During the week, according to preliminary data, the OPP laid over 19,133 traffic and marine charges, including:

8,603 speeding charges

1,454 seatbelt charges

412 impaired driving charges

311 stunt driving charges

243 distracted driving charges

49 helmet charges

11 marine safety equipment charges

Safety is everyone’s responsibility, whether you are on the roads, the trails or the waterways. By making responsible choices, we can help make our communities safer.

The OPP thanks all drivers and passengers who made safety a top priority through the Canada Day week. Together, we can continue to prevent avoidable tragedies on our roads and waterways this summer.

The post OPP Laid Over 19,100 Charges During Canada Day Week appeared first on Muskoka411.

This year, 164 people have died in collisions on OPP-patrolled roads. The top four factors in roadway fatalities continue to be speeding, impairment through alcohol and drugs, distracted driving and failure to wear a seatbelt.

The public can expect to see an increased OPP presence across the province, with officers actively targeting dangerous driving behaviours during one of the busiest travel weeks of the year.

Whether you are a driver or a passenger, you can play a role as a road safety partner. If you spot dangerous driving or suspect a driver may be impaired, call 9-1-1 immediately. One call can make a difference – and could save a life.

Beyond our roadways, the OPP is also counting on boaters, paddlers and off-roaders to make safety a priority. Accidents can happen at any moment, but wearing the right gear, like a lifejacket or helmet, can reduce the risk of serious injury and help ensure you make it home to see another adventure.

The OPP is committed to keeping people safe on close to 100,000 kilometres of water­ways and trails, and more than 130,000 kilometres of roadway.

Together, let’s make safety a top priority and prevent avoidable tragedies this Canada Day week.

The post OPP Calls For Safe Choices This Canada Day Week appeared first on Muskoka411.

• Official unveiling of the new Lake of Bays Fire Rescue logo,
• Live music, entertainment, and family-friendly games,
• Community BBQ,
• Silent auction,
• Fireworks display, and more.

The post Fire Fest At Dwight Beach Returns On Canada Day appeared first on Muskoka411.

Morning kick-off at Muskoka Heritage Place: Gates open at 9:30 a.m. 
Join Mayor Alcock and Council as they launch the day’s festivities at MHP. Dignitaries will officially kick off the event at 10:00 a.m., serving up free cupcakes to attendees while supplies last. The Village will be bustling with narrators, live music, and games from 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. (last entry at 3:00 p.m.), with fresh strawberry shortcake made right on site for visitors to savour. The Huntsville Lions Club will also be serving up food and beverages throughout the day (cash only) should you want more than just sweet treats! Admission is free with a non-perishable food donation.

Canada Day also marks the annual return of the Portage Flyer Steam Train. Train rides will run at various times throughout the day beginning at 11:30 a.m. so don’t miss out! (Note: regular train admission applies)

Celebrate with live music, vendors, and activities at River Mill Park: 12:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. 
After exploring MHP, head downtown to River Mill Park to soak in the festive atmosphere with more family fun and great live music! It all gets underway at 12:00 p.m. with interactive games and activities for all ages, local vendors including our Gold Sponsor, Lake of Bays Brewing Company, and live free entertainment throughout the event.

Featured artists include Cam Galloway, Gina Horswood and headliner Cory Marks at the Rotary Bandshell.

Known for his bold blend of country and rock, Cory Marks, a North Bay local, has shared the stage and toured with many major acts. He has earned international attention with hit songs like “Outlaws & Outsiders”, a top 10 U.S. rock radio single, and certified platinum in Canada and gold in the U.S. Cory is sure to deliver an unforgettable show that will have the crowd on their feet!

The music continues into the evening with a Concert on the Dock performance by HTC Canadian Cabaret from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

End the day with our spectacular fireworks show over Hunters Bay at 10:00 p.m., weather permitting.

As an outdoor event, the schedule of activities may be impacted by inclement weather. For more information, including weather updates and a full schedule of events, visit the Canada Day page on huntsville.ca or follow us on social media.

Let’s get ready to celebrate, Huntsville! 

This project is funded in part by the Government of Canada.
Ce projet est financé en partie par le gouvernement du Canada.

The post Get Ready To Celebrate Canada Day In Huntsville appeared first on Muskoka411.

“Kick off Canada Day celebrations supporting your local, independent businesses. We’ve seen a very strong “Buy Canada” sentiment during the first half of the year. With continuing tariff threats, supply chain challenges and cost uncertainty, we want to make sure that momentum carries through the second half of the year. There’s no better way to support Canadian than to shop at your local Canadian-owned small businesses,” said Ryan Mallough, CFIB’s vice-president of legislative affairs.

New CFIB data shows that since the start of the trade war, nearly four in ten (39%) small businesses have seen increased sales of Canadian/locally made products – especially in the retail (44%), hospitality (43%) and wholesale (41%) sectors. Businesses that actively promote these products were more than twice as likely to see growth in sales of Canadian/locally made products (55% vs 23%).

CFIB’s #SmallBusinessEveryDay Big Thank You Contest is a chance to win big!

The Big Thank You Contest is presented by CFIB in partnership with Scotiabank, Interac Corp. (Interac), and Chase Payment Solutions. Small business supporters can enter two weekly draws by visiting SmallBusinessEveryDay.ca and leaving a thank you message to their favourite small Canadian business.

Each week, one supporter and the business they thanked will be drawn as winners. The supporter will receive a $1,000 cash prize to spend locally, and a Big Thank You gift box filled with products from small businesses across Canada and the contest’s sponsors. The business will receive $3,000, a gift box, and a free one-year CFIB membership. An additional $3,000 bonus prize will go to the business with the most nominations at the end of the contest.

“Small businesses support a whole local ecosystem. They employ local residents, support local causes and source their goods and services from other local businesses,” added Mallough. “Sixty-six cents of every dollar spent local, stays local. Every time Canadians choose to shop at a small business, they strengthen their communities,” Mallough said.

To help businesses get involved, CFIB has created free digital toolkits, with printable posters and customizable social images to promote the contest and shopping local. For more information on how to support small businesses, check out SmallBusinessEveryDay.ca.

The post This Canada Day, Shop Local And Thank Your Favourite Small Business For A Chance To Win appeared first on Muskoka411.

Ingredients
1 package chocolate wafers
1 cup whipping cream
2 tbsp icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla
diced strawberries or sprinkles

Instructions
Beat whipping cream, icing sugar, and vanilla on high speed until thickened.
Spread whipping cream over chocolate wafers. Stack in groups of 4.
Place in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight.
Add sprinkles or strawberries just before serving.
Makes approximately 8 mini ice box cakes.  Enjoy!

The post Try These Mini Ice Box Cakes For Canada Day appeared first on Muskoka411.

Tim Hortons is helping guests get ready to celebrate Canada Day with sweet treats to share with family and friends and a collection of drinkware that features beautiful vistas from each province.

Available now just in time for Canada Day at participating Tims restaurants are:

• Inspired by the fireworks that will cap off Canada Day, the Canada Celebration Donut features red and white sprinkles and fizzy candy clusters that pop in your mouth.
  
  
• The 2025 Tim Hortons Travel Collection of drinkware has a lineup of ceramic and stainless steel mugs featuring beautiful landscapes from each province. Ceramic mugs featuring landmarks from Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, Calgary and Niagara Falls are also available, as is the popular Canada Travel Mug. They are all also available on TimShop.ca.
  
  
• The Summer Timbits Bucket can be purchased with 31 Timbits and is perfect for sharing at your Canada Day gathering.

“Canada Day is a time to come together and celebrate everything we love about our country. At Tim Hortons, we’re honoured to be part of those moments, whether fueling up on a road trip or sharing Timbits under the Canada Day fireworks,” said Carolina Berti, Vice President of Category and Innovation for Tim Hortons.

“We’re excited to celebrate the country we all love so much with our new drinkware collection and Canada Celebration Donut.”

Cool off on Canada Day with an Iced Capp offer – exclusive for Tims Rewards members

Tims Rewards members will soon receive an exclusive offer in the Tims app to buy an Iced Capp and get a second Iced Capp for 50 per cent off. This members-only offer starts June 27 and runs until July 1. Join the Tims Rewards loyalty program in the Tims app to participate. See the Tims app for offer terms and conditions.

The post New Canada Celebration Donut At Tim Hortons appeared first on Muskoka411.

Sadly, one person lost their life in a boating incident over the long weekend. During the campaign which focused on seatbelt, lifejacket and helmet laws, the OPP laid 1,287 seatbelt-related charges, 96 charges for lifejacket and other marine safety equipment violations and 34 “no helmet” charges.

Among the overall 17,889 traffic/marine charges laid throughout the enforcement/education campaign (June 21-July 1, 2024) were:
Speeding: 8,421
Stunt driving: 224
Impaired driving: 447
Distracted driving: 173

The OPP thanks all drivers and passengers who kicked off the summer and celebrated the Canada Day long weekend with safety at top of mind and encourages them to continue to do so throughout the year.

The OPP is committed to delivering on its Provincial Traffic Safety Strategy, which aims to reduce injuries and fatalities on more than 130,000 kilometres of roadways and close to 100,000 kilometres of waterways and trails throughout Ontario.

The post OPP Kept Busy During Canada Day Long Weekend With Several Charges appeared first on Muskoka411.

The Ontario government is celebrating this Canada Day by encouraging fishing enthusiasts and first-timers alike to enjoy free fishing from June 29 to July 7. This is a great opportunity to recognize the province’s angling traditions and to get outdoors and enjoy Canada Day.

The post Ontario Celebrating Canada Day With Free Fishing appeared first on Muskoka411.

Every day, the CBSA works hard to protect Canadians, support the economy and ensure the safe and efficient movement of people and goods across our borders. In 2023, we welcomed over 86M travellers and intercepted more than 72,200 kg of prohibited drugs, cannabis, narcotics, and chemicals, representing an increase of close to 30% from 2022.

The CBSA dedicates significant efforts to planning and preparing for peak periods, including long weekends and summer months. CBSA monitors traveller volumes and plan to minimize border wait times at land ports of entry and at international airports, without compromising safety and security.

Here are some tips to help you plan for your trip:

Before you travel, plan ahead

• Check border wait times and expect delays.
  • Early mornings are the best time to cross the border to avoid wait times
  • The Mondays after holiday long weekends tend to be the busiest.
  • Consider an alternative port of entry with shorter wait times or less traffic.
  • Check the port of entry’s hours of operation on the official CBSA Directory of Offices and Services
  • If you are using a GPS application (such as Google Maps, Apple Maps or Waze) to direct you to a port of entry, consider checking different navigation options (such as fastest and shortest routes) to determine the preferred route of travel.
• Have your travel documents handy. Speed up processing times by always coming prepared with your travel documents.
• Travelling with children? When travelling with a child who is not your own or for whom you don’t have full legal custody, we recommend you have a consent letter from the parent or legal guardian authorizing you to travel with the child. CBSA is always watching for missing children, and in the absence of the letter, officers may ask additional questions.
• Flying into Canada? Use Advance Declaration and make your customs and immigration declaration up to 72 hours in advance of your arrival into Canada at participating airports.
• Entering Canada by boat? You must report to the CBSA without delay. Review reporting requirements for private boaters before making travel plans.

At the border, be prepared to declare

Declare everything you have with you upon entry into Canada. If arriving by land, you are responsible for everything inside your vehicle. If you are the operator of a boat entering Canadian waters with the intent to disembark, you are responsible for reporting your goods on board.

Are you bringing any of the following into Canada?

• Food, plant, or animal products: Consult the Automated Import Reference System (AIRS) before bringing any food, plant, or animal products into Canada.
• Poultry products: Be sure to review current restrictions on poultry and birds from the United States before bringing these products across the border. Homemade food or leftovers containing poultry cannot be brought into Canada.
• Fireworks: Consult Importing, exporting and transporting fireworks to ensure that the fireworks you are bringing in are authorized.
• Medication: Make sure you understand your responsibilities when travelling with medication.
• Firewood: Firewood from outside of Canada is not permitted as it may contain diseases or invasive insects. Buy local and burn local.
• Goods purchased abroad: If you are a Canadian resident, personal exemptions allow you to bring goods (up to a certain value), back to Canada without paying regular duty and taxes – including alcohol and tobacco.
  • Make sure know how much you are bringing back in Canadian dollars and have your receipts readily available for the officer.
  • Use the CBSA duty and taxes estimator to help estimate the amounts owed on goods purchased abroad.

Restricted and prohibited goods

Make sure you review the necessary information before attempting to bring certain items into Canada.  If not, you risk having your goods seized or facing fines and/or prosecution.

• Firearms: Leave them at home. You are encouraged not to travel with firearms. If you choose to do so, be sure to check the rules on importing firearms.
• Weapons: Other restricted and prohibited goods include pepper spray, switchblades, and butterfly knives.
• Narcotics:  Narcotics such as cocaine and heroin, are illegal in Canada. If you are found to be in possession of illegal drugs (on your person, in your vehicle, or in your luggage) you will be arrested and may be charged. The drugs will be seized.
• Cannabis: Don’t bring it in. Don’t take it out. While cannabis is legal in Canada, bringing it across the border in any form, including oils containing tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) or cannabidiol (CBD), without a permit or exemption authorized by Health Canada is a serious criminal offence subject to arrest and prosecution. A medical prescription from a doctor does not count as Health Canada authorization.

Not sure? Ask a CBSA officer. The best way to save time is to be open and honest with the CBSA officer. If you are not sure about what to declare, don’t hesitate to ask.

For more information, visit the CBSA Website or call them at 1-800-461-9999.

The post Travelling For Canada Day Or U.S. Independence Day? The CBSA Gives Tips For A Smoother Trip appeared first on Muskoka411.