The meeting was the third fundraising gathering for the group, which formed early last year. They meet twice annually to raise money for local charities, along with supporting the Muskoka Shoebox Project in between events. About 70 people came together at the Patterson Kaye Resort in Bracebridge on the 18th. Representatives from Muskoka Victim Services, YWCA Muskoka and MiND-AID Muskoka presented about their charities. Attendees voted for MiND-AID, a cost-free service that helps young people find mental health support, as the recipient for this round of funding.

“It definitely helps children and young adults, which is a big need right now,” said Marion Mochrie, one of four organizers for Muskoka 100 People Who Care. “They also have a van that goes around to different locations, and this hopefully will help this van to connect with more people.”

Mochrie and fellow organizers Aly Brown and Gillian Sifft presented the money to MiND-AID on June 26. Sometimes their donations feel like too little, Mochrie said, but it feels good knowing that the charities have more resources to work with than the day before. In 2024, the group donated $10,840 to Andy’s House hospice in Port Carling and $7,260 to Food4Kids Muskoka.

Mochrie said they hope to grow the event to 100 or more supporters. They use social media, email lists, and flyers at post offices, stores and libraries to spread the word about their efforts. As great as it is to hear from local charities during each round of fundraising, it also highlights the immense need in Muskoka.

“There’s a lot that could be done in the community to help all the charities,” she said. “There’s not just these three. There’s a lot of charities out there that are in need of help right now.”

The organizers are grateful to the people who come out and contribute, and they hope to someday expand their meeting schedule to four times a year. For now, they’re trying to capitalize on the seasonal and year-round residents by hosting two meetings in the summer.

Their next meeting will be on Aug. 25 at Windermere Golf and Country Club. About a month before the meeting, organizers will send out an email seeking charity nominations for the event. They’re also getting a head start on their contributions for the Muskoka Shoebox Project as they prepare for their next fundraising event.

The project puts together gift boxes for local women impacted by homelessness and poverty. Last year, Muskoka 100 People Who Care donated over 160 shoeboxes alongside a slew of individual products after hosting a Shoebox Raiser on Nov. 3. They started gathering empty shoeboxes at the June 18 meeting to kickstart progress for this year.

“We plan on doing another [Shoebox Raiser] late November, early December,” Mochrie said. “Last year, we had more product than we had shoeboxes, so we’d like to get that going earlier.”

Mariko Fletcher, program manager and navigator at MiND-AID Muskoka, said groups like Muskoka 100 People Who Care are immensely helpful to local charities. It can be hard for non-profits, especially small grassroots organizations, to find avenues of support. They don’t always know if they’ll get what they need to continue offering services, so efforts like this that provide donations on a regular basis have a huge impact.

“It can be hard, and we want to make sure that our youth are getting served and making sure that their wellness is taken care of,” Fletcher said. “It was just really great to be there with all the other nominations that were there, and to connect with them as well, because they also have great programs.”

The meeting was MiND-AID’s second time presenting with 100 People Who Care. Fletcher said they were surprised to be nominated again, and it was even more amazing to be chosen for the funding. It’s a weight off their staff’s shoulders to receive the donation.

MiND-AID aims to be the “first door” for people who need to access mental wellness services. Finding the right resources can be a challenge, especially if a person is struggling with their mental health, Fletcher said. The organization helps connect locals to therapy, social services, addiction support and more.

“We service anyone who’s under the age of 30 and their families, making sure that they get those right supports,” she said. “We just listen to every part of what’s going on in their life to better understand and to help direct them more in a streamlined approach, so that way you’re not bouncing around from place to place.”

The MiND-AID team is currently revamping their website, so they’ll have a schedule posted for their Mobile Hub in the near future. The hub, which is their On The Road To Youth Wellness van, travels around Muskoka to host free drop-in activities and programs. Whether there’s an official schedule or not, the staff is still delivering services in the community, so anyone in need of help is encouraged to reach out.

Locals who are interested in getting involved are also welcome to get in contact. Fletcher said MiND-AID is still working to grow their organization, so they’re open to volunteers and outside fundraising efforts. Whether it’s from their donation link on Canada Helps or through groups like 100 People Who Care, the money goes straight to helping Muskoka residents.

“Generally, when we have funds like that come through, it goes directly to client support,” Fletcher said. “Whether that be making sure we’re providing necessities as we’re out and about, or maybe it’s the therapy dollars, we do try to make sure that those pockets of money go directly to those who are going to be impacted.”

Going forward, Fletcher is excited to see what other charities are nominated for fundraising through Muskoka 100 People Who Care. It’s a great opportunity, not just for funding, but also to help the community better understand the supports and services available to them in Muskoka. She and her fellow team members are busy with their work at MiND-AID, but she hopes they’ll be able to participate in future meetings.

“I really do enjoy going and just connecting with our community,” she said. “It’s really good to support other non-profits in the area as well, so I hope I could attend one day and be able to support other non-profits that are doing such great work in our community.”

The post Local Group Raises $7,450 For MiND-AID Muskoka appeared first on Muskoka411.

The club offers three age groups: four to six, seven to nine and 10 to 12. The runners meet at V.K. Greer Memorial Public School for warm-ups, trail runs and group discussions during the five-day sessions. Group leader Robin Mounsteven, a teacher at V.K. Greer, said they’ve had an amazing first week. While they’re nearing capacity for their oldest group in week two, they have some openings available in the younger categories. No matter the age group, the focus of the club is not to be competitive but instead to work on personal health, both physical and mental.

“We utilize a magnificent trail system attached to V.K. Greer Public School,” Mounsteven said. “This is an opportunity, one, for us to connect to nature. Two, to get our children active and staying engaged with their own understanding of physical fitness.”

To help guide the group discussions, Mounsteven uses his five Ps of running: positivity, pace, progress, perseverance and patience. He always aims to show kids how these concepts apply to exercise and life in general. He said it’s been beautiful to see the dialogue the ideas have inspired, all the way from the group’s youngest members up to its oldest.

A little over half of the participants are students from V.K. Greer, so the kids who know the trails help the students from other local schools, he said. He’s seen many friendships form, adding to the supportive and collaborative environment of the club.

“We’re not interested in first seconds, thirds, lasts,” he said. “We’re interested in personal bests and building on the progress that we’ve had, either throughout the years prior or throughout our small time together this year.”

The club has grown to over 60 participants this year. The club costs $100 for one week or $180 for two weeks, but help is available for those who need it. The cost covers the running program, the end-of-season celebration and a neon yellow shirt, which helps identify the runners on the trail and out in the community.

Kids Run Club partnered with the Children’s Foundation of Muskoka to offer financial assistance to about a quarter of the runners. The club started offering support last year in hopes of getting more interested families involved, regardless of their financial background.

Mounsteven prefers to keep each session at around 16 participants to ensure he can connect with each child in an authentic way. He also has eight student volunteers to help lead sessions.

“Our student volunteers have been exceptional,” he said. “I don’t know if at 12 and 13 years old, as a Grade 7 or Grade 8 student, I would want to be giving up the first two weeks of my summer, but I’ve had this really dedicated group.”

The volunteers have been polite, punctual and responsive, so he plans to make a point of honouring them at the club’s end-of-season barbecue. The celebration on July 11 is ultimately more of a community gathering than a run club exclusive, Mounsteven said. It’s a chance to celebrate the runners, volunteers and their various supporters.

The Stevenson Lions Club, the Port Sydney/Utterson & Area Chamber of Commerce and a range of local businesses have contributed to their success. Mounsteven said it’s reassuring to see business owners and community groups recognize the importance of programs like the run club.

“It’s been really heartwarming seeing the members of our community really standing up for the kids and for what we’re doing,” he said.

Mounsteven invites parents to come out and engage with the group, and to further promote family togetherness, the club is offering a raffle as part of the celebration. Runners get one ticket automatically, and they can complete a Kids Run Club colouring page or take a picture with the sponsorship board for extra entries. Prizes include Blue Jays tickets, a kayak and other prizes to promote family fun.

Mounsteven created the club as an offshoot of the Mary Lake Marathon, which he launched alongside his wife Jacqueline in 2021. Since then, the event has supported a local girl’s health journey as well as playground equipment and musical gear for V.K. Greer.

The most recent marathon combined the usual run around Mary Lake with an online auction. It raised $2,500 for the parent council at V.K. Greer, which Mounsteven serves on alongside his teaching duties. The council agreed to spend the money on an accessible swing for the playground.

“It’s been purchased, it’s going up, and it’s going to be able to be well loved for years to come,” he said.

The marathon, with the new auction component, and the run club will both continue. Mounsteven and his wife, who assists with the club as well, are hoping to expand the run club concept to include sessions for adults and disabled people.

For now, they’re just happy to see the momentum of the kids’ club as well as the positive feedback. Kids Run Club parent Meghan O’Neill said it’s a truly remarkable group.

“My son has been a part of this program since it began, and he asks about it all year,” she said. “He can’t wait to go and is always so proud of what he is able to accomplish.”

She commends Mounsteven and his wife for the experience they’ve been able to put together. Her son can’t wait to put on his club t-shirt and go for a run, during the summer season and beyond.

“The program fosters a sense of community that is welcoming to anyone and promotes nothing but growth and positivity,” O’Neill said. “The hard work and dedication that goes into this program is contagious.”

Port Sydney Teacher Creates Kids Run Club

The post Week Two Of Kids Run Club From July 7 To 11 Nearing Capacity appeared first on Muskoka411.

Victor’s focus isn’t getting the biggest or most beautiful listings. Instead, she aims to help people. She works with Toronto-based brokerage Royal LePage Signature. The brokerage has three offices and 1,300 agents across the GTA, bringing together a large Toronto network with her deep knowledge of Simcoe-Muskoka. She grew up at the Woodville Livestock Auction Sale Barn in a home her grandfather built. She went to high school in Lindsay, Blacksmithing college in Haliburton and lived in Toronto for 20 years. She now resides in Washago and has a cottage in Port Carling.

“I grew up in the Kawarthas, I spent my summers in Muskoka, so it’s not like I’m this city person coming in who doesn’t have a history here,” Victor said. “I have a very, very deep history… There aren’t many areas north of Toronto that I’m not pretty well versed in.”

Her personal experience living and cottaging in the area gives her firsthand knowledge of how to help her clients. Whether people are downsizing, looking for their first waterfront property or moving from the city, she helps coach them on what to consider.

For older people seeking a forever home, proximity to a hospital may be crucial. For those new to rural living, details like the need for proper insulation or a generator are essential in the buying process.

“I’ve got a buyer’s guide that basically outlines things that you should consider when you’re purchasing a rural or a waterfront property,” she said. “Can you get high-speed internet? Is it a year-round road? Is it a four-season property?… All those types of things.”

She covers everything from taxes on secondary residences to getting proper status documents on pre-construction properties to ensure her clients have the knowledge they need. She has extra insight thanks to her experience as both an agent and a client in the region.

Victor also offers a robust roster of inspectors and a rich knowledge of the listings in the area. She keeps an eye on properties that have been suspended, expired, delisted or terminated since they often go back on the market. If a client reaches out with criteria of what they want, she’s likely to have a property or two ready to recommend.

“I live and breathe like real estate, and I keep on top of what inventory is coming up,” she said. “It’s not just about looking at the MLS, trying to find what’s there, but it’s also going out hunting for the right property for your clients.”

The real estate market has been in its worst state in decades over the last few years. Victor said it’s been like standing in quicksand with high prices and constant changes. Now, the time has come for people who have been chasing down the chance to buy.

Muskoka and the surrounding areas are full of potential properties this spring, and Victor has the quick decision-making and strong connections to maximize the market’s offerings.

“For the last two years, even if you wanted to buy, it was really challenging to get financing,” she said. “Things have started to lighten up a little bit, and because of that, there are some crazy opportunities to get into the market.”

One of those opportunities comes in the form of an exciting commercial listing in Huntsville. Home of the beloved Westside Fish and Chips, 126 and 128 Main Street offers a mixed-use marvel to potential property owners in Muskoka.

The investment opportunity includes multiple income streams as well as a chance to capitialize on the area’s dedicated local population and strong tourism industry.

“126 and 128 Main Street is a prime Muskoka location overlooking Hunter’s Bay with tons of potential to expand or build your business and generate income from the laundromat, apartment [and] retail space in addition to the large iconic West Side Fish and Chips restaurant space,” Victor said. “This mixed-use property can be used as is or converted to suit your needs in this prime location.”

While she has a strong network in the city, she also has boots on the ground in the Muskoka market, offering the best of both worlds. She meets up with other agents every week for gatherings they call listings and lattes.

They discuss showings, inventory and property values, highlighting her collaborative approach to local real estate. She thinks highly of her fellow agents in and around Muskoka, and the feeling is mutual.

“A pleasure to do a deal with—professional, reliable, and easy to work with,” fellow real estate agent Jason Schlegel said about Victor. “Highly recommend!”

When she sells a property, she also has an array of specialty services to offer her clients. She provides listing strategy options, customized marketing materials, and high-end photography and videography.

Her approach helps her sell more than just a property — she sells a lifestyle. Her team of contractors, cleaners and designers makes the process as seamless as possible.

“When it comes to selling, I do it all,” Victor said. “I’m a one-woman show, and I do all my own staging, so I’m able to move very quickly and nimbly because I include staging in my listing package. If people need help with repairing flooring or swapping out light fixtures or painting a kitchen… I have the teams of people that can do that.”

Along with a solid network of resources, she has connections to agents throughout the province. Between her brokerage network, her connections from living in Toronto, and her strong relationships with local agents, she has a major advantage when selling properties. Many listings get sold before they ever fully reach the market.

She also knows how emotional it can be to sell a property, especially a cottage where so many special memories take place. She offers patience and empathy to her clients, so that every need, whether emotional or logistical, gets addressed.

“Alexis is a cut above the rest when it comes to getting your home sold,” said Cheryl Coffin-Laugalys, one of Victor’s clients. “She invests in you, as the client, and doesn’t quit until your home is sold to your satisfaction. From photos to staging to listing to showings, no one will get your home sold the way Alexis can!”

To learn more about real estate agent Alexis Victor, visit her website. Watch the video below to hear about mistakes to avoid when buying a cottage property.

This article is sponsored by Alexis Victor Real Estate.

The post Putting The Real In Muskoka Real Estate With Agent Alexis Victor appeared first on Muskoka411.

Childhood apraxia of speech (CAS) is a motor speech disorder with neurological roots. People with CAS know what they want to say but struggle to perform the complex movements required to form speech. Though it starts in childhood, it’s a condition that persists into adulthood. Brooke Rea is a speech-language pathologist (SLP) with a concentration in CAS. She works on the professional advisory committee for Apraxia Kids, an international organization dedicated to apraxia awareness and education. She plays a key role in the Canadian chapter of the nonprofit while also running a speech centre in Guelph.

“Access to appropriate treatment, whether that’s intensity, whether that’s a speech pathologist with the appropriate training, whether it’s the frequency, all of that remains to be very elusive for families,” Rea said. “Many families have access to some kind of employee health benefits, but our insurance companies have not grown or changed those rates reflective of what the industry charges, and so even families who have some funds to access private therapy are not able to access near what is needed.”

The frequency and timing of treatment

As is the case with many childhood disorders, early intervention is essential. The effects of CAS compound with age, and it’s a disorder that requires intensive ongoing therapy to address. Many children with CAS are directed to attend sessions two to three times a week, but some studies suggest that three to five times a week is more in line with client needs.

Accessing appropriate treatment is the number one concern for families across Canada, Rea said. She doesn’t know any children with CAS who get more than three sessions per week. Most families can’t afford more than two sessions a week if they elect to go with private therapy, which is often necessary to get the specialized care they need.

“Most of the students in the Ontario School Board System are getting maybe 12 sessions a year. Some are fewer than that,” she said. “The system is not designed for these kids in any capacity.”

Another systemic flaw affecting people with CAS is the inability of SLPs to make formal diagnoses of speech disorders. In the rest of the country, SLPs can communicate diagnoses directly to their clients. But in Ontario, the Regulated Health Professions Act requires a medical doctor to step in, which can complicate families’ ability to access resources. 

Rea would also love to see an increase in awareness. Some municipalities, like Bracebridge, light up the falls or other local landmarks on the 14th, but she hopes to see more recognition in schools, medical systems and provincial governments. Many people who come into her office have never heard of CAS, but still, great things are happening within the organization. 

“We’ve increased the number of speech pathologists with advanced training with Apraxia Kids, which has been pretty phenomenal,” Rea said. “We have a very large Ontario contingent now of speech pathologists with advanced training.”

More and more local practitioners are seeking training beyond the basics of apraxia treatment and assessment. In addition, Rea said public health institutions, as well as pre-school and school-based speech and language systems, continue to recognize that they don’t meet the needs of kids with CAS. Though the changes have been incremental, things are improving.

Meanwhile, Apraxia Kids Canada has struggled to refine their role in Canada. If they take on charitable status, they won’t be able to provide funding grants for private therapy. Rea and others are working behind the scenes to establish a foundation that will allow them to give direct support to Canadian families who need it.

Reaching a point of resolution

Regardless, the organization continues to provide resources and support to people across Canada. Their website is a robust source of accessible and digestible information for families, professionals and educators. They have a Facebook support group for families, and this year’s conference is fully virtual, offering recordings and live presentations on a wide range of topics.

The prevalence of the disorder remains about one to two people per 1,000. Similarly, the number of people accessing services through Apraxia Kids Canada has held steady. As new families join the community, others reach a point where their children no longer need as much support.

“Our goal is always to get them to a point where, in a day-to-day situation, speaking verbally, you would not notice,” Rea said. “I would say that we’re successful in that goal frequently, often when those kids have been identified early, they’ve received regular, intensive and appropriate therapy, and other factors with respect to prognosis have been well aligned.” 

Other factors include things like cognitive impairments or other medical issues. For children who are generally healthy and able to attend therapy, they’ll likely be able to get to a point of resolved CAS where their condition isn’t noticeable.

When children are diagnosed, their parents often wonder if they’ll ever be able to speak. Rea has been in a position to see many families move on to questions about whether their children will ever stop talking. She said they often joke within the community that apraxia parents are the only ones to be thrilled when their children get in trouble for talking in school.

Many families put other aspects of life on hold to pursue the rigorous therapy schedule required. It’s costly, both in time and money, so seeing progress serves as proof that they did it all for a reason.

“It’s that reassurance that they did the right thing, and the exhaustion and the advocating and the arguing and the fighting that they’ve had to do for their child’s voice was worth it,” Rea said. “Progress is everything.”

Bracebridge resident Jody Hamilton knows how gratifying it is to see that growth. Her son Nash, now nine years old, was diagnosed with CAS at age two. He started with communicating one or two words at a time, but now, he can speak in full sentences of 20 words or more.

“Anybody who hasn’t seen him in a year or two has said, ‘Oh my gosh, his speech has improved so much,’” Jody said. “He’s doing well. Speech can be challenging for him because he has to work at it, but he continues to improve.”

Navigating treatment and childhood

Nash is still working on the clarity of his speech, but he’s taken leaps and bounds in communicating. He used to rely on an iPad, which acts as an augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) device, to speak. 

These days, he talks on his own, and his iPad serves as a way to refine his reading and writing skills. He uses it while taking spelling tests or reading paragraphs for class.

“As his needs grow, the AAC device grows,” she said.

In many ways, Nash is an average third grader. He loves fishing, going to the trailer and cottage with family, and spending time with his mom. He plays rep basketball, and his team recently took home bronze in their final competition weekend. 

In school, he loves learning about language despite his own communication challenges. He also enjoys math and, like many others his age, recess. He doesn’t always want to go to speech sessions, especially because he has so much fun in regular school, but he often enjoys it once he’s there. 

He’s looking forward to Apraxia Awareness Day and has advice for people interacting with those who have CAS.

“They should understand when they know that they have apraxia, you should give them time to think about things,” he said, “and you should give them time to say words and try to sound out the words.”

Thanks in part to his mom’s advocacy efforts, Nash and his family have a network of other apraxia families in the area. They regularly reach out to the other three families, who all have children near Nash’s age that have developed friendships.

“It feels good for me because they know what it feels like,” Nash said.

Jody said life is busy now that their children are in sports alongside their speech therapy and other commitments. Still, it’s nice to have people with a similar perspective and experience to rely on. They’re meeting at the falls on Wednesday to celebrate the awareness anniversary.

“We usually meet on Apraxia Day, which is awesome,” she said. “Whenever we need each other, we lean on each other.”

On top of the local connections they’ve built, Apraxia Kids has been a good support system that offers different resources and a sense of community. Jody works as a moderator for the Apraxia Kids Canada Facebook group in addition to her local awareness efforts.

She also works hard to make sure Nash understands the reasons behind all of the work. As a nine-year-old, he has many other things he’d like to spend his time doing, so she helps show him parts of the journey he can’t necessarily remember.

“He’s put in lots of work. I mean, so have I,” Jody said. “Even though sometimes he doesn’t love going to speech, we have a conversation. I’ll show him videos of what he sounded like when he was two, and then I’ll say, ‘Look at how far you’ve come.’”

It’s been an emotional journey for the two of them. Speech is expensive, and the need for greater funding and resources remains. Nevertheless, apraxia families and practitioners make it work, even in small towns like Bracebridge.

Jody has spent years advocating for her son, speaking in schools and raising awareness in as many ways as possible. She aims to help families who are new to the diagnosis and be there for others who are in the thick of the process. She welcomes apraxia families to join the community both online and in person.

“If families are out there and need some guidance, reach out to the apraxia world and reach out to me.”

To learn more about CAS, visit the Apraxia Kids website.

The post Access To Resources Still Limited As Apraxia Awareness Day Comes Up On May 14 appeared first on Muskoka411.

Owners Paul Stevenson and Tammy Jacklin opted to continue the campaign for local education, which was started by former operator Ashley Hrinkanic, after taking over in 2023. The two Gravenhurst locations raised money for Muskoka Beechgrove Public School before taking on another four years committed to schools. First came Gravenhurst Public School, then K.P. Manson, and now Glen Orchard Public School in Muskoka Lakes is getting its turn. Smile Cookies cost $1.50 each, with all proceeds in Gravenhurst going to the school’s technology and equipment fund.

“It’ll help all of our students from kindergarten all the way up to Grade 8, moving forward in the school year and next year, so any support is welcome,” said Grade 4 teacher Matt Cobean, who is acting as head of the Smile Cookie campaign at Glen Orchard.

Cobean said everyone at Glen Orchard is “over-the-moon excited” to be this year’s recipient for the campaign. The school recently received a donation to fund a new playground. Now, it can focus Smile Cookie funds on equipment and technology needs.

Once they see how much the Tim Hortons locations raise, the staff will sit down together to decide how to spend the money. They’re considering additional laptops, outdoor equipment for their new playground, and a projector to use in the gym for assemblies, parent council meetings and movie nights. But they won’t make any final decisions until they see the results.

“It’s such a great feeling to know that local businesses are putting money back into local schools,” he said. “It’s the perfect opportunity to give schools what they need, and it’s a wonderful thing that those owners are doing.”

Between staff and students, the school will have all hands on deck to decorate cookies as well as posters to promote the campaign. Cobean has been going around Gravenhurst distributing flyers to local businesses with the hope of garnering as much support as possible.

He knows teachers at Beechgrove and Gravenhurst Public School who have benefited from Smile Cookies in the past few years. After lending his support to their school campaigns, he’s asked them to do the same for Glen Orchard. The response has been as enthusiastic as he expected from the tight-knit community of Gravenhurst.

“It’s good to know that you can ask anyone at a different school within Gravenhurst and they’ll be ready to help, almost at a moment’s notice,” Cobean said. “It’s a great feeling.”

Gravenhurst Tim Hortons raised about $22,202 for Muskoka Beechgrove, $19,806 for Gravenhurst Public School and $18,494 for KP Manson. The totals and the impact they had on each of the schools were more than the Tim Hortons team could have imagined.

“It’s huge,” said Kristina Brownlee, general manager of the two Gravenhurst Tim Hortons locations. “We’ve raised way more than we expected for all the schools.”

It was special for them to see the success last year because several team members have children at KP Manson. This year, they’re hoping to match or surpass that total, which allowed the school to upgrade its outdoor learning space.

Each year, they do assemblies at the schools to announce the totals and present the cheques. Brownlee said it’s an awesome part of the process to witness the joy it brings students.

“The kids, holy, they could break your eardrums, they’re so excited,” she said.

She and her team are excited to start yet another campaign dedicated to the area’s children. They don’t have an early estimate of the sales since they haven’t received preorder forms from Glen Orchard quite yet, but they’re gearing up for another big win for Gravenhurst’s schools.

“Everybody loves it,” Brownlee said. “They all work harder just to get those Smile Cookies out because they know it’s going to benefit all the kids.”

To support Glen Orchard Public School through the Smile Cookie campaign, visit the Gravenhurst Tim Hortons locations at 150 Talisman Drive and 2329 Highway 11 South from April 28 to May 4.

The post Gravenhurst Smile Cookies Support Glen Orchard Public School Starting April 28 appeared first on Muskoka411.

The Pines installed the wall recognizing the home’s donors in 2009. Sculptor Brenda Wainman Goulet, known for bronze sculptures like Dr. Norman Bethune in Gravenhurst and Tom Thomson in Huntsville, created a three-dimensional tree to display the names of donors and their loved ones. Donations over $100 receive a plaque and a small red leaf; green leaves represent donations of $1,000 or more; brass sunbursts honour those who have contributed $5,000 or more; and donations of $100,000 or more are featured on the tree itself. 

Adding warmth and growing gratitude 

Leigh Ball, administrative clerk for the Pines, said the original wall was fairly small, but the overwhelming response from donors required an expansion.

“The original person who did the tree for us passed away because it was years ago, so we commissioned Kimberly Rideout, a local artist,” Ball said. “Her daughter is actually a [personal support worker] here, so we reached out to her to see if she could help bring more life into the tree and bring it around the corner and do what we can to acknowledge our donors.”

Beyond the connection with her daughter, Rideout also has her own history at the Pines after donating a mural to the home in 2022. The mural sits to the right of the donor recognition wall, so it’s no wonder the expansion turned into a second full-blown mural. 

Ball said Rideout had many ideas for the space, including making another three-dimensional tree to accompany the original artwork. Rideout also wanted to ensure it was in harmony with the mural she donated, which has been a favourite of staff, residents and visitors alike.

“It’s made our home original,” Ball said. “It looks like home, it looks like Muskoka [and] it just warms up the home area up. She has different textures and different things, like limbs of trees and rocks and moths, so it brings the outside in, which is fantastic because, unfortunately, not everybody can get outside.”

The newly extended donor wall also features a range of natural elements, such as a river, a waterfall, and Forget-Me-Not flowers, which act as a symbol for Alzheimer’s. The wall turned out even better than Ball and the rest of her team anticipated, she said, adding that it’s a “true beauty.” 

The Pines’ donors receive a receipt for their charitable contributions, and all donations go toward making the home a better place for its residents. Ball said it’s important to the staff at the Pines that the facility feels as homey as possible. They want to avoid the institutional feel that long-term care homes often have, and donors make it possible for them to achieve that goal.

“The least we can do is honour them in a space as beautiful as we have, so it’s going to be here for many years to come,” Ball said. “It’s just so nice to be able to thank them in a small way through the tree.”

Three days to transform the space

Bracebridge artist Kimberly Rideout is thrilled to be able to help honour donors while also making the space more hospitable for the residents of the Pines and their families. She knows the challenges of seeing a family member enter long-term care firsthand, so it means a great deal to her to be part of easing that transition.

“It’s very difficult to see a loved one get to the stage where it’s necessary for them to be in a care home, so they take comfort in knowing that there’s an incredible level of care there,” Rideout said. “Going that one step beyond to make the atmosphere and the environment for them that much more like a home away from home or a little community, that’s a hugely beneficial little piece of the puzzle.”

Like most of her murals, the donation wall update took Rideout only a few days. She never sketches out her paintings in advance, and while the Pines Support Committee provided feedback throughout the process, the Pines ultimately gave her free reign.

Much of it was based on the original artwork from Wainman Goulet as well as the mural Rideout previously contributed. When she did the initial mural, she chose the colours and composition to work in conjunction with the sculpture.

“My decision was based on this art piece that was already there,” she said. “There’s some orange and brassy gold tones in it, so that’s what led me to do the sunset in the other mural, because I wanted it to work in combination with the original art piece.”

The donor recognition area was only supposed to wrap around the corner of the wall, but thanks to the advice of her daughter and a coworker, she ended up extending the piece all the way around to the nearest door. She also added a background that faded into the original donor wall to help everything blend into one cohesive area. 

During the two and a half days she worked, she used wood, foam and plaster to form a three-dimensional tree on the corner, replicating the nearby sculpture. The resulting artwork eventually doubled in size.

“That allowed us to have much more room for them going forward, to continue the leaves floating in the air above, so the process always just evolves as I go,” Rideout said. “I have a rough idea of what I want to create, but the exact picture really just develops as I’m painting.”

Rideout wants to remind people how much of a difference their donations make to the residents’ quality of life. Contributions big and small go toward changes that make tangible and noticeable impacts at the Pines. It means a lot to her to contribute to the Pines’ expressions of gratitude to donors, and she was on the receiving end of many thanks while working on the painting as well. 

One local woman saw her recent artwork and shared how much the mural at the Pines meant to her and her late husband, who lived at the Pines for over five years. Many others have shared similar stories, remarking on the calming and lovely feelings they get while viewing her art. 

“When I was painting there, it was a very overwhelmingly touching three days,” Rideout said. “The residents and the staff and the family members were so incredibly kind and complimentary and thrilled to see more work going in there.”

Rideout said many staff members had recommendations for other areas in the home that could use a new mural to brighten the space. She knows how hard the team at the Pines is working to make the facility more homey, which reflects the quality of care they offer, so she hopes to continue working with them to add more colour and life to their walls.

She has a vision for future paintings that feature buildings from the community on the doors and walls. The kitchen area could be styled as a bistro while the utility room could look like Knowles Plumbing, she said, helping to make it feel even more like a home away from home. She hopes it will inspire other long-term care homes to make similar changes.

Looking toward the future at the Pines

Mary Lodge, a member of the Pines Support Committee and a former employee at the Pines, has been involved in the home’s fundraising for many years. She’s played a role in the support committee since it was established in 2009. The committee raises money through fundraising events, memorials and other donations.

All the money they raise goes directly toward optimizing life at the Pines, and the donor recognition wall has been one way they honour the people who have allowed that to happen. Lodge and the rest of the committee want to thank Rideout for her work and the community for making it necessary.

“It’s been truly awe-inspiring for us,” Lodge said. “We’ve been so pleased that Kim was willing to do it, and she did such an amazing job. We’re also quite pleased that we’re in need of that since we never thought we would, so our community has been extremely generous.”

The money donated by the community has helped the committee complete many important projects. They’ve been able to purchase important medical equipment like palliative care carts, steady lifts and sit-to-stand lifts. They’ve also provided iPads to help residents stay in touch with family as well as smart TVs and computers for residents to use.

Most recently, the committee bought 160 new hi-low beds for everyone at the home, reducing fall risk and improving resident care. Lodge and the others on the committee look forward to filling up the newly enlarged donor recognition wall, and they already have their next home improvement in the works.

“We’re working diligently on trying to create a garden outside close to the Pines, between the Pines and the district, so that our residents can have a lot of safe exposure to the outdoors,” she said. “That is our next big project.”

To learn more about the Pines Long-Term Care Home, visit the District of Muskoka website.

The post The Pines Taps Local Artist To Expand Donor Recognition Wall appeared first on Muskoka411.

Rideout revealed the mural, painted in the program room of the Alzheimer Society’s Bracebridge office, on the morning of Feb. 19. The artwork depicts a calm nature scene with a winding path and a small brook cascading through the centre, all surrounded by birch trees. The board of directors and staff from the Alzheimer Society joined caregivers and clients for the reveal. Rideout was initially nervous about the turnout since snow slowed down many attendees, but she was soon overwhelmed with emotion after seeing more than 30 people show up.

“I know that they do incredible work for families who are affected by this very unfortunate disease that does so much negative,” Rideout said. “It’s great that there’s a place like the Alzheimer Society that has resources available for people. I just wanted to be able to do something that they appreciated and is a nice way to give back to them for everything that they do.”

Rideout knows the impact of their work firsthand after navigating Alzheimer’s with her late father. The Alzheimer Society was instrumental in her father’s care, providing resources for him and for her mother as a caregiver. Her mother also met one of her best friends through a support group at the society.

Rideout’s husband Paul Chivers experienced the disease up close as well, caring for his mother with Alzheimer’s up until she died in 2024. Rideout originally felt inspired to donate murals after going through cancer treatment, so when she felt the itch to gift her next mural, donating in honour of another complex health issue so close to her family felt right. 

“If you look closely, there’s a tiny monarch butterfly on one end that represents Paul’s mum, and there’s a monarch butterfly on the other end that represents my dad,” she said. “Then in the centre of the mural, there are tiny little blue flowers. Those are actually the Forget-Me-Not flowers that are the symbol of the Alzheimer Society, so I wanted to incorporate that into the mural as well.”

The team at the Alzheimer Society gave her free reign to paint whatever she wanted. She aimed to make a scene that wasn’t too busy or distracting while also making the large cabinet in the centre of the wall blend in. She landed on a peaceful scene that prominently features a familiar sight in Muskoka: beautiful birch trees.

For her mural at the Pines Long-Term Care Home, she helped bring the outside in by using actual birch trees cut in half to add texture and dimension. Due to the massive snowfall this winter, that wasn’t an option.

“I couldn’t get at any of the actual birch trees that we have, or birch branches, but I still wanted to bring that element of three-dimensional into the scene, just to sort of make it that much more lifelike,” she said. “I sent a message to Quinn at Home Depot and said, ‘I have an idea.’”

Home Depot manager Quinn Spencer has been a longtime supporter of Rideout’s work, regularly donating materials for her to use in her gifted pieces. This time was no exception as he provided lumber and other materials for Rideout to craft her trees. He attended the reveal as well.

In just three days, Rideout painted the entire scene alongside constructing birch trees out of wood, plaster and drywall tape. It was an ambitious project given the short timeframe, but the stunned reaction of the people at the reveal attests to her success. 

Rideout was originally supposed to do the mural in early December, but she ended up getting snowed in for five days without power. Snow nearly stopped her again this week, but between a few hikes in the snow and some helpful neighbours plowing her out, she was able to make it work. It was a labour of love in more ways than one, but Rideout said the feedback at the reveal made it well worth the effort.

Fresh off this painting, Rideout is ready to keep going. She already has plans for another mural donation in June. Though she was already familiar with the great work the Alzheimer Society does, working on the piece showed her just how involved they are in engaging with the community and helping people who need it. She and her husband intend to continue being a part of it.

 “We actually plan to sign up to be volunteers there going forward,” she said. “We would like to be even more involved and continue on with the Alzheimer Society there and help them in whatever way we can as volunteers.”

Norma Alford, executive director of the Alzheimer Society of Muskoka, said it was an incredible honour to be gifted such a gorgeous mural. She was immediately struck with a sense of peace and calm when she saw it. 

“For our clients and our persons living with dementia to have Kimberly come in and paint this beautiful mural, it takes away the white clinical feel,” Alford said. “It really supports that care for dementia and support for people living with dementia and their caregivers can be provided in community.”

After the crowd’s initial awe, people were quickly drawn in by the three-dimensional elements of the painting. It was rewarding for Alford to see the different ways each person interacted with the beauty, colour and texture of the piece.

The mural is inside the Alzheimer Society’s new office on Manitoba Street. They opened at the end of last month after transitioning from their previous location on Ecclestone Drive, giving them space to expand their services. The program room that houses the mural is where they host caregiver support groups, social events like their weekly coffee meetup, and more. 

“Our goal has always been to expand our own program but also to open the space to community partners and other individuals,” she said. “Having this mural and beautifying the space is going to be incredible for us to be able to utilize this even more.”

The sense of nature and bringing the outside world inside is fantastic for clients and staff alike, Alford said. It reflects Rideout and the community at the Alzheimer Society perfectly, and it meant a lot to Alford to hear Rideout’s personal connection to the cause.

She said Rideout is a fantastic person and artist who puts her heart and soul into each of her paintings. Her dedication to coming in, despite getting so much snow, and the people who stepped up to assist her are a testament to the Muskoka spirit and Rideout’s character.

“She’s just a beautiful person, and she’s really captured the spirit of what we do,” Alford said. “It was just a great honor to memorialize her family connection and to have her support what we do in the community and give back to our clients and the people we serve.”

The Alzheimer Society of Muskoka serves the entire Muskoka region as well as Parry Sound. Their team is active in the community to help people with dementia and their families navigate the difficult journey that accompanies a dementia diagnosis. They provide a wide range of services from music and recreation programs to education and medical resources.

It’s a disease that puts a great burden on both the people living with it and their caregivers, so they aim to ease that burden through advocacy and support for ongoing care and research. Alford welcomes members of the public to visit their office to see the mural and learn more about their services.  

“Our numbers are increasing, and our goal is to support caregivers and persons living with dementia to live in community, to have the supports they need, and to live with dignity and feel that they are part of family and community and they aren’t left behind,” Alford said. “That’s really what we stand for.”

To learn more about the Alzheimer Society of Muskoka, visit its website. Visit the Alzheimer Society’s Facebook page to see a video of the reveal.

Local Artist To Paint Mural At Andy’s House To Thank Community For Support During Cancer Treatment

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Redmond’s journey started in Halifax on March 26, and he plans to continue until he reaches Victoria, BC. He was inspired to create a “movement for movement” after getting hit by a car at age 15. He was lying in the hospital at risk of losing his leg, thinking of figures like Canadian athletes Terry Fox and Rick Hansen, when he made a promise to himself. If he kept his leg, he would run across Canada someday. After roughly 12 surgeries, he kept his leg, and now, he’s keeping his promise.

“I want to show all of Canada what a successful patient is,” Redmond said. “Now, the best way that I can show it myself is to get out there and show people what I have done on a leg I almost lost. I am up to over 31,000 kilometres between walking across Canada, biking across Canada, and now running across Canada.”

At age 53, Redmond said most people doing these “outrageous events” traversing Canada are about half his age, but he feels like he just keeps getting stronger. Looking back at the accomplishments of walking and biking across the country help remind him of what he’s capable of doing, though the commitment to running does make it the toughest trip yet.

Still, it exemplifies the point he’s trying to make that exercise is a critical part of health. Every time a person exercises, they’re asking their inner mechanics for an upgrade, he said, and he aims to upgrade continuously. 

The conversations he has with the people along the way focus on his tenets of health, mobility and recovery, but each talk changes based on the people he meets. Different parts of his mission speak to different people, and he’s motivated to meet as many people as possible.

“I’m really pushing exercise that mind, exercise that body and exercise that spirit. It’s important for your health,” he said. “When all those are equally exercised, you’re a lot healthier for it.”

With the recent snowfall, Muskoka gave Redmond a lot to contend with. He stayed in Orillia for an extra two days due to the forecasts of additional snow, and the towering snowbanks required some special navigating once he made his way north. He said walking through the tunnels of ice surrounding the sidewalks felt like walking through the halls of the Death Star.

Redmond is always ready to keep moving, but he can’t say the same for his equipment. After about 5,400 kilometres, a bracket on one of his cart’s wheels broke. He shared his predicament online, and JSW Manufacturing in Bracebridge invited him in for repairs. 

The cart is what allows him to carry two tents, a battery pack, a solar panel, a sleeping bag, a small foam mattress, food, water and more. He figures he needs to get a bigger cart or start pushing a tank across Canada, but for now, the cart will get him where he needs to go.

That said, he hasn’t used his tent since early December. He tented back in Innisfil during a freezing rain event, but since then, he’s stayed in a house, a hut, a garage, a motel and now a bed and breakfast.

“I’ve had very generous offers of people offering me a good place to pull in, but I do know there’s going to be points where I’m going to be in between and that might be next to impossible,” Redmond said. “I’ll prepare a tent, and I do have a propane heater, a sleeping bag that’s good to minus 30, and lots and lots of hand warmers.”

With -26 forecast for the weekend, he has to decide exactly how far to go. He won’t take any special risk to get here or there by a specific time, but just in case, he bought boots and mittens to add to his arsenal of warmth.

The intensity of his trip doesn’t allow for a lot of sightseeing, but Redmond has been blown away by the height of the snowdrifts in the region. It really struck him when he saw the amount that had collected on the giant yellow Muskoka chair in Gravenhurst. From afar, it looks like a regular lawn chair with snow, he said, chuckling at how small he looked in comparison. 

“It’s see as you go, see as you move along,” he said. “What you see is what you get in this journey, because there’s really not a lot of time to explore like I would like to, but certainly taking those dips in and out of communities really is another exploration altogether of meeting people and communities you’ve never experienced before.”

Redmond said the best part of the trek is undoubtedly the people, which is why the hardest part is feeling like he isn’t reaching as many of them as he would like. He always says, “The more we move, the more we move others.” He wants to spread that message and give Canadians the best opportunity to be inspired by themselves and accomplish their goals.

For people with complex health challenges, those goals may look different. He knows what it’s like to lay in the hospital and have hopes of healing and moving forward. His hospital dream of keeping his leg came true, and he wants to help others reach and surpass their hospital dreams.

Just above Gravenhurst, Redmond crossed the same number of kilometres travelled by Terry Fox in his iconic Marathon of Hope. It’s emotional for him to be able to surpass that milestone in honour of one of his heroes. He identified so much with Fox’s story as a young man facing potential limb loss, so he plans to continue using the legs and the life he’s blessed to have to keep spreading a message of health and hope.

His other hero Rick Hansen, a track and field athlete and wheelchair user, wheeled across Canada as part of the Man in Motion World Tour, also inspired by Fox. He travelled a total of 40,075 kilometres, which is equal to the circumference of the Earth, so Redmond would love to reach that number someday. 

He’s already gone more than 31,300 kilometres, so he’s well on his way to yet another personal triumph. It’s all been possible thanks to the various people and businesses that helped him on his travels, so he wants to extend his gratitude to every single one of them.

“I’m coming up on nine months on the road, and I could not at all have gotten this far without the support of people along the way,” Redmond said. “It just wouldn’t have happened, so that’s the most amazing thing.”

To learn more about the Fellow in Yellow and his journey, visit his website.

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Owner-operator Darren Budd said they typically use five drivers, but even with an expanded team of 15, the piles in their facility continue to grow. They cover five routes for Canpar Express in the Bracebridge and Port Carling area, so their team is delivering and picking up about 1,500 parcels a day. Their Amazon deliveries are also running behind with about 1,000 packages waiting to be delivered to customers in Bracebridge and Gravenhurst.

“Parcel service has quadrupled this holiday season,” Budd said. “Most shippers that used Canada Post have moved to us as a courier for both delivery and pick-up.”

The company works with UPS, Canpar, DHL and Amazon. While there may be Amazon packages for Gravenhurst residents, the company will only have packages from the other carriers for people with Bracebridge or Port Carling postal codes.

Budd said he would avoid calling the carriers directly since people will most likely talk to a customer service rep in Toronto who can’t help them. Instead, locals should check their tracking and see where their items were last scanned. His team hasn’t been able to scan and status many of the parcels they’ve received, so the status should show no updates after reaching the facility.

“Weather has put us behind at least a week,” he said. “[We’re] currently sitting on about 30k parcels just in our warehouse. The combination of Canada Post strike, weather and Christmas has been the perfect storm.”

If customers are in the correct service area and their package is in Bracebridge, they can reach out to DPB Delivery with their address, tracking number and carrier details to confirm the company has the package. Once it’s confirmed, locals can stop by the Canpar Express depot at 581 Ecclestone Drive in Bracebridge.

Shortly after posting about the pick-up option on Facebook, the company received more than 50 messages with names alone, so Budd is asking customers to read the requirements carefully and be sure they take the necessary steps. Drivers are working 12- to 14-hour shifts seven days a week just to stay afloat, and they still have boxes piled everywhere throughout their 5,000-square-foot facility.

“Everyone is starting to burn out and feel defeated,” Budd said. “In my 25 years of working for UPS/Canpar here in Muskoka, this is by far the craziest Christmas rush yet. We are pushing through best we can, but we all know there will likely be thousands of packages sitting in our warehouse come Christmas Eve.”

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The trek was slated for 6 p.m. on Dec. 7, but with historic amounts of snow falling across the region, organizers are concerned about the safety of guests and volunteers. Many Muskoka residents faced a metre or more of snow with 140 centimetres of accumulation in Gravenhurst and 125 centimetres in Bracebridge over the weekend. Between power outages, heavy snow removal and hazardous roadways, chairperson Patricia Gidley and the other organizers felt the need to cancel.

“As more snow is forecast for Bala, we feel the safety of our volunteers, actors and visitors is paramount,” Gidley said in a written statement. “We don’t want to encourage anyone to be on the roads Saturday night.”

The trek had a three-year hiatus from 2020 to 2022 due to COVID-19, so locals were excited to welcome the tradition back in 2023. Preparations for this year’s event were nearly complete with animals secured for the market and stable, actors learning their scripts, and sets ready to be put into place. 

Though the organizers are sad to cancel, they’re motivated to keep the event going next year and beyond, making small improvements wherever they can along the way.

“We appreciate the hard work that’s gone into it so far,” Gidley said in an interview with Muskoka411. “We’re really, really sorry that this is the situation we’re in, but we think it’s the wisest choice, and we sure look forward to 2025. We do have to look forward because we’re not defeated.”

It was a difficult decision, but they feel it’s the right one. The trek organizers send well wishes to anyone facing the impacts of severe weather and season’s greetings to the community at large.

“We wish you all a very blessed Christmas,” Gidley said. “May the true meaning of the season find its way into your celebrations in another way. We look forward to 2025 and again sharing our beautiful story.”

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