Mark Clairmont

Mark Clairmont | MuskokaTODAY.com BRACEBRIDGE — With no money, no partners and no players, Bracebridge continues to work on the development of a new multiuse community centre (MUCC). And be shovel-ready when provincial and federal pandemic infrastructure spending trickles down to municipalities. Back in September council approved the design by MacLennan Jaunkalns Miller Architects (MJMA). […]

SIMCOE-MUSKOKA — New red zone Public Health restrictions for Muskoka and Simcoe counties announced today aren’t a total lockdown like the grey one York, Toronto and Peel are moving into. But they will further limit your movements and interactions for at least the next 28 days. If the measures don’t flatten the curve — as even […]

Mark Clairmont | MuskokaTODAY.com MUSKOKA — Hospital visitors wandering around without masks has forced MAHC to clamp down on miscreants and threaten visiting privileges. The bad apples also mean new restrictions — effective immediately — to cope with COVID’s increasing local numbers. They have forced Muskoka Algonquin Healthcare to revise its visiting requirements “to keep […]

Mark Clairmont | MuskokaTODAY.com PARRY SOUND-MUSKOKA — COVID’s cost in lives lost and families affected is filtering down to governments and NGOs coping with extra expenses. To help, today MPP Norman Miller announced on behalf of the government $407,600 in additional social services relief funding for Parry Sound and Muskoka. The District of Muskoka will receive […]

Mark Clairmont | MuskokaTODAY.com SIMCOE-MUSKOKA — An interesting fallout from today’s announcement about moving to a red zone is that it could help expedite the vaccine distribution locally to front-line health care workers — a day before its rollout in Toronto and Ottawa. That’s according to the province this afternoon. It says in a release […]

GRAVENHURST — In an unprecedented year where residents are suffering, council has opted to spend more money on Wharf tourism, a new arerial fire truck, newer trucks, the Opera House and bailing out the YMCA as it prepares to reopen next month. Most of that will be achieved through reserves and internal borrowing — to […]

Mark Clairmont | MuskokaTODAY.com SIMCOE-MUSKOKA — As predicted, another 37 Simcoe COVID cases today puts Simcoe and Muskoka into the red zone Monday. That means new restrictions (below) for 28 days. The region joins York, Toronto and Peel, which head into lockdown the grey lockdown zone at the same time. Cases in York yesterday were […]

Mark Clairmont | MuskokaTODAY.com PORT CARLING — Millionaire’s Row has rich new neighbours — even by their standards. Princess Diana’s brother has reportedly bought a mansion on Lake Rosseau once listed at $8 million, says the National Post. Charles the Earl of Spencer and his Canadian wife Karen Gordon, an Edmonton “social entrepreneur,” also bought […]

HUNTSVILLE — Firefighters collected a ton of food for the needy in their annual drive. In fact it was 20 tons. The stage at the Algonquin Theatre — one of the drop-offs — was jam-packed for hours Dec. 2 as volunteers began sorting and sifting the bags and bags and boxes of food stuffs large […]

Mark Clairmont | MuskokaTODAY.com GRAVENHURST — Hard-hit business owners have a sense of humour. They miss the walk-in Christmas customers they had last year as BIAs aren’t bustling with busy shoppers scurrying about with bundles of parcels under their arms. And Santa hasn’t been seen driving his reindeer down main drags greeting gaggles of giggling […]

Mark Clairmont | MuskokaTODAY.com SIMCOE-MUSKOKA — The local cases are down locally, but have hit a record provincially today. While Simcoe had 36 new corona reports (none in Muskoka) Ontario saw 1,983 people test positive, with 35 people dying. That includes 515 in Peel, 496 in Toronto and 208 in York Region. Quebec says it […]

MUSKOKA LAKES — A fatal watercraft accident this summer has led to serious charges yesterday against a Muskoka Lakes Township man. Provincial police said Wednesday Dec. 9 that Charles McNair, 58, was charged with Dangerous Operation Causing Death CC 320.13(3). The OPP say that after a five-month investigation involving the Provincial Traffic Operations unit, they […]

Mark Clairmont | MuskokaTODAY.com MUSKOKA — Three paramedics are self-isolating after one of them tested positive for COVID-19. The District of Muskoka said in a release late this afternoon that the paramedic is recovering at home with symptoms and is self-isolating for a 14-day period. They say that at this time, the case is believed […]

Mark Clairmont | MuskokaTODAY.com MUSKOKA — As COVID cases look to skyrocket over Christmas, Muskoka’s top health official says there are “likely” more cases in the district than we know. Eighty-five per cent of the region’s coronavirus cases the past two days are under investigation by the health unit as to their cause. That’s 14 […]

Mark Clairmont | MuskokaTODAY.com SIMCOE-MUSKOKA — As Canada today approved a Pfizer vaccine to begin distribution possibly next week, local cases jumped to 61. They include another man and woman from Gravenhurst and Muskoka Lakes, respectively. The man, aged 35-64, contracted it through close contact; and the woman, who is between ages of 45 and […]

Mark Clairmont | MuskokaTODAY.com A recent Rotary coat drive was an early Christmas gift for many. Muskoka service clubs collected and handed out hundreds of free winter covers through Fabricare, which cleaned and did the distribution at their cleaning centres in Gravenhurst, Bracebridge and Huntsville in late November. And while not all the adult parkas […]