Latest news with #Muskoka
CTV News
a day ago
- General
- CTV News
Serious two-vehicle Muskoka crash sends motorcyclist to GTA hospital
Provincial police were called to a crash on Muskoka Road 10 west of Brunel Road at 1:10 p.m. Sunday where a motorcycle and another vehicle had collided. Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) closed Muskoka Road 10 for several hours as the OPP's Technical Collision Investigation unit investigated the crash. Huntsville firefighters and paramedics assisted the driver of the motorcycle, who was transported to a Toronto trauma centre with life-threatening injuries. Police say there are no updates on the injuries of the motorcycle driver as of Monday morning.
CTV News
3 days ago
- Business
- CTV News
EV charging network set to double in Muskoka
Lakeland EV Charging, the operator of electric vehicle (EV) charging stations across Muskoka, Parry Sound, and central Ontario, announced on Saturday that they will be doubling their EV charging network by the end of next year. In a news release, Lakeland EV Charging confirmed that 17 new charging stations will be added across central Ontario, bringing their total to 33 by the fall of 2026. The operator reports that the expansion will add 50 new chargers, including 26 dual-port DC fast chargers (DCFC) at 180 kilowatts, translating to 100 kilometres worth of charge in ten minutes on average. The initiative is being supported by local, federal and provincial partners, notably, Bracebridge Generation Ltd., Ontario's EV ChargeON program, and Natural Resources Canada's (NRCan). 'The Government of Canada is ensuring that Canadians have reliable and readily available charging options, wherever they go,' said Tim Hodgson, federal minister of energy and natural resources, in the news release. 'We are pleased to invest in building EV charging stations for drivers in Ontario and across Canada as they explore our great country,' 'Increasing access to EV chargers outside large urban centres fills gaps in local charging infrastructure and reduces range anxiety,' added Prabmeet Sarkaria, Ontario's transport minister. 'Through the EV ChargeON Community Sites Stream Program, our government has approved 270 projects to date, including this one by Lakeland EV Charging, demonstrating our commitment to protect Ontario by transforming the province into a global clean energy superpower.' The expansion also includes a partnership with ChargeHub, an app operator that connects EV drivers to charging stations. 'Now people can thoroughly enjoy exploring this beautiful part of Ontario we call home in the perfect way, with their EV's,' said Peter Ewald, director of Lakeland EV Charging. 'Now EV drivers can confidently make their summer travel plans to the Muskoka/Parry Sound area, and next year, more broadly throughout central Ontario, knowing they can count on fast, reliable, and easy-to-locate charging.' The Lakeland EV Charging app can be downloaded from the Apple Store or Google Play.
CTV News
3 days ago
- General
- CTV News
Locals help police stop two allegedly impaired drivers in Muskoka
Provincial police report that two allegedly impaired drivers were arrested and charged in the Bracebridge area over the past week thanks to tips from the public. According to Bracebridge OPP, the first incident happened last Friday at around 3 p.m., when officers received concerning reports from a southbound driver on Highway 11 about the behaviour of another vehicle. Police say officers later caught the suspect vehicle and arrested the driver. The 34-year-old Barrie woman was charged with operation while impaired, operation with a blood alcohol concentration exceeding 80 milligrams per 100 millilitres (over 80), and operation while prohibited. The next day at around 7 p.m., Bracebridge OPP reports that they received another complaint from a Highway 11 driver, this time, one who was heading north. Police say officers found and stopped a suspect vehicle shortly thereafter while it was travelling south on Highway 11. The driver, a 38-year-old Bracebridge woman, was arrested and charged with operation while impaired, over 80, and dangerous driving. Both accused drivers are scheduled for Bracebridge court dates in June to answer to their charges. 'Impaired driving continues to be a significant factor impacting the safety of Muskoka roads,' stated a Bracebridge OPP media officer in a news release. 'If you are concerned that someone is driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, please call 911 to notify police.'
CBC
5 days ago
- General
- CBC
Crown grills Toronto councillor over alleged sexual assault at Muskoka cottage
Social Sharing WARNING: This article contains graphic descriptions of an alleged sexual assault. During cross-examination in his sexual assault trial Thursday, Toronto councillor Michael Thompson was grilled by a Crown attorney who suggested he'd forced himself on a woman in 2022, despite his previous testimony the encounter was consensual. The former deputy mayor is facing two charges of sexual assault for alleged incidents involving two women at a Muskoka cottage over the Canada Day weekend in 2022. Their identities are protected by a court-ordered publication ban. One woman has alleged Thompson touched her inappropriately while applying sunscreen, which Thompson denied in court earlier this month, while the second woman has alleged he forced himself on her in the middle of the night. Thompson has pleaded not guilty to both charges in the judge-alone trial, which continued in Barrie Thursday. Thompson first took to the witness box earlier this month, where he testified that a sexual encounter had happened with the second woman, but she had initiated it and it was consensual, a claim he maintained Thursday. WATCH | Coun. Thompson takes stand for first time to testify in trial: Toronto city councillor Michael Thompson takes the stand in his sexual assault trial 23 days ago Duration 2:30 He said the complainant had spent much of that day touching him and flirting with him, and at one point suggested they get together when the other two women at the cottage that weekend — the other complainant and a witness in the trial — went to bed. Thompson said Thursday he went to bed early, but was woken by the second complainant around 3 a.m. He alleged she was fully naked and asked him to have a drink in the kitchen. He said he followed her out and sipped tequila with her before following her down to a basement room where she performed oral sex on him. Crown suggests things went differently On Thursday Crown attorney Mareike Newhouse pushed back against Thompson's testimony, putting the prosecution's theory of events to him directly. "I'm going to suggest to you that what actually happened in the early hours of the morning is entirely different than what you've described," Newhouse said, suggesting he was already awake, not awoken by the complainant. "I'm going to suggest that you actually went looking for the women in the middle of the night," Newhouse said. "No," Thompson replied. "I'm going to suggest that the woman you found was [the second complainant]," she said. "No," he responded. "I'm going to suggest you took her to the basement." "No." "By the time you got to her room you were all over her physically and she told you no." "No, that was never said." "I'm going to suggest it was said multiple times by her to you." "Absolutely not, that was never done." Newhouse completed the Crown's cross-examination of Thompson Thursday. The trial is set to resume with Thompson's re-examination by his lawyer on June 23. Woman's previous testimony contradicts Thompson Newhouse's suggestions aligned with what the court had previously heard from the complainant. Earlier this year, the woman testified that Thompson allegedly forced himself on her after a day of heavy drinking. The complainant said that Thompson woke her up in the middle of the night and took her to a downstairs bedroom. Once there, she said, he was "definitely trying to engage in something sexual," while standing close to her and touching her. The complainant said she told Thompson, "I don't want this." She said she laid down on a bed, still feeling the effects of alcohol from earlier in the day, at which point Thompson put his penis around her face and mouth and later ejaculated on her face and chest. She told the courtroom repeatedly she had not wanted sexual contact with Thompson, but felt she couldn't do anything. "I felt trapped," she said at the time. Thompson said Thursday that the woman put his penis in her mouth herself, and she appeared sober. Both complainants, and a third woman who was at the cottage that weekend and is a witness in the trial, have previously testified Thompson plied them with alcohol over the weekend, and the second complainant was very drunk when Thompson allegedly forced himself on her. The witness's identity is also protected by a publication ban.
Globe and Mail
6 days ago
- Business
- Globe and Mail
Hoping to cash out, a wave of retiring cottage owners face a buyer's market
For decades, Susan Van Norman's family cottage in Muskoka, Ont., was a cherished summer retreat. Her parents built the cottage in 1973, and it was later inherited by Ms. Van Norman and her sister, Christine Ransom. It has been a gathering place for their three kids and seven grandchildren, who have spent long summer days fishing off the dock and have etched each person's height and age on a measuring stick in the small kitchen. But at 71, Ms. Van Norman is retired and no longer able to shoulder the burden of maintaining it. The next generation isn't in a position to take it on either. After a harsh winter made the upkeep feel especially daunting, she and her sister decided it was time to let the property go. May brings a chance to reset in Ontario cottage market Ms. Van Norman plans to list the property within the next month, hoping for $800,000 to $850,000, but she's anticipating she may need to drop the price closer to $750,000 to make a sale before the season ends in October. Ms. Van Norman is part of a wave of retirees looking to off-load recreational properties, but they're running headlong into a challenging market for sellers. At this point last year, would-be cottage sellers were optimistic about the 2025 selling season. Inflation was easing, interest rates were dropping and there were expectations that consumer confidence would bounce back. But economic headwinds, including Canada-U.S. trade tensions and a federal election at home, have meant that the Canadian housing market, which was poised for a comeback, has stalled. It's no different for the recreational property market, which got hit by a spring ice storm that delayed the traditional start of the selling season in Ontario. These factors have injected a fresh dose of uncertainty for potential buyers. 'We're two months behind in sales,' said Anita Latner, a broker with Anita Latner Realty in Muskoka. 'If you're buying a cottage, it's definitely a buyer's market.' Since the beginning of May, inventory has surged in the Ontario cottage market. In southern Georgian Bay, realtor Mike Kearns said, 'supply is now outstripping demand in nearly every micromarket.' On Ms. Van Norman's Street alone, two cottages are already up for sale. John O'Rourke, owner of Royal LePage Lakes of Muskoka Realty, said that while listings in the region have reached a 10-year high, sales are down 50 per cent from the same time last year. Retirees are one of the primary drivers of the recent recreational market activity, according to Re/Max, which reported this month that the segment is fuelling recreational market activity in 70 per cent of regions surveyed. The survey also found that 17 per cent of cottage owners planning to sell in the next one to two years are doing so because their children aren't interested in taking over. Another 17 per cent are planning to sell as part of an estate decision. This generational shift is expected to trigger a significant transfer of recreational property wealth – and could free up more cottage inventory that might, over time, improve affordability for younger buyers. But in the short term, the influx of listings is intensifying competition among sellers, forcing many to adjust their pricing expectations. 'You have to price strategically enough that you have a stronger value proposition than your competition,' said Mr. Kearns. 'Buyers who are out shopping right now are looking for deals.' Affordability remains top of mind for cottage buyers: 57 per cent of those surveyed by Re/Max cited a reasonable purchase price as a must-have, while 35 per cent pointed to manageable maintenance costs. Some retirees are weighing whether to wait for conditions to improve before selling, realtors say. But holding out comes with its own risks. 'They have to consider the carrying costs of the cottage for another year,' Mr. O'Rourke said. 'Maybe you get 5 or 10 per cent more if you wait, but that could easily be eaten away by maintenance, insurance and general upkeep.' That's why realtors say preparation is more critical than ever for those looking to sell. Recreational properties that are clean, staged, freshly painted and professionally photographed – including aerial footage – have the best shot at attracting serious offers in a tepid market. Ms. Van Norman isn't holding her breath for a better deal next year. Her goal is simple: to sell and close the chapter on a home that has meant so much to her family. She understands the cottage market isn't in her favour, but for her, waiting isn't worth it. 'It's time for it to go,' she said.
