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JUNE 2017 Passion takes flight at falconry school Charlie Musgrave took his piano to war OCTAGONAL LIVING the perfect view from every side POTTERY with personality Marking a major milestone at Rosseau Lake College
Real Estate Professionals Serving the Muskoka Lakes since 1978 Represented the Buyer Represented the Seller Our 2017 Solds LAKE ROSSEAU 6 590 000 Richard Wallace LAKE ROSSEAU 2 349 000 Douglas Pain LAKE JOSEPH 2 295 000 BRACEBRIDGE 350 000 JOSEPH RIVER 1 350 000 Douglas Pain PORT CARLING 749 000 LITTLE LAKE JOSEPH 760 000 Richard Wallace Adam Wallace Adam Wallace LITTLE LAKE JOSEPH 3 995 000 Adam Wallace Douglas Pain LAKE ROSSEAU 995 000 Sharon Boyer LAKE ROSSEAU 4 695 000 Douglas Pain Sandy Cornell PORT CARLING 269 000 279 000 BRACEBRIDGE PORT CARLING 279 000 Dennis Duke www realestateinMuskoka ca Sharon Boyer 705 765 6176 Richard Wallace Real Estate Limited Brokerage 1978 to 2017 39 years STRONG Broker of Record Broker Sales Representative
Features 20 June 2017 Passion takes flight at school of falconry telling the Muskoka story By Dianne Park Thach When you work with birds of prey you get hooked for life because it becomes part of you says Matt Lieberknecht of Central Ontario School of Falconry in Kilworthy 24 Charlie Musgrave took his piano to war against Hitler By Jack Hutton Charlie Musgrave was the life and soul of the RMS Sagamo s 100 mile cruises for two decades doing the commentary as well as the music Everyone who remembers the wartime years agrees he played with a special passion during that stressful time 34 Marking a major milestone By Meghan Smith Rosseau Lake College home to trailblazers and trendsetters has made the most of Muskoka s natural environment and charm for 50 years by providing top tier educational experiences for students in Grades 7 to 12 28 40 By Dale Peacock Muskoka artist Christopher Keene describes his life as having come full circle both geographically and artistically He has returned to fine art but with a focus on utilizing computer software to develop his techniques By Dawn Huddlestone When Lindsay Bellaire and Phillip Psutka created a theatre company Theatre Arcturus they melded text based theatre aerial arts and stage combat together in a way they hadn t encountered anywhere else Sculpting his dream Theatre Arts aerial arts in Muskoka 40 28 2 UNIQUE MUSKOKA June 2017
THIS IS MUSKOKA THESE ARE OUR STORIES COLDWELL BANKER MUSKOKA BROKERAGE 101 MAPLE STREET PORT CARLING 705 765 1212 CBMUSKOKA COM FULL PAGE Coldwell Banker Muskoka Each Office is Independently Owned and Operated June 2017 UNIQUE MUSKOKA 3
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Departments 44 11 Muskoka Calendar Shows featuring classic and antique vehicles music performances brewery tours Father s Day activities boat races and an impressive line up of Canada Day events to celebrate the country s 150th anniversary are just some of the items on Muskoka Calendar 54 Cottage Country Cuisine Some of Muskoka s best culinary professionals offer tips and advice on packing the perfect picnic lunch for your excursion 61 What s Happened Invasive weeds Muskoka s hot real estate market changing demographics and flooding concerns are updated 64 Living in Muskoka 11 64 By Dianne Park Thach Barrie and Noreen Faulkner wanted to build something a little out of the ordinary Their creativity is evident as soon as you open the door to their octagonal home 54 Opinion 9 Muskoka Insights By Don Smith Features 72 Muskoka Moments By Linda Jackson Hutton 44 Pottery with personality By Sandy Lockhart Carmen Somerville s functional pottery is an eclectic mix of different styles and colours She hopes the pieces she creates will become important keepsakes for those who purchase them 44 50 Faith Based Camps By J Patrick Boyer Muskoka was part of a general phenomenon beginning from 1860s colonization when a variety of faith based communities gradually began displacing or supplementing the Ojibway 56 Our Cover Photograph by Eleanor Kee Wellman A great horned owl in flight at Central Ontario School of Falconry June 2017 UNIQUE MUSKOKA 5
telling the Muskoka story Unique Muskoka is published six times per year by Unique Publishing Inc Donald Smith Publisher and Editor Donna Ansley Sales Heather Glumac Designer Susan Smith Administration J Patrick Boyer Larry Carroll Heather Douglas Kelly Holinshead Dawn Huddlestone Jack Hutton Linda Jackson Hutton Eleanor Kee Wellman Sandy Lockhart Dianne Park Thach Dale Peacock Meghan Smith Tomasz Szumski Karen Wehrstein Rebecca Willison Andy Zeltkalns Contributors Annual Subscription Rates including HST where applicable In Ontario 30 00 All Other Provinces 36 00 U S 45 00 All Other Countries 59 00 HST 773172721 Canada Post Publications Mail Agreement Number 43268016 Copyright 2017 Unique Publishing Inc No content published in Unique Muskoka can be reproduced without the written permission of the publisher Box 616 Bracebridge ON P1L 1T9 info uniquemuskoka com 705 637 0204 6 UNIQUE MUSKOKA June 2017
FULL PAGE Lakeridge Developments W W W L A K E R I DG E D E V E L O P M E N T S CO M INFO LAKERIDGEDEVELOPMENTS COM 705 765 LAKE 5253
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Muskoka Insights work in many mediums has been featured on the world stage From bronze sculpture to computer animation his creativity is based in tradition but is cutting edge The performers of Theatre Arcturus combine aerial arts and stage combat to offer intriguing interpretations of Shakespeare inspired shows Not only do they perform here and elsewhere but they are also sharing their talent with the community by offering classes Potter Carmen Somerville has a compelling story of the connection between her work the customers who purchase it and the memories they generate by sharing her creations with family and friends However the connections with the arts community do not end with the most obvious subjects in this issue A feature by historian Patrick Boyer includes information on the early days of Muskoka Chautauqua among other early faith based organizations that featured plays poetry readings and lectures by summering professors The Living in Muskoka feature on the Faulkner family tells not only the story of an interesting octagonal home but of Barrie and Noreen Faulkner s creative talents and how they are included in their new living space There are many unique stories in the Muskoka lakes region but one that is truly different is the 50 year history of Rosseau Lake College While it may be small when measured against the size of many educational behemoths it has been very big on embracing Muskoka and developing a personal relationship with its students We hope you will enjoy this warm up to summer as much as we have enjoyed bringing it to you Happy reading Photograph Susan Smith June it seems has always been an underrated month in Muskoka and I suppose that s because it s a warm up for the main act the summer months of July and August Despite almost a year of planning business owners are making last minute tweaks training employees and checking off the final boxes on a long list of things to do For cottagers and visitors it s a time of transition Their stays are getting longer and they re anticipating all that a summer in Muskoka will bring While the shoulder seasons continue to grow in popularity there can be no denying the intensity of the 10 weeks in the middle of the year For those who experience June in Muskoka there is often an opportunity to be a part of the best the district has to offer at a quieter pace a paddle in a tranquil bay can be just as calming and a glorious orange sunset on a warm evening can be just as enjoyable in June as either are in July or August Here at Unique Muskoka we re always attempting to provide a variety of articles without theming an issue We look at such considerations as subject matter geography reader interest changing trends and ability to illustrate as we choose our features So when we reviewed the line up for this issue we were surprised that so many of the submissions have a connection with the arts However in Muskoka that should likely come as no revelation We are blessed with a very vibrant arts community Entertainer Charlie Musgrave who delivered a rousing message during his wartime performances aboard the Sagamo is but one of the many artists featured in the June issue of Unique Muskoka Writer Jack Hutton provides an interesting overview of the era when Musgrave s performances were an attraction Chris Keene calls Dorset home but his O pen For live chat push door Real local people Real local service With State Farm every policy comes with your own personal agent I pride myself on being part of the local community so I can truly understand and best serve the needs of my customers Get to a better State Get State Farm CALL ME TODAY Les Bell Ins Agcy Inc Les Bell Agent Bracebridge ON P1L2C1 Bus 705 646 9995 Toll Free 877 877 3929 www lesbell ca State Farm branded policies are underwritten by Certas Home and Auto Insurance Company or Desjardins Financial Security Life Assurance Company State Farm and related trademarks and logos are registered trademarks owned by State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company used under licence by Certas Home and Auto Insurance Company and certain of its affiliates 1410005CN 1 Your Home and Cottage Mattress Centre THE LARGEST SELECTION OF IN STOCK MATTRESSES IN MUSKOKA Premier Supreme by Marshall Mattress 6 MonicaMARSHALL Lane MATTRESS CO Bracebridge M 1 800 682 6861 705 646 2557 Or i gi na l P ock et S pr i ng TO LEARN MORE www mattressesofmuskoka com June 2017 UNIQUE MUSKOKA 9
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Photograph Courtesy of Band on the Run by Clikk Photography Muskoka Calendar Last year s Band on the Run which featured live bands along the course was sold out Differing courses offer challenges for all levels The Kids Bike Rodeo will be held on June 1 from 4 30 p m to 6 30 p m at Huntsville Public School Kids from five to 12 years of age who can ride a bike will be taught helmet and bike safety checks road safety including signs signals a mock intersection shoulder checks and agility Their reward A healthy snack checklist certificate bike related goodies and most importantly new knowledge and skills that will help keep them safe on the roads winds through and around the town with emphasis on parks and lakeshore views A great ride for inexperienced cyclists it s well marked with lead cyclists showing the way as well as sweep cyclists bringing up the rear to make sure no one gets left behind Experienced riders will be demonstrating smart cycling and road sharing principles www gravenhurst ca en opera opera asp www huntsville ca en living Transportation asp www huntsville ca en living Transportation asp The Third Annual Huntsville Mayor s Bike Ride takes place on June 8 from 6 30 to 8 p m starting at Rivermill Park A fun social and fitness event led by Huntsville Mayor Scott Aitchison the 12 kilometre route is mostly flat with a few short hills It and several nationally charted radio hits and were nominated for multiple country music awards Doors open at 7 p m show time is 8 p m Tickets are available on the Gravenhurst Opera House website or at the box office On June 9 the Gravenhurst Opera House will be vibrating to Stories Songs of Stompin Tom with the great Canadian roots country bluegrass band Whiskey Jack Celebrated as the most televised bluegrass acoustic country band in Canada Whiskey Jack has been around since 1977 appearing on several CBC shows the Tommy Hunter Show and many other broadcasts They toured Canada extensively in the 80s produced five critically acclaimed recordings When you go for a run you hear the sound of your breathing your feet on the ground and perhaps recorded music in your earbuds But at Huntsville s popular Band on the Run on June 10 there will be live bands along the course to get you humming along both musically and athletically A selection of race distances provides challenges for every level half marathon 10 kilometre five kilometre relay and a kids fun run Once you ve spent your morning running join your fellow runners and other music lovers in the afternoon at Lions June 2017 UNIQUE MUSKOKA 11
Lookout Park for a licensed music festival headlined by the great Newfoundland band Hey Rosetta Visit the event website for full race information including route maps and registration details Last year s race sold out so register early to avoid disappointment www bandontherun ca Director Mitchell Pady is such an inspiring conductor Meanwhile the Parallel Painters will be on hand at the workshop drawing inspiration from the singing to create original works that will be displayed at the concert The concert takes place at 4 p m Tickets are 20 each www muskokachautauqua com It s Canada s 150th birthday and one of the ways Muskoka Chautauqua will be celebrating is with Where Pines and Maples Grow an all Canadian singalong with the Cellar Singers and 45th Parallel Painters taking place on June 11 at the Glenwood Chapel in Glen Orchard For those interested in taking part there will be a pre concert workshop from 1 30 p m to 3 p m to practice with the Cellar Singers on a couple of Canadian choral compositions It does help if you have some music reading ability says Cellar Singer Norah Fountain but that shouldn t stop anyone who wants to join in the experience Artistic a m for a private tour of Sawdust City s brewing facilities and tastings of some of their beers Next it s a sit down lunch and further beer sampling at the Griffin Gastro Pub in Bracebridge The tour then travels to Baysville to the Lake of Bays Brewing Company for a tasting and tour of their brewing facilities Finally it s back to Bracebridge to visit Muskoka Brewery tour their beer making operation and you guessed it taste some of their brews Visit the website and select the Muskoka edition for information and to register A ticket to this tour would make a great Father s Day gift www brewtours ca Beer aficionados and those who are just plain curious about what Muskoka has to offer in the way of craft beers not to mention how they are made will enjoy Brew Tours a day long celebration of excellence in brewing that takes place on June 17 Travelling on a chartered bus and led by a dedicated and expert tour guide tour participants will meet at Sawdust City Brewing Company in Gravenhurst at 11 The SS Bigwin and Lake of Bays Brewing Co have teamed up to offer a craft beer excursion aboard the historic ship for an unforgettable Muskoka experience on the Father s Day weekend Weather Master Windows 3 Season Sunrooms Aluminium Picket and Glass Topless Railing Aluminum Decking Residential and Commercial Awnings 1 705 645 7511 DAVLINS CA 12 UNIQUE MUSKOKA June 2017
samplings one 12 ounce glass of beer and a tour of the Lake of Bays Brewing Company s beer making facilities Photograph Courtesy of Gravenhurst Chamber of Commerce www ssbigwin com Gravenhurst will host its annual car show on Saturday June 17 at Gull Lake Rotary Park The SS Bigwin was launched in 1910 by an industrialist from Pittsburgh and was used for 45 years to ferry guests including Clark Gable Louis Armstrong Winston Churchill Greta Garbo and many more of the rich and famous to the world renowned Bigwin Inn When the resort closed half a century ago the ship fell into disrepair A group of Lake of Bays citizens and organizations joined together in the 1990s to purchase and restore the Bigwin culminating in her relaunch in 2012 The cruise departs from the Baysville docks rain or shine at noon 2 p m and 4 p m on June 17 It features five beer Hundreds of antique and classic cars polished to perfection will be on display on June 17 and 18 in Gravenhurst and Bracebridge The Gravenhurst Car Show takes place at Gull Lake Rotary Park in Gravenhurst where as many as 500 machines they just don t make any more will be parked on the lawns and among the trees This year cars from 1967 Canada s 100th birthday will be featured The show runs 9 a m to 3 p m on June 17 costs 5 kids under 12 free and includes DJ prizes all day long vendors food and fun for the whole family www gravenhurstcarshow com The Bracebridge Father s Day Car Show will take place in downtown Bracebridge on Large Original Paintings Whimsical Sculptures 100 Canadian Artists 111 Medora St Hwy 118 West Port Carling Muskoka 705 765 7474 www redcanoegallery com Please call for hours Painting by Paul Garbett oil and wax on panel 72 x 45 June 2017 UNIQUE MUSKOKA 13
Photograph Courtesy of Gravenhurst BIA by Bryan White The Spring into Summer Art Crawl will be held in downtown Gravenhurst on Saturday June 24 and will include local businesses featuring local artisans and their works June 18 from 9 a m to 3 p m Manitoba Street will be closed to traffic as more than 150 gleaming antique and classic vehicles line the street Enjoy live music shopping and great food as you admire some of the area s finest rides Admission is free www bracebridgecarshow com Looking for something to do with dad on Father s Day Take him for a cruise aboard the Peerless II on June 18 Buy one or more tickets and dad will cruise for free The Peerless II is a restored historic vessel that once served as a heating fuel delivery boat on the Muskoka lakes Cruises include live commentary with interesting historical and local lore Cruises depart from the Port Carling locks at noon and 2 p m with optional lunch and 2 30 p m and 4 p m Reservations are required for lunch service www sunsetcruises ca The Algonquin Outfitters 24 Hours of River X is a race not only against your fellow paddlers but against time itself On June 17 18 racers will test their skill strength endurance and drive to excel on a 14 UNIQUE MUSKOKA June 2017 12 kilometre course The team in each category that completes the most laps wins Race categories include different types of canoes and kayaks with solo tandem or relay teams plus stand up paddleboards The course begins at Rivermill Park in Huntsville follows the Muskoka River to the western shore of Fairy Lake and then the historic Brunel Locks At that point paddlers perform a short portage retrace the route perform a second portage at Rivermill and repeat as many times as possible www muskokariverx com Mark your calendar for the third annual Spring into Summer Art Crawl taking place on June 24 from 10 a m to 5 p m in downtown Gravenhurst Like an art show but with multiple venues instead of one an art crawl is a celebration of interesting local businesses and inspired local artists Each downtown business sponsor will host one or more artists and their works featuring many different mediums including jewelry prints painting sculpture and much more To complete the experience there will also be live music Admission is free but don t forget your wallet There s bound to be something you might want to bring home www gravenhurstbia com
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festivals and historical celebrations all around the district Lighting up Canada Night 150 The Toronto Outboard Racing Club will be in Gravenhurst on June 24 25 for two days of racing to showcase powerboats such as sea fleas hydroplanes and classics The races feature a wide array of classes ranging from Junior Hyrdoplane and Runabout for young racers between nine and 15 years of age to Hyrdoplane classes that will see boats reach speeds of 130 kilometres per hour www torc ca With Canada celebrating its 150th anniversary this year everyone is pulling out all the stops to host special July 1 Canada Day celebrations throughout Muskoka Here s a breakdown of fireworks Minett After a free all day festival featuring regatta games live animal shows ice cream pontoon cruises SUP yoga water ski performances aerial acrobatics astronomy and live music the fireworks spectacular will begin at 9 45 p m over Wallace Bay on Lake Rosseau It will be viewable from JW Marriott the Rosseau Muskoka Cleveland s House and SWS Marina Walker s Point Marina The marina will be setting off fireworks over Lake Muskoka following a day of water ski shows wakesurf clinics vendor shopping and other activities Bracebridge As the finale of the town festival the Rotary Club will present a spectacular display over Bracebridge Bay starting at 10 p m Huntsville Fireworks start at 10 p m over Hunters Bay behind the Fire Hall Baysville For a small village Baysville traditionally puts on an impressive Canada Day fireworks show Hosted by the local firefighters it starts at the dam at dusk Dorset The Dorset community fireworks starts at dusk over Big Trading Bay Port Carling Sunset Cruises is offering a fireworks cruise on Canada Day running from 7 30 p m to 11 30 p m Call 705 645 2462 for information and to book Gravenhurst This mid day festival runs from 11 a m to 1 p m and features games hot dogs cake and family fun Dress code red and white Bracebridge Starting at 11 a m on Manitoba Street there will be live music inflatables and great food at the Big Backyard BBQ which features good eats June 2017 UNIQUE MUSKOKA 17
Photograph Courtesy of Muskoka Heritage Place from local restaurants From 4 p m until the fireworks show it s live music on the barge on Bracebridge Bay Huntsville Festivities commence at 8 a m with the Lions Club peameal on a bun breakfast at Rivermill Park The Decades Parade of Huntsville s history heads down Main Street at 9 a m followed at 10 a m by a Canada singalong with Mayor Scott Aitchison and other dignitaries including an actor representing the town s founding father Captain George Hunt From 11 a m onwards enjoy food and music on Main Street and at the Legion which will host a roast beef dinner at 5 p m Kids are sure to enjoy the bouncy castle on the Main Street Port Sydney This family festival features live music delicious barbecued food and fun activities including sand castle building face painting T shirt decorating and more For information call 705 385 1117 Bala A craft and gift show at the Bala Muskoka Heritage Place volunteers Hailey Scott Community Centre and an antique and and Erica Cole distribute strawberries and scones nostalgia show across the street at the Bala during the Dominion Day Social Arena featuring formal and country furniture decorative accents jewelry vintage nostalgia and Victorian treasures Both shows run 10 a m to 5 p m The Muskoka Lakes Museum in Port Carling presents the Canada Day Bivouac historical military encampment on James Bartleman Island Park from 10 a m to 5 p m July1 See authentic antique military gear and go back in time with the reenactors Refreshments and free Canada Day birthday cake will be available at the museum Muskoka Heritage Place and Pioneer Village in Huntsville presents the Dominion Day Strawberry Social and Steam up Day with narrators historical demonstrations musicians and hourly rides on the Portage Flyer starting at noon until 3 p m July 1 Enjoy strawberry scones until they run out The Dorset Heritage Museum celebrates Heritage Day from 10 a m to 3 p m on July 1 There will be interactive historical exhibits on the museum lawn and a marketplace excelrailings ca 705 646 2508 18 UNIQUE MUSKOKA June 2017
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Passion takes flight at School of By Dianne Park Thach Photography by Eleanor Kee Wellman Falconry I t s not every day you meet a falconer and their well trained birds of prey Matt Lieberknecht still remembers the wide eyed look and impression he left on a young boy 30 years ago when he introduced him to birds of prey Lieberknecht came to Canada from Germany as a master falconer and it wasn t long after that when the boy and his mother showed up at Lieberknecht s doorstep The mother said Here s Keegan He s your problem now Just drop him back at the resort Lieberknecht recalls Keegan was signed up for nine days of instruction and back then there were no regulations on how young or old someone had to be to learn about falconry the falconer explains I asked him How old are you kid He said I m 10 and don t call me kid he says laughing at the memory In those nine days Lieberknecht gave him a taste of what falconry is all about and a life long passion took flight Lieberknecht owns the Central Ontario School of Falconry in Kilworthy where he gives birds of prey demonstrations photography sessions and teaches those who want to obtain their falconry licence through apprenticeship The original purpose of falconry was to teach captive birds how to hunt when hunting was required for survival as a food source The concept of hunting today is more for sport and it s the same for falconry explains Lieberknecht It s not for those seeking a blood sport it s for those who are interested in handling nature It s an absolute delight to see a bird that was wild and then tamed down so that it no longer just flies away from you but it actually flies back to you he says It s nature s way of saying you have formed a partnership That closeness to natures is what appeals to many falconers They appreciate the moments spent in fields and forests with their birds Falconers are people who are not only dedicated to their bird but also to the wildlife around them says Lieberknecht Falconry requires intense communication between human and bird Birds of Prey 20 UNIQUE MUSKOKA June 2017
A Great Horned Owl approaches a gloved handler at the Central Ontario School of Falconry in Kilworthy 21 UNIQUE MUSKOKA June 2017 June 2017 UNIQUE MUSKOKA 21
A tawny owl flies from its perch at the Central Ontario School of Falconry in Kilworthy That connection is possible Lieberknecht says because birds of prey look to humans not only for food but also for companionship You have to get the bird to actually like you he explains The natural instinct for any kind of bird or even an animal that is smaller than a human being is to get away from you The length of time it takes to train a bird depends on the species and also the training environment Lieberknecht stresses that positive reinforcement has to be used when training You have to use positive reinforcement or else it will look at you and think Brother I ll 22 UNIQUE MUSKOKA June 2017 just fly away he says According to Lieberknecht hawk species tend to have easy going natures but falcons require more time and effort to train Owls are not trained like a hawk or falcon due to a difference in aptitude and are used only for educational purposes Eagles the king of the predatory birds tend to be harder to train harder to keep and if it doesn t like you you could be the target of abuse If an eagle hates you he doesn t hate you until Friday Lieberknecht says noting that eagles have memories that last a lifetime He hates you for the rest of your life and holds a grudge There are a few misconceptions when it comes to the public s perception of birds of prey Lieberknecht says some people think the birds are aggressive and will attack They re more gentle than a canary I could have this one on me and she will just look at me and preen my hair he says gesturing towards a female Harris s hawk in the room Another common misconception is that falconers are all men In the past four years Lieberknecht has seen more women
interested in falconry than ever before In order to practise falconry in Ontario with a native bird you need to have a small game hunting license and must obtain an apprentice falconry license That involves at least 30 hours of combined field and classroom instruction from an experienced falconer over a period of 15 months including two Octobers which is hunting season A student must learn handling flying housing and feeding It takes time and dedication Laurie Schutt was once one of Lieberknecht s students and now runs her own business from his school She offers workshops for people wanting to experience and learn about falconry and she also presents at small shows and camps Lieberknecht s and Schutt work together at larger events such as fairs winter carnivals weddings and bird control jobs Schutt s interest in falconry began when she was the executive director of the Wye Marsh in Midland which started a bird program Lieberknecht was hired for presentations and Schutt later became his student She loves to teach others about birds and showing them It s rare that after three hours the birds haven t left an impression on someone she says Schutt also helps Lieberknecht with bird breeding which happens from late March until June They breed hawks falcons and Tawny owls which are then sold to select falconers Lieberknecht enjoys the bird breeding season Just seeing a bird lay an egg whether it s captive or in the wild is really something he says with amazement Then you see the egg hatch and all the struggles the bird goes through to get out of the shell When you work with birds of prey you get hooked for life because it becomes part of you says Lieberknecht In fact some of his students keep in touch long after they finish their apprenticeship like the boy who showed up on his doorstep 30 years ago He has his own kids now and lives in Alabama says Lieberknecht I had so much fun with him it was unbelievable That s what learning falconry is all about Above A ferruginous hawk perched Top Matt Lieberknecht of Central Ontario School of Falconry enjoys sharing falconry experiences with others June 2017 UNIQUE MUSKOKA 23
Photographs Courtesy of Muskoka Steamship Historical Society Passengers paid a 2 50 fare for the all day 100 mile cruise aboard the RMS Sagamo in the 1940s Charlie Musgrave seen at the microphone on B deck of the Sagamo did commentary as well as play piano Right Musgrave s band played music such as There ll Always Be An England Far Right
C By Jack Hutton harlie Musgrave the longtime piano player aboard Muskoka s RMS Sagamo woke up on the morning of June 18 1940 wondering whether his world was about to crumble around him Winston Churchill was scheduled to speak to the British House of Commons later that day Millions were anxiously waiting to hear what the recently appointed wartime prime minister would say France Britain s last remaining ally against Adolf Hitler had signed an armistice just one day earlier leaving England all alone against a merciless German war machine that had already conquered Holland Poland Norway and France Musgrave who came to Canada in 1892 at 17 still considered himself a son of England Was his native country about to be invaded Churchill s familiar voice finally came through the radio speaking half a world away to the House of Commons The Battle of France is over The Battle of Britain is about to Photogr aph Co urtesy o f Bala s Museum Charlie Musgrave took his piano to war against Hitler begin Upon this battle depends the survival of Christian civilization Upon it depends our own British life and the long continuity of our institutions and our Empire The whole fury and might of the enemy must very soon be turned on us Hitler knows that he will have to break us in this island or lose the war If we can stand up to him all Europe may be freed and the life of the world may move forward into broad sunlit uplands But if we fail then the whole world including the United States including all that we have known and cared for will sink into the abyss of a new dark age made more sinister and perhaps more protracted by the lights of perverted science Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duties and so bear ourselves that if the British Empire and its Commonwealth last for a thousand years men will still say This was their finest hour June 2017 UNIQUE MUSKOKA 25
Photograph Courtesy of Gravenhurst Archives singing along with Musgrave on piano Bill Buck on violin and Fred Downing on tenor saxophone Many of the passengers had learned the words from Vera Lynn s recording Others had seen the sheet music printed in Canada by Gordon V Thompson a Toronto music publisher whose family cottage was on Walker s Point south of Bala Earlier that spring the Sagamo was fitted with seven new speakers All were turned up to full volume before passing the POW camp While still within earshot of the POWs Musgrave played another new wartime song We ll Meet Again by the same two composers and also recorded by Vera Lynn German POWs march past the Albion Hotel and curious locals on their way to the Calydor prisoner of Musgrave was the life and soul of the war camp on Gravenhurst Bay The first group arrived June 30 1940 Sagamo s 100 mile cruises for two decades Musgrave and his wife Ellen must have chain link fences barbed wire searchlights and doing the commentary as well as the music Everyone who remembers the wartime realized immediately they were listening to guard towers Early the next morning the POWs heard years agrees that he played with a special history As he listened to Churchill s 39 minute speech 64 year old Musgrave the unmistakable sound of a ship s bell as passion during that stressful time He never knew what he was going to do He was going they were having breakfast It was the RMS failed to play There ll Always Be An England to take his piano to war as he played 100 mile Sagamo the largest ship on any of Ontario s as the Sagamo passed the POW camp On the cruises aboard the RMS Sagamo that summer minor lakes passing by on the third day of its return voyage he often played Rule Britannia Everyone knew in Muskoka that the 100 mile cruise schedule It was flying a big with the sound cranked up to full volume Canadian government was about to open a Union Jack on its bow Passengers who had Crew and passengers felt he was speaking up for his homeland They were right prisoner of war camp on Gravenhurst Bay In 1941 Musgrave started playing another Calydor a former sanatorium now turned song which is almost forgotten today The into the POW camp was hidden behind a King Is Still In London celebrated the fact shoreline of high rocks that locals had been that King George VI and Queen Elizabeth calling the cliffs for generations The refused to leave Buckingham Palace All Sagamo passed right by those cliffs minutes England was proud of the Royal couple who after starting its 100 mile cruise at the endured 16 bombings at the palace The Gravenhurst Wharf public especially loved Queen Elizabeth s Musgrave decided he and two fellow comment after the first bombing musicians would play a new tune called I m so glad we were bombed she said We There ll Always Be An England every time can finally look the East End in the eye the Sagamo passed the POW After the war Musgrave continued camp The tune was written the There ll always be an England while there s a country lane playing on the Sagamo until shortly previous summer by two British Wherever there s a cottage small beside a field of grain before he died in 1953 but the glory musicians and had already been There ll always be an England while there s a busy street days of cruise sailing had ended years recorded by British singer Vera Lynn Wherever there s a turning wheel a million marching feet before The many tributes to The timing was perfect On Sunday Red white and blue what does it mean to you Musgrave kept recalling the war years June 30 the first group of German when the future of England was in POWs arrived at Gravenhurst s CNR Surely you re proud shout it a loud Britons a wake doubt and when Musgrave s playing railway station The 146 prisoners of The empire too we can depend on you aboard the Sagamo was a source of war were marched west on Brock Freedom remains these are the chains nothing can break hope and optimism Day after day Street continuing down Bay Street There ll always be an England and England shall be free before turning north at John If England means as much to you as England means to me passengers sang along with him at the top of their voices Street After marching several blocks As Winston Churchill might have said they turned left at Wagner Street towards paid 2 50 for the day long voyage were Gravenhurst Bay arriving at their new camp crowded against the railings staring at the those war years were Charlie Musgrave s finest just after 1 p m The camp was surrounded by shore for a glimpse of the POWs Many were hour It s time we remembered him 26 UNIQUE MUSKOKA June 2017
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Chris Keene Artist Acclaimed artist Christopher Keene now calls Dorset his home 28 UNIQUE MUSKOKA June 2017
Sculpting his dream Article by Dale Peacock Photography by Kelly Holinshead Muskoka artist Christopher Keene describes his life as having come full circle both geographically and artistically Keene s move to Dorset three years ago followed a circuitous route that led him from a prestigious career sculpting in bronze to studying computer modelling in mid life Passion for his art and for artistic challenge took him all the way from his London Ontario birthplace to the Disney Studios in California where he spent an exciting 12 years in the film industry As a teenager Keene ran the water ski school at Clevelands House on his summer break from high school and during his time at the Rhode Island School of Design It was at Clevelands House that he made several lifelong friends one of whom would have a big impact on his life a decade later Keene earned his a bachelor of fine arts degree at the Rhode Island School of Design There he learned bronze casting using the lost wax process in which a duplicate metal sculpture is cast from an original sculpture Intricate works at which Keene excels can be achieved by this method His work tends to be representational and very detailed Continuing his education after attending the Rhode Island School of Design Keene did his graduate studies at Syracuse University on a scholarship He graduated with a masters of fine arts in 1974 Following graduation he received an offer from Fisher Price Toys to design and build gargoyles but he opted to return to Canada where he taught at Sheridan College for a couple of years Although highly creative Keene has a practical nature too I figured if the art thing didn t work out I would always have teaching to fall back on he quips Keene s friend Ross Kirwin whom he met at Clevelands House formed an art investors group that played an integral role in launching Keene s career It provided me with funding to do a series of bronze cast sculptures over a three or four year period Keene says He adds laughing It also meant that I June 2017 UNIQUE MUSKOKA 29
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Above Christopher Keene s sculptures tend to be representational and very detailed Below Salmon Run a major work by Keene is on display at the Manulife Plaza in Los Angeles California Katie Life was good By any measure Keene was a successful and increasingly sought after sculptor But he recognized that art purchases by the public Photograph Christopher Keene never had to take a job making coffee or waiting tables to support my art In the 20 years between 1975 and 1995 Keene s art career took flight resulting in several large commissioned works including a major sculpture called Salmon Run a very large piece commissioned by Manulife for the Manulife Plaza in Los Angeles California It is a sculpture of three bears fishing for salmon Mr Keene is a highly talented sculptor and graphic artist whose work has been acclaimed in Canada and the United States We are indeed fortunate to have one of his works with us in Los Angeles where it is installed at the Manulife Plaza enthuse Karen Baynard Gould when she was vice chair of the facility s board of governors in the mid 1980s Keene was invited to participate in a prestigious show at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington D C and he was represented by major galleries in Canada and the U S It was during that period of life that he married and had two children James and and the commissioning of large sculptures by corporate clients was affected by the vagaries of the economy However he noticed that movies seem to be recession proof offering an escape when times are bad and entertainment when the economy is strong While in that frame of mind Keene bought an early rendition of the Apple Macintosh computer and realized the potential it had as a creative tool He explains I also saw the movie Jurassic Park and it further inspired me But there was a steep learning curve in moving to digital So in 1995 at 46 years of age the husband and father of two went back to school at the Toronto branch of the International Academy of Design to the learn high end computer animation software Alias that was used in the film industry Of the 1 200 applicants only 30 were chosen and Keene was one of them Canada was at the leading edge of animated effects and students like Keene were being scooped up from Sheridan and other media arts schools Having a very traditional arts education June 2017 UNIQUE MUSKOKA 31
also became a member of provided Keene with a the Lions Club and solid foundation He currently serves as speculates I think it president The club has really gave me an inside taken on a park refurbtrack at Disney ishment project for which Chris has a backit is raising funds Not ground in traditional surprisingly Keene designed sculpture and is able to the Centennial Park concept successfully transfer those poster to assist in that skills to digital technology effort for the computer graphics Many of the cast bronze industry says Hoyt sculptures displayed in Yeatman a director and Keene s home and on his Academy Award winning website exude an element senior visual effects of sly humour by making supervisor gentle fun at the follies of To find someone mankind Others present a with a true artistic talent moral dilemma and traditional art I love watching people education is quite rare look at art not just mine everyone wants to do and seeing how they react things digitally without to it he says knowing and Keene considers himself understanding basic art The multi talented Christopher Keene completes a painting that began with details first very fortunate to have lived Chris has the natural developed on his computer his dream and he s still artistic eye when it comes to texture colour and lighting and is says They really got exposed to a very doing it He expounds I always have projects in the works I do less casting in quite an asset to the film industry says different world For a time sculpting took a backseat to bronze since the cost of casting has more Yeatman who supervised Keene s work while Keene s studio work I was just too tired at than quadrupled in a few years He adds working on the movie Armageddon Keene s computer models are prominently the end of the day he recalls And after But I d love to take on another commission featured in many Walt Disney films For a sitting staring at computer monitors in a I ll never really retire Keene is a curious man and he s always decade he created visual effects for Academy darkened room all day I needed the outlet Award nominated movies such as Armageddon that hiking in the mountains afforded me learning He loves watching movies and says I always go more than once The first time and Mighty Joe Young as well as other projects more than I needed to sculpt By 2008 Disney stopped offering long it s for the story and the second time I watch including Bicentennial Man Inspector Gadget term contracts and Keene saw it as a good closely to see how they did the special effects Pearl Harbor and Gone in 60 Seconds Downstairs in his art studio which is still Keene then contributed his talent in the time to retire from Disney and move back to animation realm for a few years before Canada He returned to fine art but with a in the making a painting of a beautiful doeretiring He worked as layout technical focus on utilizing computer software to eyed woman and a white tailed doe deer sits on an easel Keene worked out the painting director on Disney s Home on the Range and develop sculpture techniques He lived in Toronto for a couple of years first on the computer and says Computer sable digital artist on the Academy Awardnominated short Lorenzo More recent where he created several sculpture maquettes technology has really driven me And it still credits include Disney s first CG animated scale models using CAD and 3 D printers does He admits he doesn t really have a favourite feature Chicken Little followed by Meet the When the traffic and general congestion of Robinsons The Little Mermaid Ariel s Beginning the city started to weigh on him Keene piece and certainly nothing that he would be followed the lead of several friends in moving unable to part with and Bolt I m always thinking about what s next so Keene s family stayed in Canada during north Keene s memories of Muskoka from his I don t get too attached to something that s his time living in the U S His children loved visiting him in California and touring the stint at Clevelands House lingered for many been completed he says He thoughtfully studio They especially got a kick out of years until the dream became reality in 2013 posits I think it would be easy to get seeing their father s name on the big screen when he bought a home in Dorset In the complacent if you consider any one finished interest of becoming part of the community piece to be the best Maybe the best is yet to credits and showing their friends his work I think it was good for them Keene he joined the volunteer fire department He be done 32 UNIQUE MUSKOKA June 2017
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Left Rosseau Lake College students participate in a Skype session during a French class Below Trips are a bonding experience for students including a 2002 March Break expedition to Kenya Article by Meghan Smith Photography by Larry Carroll B uilt on the pillars of competence confidence and character Rosseau Lake College is more than a secondary school and more than a property with history For 50 years it has made the most of Muskoka s natural environment and charm by providing top tier educational experiences for students in Grades 7 to 12 Tucked away in the quiet community of Rosseau on its namesake lake it takes the traditional view of Muskoka as an escape and turns that expectation into a personal 34 UNIQUE MUSKOKA June 2017 approach to learning and opportunity for growth I think the core of the school is still the same that the founding board and founding head Mr Ron Perry had envisioned for a school says Lance Postma Rosseau Lake College s current head of school A school that was really attentive to people on campus and that of the environment and outdoor education The fundamental building blocks that started the programming aspect of the school and attracted those first students to
development of individualized learning experiences June 2017 UNIQUE MUSKOKA 35 Photograph Courtesy of Rosseau Lake College the school still resonate today A 1992 graduate of Rosseau Lake College John Di Cesare of Toronto has remained connected to the school Since graduating he s continued his involvement with Rosseau Lake College as the chair of the 50th anniversary steering committee He s also a past president of the alumni association and a past board member Fond memories of school years connections with teachers and friendships that developed through the years as well as the skills learned during his tutelage are all reasons Di Cesare has maintained his engagement with the school I do think Rosseau Lake College has remained the same says Di Cesare It s the Closing ceremonies are a time for celebration for students starting with the first one in 1967 68 when these students were photographed on the steps of the main building same in the sense that it s a small tight knit community with a feeling of setting the school at the forefront of small class sizes allowed for individual focus educational improvements and new and specialized growth opportunities acceptance and care for each other Other schools are doing an iteration of it Rosseau is a small community and Rosseau techniques Although in the early years but we re quite intentional on how we re Rosseau Lake College may have been more Lake College is a relatively small school Trailblazers and trendsetters have been traditional in its approach to students and providing opportunities for students to visiting the location since its inception teaching the outdoor environment and learn says Postma We re being true to form and true to our heritage that we re really trying to understand the students in front of us in order to maximize their learning opportunities Developing individualized learning experiences for students sets the stage for a new generation of learners Rosseau Lake College s introduction of personalized learning profiles is part of the Future Forward program that aims to understand how a student learns and then builds the opportunities for learning based on individual strengths You can learn in your own personal way and also be assessed in your own personal way says board director past teacher and parent Fiona Blair who lives locally For instance during While students take part in programs in a classroom setting the focus at Rosseau Lake College is the formative assessments with the
exam period there are courses where the students have a choice to do an essay a presentation or write an exam They can choose which way they re going to be formally assessed at the end of the semester People can express themselves in such different ways That s what personalized learning is all about Personalized learning profiles are based on multiple intelligences and the four learning styles concrete graphic verbal and abstract Combining the way a student learns with their strengths is another way Rosseau Lake College encourages students to be their best rather than expecting memorization of materials 36 UNIQUE MUSKOKA June 2017 Photograph Courtesy of Rosseau Lake College Above Rosseau Lake College has strong local and international connections Current head of school Lance Postma chats with the Rev Peter Simmons of Rosseau international student Atsushi Hamano and Rosseau business owner Lena Patten a current director of the college where her two sons attended Right Members of the Eaton family in a photo taken in 1929 at Kawandag the former summer home of the Eaton family rather than a one size fits all lecture on a subject The traditional approach is that the teacher decides what that looks like and the learners conform to the teacher s style We re reversing that explains Postma We re saying Okay we re going to find out about the students and how they work and learn and what their interests are and utilize those strengths to maximize their potential and their learning I think that too is the focus on learning as opposed to the focus on teaching That s a paradigm shift and I think that s unique in an educational setting The school has always immersed students in outdoor learning and physical learning as well as traditional classroom teachings The Rosseau Lake College motto is Nature is our lab Discovery is our culture Students engage in learning through experiences including outtrips triathlons and winter festivals Learning outside the classic classroom environment engages students in a way where they can discover their own strengths and abilities Even the word classroom we re changing that We re saying learning spaces because learning is somewhat ubiquitous now says Postma Learning can happen really anywhere especially with the advent and the strength of technology that s available We re not using classrooms we re using learning spaces that utilize our natural environment The encouragement from the administration and especially from me is if you can teach it outside or if they can learn outside then do it Be outside Ronald H Perry the first headmaster of Rosseau Lake School as it was originally called understood the value of the natural landscape and took the first class on a 25 kilometre spring hike around The We ve all been steeped in a traditional manner where we would go through a series of learning for a set period of time and then we would be asked to produce or exhibit our understanding says Postma Generally that came through memorization and then at the end there would be a product and the product would have a grade attached to it The pursuit of the school s core values extends beyond making a grade in a class in order to graduate Personalized learning profiles allow students to self identify their strengths and learning styles The role of the teacher becomes about facilitating the way in which the student connects with the material
Photographs Courtesy of Rosseau Lake College Photograph Courtesy of Rosseau Lake College of Rosseau Lake School in Horn which includes 1967 Nipissing Road Bear The Eaton family built Cave Road and Hekkla extensively on the Road The event became property A pillared annual and was initially mansion which later called the Rosseau became the main school Ramble In 1978 the building was the central hike was redubbed the dwelling while gardens Hekkla for its path stables and even a golf through the small course enhanced the community Each year property Several other students and faculty are families owned the encouraged to run walk property after the Eatons or bike to complete the making use of the many distance One year a buildings for friends and teacher even portaged a family to stay through the canoe the entire distance summers In September 1976 In 1949 new owners then headmaster Douglas Outdoor activities include the Hekkla a 25 kilometre event that takes participants from Rosseau through Hekkla and back Maurice and Lynette Barnett introduced fall outtrips to the school All students enrolled Ditchburns chose the location a southerly Margesson along with business partners Ed in the September semester at Rosseau Lake view of Lake Rosseau the stunning landscape and Billie Brown turned the cottage into a College are required to participate in the of wind swept white pines on granite and a resort called Kawandag Lodge The size of annual outings Each grade is assigned to a beautiful waterfront for swimming and the property and cost of upkeep proved five day expedition in the remote wilderness boating Around this time the Eatons prohibitive with the lodge falling into of Ontario Outtrips are a bonding experience designated the property Kawandag which disrepair until Roger Morris and Maurice for the students and further capitalize on the means the meeting place of the pines in East purchased the location in 1963 In the summers of 1965 and 1966 the natural surroundings as a setting for study Ojibway The name stayed until the inception property became Fort Kawandag marketed as and use of life skills Muskoka s Newest Tourist Attraction Fort The skills of the entrepreneur critical Kawandag was a frontier fort complete with thinking creativity problem solving are raids cannon blasts and stagecoach rides key skills that we are focusing on with our More than 28 000 people visited the fort and students says Postma The history here is a took part in one of the 68 daily mock raids in great connection to talk about and for the summer of 1965 students to really understand I think the Roger Morris and things that have happened Maurice East decided they on the campus and the wanted the property to be history of the property are so something educational rich and connects to what explains Blair They created we re doing it all ties together this Fort Kawandag They The property where the wanted it to be like a school is located boasts a rich Williamsburg in Canada history Four Ditchburn which is a fantastic idea brothers left London Unfortunately it was only England in 1868 to accept well attended in the first land as part of the Free Grants season and Homestead Act The In 2005 Maurice East Ditchburns built a cabin on delivered a speech to the the property and began Royal Canadian Yacht Club Ditchburn Pleasure Boats Ltd which outlined the inception In 1906 John and Lady of Rosseau Lake School Eaton purchased the We were striving valiantly property as a summer home Five day outtrips for Rosseau Lake College students started in 1976 They to resurrect Kawandag from likely for similar reasons the capitalize on the natural surroundings as a setting for study and use of life skills June 2017 UNIQUE MUSKOKA 37
Photograph Courtesy of Rosseau Lake College Photograph Courtesy of Rosseau Lake College the bankruptcy caused by a College became a co educational former owner said East in his institution and began accepting speech Roger and I day students The range of concluded that it would be in students attending as boarders our best interests to find a and as day students continues more meaningful use for the to increase In 2017 the school property and that there could has 100 students Of those 64 be no better legacy than to are boarding for the year and the move forward with the plan remainder are day students The for a new boarding school in diversity of the school population Ontario includes individuals from China In the first newsletter of Japan Singapore and the Rosseau Lake School in May Caribbean as well as the local 1967 headmaster Ronald H Parry Sound and Muskoka Perry was pleased with the communities initial response to the school s The school changed my life opening and pointed me in the right The response to this new direction reveals Di Cesare venture judged by the number The teachers encouraged me to of enquiries and applications Rosseau Lake College students from 1997 take part in sport kayaking events be my best of self and helped has been much greater than uncover talents I did not know I anticipated said Perry in the newsletter coming from Bermuda Montreal Ottawa had specifically public speaking and Enrollment is climbing steadily and Toronto Alliston Exeter Hamilton leadership I owe where I am today to the there is not little doubt that we shall have a Sudbury and Oakville two years I spent at RLC In 1983 Rosseau Lake full house well in advance of the opening dates Geographically the enrollment is well distributed with boys Left The fee structure for Rosseau Lake School during its first year of operation required the addition of pocket money that was paid out at 1 50 to 3 00 per boy according to age Above Field hockey has been a regular competitive favourite at Rosseau Lake College
At the inception of Rosseau Lake School the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario J Keiller MacKay sent a letter to headmaster Ronald Perry stating Doubtless under your eminent leadership and direction Rosseau Lake School will securely lay the educational foundation of many young men who will in later life make a real and substantial contribution to the cultural educational social professional and political life in Canada Now five decades later the 50th anniversary of the school is being marked in many ways Among them the publishing of an anniversary book and special events such as the opening of a time capsule buried by students during the 25th anniversary in 1992 The celebration is expected to draw current students faculty and alumni Proceeds from the 50th anniversary gala event will be used by the school to redesign learning spaces assist with faculty development for the Future Forward program delivery and support more out of classroom experiences With the gala we re bringing back all the members builders and founders of the community including the alumni current parents and families so it ll be a 500 seat party to celebrate the 50 years of existence here in Muskoka Parry Sound explains Postma I think it s a great tradition and to have the students return in 25 years for the 75th anniversary would be magic The same values and goals intended at the outset of Rosseau Lake School are ever present in the evolution of Rosseau Lake College Fifty years have seen the school experience physical changes but have not changed the calibre of education When I take a look at the history of the property the things that we re doing now from a program standpoint just resonate You have to be a bit of a pioneering spirit to be here explains Postma Students have made lasting friendships earned their education developed respect for their environment and continue to contribute to the school as board members at alumni events and as parents of students in the school now How can I not continue to engage The school changed my life and pointed me in the right direction explains Di Cesare I will always be involved with RLC and hope to help encourage other youth and point them in the right direction KNOWLES PLUMBING Muskoka s Bath Plumbing Centre Sales Installation Service Design Consultation Visit our Showroom Featuring the most complete selection of quality bathroom kitchen fixtures Celebrating our 60 th year serving Muskoka 279 Manitoba Street Bracebridge Tel 705 645 2671 visit us at knowlesplumbing com June 2017 UNIQUE MUSKOKA 39
Article by Dawn Huddlestone Photography by Larry Carroll Muskoka residents Lindsay Bellaire and Phillip Psutka are storytellers Both are classically trained actors who met in the University of Windsor s acting program and both were curious how more physical types of performance aerial arts and stage combat in particular could elevate theatre to dramatic and magical heights Following graduation in 2010 Bellaire trained at the Toronto School of Circus Arts learning aerial arts airborne acrobatics performed on long strips of silk or from a suspended hoop while Psutka accumulated almost 500 hours of stage combat training at Rapier Wit Canada s oldest stage combat school There s an abundance of circus arts schools and theatre companies that incorporate aerial arts in Toronto but Bellaire and Psutka knew they had something different to offer They created a theatre company Theatre Arcturus to meld text based theatre aerial arts and stage combat together in a way they hadn t encountered anywhere else Cirque it s not the productions at Theatre Arcturus are text based plays first that incorporate aerial arts and stage combat to enhance the script rather than those physical skills being the main thrust of the performance We were more focused on creating a play where the acting and storytelling comes first and the aerial arts are added in the middle of a scene as a playground or part of the set for the actors to move in says Psutka who writes the scripts for Theatre Arcturus often incorporating his passion for Shakespeare Their first production Weird which they created more than two years ago tells the Above Phillip Psutka as Caliban and Lindsay Bellaire as Ariel in their new show Rough Magic Left In this fight scene from Rough Magic Ariel is knocking Caliban from his vine back to the forest floor June 2017 UNIQUE MUSKOKA 41
story of the witches from Shakespeare s Macbeth using some of the original dialogue some original text from Psutka and aerial arts whenever the witches cast charms It s a huge challenge to mix both says Psutka We really got excited about that kind of work Bellaire and Psutka performed Weird in 2015 at Huntsville s Nuit Blanche North a late night art event where cutting edge artists light up downtown Huntsville It was an experience that piqued their interest in training and performing outside of Toronto There was always this assumption you had to be there to be an actor and to have a theatre company says Bellaire We weren t particularly happy about that Being in the community for Nuit Blanche North we wondered what it might be like to have a space outside of Toronto where we could create our shows When they realized no one was offering aerial arts training in Muskoka they decided to make the move north in September 2015 using space here as a home base from which to create shows and then tour them while offering aerial arts classes to support their efforts They are still searching for the perfect permanent studio space they were at the Foundry in Bracebridge for a while and at The HUB in Huntsville more recently but intend to remain in the Huntsville area In follow up to Weird they have created another Shakespeare inspired show Rough Magic featuring two well known characters from The Tempest Psutka wrote the script and then he and Bellaire began rehearsing to understand how the characters could use aerial arts to augment their interactions Ariel is a sprite that lives mainly in the air and Caliban is a ground based human seen as having more of a monster sort of appeal Psutka says of the two characters from The Tempest We created an original show telling their backstory how they first met before any of the other characters in The Tempest came to the island It s the relationship between these characters that seemingly have nothing in common but which has a very fantastical element to it that allows room for the aerial arts in as literal a way as possible Because Ariel can fly Bellaire uses aerial silks to move through vertical space throughout the performance Caliban lives on 42 UNIQUE MUSKOKA June 2017 Lindsay Bellaire as Ariel and Phillip Psutka as Caliban in their new show Rough Magic Ariel is showing Caliban the view from above for the first time the ground but as humans do has the ability to climb Psutka uses aerial ropes to represent vines and trees that his character can ascend Even if you re not a Shakespeare fan or are unfamiliar with The Tempest you ll still enjoy the show It stands alone from The Tempest and has been written and created in a way that s still accessible says Bellaire You don t have to know the story After a spring premiere in Huntsville Rough Magic will begin touring this summer including performances at the Ottawa and Toronto Fringe Festivals If you think aerial arts would be fun to try Theatre Arcturus offers recreational classes with aerial silks and hoops too some conditioning classes that are more like a workout incorporating climbing and inversions in a circuit and other sessions where you can learn and practice different tricks
Above Lindsay Bellaire demonstrates a basic inverted manoeuvre to student Richelle McLeod at their gym in Huntsville Below Lindsay Bellaire and Phillip Psutka practice a free hang manoeuvre Aerial arts skills do take time to develop but are well worth the effort says Bellaire even if you think you could never do it I can relate to that feeling she says When I first started I had no upper body strength and it took me a while to even to be able to get off the ground I wanted it bad enough that I just kept showing up If you do that you will build the strength It s not the kind of thing where you can come out once and get a really good sense of what it s actually like Bellaire has created programs for kids young adults and adults that build upper body strength while still having fun At first you ll learn the basic way of climbing silks but if you have no upper body strength you might not get far off the ground and that s okay she says Some of the positions you can step up into so you are doing the tricks low to the ground and you are building strength while you are doing them The idea is to build on your skills week to week As for the future it looks bright for this young theatre company Their shows and classes get rave reviews and they plan to build on both They hope to incorporate stage combat training as a comprehensive part of the sessions they offer and to expand their aerial arts classes to include professional training as well But Theatre Arcturus is first and foremost a theatre company That is our passion and our background and where our training stems from says Psutka We are aiming to develop a new show every one to two years and building an audience here with Muskokans who are the first people we share the show with and then tour it from there Our ultimate dream would be to have our own space and be able to offer a season where our work is showcased adds Bellaire We would also bring other works up to be part of that season and tour our own shows in addition to that Their story continues to evolve but there s no question that Theatre Arcturus will continue to captivate audiences with gravitydefying art and poetic storytelling that combine for a magical experience June 2017 UNIQUE MUSKOKA 43
June 2017 UNIQUE MUSKOKA 44
W hen serving tea to friends and family Muskoka potter Carmen Somerville likes to put out an assortment of her handmade cups and mugs and watch what happens next It is fun to see what people gravitate to she says adding they take time to carefully select the one that s right for them People are very particular about their mugs Somerville s functional pottery mugs are an eclectic mix of different styles and colours She makes a variety of sizes handles added curves and more so it will feel just right in your hand In addition to mugs she creates wine cups bowls planters jewellery and more in her Bracebridge studio Somerville took her first pottery course in 2008 when she and her husband were living in Ottawa and she was at home with their first child Pottery is something I ve always loved she says I signed up for a beginner night course to get out of the house Article by Sandy Lockhart Photography by Tomasz Szumski 45 UNIQUE MUSKOKA June 2017 June 2017 UNIQUE MUSKOKA 45
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Carmen Somerville creates pottery in her bright newly finished studio in Bracebridge keep my sanity and meet some people She fell in love with it and the following Christmas her husband surprised her with the advanced pottery course as a gift I was on maternity leave and money was tight so it was very special she says He probably hoped if I learned to make it I wouldn t buy as much It hasn t happened It s an addiction After just two years away Somerville and her husband returned to Muskoka When you are away you realize how much you depend on family and friends she says That network Sunday brunches with friends and family meals Those are the moments you take for granted Moving away from Muskoka made Somerville appreciate the area so much more and she believes it shows in her work which is inspired by summer memories Blues turquoise and other water colours they are the soft romantic hues that I m attracted to so it only makes sense that I work with them she says She hopes the pieces she creates will become important keepsakes for those who purchase them It is an honour that people are making memories enjoying these kinds of moments with my work in their hands she says The people buying my dishes may pass them on to others It is clay so it will last longer than me She knows how important those special Carmen Somerville creates an eclectic mix of pottery from wine cups and serving bowls to jewellery and planters June 2017 UNIQUE MUSKOKA 47
pieces can be as she has a few of element The back of the her own When Somerville was in necklaces are raw so you can add her early 20s her mother died I essential oils and wear the scent still have those teapots and cups throughout the day Somerville we drank tea from she says I m says fortunate to have those memories Her knitting bowls are as and the things associated with beautiful as they are functional them and make popular gifts In addition to her mugs Textiles are coming back Somerville enjoys creating her she says There is a large popular wine cups She wants her handmade movement resurfacing customers to have a connection to right now the artwork they are buying I Somerville is proud to come carve them all a little differently from a family of people who she says explaining some are worked with their hands textured the lip styles are different My mom was a crafter Blues turquoises and other soft hues are the mainstay of Carmen and each has a unique shape It s a knitter and sewer she says It is Somerville s colour palette personal thing engrained in me that handmade The cups are practical too as the pottery warm she explains gifts are best they mean so much more also does a great job of keeping white wine The bowls are carved and textured and in Sometimes when sitting at the potter s cool Your hands don t warm it up she says an assortment of spring and summer colours wheel she looks down at her hands and sees of the cup I like spring and summer colours she how closely they resemble her mother s hands Bowls each with a different purpose fill says When I look at them they bring hope It is like I m looking at my mother s walls in her studio I choose a flared salad to me a little bright spot hands It is a very cool moment she says of bowl but for mashed potatoes it needs to Her necklaces are also inspired by Muskoka the connection curve in or go straight up to keep them summers and have an unexpected design Drawing inspiration from her mother s Elevate Yourself 705 645 4567 InclinedElevation com InclinedElevation 48 UNIQUE MUSKOKA June 2017
gardens Somerville creates pottery flowers and she uses them as accents on her containers but also makes some into jewelry The flowers just make me smile she says They show up everywhere A keen plant propagator Somerville creates many variations of hanging planters Each planter is different hand carved and glazed with the same palette of light fresh spring and summer Muskoka colours My planters are smaller as I m always trying to grow little bits she says Every room needs a plant Her mother s early death and later the loss of her father has made Somerville realize how important it is to do something with your life that makes you happy It is amazing to have this opportunity to do something that I m passionate about she says Sometimes in the studio I just lose track of time This is a sign that this is what I should be doing She adds When I m sitting at the wheel my husband says I get a silly smile on my face Managing family life along with her artistic work requires balance I need to be a wife and mom too Somerville says Fortunately her family is very supportive Her husband has put in countless hours on her new studio and her father in law even built a handcrafted shelf for her work Somerville s daughters ages five and 10 love to create their own works of art She points to some work drying on a shelf They were out here with friends It was a bit of a disaster afterwards but worth it Somerville says Her new studio will be open by appointment this summer In the meantime you might catch her at a show She ll no doubt be displaying all of her pottery but closely studying the reaction to her one of a kind mugs They all have their own personality she says and one has to wonder if she is talking about the person or the piece When her work catches someone s eye she encourages them to pick it up touch it and try it out See if you are going to connect with the mug she says It is important That s because she hopes the chosen piece will be used for those special moments and in later years be a symbol and reminder of those irreplaceable memories 21 Robert Dollar Dr Bracebridge ON P1L 1P9 705 645 6575 BRACEBRIDGE GENERATION LTD Water Power Generating a Cleaner Environment Interested in more information or a free tour www bracebridgegeneration com Downtown Bracebridge Momma Bear s Ice Cream Sweets Across from the post office
T By J Patrick Boyer Muskoka was part of this general phenomenon beginning from 1860s colonization when a variety of faith based communities gradually began displacing or supplementing the Ojibway and their indigenous ancestors who had inhabited the land for thousands of years Their religious beliefs and rituals constituted the starting point for Muskoka s faith based living Many European settlers drawn by the promise of free land and a new beginning brought Bibles with them Hundreds still endure as family treasures and archival prizes because in addition to scripture which provided devotional inspiration to true believers The front and back pages were often inscribed with a century or more of Photographs Courtesy of Jack Goodman Camp New Moon he very name New World invited imaginings of a complete makeover including for devotees of faiths who sought a new space and religious freedom Some persecuted minorities from the Old World such as Quakers Mennonites Hutterites and Doukhobors began North American colonies where they enjoyed security of worship Other religious colonists meshed radical social principles with their religious beliefs creating experimental settlements Campers and staff at Camp New Moon have evolved from 1950s clothing styles and emphasis on religion but gathering around the central flag pole is an unchanging ritual 50 UNIQUE MUSKOKA June 2017
Photograph Courtesy of Jack Goodman Camp New Moon The diving tower remains central to Camp New Moon s wide ranging activities for succeeding generations of mostly but not exclusively Jewish clientele Like other Jewish camps in Muskoka founded when antiSemitic barriers denied access elsewhere New Moon met a need to preserve cultural traditions free grant lands So boldly was McMurray enthralled that he envisaged Muskoka along with neighbouring districts Parry Sound and Nipissing becoming a prospering homeland for millions of settlers It was a bright future similarly promoted by railway companies and land promoters who saw the waiting vast space on the empty map It was McMurray s calling like a religious prophet to lead others to the Promised Land To advance his dream of a clean living community of devout Christians he laid out Photograph Gayle Dempsey Muskoka Chautauqua genealogical information the dates of births marriages and deaths of generations As Methodist Anglican Catholic Pentecostal Baptist and Presbyterian churches were established it appeared as if the entire district was a faith based community Church services were well attended not only because they provided the principal weekly social gatherings in pioneering days but also because they reinforced the congregation s bond as one another s keepers Fellow confessionals were Muskoka s original support group and first responders in a laissez faire era of no health programs or government social programs The New World s inspiring potential captivated Thomas McMurray Not an ordained clergyman but a devout Methodist and ardent prohibitionist he believed sufferers in the squalor and sin of Europe s overcrowded cities needed a fresh start Born in Scotland McMurray settled in Ireland married and began a family but hated the way the Irish were aching from famine and disease distraught by drink and jammed into filthy cities In May 1861 with his wife Elizabeth and children McMurray sailed from Londonderry straight into the promise of North America In Muskoka he discovered the ideal place to build New Jerusalem and devoted his evangelical fervour in equal measure to the abolition of alcohol and the settlement of the Lake Rosseau s refreshing waters provided part of Muskoka Chautauqua s spiritual refreshment in harmony with nature balancing lectures and plays poetry and water sports a site for Muskokaville in 1863 which the government ordered surveyed While no longer in existence Muskokaville was located in what is now the Town of Bracebridge When municipal government was organized in 1868 Thomas was elected first reeve of central Muskoka s United Townships of Draper Macaulay Stephenson and Ryde When Reeve McMurray realized the province s lacklustre effort in recruiting homesteaders needed a more robust communications plan he started the Northern Advocate the first newspaper in Ontario s northland Informative and authoritative the Northern Advocate encouraged settlement by providing practical tips from personal experience of free grant homesteaders travel schedules ship and train fares all laced with moral maxims for right living With help from railway and sailing companies the newspaper printed in Bracebridge was distributed to northern tier American states and Great Britain McMurray followed up in 1871 with the first book printed in Muskoka The Free Grant Lands of Canada Muskoka s land boom got underway as the poor and unemployed the adventuresome and those who just wanted a fresh start streamed into the district with visions of becoming landed gentry on their free farms Most accounts of pioneering settlement in Muskoka focus on the disparate individuals and families who with varying degrees of success hacked their homesteads from the June 2017 UNIQUE MUSKOKA 51
wilderness It is a saga of individualism and a story of community in the sense of spontaneous neighbourly responses by settlers who depended on each other for survival They aided one another in barnraising bees and skidding logs to the river sharing the work of harvesting and threshing delivering babies and burying the dead Less known is the parallel arrival of those coming as a group An individual settler had to scout Muskoka s terrain to find a prospective piece of farmland and then if it was still available rush to register a claim with the Crown lands agent It was different for those arriving through organized settlement programs One system for bringing settlers en masse was the commercial land company a corporate venture that was to the 1800s what a real estate developer with a plan of subdivision would be today Another was the resettlement program for waifs from Britain s slums back alleys and orphanages by the privately run Homes for Children operations headed by Dr Thomas Barnardo William Quarrier and others Beyond the pious pledge of a new life in the clean open spaces of Canada there was nothing particularly religious about delivering children 52 UNIQUE MUSKOKA June 2017 onto scattered Canadian railway platforms with a name and number on cardboard tied around their neck Some Barnardo Boys as these children became known certainly got good breaks as did some other new arrivals but the majority lived in unsupervised remote areas where they were exploited and abused It was akin to the pattern then unfolding in church run and equally unsupervised residential schools for aboriginal children These re settlement programs were Britain s way of uplifting its own society by exporting social problems to its colonies convicted criminals to Australia impoverished and unschooled orphans to Canada This Home Children project ran from 1870 to 1930 coinciding with Muskoka s settlement phase and high demand for farm hands and bush workers Photograph Courtesy of Fox Meadow Collection Photograph Courtesy of Heritage Committee Wahta Mohawk Community Above Wahta Post Office photographed in 1888 with band members was run by Chief Louis Sahanatien from 1884 to 1915 Below Impoverished orphans from England this one helping work a field were promised a better life in Muskoka This supply of free labour populated north Muskoka with the highest per capita concentration in all Canada of child workers from Britain Another resettlement system bringing adults from Britain to Muskoka was explicitly faithbased Among those prominently sending settlers to meet Muskoka s demand was Reverend Styleman Herring vicar of a poor parish in Clerkenwell part of London s east end Many poor and unemployed people were enticed to farm Muskoka s free land by emigration philanthropists writes Donna Williams in Hardscrabble The High Cost of Free Land showing how Muskoka s settlement history had deep roots on both sides of the Atlantic Herring s organization the Clerkenwell and East London Emigration Society sent hundreds of his impoverished parishioners to Ontario more coming to Muskoka than any other destination for free land and a fresh start Rev Herring had himself visited Muskoka in 1870 attending a banquet in Bracebridge at which Ontario s premier and others lauded the new Free Grant Lands program then into its third year of operation But in Muskoka s saga of settlement based on religion surely the 33 Mohawk families relocated by the federal government in the autumn of 1881 from Oka in Quebec to the Wahta or Gibson reserve stands as unique First Nation peoples had been in this Muskoka territory for some nine thousand years but the Mohawks arrived as First Nation pioneers to establish their homes and community much like other non Native settlers of the late 1800s Life at Oka or Kanesatake had become one big religious conflict Many of the Iroquoian nations in the Six Nations Confederacy had adopted the Catholicism of the French but some Mohawks converted to Protestantism following the British conquest They were denigrated by the French ostracized by Catholic Natives and with encouragement by Sulpician priests their church at Oka was burned to the ground When the Protestant Mohawks arrived in western Muskoka they were welcomed
by a blizzard that left them and their tents in a foot of snow Combining traditional ways and newer farming methods the devout families began a difficult period of establishing their new community but at least free to worship as they chose In the 20th century as the settlement era melded into Muskoka s vacation economy the Chautauqua organization which began on New York state s forested Lake Erie shoreline and then spread across the United States and Canada took root in Muskoka This was a back to the land movement that incorporated moral uplift with intellectual stimulus cultural enrichment and close harmony with nature Muskoka s Chautauqua became the bestknown of the permanently established communities in Canada buying a large resort on Tobin s Island Additional cabins were built by members who returned each summer to what was billed as Canada s Literary Chautauqua Its many literary luminaries mingled with prominent religious figures Plays poetry readings and lectures by summering professors mixed with Sunday morning devotional services all in the glorious outdoors Muskoka Chautauqua included a naturalist component and its religious dimension crossed a continuum from Methodism to Theosophy As well summer camps became popular for particular religions with more than 50 at various times providing outdoor adventure swimming woodland hikes and canoeing for self selecting clusters of Baptist Anglican Catholic Methodist and Jewish campers Camp New Moon at Baysville became one of several excellent Muskoka camps for Jewish youngsters Some summers craving better competition on the baseball diamond to improve their game the camp s director Al Goodman invited a pick up team of Bracebridge boys to take on New Moon s best ball players Feeling smug after winning by scores like 18 2 the Bracebridgites were then treated at the camp hall to refreshing fruit punch sumptuous baking and funny original skits by highly talented youngsters which showed the locals that driving the ball into the lake for a grand slam homer was just one talent among many just as one district could be home to a diversity of faiths 1029 Taylor Ct Bracebridge ON P1L 0A1 705 645 8000 www rockyislandtire com SERVING MUSKOKA LAKES FOR 4 GENERATIONS Septic Systems Licensed Installer Specializing in Island Septic Systems Barging of all Materials Dock Building Excavating C W B Certified BROWNING ISLAND JOHN ARCHER 705 645 9586 705 646 3015 johnarcher live com June 2017 UNIQUE MUSKOKA 53
Cottage Country Cuisine Packing the perfect picnic lunch Article by Karen Wehrstein Photography by Heather Douglas A wide assortment of hot and cold food can be considered when packing the perfect picnic Heading out by land or water to your favourite Muskoka locale for a day of fun with family or friends Muskoka s best culinary professionals offer some tips and advice to pack the perfect picnic lunch for your excursion Sous chef Justin Hutchings of Sherwood Inn near Port Carling has a way of elevating the lowly BLT sandwich into a glorious thing It s a sandwich I ve made a lot of times in the past It has prosciutto arugula heirloom tomatoes basil pesto and grainy Dijon Hutchings says What do you want to eat in the summer Refreshing things that aren t heavy on your stomach The prosciutto is light the arugula is fresh and 54 UNIQUE MUSKOKA June 2017 the tomatoes are nice and sweet He adds The pesto brings everything together it s a refreshing flavour that people don t usually put on sandwiches Buy a big long baguette and all the ingredients and you have it for four sandwiches Hutchings scours the local farmers markets in search of his ingredients and advises you to do the same I buy all the ingredients for the sandwich at the farmers market and the baguette at the bakery he says Rather than buying it jarred he makes his own basil pesto using olive oil imported from Italy that he buys at the Gravenhurst farmers market Sherwood Inn will happily create custom boxed lunches for guests who want to head off on day long car tours boat trips hikes bicycle excursions horseback rides ATV adventures and any other kind of fun requiring a lunch For sandwiches the kitchen crew does as Hutchings recommends Wrap it twice in plastic wrap really tightly so the ingredients don t flop all over the place and it s nice and compact when you eat it When made for Sherwood Inn guests the lunch goes into an embroidered cloth bag Other items add freshness and crunch We mix it up Hutchings says Some people will get pears apples a plum maybe There s usually a chocolate bar but sometimes they re more health conscious and want a granola bar There s something
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Top photos Chef David Friesen of Riverwalk Restaurant and the Pasta Tree and Smokehouse in Bracebridge creates a salad in a jar for those who want to enjoy greens with their picnic The jar serves as a salad bowl Bottom photos Buns and corn can be kept hot when wrapped in foil and packaged in an insulated container filled with heated items crunchy chips or Smartfood popcorn Plus a juice box orange and apple or whatever they want and a water bottle The lunches are made at least 90 minutes in advance so everything is cool something to keep in mind when making your own How did Hutchings get the idea for the Deluxe BLT The inspirations pop into your head when you re putting together a menu he says People automatically think cold when they consider picnic lunches but it doesn t have to be that way Annette Gillan the owner of Well Fed Inc in Gravenhurst knows how to pack a picnic lunch that s more like a dinner and will stay hot right to your destination You re going to need two coolers one for your cold stuff one for your hot stuff says Gillan who offers a menu of BottleBox Lunches with the sandwich of your choice salad or root vegetable chips and 56 UNIQUE MUSKOKA June 2017 fruit and vegetables on the side She suggests buying a cooler kit with one large and one small cooler designating the small one for hot food and using aluminum foil as it s great for keeping things hot and fresh If you ve got say corn on the cob wrap the cobs in foil right out of the pot and pack them at the bottom of the cooler because they can t get squished she advises The next layer is your entr e For example Gillian s own Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf You can either keep it whole or slice it and pack the slices back together tightly foil wrapped to preserve the heat On top of that go the buns also wrapped in foil the heat from the other foods will warm them nicely Fill it right to the top make sure the lid closes tight and it ll stay hot for hours Gillan says Meanwhile fill the big cooler with your fresh fruit and veggies salad butter condiments desserts cold drinks etc If you re using frozen food or drink items instead of freezer packs to keep things cool make sure you set them out at your destination soon enough that they re thawed in time to enjoy If your ideal summer lunch is a salad chef David Friesen created a salad in a jar recipe exclusively for Unique Muskoka This energetic chef rushes back and forth to perform his duties at two Bracebridge eateries Riverwalk Restaurant and the Pasta Tree and Smokehouse As the latter is located within an inn it offers boxed lunches for guests For sandwiches I do egg salad shaved roast beef smoked chicken standard kind of stuff Friesen says We usually put in water juice salad the sandwiches a piece of fruit and either cookies or squares that they make here in house There s no set menu each customer has their own thing
He adds We do a lot of things in jars at the hotel desserts in jars take out stuff in jars The layered salad is super easy Feel free to use any kind of dressing and salad ingredients When you get to the picnic site you turn it upside down and mix it together and eat it right out of the jar You don t have to deal with messy plates It can translate to taking something healthy to the office for lunch too Like Hutchings Friesen is a fan of buying ingredients from local farmers markets I like to use seasonal local ingredients in all my cooking he says Find the freshest produce and support a local farmer Friesen suggests freezing your water and juice to keep the cooler cool More of his picnicking pro tips If you re adding proteins to your salad they should be cooked through and chilled you don t want anything raw in there Use real linen that s always nice makes it more special Debbie Murray is the manager of the Deli Lama located in the Muskoka Natural Food Market in Bracebridge one of Muskoka s long established health food stores Naturally she suggests organic ingredients for your healthy picnic in the midst of nature s rejuvenating splendour You can get chocolate ginger cookies from our bakery a Running Man Smoothie from our caf and more from the store kale chips or build your own trail mix from our bulk section with nuts seeds coconut and that sort of thing she suggests You re getting your protein from the Tofu Tandoori and the hummus using healthy wraps fresh veggies and raw sprouts Tofu Tandoori Murray explains uses a marinating process just the same as chicken allowing the tandoori flavours to permeate the tofu just as they would with chicken It s a store recipe that the Deli Lama offers as a special now and then to rave reviews from guests Keeping the environment healthy is also part of the Muskoka Natural Food Market s philosophy so accordingly Murray recommends using reusable containers rather than disposable packaging The smoothie should go into a thermal container she recommends Pick a destination follow these tips from these picnic pros head on out and enjoy an awesome lunch Rotary Centre for Youth 131 Wellington St Bracebridge 705 644 2712 www clubrunner ca bracebridge June 2017 UNIQUE MUSKOKA 57
Tandoori Tofu Courtesy of the Deli Lama Ingredients over tofu coating well and let sit for 30 minutes 2 blocks firm tofu cut into small cubes J uice and zest of a lemon 1 2 cup tamari 2 tsp rice syrup tsp each coriander cumin and turmeric powders P inch crushed red chilies 1 medium onion Preparation Saut onion slowly to caramelize Add all ingredients other than tofu to onions pour Annette Gillan owner of Well Fed in Gravenhurst knows how to pack a picnic lunch that s more like a dinner and will stay hot right to your destination 58 UNIQUE MUSKOKA June 2017 Put on a baking dish and bake at 350 F for 20 minutes When the tofu tandoori is cool take an 11 organic wrap spread wrap with hummus add spinach raw vegetables to your liking sprouts and hot sauce Makes 4 5 wraps Travels well
Recipes Deluxe BLT Courtesy of Justin Hutchings Sherwood Inn Ingredients 1 garlic olive baguette cut width wise into four pieces 150 grams sliced prosciutto 2 3 medium sized heirloom Roma tomatoes sliced Arugula to taste cup basic basil garlic pesto see recipe below 3 tbsp grainy Dijon mustard Salt and pepper to taste Extra virgin olive oil to desired thickness Salt and pepper to taste Preparation Grind all ingredients except olive oil together in a food processor or blender Add oil while mixing to desired thickness suitable for spreading Makes four big sandwiches Salad in a Jar Basil garlic pesto Courtesy of David Friesen Riverwalk Restaurant Pasta Tree Smokehouse 50 grams good quality Parmesan 1 bunch of basil picked off stem 4 cloves garlic 60 grams of pine nuts In two 1 litre wide mouth jars layer the ingredients Start the first layer as the dressing Avoid using egg based dressing for food safety reasons Layer heaviest to lightest with greens near the top to avoid being wilted by the Fresh Herb Vinaigrette dressing Ensure proteins are cup red wine vinegar thoroughly cooked and chilled cup olive oil before adding 1 8 cup chopped herbs parsley basil rosemary thyme Salt and pepper to taste Ingredients cup Fresh Herb Vinaigrette recipe below Preparation 1 medium roasted beet cubed Securely attach lids pack in your long English cucumber picnic basket standing upright cubed When you re ready to eat turn jar cup cherry tomatoes upside down to distribute medium sized red onion dressing Eat directly from jars thinly sliced 2 cups Grenville Farm arugula or greens washed and dried cup cooked chickpeas cup Johnston s Marsh dried cranberries cup pumpkin seeds BBQ Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf Courtesy of Annette Gillan Well Fed Inc Ingredients 2 75 to 3 lbs lean ground beef 1 yellow onion diced tsp garlic powder or 1 clove pressed or finely minced fresh garlic tsp fresh ground black pepper 2 eggs 6 slices of bacon Your favorite barbeque sauce for glazing Preparation In a large bowl blend beef onion garlic and eggs together with your hands or a standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment Shape into a loaf and place in a shallow rectangular baking pan at least 2 inches deep Line with foil for easier cleaning Starting at one end lay each slice of bacon over loaf width wise allowing the ends to hang on either side Tuck ends under both sides so that the bacon is wrapped around the loaf Lift from pan immediately and discard drippings Bake at 350 F degrees for approximately 30 40 minutes or until thermometer reads between 140 to 150 F Remove from oven and drizzle or brush barbeque sauce over the top of loaf allowing sauce to drip down both sides Feeds 4 6 people Place loaf back in the oven for another 15 20 minutes to allow the sauce to get sticky The meatloaf is fully cooked when the internal temperature reaches at least 160 F June 2017 UNIQUE MUSKOKA 59
www muskokaconservancy org Your grandchildren will thank you FULL PAGE Muskoka Conservancy Conserving nature in Muskoka Join us today 60 UNIQUE MUSKOKA June 2017 A registered charity
The District of Muskoka is going to battle against roadside invasive species specifically Giant Hogweed Japanese Knotweed and Phragmites It aims to control the spread of these plants with the goal of eradicating them from the area entirely through a combination of herbicide use and removal of the soil and plant material Giant Hogweed is perhaps the most noxious of the three The plant s clear watery sap contains toxins that can cause severe skin inflammation painful blisters and burns if the skin is then exposed to sunlight Purplish scars may result and last for many years Phragmites is an aggressive grass that not only outcompetes native species for water and nutrients its roots release toxins into the soil to kill or hinder the growth of surrounding plants Japanese Knotweed is a semi woody plant that spreads quickly in dense thickets that degrade wildlife habitats and reduces plant biodiversity Its roots have even been known to break through asphalt and concrete You can help by visiting the District of Muskoka s invasive species webpage to learn how to identify these plants report sightings and manage them on your own property The GTA isn t the only region with a hot real estate market Muskoka and surrounding areas are experiencing rising real estate prices and record or near record real estate sales For the first quarter of 2017 residential non waterfront sales recorded by the Lakelands Association of Realtors were 24 5 per cent higher than the first three months of 2016 In March residential nonwaterfront sales were up 42 per cent from March 2016 and just one sale shy of the March record set in 2004 The median price for residential nonwaterfront property sales was a record 320 000 in March 2017 an increase of 26 5 per cent from March 2016 The total Photograph Courtesy of Rebecca Willison What s Happened Phragmites is an aggressive grass that outcompetes native species for water and nutrients of all residential non waterfront property sales in March 2017 was 77 8 million 90 4 per cent higher than March 2016 and the highest level of any month on record Waterfront properties saw an increase as well up 11 8 per cent in March 2017 and 6 5 per cent higher for the first quarter both record numbers The median price for waterfront sales was 480 000 in March 2017 up 12 9 per cent from the previous year The total value of waterfront sales at 54 5 million was down slightly at 9 4 per cent lower than in March 2016 Non waterfront and waterfront sales are both running at record levels with no signs of slowing down as we head into the busiest time of the year says Mike Taylor president of The Lakelands Association of Realtors That said with supply still falling there is some question as to whether there will be enough properties on the market to allow sales to continue at this pace Muskoka s seasonal population surpasses its permanent one by approximately 18 per cent 59 per cent seasonal versus 41 per cent permanent While Statistics Canada collects information on permanent households information on second homes is limited but is vital for planning infrastructure projects and emergency medical services and is valuable for health care agencies lake associations and local businesses The District of Muskoka is preparing a second home study to update its information on second homes in the region this year It will identify seasonal dwellings using the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation data and will mail an invitation to participate in the study to those property owners It will also reach out to eligible study participants via June 2017 UNIQUE MUSKOKA 61
Despite a heavy snowfall this winter and above average rainfall in April 155 6 mm of precipitation as measured at the Beatrice weather station versus 64 4 mm in April 2016 widespread flooding was averted throughout much of Muskoka The decrease in flooding over 2016 can likely be attributed to several factors says Lisa Noonan general manager of the Muskoka Lakes Association MLA First a slower melt of the snow pack particularly in Algonquin Provincial Park meant that water levels in the Muskoka watershed didn t rise as quickly Photograph Dawn Huddlestone local lake associations and businesses The study will launch online in mid June and will be available for completion until the end of August Print copies can also be submitted to the District of Muskoka office The District of Muskoka has been collecting data on second homes since 1973 and completed its previous study in 2013 The waterfront floating finger docks have risen high above the neighbouring land in downtown Huntsville as they might have with a faster melt Noonan also says that it appears Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry staff lowered water levels further within their normal operating zone a move the Muskoka Lakes Association s Water Level Task Force has been pushing for We re looking for changes to the Muskoka River Water Management Plan which didn t take into account climate change says Noonan The plan expired in 2016 and has been extended for at least another five years but the MLA is asking for an update now It s the best way to enact change Steel Dock Construction Structural Steel Welding Steel Fabrication Project Management Professional Barge Service 62 UNIQUE MUSKOKA June 2017
Noonan noted the Muskoka Lakes Association had not received many reports of damage due to water levels or ice by midMay but that those numbers could increase as more seasonal residents open their cottages for the season Initial results from the 2016 census have been released and they show that overall Muskoka is growing The permanent population in the region has grown 2 3 per cent since 2011 with the towns showing the most growth four per cent in Huntsville 3 9 per cent in Bracebridge and 2 1 per cent in Gravenhurst The situation is reversed in Muskoka s townships which show minimal growth or a decline since 2011 a 0 7 per cent increase in Georgian Bay and decreases of 1 8 per cent and 9 7 per cent respectively in Muskoka Lakes and Lake of Bays Seasonal residents are not included in the census but it does include the number of seasonal dwellings in comparison to permanent dwellings Statistics for 2016 indicate that the overall number of permanent dwellings is up 5 3 per cent while seasonal dwellings are down 7 3 per cent since 2011 for an overall decrease of 0 7 per cent Those numbers don t appear to tell the whole story however as they differ from data gathered by the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation MPAC According to MPAC there was an overall growth of 2 5 per cent in private dwellings from 2011 to 2016 two per cent in permanent dwellings and 3 1 per cent in seasonal dwellings A similar discrepancy between census counts and MPAC data occurred in the 2011 census as well A Statistics Canada review in 2011 which was requested by the District of Muskoka found that the discrepancy was due to a combination of factors including exclusion of dwellings within municipal boundaries out migration which resulted in unoccupied dwellings and errors in counting seasonal dwellings District staff also found that the census does not count marginal dwellings non winterized cottages and cabins for example June 2017 UNIQUE MUSKOKA 63
Living in Muskoka The perfect view from every side Article by Dianne Park Thach Photography by Andy Zeltkalns A spacious dining area with a beautiful view is one of the numerous design features of Barrie and Noreen Faulkner s home W hen Barrie and Noreen Faulkner decided to sell their lakefront home and build a new one they thought about constructing something a little out of the ordinary Their sons were grown up and out on their own so the Faulkners felt like taking on something different 64 UNIQUE MUSKOKA June 2017 For years Barrie was talking about living in a silo and I was like I don t want to live in a silo Noreen laughs Barrie had some books on octagonal shaped houses and pitched that idea to her When he came up with octagonal house idea I said Wow Yes let s go with that While the eight sided home looks interesting from the outside every bit of the interior has a story of how it was lovingly crafted by the couple They didn t want things to look conventional and their creativity is evident as soon as you open the front door A coat closet was built using Balkan ash and Barrie points out the wormholes in it
Top left A beautiful second floor bathroom has a wonderful view of the grounds below Top right Barrie and Noreen Faulkner s creatively designed octagonal house Middle right Made from hundreds of individual tiles this rendition of a mermaid in the shower was artistically created by the Faulkners Left The fine woodwork design throughout the Faulkner s home is a result of Barrie s craftsmanship Far left An old style candlestick telephone adds ambiance to a cozy nook in the front hall June 2017 UNIQUE MUSKOKA 65
Call Mike Morrow 705 765 3195 www morrow electric com Serving Muskoka Lakes since 1952 rewiring alterations heating NEVER be left in the DARK or COLD get a quality home standby generator by GENERAC Buying or Selling Muskoka Think Rosskoka For the informed professional real estate service you expect Hallmark Realty Ltd Brokerage In Muskoka Ross McLean Peter Steele Broker Broker Laura Stevens Lucy McLean Sales Representative Sales Representative 7 05 706 1 1 77 w w w r os s k ok a c om John W Hiley B Sc O L S Douglas W Jemmett O L S Limited ONTARIO LAND SURVEYORS 127 Keith Road Bracebridge Ontario P1L 0A1 Est 1885 by William Galbraith O L S D L S P ENG Phone 705 645 4611 800 494 1443 705 645 1845 Fax Email surveys muskokasurveyors com Website www muskokasurveyors com Latitude 45 00 58 467 N Longitude 79 18 33 152 W Association of Ontario Land Surveyors 66 UNIQUE MUSKOKA June 2017 LSR www landsurveyrecords com MUSKOKA BUILDERS A S S O C I AT I O N I wanted it to look like an old piece of furniture An ice box he says pointing to the hardware The floor tile in the front sitting room was inspired by Osborne House on the Isle of Wight and was assembled by cutting 12 x 12 inch tile into pieces A clear stained glass panel above the door that opens to the rest of the house was designed with a Muskoka scene Barrie loves that the images of rocks made of glass The door beneath the panel was inspired by a picture of a door they saw in a book of a chateau in France from the 17th century Barrie made all doors in the house In the old days the doors were handmade because they didn t come out of factories he says You started with your front door being the masterpiece pushing the limit of the door maker When you come into the house the doors behind the front door were nice but not as nice as the front door Cherry black walnut and pine can be found throughout the house In the dining area a long harvest style dining table made of black walnut was built by Barrie using hand tools In the old days when they used to flatten everything by hand they didn t have enough time or energy to finish the back so underneath it s not level says Barrie running his hand on the uneven surface underneath the tabletop When you travel through Europe and tour through an old castle if you feel the wood underneath the table it s not level The feature wall in the living area off the kitchen was made with five different sizes of bricks from Detroit Mich and houses a fireplace Barrie points to the bricks with character one with a name scrawled on it one with a piece of metal sticking out and one with paint on it A delivery guy came in once and said You re so lucky you found that piece of old wall to build on says Barrie smiling That s the effect I wanted that this was a piece of old wall and that the kitchen was here already and we had to work around them A feeling of airiness is added to the space with a Corning glass tile insert in the floor above the fireplace When the fireplace downstairs is lit you can see the glow through the glass when you re upstairs The light on
A glass section of flooring on the second level provides some extra light to a cozy sitting area below June 2017 UNIQUE MUSKOKA 67
those glass bricks are just magic at night says Barrie On the second floor of the house a few of Barrie s sculptures sit on display The upstairs washroom features more art by Barrie with a colourful five foot two inch mermaid made of a mosaic of tumbled marble tiles on the wall of the walk in shower Barrie a physicist by education used to make custom furniture but hauling it place to place was difficult Noreen says he enjoyed making carvings in the furniture which evolved into sculpturemaking Barrie received a little help from the Internet and woodworking magazines for some of the home s features When he encountered a problem he wrote a letter to a British museum to get insight on how something was built Inspiration and ideas for the house came from their travels says Noreen Barrie pulls out Barrie and Noreen enjoy bike touring which has been a part of their lives for many years Sunday July 9th 2017 12 30 to 2 30 p m rain or shine Memorial Park Bracebridge please bring your lawnchair or blanket The Butterfly Release Day is a unique opportunity to honour and memorialize loved ones by sponsoring a butterfly in their name The release signifies freedom and happiness Donate 30 for a butterfly or 100 for 4 butterflies Charitable registratioon 890333263RR0001 End date for ordering butterflies is Saturday June 10th 2017 Butterflies are limited Call 705 646 1697 or visit our website www hospicemuskoka com for further information SERVING SOUTH AND WEST MUSKOKA SINCE 1995 68 UNIQUE MUSKOKA June 2017
photographs of architectural details from Athens Czech Republic England and Barcelona What I end up doing won t look like any of those but it s inspiration he says And when the two of us work on something I think everything comes out better than either one of us would do on our own Cycling and travelling the world are a large part of their lives Memories of their excursions can be found in photo books and framed family photos found throughout the house One photograph shows Noreen and Barrie and their sons Nathaniel and Justin all wearing cycling gear with a backdrop of the Austrian Alps behind them Nathaniel better known as Nat was 13 years old and Justin was 10 The family cycled from Vienna down to Graz then along the border of former Yugoslavia When they reached the Alps Barrie told the boys there were three passes they could choose to bike across One of them said Hey dad which is the highest Well it was Grossglockner We d be riding along and people we met would point at Justin and said there s no way he d be able to do it When we camped for the night people would say the same thing So we told the boys if it got too hard we would just turn around and do something else says Barrie They spent eight hours climbing the 26 kilometre route up and people getting off their tour buses would clap in applause When we reached the top the boys were total heroes says Barrie smiling at the memory Everybody wanted their picture taken with these kids Another photo shows young Nathaniel and Justin holding large ice cream cones in front of a shop It was taken on one of the family s first bike trips We went to P E I and went around to different ice cream places and told them we were doing a contest to see who on P E I had the biggest single scoop ice cream cone We sent a copy of this photo back to that shop and made up a certificate that said they won the contest says Barrie laughing It was a nonsense thing but it was a lot of fun A few years ago Nathaniel was on a cycling trip across the world and called Barrie and said Hey dad you ve always wanted to bike to Istanbul How about it Barrie spent the next three days scouring a map planning SEE STORE FOR DETAILS We now offer AIR MILES Reward Miles Trademarks of AIR MILES International Trading B V Used under license by LoyaltyOne Co Modern Home Carpet One Floor Home and Taylor Carpet One Floor Home MODERN HOME CARPET ONE 350 Ecclestone Drive Bracebridge 705 645 2443 carpetonebracebridge ca TAYLOR CARPET ONE 30 Cairns Crescent Huntsville 705 789 9259 taylorcarpetonehuntsville com T H E M U S KO KE RY GIFTWARE HOUSEWARES CONFECTIONS GAMES CLOTHING COTTAGE GOODS Located At The Muskoka Emporium Building 99 Maple St Port Carling 705 765 7731 THEMUSKOKERY COM June 2017 UNIQUE MUSKOKA 69
Celebrating years 55 of Serving all Muskoka Residents Taxpayers Business Owners www muskokaratepayers ca 705 765 0022 Sales Representatives 70 UNIQUE MUSKOKA June 2017 their route with the help of a shoestring guide to travelling Europe He biked to New York City and took the Queen Mary to Southampton where he met up with Nathaniel They camped on fields after getting permission from the homeowner and arranged for hot showers at the homes of other long distance cyclists through a global community While in Ruse Bulgaria Barrie got a flat tire and they used water from a city fountain to find the hole so they could repair it A man came along and asked them in English if they needed help and offered them a night s stay in his spare room at his home It turns out he didn t have an extra room says Barrie He slept on the couch and gave us his room That night he brought them to a restaurant for dinner and they found themselves at a table with 20 other people where they all exchanged stories Barrie says bike trips are addicting It s not for everybody he says Noreen adds The great thing about being on a bike is that you can stop and engage with other people as you re going along The Faulkners have never owned a TV Noreen Faulkner takes a break outside her upstairs sewing room while husband Barrie is kept busy in his workshop and Justin who now has four children of his own also doesn t own a TV Nathaniel has cycled professionally and is now coaching and Justin was a competitive cross country skier Barrie used to average 10 000 kilometres a year cycling but he now suffers from a brain injury after he was hit by a car while on his bike in 2015 He still tries to ride a bit every day and he and Noreen have gotten into long distance walking They travelled to Europe to walk the Camino de Santiago a network of ancient pilgrim routes that lead to the shrine of St James in Spain When relaxing in their octagonal home which sits on 12 acres in Bracebridge the couple enjoy gazing out of the many windows Barrie says they see rabbits bears deer foxes and turkeys The eight sides just lend itself to the view he says And it s the perfect place for them to give their feet a rest
Reason 79 of 150 Backyard heroes who become real heroes Habitat for Humanity kids are more involved in their neighbourhoods Active and engaged kids grow up and give back to their communities by becoming firefighters police officers and paramedics the heroes that help protect Canadians every day That s just one of the reasons we re helping to build 150 homes with 150 families in celebration of Canada s 150th Donate to Habitat for Humanity s 34th Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Work Project because everyone deserves a place to call home donate at www habitatgatewaynorth com 150reasonstobuild
Muskoka Moments Celebrating a century in Bala by Linda Jackson Hutton Built in 1917 our cottage has been here for our family during two World Wars the Depression and the changing of generations Its shoreline has changed little and its roofline is the same The upstairs is still vintage but the plumbing has changed The first cottage in Bala with a concrete septic tank which was brought up by train and probably the first indoor bathtub the cottage now boasts of having town water a sewer line and hot and cold water in the kitchen and bathroom This in itself is cause for celebration Its 100th anniversary party has to say it all The antique and vintage bathing costumes are coming out of storage and will be displayed on mannequins unless family members can be coerced into wearing them for an impromptu fashion show The gramophone will be carried down to the porch and Uncle Mal s records mainly Fox Trots will be dusted off and played This Grafonola advertised to be portable was taken in the family rowboat with a stash of 78 records and a pail of lemonade while uncles and aunts to be drifted around Bala Bay sharing their kind of music with everyone along the shore Decorations for the party will be red white and blue bunting strung along the wide front porch interspersed with Union Jacks that were flown with pride and patriotism during the Great War Food will range from the early days when taffy pulls were evening entertainment to the present day Old family cookbooks will be searched for well thumbed and loved recipes Perhaps food from each decade will 72 UNIQUE MUSKOKA June 2017 be highlighted for a grand potluck Johnny cake made from Great Aunt Molly s recipe will be served with bacon and maple syrup Over the years I have forgiven Aunt Molly for snatching and eating the bacon on my plate when I was a youngster I was saving the best to the last I sobbed Ice Cream came in bricks when I was a child and our tiny Frigidaire freezer could barely keep it frozen Always bought just before dinner was served Daddy sliced the brick into five so that each of us had a portion the same size I ll have to put my thinking cap on to determine how to mould ice cream into a nostalgic brick Did you know that when you say you need to get something out of the fridge that you are really saying the Frigidaire All other appliances are refrigerators Scone sandwiches will no doubt be part of the big day Don s Bakery opened in 1947 and I ve had a lifetime of summer lunches made with scones We were allowed to eat in our bathing suits still damp from a morning of swimming Bologna tasted especially exquisite on a scone It was Schneiders and the butcher at Burgess s had cut the bologna slab to size After lunch the deal was we had to wait a whole hour not 58 minutes before we resumed swimming Would the latest generation be offended if I served mere bologna at our party All the food will be set up in the dining room buffet style This is the same dining room that at suppertime in the 1950s the Segwun would blow its horn as it approached the channel between the two islands The rule was that we children could leave the table in a mad scramble to get down to the dock to wave to the captain and passengers as they steamed by We didn t even ask to be excused Mommy had done the same thing when she was a little girl The planning of this party has evoked so many memories I can t wait to share them with everyone at the 100th anniversary party of the cottage Linda Jackson Hutton first came swaddled in a basket to her Bala Bay cottage returning every summer until her mid teen years to the cottage that her maternal grandfather G H Bert Smith built in 1917 Her love for Muskoka s history and heritage is reflected today at Bala s Museum with Memories of Lucy Maud Montgomery where she is curator and co owner The cottage was sold after the death of her parents but she bought it back in her late 20s and lovingly restored it Lindermere has been part of a DOORS OPEN tour sponsored by Architectural Conservancy Ontario Muskoka Branch
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