combines ingredients, cultivating naturally occurring yeasts and bacteria within the mixture. Retarding delays the fermentation process
for a period of time while maintaining the temperature and moisture levels of the dough, further developing the flavours. The staged fermenting process of sourdough is what creates the unique and layered flavour
Sourdough is the starter used for many breads. The staged fermenting process of sourdough is what creates the unique and layered flavour profile of a finished loaf. September 2022 UNIQUE MUSKOKA 35
profile of a finished loaf. Opened in 2021, Big River is the culmination of Dix and Sullivan searching for a baker to join their market concept. In their search, the business partners connected with a fourth-generation master baker. In talking with him, the business partners decided to take on the bakery themselves, with support from their bakery consultant. “We searched and searched, and couldn’t find anyone to fit the groove we envisioned,” shares Dix. “We realized with the right people we could do this, but the truth is, I fell in love with the bakery and stayed there. Sean opened the market on his own.” Dix fondly recalls both Waite’s Bakery and Herman’s Bakery in Bracebridge, which served the community for years. “We felt there was a need for a bakery in this town,” says Dix. “We let the town tell us what they want. We try things and if they don’t go, we move onto the next.” The demand for fresh baked goods is relentless. Muskoka’s bakeries sell out of their in-demand breads and sweets on a regular basis. Bakers with at-home kitchens who, during the pandemic, built up their business with weekly pickups and
Patience and a process are required when it comes to handcrafting breads, pastries, pies and all manner of sweet and savoury delights. Freshly baked, handcrafted bread can take hours, or even days, of preparation before it hits the shelf. deliveries of their cookies, cupcakes and other items are now booked months in advance. However, several bakeries in Muskoka have long-standing history serving their communities. Henrietta’s Pine Bakery, The Bakery in Gravenhurst and Don’s Bakery in Bala have been in operation for decades, edging closer to a century in some cases. It’s clear that residents and visitors of Muskoka have a taste for fresh baking. Muskoka bakeries have become known for their specialty items, which draw crowds, line-ups and advance orders for delectable treats. Henrietta’s Pine Bakery, with locations in Dwight and Huntsville, has been family owned and operated since first opening its doors in 1958. Current owners Geoff and Carine Harriss, along with their sons, Kyle and Nick, and their team of staff create over 150 different varieties of bread, pastries and more, from artisan breads to sticky buns to their exclusive Muskoka Clouds – a tea biscuit with cranberries and cheese, brushed with butter and finished with sugar. “Savoury is as popular as sweet baked goods,” comments MacIsaac, of Humble Pie’s trending items. Often asked what their most popular pie is, MacIsaac recalls a charity event where they donated a portion of proceeds from each pie
Tastes change over the years, but familiarity brings its own comfort, too. Tried and true recipes, like sticky buns or, have become tradition for many residents and cottagers.
36 UNIQUE MUSKOKA September 2022
sold. They tracked sales, selling upwards of 300 pies but every flavour was within a few of the others. The answer? They’re all great; pick your own favourite. “We’re known for our doughnuts,” says Judy Rebelein of The Bakery in Gravenhurst. “We still do them the old-fashioned way, out of a deep fryer. Our Chelsea buns have been our family secret for all 60 years we’ve been here.” New items are trial and error. They’re baked and tested. If they sell? They stay in the rotation. If they don’t, they move onto another idea. Meat pies and sausages rolls are more secret family recipes, unchanged and safeguarded for the entirety of The Bakery’s existence. “It’s fresh products,” says Rebelein. “We do it from scratch every day.” A fixture in downtown Gravenhurst, The Bakery is all in the family. First opened by Fritz and Ursula Rebelein in 1959, it is now operated by their eldest son, Peter and his wife, Judy. Judy and Peter’s children, Jay and Robyn, grew up playing and working in the bakery and remain heavily involved in the operation. Their children, fourth generation, are now growing up as they did, playing in the bakery. “What’s kept us going is the quality and the quantity of the product you get,” shares Rebelein. “We’re not a department store but the quality is so good, and we never compromise on that.” While the pandemic added challenges, like staffing and supply shortages, demand for
Don’s Bakery, originally owned by Don Lloyd, boasts the longest history of any of Muskoka’s currently operating bakeries. Favourite’s, like Don’s Scones, have remained through the generations, creating repeat customers and a well-earned reputation. “Bryan grew up cottaging in Muskoka and Don’s Bakery was always a part of his childhood memories, just like it is for a lot of people,” explains Foster. “When we started dating, he’d take me to the bakery and we’d go shopping for his favourite things.” After noticing a “for sale” sign in the window of the bakery, the Fosters discussed the opportunity. Both came from business backgrounds and knew little of baking. They took time to consider the opportunity and, The quality and quantity of the baked goods and breads available is important, but equally so are the ultimately, Foster says “took a leap of faith and bought the bakery” in 2010. people. Staff become family, as do the community members who regularly stop into their favourite “People have been in the area or coming to local bakery. the area for generations,” shares Foster. “They bread, pastries and baked goods increased. like to add new things, with new trends in take their kids, grandkids, visitors, cousins Adapting to the many changes required food. It’s important to keep customers it’s part of their daily or weekly ritual stopping flexibility to try new things and rigour in interested rather than having the same all the into the bakery. Just like it was for Bryan time.” maintaining processes and quality. growing up and now it is for our kids.” Opened in the small town of Bala in 1947, “Demand has increased but we’re working The quality and quantity of the goods harder with less supplies,” comments available is important. Customers MacIsaac. come to expect certain favourites Pre-ordering by phone provides when they visit. But just as essential MacIsaac and her staff time to are the people. ensure ingredients arrive, to prepare “We’ve got some really good young the items and have them ready for bakers, Willy and Molly, and they pick up. During the pandemic, the make it happen,” says Dix. “I’m just strategy proved even more the guy behind the counter. People beneficial. need to give their staff credit. If they “From day one, since we started weren’t baking delicious things, in a small facility, we coached our people wouldn’t be buying them.” customers to call in orders in Skilled staff are not always easy to advance,” explains MacIsaac. “We come by and spending time training felt bad if customers couldn’t get young recruits can result in multiple what they were looking for. Now it’s years of employment. MacIsaac notes even more important.” that youth often stay with her for two Tastes change over the years, but or three seasons and parents comment familiarity brings its own comfort, on the skills their children learn from too. While the ownership may have the bakery. One young woman has changed hands through the years at worked at Humble Pie since she was Don’s Bakery, tried and true recipes 13, learning the ropes as an assistant have become tradition for many and working her way up to her residents and cottagers. current role as primary baker. “We’ll never take them away, the Favourites remain on the menus of Muskoka’s bakeries, generating “Without her, Humble Pie things that make us famous,” says repeat customers and well-earned reputations. “We’re known for our wouldn’t be what it is,” shares Jana Foster, owner of Don’s Bakery doughnuts,” says Judy Rebelein of The Bakery in Gravenhurst. “We MacIsaac. “I talk to her about all of with her husband, Bryan. “But we still do them the old fashioned way, out of a deep fryer.” my decisions. She’s like my partner.”
September 2022 UNIQUE MUSKOKA 37
Baking is often much less about what you make, and more about with whom you share it. No matter who is visiting – kids, grandkids, cousins, or friends – a trip to a Muskoka bakery is a visit well-spent. “We’d like to thank our loyal customers and our staff as well,” shares Foster. “We wouldn’t be here today without them. Thank you to those who continue to walk through the door and support a small business.” “People like small, hometown bakeries,” says Rebelein. “We make everything from
scratch. There are no preservatives or unnatural products in our baking. Our stuff is good! “There aren’t many of us anymore. I think that we’ve been consistent in what we do, and its family owned and operated and people come back for that.”
Rebelein comments that she recognizes customers who were coming in as small children and are now coming in with their own children, or even grandchildren. “We always try to serve people with a smile,” shares Rebelein. “A bakery is a cornerstone of the community,” says Dix. “People come in here and there’s a sense of community. People walk in and they call it their own. People bump into each other and I see people talking. They bring visitors. They tell people to try it out. Everybody embraces it. That’s really cool.” “It’s a comfort thing for people,” says Foster. “Sharing with friends and family. It’s happy. One of the things we noticed when we bought the bakery, we didn’t realize how nice it was to own a business where everyone was happy to be there.” Baking is often much less about what you make, and more about with whom you share it. Breaking bread describes the sharing of a meal; sharing with friends, family, neighbours and acquaintances. A simple tradition continued across bakeries in Muskoka.
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Brothers Rob and Andrew Currie own and operate Currie’s Music and Antiques in Gravenhurst but their parents, Suzanne and Ted, also help with repairing clothing and adding to the collections. The “general store”, as they’ve taken to calling it, is a family affair.
I
Article by Matt Driscoll / Photography by Andy Zeltkalns
t could be the people, the building or the collection but Currie’s Music and Antiques in Gravenhurst is nothing less than Muskoka history epitomized. Located on Muskoka Road South in the former home of one of the district’s early movie theatres, the store is a monument to memorabilia with a special emphasis on all things Muskoka and all things musical. “We know the culture of Muskoka and we live it,” says Andrew Currie who co-owns the business with his brother, Rob. “We’re a family-run business and we really do keep it in the family but this community is also our family.” While Andrew and Rob technically run the business, it’s
40 UNIQUE MUSKOKA September 2022
truly a family affair. Their mother, Suzanne, does clothing repairs and upgrades using the vintage sewing machines the family has collected over the years. “She works on vintage clothing but she’ll do things like hemming and repairs on new clothes as well,” says Andrew. “She’ll even repair the leather straps on the guitars or knit socks when she has time.” Patriarch Ted Currie is responsible for collecting many of the items which now comprise the collection. “He’s definitely the hunter-gatherer,” shares Andrew with a chuckle. “He and I are primarily the ones who will go out picking but he started collecting when we were just
little kids.” Ted is also a veritable fountain of knowledge when it comes to the history of Gravenhurst, as well as its people and places. “He’s helped out with a lot of the local museums,” explains Andrew. “He really wants to help preserve the history of Muskoka, and we’re proud that we’re able to help preserve and present that history here at the store.” The range of vintage items for sale at Currie’s is truly staggering. Hundreds of vintage guitars, thousands of records, memorabilia, toys, furniture and clothing are all available for those with the diligence and know-how to sniff them out. “It’s a little bit of everything,” says Andrew. “These days we’re calling it a general store.” While Andrew and Ted would typically head out on scavenger missions in the Muskoka area, these days items of interest are more likely to find their way to them. “We never know what’s going to come through our doors,” shares Andrew. “This morning a guy walked in with several big boxes full of stuff. He was downsizing and he just wanted to make sure he could find a good home for some of his old things.” If the Curries feel an item is of particular local significance, they may decide to hang on to it for safekeeping. In some cases, they put such items on display so others can enjoy them too. Menus from the venerable Sloan’s Restaurant in Gravenhurst, concert posters from the Kee to Bala… essentially, Currie’s Music and Antiques showcases anything they feel connects with the history of Gravenhurst and Muskoka. “A couple of weeks ago, I got a call from a guy who had a photo of three brothers from Gravenhurst, all in uniform with the 122nd (Muskoka) Battalion,” says Andrew. “We thought it was pretty cool and we decided to
The range of vintage items for sale at Currie's is truly staggering. Hundreds of vintage guitars, thousands of records, memorabilia, toys, furniture and clothing are all available for those with the diligence and know-how to sniff them out. If the Curries feel an item is of particular local significance, they may decide to hang on to it for safekeeping and display, for all to enjoy. put it up on display. It’s actually up right now as a matter of fact.” Beyond the eclectic mixture of goods and memorabilia in Currie’s “general store,” the building itself is also steeped in local history. It was originally run in the 1930s as the Muskoka Theatre. “We have people come in and say, ‘I saw Star Wars here or I saw an Elvis movie in here. I can still smell the popcorn’,” says Andrew. In the days of the Muskoka Winter Carnival, the theatre welcomed acts like Stompin’ Tom
Connors and Canadian folk troubadour Valdy, to play on the small stage in front of the movie screen. Sadly, the theatre closed in the early 1990s and
September 2022 UNIQUE MUSKOKA 41
The idea that evolved into Currie's Music and Antiques began with modest roots in the halls of Gravenhurst High School. Andrew started doing guitar repairs from his locker, which grew into selling used guitars. From vintage guitars to musical instruments and equipment of all description, to used records, and then eventually to everything under the sun, the store continues to grow. Essentially, Currie’s showcases anything they feel connects with the history of Gravenhurst and Muskoka.
the marquee was removed in 2011 for safety reasons. The idea that would evolve into Currie’s Music and Antiques began with modest roots in the halls of Gravenhurst High School. “I was actually doing guitar repairs out of my locker when I graduated in 2004 and it just continued to grow,” explains Andrew. “I also had a large collection of used guitars, so I opened upstairs here, originally, selling used guitars.”
42 UNIQUE MUSKOKA September 2022
From vintage guitars to vintage musical instruments and equipment of all description, to used records, and then eventually to everything under the sun, the store continued to grow. “We had vintage lamps and chairs but we were actually using them,” says Andrew. “One day, someone came in and asked if they could buy them and it sort of took off from there.” Ted and Suzanne had formerly run an antique store on Manitoba Street in
Bracebridge, and much of what was left went into the new Gravenhurst location as they continued to occupy more and more of the building. Now, Currie’s includes a full recording studio, which is run by Rob and has drawn a variety of acts over the years. The musical aspect is tremendously important to both
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The musical aspect is tremendously important to Andrew and Rob Currie, not just from a business standpoint but also for the role they have come to play in the local music scene. The brothers collaborate musically as The Currie Brothers, as well as playing with other musicians in the area. Now, Currie's includes a full recording studio, which is run by Rob. brothers, not just from a business standpoint but also for the role they have come to play in the local music scene. The brothers collaborate musically as The Currie Brothers, as well as playing with other musicians in the area. “Whether it’s Sawdust City or Music on the Barge or the Muskoka Music Festival, the music scene in Gravenhurst has come back big time,” says Andrew. The Curries work with Miranda Mulholland, who runs the Muskoka Music Festival at locations throughout Gravenhurst on the weekend of August 19. Andrew explains it’s a perfect fit, as her family were major players in the evolution of Gravenhurst as well. The Gravenhurst Opera House was constructed by her great-great-grandfather, Charles Mickle, in 1901 during his tenure as the mayor. Andrew also feels like it’s their role to help grow the music scene in the area. That could mean supplying
equipment if a pedal malfunctions at the Kee to Bala, helping out with tech at Sawdust City’s Saturday night live music shows, or playing in a band himself with his brother Rob. The Curries have also made a habit of giving away used guitars for free to children in the community who they feel could benefit. In return, Currie’s Music and Antiques has become a must visit location for bands and musical acts coming through Muskoka. “Murray McLaughlin bought a guitar from us and wrote a whole album around it,” Andrews shares. “Johnny Fay (from The Tragically Hip) is always here. One day, I came in and heard people talking at the back of the store, so I went back there and my dad was having a conversation with Kiefer Sutherland.” People often drop in for a cup of coffee, and to find out who’s been in the store and what’s going on locally. “We’re a bit like an old-time barber shop that way,” says Andrew. “We try to make it as friendly and inviting as possible, and give it a home sort of feel because for us it basically is our home.” Beyond the thousands of quirky items found in every nook and cranny of the shop, it’s that feeling of home and family that has made Currie’s a local landmark and a monument to the history of Muskoka.
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September 2022 UNIQUE MUSKOKA 43
Britton Gallery, owned by the father-daughter team of Miranda and Ted Britton, opened in 2020 in downtown Bracebridge. The gallery features a wide range of art, from different paintings to pottery to Miranda’s own jewelry.
Article by Bronwyn Boyer / Photography by Josianne Masseau
M
iranda Britton has a workstation set up facing the front door of her art gallery. This vantage point allows her to make jewelry while she watches for patrons. A Renaissance woman balancing creative pursuits and a busy family life, Britton steals time wherever she can. The Britton Gallery was officially established in
44 UNIQUE MUSKOKA September 2022
2020 in downtown Bracebridge by Miranda and her father Ted Britton. Everything fell into place except the timing. “We opened right before Christmas in 2019 – just in time for the pandemic,” Britton says with a laugh. “But believe it or not, the first summer
was actually quite fantastic. A lot more people were in the area full time with disposable income that wasn’t going towards travel. There was more of a focus on home and finding artwork to decorate their spaces.” Britton’s parents owned and operated newspaper publications in Muskoka for many years, so she worked as a reporter at the outset of her working life. Writing is in her blood as well as art creation and collecting. Her writing skills came in handy for developing her own biography and descriptions of her jewelry for her website and other online shops. “I really enjoy writing about my own pieces,” she says. “It gives me the chance to provide background that I don’t usually get to provide in person, to explain the deeper meaning behind each piece.” Despite being married to photographer Scott Turnbull, Britton also photographs her own work. “Jewelry is hard to photograph,” she explains. “I’m very particular; I want things to look a certain way. I would get technical advice from Scott, but whenever he tried to help me, he would end up suggesting that I just do it myself,” she laughs. Britton draws inspiration from books she reads and anything that happens to catch her interest, especially if it’s related to the natural world. “I’m a ‘rabbit hole’ type of person,” she says. “I listen to a lot of CBC and
Miranda Britton studied visual art at university but a course in jewelry making at the Haliburton School of Art and Design helped her to channel her grief when her mother passed away in 2005. anything that comes up that interests me, I’ll dig deeper and get inspired to create a piece around it.” Britton grew up in Bracebridge and then moved to British Columbia to study visual art at Simon Fraser University. “I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with my art degree, so I came back and worked for the newspaper,” Britton explains. “I helped my mom with the accounting and learned how to operate the financial side of the business. It was a nice break for my brain after years of conceptual study.” Britton’s mother was
diagnosed with leukemia a few months later and passed away in 2005. That same year, the family business was sold to Metroland Media. Britton stayed on with Metroland but eventually the job lost its appeal. “I wasn’t really passionate about it because it wasn’t the family business anymore,” she explains. Britton’s creative muse was also calling to her, so she started looking into courses at the Haliburton School of Art and Design. “At that point, I had an interest in welding that I never really pursued,” she says. “But the timing wasn’t really right to take the blacksmithing course. I was always really interested in jewelry making, too, so I ended up taking that course, and I just loved it. It was perfect for me. I think because of the stage of grief I was at, I really needed to immerse myself into something productive.” And the rest is history, as Britton has been a jeweller ever since. Once an artist finds their niche, there’s no going back. But when the mood strikes her, she also enjoys encaustic painting, a technique of merging pigment with hot beeswax that dates to 100-300 AD.
Left: Art and art history are passions Ted and Miranda Britton have shared for years. What started just for fun as sending real estate listings to each other became real when they sent each other the Manitoba St. building the gallery now occupies. September 2022 UNIQUE MUSKOKA 45
Without a doubt, the Britton Gallery will not be limited by any particular artistic speciality. Miranda Britton has plenty of ideas for how the gallery space could evolve. She plans on running jewelry making classes out of the gallery and selling coffee while patrons browse. “I love being in the gallery because it’s making me appreciate other art mediums again,” Britton shares. “Jewelry always is my main focus, but every now and then I get inspired to get back into painting.” The impetus for the Britton Gallery is something Ted and Miranda had talked about for many years. “My dad has been collecting art my whole life and always took us to galleries and studio tours growing up,” Britton explains. “So, he has an extensive art collection.” Ted Britton has a PhD in Medieval History and loves to research historical paintings and learn about art movements and periods. Art collecting is his passion. He loves watching auctions for when pieces come up for sale and acquiring new paintings for his personal collection. “My sister and I would also joke about how he should open his own art gallery,” Britton says. “But it’s something we have been seriously thinking about at the same time. My dad and I have been sending each
46 UNIQUE MUSKOKA September 2022
other listings that came up for sale, mostly just for fun. But when this building came up, I sent it to him, and he said, ‘I was just about to send that one to you.’” Great minds think alike. Or perhaps it was kismet that a long time running “joke” in the family would finally come to fruition. After a renovation period to transform and prepare the space, the Britton Gallery was born. Art galleries are a slow growing business at the best of times, even without the looming waves of a global pandemic. But Britton has embraced the challenge of unpredictability. “I really enjoy discovering new up and coming artists,” she says. “The gallery is a mix of all different types of art. I reach out to the ones I really love and see if they’re interested in selling with us. And artists reach out to us as well as we find each other online. I think people enjoy that it’s eclectic, anything from Group of Seven to local painters, sculptors, and craftspeople. I try to use my best judgement as to what works together as well
as my own personal tastes, so it’s a compromise between those two things. It’s a little bit of everything.” The gallery is also the ideal space to showcase Britton’s jewelry, because it delineates her work into an art exhibition rather than a jewelry store. She’s also transitioning to use the gallery as her main work studio. For many years, Britton worked at her home studio in Windermere, known as the Stable Studio. “I love working at home,”
When exploring the gallery it’s apparent that Miranda Britton is most inspired by contemplating the interconnectedness of the environment around her. Nature is evident in the pieces she creates as well as the pieces she displays.
she says. “But I have to accept that working in town will be a good change for me so that when I’m at home I can focus more on spending time with my kids. Also, my ideas come to me more when I’m out in the world, so I think it will be a good transition.” Britton has plenty of ideas for how the gallery space could evolve. She plans on running jewelry making classes out of the gallery and selling coffee while patrons browse. There is studio and display space for her husband’s photography as well. Without a doubt, the Britton Gallery will not be limited by any particular artistic speciality. In the past year, Britton has also become involved with the Muskoka Arts and Crafts Show as a member of the board of directors. “We’re trying to attract more arts patrons to the area for the benefit of all of us,” she explains. “It’s a great team of people, very positive and I feel energized by working with other artists in a way that’s symbiotic – we all help each other, rather than compete.” Navigating multiple disciplines in the art world is a delicate dance. Christmas is the busiest time for Britton’s jewelrymaking business. She
uses the rest of the winter to rest and spend time with her family. “Sometimes the ebb and flow of the seasons can be a challenge,” she says. “Once you stop, it’s hard to get started again, and vice versa. But it comes with the territory.” Britton describes her own art as “a visual exploration of the many ways we converge with the natural world.” It’s apparent when exploring the gallery that she is most inspired by contemplating the interconnectedness of the environment around her. The imagery and concepts discovered by being in nature are what informs the pieces she creates as well as the pieces she displays. There’s no telling what will spark Britton’s creative imagination next. Any item, whether natural or man-made, tangible or conceptual, can hold personal secrets or mysteries of existence. As she puts it, “objects are imbued with meaning by the stories they contain.” The love of intellectual understanding and research is something passed down from father to daughter, culminating in an art gallery that holds unlimited potential. As Ted and Miranda continue the family tradition of art appreciation, they have a foot in both sides of the art world – past and future. It seems the Britton family legacy has found a new home. As it was once the written word; it is now the painted canvas.
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The gallery is an eclectic mix, admits Miranda Britton. “Anything from Group of Seven to local painters, sculptors, and craftspeople. I try to use my best judgement as to what works together as well as my own personal tastes, so it’s a compromise between those two things. It’s a little bit of everything.”
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September 2022 UNIQUE MUSKOKA 47
Photograph: Gary Long Collection
This sturdy capstan raft, operated by a horse walking in circles, progresses slowly down Hollow Lake – the way Muskoka lumber companies moved log booms before the era of steam-tugs. The horse-powered machine advances the heavy weight by rotating a vertical drum, at the centre of which an upright windlass winds around it a cable tied to the boom.
H
Article by J. Patrick Boyer
Photograph: Boyer Family Archives
orse stories run deeper and much family, like a number of others, grew crops, Muskoka still echoes in the name of longer than one might imagine in fished and hunted, in addition to using their Menominee Lake draining into Lake of Bays. Muskoka’s history. Primitive “dawn horses for work and travel. They also bartered Muskoka could not have been developed horses” in early stages of evolution were native with Indigenous people in the area and, in the the way it was, when it was, without the to North America some 40 million years ago. 1840s, sold several horses to early-arriving versatility of horses. Working “draft” horses Archeological evidence, including campfire Euro-Canadians. Their little-known legacy of pulled wagons, plows, boulders and logs. sites with intermingled horse bones, bringing the first modern horses into Various “carriage” horse breeds transported arrowheads and ashes, confirm early people in buggies, wagons and horses encountered prehistoric humans. carriages, and continued through As millennia passed, horses were heavy winter snow pulling them in domesticated. By 1519, Spanish sleighs and wagons with runners. conquistador Hernando Cortez landed Many types of horses were saddled 16 or 17 horses on North America’s and mounted by proud riders for mainland. After millions of years, travel, exploration or enjoyment. For globe-circling horses could again paw speed, racing horses would become their ancestral soil. prized possessions, including “trotters” In the early 1800s, several generations who pulled sulkies at Muskoka’s fall of the Menominee family in north fair tracks. Races continued on frozen Muskoka brought horses east with The brick buildings and utility lines of downtown Bracebridge are Bracebridge Bay during winter them during their migration into new characteristic of a Muskoka era when horses enjoyed earthen months when the racers were shod homelands. Settling at Lake Vernon the roadways and people used wooden sidewalks. with vulcanized rubber horseshoes.
48 UNIQUE MUSKOKA September 2022
than a rough trail, which was the case for roads in most of Muskoka for a long time. “It was impassable in summer except on foot or horseback,” reported historian Joyce Schell, “and usable by horsedrawn sleigh in winter only when packed with snow.” Settlers ignored the road and instead built homes by the lake because that was easier for drawing water, more pleasing to the eye, and far better for travel. “They went everywhere by boat in Clarence Green and his workhorse with their general purpose freight summer, and over the wagon, on the road from Bracebridge Bay, contend with the era of ice in winter by horse- automobiles. Green and his horses were still plying their trade in the drawn sleighs, on early 1950s. snowshoes or skates, Severn Bridge, north to McCabe’s Landing living almost as islanders,” explained Schell. In 1861, the first Christian religious service (Gravenhurst) and on further to all Muskoka in central Muskoka took place when settlements along the colonization roads. Methodist minister Rev. J.J. Kerr at Orillia Owned and operated by J.T. Harvie and his heard of a tiny settlement at North Falls and brothers, the coachline had hundreds of came by horseback through the bush to find horses in teams, dozens of livery stables, the isolated folks. Methodist circuit riders blacksmiths, teamsters, wagons, coaches and became renowned for making their rounds, sleighs. They moved mail, parcels, passengers, but they had to be able horsemen with sturdy freight, foodstuffs and barrels of whisky. Once steamships and trains became part steeds. Similarly, horses were integral to frontier of Muskoka’s transport network, it fell to healthcare, whether saddled and carrying a Muskoka’s horses to make the system doctor or harnessed and pulling a sleigh or actually work by integrating the hundreds of buggy. Dr. John McRuer of Huntsville, trans-shipment points. The system laid the awakened by a desperate caller pounding on basis for a new and unexpected vacation his door late at night, hitched up his mare and economy. Teams, teamsters and wagons drove by moonlight across frozen lakes to a log awaited at train stations, wharfs and resorts shanty where he saved a life. In Bracebridge, to ferry trunks and supplies, vacationers and Dr. Peter McGibbon stabled his fine Dan campers. Back and forth, horses provided Patch horses beside his home on Manitoba reliable, flexible, custom-fit connections Street, handy at all times to take the doctor to between trains and boats, vacationers and the next medical emergency, wherever the shippers, all who had fixed schedules, heavy packages and time-sensitive supplies and winding roads of central Muskoka led. From 1870 until 1885, Muskoka’s first reservations. Muskoka’s horse population dwelt in towns organized transportation system with horses, the Harvie Royal Mail Coachline, ruled the and villages as well as the district’s rural road north from Orillia through Washago, sections. A laneway to the back of most Photograph: Boyer Family Archives
Early settlers readily walked for days to buy or sell goods, attend municipal meetings or for mail, covering distances most people today would not contemplate without a car. Muskokans, who served as their own beasts of burden, wanted horses and those with horses always wanted better ones. Stallions arrived at Huntsville’s train station from Western Canada to be broken (accustomed to saddle and bridle) and trained at Buckhorn Ranch and to improve the stock of horses in the district. Similarly, on a farm near Rosseau, farmers could attend and watch from the bleachers to evaluate the performance of different well-bred steeds. Then, two hiredhands took selected stud stallions to lakeside farms by bush trails, often away days on end making these rounds. Pioneers learned necessary farrier skills to shoe their horses’ hooves, keeping the horses ready for work. Many fashioned horseshoes at a small smithy on their own farm where they also did other metal work, fashioning farm implements and household items. However, to prepare horses for winter’s hard bush-camp work, most took them to a full-time blacksmith shop for the real deal. Horses at work in the bush bore the full weight of Muskoka forestry, dragging huge hardwood logs out of the woods. In deep winter, horses pulled water wagons over roads so ice would let sleigh runners under tons of logs slide along more readily; the earliest snow plows. They powered jammers to hoist logs onto sleighs and hauled immense loads onto frozen lakes or deposited them on riverbanks to await spring freshets and log drives. In any season, their tasks continued. Afloat on wooden structures, horses became part of downriver drives, for example, powering winches. At the mills sawing lumber and shingles, horses pulled loads, moved equipment and powered wheels. Horses valued by pioneers in Muskoka, worked hard at the raw edge of “settling” a wilderness of trees, rocks, swamps, rivers and lakes. They helped settlers operate in a bushland without roads, then provided the power to build primitive ones, then with improved equipment, even better ones. The early colonization road from Gravenhurst west to Bala, running along the south end of Lake Muskoka, was no more
September 2022 UNIQUE MUSKOKA 49
Photograph: Bob Henderson photo, courtesy of Edith Oleson Smith
Blacksmith Jack Oleson made field calls when a workhorse needed to be re-shod. Holding down the metal rim of a portable anvil by standing on it with both feet, he holds the horseshoe in place with his left hand, hammering with the right. His file, to finish the job, awaits on the ground. 50 UNIQUE MUSKOKA September 2022
Photograph: Boyer Family Archives
homes led to a barn or stable, while hitching stones or posts were often available on the street to tether the reins of visiting horses. As towns developed, horses helped local dairies and bakeries provide delivery services, most knowing the route of customers so well they stopped and started up without command. Some were still operating well after the Second World War. Over the decades when ice-boxes provided refrigeration for food in homes, restaurants, resorts and cottages, horses again were indispensable. From frozen lakes and rivers, horses hauled thousands of large blocks of cut ice ashore and then to sheds to which they’d earlier pulled wagon loads of sawdust from lumber mills to act as insulation. Then, throughout the warm and hot months from spring to fall, horses completed the cycle by delivering ice to customers – a service that also continued well through the 20th century. Times change more than humans do. In the 1890s, Muskoka Magistrate James Boyer adjudicated many cases arising from humanand-horse relations. In January 1895, Jacob Winch and George Henry Taylor were each driving their teams with sleighs along the town line between Draper and Macaulay townships, Taylor’s horses pulling a load of logs, Winch’s sleigh empty. What ensued was classic road-rage, and Winch was sentenced to a $10 fine plus $4.25 costs, or two months
Fred Morris’ blacksmith shop in downtown Bracebridge, at the south end of the main street, was busy in 1910 with town and country horses getting new shoes. The need could arise at any time of day or night, so Morris’ house was conveniently next door. in Bracebridge jail with hard labour. The following winter, James Fitzmaurice was charged with “furious driving upon a public highway,” his team tearing through Bracebridge like runaways. Despite accusations young Fitzmaurice was whipping his horses, a witness countered he witnessed the lad pulling on the reins to stop them and that “it was another horse coming alongside that caused them to run.” The case was dismissed. Later that year, William Hannon the Elder brought charges against William Atkinson for willfully obstructing a public highway in Stephenson Township with his wagon and team of horses, preventing Hannon from passing in his horse and buggy. Each climbed down onto the roadway, one charged the other with a pitchfork. Fighting ensued. This road-rage episode led to fines and costs, or failing payment jail time with hard labour, and both men also had to post a $200 recognizance to keep the peace for the coming year. On December 28, 1897, Peter Sword was convicted and fined for “furious driving” on a Macaulay road. These cases kept coming. Now such familiar behaviours involve humans and motor vehicles. Horses have been conscripted for military service ever since warriors around the globe learned to ride them. Even in the 20th century when eight of the world’s empires, with their colonies in tow, descended into global warfare
in 1914, horses still had full roles to play. In Muskoka, Lieutenant-Colonel Donald M. Grant of Huntsville and his fellow officers raised the 122nd Overseas Battalion during the summer of 1916, riding their horses around the district with uniformed recruits marching on foot in a training and enrolment manoeuvre. Overseas, a number of Muskokans were in cavalry units, while Muskoka’s forestry soldiers worked with horses just as they did at home, except for having to down saws and pick up rifles at critical intervals during the conflict. By 1921, when almost every Canadian farmer was a horseman, the country’s horse population stood at 3.5 million. Muskoka’s many farms, sawmills, logging operations, public works construction projects, livery services, work wagons, coaches and sleighs still largely depended on Muskoka’s 3,000 horses and their harnessed power. Towns depended on horses for a range of municipal work, from watering dusty roads in summer, to plowing snow in winter, and even pulling the fire wagon with its hoses, ladders and firefighting brigade. For years, intensely competitive annual tournaments pitted the horses and firemen of Parry Sound, Huntsville, Bracebridge, Gravenhurst, Midland and Penetanguishene against each other. The program drew crowds of cheering townsfolk in the host community. However, the inevitable transition from
Photograph: Boyer Family Archives
horsepower to mechanical propulsion was underway, challenging horses, their drivers and motor vehicle operators alike. When horses were replaced by motorized fire brigades, the tournaments became a thing of the past. In 1933, Bracebridge bought a fire truck and sold the town’s handsome team, Rock and Tom, to Captain Wes Archer. He took them to his Browning Island farm so they could continue productive work lives. Despite changes, horses continued to provide sport and entertainment. Fall fairs hosted by Muskoka’s dozen different agricultural societies included horse judging and equestrian competitions, from draft horses pulling heavy weights to lighter steeds jumping hurdles, circling barrels, and racing – despite laws restricting horse races. Money being bet on the outcome was illegal at the time, which meant such events were billed innocently as just “speeding in the ring.” Farmers and most everyone else enjoyed watching the horses, leaning against their stalls, patting their heads and inhaling the countryside aromas. A generally more genteel example of
Horse racing at the 1920 Bracebridge Fall Fair included fast trotters flying around the track pulling light-weight sulkies and their drivers while spectators fixate on the drama. Above, in the background, the houses in view are on treeless Church Street. humans with horses was provided at a number of Muskoka summer resorts which maintained stables and riding trails for their guests as part of Muskoka’s well-rounded vacation experience. Farms in many corners of the district had horses that holidayers and local townsfolk alike could saddle up and ride for very reasonable fees. Today’s horse-
related operations in Muskoka, including work on farms, at riding centres and at equestrian events, remain a colourful facet of the ever-evolving relationship between man and beast. The unheralded horse deserves much greater recognition for its role in making the Muskoka experience what it became.
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Article by Matt Driscoll / Photography by Tomasz Szumski
T
he tradition of the fall fair is as old as Muskoka itself. Across Ontario, fall fairs have maintained the tradition of bringing the community together and celebrating the year’s harvest before the long winter sets in. Muskoka’s fall fairs mark the onset of autumn with a variety of different displays and activities. Bracebridge, Huntsville and Severn Bridge all celebrate the occasion with displays of
52 UNIQUE MUSKOKA September 2022
the year’s best offerings in livestock and agriculture, as well as arts and crafts and baking competitions. In the village
of Rosseau, it’s all about the pumpkins. “There was a period where we really didn’t have much going on here in Rosseau in the fall,” says Susanne Powell, who was one of a handful of local residents who helped launch the Rosseau Pumpkin Festival in 2012. “There are a lot of communities who have pumpkin festivals and we thought it would be something really fun for people to do while they’re closing up the cottage.”
Like many of the small villages in the area, Rosseau is home to a small permanent population but its numbers swell with seasonal residents and visitors during the summer and fall. Rosseau lies at the border of the District of Muskoka and the Township of Seguin. With a picturesque waterfront on the north shore of Lake Rosseau, the village hosts an extremely popular farmers market on Fridays through the summer months. Many of the vendors from the farmers market will also be taking part in this year’s pumpkin festival, which always occurs on the Saturday of Thanksgiving weekend. Since its inception in 2012, the Rosseau Pumpkin Festival has grown by leaps and bounds. The marker of just how much the festival had grown was the attendance of more than 5,000 people during the last event. “I’ll bet we’ll have even more than that this year,” says Sue Margeson, the committee chair for this year’s edition of the festival. The popular event had been canceled the past two years due to pandemic restrictions, and Margeson feels there’s likely a great deal of pent-up demand to gather together as a community. “If I had a dime for every time someone asked me what’s going on with the pumpkin festival, I’d be rich,” laughs Margeson. The Rosseau Pumpkin Festival has evolved
Top: Since its inception in 2012, the Rosseau Pumpkin Festival has grown by leaps and bounds. Bottom: More than 5,000 people were in attendance during the last event, enjoying a wide variety of vendors and fun for the whole family like pumpkin painting. into much more than a tourist draw in the shoulder season. It’s become something of a homecoming, drawing residents and cottagers, both current and former, to partake in the festivities. “I think another part of the reason it’s so successful is that it’s something completely free to do with your entire family,” says
Margeson. “Even for families that might not have a ton of money, it’s a day where parents can just say, ‘yes, yes, yes’ to their kids.” The festival activities include games and inflatables for kids, live music and all types of different vendors. The annual slapshot competition is a favorite for young and old alike and, sometimes, an expert is on hand to
September 2022 UNIQUE MUSKOKA 53
provide a few tips. “Everybody loves the slapshot competition,” explains Margeson. “Eric Lindros has a cottage in the area and there was one year he came to check out the pumpkin festival and decided he was going to help out with the slapshot competition. There are actually a lot of retired NHLers who cottage in the area and you’ll sometimes see them at the festival. It’s one of the little things that makes it so special.” Another popular guest is Paula Banks, a well-known local photographer who will be setting up a booth to display her artwork and books.
Sarah Ditchburn descends from one of the original families to settle in Muskoka and her last name is recognizable as the family who formerly produced the renowned Ditchburn boats. As a Muskoka historian and author, Ditchburn will also be on hand to take guests on a journey to the past. Of course, what would a pumpkin festival be without pumpkins? Pumpkins proliferate on the day of the festival, and children are encouraged to paint their own pumpkin and take it with them. Margeson explains that a great deal of research goes into finding the best pumpkins when buying them by the hundreds. The majority of the pumpkins are purchased from a source in Parry Sound, but others are collected from a garden centre and nursery in
Huntsville. The larger, specialty pumpkins are sourced with the help of the Rosseau Horticultural Society. When the festival ends, the organizers have to contend with the disposal of leftover pumpkins. However, they’ve found a novel solution that supports a local wildlife sanctuary. Margeson’s son George, a Rosseau Lake College alumni who decided to stay in the area upon graduation, helps collect all of the unwanted pumpkins and ships them to Aspen Valley Wildlife Sanctuary. He also goes around the village after Halloween and does the same again. “Apparently the animals there just love them,” says Margeson. As with many events, it takes the entire village coming together to make the pumpkin festival such a hit. The festival is powered by the energy of volunteers who begin
Pumpkins are the feautre of the festival and a great deal of research goes into finding the best pumpkins. After the event leftovers are donated to the Aspen Valley Wildlife Sanctuary.
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Muskoka’s fall fairs mark the onset of autumn with a variety of different displays and activities. For Rosseau, the Pumpkin Festival takes place on the Saturday of Thanksgiving weekend. planning well in advance of the event, work tirelessly throughout the day of, and then help with the cleanup afterwards. The pumpkin festival organizers are thankful for receiving strong support from virtually all of the businesses in the village and many more in the broader Muskoka area.
The Village of Rosseau places its own distinctive twist on the traditional fall fair with the Rosseau Pumpkin Festival. It’s a fall event you don’t want to miss. If you’d like to be a part of the volunteer team for the Rosseau Pumpkin Festival, contact Margeson at suemargeson@live.ca.
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The 2022 Muskoka Marathon will feature 5 km, 10 km, half marathon, and full marathon distances and is also a qualifier for the world famous Boston Marathon.
Muskoka Marathon set for October 1 One of Ontario’s most scenic marathon races is back in Bracebridge this fall. The 2022 Muskoka Marathon will take place on Saturday, October 1st, with the route set along Santa’s Village Road. The race features 5 km, 10 km, half marathon and full marathon distances, and is also a qualifier for the world-famous Boston Marathon. This year the marathon will feature a complete shutdown of the road. The inaugural race was launched in 2020 when local business owner and events organizer Jed Corbeil decided to set himself a lofty goal to mark a major milestone. “I turned 40 in 2020 and I really wanted to set a big goal for myself,” said Corbeil. “It occurred to me that Muskoka doesn’t have a marathon and I thought you know what I’m going to have my own marathon.” Through a lot of hard work and dedication on the part of the organizers and a small army of volunteers, the Muskoka Marathon launched in 2020 with a modest field before growing to almost 400 racers per day in 2021. The event has grown rapidly in popularity in a relatively short time. The 2021 edition saw more than 117 runners beat the Boston Marathon qualifying standard, up from 34 the previous year. More information about the event is available by looking up Muskoka Marathon on Facebook.
56 UNIQUE MUSKOKA September 2022
overall process to review both the township and district Official Plan policies that apply to the resort village of Minett. Following approval by both councils, district staff began the process of establishing the skills-based Minett Joint Policy Review Steering Committee. In January 2020, the Committee presented final recommendations to both Councils, which were reconfirmed in June 2020 upon receipt of final reports from two independent studies that it had commissioned. As a result of a planning process undertaken by the District and Township between 2018 and 2021, Minett is planned to continue its evolution into a four-season tourist commercial and recreational resort area that includes permanent and seasonal residential uses, with all development ultimately intended to be on municipal water services and municipal sewer services.
District makes final decision on Minett development After more than a decade of debate surrounding development regulations, the road appears to be clearing for the development of just over 2,000 new units in Minett. In July, the District Of Muskoka officially adopted an amendment to Muskoka’s Official Plan. Under the amendment, the number of new units will be limited to 2,020. A previous Official Plan amendment (OPA) was adopted by the Township of Muskoka Lakes in January 2007 and ultimately approved with modifications by the Ontario Municipal Board (now the Ontario Land Tribunal) in 2008. This OPA re-designated Minett from a “Community” to a “Resort Village” designation, in recognition of its historical land uses and destination character. The Township of Muskoka Lakes passed an Interim Control By-law (ICBL) on May 18, 2018. The purpose of the ICBL was to restrict development within the Minett area to allow time for appropriate studies to be undertaken as well as provide an opportunity to examine the applicability of existing land use policies for Minett. As such, in June 2018, reports were presented to the councils of both the Township of Muskoka Lakes and the District of Muskoka regarding a budget, timeline and
Conservancy launches fishing line recycling program
Photograph: Muskoka Lakes Association
Photograph: Muskoka Marathon/Josianne Masseau
Whats Happened
After more than a decade of a debate surrounding development regulations, the District of Muskoka has amended the Official Plan to allow for the development of just over 2,000 new units in Minett.
The Muskoka Conservancy is hoping a new program can help anglers protect the animals and environment they treasure. In early August the conservancy launched a new pilot program with the goal of recycling fishing lines. “Improperly disposed fishing line is a problem for birds, turtles and fish because when they encounter it, they can become tangled up and get injured or drowned,” said Ayden Veitch, program co-ordinator at Muskoka Conservancy. “This program will help prevent discarded fishing line from entering the water in the first place.” Veitch says it’s estimated there are approximately 1.5 million anglers in Ontario and much of the fishing line they use is disposed of improperly. During the year, the old, worn out or tangled fishing line will be collected in distinctive white recycling tubes in three locations. At the end of the year, Muskoka Conservancy will collect the fishing line and send it to Berkley Fishing for recycling. Once
Berkley Fishing receives the fishing line, they melt it down into plastic pellets and turn it into new plastic products. The program was officially launched on August 4 at the wharf at Bracebridge Bay Park, a popular fishing location. The launch was attended by Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry Graydon Smith and Bracebridge Deputy Mayor Steve Clement. Two other Muskoka locations will be a part of the pilot – the George Road boat launch and the boat launch at the Gravenhurst Wharf. If the pilot project is successful, Muskoka Conservancy would like to expand the program across all of Muskoka.
Health Units looks to bring down number of ATV injuires Muskokans love to hit the trails on their all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) but the SimcoeMuskoka District Health Unit (SMDHU) is encouraging riders to make safety a priority. “ATVs can be an exciting way to explore the outdoors, especially during the summer months,” said Mia Brown, manager of SMDHU’s substance use and injury
Simcoe-Muskoka District Health Unit (SMDHU) is encouraging ATV riders to make safety a priority.
Photograph: Elievan Junior
District of Muskoka chair John Klinck is not seeking re-election after three decades in local politics.
Photograph: District of Muskoka
Photograph: Muskoka Conservancy
In early August the Muskoka Conservancy launched a new pilot program with the goal of recycling fishing lines across three locations in Muskoka.
prevention program. “However, as with any motorized vehicle, there is a serious risk of injury, if it is operated incorrectly and safety precautions have not been taken.” In 2020, there were 439 emergency department (ED) visits for ATV-related injuries across Simcoe-Muskoka, accounting for almost 75 per cent of all off-road motor vehicle injury-related ED visits. That same year, the ATV-related injury ED visit rate was 78.9 per 100,000 population in Simcoe and Muskoka, about 80 per cent higher than the rate of 43.9 per 100,000 for Ontario overall. Simcoe-Muskoka’s ATV-related ED visits rose sharply by 30 per cent in 2020 in comparison to 2019, a surge likely linked to changes in recreational use during the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to 2019, ATV-related ED visits had been consistently declining in the region. The health unit says there are many things individuals can do to help increase safety and decrease hospital visits.The health unit urges residents to apply the following safety tips that can reduce the risk of ATV accidents and injuries: • Take an ATV training course, such as from the Canadian ATV Safety Institute. • Wear protective gear every ride, including eye protection, gloves, boots, long-sleeved shirt and long pants. • Wear a helmet that is up to the standard recommended for motorcycles. • Control your speed. Excessive speed is a major risk factor for ATV-related deaths. • Always ride sober. Do not drive after consuming alcohol or drugs. • Follow manufacturer instructions for proper ATV use and maintenance. “ATVs are powerful machines that require strength and skill,” said Brown. “Children lack the knowledge, development, and skills to safely operate these vehicles and that is why the Canadian Pediatric Society recommends that ATV drivers should be 16 years or older.” In Ontario, ATV drivers must be at least 12 years of age unless they are under direct adult supervision. However, drivers must be at least 16 years of age and have a valid Ontario driver’s license to drive on or across a public road.
District Chair John Klinck will not seek re-election After nearly three decades in local politics, District of Muskoka chair John Klinck is calling it a career. In July, Klinck issued a public statement saying he will not be seeking re-election this fall. In an email to the district council advising them of his decision, Klinck stated that he considers the opportunity to have served with them as Muskoka’s District Chair “one of his life’s greatest blessings.” He added, “I shall be forever grateful to you for the honour and privilege of serving with you and working with our exceptional district staff to the benefit of our Muskoka. It has been a remarkably enlightening and personally enriching experience!” Klinck served as a Gravenhurst councillor from 1994 until 2000 when he was elected mayor of Gravenhurst, a position he held until 2010. He was selected as district chair in 2010 and has held the position ever since. “To the thousands of Muskoka ratepayers I have met over the 28 years of my public service, thank you for the kindness, guidance, and encouragement you have consistently provided,” said Klinck. “It is my hope that in some small way my service has added value to your vision of the Muskoka legacy we all manage together.” Nominations for the office of the district chair for the 2022-2026 term are now open. The district chair will be elected by the newly formed Muskoka district council, following the municipal election in October, at its inaugural meeting to be held on Monday, December 5, 2022.
Feature by Matt Driscoll September 2022 UNIQUE MUSKOKA 57
The essence of autumn is cooking with pumpkin and squash Article by K.M. Wehrstein / Photography by Tomasz Szumski
If they’re not already part of your pantry, pumpkins and squash are a necessary addition to your kitchen. Versatile and varied, fall squash bring flavour and colour to your next meal – or dessert! Fall is almost here and grocery stores will soon be full of fall colours. The bright orange, green, red and yellow abundance of pumpkins and squash are a necessary addition to your kitchen. Are you looking for more ways to taste the essence of autumn than good old pumpkin pie and squash soup? Come on into the kitchens of some of Muskoka’s greatest chefs! Chef David Friesen, the owner of three restaurants in Muskoka including The Oven Wood-fired Pizza in Bracebridge, is a big fan of the season. “I love fall cooking!” shares Friesen. “Pumpkins are plentiful, so that’s what we’re using. I like to feature as much local and seasonal as I can. I work closely with all my farmers.”
58 UNIQUE MUSKOKA September 2022
Born on Vancouver Island, Friesen began his chef ’s apprenticeship in Lake Louise, then got to see Eddie the Eagle and the Jamaican bobsled team while working the Calgary ’88 winter Olympics. Moving to the GTA in 1992,
Chef David Friesen, owner of three restaurants in Muskoka including The Oven Wood-fired Pizza, is a big fan of fall. He shares a seasonal twist on an existing recipe with his Fall Harvest Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cinnamon Icing.
Fall Harvest Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cinnamon Icing
– David Friesen
Preheat oven to 350° F. In a bowl, mix together:
Ingredients
1½ cups all-purpose flour 1 tsp baking powder ½ tsp baking soda ¾ tsp salt 1¾ tsp cinnamon ½ tsp ground ginger ½ tsp ground nutmeg
Chef Jeff Suddaby, owner of 3 Guys and a Stove, divulges the recipe for a soup he hasn’t been able to take off the menu for the 26 years of the restaurant’s existence.
In another bowl, whisk together: 1 cup pumpkin purée 21 grams eggs, beaten ¼ cup apple juice 1¼ cups sugar ½ cup vegetable oil
Method
• Add wet ingredients into the dry and fold with a rubber spatula until combined. Place 12 even portions into paper-cup-lined muffin tin. • Bake for approximately 20-25 minutes. Test by inserting a toothpick; when it comes out clean, they’re done. • Let cool slightly, remove from pan and place on a rack to cool. Meanwhile, prepare the icing:
Ingredients
½ lb. cream cheese, softened ½ cup unsalted butter, softened 3 cups powdered sugar ½ Tbsp cinnamon
Method
• In a stand-up mixer, whip cream cheese and butter using a paddle attachment until light and fluffy. • Add sugar one cup at a time, being careful not to let sugar fly out of bowl. • Using a piping bag, decorate the tops of the cooled cupcakes. Yield: 1 dozen.
Chef ’s Tips
• 21 grams of eggs? Yes, weigh the beaten egg for the precise measure baking requires. • Pumpkin puree should be store bought or from pie pumpkins, not jack o’ lantern pumpkins, for good flavour. • Use unsalted butter. “Anything pre-seasoned I can’t use because I can’t do my own seasoning,” Friesen explains.
he went through several chef positions including a two-year partnership with renowned chef Mark McEwan, and a stint at the Courtyard Market Grill where his office was a historic jail cell. Yearning for escape when their daughter Madeleine was born, Friesen and his wife moved to Muskoka in 1999. He worked at the Hemingway-themed Compleat Angler in Port Carling and several other eateries over the years including Club One in Bracebridge, which became Riverwalk. He purchased The Oven in 2018. Like many dishes, Friesen’s pumpkin cupcakes (available at The Oven) are derived from an existing recipe, adapted for the season. The icing-heaped cupcakes have a lovely golden colour and a delightful, moist, pumpkin pie-like spice taste, with a slight citrus tanginess somehow conjured up by the cream cheese, cinnamon and pumpkin in combination. From dessert we’ll go backwards to a soup that Chef Jeff Suddaby, owner of 3 Guys and a Stove in Huntsville, hasn’t been able to take off the menu for the 26 years of the restaurant’s existence. “We’d have everyone calling and complaining,” Suddaby says. 3 Guys, as locals affectionately call it, really was started by a partnership of three
guys in May 1996, but Suddaby eventually bought the other two guys out. “What’s interesting about our age is that we had families in who had these little kids, and got to know them,” says Suddaby. “Now these kids are adults, bringing their children.” Suddaby’s cooking philosophy is locavorist. “Today’s diet is all about fresh vegetables, farm to field,” Suddaby explains. “With a zucchini from California, you have to put in flavour. Here, the farmer picks it ripe on Tuesday and delivers it on Wednesday.” Fruit and veggie flavour is always best, Suddaby avows, ripened on the vine. But what makes cooking truly exciting for him is understanding the history and culture of different culinary traditions. “You have to know where those cuisines came from, how they developed; then it’s a matter of taking two cultures and blending them to make some interesting food.” For example, squash soup is traditionally very popular in Canada, especially in the fall. “I wanted to keep that tradition because I love a squash soup – but I wanted to introduce something,” explains Suddaby. “Curry adds an interesting flavour.” Suddaby’s father, a farmer whose kids
September 2022 UNIQUE MUSKOKA 59
Curried Sweet Potato & Pumpkin Soup – Jeff Suddaby
Ingredients 1 tsp canola oil 1 tsp garlic, minced 1 cup red onion, finely chopped 4 cups vegetable stock (store-bought powder or canned stock can be used, preferably without MSG) 1 large sweet potato, peeled and chopped in to ½ inch cubes 2 cups pumpkin, cooked and mashed 1½ tsp medium curry powder (or ¾ tsp each cumin and turmeric) 1 tsp cilantro, chopped, plus 5 sprigs reserved for garnish 3 Tbsp honey ¼ tsp ginger, ground 1 cup 2% milk (can be substituted with soy milk, coconut milk, almond milk, etc.)
Pumpkin Spice Crème Anglaise – Gus Gulmar
Ingredients 500 grams whipping cream 500 grams 2% milk 10 egg yolks, beaten 100 grams brown sugar 80 grams maple syrup 1 Tbsp vanilla extract 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon ½ Tbsp ground ginger ½ tsp ground nutmeg ½ tsp ground cloves 8 slices of thick cut brioche, diced into ½-inch cubes 1 cup acorn squash, diced into ½-inch cubes ¼ cup maple syrup
60 UNIQUE MUSKOKA September 2022
Method
Chef ’s Tips
• Begin by heating a non-stick frying pan. Add oil and follow with onion and garlic; saute until onion becomes transparent, about 5 minutes. • In a separate pot, combine the stock, sweet potato, pumpkin, curry, cilantro, honey and ginger. Cover and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 40 minutes. • Puree all the prepared ingredients in a food processor or blender until smooth. • Slowly add enough milk to achieve desired consistency, usually about ¾ cup.
• For the chunky version: when pureeing, don’t include the sweet potato cubes or chopped onions (and garlic). • If you like it spicier, add cayenne. If milder, select a mild curry. • “Before the milk is added, you can store the soup in your refrigerator for about four days,” Suddaby says. “Which is nice for a dinner party, because you can prepare the dish in advance, simplifying your evening.” • “I like to serve the soup in heated bowls and garnish with the additional chopped cilantro, giving the dish the simple and pleasant presentation it deserves,” says Suddaby.
Method • In a mixing bowl, combine the cream, milk, brown sugar, maple syrup, vanilla extract and spices, and whisk to mix. • In a saucepan, bring the mixture to a simmer on low heat. • Once it starts bubbling, add half of it little by little with a ladle to the egg yolks, stirring constantly with a whisk (this is called tempering). • Combine with remaining mixture in the pot and cook on medium heat for 5 more minutes while stirring slowly all the time. • Once cooked, transfer to a clean mixing bowl and reserve. • Soak the bread thoroughly in some of the warm crème anglaise, then add to the rest. • Place the mixture in a greased oven-safe baking dish. • Glaze the squash cubes with the syrup and bake on a sheet tray at 400° F until
the squash has some colour and is soft enough that it can be picked up with a fork, about 15 minutes. • Top the bread pudding mix with the glazed squash. • Bake at 350° F for 25 minutes or until golden brown. • Drizzle with a little extra maple syrup and garnish with squash, microgreens, dried cranberries, sliced almonds, etc. • Serve with ice cream, vanilla chantilly or cold whipped cheesecake.
Chef ’s Tips • Why is tempering required? So, the dish doesn’t turn into scrambled eggs. • Here too, 2% can be replaced by other types of milk including non-dairy. • If using the same oven to bake at 400 then 350, open the door for a bit to let out the heat.
grew up on pumpkins and squashes grown on the family’s land, enhanced only with a little honey, was mind-boggled at the curry idea. But, Suddaby says, “That little touch of Indian cuisine could enhance a Canadian classic.” And it does. This soup has layers of flavour and texture, and that’s what makes it. You expect smoothness all through, the standard for opaque soups, but then your teeth hit a morsel of sweet potato or a bit of onion and along with the change in texture there is a burst of a different but harmonious flavour. Cilantro-haters, don’t worry, it’s not overwhelming at all. It blends in with the other flavours. Suddaby published this recipe in one of his three cookbooks, the latest of which you can buy at the restaurant. He also sells jars of the soup there, minus the milk for preservation reasons. Just heat it up in a pot and add milk gradually as per the recipe. Deerhurst Resort Executive Chef Gus Gulmar, who oversees all culinary activities at the resort and its four restaurants – Eclipse, Compass, Maple and The Antler – came from his native Hungary to Canada in 1998, then moved to the USA. For two years a culinary snowbird, summering at Deerhurst and wintering in Florida or South Carolina, he moved permanently to Huntsville after meeting his wife, fellow
Deerhurst chef Rebecca Pacheco, whose “Two Tone Soup” you might remember from last year. “I always like to play with thoughts, and especially presentation,” Gulmar says. “Even when I was a child, even chicken soup had to be something different. I took pictures of food.” That drive for something different makes for some off-the-wall food ideas that Deerhurst guests have learned to love. “Two of my favourite vegetables are pumpkin and squash, because you can do so many things with them – soups, salads, desserts, main courses, sides,” Gulmar enthuses. “People love them, especially in the fall season when they remind us of holidays approaching.” On The Antler dessert menu for fall, along with beetroot cheesecake (beet-haters, you’ll still love it – trust me!) is another innovative treat. “Everyone loves bread pudding,” Gulmar says. “Let’s twist it with some acorn squash.” Pumpkin pie spiced, topped with tender morsels of squash and served with some exquisite accoutrements, this is bread pudding on steroids. It warms the palate and is not overly sweet, except where your tongue happens into golden drops of maple syrup. Also from Chef Gulmar comes a salad fit to serve as an entrée, due to its warmth and its off-the-beaten-path ingredient. “Duck is one of my favourites,” Gulmar says, “and always a favourite here in fall with venison and other game.” Planned for The Antler’s fall menu, this dish is such a joyful riot of delectable tastes and textures, your tastebuds will dance. And, it includes both pumpkin and squash in it too.
Deerhurst Resort Executive Chef Gus Gulmar creatively plays with food by devising innovative pairings, like the pumpkin pie spiced, acorn squash bread pudding presented here.
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September 2022 UNIQUE MUSKOKA 61
Warm Pumpkin and Squash Salad with Roasted Duck Breast – Gus Gulmar
Ingredients
½ lb. pumpkin, cleaned and diced into ¾-inch pieces ½ lb. acorn squash, cleaned and diced into ¾-inch pieces 2 oz maple syrup 5 Tbsp olive oil 1 cup red quinoa 4 cups water or vegetable stock 2 boneless duck breasts, skin on ¼ orange worth of orange or other citrus zest ½ a shallot, minced 1 sprig fresh thyme, finely chopped Salt and freshly-ground pepper to taste 2 to 3 big handfuls of baby arugula ¼ cup roasted pumpkin seeds 4 oz crumbled goat cheese ¼ cup dried cranberries (optional)
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Method
• Preheat oven to 375° F. • In a mixing bowl, mix pumpkin, acorn squash, maple syrup, olive oil and salt to taste. • Transfer to a baking tray and place in the oven for about 20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool and transfer to a mixing bowl. • Boil water with a little salt or vegetable stock to cook red quinoa until it’s open or crunchy enough to eat, about 15 minutes. • Strain, cool and add to the roasted pumpkin and squash mixture. Set aside. • Preheat frying pan on medium heat. • Score the skin on the duck breasts gently, halfway through the fat to the meat (about ¼ inch deep). • Place breasts skin side down in pan to slowly render the fat. • Add citrus zest, minced shallot, thyme and a little salt and pepper. Once the skin is golden brown and crispy, almost like bacon, flip breasts to meat side down for a couple minutes to sear, then place on a resting plate. If using meat thermometer, 125-130° F is the optimal internal temperature. • To serve, preheat a pan or a wok on medium heat, add pumpkin, squash and quinoa mixture with an ounce of olive oil, just until it’s warm to touch, and toss arugula in gently. • Portion salad onto four plates and drizzle with 1oz. of shallots vinaigrette each. • Add an ounce of goat cheese, roasted pumpkin seeds and dried cranberries if desired. • Slice the duck breasts into medallions and place them on salad, half a breast per portion. Enjoy! Serves four.
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Shallots Vinaigrette – Gus Gulmar
Ingredients
4 cups of either white wine vinegar, champagne vinegar, or aged sherry wine vinegar 2 to 3 tsp Dijon mustard Kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper 1½ finely-minced shallots ⅔ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Method
• In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the vinegar and mustard, plus salt and pepper to taste. • Stir in the shallot. • Gradually whisk in the oil to make a smooth dressing.
Chef ’s Tips
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• Cast iron frying pans are the best. • Meats other than duck will also work in this dish, as will tofu, for a vegetarian version. • Baby greens other than arugula will work, such as spinach, spring mix, or power greens. • Mix all shallots minced for both salad and vinaigrette in with the duck fat so that those that go into the vinaigrette give it extra flavour. • When making zest, never go into the white, as it has a bitter taste.
September 2022 UNIQUE MUSKOKA 63
Muskoka Moments
Living the Muskoka dream
64 UNIQUE MUSKOKA September 2022
When I first got into the sport, competing in slopestyle skiing at the Olympics wasn’t a thing. Everything snowballed really fast and I wouldn’t change it. Competing and winning at my first Olympics in 2014 at the age of 19 was the craziest experience I could have ever had. Truly a dream come true. Finally after almost 10 years of skiing, I knew it was time for me to move on. I knew I needed to push myself for more in my life. Skiing has given me so much and will forever be my stepping stone into my next chapters. Fitness is where I’m headed and I’ve had the privilege to slowly dive into it, finding my balance and strength along the way. I love running a morning fitness class on the docks in Muskoka. Sharing my love for both movement and Muskoka in one. I’m excited to take on this next chapter and to make it into another success story of business and entrepreneurship. Muskoka means everything to me. It’s my home and where my family lives. I’m looking forward to building my home in Muskoka in the coming year, so I can share it with the people I’ve met along the way. Photograph: Michael Overbeck
My family have been longtime residents of Muskoka. My brother and I were extremely lucky to grow up the best way, at a small resort located on Peninsula Lake, called Pow Wow Point Lodge. I truly believe growing up at the resort is why I am who I am today and why I’ve been able to accomplish the things that I have. My love for fresh air, activities and freedom is the dream that Muskoka allows us to have. I followed my brother around the resort trying to keep up with him, whether that was wakeboarding, atving or tobogganing. In the wintertime, my family would head over to Hidden Valley Ski Club as we are longtime members. My grandfather joined many years ago and would bring my mom up to ski from the city when she was young. Hidden Valley is actually where my parents met for the first time! My older brother already knew how to ski when I came along, so my parents put me on skis at 18 months old. They tell me stories of me being so small the ski and the boot would fall off as I went up the chair lift... oops! Skiing is in our blood. My grandfather is 98 and still gets on his skis every year at the Valley. Every time he goes out to ski, we make a big deal out of it. The tradition brings my family together for a nice Muskoka winter morning. Growing up, my mom always said I would go to the Olympics, she just never knew what for. I ski raced till I was 14. I figure skated competitively for many years
as well. Neither of those sports clicked for me until I found slopestyle skiing (freestyle skiing) at Hidden Valley’s little terrain park. I like to say ski racing and figure skating mashed together to make up slopestyle skiing. I always had a passion to jump, to push my limits. I was 15 turning 16 at the time I got into slopestyle. My parents have always been extremely supportive of any direction I’ve wanted to take. Wanting to go to XGames was my big first goal. From there, it was making the Canadian National Team, then eventually doing World Cups and, ultimately, the Olympics.
At the Sochi 2014 Olympic Games, Dara Howell won the first ever Olympic gold medal awarded in slopestyle skiing at the age of 19. Howell is a certified personal trainer and fitness coach, living in Huntsville, Ontario with her family. She continues to pursue her passion for the outdoors and an active lifestyle in the beauty of Muskoka.
Photograph: Dara Howell
Article by Dara Howell
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