Unique Muskoka Issue 32 - October 2021 : simplebooklet.com

2 UNIQUE MUSKOKA Fall/Winter 2021...telling the Muskoka storyFeatures10Cross Country Skiing – Heading into the Back CountryArticle by Matt Driscoll / Photography by Tomasz SzumskiMuskoka is known as one of the top cross-country destinations in the province. Increasingly, backcountry skiing has become a more popular take on cross-country skiing. Backcountry skiing provides an opportunity to view the unique geography and scenery of the area. Whether using groomed trails or background exploring, Muskoka oﬀers great experiences.19On the Cutting Edge of a TraditionArticle by Meghan Smith / Photography by Kelly Holinshead Always interested in history, art and craftsmanship, Craig Henshaw researched his way into his blacksmithing career following life-changing circumstances. With several years of experience and training and hundreds of hours dedicated to crafting perfect knives, Henshaw has honed his career skills and is poised to join an elite group of accredited bladesmiths.[10][26]26Winter Camping – Embracing the Winter ExperienceArticle and Photography by Andy Zeltkalns As the icy ﬁngers of winter grip the landscape and Muskoka is blanketed with snow, spending the night outdoors in a tent is not an activity that many consider. Although winter camping can be challenging, with the right equipment and careful planning, it can be unique and rewarding. It oﬀers a new perspective on the beauty and peace that winter in Muskoka can provide.30Skating Outdoors on Lakes, Ponds and Outdoor RinksArticle by Matt Driscoll / Photography by Andy Zeltkalns Outdoor rinks all share one common denominator – they oﬀer fun for all ages during what can otherwise be a dark and dreary stretch of the calendar. Shovelling oﬀ a patch of a lake or a local pond can be just as challenging as maintaining a backyard rink but the joy they bring will create memories for a lifetime.[19]

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Opinion9 Muskoka InsightsBy Don Smith60 Muskoka MomentsBy Norah FountainAll About KitchensCREATE YOUR DREAM SPACE e possibilities are endlessBRACEBRIDGE 3 Gray Road 705.646.0347HUNTSVILLE 4 Centre St. N. 705.789.6161www.allaboutkitchens.ca[44]Departments52Cottage Country CuisineArticle by Karen WehrsteinPhotography by Tomasz Szumskie Total Cranberry Meal: one main dish, one salad, one baked good to accompany the main, one dessert and all including cranberries is the perfect touch for any fall or winter occasion. And, with cranberries grown in Muskoka, the key ingredient has a uniquely local ﬂavour.Our CoverPhotography by Andy ZeltkansIn addition to being a contributing photographer to Unique Muskoka, Andy Zeltkalns is an outdoor enthusiast who says he is able to combine his passion for both with excursions to locations such as Moon Falls.36Farming in Muskoka – A Tradition with an Uncertain FutureArticle and Photography by Tim Du VernetLong-established family names, closely intertwined over the generations, represent one of the continuing farming legacies in Muskoka. While the concepts of locally grown foods and sustainable lifestyles are concepts often set aside in the name of “growth,” there are some families, who have a passion for fresh produce and a sustainable pattern of life, who are following a diﬀerent path.44Muskoka’s First Hospitals – Innovation, Politics and Privatized HealthcareArticle by J. Patrick BoyerA medical insurance plan, unique in Canada, was one of the features of early healthcare in Muskoka. All three of Muskoka’s major towns oﬀered hospital services that often involved the funding participation of the local municipal council in getting them the ﬁnances their owners required for construction and operation. From beginnings in private homes to major publicly-funded facilities, healthcare has taken many turns.[36][52]Fall/Winter 2021 UNIQUE MUSKOKA 5

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…telling the Muskoka story Unique Muskoka is published six times per year by Unique Publishing Inc.Donald SmithPublisher and EditorCurtis ArmstrongDirector of Salesand Digital MarketingDonna AnsleySalesLisa BrazierDesignSusan SmithAdministrationJ. Patrick BoyerMatt DriscollTim Du VernetNorah FountainKelly HolinsheadMeghan SmithTomasz SzumskiKaren WehrsteinContributorsAnnual Subscription Rates: (including HST where applicable)In Ontario $30.00 All Other Provinces $36.00 U.S. $60.00 All Other Countries $72.00HST: 773172721Canada Post Publications Mail Agreement Number: 43268016Copyright © 2021 Unique Publishing Inc.No content published in Unique Muskoka can be reproduced without the written permission of the publisher.Mailing AddressBox 616, Bracebridge ON P1L 1T9Street Address28 Manitoba St., Bracebridge ON P1L 1S1www.uniquemuskoka.cominfo@uniquemuskoka.com 705-637-0204 6 UNIQUE MUSKOKA Fall/Winter 2021stoneway marble & granite inc.Les and Renata Partyka1295 Muskoka Rd. 118 West, Bracebridge | 705.645.3380 | stoneway.inc@gmail.comINTRODUCING KIATHE21 Robert Dollar Dr, Bracebridge, ON P1L 1P9705-645-6575

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46 Ann Street, Bracebridge705-646-9995 | 877-877-3929www.LesBell.caTRUST • INTEGRITY • SERVICEOur local team is here to provide you with personalized insurance solutions. For the coverage your family deserves, call us today.Photograph: Susan SmithYour Home and Cottage Mattress CentreTHE LARGEST SELECTION OF IN-STOCKMATTRESSES IN MUSKOKAMUSKOKACURATED COLLECTION by Marshall Mattress6 Monica Lane, Bracebridge705.646.2557www.mattressesofmuskoka.comMuskoka InsightsCasting about for inspiration for this column, I thought I would take a moment to glance at my past writings for the Fall / Winter issue of Unique Muskoka. I found there was considerable reﬂection but one item of note was my observation in last year’s issue of the many Muskokans who were bracing for the second wave of the pandemic. Now in its fourth wave, the pandemic has encouraged each of us to dig deep and demonstrate our resolve to go forward. While respecting the dangers it threatens – we’ve shown we can continue to go about our lives, albeit it with reservation and changed circumstance.Encouragingly, many entrepreneurs have found the fortitude to open new businesses, countless others have embraced innovations in ﬁnding new ways of doing business and all have been supported by a general public that recognizes the importance of shopping locally and supporting Muskoka businesses – owners and employees – who have put their collective hearts and souls into continuing to thrive.Not to be overlooked are the members of the medical community, local government employees, volunteers, those oﬀering individual acts of kindness and so many others who are ensuring we get through the current challenges together.When the bright colours of autumn’s splendour give way to the overcast days of November, it’s like nature provides us with a pause button before winter’s snow blankets the landscape. Lingering over an extra cup of coﬀee or relaxing in front of a warm ﬁre gives one the opportunity to reﬂect. ose are the times I like to look back, take stock and contemplate the future. is November, it will be more important than ever to take time for a second thought, recognize the blessings we have, remember those around who may be less fortunate and to plan for next year. While there may be those who would suggest the pandemic precludes any long-term perspective, I’d argue the opposite is true. Without a plan, we’re destined to ﬂounder; we have no road forward, no benchmark. For me, there will be the additional reﬂection that comes with a milestone birthday. As one uncle who circumspectly found a way to age people would have said, I’ll be entering my eighth decade this winter and that most certainly has to give one pause – I need to decide what I’m going to do when I grow up!In the meantime, I know I’m going to be taking more time to appreciate so much of what Muskoka naturally provides.And, both the autumn and the winter have much to oﬀer in Muskoka as you’ll ﬁnd out when you read this issue of Unique Muskoka.For those who are outdoor enthusiasts, there’s no shortage of activities. Contributors Matt Driscoll, Andy Zeltkalns and Tomasz Szumski share the fun that can be had by skating and skiing, particularly in the backcountry. For the more adventurous who are seeking bigger rewards, Zeltkalns goes one step further by chronicling his personal experiences while winter camping.What would winter be without celebrating food? And, in particular, food with local ﬂavours. Contributor Karen Wehrstein’s culinary journey of Muskoka – all focussed on the cranberry – is certain to delight your tastebuds.For these and more great articles, enjoy this issue of Unique Muskoka.Happy reading!Fall/Winter 2021 UNIQUE MUSKOKA 9

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There are few better ways to appreciate the beauty and solitude of winter than experiencing the thousands of kilometres of cross-country skiing trails that can be found everywhere in Muskoka or by heading out on your own through the back country.e region is known as one of the top cross-country destinations in the province and has hosted a number of competitions over the years. While all cross-country skiing essentially boils down to using your own power to move over snow covered-terrain, there are a number of diﬀerent ways to take part. e two most widely practiced forms of cross-country skiing are classic skiing and skate skiing. Skate skiing is typically the faster of the two but it requires more eﬀort and a higher skill level than classic skiing. Skate skiing also requires specialized skate skis and specially-groomed trails.Increasingly, Muskoka backcountry skiing has become a more popular take on cross-country skiing. Backcountry skiing is essentially any time a skier leaves a groomed trail. While it is usually more strenuous than the other forms of cross-country skiing, new technology has made the practice of backcountry skiing accessible to more people than ever.“In this area a lot of people want to go out to the bush or out on the lakes and the new style of skis are making that much more accessible and easier to navigate,” says Randy Mitson of Algonquin Outﬁtters. is new style of ski can essentially go anywhere you would typically snowshoe but also allows the user to ski.Mitson says this type of cross-country ski, which they call ski shoes but also go by a number of brand names, have been so popular that they haven’t been able to keep them on the shelves. Mitson says Nordic skis of every variety were in high demand last year as the pandemic limited vacation travel and any indoor gatherings.“In the summer, I think it’s a little bit easier to get outside but in the wintertime – and especially during the pandemic – people need something to help them get outside,” he says. Mitson says he prefers backcountry skiing himself, mostly on a small trail system located on his own property in Kearney. A large part of his love for backcountry skiing is due to his fondness for photography. He says photographs he takes in the winter can be particularly breathtaking and the lack of foliage allows one to look deeper into the underbrush and also view more animal tracks.“Our wilderness here is just as beautiful in 10 UNIQUE MUSKOKA Fall/Winter 2021Article by Matt Driscoll / Photography by Tomasz Szumski

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the winter as it is in the summer and the added bonus is there are less people around,” he says.While cross-country skiing isn’t considered a very risky sport, Mitson suggests taking some lessons to ensure your trip is as enjoyable as possible.“I think as Canadians we kind of feel like we should know certain things from birth but even in taking a few lessons, you can learn a lot and make it much more enjoyable,” he says.Algonquin Outﬁtters website also hosts an interactive map of the region highlighting the various cross-country skiing locations.Cross-country skiing has seen a renaissance in recent years, agrees Peter deMos of Liv Outside, largely due to improvements in the equipment, and ampliﬁed by the pandemic.“Cross-country skiing was stale for many, many years but about four or ﬁve years ago, we saw a lot of advancements with skins and then bindings began to improve as well,” says deMos. “Worldwide, there are so many more Increasingly, Muskoka backcountry skiing has become a more popular take on cross-country skiing. New technology has made the practice of backcountry skiing accessible to more people than ever.Fall/Winter 2021 UNIQUE MUSKOKA 11

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people interested in Nordic skiing these days, and in this area a large number of those people are interested in backcountry skiing.”Climbing skins, which have become commonplace in recent years, are strips that attach to the bottom of Nordic and alpine touring skis to help while ascending backcountry slopes. According to deMos, they’ve been a game-changer for the sport.Backcountry skis do exceptionally well in ungroomed, fresh powder conditions, says deMos, and the ideal terrain is wide open with some rolling hills. ankfully, the Muskoka area has an abundance of such locations, says deMos, citing Torrance Barrens, Limberlost Forest and Wildlife Reserve, and the Doe Lake area of Gravenhurst as some of the best local backcountry spots. Liv Outside also hosts guided backcountry tours in the Henry Road area of Bracebridge, which deMos says is another ideal spot located near the Trans-Canada Trail and Kerr Park with a great deal of accessible land nearby. Located on Reay Road in Gravenhurst, the Gravenhurst KOA oﬀers 15 km of groomed and track-set cross-country skiing trails through 785 acres of wilderness. e trails were ﬁrst established in the early 1980s and have been upgraded and expanded over the years.“Last year, I think we probably sold 10 times as many season passes as we typically do,” says Paul Cook, the owner-operator of the KOA. “I think that was probably an anomaly because so many people weren’t able to go south and there was also no downhill skiing allowed last winter. at being said the numbers do remain pretty steady year over year. I think either you do it and you like it or you don’t like it and you don’t do it again.”Cook says the goal is typically to be open 12 UNIQUE MUSKOKA Fall/Winter 2021Backcountry skis do exceptionally well in ungroomed, fresh powder conditions.rewiring • alterations • heatingNEVER be left in the DARK or COLD:Call Mike Morrow705.765.3195get a quality home standby generator by GENERACwww.morrow-electric.comServing Muskoka Lakes since 1952 ESA License #: 7000286Classic HandbagsTraditional QualityContemporary StyleCrafted from one of the most desirable textiles in the world, Elle Zed handbags are made from 100% pure wool that is handwoven in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland.28 Manitoba Street, Bracebridge, ON 705-637-0204Available at ElleZed CreationsHANDBAGS BY

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by Christmas but that hasn’t happened for the last two years due to insuﬃcient levels of snow. He says they can begin setting the tracks with as little as one foot of snow but more is always better and consistent cold is a must for some of the trails, as they traverse wetlands.e site oﬀers eight diﬀerent trails in any given year but Cook says not all of the trails are opened every year. A lack of snowfall has kept their most challenging track closed for the past two years.Cook says over the past couple of decades he’s noticed a trend towards “warmer and weirder” winter conditions, which leads to challenges in opening and grooming the trails.He says both he and his wife enjoy hitting the trails when time allows.“It’s all about getting a chance to be outdoors,” he says. “You get a bit of exercise but there’s also the opportunity to stop and look around while you’re out.”e trails at the KOA are typically ﬂat and cater more towards novice cross-country skiers, but at Arrowhead Provincial Park, just north of Huntsville, they oﬀer several more challenging trails and they are perhaps the best-known cross-country skiing location in Muskoka.e park is extensively groomed and caters to both Make some tracksthis winter!• Crosscountry skis• Backcountry skis• Snowboards• Alpine skis• Snowshoes• Hot tentsshop.algonquinoutfitters.comshoponlineand instoreWhile all cross-country skiing essentially boils down to using your own power to move over snow covered-terrain, there are a number of dierent ways to take part. The two most widely practiced forms of cross-country skiing are classic skiing and skate skiing. Fall/Winter 2021 UNIQUE MUSKOKA 13

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classic and skate skiing. e site features a total of 33 km of groomed Nordic ski trails including 22 classic and 11 skate skiing options. e park is also home to the Arrowhead Nordic Ski Club. Although the provincial park maintains and administers access to the trails, the ski club runs ski programs for children and adults in addition to hosting a variety of races throughout the winter.In 1995 the Muskoka Nordic Ski Club was formed to provide a racing club structure for local high school athletes to compete at the Ontario Cup circuit. Subsequently, in 1998, future Olympian Dan Roycroft of Port Sydney was selected to the National Team Development Centre in under Bay. During this time, there was another group called Huntsville Jack Rabbits instructing Nordic skiing for youth in the region. In 2000 the two groups agreed to combine eﬀorts to create Arrowhead Nordic Ski Club. Over the years the club has continued to grow and develop.Further oﬀ the beaten path, the trails at the Limberlost Forest and Wildlife Preserve oﬀer a unique opportunity to view the unique geography and scenery of the area from their own set of cross-country skiing trails.With its higher elevation, Limberlost frequently enjoys heavier snowfall than other areas and was, in fact, the home of a downhill ski slope, which at one point boasted the ﬁrst mechanized ski tow lift in the region.Now the forest and wildlife preserve contain some 25 km of groom trails, which are oﬀered free of charge, for classic skiing suitable for both novices and advanced skiers.www.muskokafurniture.net705.645.8183195 WELLINGTON STREET, BRACEBRIDGEand make yourself at home.Come Visit UsSkate skiing is typically a faster form of cross-country skiing but it typically requires more eort and a higher skill level than classic skiing.BATH & KITCHEN SHOWROOMDESIGN. INSTALLATION. REPAIRSERVING ALL OF MUSKOKA279 MANITOBA ST, BRACEBRIDGE705.645.2671KNOWLESPLUMBING.COM @MUSKOKABATHTHE RIOBEL MOMENTI™ COLLECTION AVAILABLE AT KNOWLES PLUMBING!279 Manitoba Street, Bracebridge 705.645.2671 @knowlesplumbing BATH & KITCHEN SHOWROOMSALES • INSTALLATION • REPAIRSERVING ALL OF MUSKOKAknowlesplumbing.comMuskoka’s Bath & Plumbing CentreFall/Winter 2021 UNIQUE MUSKOKA 15

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Located to the south on Highway 11 in Bracebridge, the Bracebridge Resource Management Centre also oﬀers free access to their 16.5 km of groomed trails. In addition to being an ideal site to view the unique ﬂora and fauna of the area, the resource management centre also oﬀers scenic views of the Muskoka River.While trails abound in Muskoka for all skill levels a good rule of thumb is to stick with shorter, less hilly trails to begin with. It’s also vital to make sure you’re dressed appropriately for the trip or you could ﬁnd yourself cold, damp and unhappy.ere are diﬀerent ways to get started but many people will use a shuﬄe technique sliding one ski ahead of the other and then repeating. After just a little while this technique can intuitively evolve into a kick stride and a glide. From there it’s just a matter of working on extending your glide and improving your performance.Before you know it, you could ﬁnd yourself hooked on traversing the area’s many groomed ski trails or ﬁnding some backcountry routes of your own. 16 UNIQUE MUSKOKA Fall/Winter 2021Backcountry skis can essentially go anywhere one would typically snowshoe but also allows the user to ski.STYLEDESIGNINNOVATIONFrameless Glass Railings mounted onto mini posts with adjustable standoffsmba705-646-2508excelrailings.ca

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Photograph: Shirley BurtonCUSTOM HOMES & COTTAGES FOR OVER 45 YEARSFor over 45 years, Tech Home has helpedclients realize their vision of a beautiful &uniquely personal custom home.We build to the highest standards of quality atthe most aﬀ ordable pricing in cottage country.Visit our Gravenhurst Model Home or Toronto Design Centre, & we’ll bring your dream to life.GRAVENHURST MODEL HOME2278 Hwy 11N.| Gravenhurst, ON | P1P 1R11.888.417.8761GREATER TORONTO AREA DESIGN CENTRE130 Konrad Cres, Unit #18 | Markham, ON | L3R 0G5905.479.9013SERVING MUSKOKA / GEORGIAN BAY / HALIBURTON1-888-417-8761 www.techhomeltd.comIT’S YOUR DREAM. WE BRING IT TO LIFE.THANK YOU Frontline Workers...we appreciate all that you do!In less than a year, Craig Henshaw will face one of the most diﬃcult tests he has taken in his life. With several years of experience and training and hundreds of hours dedicated to crafting perfect knives, Henshaw will have six of his blades tested in June of 2022 to determine if he will be stamped as a Journeyman with the American Bladesmith Society. If he succeeds, Henshaw will join an elite group of accredited bladesmiths. More than just the designation, Henshaw feels drawn to both the history and the artistry of knives. ey are one of the most basic, primitive tools used by humans for centuries. e equipment in his current shop may not look like ancient pictures of a smithy. However, the smithing process, including heating, welding, pressing and shaping, endures. “I had always been interested in knives,” shares Henshaw, a Huntsville resident and owner of Henshaw Blades. “I didn’t know you could do that as a job.”In order to qualify for consideration for the title of Journeyman, the candidate must be an active Apprentice Bladesmith for no less than three years or two years along with a certiﬁcate from an American Bladesmith Society approved course under the guidance of a Master Bladesmith Instructor. Achieving the title of Journeyman indicates the blades Henshaw crafts can pass extreme tests of performance and have the work found to be “very good” to “excellent” by a panel of Master Bladesmith judges. While there are 115 Master Bladesmiths accredited by the American Bladesmith Society in North America, there are only two in Canada. Henshaw will be working Article by Meghan Smith / Photography by Kelly HolinsheadCraig Henshaw is a retired teacher turned bladesmith. He has dubbed many of his knives as “Muskoka shoreline” for the patterns created by the layers of diering steels.Fall/Winter 2021 UNIQUE MUSKOKA 19

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with one of them, Wally Hayes, to prepare for his Journeyman test. “I’m really excited about it,” says Henshaw. “I have the whole winter to make six perfect knives. We’ll ﬁnd out by June if I get my Journeyman Smith papers.”“When I forge, I really feel connected to history,” explains Henshaw. “It’s really remained unchanged since steel was born. Forging, putting a piece of metal in a ﬁre, heating it up and hitting it. is process is thousands and thousands of years old and I feel really lucky to have the chance to sort of touch that past.”Always interested in history, art and craftsmanship, Henshaw researched his way into his blacksmithing career following life-changing circumstances. Henshaw’s ﬁrst career was in the trades as a carpenter and timber framer. He was a teacher for many years and spent the early part of his career teaching traditional and media arts. In 2007, he transitioned to teaching tech classes and stayed in that ﬁeld until he retired early in 2011. “I had gone back to school at 26 which I think is a really good choice for a lot of people,” shares Henshaw. “I really loved teaching. It was the greatest job I ever had. I really enjoyed all of the students I taught.”In 2014, Henshaw underwent hip replacement surgery but it was not as successful as he had hoped. Although he completed all of the required physiotherapy and other tasks to make the replacement as successful as possible, after half a year of recovery Henshaw was antsy. While reading his entire library at home and perusing the internet, Henshaw realized that blacksmithing was something he had not yet tried within the trades. “I was a shop teacher and I love working with my hands,” explains Henshaw. “I felt like I could kind of get around enough and my muscles were strong enough that I could probably do something. If I’m going to exercise, I want to be making something. at’s kind of the way I am.”In November 2014, Henshaw started blacksmithing lessons with Dave Robertson as his teacher. Not only was it a full body workout, but blacksmithing allowed Henshaw to get creative and learn something new. Over a couple of years, Henshaw learned from Robertson and also had the opportunity to train with Taro Asano, a swordsmith from Japan. Asano is also the reason Henshaw uses a Japanese kanji stamp on all of his blades, along with his initials. After four years of trying new things and experimenting, Henshaw became laser-focussed on learning the craft in 2018. He was invited to join e Artists of the Limberlost tour in 2019. He participated in the tour for two or three days and received a year and a half’s worth of commissioned work.“I’m so thankful that people want to use my knives because I love big family dinners,” says Henshaw. “at’s what I grew up with. Anywhere that there’s a lot of love in a kitchen, that’s really the most important part of my work.”Henshaw has spent the pandemic crafting more knives than ever before, estimating that over 60 of the 90 knives he’s made in the past three years have been crafted over the past 18 months. “I had this really great eastern inﬂuence and I had this really great western inﬂuence, and I kind of slammed them together,” says Henshaw. “I ﬁnd both of them are really intriguing. ey get to the same edge. ey just do it in a diﬀerent way.”While much of what Henshaw has worked on for the past 18 months has been custom requisitions, for the next eight months, he plans on oﬀering what he has already made for sale and focussing on his Journeyman test. Once that work is complete, he’ll once The forge is the heart of any blacksmith’s shop, says Craig Henshaw. While small, his custom-built forge heats quickly and eciently with propane. Aer hours of melding and forging steel, Henshaw’s blades are ready for grinding, sharpening and the addition of handles. Fall/Winter 2021 UNIQUE MUSKOKA 21

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22 UNIQUE MUSKOKA Fall/Winter 2021705-764-0765 | muskokabarging.com | 1163 Milford Bay Rd, Milford Bay ONBARGING STEEL & CRIB DOCKS SEPTIC SYSTEMS LANDSCAPING ● ●Muskoka Barging●Family run construction company with over 35 years experience operating in the Muskoka Lakes area. No job is too small or too big.again open his books for custom designs.“Sometimes, I’ll just spend a couple days working on ideas and play,” says Henshaw. “I think it’s important to play, as adults, as children and as students of life. We learn better when we play.”Creativity and imagination are evident in Henshaw’s craft, from the varieties of steel used in his blades to the collection of handles prepared for future use. Henshaw has been experimenting with a combination of Damascus steel and tool steel that he has dubbed “Muskoka shoreline”. “I didn’t invent it, but I love it,” laughs Henshaw. “If you look at the patterning, it waves and then stops like a shoreline or a contour map.”Henshaw creates blades from a variety and combination of steels, even crafting some steel from chainsaw blades. Another type of steel Henshaw has been working with recently involves a tool steel core that creates a dark line within the pattern of the blade.Colours and patterns in blades depend on the steel used in production. In mass produced knives, the shine, and lack of patina or weathering, is caused by the use of stainless steel in production. Henshaw does not include stainless steel in his blades. Mainly, his blades are crafted with a combination of tool steel, Damascus steel, O1 grade steel, 1095 steel, or sometimes Japanese tamahagne steel. “People take my knives home and I warn them ahead of time so no one calls to complain,” explains Henshaw. “But you’re going to cut tomatoes. You’re going to cut lemons. You’re going to cut all kinds of acidic food. Your blade is going to get grey and it’s going to get spotted. at is perfectly natural. It won’t aﬀect the edge at all.”Henshaw stands by the durability of his knives; conﬁdent they will last. e life and function of the knife depends on the care it receives, ensuring the blade isn’t left wet and is used as intended. “Saira is awesome. I love my wife but she is an absolute monster and I know she’s going to read this,” laughs Henshaw. “She is my roughest customer. If I can make something where she can’t snap the tip oﬀ and if it doesn’t wind up rusting, then I know I’ve got a big winner on my hands.”In building steel billets for knives, Henshaw

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Craig Henshaw prides himself on craing blades with an exceptional edge that won’t dull. explains that there are three components to balance – toughness, sharpness and ﬂexibility. As a blade becomes tougher and sharper, it loses ﬂexibility. Alternatively, a blade with too much ﬂexibility and toughness may not retain its edge the same way. “You have to ﬁgure out where to balance it,” says Henshaw. “I love making high quality stuﬀ.”Handles are another important part of the knife-crafting process, one that Henshaw connects to his surroundings and his background in carpentry. From his own property and his neighbour’s sugar bush, Henshaw collects various types of wood and burls to make into handles. His cabinets are well-stocked with handles, ready for new knives. “e stuﬀ that’s really important to me is coming from the forest right behind me,” says Henshaw. “I think that any time an artist can ground themselves in where they are and who they are, it comes out in their work. My landscape and how I think and how I feel, that comes out in my knives.”While much of his work life was spent living in the Greater Toronto Area, Henshaw and his wife, Saira, purchased property in Huntsville just over 10 years ago and built their current home on the property six years ago. However, Henshaw spent the majority of his childhood summers at his grandparent’s home on Peninsula Lake. Henshaw recalls summers and falls spent in Muskoka, enjoying canoeing, swimming and meals with family. He remembers camping at age 12 and even embarking on his ﬁrst solo camping trip to Algonquin Park at 16. Handles for Craig Henshaw’s blades are shaped from wood collected from his and neighbouring properties in Huntsville. 705.645.4294 TF: 866.645.4294STORE: 228 TAYLOR RD., BRACEBRIDGEOFFICE: 1646 WINHARA RD., GRAVENHURSTSales & Service of MajorPropane Appliances(refrigerators, ranges, fireplaces, furnaces & more)Safe & reliableNo electricity requiredBulk propane deliveryto your home or cottageAppliancesSERVING MUSKOKA &PARRY SOUND FOROVER 70 YEARSFall/Winter 2021 UNIQUE MUSKOKA 23

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24 UNIQUE MUSKOKA Fall/Winter 2021GBSContracting Inc.“I’m from Muskoka, my heart is from Muskoka and I love Muskoka,” explains Henshaw. “My family is from here. My parents live maybe 200 metres down the road. I grew up swimming in this bay. I’m a ﬁrm believer that you have to ground yourself in where you are. No matter where you’re from as an artist, you should really lean into it and embrace it.”Teaching continues to play a role in Henshaw’s life as he welcomes people into his shop to learn how to craft their own knives. On top of his teaching workshops and lessons, he currently has an apprentice and is welcoming a high school co-op student this fall as well. While he’s booked for the fall, he’ll open opportunities again around March 2022. “It’s a creative experience to have people come into the shop,” says Henshaw. “We’ll make a really great basic knife and they walk away with success. If I want to be known for something, I want to be known for quality knives that are around long after I’m gone. High quality and a big smile.”e route to Journeyman bladesmith has only just begun for Henshaw. But really, with his interest in carpentry, career in teaching, Muskoka lifestyle and history and zest for learning new crafts and exploring creative techniques, Henshaw’s been studying for this test his whole life. Drawing inspiration from his surroundings and landscape, Craig Henshaw wants each and every knife he creates to reect Muskoka. Die cuts in many shapes and sizes are used by Craig Henshaw in fashioning his blades.

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Mon - Thu 9:30 AM - 6:00 PMFriday 9:30 AM - 7:00 PMSaturday 9:30 AM - 5:30 PMSunday 10:00 AM - 4:00 PMRegular Hours:Bracebridge6 Robert Dollar DriveBracebridge, ON P1L 1P9Telephone: (705) 645-2279Huntsville67 Silverwood DriveHuntsville, ON P1H 2K2Telephone: (705) 789-5589EXCEPTIONALUncovSTEARNS & FOSTER®- CRAF TING THE WORLD’S FINEST BEDS!We know that creating the perfect mattress takes time, care and passion.That handmade details and the nest materials aren’t only worth uncovering, they make something truly exceptional. That lavish comfortand unparalleled design are at the core of everything we do. From hand-stitching to hand signature, our craftsmanship reects the historyof quality behind our name. Since 1846, we’ve shown countless generations the unrivaled quality of the Stearns & Foster® experience.Today, we invite new generations who appreciate supreme comfort and timeless design to indulge in the perfect complement to their life.MUSKOKAAs of publication date, our stores are open to the public with limited trafc atany one time. We are practicing stringent sanitation procedures which includesperpetual, hygienic cleaning, single-use mattress and pillow shields in our beddinggalleries, plexi-glass counter screens and all associates wearing masks.“As of publication date, our stores are open to the public within the limits set by the provincial government. We are practicing stringent sanitation procedures which includes perpetual, hygienic cleaning, pillow shields in our bedding galleries and all associates wearing masks.”

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26 UNIQUE MUSKOKA Fall/Winter 2021Camping in Muskoka is traditionally enjoyed during the longer, warm days of Spring and Summer or in Autumn when trees are changing colour and there is a crispness in the air. As the icy ﬁngers of winter grip the landscape and Muskoka is blanketed with snow, spending the night outdoors in a tent is not an activity that many consider. Although winter camping can be challenging, with the right equipment and careful planning, it can be unique and rewarding.Winter camping does bring certain advantages to the table such as no pesky bugs and no crowds of people vying for a campsite. Winter can oﬀer a special solitude and an opportunity to experience nature in a more intimate way according to Gavin Marr. A well-seasoned outdoor enthusiast who works at Algonquin Outﬁtters, Marr has spent close to 20 years in this ﬁeld. “I like the silence of camping in the winter,” says Marr, “the bigger challenge” this experience oﬀers. e cold can be intimidating when considering a winter camping excursion. My personal preference is to head out in late February or early March when temperatures tend to be a bit more moderate and you can take advantage of the warmer sun and longer daylight hours. Temperatures between 0C and -10C are in a comfortable range that can be managed with proper preparation. Although tempera-tures above zero are nice, they can also make the snow soggier and can cause gear to get damp. Marr’s advice for staying warm and dry is to use clothing layers which can be adjusted easily as needed, to stay active and to eat something just before bed. I personally enjoy going for a short hike before bed to rev up my metabolism so I am nice and toasty before crawling into my sleeping bag. is is also a good time to gaze up at the stars and soak in the peacefulness of a still winter night.Jamie Honderich, owns and operates Find Your Wild, a company that introduces people to a variety of outdoor activities. He has been an outdoor educator for many years and is a former wildlife researcher. Having spent a lot Article and Photography by Andy ZeltkalnsWinter camping provides many opportunities for capturing great winter scenes such as the early morning light before sunrise of the Moon Falls.

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of time in the wilderness, Honderich also loves the solitude and tranquility of winter camping and enjoys the fact that you can explore the landscape more easily on the frozen terrain. “You can travel anywhere,” Honderich states. Swamps and marshes that are inaccessible during warmer weather can be toured with ease. One of Honderich’s favourite winter activities is to study and follow animal tracks in the snow. Wildlife leaves behind many visible clues that are intriguing to investigate. As a photographer, I love taking advantage of the early morning and evening light to capture images of nature in the frosty landscape. e cold crisp atmosphere of winter lends itself to night photography and is a great time to photograph the shimmering stars and the Milky Way. Photographing moving water in winter can also yield stunning images due to the randomly created ice and snow formations that result from water freezing and thawing. For people hoping to try winter camping for the ﬁrst time it is best to start with small steps. Choosing a campsite that is fairly close to your home or your vehicle is ideal. Honderich advises ﬁrst time campers to go with an experienced person if possible; someone who can help you navigate the obstacles that winter camping can bring. Basic skills like starting a ﬁre, preparing the site for your tent, managing food and water in the cold and, of course, staying warm are essential and can be honed with practice. Once you have mastered these skills, your winter camping excur-sion will be much more enjoyable and safer. With any outdoor venture, safety should always be a key element when preparing, especially in winter where there is much less room for error. When you are more accomplished, you can journey further from home and there are a variety of ways you can travel. Unless you are following packed down trails, the standard way to move across the winter landscape is by snowshoe either carrying a pack or pulling a sled. I have done both and if the terrain and conditions allow, a sled is the way to go. You can carry more gear and weight than using a pack and it is easier on the body. Another method for movement in winter is using wide skis with synthetic skins which allow you to silently glide across the snow and traverse up and down hilly terrain. In certain conditions these skis can be much faster than snowshoes, not to mention a few free rides down the slopes.A good quality four-season tent works well during a winter outing but if you want an epic cold weather experience, you can build your own shelter. When there is a lot of fresh snow available, some outdoor enthusiasts will build a snow cave or quinzhee which can keep you warm in the coldest temperatures. Due to the structure of fresh snow, it contains a lot of tiny air spaces that have the ability to provide excellent insulation. When designed correctly, it can be -20C outside and 0C inside the snow shelter making it comfortable to sleep in with a winter rated sleeping bag. Building a snow shelter requires the Top: Using a sled to haul gear over the snow can be a preferred way to travel on winter camping excursions. Above: Nat Faulkner prepares dinner for two hungry campers. A higher calorie intake during winter camping is needed to help one stay warm.Fall/Winter 2021 UNIQUE MUSKOKA 27

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28 UNIQUE MUSKOKA Fall/Winter 2021right snow conditions and extra time and energy. While not everyone’s cup of tea, spending the night in a quinzhee is an achievement of which to be proud.Dwight resident, Craig Macdonald, a former ranger in Algonquin Park, takes winter camping to a completely diﬀerent level. Since 1963, Macdonald has spent countless days living and surviving in the bush and has done many extended winter excursions into the wild. He has crossed Algonquin Park in winter and journeyed down the coast of James Bay. Macdonald calls his winter adventures “hard core” and at times has covered distances of 200km - 300km per trip. Macdonald’s journeys are done by employing techniques learned from Indigenous peoples. He uses wooden snowshoes and moccasins while hauling a sled and utilizes gear that he has designed and built himself based on Indigenous traditions. Setting up camp at the end of the day can take up to two hours which includes gathering ﬁrewood and setting up a 7’ x 9’ tent with a high roof that is heated using a homemade tin stove. “When on extended trips, your gear gets damp,” states Macdonald, and you need to dry it out overnight in the tent. While not for everyone, this type of winter camping demonstrates how it was done for many years before the advent of modern gear and technology.ere are several established places in Muskoka where you can try a winter sojourn in a more controlled and safer environment. Arrowhead Provincial Park oﬀers seven winter drive-in sites that have electricity available along with a heated comfort station. You can bring your tent and gear to enjoy a winter camping outing with a bit of a safety net. For ﬁrst time campers, this is a great opportunity to practice important skills such as ﬁre making in winter conditions and allows you to test out gear needed for cold weather and snow.Find Your Wild near Huntsville oﬀers Waking up to a beautiful landscape at the Moon Falls on Moon River is what winter campers get when they have a tent with a view. Ten minutes of packing down the snow with snowshoes creates a stable surface to set up camp by Healey Creek. The tent, with the y o, allows for stargazing but requires a winter-rated sleeping bag.

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winter camping in a heated tent where you can establish a comfortable home base and have the opportunity to explore a beautiful piece of Muskoka under the guidance of Jamie Honderich. He is also available to assist people who want to bring their own gear to the property and have a desire to try a more rugged but supervised experience. Limberlost Forest and Wildlife reserve, a publicly accessible private year-round facility with 10,000 acres of Muskoka wilderness, has several 10’ x 10’ tent structures with solid walls and propane heating. ese are drive-to campsites. In addition, Limberlost allows people to snowshoe or ski into remote designated campsites for a more advanced winter adventure. Muskoka also has other private facilities and areas of Crown land that oﬀer the opportunity to winter camp. ere are plenty of places to explore but always check whether permission is needed to camp in non-designated locations. When possible, I try to choose a site near running water like a creek or river where I can easily ﬁnd fresh water. You can create your own water by melting down snow but this requires a lot of time and uses precious fuel.As with any trip into nature it is essential to practice good outdoor ethics and camp in an environmentally responsible way. Camping can be a wonderful way to commune with nature at any time of the year. If you’re yearning for a new challenge, perhaps trying this activity when most others are huddled in the warmth and comfort of their homes will give you a new perspective on the beauty and peace that winter in Muskoka can provide.The author and friend Nat Faulkner enjoy an early winter camping trip in November before the heavy snow arrived. Preparation is key to ensuring a winter camping trip goes well.Taken using a tripod and self-timer, this photo shows the author enjoying his favourite winter camping activities which are night photography and gazing at the stars.Fall/Winter 2021 UNIQUE MUSKOKA 29

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The roots of skating in Canada likely go back further than European colonization with oral histories passed down of Iroquois skating by strapping animal shin bones to their footwear using leather thongs. French explorers are recorded as having skated in Canada as early as 1604, and ice skating was introduced as a sport in Canada for British garrison oﬃcers in the 1840s.e ﬁrst covered rink in the world was built in Quebec City in 1852, but the early commercial rinks were still made from natural ice – with shelters provided to combat the harsh Canadian winters. Fast forward more than two centuries and although the equipment might have changed, many people still enjoy the experience of skating outdoors on natural ice every winter in Muskoka.Some rinks are more elaborate than others with boards and outdoor lighting to help them play into the night. Others are little more than shovelled oﬀ patches of a frozen pond. Article by Matt Driscoll / Photography by Andy Zeltkalns 30 UNIQUE MUSKOKA Fall/Winter 2021Nostalgia inspired Carol and Corbie Kent to create a rink on Lake Muskoka in Milford Bay for their young family.Photograph: Carol Kent

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The Annie Williams Memorial Park outdoor rink in Bracebridge is a favourite spot for ice hockey.Regardless of how elaborate these outdoor rinks may be, they all share one common denominator – they oﬀer fun for all ages during what can otherwise be a dark and dreary stretch of the calendar. Scott Young lives on the Muskoka River in Bracebridge where the river ﬂows too quickly to freeze over suitably for skating in the wintertime. In his backyard, a watershed plays host to otters, bears, wolves, deer and all other manner of wildlife in the summertime. However, in the winter, the simple beaver pond becomes the Montreal Forum and Maple Leaf Gardens reincarnated. Young ﬁrst began working on the rink in 2004 – the same year his son Winston was born.“We started out because we wanted something fun for him to do in the winter. At ﬁrst, that was just pulling him around on the toboggan,” says Young.In those days, his rink was a small section of ice scraped oﬀ the backyard pond with a snow shovel. However, as Winston learned to skate and his skill level improved, the rink A backyard rink created by Scott Young and family on a pond behind their Bracebridge home is a winter attraction for family and friends. Fall/Winter 2021 UNIQUE MUSKOKA 31

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32 UNIQUE MUSKOKA Fall/Winter 2021grew larger and larger. “He plays shinny every winter with all his friends and our neighbours,” says Young. “I’ve played hockey my entire life and for me, playing shinny outdoors is the purest form of hockey, and the most fun.”In all their years skating on the pond, Young says last year was one of the best years they’ve ever had. e snow levels were manageable and the thaw and freeze cycle served as a sort of “natural Zamboni,” smoothing out chips and cracks in the ice. Young says, in total, the family got nearly four months of use out of the outdoor rink, ﬂooding with their backyard hose roughly a dozen times to make sure conditions were tip-top.“Some years it can be really challenging and there can be quite a lot of work involved,” he says. Young says that’s when it really pays to have his son Winston and all of their friends and neighbours there to chip in on the work side of things.Surrounded on all sides by woods, this particular backyard rink gives the feeling of playing in a secluded grove, despite being a 10-minute walk from downtown Bracebridge.Young says he looks forward to carrying on the tradition for many more years to come but he is concerned climate change could throw a wrench into those plans, making backyard rinks a less common feature in Muskoka backyards or a things of the past altogether.“To me this is one of the best parts about living in Muskoka,” says Young. “It makes me look forward to the winter every year.” Using a much larger sheet of ice as a canvas, the Kent family of Milford Bay are relative newcomers when it comes to creating outdoor rinks but their rationale is the same. With two young daughters and a pandemic in full swing, the Kents decided to make full use of having Lake Muskoka in their backyard. “We initially tried to build a rink on land, but it was much more diﬃcult to build, so we ended up just shovelling oﬀ the frozen lake,” says Carol Kent. “My parents live beside us and we’ve had many rinks on the lake in front of our house. It’s quite nostalgic for me. I remember spending lots of time on the frozen lake as a child.”After initially clearing oﬀ the lake, Kent said she and her husband Corbie found the The magic of skating outdoors prompts many families to invest in the time to create outdoor rinks.Used day and night, the rink at the Kmiec family’s home is always busy in winter.

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Top: When winter conditions allow, the Schandlen family create a rink on Lake Muskoka outside their home. Below: While there is a great deal of upkeep involved in rink maintenance, the Burke family of Bracebridge found it was a great experience for everyone.upkeep of their newly-established rink to be something of a challenge. “It came with it its own set of issues because it was diﬃcult to keep level. e further we got into the season, the more uneven it became,” she says. “e bonus of having the rink on the lake was that it was massive. It was basically as big as Corbie was willing to shovel. He was probably a little ambitious at ﬁrst, and I think regretted it as the winter went on, and he had to keep up all of the shovelling.”Carol says that Corbie would hit the lake every time it snowed and get busy clearing the rink. To keep the ice smooth, they would employ a variety of ad hoc ﬂooding techniques. “Corbie‘s preference was to use hot water. To do it, we ﬁlled a cooler with hot water and then let go of the drain so the water slowly poured out,” says Carol. “Corbie skated around the rink pulling the cooler which slowly leaked water and we attached a towel to the cooler which spread out the water.”As the winter went on, the snow continued to fall and the banks continued to get higher and higher - making the process of clearing oﬀ the rink increasingly more exhausting. “Although the rink was a ton of work, I’m so glad we did it,” says Carol. “Our youngest daughter Camryn really improved her skating over the season and we all had a lot of fun spending time outside.”Some of the greatest hockey players in history, including Wayne Gretzky, himself, had their start on the backyard rink created by their parents. Countless dreams of on-ice superstardom have been launched on frozen ponds and backyard rinks across Canada. Such could well be the case for Gage and Olive Burke, whose parents, despite living in an urban area of Bracebridge, also took their ﬁrst crack at creating an outdoor skating surface last winter. “As northern kids, we really thought it was important that they learn how to skate,” says Bailey Burke, who was herself a competitive ﬁgure skater through her teenage years. “We saw so many people on social media skating on lakes and ponds, and it really looked like a lot of fun.”e family had been trekking down to the public outdoor skating rink in Memorial Park most times when they felt like a skate, and the Photograph: Bailey BurkeFall/Winter 2021 UNIQUE MUSKOKA 33

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MODERN HOME CARPET ONE350 Ecclestone Drive • Bracebridgecarpetonebracebridge.caTAYLOR CARPET ONE30 Cairns Crescent • Huntsvilletaylorcarpetonehuntsville.comHARDWOOD • LAMINATE • VINYL PLANK & TILE • VINYL ROLLS CARPET • CERAMIC • NATURAL STONE & MOREFloors forHome & Cottage705.645.2443705.789.9259 34 UNIQUE MUSKOKA Fall/Winter 2021idea of having one directly out their back door was too good to pass up.“It turns out it’s not so easy,” says Bailey with a laugh.Bailey and her husband Damien didn’t begin the rink until January, but having snow on the ground allowed them to pack and smooth a level surface over otherwise uneven ground. ey then put down a special ice skating tarp and Damien constructed boards around the circumference of the rink. ey then waited for an appropriately cold forecast and turned on the water.“It actually turned out really well,” she says. “It didn’t have to be particularly large because Gage is just learning, but for Damien and me, it was a little hard to get going with any speed. We were basically just going in one constant circle.”Four-year-old Gage started the winter using the help of a “pusher” to skate but Bailey reports that by the end of the season he was tearing around the backyard rink all by himself.Although Bailey admits there was a great deal of upkeep involved as the winter wore on, she says it was a great experience for the whole family and one they plan to repeat again this winter.“e winter nights can be long here, and you need to ﬁnd a way to get out and embrace it,” she says. “On nights when you’re out there and a powdery snowfall is coming down, there’s just something about it. It’s magic.”The outdoor skating rink, located at Memorial Park in Bracebridge, is oen a hub of activity for the community.

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36 UNIQUE MUSKOKA Fall/Winter 2021The Goltz or Longhurst name is an easy one to ﬁnd in Muskoka, especially around Milford Bay and Windermere. e family names, closely intertwined over the generations, represent one of the few continuing farming legacies in Muskoka.Land, especially open farmland, may be valued more in terms of “development” opportunities. e concepts of locally grown foods, sustainable lifestyles and their legacies are concepts quickly set aside in the name of “growth.” ere are some trying to show a diﬀerent path, who have a passion for fresh produce and a sustainable pattern of life. e Down to Earth farm on the Windermere road near Dee Bank is a new enterprise, starting in 2016, that hopes to establish roots. Taylor farm, around the corner from Windermere on the Deebank Road has become the local destination for strawberries. Norm Woods, known to some as a man with a passion for speed behind the steering wheel of a race boat, has a farm near Bracebridge. e Windermere area is one part of Muskoka where several family names have continued through the generations and as long as anyone can remember, Goltz families have been farming in the area. Robert and Sue Goltz continue to go through the yearly Article and photography by Tim Du VernetSusan and Robert Goltz continue the tradition of operating the family farm, near Windermere, with occasional help from their grandchildren while hay baling.

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cycles of farm life in much the same way as previous generations with a few changes and adaptations. A local road in the Milford Bay area was called the Butter and Egg Road for a reason. Farms were at one time plentiful along this route.Susan and Robert were bringing in the hay when interviewed. e bailer counts the number it packs, and Robert estimated that about 150 bales were stacked by his wife and two grandchildren. It was an easier day than some, despite the humidity and heat. e most Robert remembers bringing in on a single day was 500. Robert confessed that on some hot days, you’d drink a lot of iced tea with little after eﬀect. Of course, all the hay must go somewhere, and the barn will hold thousands of bales. Robert explained that on the day of the interview, he set the baler to make slightly smaller bales. “We aren’t getting any younger and it is easier for the grandchildren to lift. It’s all good,” he emphasizes. e process of bringing in the hay in a single ﬁeld takes several days and this summer it was delayed due to the frequent rains. Robert cuts hay from his own land as well as for ﬁelds near by. After cutting the hay, it must be turned in the ﬁeld and then dried for baling. e baler is a noisy machine that gathers up the loosely laid grasses and creates the rectangular chunks, to be wrapped tightly in string. After the baler, which needs emptying every so often, deposits the bales in the ﬁeld, Susan brings up a large ﬂatbed towed by another tractor and loads the bales with help from the grandchildren. e bales were stacked four to ﬁve high by the end of the session, all lifted there by hand. A conveyor belt helps to get them up into the barn.Susan believes there is strong agreement amongst all the farmers that much has changed and the challenges are just getting greater. e Goltzs explain that government regulations have increased costs and aﬀect nearly every aspect of farming, from the water the cows drink to where and how they get processed as meat. Sue explained that it now costs $125 per large animal, $7.50 for chickens and $9.50 a turkey, which is the fee for government inspections. is is on top of the transportation costs to facilities that can be some distance away.When asked about history and family stuﬀ, Robert Goltz points to his wife Susan. “She keeps track of all of that, I just work the farm,” he adds. Susan remarks that at one time there were barn raising and threshing “bees.” e maple syrup festivals and other farming traditions have mostly receded to memory. Susan laments the loss of the sense of community, partly as a result of the pandemic, but also due to demographic shifts. In the words of Bob Dylan, “For the times, they are a-changin’.” e rewards of farming for the Goltz clan, who acquired the farm through a land grant, is seeing the involvement of the grandchildren as they visit and work on the farm from time to time. Susan notes the future of the farm as a working farm for subsequent generations is undetermined as each generation will decide for themselves. Several land grant farms still operate in some form in Muskoka. Farming requires being a “jack of all trades.” Veterinary skills, carpentry, engine maintenance, landscaping, plumbing and more are a part of the routines on the farm. While lifting one of the hundreds of bales lined on the ﬁeld, Susan remarks, “there is a Top: Fewer and fewer farms in Muskoka have livestock such as cattle and sheep. Above: The process of bringing in the hay in a single eld takes several days and this summer it was delayed due to the frequent rains. Aer cutting the hay, it must be turned in the eld and then dried for baling.Fall/Winter 2021 UNIQUE MUSKOKA 37

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38 UNIQUE MUSKOKA Fall/Winter 2021oxtonguecraf tcabin.com Fine Canadian CraftStudio JewelleryOriginal ArtOpen Weekends Oct. 9 - Dec. 19 1073 Fox Point Rd Dwight, Lake of Bays 705.635.1602Loyal Loot, Log Bowlslot of manual labour.” Don and Mandy Maric, a husband and wife team, who founded Down to Earth a few years ago near Windermere, have come to farming from a diﬀerent route. Mandy explained they began by transforming their urban lawn into a vegetable garden. It’s a practice that would likely have a dramatically positive impact on the environment in so many ways if more urbanites were to take it up. Beets and a few other plants are grown along side the tomato plants to maximize the space. Much of the success of farming is out of the control of the farmer and this summer has so far been very challenging with an excess of rain. Mandy shared some of the diﬃculties this has presented as well as the opportunities it created. Some spaces bordering the ﬁeld became wetlands suitable for a wide diversity of wildlife. Furthermore, a non-farmer looking at the ground would likely see only weeds. Mandy admits, “it looks kind of crazy, but the diﬀerent kinds of clovers add nitrogen and are important for the pollinators. And when the wind and surrounding noises calm, you can hear the bees buzzing.” One of their specialties is an organic salad mix. It has been well received at local shops such as Stephen’s Butcher shop, Field of Greens and the Farmer’s Daughter in Huntsville. Don outlines what’s on the menu. “We currently have our mixed lettuce blend, baby kale and green onions, garlic, cucumbers, a variety of herbs, tomatoes and heirloom Don and Mandy Maric hope to satisfy the desire for fresh, locally-grown produce with crops from their farm, Down to Earth, located near Windermere.KEEP WARM THIS WINTER28 MANITOBA STREETBRACEBRIDGE | 705-637-0204It’s getting cooler and we’ve stocked up with Tilley toques and Tilley winter hats (The warm hats with hide-away ear warmers – both stylish and practical.)

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Pssst...Do you love knowing what’s going on in your community?Since 2015, Doppler has been North Muskoka’s go-to source for local news.SOUTH MUSKOKA DOPPLER IS UP AND RUNNING and will bring the same dedicaon to the communies of Bracebridge, Gravenhurst, and Muskoka Lakes.Head to southmuskoka.doppleronline.caand sign up for FREE to get the scoop. READ LOCALOur mantra is local: from features on local people doing extraordinary things, to local business spotlights, news and sports coverage, all supplemented by provocave opinion pieces on topics near and far.For more informaon contact MATT DRISCOLLEditor – South Muskoka DopplerMa.driscoll@doppleronline.catomatoes for sale. Zucchini, carrots cherry tomatoes and green beans follow. In the late summer we have a baby potato mix and winter squash available. We are also hoping the Somerset variety grapes we planted will be ready this September. is variety is a smaller sized red seedless grape. It grows well in more northern climates.”Restaurants and specialty stores love to be able to promote foods grown or prepared with extra care, and Don recognizes that local businesses have been very supportive and patient. e feedback has been encouraging. People in the area have been supportive. “Customers to our little store have thanked us for being here,” explains Don. “We have had volunteers that have generously given of their time and labour. And neighbours that have helped us out quite a bit on this farm with diﬀerent projects. We have been told that they like the quality and freshness of our product. We have an advantage of selling local in that sense because we are close by and don’t have to ship what we grow to far oﬀ places. “However, the reality of the marketplace is convenience is king,” notes Don. “It’s very challenging to provide the consistency these business need. We received a grant and business training from Muskoka Small Business from the Starter Company Plus Program. is went a long way for us to address some of these issues in our business. It’s still very much a work in progress.”In early summer when the ﬁrst crop of strawberries ripens, the ﬁelds at Taylor Farm near Windermere are ﬁlled with families. e pick-your-own is a hit with youngsters, who probably eat more than they put in the basket. ere truly is nothing like strawberries fresh from the ﬁeld. Taylor Farm grows several varieties so the “season” can last through the summer. e seasonal nature of farming is one the eternal challenges. Susan Goltz laid out the calendar of events. Calving season starts at the end of February and continues through March and April. “We try to be on hand to assist, since problems can arise and a veterinarian is more than an hour away,” says Susan. e fences are checked in April before the cows go out in May. In June, weather Sun ripened tomatoes are one of summer's tastiest pleasures, especially when fresh from the vine, such as these from Down to Earth farm, near Windermere. Fall/Winter 2021 UNIQUE MUSKOKA 39

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40 UNIQUE MUSKOKA Fall/Winter 2021depending, haying begins – cutting, baling and stacking into the barn. All this can last well into July, as this year, with rain delays. Up to 7,000 bales of hay will eventually get stacked. Meanwhile, the water trough for the cattle needs to be reﬁlled, up to four times a day in dry weather. As the season progresses and becomes drier and the grasses less plentiful in the pasture, hay is brought out to supplement. Calves are weaned from their mothers in mid-September in advance of the sale of cattle happening toward the end of September. Cattle are brought into the barn for the winter in November. Robert and Susan point out that it is diﬃcult to survive on just farming for an income. Most farming families supplement their livelihood. Susan points out that farming is a way of life, not a pastime or hobby, and with the growing year-round population in Muskoka, the number of farms is likely to decline even more, with the pressures on the commercial value vs. the returns for farmland.Farming as a business means taking advantage of good breaks in weather and timing your day to make the most of it. e team who run Taylor Farm may be cutting grass one moment or loading up gravel the next. A team of local youth run the country store where the strawberries and other items from the farm as well as popular seasonal produce such as corn, peaches and cherries are sold.Not every farmer’s route to the ﬁeld is the same. Some 26 years ago, Norm Woods was more likely to be found behind the wheel of a speedboat than attending to the breech With most Muskoka farms, chickens and eggs are a ubiquitous feature. Don’t have your project put on holdRECEIVE DELIVERY IN 5 to 6 WEEKS!SUNROOMSBYDAVLIN.CA info@sunroomsbydavlin.ca1-705-706-4927

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When a power outage strikes, SOMMERS RESIDENTIAL GENERATORSensure that your home or cottage automatically stays powered on.ECRA / ESA 7002295 • TSSA 000365522A full range of generators that can be custom built to suit your home or cottage’s speciﬁc needs, so you’ll always have standby power ready.705.765.0600 • www.sitelectric.com • Port CarlingMUSKOKA • PARRY SOUNDYour Source For All Your Electrical, HVAC,Backup Power And Home Automation Needs.birth of a calf. Norm retired from being a professional race boat driver in 1999 following a spectacular accident in which his boat blew apart after it hit a wave and sank. “e capsule I was in had 30 minutes of air,” he explains. “After I sunk, the divers came down and rescued me.” Woods explained that the capsule concept was a solution to lessen the death toll of drivers in the open boats at speeds beyond 130 miles per hour. Woods said this experience played a big role in his decision to retire.Woods is a decorated international sports star and has certainly shifted gears at his farm on Stephen’s Bay Road near Bracebridge. With cows, sheep and chickens, he has his hands full tending to the farm. He clearly enjoys every minute of it, especially when his grandchildren – three-year-old Matthew and Tommy, who just turned ﬁve, come to visit and, of course, when a new-born calf arrives. Woods described how he had a lovely house not too far from where he is now, but it was too big after the children went on their way. It happened that the farm came on the market, and he took the plunge. During his racing Boat racer and businessman turned farmer Norm Woods enjoys the excitement of a newborn calf at his farm in Bracebridge.Fall/Winter 2021 UNIQUE MUSKOKA 41

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42 UNIQUE MUSKOKA Fall/Winter 2021days, Woods didn’t think he could ever imagine having his arm up a cow, wearing a long plastic sleeve, to help with the birth of a calf. “But Blackie,” notes Woods, “is a great mom, she never has any problems.” Norm showed oﬀ the newborn, just days old, as it learns to suckle. Finally, the camera-shy sheep come close enough to Woods to be caught for a photo with him. ey had been playing hide and seek around the property. Pointing out the corn growing near the river at the Nichols farm, one was reminded of the great corn Edith Nichols would have in the summer. Woods says it is now cattle corn. One particular season, Woods grew table corn, and he was looking forward to a great crop. e night before he planned to pick it at its peak, deer came through and made a mess of it. Woods brings in his own hay, cutting and baling it from a ﬁeld over by the tree line. Such are the demands, surprises and challenges of running a farm. ere is a lot of history in these ﬁelds. A song surely suitable for the likes of Gordon Lightfoot. What these lands were before the settlers uprooted the trees for hay, cattle and crops is lost to memory. Susan Goltz remembers members of the Indigenous community coming to their ﬁelds looking for sweet grass, used in baskets and for ceremonies. e sweet grass baskets could be bought from the Roads craft shop in the “Indian Village” in Port Carling. e farmers’ markets in towns feature local fare that can come directly to the public. Wednesday is Gravenhurst, ursday is Port Carling and Huntsville, Saturday is Bracebridge. Some of the markets run into mid-October, while others end in September. Check for COVID protocols as well. While farms represent a stark transition from the land as it was before settlers, that is nothing compared to what Muskoka is facing now.Norm Woods le the competitive world of boat racing aer a near fatal crash to enjoy life on his farm beside the Muskoka River in Bracebridge.The simpler challenges of gathering his sheep provide pleasure for former businessman and boat racer Norm Woods.28 MANITOBA STREETBRACEBRIDGE | 705-637-0204INTRODUCINGCanadian-MadeShop Onlineuniquemuskoka.comor In-StoreAPPAREL

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44 UNIQUE MUSKOKA Fall/Winter 2021In 1874, on a chill November evening, six Huntsville men thrashed out how to entice a medical man to their ﬂedgling settlement. Focusing on the connection between money and healthcare, they decided at that November 28th gathering to oﬀer, not exactly a bribe but an “award” to the doctor who came. In exchange, as they then publicly advertised, the doctor would “give his advice, attendance and medicine to the subscribers free of charge” for a year. at peculiar reference to “subscribers,” rather than “townsfolk” or “patients,” was because they were pioneering a medical insurance plan unique in Canada. Like all such plans, it was somewhat convoluted. For $5 per year, a married man could “subscribe” to coverage entitling his entire family to a year’s worth of free medical services for injuries and illnesses. Single men could sign up for $2.50. Patients not covered by the Huntsville plan – the non-subscribers – would pay for the doctor’s services at rates from $5 to $12 per week. e men devising this private arrangement agreed to pay the doctor a $600 “bonus” – topping up whatever income he could earn directly by charging fees and selling medications to non-subscribers in Huntsville and north Muskoka. In 1875, their advertised plan netted Dr. Francis L. Howland. Born in Whitby, Howland had graduated from McGill in 1867, opening a medical practice in Woodstock. After eight years of that, he was drawn to Huntsville by the “guaranteed payment” plan and the appealing prospect of getting some of the “Muskoka Cure” for himself. Large in stature and personality, the small village’s sole licensed medical practitioner held the record for many local “ﬁrsts.” Dr. Howland received the ﬁrst telegram in Huntsville. At his grand home he built Huntsville’s ﬁrst tennis court. He was appointed Huntsville’s ﬁrst medical oﬃcer of health by Ontario’s Liberal government. In 1877, he launched Huntsville’s ﬁrst newspaper, straight-up clarifying his partisan aﬃliation by calling it e Liberal. Although he initially provided doctoring services from his home, Francis Howland’s spiraling success enabled him to buy one of George Hunt’s buildings on Main Street, Article by J. Patrick BoyerJacob Hart and Francis Howland competed on the same Huntsville turf to provide the best private hospital. This is Dr. Howland’s new hospital, built at the corner of Main and John streets in 1893, again a response to Dr. Hart’s upgraded facilities. Above: Dr. Hart relocated his hospital to this large addition to his home. Right: Dr. Howland oered a healthcare insurance program rst. Dr. Hart improved with healthcare “tickets.” This ticket was in use in 1900.Photographs: Muskoka Heritage Place Collection, Huntsville

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Photographs: Muskoka Heritage Place Collection, Huntsvillewhere he prospered carrying on his much-needed medical practice. By 1885 the Grand Trunk Railway had pushed its tracks north to Huntsville. On June 26 the next year, its ﬁrst passenger train pulled into the station. Onto the platform stepped a dapper doctor by the name of Jacob W. Hart. A recent graduate from Trinity Medical College in Toronto, Hart promptly purchased lots 47 and 48 on Chaﬀey Street and swiftly built the “Huntsville Hospital,” a two-storey wood frame structure with picket fence to keep grazing cows at bay.A long hall ran through the ground ﬂoor “Hart’s Hospital,” as locals called it to avoid confusion with other Huntsville medical facilities like “Howland’s” clinic on Main Street. His doctor’s oﬃce and the hospital’s dispensary were conveniently near the entrance, handy for patient visits and pharmacy purchases. Further along was his well-equipped operating room, which doubled as a delivery room for babies. At the far end, a dining room with adjacent kitchen is where patients took their meals. e second-ﬂoor wards were segregated by gender, and four smaller upstairs rooms were exclusively for contagious or critically ill patients. Not only was Dr. Hart’s hospital the ﬁrst in Huntsville and all Muskoka, it was also Canada’s ﬁrst “ticket hospital” – a subscription system providing an early form of medical insurance that was in fact a close adaptation of the Huntsville plan pioneered in 1874-5 that gave rise to Dr. Howland’s practice. e “ticket” was the new feature, something Hart learned was being done in the U.S. Purchasing a $5 ticket entitled the subscriber to a year’s worth of medical and surgical treatment at Hart’s Hospital, plus board in cases of sickness or accident. Hart was obviously an entrepreneurial physician, bold enough to come to town and build a hospital. Applying another of his modern ideas, the doctor oﬀered Huntsville’s Duncan H. Sutherland a commission on ticket sales. at winter, travelling by dog team to north Muskoka homesteads and lumber camps, he did brisk business selling subscription tickets to farm families and loggers.Not to be overshadowed by Dr. Hart, and giving Huntsville its second hospital, in 1893, Dr. Howland built one of his own. On property bought from Capt. Hunt, the 44 x 51-foot structure stood east of the Muskoka River near the swing bridge, at the corner of John and Main streets. “Howland’s General Hospital,” as it was called, accommodated 30 patients. Francis Howland emphasized that, unlike medical facilities in converted residences, his hospital was “especially erected for a hospital.” Howland’s facility was made-over in 1895-96 according to plans by local architect William Proudfoot. e newly bricked building, modiﬁed to 40 x 60 feet dimensions, now accommodated 100 patients who could be “admitted at all hours.” e General Hospital’s “electric lights, speaking tubes (an 1890’s intercom), elevator, telephone and telegraph connections” were “in service day and night.” e “abundance of water from the town waterworks” supplied the hospital’s “up-to-date system of hot and cold baths.” Rooms were “comfortably heated, especially well ventilated, had plumbing and sewage of the best, and featured Lawson Tait beds.” (Tait’s improvements in hospital beds included wire carefully coppered and lacquered to prevent rust.) A couple of hospital developments in 1902 further altered the Huntsville scene. One was a hastily-built isolation facility to quarantine a local man with smallpox, giving the town its third hospital. e era’s attitude about people with a communicable sickness was reﬂected in the isolation hospital being dubbed the “Pest House.” is small building to segregate individuals with infectious diseases became derelict because need for it was rare. One May night in 1907, a community-minded arsonist converted Huntsville’s isolation hospital to ashes.e second 1902 event was Dr. Hart moving his Chaﬀey Street hospital into a new facility – 36 rooms and oﬃces added to his King Street home. By 1909, he would begin calling this facility e Huntsville Hospital and Rest Home, because it functioned as a sanitarium as well, with rooms exclusively for patients with communicable diseases. After all, the Pest House had been eliminated, and it was now the era of sanitariums. e 1890s was a “laissez-faire,” or hands-oﬀ, era for government. Municipal governments, not provincial or national ones, were front-line responders and they ﬁelded a very short list of the public’s needs. Individuals, families, and civil society were as self-reliant as possible – because they had to be. ose providing medical support were As Bracebridge’s Memorial Hospital, this 1878 structure was ocially opened in 1928, ten years to the day aer a November 11, 1918 general armistice ended World War I. Photograph: Boyer Family ArchivesLe: Dr. Francis Howland, Huntsville’s rst doctor, arrived in the village in 1875. Right: Dr. Jacob Hart arrived fresh from medical school in 1885 and opened Huntsville’s rst hospital.Fall/Winter 2021 UNIQUE MUSKOKA 45

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46 UNIQUE MUSKOKA Fall/Winter 2021primarily local private players: doctors with their own clinics, the Red Cross Society, women operating convalescent nursing homes, midwives, Muskoka chapters of the Women’s Institute, members of the Imperial Order of Daughters of the Empire, women’s church auxiliaries, and the Victorian Order of Nurses. It was from this mix that Muskoka's various types of hospitals emerged, and in which poor people needed medical care.In Huntsville, hospital matters had hit a major snag. Competitors Dr. Hart and Dr. Howland, each piloting their own private-enterprise hospitals, shared common interests and displayed patterns of close collaboration. Prior to this, they had jointly sought to improve their Huntsville hospitals’ bottom-lines. Selling annual subscriptions for health services produced operating cash ﬂow for the two hospitals but the doctors still found it diﬃcult to keep up ﬁnancially. Both doctors worked, or were on call, every day all year. Payment for their services often took the form of vegetables and ﬁrewood. Jacob Hart’s billings exceeded his collections. Claiming he might not be able to continue, he sought “charity status” for his hospital. Ontario’s Liberal government readily granted his request in spring 1897. Quickly Howland, who seemed to follow Hart in most everything, and who was equally well regarded as a “friend” of the governing powers at Queen’s Park, achieved the same ﬁnancially beneﬁcial status. Despite the fact they were proﬁt-making businesses, Huntsville’s two privately-owned “charity” hospitals now got yearly provincial grants to cover operating costs. en in 1905, shortly after the Muskoka by-election in which Dr. Howland ran for the Liberals, came a province-wide general election. e Liberals, who’d been in oﬃce for an unbroken run of 33 years, lost to the Conservatives. Doctors Hart and Howland, both oﬃcial Liberal candidates whose private hospitals had been aligned by the friendly Liberal government to receive public money, could hardly have been surprised when those arrangements were cancelled. Although both hospitals continued to take patients, the two doctors became increasingly strict about admitting only those who could pay in full. Townsfolk next learned that Huntsville’s medical duo was seeking an exemption from municipal taxes. Councillors grudgingly voted the tax exemptions – for both doctors’ private hospitals – even as they lamented on the public record that it was “an injustice to the general ratepayers of the village.” Other Huntsville doctors were now practising medicine from their homes or oﬃces. With the hospitals of doctors Hart and Howland eﬀectively closed except to the rich, these solo ﬁrst-responders included Dr. C.C. Casselman, Dr. J.M. McRuer and Dr. J.D. MacDonald. As dedicated physicians, they made “house calls,” carrying their doctor’s hallmark black bag of instruments and medicines not only to households around town but far out into the countryside as well. Members of the North Muskoka Women’s Institute began campaigning for a public hospital. By 1916, they’d been led to believe town council would contribute $1,000 to a 20-bed facility, expected to cost about $15,000. However, the required bylaw never proceeded. e councillors stalling it did not see their role to spend money on a hospital. e town’s experience through the 1918-19 Spanish Flu pandemic gave fresh impetus to the quest for a public hospital. By 1921, cost of the proposed hospital had risen to $30,000. A hospital committee looked for a suitable site. A plan was devised to raise funds by public subscription. However, the matter was stubbornly deferred by Huntsville council and surrounding larger municipalities. e potent force of inertia had overtaken local government.e Red Cross became deeply concerned about the humanitarian situation in Huntsville. In 1924 Dr. Routley, medical director of the Ontario Red Cross Society, and W.H. Alderson, chairman of the Red Cross Emergency Relief Committee, then actively developing hospital accommodation across northern Ontario communities, arrived in town to explore reopening Dr. Hart’s hospital. Routley suggested a 10-patient facility for a comparatively small capital outlay. Once again, a committee was struck to plan the new hospital and, once more, the town was asked to contribute funds. With no public hospital, several nurses began operating private ones. Initially for birthing babies and caring for mothers, these nursing centres also began treating patients recuperating from surgeries and serious illness. Town doctors came to them and performed appendectomies, tonsillectomies and other emergency surgeries. In 1915, a Miss Hanson had a nursing practice on Main Street and by 1922 on Mary Street, Mrs. George Morgan set up a private hospital. When she left town in 1923, another nurse-run hospital took Morgan’s place when Mrs. Baverstock opened Hillcrest Hospital on Church Street. A little later, Mrs. A.W. Whitehouse opened her private hospital on Cora Street. e Whitehouse Hospital, stated her 1926 advertisement, was “Equipped with accommodation for a limited number of patients. Competent nurse, with many years’ experience, in charge. Large, well-lighted and ventilated. Rates $7.50 to $21.” Even Huntsville’s chapter of the Imperial Order of Daughters of the Empire pitched in, paying the Victorian Order of Nurses for the services Reacting to the exclusivity of high-fee TB care at Muskoka Cottage Sanatorium, a Free Hospital Sanatorium for Consumptives was opened as Gravenhurst’s second major hospital in 1902 – seen here with later additions to the high-demand facility.Photograph: Gravenhurst Archives

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of Mary Ririe, R.N., to serve the people of Huntsville in 1923 – beginning a decades-long procession of 13 successive VON nurses in town.e arduous ﬁts-and-starts campaign to establish a public hospital in Huntsville culminated a generation later, in the 1940s. Under the leadership of Harmon E. Rice, a weekly newspaper editor and publisher, and also Huntsville’s mayor, a citizens’ committee pressed ahead to land a Red Cross “outpost hospital.” e Red Cross paid $40,000 of the building’s $250,000 costs and ran the hospital for several years before entrusting it to a local board. e Ontario government contributed $40,000, the Town $10,000, and the rest came from private donations. e Second World War was still far from over in July 1944 when the citizens’ committee decided to call the long-sought facility a “Memorial Hospital” to honour those who perished in the war. ey purchased William Kellock’s property on the east bank of the Muskoka River, where in 1949 the Huntsville and District Memorial Hospital, a 26-bed facility, ﬁnally opened its doors. On August 21, 1897, Gravenhurst townsfolk mingled with a trainload of day-trip dignitaries from Toronto, all converging on the east side of Muskoka Bay around a brand-new sanitarium. In formal attire beﬁtting a Victorian Age oﬃcial ceremony, they were participating in a moment of Canadian history. e “Muskoka Cottage Sanitarium” – part hospital, part resort – was Canada’s very ﬁrst treatment centre for tuberculosis patients.e Sanitarium oﬀered hope for Canadians suﬀering from deadly TB, introduced a unique component to the Gravenhurst community and opened a new dimension in taking “the Muskoka Cure.” anks to clean air and convenient location, Muskoka became the Canadian anchor for hospitals catering exclusively to those with tuberculosis who required complete rest – a medical prescription. At Gravenhurst, where the play was all about tuberculosis hospitals because the town was hosting the ﬁrst and for a while the only, dedicated TB treatment facility in Canada, money was clearly in the picture. e town’s strategic location and self-promotion as the “Gateway to Muskoka” reinforced the message of medical doctors and other prominent Torontonians who were already summer residents in the district. Helping these elements crystallize, Gravenhurst council ponied up $10,000, adding to the $25,000 pledge of Sir William Gage, the philanthropic Toronto publisher, for a hospital facility. is money was pooled with other substantial gifts, including another $25,000 donation from tractor manufacturer Hartland Massey, whose 23-year-old son had died from TB. In its ﬁrst year, the “Muskoka Cottage Sanitarium” had space for 35 patients. e name itself suggested important features of this Muskoka treatment centre. On one level, it tapped into the coveted allure of a second home, a “cottage” close to nature, which for many had become an integral beneﬁt of living in Canada. On another level, “cottage” connoted simplicity. Access to Muskoka Cottage Sanatorium required patients whose TB was “not too far advanced,” so treatment had a chance to be eﬀective, and who could pay for top-of-the-line treatment. It wasn’t cheap. Some families boasted of having a member “at the Cottage Sanatorium in Gravenhurst,” the way they’d brag about their child attending a prestigious high-tuition university. is inescapable nexus between money and healthcare arose and the understandable social backlash led to opening of “Muskoka Free Hospital for Consumptives” in 1902. e ﬁrst such facility anywhere, the Free Hospital “was a welcome addition to Ontario tuberculosis facilities,” noted the authors of Gravenhurst: An Album of Memories and Mysteries in 1993, “despite its less-than-upbeat name which correctly implied that other TB hospitals were not ‘free.’” is extensive facility became a homey complex, complete with its’ own vegetable gardens producing fresh produce for patients. As Gravenhurst became pre-eminent in the ﬁeld of tuberculosis treatment, between these two TB hospitals, a third facility took shape between 1908 and 1916. e Calydor Sanatorium for tuberculosis patients did not start out as a health recovery institution, but as the Minnewaska Hotel. A luxury resort initially oﬀering the standard “Muskoka Full front view of Bracebridge Memorial Hospital, initially a Red Cross facility, as it appeared draped in the British ag in 1928.Muskoka Cottage Sanatorium opened in 1897 at Gravenhurst. Oering a new version of “the Muskoka Cure,” it was Canada’s rst tuberculosis sanatorium.Photograph: Hospitals Division, Department of Health. Boyer Family Archives. Photograph: Hospitals Division, Department of Health. Boyer Family Archives.Fall/Winter 2021 UNIQUE MUSKOKA 47

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48 UNIQUE MUSKOKA Fall/Winter 2021Cure” and catering to well-to-do southern Ontario families, the Minnewaska’s imposing buildings, located along the eastern shore of Muskoka Bay in the sanitariums’ neighbourhood, boasted all the modern amenities. Guests enjoyed good indoor dining, dancing, and billiards in well-appointed rooms, while the resort’s expansive grounds, running along a beach, included tennis courts, gardens, and lawn-bowling greens. e Minnewaska opened its doors in 1897, the same season the Muskoka Cottage Sanatorium began operations. Being in close proximity, the two places were soon caught up in a common destiny. Rich visitors arriving in Gravenhurst to see their wealthy TB-patient friends found it convenient, and exceedingly pleasant, to spend time “just next door” at the Minnewaska for a ﬁne Muskoka holiday while performing a duty. e year-round resort became increasingly drawn into the local TB treatment economy. As the hotel’s business began slipping away to even more prestigious resorts further up the lakes, such as the Royal Muskoka and Windermere House, its convenient and underutilized facilities began accommodating patient “overﬂow,” too. In 1908 Dr. Charles Parﬁtt, physician-in-chief at Muskoka Free Hospital, orchestrated its makeover from tourist hotel to private sanatorium. First called the “Minnewaska Hospital,” Gravenhurst’s town council promptly granted an operating license in February 1909. e following year, the hospital hotel was enlarged with open-air verandahs and sunrooms, fresh air being part of “the cure.” By 1913, Dr. Parﬁtt and his associates laid plans, notes Gravenhurst historian Cecil Porter, for “a modern sanatorium of exceptional quality to be built a few hundred yards away.” In April 1916, the attractive new health centre, named Calydor meaning “beautiful water,” oﬃcially opened its doors. e town itself did not have a general public hospital. Physicians, as elsewhere in Muskoka, practiced medicine from their homes or handy doctor’s oﬃce. Women reliably provided nursing centres, convalescent homes and birthing facilities. And, despite the community’s understandable gulf between contagious tuberculosis patients at the sanitariums and people in the town, there was The very rst “hospitals” in Muskoka were small quarantine buildings – dubbed “the Pest House” – to isolate individuals with contagious deadly diseases such as scarlet fever or diphtheria. Photograph: Muskoka Heritage Place Collection, Huntsville

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interaction at the medical level. Medically trained personnel living in Gravenhurst responded to intermittent neighbourhood emergencies – a burst appendix or a broken leg. Bracebridge was a municipal leader in several categories – establishing a library, acquiring its own electricity generating plant – but getting a hospital was not on the town’s agenda. So, for decades of community development, doctors practiced medicine from their homes or adjacent oﬃces and women (often widows) opened their houses as “nursing” facilities for birthing, recovering from sickness and patients healing after receiving a doctor’s care.e ﬁrst structure in Bracebridge to be called a hospital was, as in Huntsville, a simple structure to sequester individuals with a deadly contagious disease, such as scarlet fever or smallpox. A primitive shed, it, too, was called the “pest house.” In the pest house, a person suﬀering from a contagious disease, especially smallpox, was “denned up” with some brave person to look after him. “Except the doctor, no other person then entered. Food and fuel were deposited well outside the building.” ose driving the rigs making the deliveries “doubtless stayed well away from the structure.” In 1911, Bracebridge council ﬁnally responded to years of urgings for an isolation hospital and purchased 16 lots in the vicinity of Pine, Cedar, and Woodward streets from George Denniss for $225, and then bought a building previously the oﬃces of Ontario Land Surveyor William Galbraith, moving it onto the new town property. So, once again, Bracebridge at least had a quarantine hospital. It didn’t last long. In 1937, when Ontario was swept with a poliomyelitis epidemic causing the schools to be closed that fall, a temporary isolation hospital was opened in “St. Anne’s House” of the Sisters of St. Margaret Anglican religious order. Pioneering use of an iron lung, operated by quarantined nurse Mabel Haylett, R.N., was its remarkable life-saving feature.Of Bracebridge women providing private nursing and medical care at their residences, This aerial view underscores the impressive extent of facilities of the Cottage Sanatorium, Main and Gage, by the shore of Muskoka Bay, Gravenhurst. Muskoka’s clean air was an important part of TB treatment.Photograph: H. Oakman, Gravenhurst ArchivesFall/Winter 2021 UNIQUE MUSKOKA 49

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50 UNIQUE MUSKOKA Fall/Winter 2021most prominent was Mrs. Arnott, a resilient widow with the fortitude to carry on a business herself and initiate caring for the sick. She opened the Arnott Nursing Home for those requiring special nursing and doctor’s attention at the north end of Manitoba Street, by the corner of McDonald Street, which was at the edge of early 1900s Bracebridge. A “practical nurse,” wrote Patricia M. Boyer in her book Looking at Our Century, “Arnott was part of the great army of capable women who’d learned by experience how to help the sick, the dying and the newborn.”Her large home not only lent itself to this purpose but simpliﬁed life for families living at a distance, because now an ill member could be accommodated with greater convenience for the doctor, more patient comfort and less anxiety for the family. e operating room of Arnott Nursing Home occupied a large space in the front room, with a large alcove window that post-operative patients could look out from their bed, until able to be moved to patient rooms upstairs. As a recovery room, this bay window area had little in the way of life-saving equipment but the view of blue Muskoka skies and gently swaying leafy boughs was a pleasing re-entry to consciousness from anesthetics. Working with Bracebridge pharmacists and physicians, Mrs. Arnott was the person Bracebridge people frequently sought out for healthcare, and her facility was keeping pace with the era’s advances in medical knowledge and skill. In 1912, fortunately, no patients were on the premises when a November ﬁre destroyed her private hospital. With need for such a place so acute, and because Mrs. Arnott and her daughter Fanny were so devoted to caring for those in need, she decided to rebuild. By 1913, the town’s board of trade took up the cause of establishing a “real” hospital in Bracebridge, persuading council to submit a ballot question to voters seeking approval to spend $5,000 for a public hospital in town. In the January 1914 municipal voting, the hospital referendum was defeated, 136 to 130.Fanny Arnott, trained by her mother to care for patients, entered Toronto Western Hospital to become a registered nurse. Graduating in 1920, the dedicated R.N. returned to Bracebridge and put her training and devotion into service alongside her mother at their Nursing Home. Dr. Peter McGibbon of Bracebridge, who was also Medical Oﬃcer of Health and Muskoka’s member of parliament, arranged to fully equip their hospital’s operating room. Two more registered nurses, Gertrude Fenn and Elizabeth Hamilton, joined the staﬀ of what, increasingly, was taking shape and being recognized as Bracebridge’s hospital. A more formalized institution, Bracebridge Memorial Hospital, required the Great War deaths of many soldiers from the community and the determined leadership of Muskoka veterans championing a local hospital in their memory. While Huntsville and Gravenhurst had “purpose-built” hospitals, a source of local pride, a general pattern across Ontario was re-purposing existing buildings. Back in 1878 James Lucas Fenn, a contractor and hardware merchant, bought Macaulay Township land and, in October 1893, began building his distinctive double-turret brick home. In 1897 the place became more renowned when lumberman Angus McLeod, who represented Muskoka in the House of Commons, bought and lived in it. As the settlement expanded, the township property became included in the town. By 1923 another lumberman, John G. Golden, bought the residence and it was he who sold it on November 5, 1928 to the Trustees of the Bracebridge Memorial Hospital. Within the week, a massive November 11 public ceremony on the tenth anniversary of Armistice Day (since renamed Remembrance Day) dedicated the hospital to the memory of the town’s fallen soldiers. Operated as a Red Cross hospital, Miss Fanny Arnott, R.N., became its ﬁrst administrator – marking a seamless shift from Bracebridge’s private to public hospital. e converted large brick residence had patient capacity for 12 adult beds and three cots. A 1932 two-storey brick addition provided a further 16 beds. In 1963, the increasingly improvised structure would be replaced by an enlarged and modernized “South Muskoka Memorial Hospital” with support from Gravenhurst and other municipalities. e inclusion of “South Muskoka” may have appeared responsive to Gravenhurst having no hospital of its own. Arnott Nursing Home for those requiring special nursing and doctor’s attention at the north end of Manitoba Street, by the corner of McDonald Street in Bracebridge.Photograph: Boyer Family Archives.Photograph: Gravenhurst ArchivesWomen were the backbone of healthcare services in Muskoka. At Gravenhurst, surrounding Dr. Harry Hazelwood, physician-in-chief of the Muskoka Sanitorium, are 11 female sta members.

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52 UNIQUE MUSKOKA Fall/Winter 2021Article by Karen Wehrstein / Photography by Tomasz SzumskiFor the Fall / Winter 2021 issue, we’ve decided to help you get through the winter by going big with a uniquely Muskoka experience. e challenge was to put together e Total Cranberry Meal: one main dish, one salad, one baked good to accompany the main, one dessert and all must include cranberries. ree chefs, one baker. Here we go…Nine years ago, Lisa Barclay was working in a Bay Street skyscraper doing investor relations for a huge Colombian oil company, while her husband Michael Holbrook ran his own IT business. “I was the weird hippy of the oﬃce who always had good lunches,” says Barclay, who is originally from Bowmanville. “I’m obsessed with food and cooking. I started learning to cook when I was nine. All the women in my family cooked and baked. I loved it from an early age because food is awesome.”Multi-talented Barclay is probably the only baker around who went to the Ontario College of Art and Design. “ere are lots of transferable skills,” she says. “From ceramics to rolling dough… cake decorating I picked up quickly.” Holbrook’s digestive problems urged both husband and wife to acquire knowledge about how eating and illness relate, driving Barclay’s culinary interest in a health-oriented direction.e young couple wanted to stop cottaging in Muskoka and start living here. After saving up for a year they bought a forest-surrounded house near Huntsville in 2013. Already keen customers of the The Total Cranberry MealMuskoka chefs pull out all the stopsLisa Barclay of Blue Moon Bakery admits to being obsessed with food and cooking.Wet Ingredients 2 eggs 1 cup pure pumpkin puree 1 cup brown sugar 1/3 cup olive oil 1 tsp vanillaDry Ingredients1 cup Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten Free Flour (available at ﬁner supermarkets) ½ tsp baking soda ½ tsp baking powder 1 Tbsp cinnamon 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice ¼ tsp salt1½ cup fresh or frozen (and thawed) cranberries, rinsed and dried. 2 Tbsp Turbinado sugar (for garnish). Method• Preheat oven to 350°F. Line muﬃn pans with muﬃn papers. Beat eggs until frothy. Add sugar, oil, pumpkin puree and vanilla and combine.• Whisk dry ingredients in medium bowl and add to egg mixture. Gently fold batter together until combined. Add cranberries to batter, fold in, and place batter in muﬃn papers. Sprinkle some Turbinado sugar on top of each muﬃn.• Bake approximately 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean or muﬃns spring back to the touch.Yield: 12 muﬃnsBaker’s Tip:Vegans: substitute store-bought egg replacer for the eggs; follow the instructions on the package.Cranberry Pumpkin Spice MunsLisa Barclay

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gluten-free bakery Wheat-Free Delights, they leapt at the opportunity when its owner let them know she was selling it. “It just came up. It was a dream,” Barclay recalls. “We said, ‘we wanted to do this – let’s do it!’” In March 2015, the deal was closed and Blue Moon Bakery, specializing in gluten-free and dairy-free goods, was born.Because Holbrook is a classically-trained Italian barista, the couple also added an espresso bar to the bakery, much to the delight of Huntsville’s coﬀee aﬁcionados. “We serve Ruﬁno beans and oﬀer several milk choices, organic and a few dairy-free options,” Barclay says.In aid of the total cranberry meal, Barclay follows her dictum, “Pumpkin does good stuﬀ in recipes.” She says, “It’s a take on a recipe I found years ago. I tweaked it a bit here and a bit there, thought it would make a nice muﬃn.”It does indeed. If I didn’t know better, I’d say it tastes too good to be gluten-free. Its pumpkin-pie-reminiscent ﬂavour is very much the taste of autumn, especially combined with cranberries. It’s pleasantly moist due to the pumpkin puree used in it, and the Turbinado gives it a nice crunch. My son Raphi, who has lived gluten-free most of his life, gave his verdict in one word: “Delicious!”For our salad, we turn to Chef Everett Bell, executive chef at the Lake Joseph Club’s summer restaurant, Water’s Edge. Born in New Liskeard, he grew up on Manitoulin Island and spent most of his summers at his grandfather’s farm near essalon. “I grew up around farms and food,” he says. “My career as a chef has been 95 percent in Muskoka and 90 percent on this lake.” Starting as a dishwasher at 14, Bell was cooking by 15, and got his epicurean education at Canadore College in North Bay, followed by on-the-job training under Chef Ken Schulz at Grandview Resort. After receiving his Red Seal certiﬁcation in 2009, Bell spent some winters in Kananaskis, Alberta, then returned to Grandview to stay in Muskoka. He joined Clublink in 2012, leading the culinary programs at Sherwood Inn and Rocky Crest Golf Resort, then was hired by the Lake Joseph Club in 2020. Director of operations Matt Rouse notes admiringly, “Our members across the board will recognize Chef Everett’s style. He’s left his impact.”Bell’s philosophy of cooking is brief: “Simple, fresh, good ingredients. We use as much local produce as we can. Everything’s fresh. e greens tend to speak for themselves: they’re clean, fresh, organic, and local, at the very least grown in Ontario. Our beef is certiﬁed Angus – Canadian protein. I’ve been using these same local suppliers for nine years.”Maple and roasted shallot vinaigrette is a staple, Bell notes. “Shallots go sweet when you cook them, and they add texture. To make it more local, we added blueberry wine. Arugula is good because it’s peppery, and with the bitter lettuce it pairs well with sweet dressing. Goat cheese – that ﬂavour goes really well with all the others. Spicy pecans give it a little kick.”is really is a lovely salad. Didn’t think Chef Everett Bell at the Lake Joseph Club’s Water’s Edge restaurant likes simple, fresh, good ingredients with a local source when preparing his salads.Fall/Winter 2021 UNIQUE MUSKOKA 53

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54 UNIQUE MUSKOKA Fall/Winter 2021grape tomatoes could go with cranberries? ink again; they do here. e chevre melts scrumptiously in the mouth. e spicy pecans are my favourite part and would make a great snack. e ringmaster of this circus of ﬂavours is the vinaigrette, pulling it all together. While it is popular as an appetizer or side at the club, Bell says, “I envision as a family salad, everyone sitting around a big table having some.”And now for our knock-your-socks-oﬀ main dish: Ducturkhen, created by chef Glenn Kitchen of Bracebridge. Born and raised in Coldwater, he started cooking as a child. “I always blame it on my grandmother,” he says. “We used to stay with her when we were kids and she taught us to do a lot of cooking.” His talent-spotting high school hospitality teacher presented him with a half-ﬁlled-out application to George Brown College as a subtle hint; he took both the hint and the program.“I’ve done about 95 percent of my training and work in Ontario, with the exception of six months in Australia,” Kitchen recalls. He and his wife and fellow chef Diane, best known now for running Kitchen’s Buttertarts in Bracebridge, cooked their way all around that continent. In Ontario, he has worked for about 20 employers including Casino Rama, Pinelands Lodge and Windermere House.In June or so of this year, his son Johnathan hired him to cook for his new business, Cottage Country Catering. “We don’t have a menu, we sit down and ask you,” the elder Kitchen says. “We cook what people want to eat.” Over his years working in Muskoka, he has gathered a group of excellent local suppliers for his raw materials. Ducturkhen is Kitchen’s response to our request for the “ultimate” main dish with cranberries. “Poultry means anksgiving and fall,” he says. “To be able to include all three kinds of meat in one dish that people can do at home – how much more ultimate can you get?”No doubt you have heard of Turducken; quite likely you (like me) have avoided it because, in Kitchen’s words, “It’s so big, you need a hundred people to eat it. is is suitable for a family.” And less expensive: “You’ll spend maybe $35 for the meats.”Ducturkhen may sound sort of ordinary with typical stuﬃng ingredients such as bread, thyme and rosemary, and even with less-typical ones such as golden raisins and apricots. But every now and then your tongue will run into a secret ingredient or two not at all typical of anksgiving cooking. “Whoa,” your tongue will say, “what’s that doing there? …I love it!” ose little touches, along with the three-poultry combo, puts this dish into the stratosphere of scrumptiousness.Water’s Edge Garden Salad Everett BellMuskoka Lakes Winery Blueberry Wine, Maple and Roasted Shallot VinaigrettePreparation time: 1 hourYield: 4 cupsIngredients½ bottle Muskoka Lakes Winery Blueberry wine¾ cup real maple syrup2-3 whole shallots1 Tbsp grainy Dijon mustard (regular also works)¾ cup white wine vinegar or white balsamic vinegar2½-3 cups canola oilSalt and pepper to tasteMethod• Preheat oven to 375°F. Prepare shallots: peel, slice in half and place on tinfoil with a dash of salt, pepper and oil. Wrap up tightly and roast in the oven until soft, 30-40 minutes. Allow shallots to cool and ﬁnely chop. • In a small saucepot, add the wine. Simmer over medium-low heat until reduced by 50 percent.• In a medium-sized bowl, add the maple syrup, shallots, mustard, vinegar and wine reduction. is is where the stick blender you received for Christmas comes in handy! (A whisk is suﬃcient, but more work.) While blending or whisking, slowly pour in the oil until emulsiﬁed. Lightly season with salt and pepper to your preference.Spiced PecansPreparation time: 15 minutesYield: 2 cupsIngredients2 cups whole pecans2 Tbsp brown sugar½ tsp cinnamon½ tsp cayenne pepper1 tsp salt2 Tbsp waterMethod• Pre-heat oven to 350°F. • In a small bowl, whisk together brown sugar, cinnamon, cayenne and water. Add pecans and toss until evenly coated. • Spread out on a parchment-paper-lined baking sheet, avoiding clumps. Bake for 8-10 minutes and keep a close eye; these will burn easily!The SaladPreparation time: 5 minutesYield: 1 large salad, suitable for a family of fourIngredients6 cups assorted artisan greens¾ cup Johnston’s apple-juice dried cranberries (get at Muskoka Winery)¾ cup chevre goat’s cheese1 cup halved fresh grape tomatoes1 cup sliced cucumber¾ cup spiced pecans¾ cup blueberry wine, maple and roasted shallot vinaigretteMethod• Place all ingredients except the vinaigrette in a large bowl. Drizzle vinaigrette over top and lightly toss. Enjoy with your friends and family!Chef ’s TipFor the artisan greens: “Use anything you like: fresh lettuce from your garden, spring mix from the market, mixed arugula, baby spinach and mizuna. Any lettuce is a great choice for this salad.”

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My serving came with roast parsnips, sweet potato, carrots and acorn squash, plus mashed potatoes, a big sprig of rosemary as a garnish, and – of course – cranberry sauce. All of which worked well. A lovely gravy can be made from the bones and the drippings (thicken with roux).“You can do this dish with any three poultries – say, chicken, Cornish hen and quail,” says Kitchen. (Chicornquail?) He adds, however, “Quail are hard to debone.”Finally, the total cranberry meal’s stunning conclusion: a dessert so amazing you might be making it over the course of two days and your family and guests won’t know what hit them.Chef Christina Chen is ﬁrst pastry cook at the Rosseau, a JW Marriott Resort and Spa in Minett. Her culinary education began at Seneca College; a co-op placement in Alberta got her passionate about baking. She joined e Rosseau team in 2015 and continues to develop her expertise in using unique ingredients and ground-breaking techniques by studying cookbooks, blogs, documentaries and social media devoted to the art, as well as the mentorship of Executive Chef Shaun Crymble. She introduces new dessert creations several times a week, no less.“Every day is a learning experience,” Chen says. “e people I work with continue to inspire, motivate and nurture me.” Earlier this year, the Rosseau decided to do a featured dessert every week, placing a picture of it in the lobby to tingle the tastebuds of guests. Featured during the last week of August was one entitled “Muskoka Forest,” inspired, of course, by where Chen lives. “Everyone was wowed by it,” she says, “especially the smoke eﬀect. at makes it a surprise.” e version we are presenting is adapted to our theme.Smoke eﬀect, you ask? is might be a bit much to do at home, but at e Rosseau they place a glass dome over the plate and ﬁll it with specialized smoke from a special smoke-making device so that the dish is hidden as if in fog. At the table, the server lifts the dome with a ﬂourish, the smoke vanishes and there it is: Muskoka Forest. Beginning his cooking career with the encouragement of his grandmother and a high school teacher, chef Glenn Kitchen features three types of poultry in his main dish.Ducturkhen Glenn Kitchen1 whole duck1 whole Cornish hen8 oz whole turkey breast3 oz dried apricots, diced3 oz golden raisins1 cup baby spinach½ cup cranberries½ cup diced apple4 slices bread, dicedSalt and pepper (to taste)¼ tsp Chinese ﬁve-spice powder¼ tsp thyme, ﬁnely chopped ¼ heaping tsp rosemary, ﬁnely chopped2 eggs Method• Debone duck and Cornish hen, keeping in one piece. Butterﬂy turkey breast and remove skin.Apricot Stufng• Mix together two slices diced bread, apricots, golden raisins, thyme, rosemary, baby spinach, 1 egg and salt and pepper to taste.Cranberry Stufng• Mix together two slices diced bread, apple, cranberries, ﬁve-spice, 1 egg and salt and pepper to taste.• Lay duck on cutting board, skin down. Spread apricot stuﬃng over it, covering it completely. Lay butterﬂied turkey breast on top, spread half of cranberry stuﬃng over it, covering it completely. Lay Cornish hen on top, place remainder of cranberry stuﬃng on top. Roll it all together rightly and tie together with butcher twine. • Bake at 325°F till internal temperature is 168°C (yes, you must use a meat thermometer), 1½ to 2 hours depending on size.Chef ’s Tips• Ummm… Debone duck and Cornish hen, keeping in one piece?• “Go from the backbone out, so the heavy part of the breast is in the middle,” Kitchen advises. It starts with a straight cut down the back from neck to tail, then you peel the meat away from the central bone structure. Don’t do any cuts for the legs and wings; instead: “pull the bone out, as it’ll seal the hole as the skin tightens when it cooks.” Use a combination of your ﬁngers and a sharp little paring knife. Feel your way into it. “Do your best.”Fall/Winter 2021 UNIQUE MUSKOKA 55

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56 UNIQUE MUSKOKA Fall/Winter 2021Muskoka Forest Christina ChenPreparation time: six hours, spaced out over 24-48 hoursCranberry GelIngredients300 ml water150 g frozen cranberries200 g sugar2.5 g agar agar powderMethod• Boil cranberries, sugar, and water until cranberries are soft (15-20 minutes on high heat). Add agar agar and boil for two minutes. Puree with a hand blender until smooth. Set in the fridge until ﬁrm.• Pour jelly into a blender and puree to a smooth pink gel, then into six 35 x 55 x 60 mm silicone dariole moulds.(Ramekins or small cups can also be used.) Freeze for 3-4 hours.Basil CremeuxIngredients1 bunch basil, leaves picked115 g milk115 g thickened creamHalf a vanilla bean, split lengthwise2 egg yolks50 g caster sugar3.5 g gold gelatine (available at higher-end stores)1 pinch kosher saltMethod• Bloom gelatine in cold water.• Bring a small saucepan of water to the boil. Meanwhile, prepare an ice bath in a small bowl.• Blanch basil leaves for 10 seconds until bright green. Transfer with a slotted spoon to the ice bath. Once ice cold, drain using a sieve and squeeze out excess water using several sheets of paper towel.• Combine milk and cream in a small saucepan. Add vanilla bean and its seeds, scraped out. Bring mixture to simmer then remove from the heat.• Whisk together egg yolks, sugar and salt in a medium bowl. Discard vanilla bean then gradually whisk hot milk mixture into yolk mixture. Return mixture to the saucepan and stir over low heat until mixture reaches 80°C (use candy thermometer).• Remove from the heat and pour into the canister of a stick blender. Add the drained bloomed gelatine and basil leaves. Process with a stick blender until smooth and combined. Pass through a ﬁne sieve into a jug then pour into six 40 mm silicone dome moulds (or small bowls), and freeze until solid, about 3-4 hours.Hospice MuskokaAs we reach our ONE YEAR anniversary on October 13th, we want to sayThank you to all of our generous donors, volunteers, staff, families & friends!WE ARE TRULY GRATEFUL!For more information call 705-646-1697 www.hospicemuskoka.com DONATE TODAY

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Chocolate SoilIngredients45 g almond meal45 g caster sugar20 g all-purpose ﬂour0.25 g salt20 g unsalted butter, diced1 egg yolk8 g cocoa powder8 g matcha powderMethod• Place almond meal, caster sugar, ﬂour and salt into the bowl of a stand mixer ﬁtted with a paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until combined. (A spoon also works.) Add butter, and mix to a sandy consistency. Add egg yolk and mix until a soft dough forms.• Divide the mixture evenly between two bowls. Mix cocoa powder into one and matcha powder into the other. Roll each out between two sheets of baking paper to 2-3 mm thick. Place onto trays and remove the top layer of baking paper. • Bake at 350°F for 15-18 minutes. Allow to cool then break into shards and crumble into small and large crumbs. Set aside in an airtight container.Vanilla Mousse Mushroom Dome and StalkIngredients75 ml milk220 ml thickened cream1 vanilla bean1 egg yolk30 g caster sugar4 g corn ﬂour1 pinch kosher salt4 g gold gelatine, bloomed in cold waterMethod• Once the cranberry gel and basil cremeux are frozen, prepare Vanilla Mousse: Combine milk, 60 ml cream and scraped vanilla bean and seeds in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over low heat. Remove from heat.• In a separate bowl, whisk together egg yolk, caster sugar, corn ﬂour and salt until pale and creamy. Discard the vanilla bean then gradually whisk hot milk mixture into yolk mixture. Return mixture to the saucepan and stir until mixture reaches 80°C. Strain mixture through a ﬁne sieve and whisk in gelatine until dissolved. Set aside to cool.• Whip remaining 160 ml cream to soft peaks, and fold through cooled vanilla mixture. Pour vanilla mousse into six 60 mm wide dome silicone moulds (or bowls) until half full. Place a small dome of frozen basil cremeux in the centre. Cover with a little more vanilla mousse and level the surface.• For the mushroom stalk, unmould frozen cranberry gel. Trim the gel so that it is a little narrower. Pour vanilla mousse into the silicone dariole mould until halfway. Place a trimmed frozen cranberry gel into the centre. Cover with a little more vanilla mousse and smooth the top of the surface.• Transfer ﬁlled dome and dariole mould in freezer to set, about 3-4 hours.Pistachio SpongeIngredients2 eggs1 egg white50 g unsweetened pistachio paste30 g caster sugar14 g plain ﬂourMethod• Place all ingredients into the canister of a stick blender and process until combined. Strain into a siphon gun and charge twice with NO2.• Puncture the base of two disposable coﬀee cups with a few holes. Dispense the sponge mixture from the syphon gun until cup is half full. Cook one at a time in the microwave for 45 seconds each. Set upside down onto a wire rack to cool. Remove the sponge from the cups and place into an airtight container until required.White Chocolate CoatingIngredients100 g 28% white chocolate couverture chips50 g cocoa butterCocoa powder for dustingMethod• Prepare when vanilla mousse is frozen: Melt the white chocolate and cocoa butter in a double boiler until temperature is 35-40°C. Remove from the heat and pour mixture into a small canister. Allow to cool slightly.• Remove “mushroom” domes from silicone mould. Working quickly, use a pastry brush to brush white chocolate mixture onto the ﬂat surface of each dome. Return to freezer to set. • Unmould “mushroom” stalks from silicone mould which has been setting in the freezer. Push a skewer into the ﬂat side of each stalk and then fully submerge into the white chocolate mixture. Working quickly, use a ﬁrm pastry brush to create brush strokes in the chocolate lines to resemble the stem of a mushroom. Return to freezer to set. Repeat with remaining stalks.• Using a clean dry pastry brush, brush coated stalks with cocoa powder. Remove skewers and seal the hole with a clean ﬁnger. Set aside, ﬂat side down, onto a sheet of baking paper.Coloured Mirror Glaze (optional)Ingredients9.5 g powdered gelatine75 g water150 g caster sugar100 g condensed milk1 Tbsp vanilla extract175 g 28% white chocolate couverture chipsBrown gel food coloring• Bloom gelatine in cold water.• Bring water, caster sugar, condensed milk and vanilla in a saucepan over low heat to a gentle simmer. Turn oﬀ heat and Joining The Rosseau team in 2015, Chef Christina Chen develops her expertise by using unique ingredients and ground-breaking techniques.Fall/Winter 2021 UNIQUE MUSKOKA 57

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Rotary Centre for Youth131 Wellington St., Bracebridge705-644-2712www.clubrunner.ca/bracebridgeBRACEBRIDGE GENERATION LTD.Water Power Generating a Cleaner EnvironmentInterested in more information or a free tour? www.bracebridgegeneration.comstir in bloomed gelatine.• Place white chocolate chips in a medium bowl, pour sugar mixture over them through a sieve to remove any lumps. Stir until chocolate is melted and mixture is incorporated together, about 5-10 minutes.• Blend until smooth and homogenous with a stick blender, fully submerged to avoid introducing air bubbles. Add drops of brown gel food colouring to achieve desired mushroom colour and process until evenly combined.• Allow glaze to cool to 28°C, stirring occasionally to prevent a ﬁlm from forming on the surface.• Unmould frozen domes and place chocolate side down onto a 4 cm round cutter on a wire rack set over a tray. Pour mirror glaze over the domes, making sure all surface is covered. Set aside in the fridge. Once glaze has set, trim excess from the edges with a sharp paring knife.• Putting it all together was not included in the recipe, but was demonstrated to me. Obviously, you’re going to put the stalks and domes together into “mushrooms” and place them artistically on plates, or more than one on a platter. Sprinkle the chocolate “soil” evenly around the mushroom(s) as the base for your “forest ﬂoor.” Place the pistachio sponge pieces as “rocks”. You can also use cake icing technique to place dollops of cranberry gel on the “ground,” add raspberries, basil leaves, edible ﬂowers – what-have-you. You’re sweetly imitating wilderness; let your imagination run wild!Yield: 6-8 1-mushroom portions.Chef ’s Tips• How to bloom gelatin powder: sprinkle over cold water and set aside until a gel forms.• Don’t stint on the long freezes – it really is 3-4 hours.• If you don’t have a siphon gun, make your “rocks” out of roasted pistachios (keep a close eye on them to avoid burning).• We don’t need to tell you the wine pairing for the total cranberry meal, do we? Muskoka Lakes Farm and Winery’s award-winning Cranberry Wine, of course. Made with cranberries grown in marshes right on the property, aka Johnson’s Cranberry Marsh, it has won multiple awards and is heartily recommended by online reviewers as a dinner wine, pairing well with turkey, chicken, salad and anksgiving Dinner.28 MANITOBA STREET, BRACEBRIDGEAvailable atSUSTAINABILITY IS WOVEN INTO EVERY FIBRE OF NOMADIX TOWELS30 Plastic Bottles = One Nomadix TowelFall/Winter 2021 UNIQUE MUSKOKA 59

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Muskoka MomentsBy Norah FountainFavourite season? Winter. Mitts down. My four-year-old self stared down our backyard toboggan hill with trepidation. My sister Irene was urging me on, which made me suspicious. She wasn’t exactly Lucy yanking the football away from Charlie Brown, but she sometimes enjoyed setting me up as the family’s crash test dummy.Still, being the youngest of four, I knew it was best to show no fear. She gave me a hefty push on our old wooden toboggan. When the front dug in, I ﬂew up and over, landing fully covered in fresh, ﬂuﬀy snow. I popped back up, screaming so loud that all Torrance could hear, “I LOVE SNOW!”While I can’t recall the exact moment my love aﬀair with winter began, I suspect that day sealed the deal. Don’t get me wrong: I love summer, boating and warmth, but winter in Muskoka is exceptional. Like many youngsters, I ﬁrst learned how to skate on a frozen pond (also in my backyard sand pit), and then took ﬁgure skating lessons at the Bala arena. I was never great at it but hearing the scrape of blades on newly ﬂooded ice still gives me nostalgic chills. When on a Gravenhurst High School ﬁeld trip, I discovered a new, and now lifelong passion: alpine skiing.I’ve been a ski instructor; my daughter was a ski racer. I’ve skied the Alps, and across North America, but I take special pleasure in looking over Peninsula Lake from the top of e Face at Huntsville’s Hidden Valley. Sure, the runs are shorter, but so are the lift lines, the snow’s great late into the season, and I’ve had so much fun at the annual Ladies Day! Last winter, my friend introduced me to an antique Vermont kick sled. It sort of looks like a short dog sled. You can propel it yourself standing on the runners, or you can have someone push from behind while you sit up front. Of course, I had to ﬁnd the steepest hill to try it out. Just like when I was four, I ended up ﬂying oﬀ into the snow, laughing all the way.e payoﬀ at the end of a snow day is ﬁnding a sheltered spot to do some serious sunbathing. I’ve soaked up the sun many times after snowshoeing up Huckleberry Rock or helping break a trail my friend used to keep up on 40 acres near Milford Bay. Some readers may think I’m ﬁbbing about my adoration for winter as they know I love scuba diving in southern climes. It’s true. I do. But I’ve peered into skies from some of the best Caribbean beaches, and while lovely, no view can match that of the night sky in Torrance on a cold winter’s night.Even when working in Toronto, every weekend my daughter and I would drive home to the house I’ve lived in since birth. Some Friday nights we got lucky. If the snow was falling, we’d make fresh tracks across Muskoka Road 38 through Wahta Mohawk Territory. at drive is magical, and I’d start to feel excited the closer I got to home. Stepping out of the car, I was ready for that ﬁrst inhale of sharp cold air, followed by the sight of my outbreath almost freezing in place. Never did I race for the door. Always, I took time to look way up, and marvel at how much brighter the stars were in winter. ere’s a reason why winter night skies are so spectacular. e stars in the Northern Hemisphere’s winter sky shine brighter, and on a cloudless night, the sky looks extra clear. Scientists explain it’s because in winter, Earth is facing away from the galactic center and toward the depths of space. It makes for a great show in the snow in Muskoka. Just don’t forget your woollies.Norah Fountain is a lifelong Muskokan, writer and Muskoka cheerleader who leads the Muskoka Lakes Chamber of Commerce. If you’ve never experienced the breathtaking stillness of a winter night sky at, or near, the Torrance Barrens Dark Sky preserve, Norah advises you to put it on your bucket list. 60 UNIQUE MUSKOKA Fall/Winter 2021Photographs: Stan Hunter

Unique Muskoka Issue 32 - October 2021

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