Parks and Recreation Masterplan, July 19, 2022

On Wednesday, July 13, 2022, Council adopted the Parks and Trails Masterplan.

The Parks and Recreation Master Plan will be used to assist in determining recreation, parks, trails and facilities requirements for the Township that, in conjunction with the Township’s Strategic Plan, will inform future investment and developments.

The Plan will allow the Township to guide and manage the direction of parks, open spaces, recreation and leisure services, programs, events, facilities and amenities.

Please visit the Engage Page to read the approved Parks and Recreation Masterplan.

Lake Protection Workbook July 5, 2022

The Lake Protection Workbook was updated, and a second printing has happened! Now is the time for you to order your copies for your family and waterfront or cottage association.

The “Lake Protection Workbook: A Self-Assessment Tool for Shoreline Property Owners” is an educational tool that helps property owners make improvements to their shorelines and provides information about lake protection. It includes a series of questions that will help you assess how well you are protecting your property and your lakefront through everyday actions. The Workbook also provides practical information, recommendations, and space for recording improvements to assist you in your lake protection efforts.

This Workbook was produced by the Lake Links Planning Committee with collaboration and review from many organizations including Cataraqui Conservation, Friends of the Tay Watershed Association, Lake Networking Group, Lanark County Stewardship Council, Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, Rideau Valley Conservation Authority and Watersheds Canada.

While you can always download an online copy for free, you can also now order a physical copy for $2.00+shipping by emailing Monica at info@watersheds.ca. Payment can be sent by e-transfer or by cheque and will be arranged by email.  Copies are now ready to ship! If you have any questions, please email Monica at info@watersheds.ca

Already using your Lake Protection Workbook? Make a positive change in your community and be entered in a draw for a $100 gift card to your local native plant nursery! Take a photo of you using the Lake Protection Workbook and taking local action and post it on social media using #LakeBookChallenge. You can also email a photo and caption to info@watersheds.ca. This contest ends September 30, 2022, and is open to Canadian residents.

Published by Watersheds Canada, July 5, 2022

Township of Muskoka Lakes Announces Draft 3 of Official Plan – June 13, 2022

The Township is pleased to announce that staff and the consulting team will be bringing a report and Draft 3 of the Official Plan to a series of Special Planning Committee meetings commencing on June 20, 2022 at 9 am. This updated draft is based on all of the feedback received from the community and agencies from last fall’s Open Houses and online survey. Planning Committee will give consideration to further revisions to the draft of the Official Plan as well as direction to circulate the draft prior to hosting a statutory Open House and Public Meeting later this summer, where more opportunities for public feedback will be available.

The report and draft Official Plan are now posted on the Engage Muskoka Lakes webpage as well as on the Government

No Time To Waste – Recycle Right – Muskoka’s Roadmap to 60% Waste Diversion – June 9, 2022

June 9, 2022 (Muskoka, ON) – Recycling right makes a difference. When we recycle, it benefits the environment in several ways – material and natural resources are preserved, energy is saved during the manufacturing process, greenhouse gas emissions are reduced that contribute to climate change, and less waste is sent to our only landfill.

At the same time, recycling markets have become much more strict about the quality of the recycling materials they accept – it’s time to throw out bad recycling habits and recycle right.

It’s not enough to just recycle; it’s important to recycle right.

Our recyclables in Muskoka are now going to a state-of-the-art facility that can effectively sort mixed recycling. We are adapting to the ever-changing material types manufacturers are putting into the marketplace to make sure we are recycling as much as possible to reach our goal of 60% waste diversion.

We are committed to providing consistent, weekly service this summer – collecting mixed recycling will offer more efficient collections for crews who typically run two recycling routes to collect both streams (paper products and containers.)

What is changing?

Our community can now mix acceptable recyclables (paper products and containers) together in one box, bin, or clear bag. Residents will see a single truck collecting recyclables, and collection will take place whether residents have separated recyclables or mixed them together.

Sorting, however, is still critical – in that, you need to be absolutely sure you are only recycling the acceptable items in our program.

We need your help.

Tossing items that are not acceptable into your recycling can do great harm to recycling collectors and equipment.  Placing wrong items in the recycling can be unsafe to those who collect, transport, and process the material and can result in serious injury and equipment fires. Items like propane camping cylinders, batteries, sharps/needles, and lightbulbs are not recyclable and require special care.

To learn more about how to properly dispose of any item, try our Waste Wizard online at www.muskokarecycles.ca or our Muskoka Recycles app.

• Keep lids on – Keeping lids on makes sure lids/caps reach their final destination. Small loose items are not recyclable and often end up as litter.
• Empty recyclables – Dirty material can’t be recycled. Empty any products with food inside – this will also help prevent unwanted critters from being attracted to your material at the curbside.
• No coffee pods – The coffee pod market is not standardized. Some manufacturers use recyclable plastic outer containers, others make pods from ‘compostable’ plastic resins or organic products, and others make them from a combination of these materials. This makes it challenging and costly to recycling programs. Keep all coffee pods out of your recycling, or consider using a refillable pod.
• No textiles/clothing – These items cannot be recycled in our recycling program – there are more valuable and effective ways of handling this material. Look for donation bins, non-profits, charities, and thrift shops around your area to donate textiles, including clothing, curtains, towels, and scrap fabric.

When we recycle right, we can make a difference for our environment and our community. To find out “what goes where” visit our website at www.muskokarecycles.ca or download our free Muskoka Recycles mobile app and try our Waste Wizard.

You can read the original post here.

Changes could be coming to pleasure craft licensing in Canada | May 12, 2022

A recent article was written by Cottage Life magazine summarizing prospective changes to the pleasure craft license in Canada.  If you operate a marine craft you might be interested to see those changes.

Proposed changes to pleasure craft licensing include:

• Introducing a five-year validity period for pleasure craft licences (PCL).
• Expanding the Small Vessel Regulations to include all pleasure crafts equipped with motors of 10 hp or more and all pleasure crafts (including all power-driven and sail-alone vessels) above six metres in length.
• Owners must notify Transport Canada of a name or address change and of a sale or transfer of a vessel within 30 days.
• Easier cancellation of a pleasure craft licence, if a lifetime PCL holder fails to apply, a PCL holder fails to renew a PCL, or a PCL holder wishes to remove their pleasure craft from service.
• Introducing a $15 service fee to process an application to obtain, renew, or duplicate a PCL.

You can read the full article here: Changes could be coming to pleasure craft licensing in Canada | Cottage Life

The Federal Government held public consultations from November 12, 2020 to January 15, 2021.  The outcome of those consultations can be found here: modernizing pleasure craft licensing

Fire Danger Rating – Full Fire Ban – May 11, 2022

With a lack of sufficient rainfall and extremely dry conditions, the Muskoka Fire Chiefs have issued a total FIRE BAN for Muskoka.

The Fire Rating is now set at EXTREME.

No fires of any type are permitted. No fires are permitted for cooking or warmth. No fireworks are allowed.

Conditions are being monitored and the ban will remain in effect until sufficient rainfall is received.

For more information on the Muskoka Fire Danger Rating, call 1 (877) 847-1577.

Read this article on Township of Muskoka Lakes website.

Shea Road Public Boat Launch – May 3, 2022

The public boat launch located at 1194 Shea Road is in disrepair.  This launch is managed by the township and unfortunately, no funds are available in the 2022 budget to repair the launch.  The township is hopeful that funding becomes available in 2023 to make the necessary upgrades at the Shea Road location.

The next closest boat launch is at Northland Recreation.  Please note that there is a small fee to use this launch.

Media Release – New Election Portal for 2022 Municipal Election – April 13, 2022

MUSKOKA LAKES – The Township of Muskoka Lakes is pleased to announce the launch of a new election portal on the Township’s website.

The next municipal and school board election is happening on October 24, 2022, in the Township of Muskoka Lakes. To help residents prepare, the Township has created a comprehensive election portal to deliver important information on voting, running, or advertising in the upcoming election.

“This new portal will be the one stop shop for everything Municipal Elections,” states Lauren Tarasuk, Director of Legislative Services/Clerk. “We are excited to provide a user friendly tool through our website that will make finding information related to the Muskoka Lakes Municipal Election and future elections easier than ever.”

The portal provides individuals with all information related to municipal elections such as how to add or update voter information, find their ward, see who is running, find key dates, check election results, and more.

The portal is now live. Voters and candidates are encouraged to visit www.muskokalakes.ca/elections to learn more about the upcoming municipal election and to subscribe to pages for updates as new content is added.

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For more information, please contact:

Lauren Tarasuk
Director of Legislative Services/Clerk
ltarasuk@muskokalakes.ca
(705) 765-3156
www.muskokalakes.ca

Official announcement found here.

No Time to Waste – Taking Action on Garbage | March 21, 2022

March 21, 2022 (Muskoka, ON) – As part of the District of Muskoka’s Waste Strategy, a reduction in no-charge weekly garbage bag limits at Waste Facilities starts the week of April 4, 2022.

The changes were approved by District Council in December 2021 as part of the Waste Strategy and Roadmap to 60% Diversion. Reducing garbage is critical to extend the life of Muskoka’s one remaining landfill and ensure a secure, long-term way to manage our garbage. In 2020, the District landfilled over 32,000 tonnes (that’s over 70 million pounds) of garbage with the average person in Muskoka throwing out approximately 760 pounds of ‘stuff’ alone.

Read the full story here: No Time to Waste – Taking Action on Garbage

Parks and Recreation Master Plan – Key Themes Questionnaire | March 18, 2022

The Township of Muskoka Lakes is in the next phase of community engagement for the Parks and Recreation Master Plan. A series of Key Themes have been developed based on the results from the public use survey in the fall of 2021.

The last step before drafting the Master Plan is to receive final comments on these Key Themes to ensure we are heading in the right direction.

We invite all residents who use Township’s parks, recreation, sports, and community facilities to participate in this Key Themes Questionnaire to inform the development of the Master Plan.

A Key Themes Presentation has been published on the project page at www.engagemuskokalakes.ca. Please review this prior to submitting comments through the questionnaire.

The deadline to complete the questionnaire is April 13, 2022. Please share with your networks.

Take Questionnaire