Latest news with #LakeMuskoka
CTV News
5 days ago
- General
- CTV News
Muskoka boat launch closed for repair with no timeline for reopening
A boat launch at Muskoka Wharf has closed with no timeline for when it will reopen. The Town of Gravenhurst issued a new release on Monday notifying the public that one of three boat launch ramps at Muskoka Wharf at 295 Steamship Bay Road is closed for repairs. The Town asks boaters to follow signage when using the ramps to access Lake Muskoka. 'When operating vehicles and equipment at this access point, have care when navigating near the boat houses beside this boat launch,' the Town added. No further details were provided.
Globe and Mail
05-07-2025
- Business
- Globe and Mail
Sheertex founder Katherine Homuth in dispute with Muskoka township over cottage venture
Prominent entrepreneur Katherine Homuth is dedicated to recreating a nostalgic cottage experience that brings community members together on a lake a couple of hours north of Toronto, but has found herself in a fight over her latest venture with the local township. Ms. Homuth has had a portfolio of startups, most notably founding rip-resistant tights maker Sheertex, the brainchild she spent years raising before suddenly departing earlier this year. Those years were harsh, she said, but not regrettable. Her time at the company led her to develop the 'scar tissue' for future business bouts. In her newest venture, Ms. Homuth and her husband, Zak Homuth, plan to host what they've titled 'Sunday House,' launching this Sunday at their principal residence near Port Carling, Ont. The service – priced at $750 a person over the age of 2 – will allow members to participate in a canoe and kayaking regatta and enjoy eight summer Sundays of food and activities at their home: a multimillion-dollar, nearly two-acre property on Lake Muskoka. The Homuth property is a short boat ride from Port Carling, a town which resembles the summer resort community in the movie Jaws (minus the shark). The main street is bordered by Adirondack chairs on the sidewalks and an ice cream shop is just far enough from the docks for kids to finish their cone before buckling on a life jacket and squeezing into a motorboat. But the Homuths' business proposal, launched with the hope of drawing together that community, was rejected by the Township of Muskoka Lakes for contravening local bylaws. They plan to operate Sunday House under two bylaws – as a home-based business and as a short-term rental (renting to Sunday House as a business). The Homuths expect it will meet the conditions of at least one of those rules. However, in an e-mail that Ms. Homuth shared with The Globe, a township employee told her that neither of those approaches will comply with the bylaws, citing issues such as parking availability, the scale of the event and the size of the buildings used. But, she said she remains confident in her plan. 'They don't want there to be a way that it could exist, which is just super bizarre to me,' she said. After striking out in negotiations with the township, Ms. Homuth posted an open letter online outlining how she believes the township has erred. Township officials turned down a request for an interview, but township communication adviser Mia Palantzas said in an e-mailed statement that the community considers all proposals within applicable bylaws and legislation. 'As this matter involves ongoing discussions between the Township and a property owner regarding plans for their land, we're not in a position to provide further comment,' Ms. Palantzas said. The Homuths said they are prepared to defend their business plan if the township penalizes them for being in contravention of bylaws, but they are hoping it does not come to that. 'Being told we can't use our property in a way that we believe we have a legal right, which we also believe has a noble cause to it, is definitely something I'm willing to fight for,' Ms. Homuth said. The Homuths' vision is driven by Ms. Homuth's childhood memories of visiting her grandparents' cottage in Lake Manitou in Quebec, where life was intertwined with the local community. They want to create that same sense of community in Muskoka for their two-year-old son. At her grandparents' cottage, an orange towel would be hung on the deck railing to signal to the grandkids outside that it was breakfast time. Similarly, an orange towel will signal the opening of Sunday House at 8 a.m., launching a seven-hour day of water and beach activities and games alongside a small breakfast and a hefty lunch meal. So far, about 30 people have signed up, including neighbours who are being given free memberships, Ms. Homuth said. Most are people in the area with their own cottages and are looking for access to the waterfront or for a deeper sense of community, she added. She said that part of being part of a community is contributing – in this case, to the cost of operating Sunday House for the day, which will make the venture more sustainable long-term. The couple said they are expecting to lose money in the end, because the cost won't fully cover food and staffing, including lifeguards. But she compares it to the energy of a church community or full-family, intergenerational hangouts. 'People don't have that, a lot of people, any more, but there was a lot of good in that ritual,' Ms. Homuth said. While Ms. Homuth said she spent thousands of dollars to advertise Sunday House, some – including locals – milling about Port Carling on Thursday had never heard about it. Tyler Puley, whose family has owned a cottage at Walkers Point on Lake Muskoka for nearly two decades, said the idea sounds interesting. With his eyes trailing his bouncy three-year-old daughter outside a town shop, he said, 'the sense of community, especially among kids, it's a little harder to get here.'
CTV News
13-05-2025
- CTV News
OPP officers gather in Gravenhurst for annual marine training
Ontario Provincial Police conduct marine training on Lake Muskoka in Gravenhurst, Ont., on Tues., May 13, 2025. (CTV News/Luke Simard)
Globe and Mail
08-05-2025
- Business
- Globe and Mail
Cottage on Lake Muskoka gets Toronto preview, fetches full-price offer
1385 Foreman Rd., Port Carling, Ont. Asking price: $1.7-million (March, 2025) Selling price: $1.7-million (March, 2025) Previous selling price: $665,000 (June, 2010) Taxes: $9,462 (2024) Days on the market: 10 Listing agent: Maryrose Coleman, Sotheby's International Realty Canada Agent Maryrose Coleman showed this three-bedroom cottage on Lake Muskoka at her booth at the Spring Cottage Life Show in March. 'Sometimes we test the market at the show and then bring the listings back again [when the cottage market gets going],' said Ms. Coleman. The Foreman Road property is 'a three-season cottage that is closed up until May, usually.' But, stoked by buyer interest, the seller rushed to clear access to the 0.67-acre site, still snowbound, that boasts 337 feet of shoreline. A repeat visitor delivered an offer mid-week. 'The snow had become concrete, it was crazy,' Ms. Coleman said. 'The seller had to dig his way through and open up the cottage. '[The buyer] wanted to lock it up before there was a competitive situation, and that's why they paid in full.' This 60-year-old cottage, built into sloping terrain, offers 1,210 square feet of living space on one level, including a bedroom, updated kitchen and bathroom, and 300 square feet below grown, largely for two bedrooms. A Muskoka room and a living room with a fireplace are prime entertaining areas, as well as the deck and dock. A bunkie is also on site. 'Because it's an older cottage, it's right on the water,' Ms. Coleman said. 'Now, you have to be 66 feet back from the high water mark.' Recent renovations enhanced its rustic aesthetic. 'The interior design was gorgeous, taking advantage of the existing property and character, and married it with more contemporary design influences,' Ms. Coleman said. 'The bunkie was brought over from Eilean Gowan Island and it was built in the 1950s.'
