July 2024

Vol. 2, Edition 5

The Monthly Update

Welcome to The Monthly Update.

The monthly e-newsletter is a great way to stay informed about council decisions, programs, services, and other types of information relevant to the Town of Gravenhurst.

Click the button below and sign up to receive future editions in your e-mail inbox.

Message from the Mayor

Summer marches on.

And what a terrific summer it has been, so far.

We've had great community events take place, such as the weekly Gravenhurst Farmers' Market and the always impressive and fun Tall Pines Music and Arts Festival.

I want to thank all our event organizers for pulling together such fun experiences for people to enjoy in our community.

Keep an eye on our events calendar at Gravenhurst.ca for information about upcoming activities, including some great entertainment at the Gravenhurst Opera House. Additionally, TimberBeast Productions has some fun shows planned for at Muskoka Wharf. Again, see our online calendar for details.

We had another productive council meeting on July 16. At the meeting, council was pleased to recognize Grace Montross as this year's Gravenhurst High School Bursary recipient. We wish Grace all the best as she heads off to Sudbury this fall to study nursing.

Also at the meeting, council approved the continued use of BFL Canada as the town's insurer and provider of risk management services for the next five years. Best of all, BFL has reduced the town's premiums by 21 per cent.

You can learn more about our latest council meeting by reading Gravenhurst Council Highlights. The link to the highlights is available in our e-newsletter and on our website.

In other news, we were happy to host a Pride flag-raising at the municipal office on July 22 as part of Pride Week. It was nice to have representatives of Muskoka Pride on hand for the flag-raising. On behalf of council, I want to commend Muskoka Pride for all the work it does in our community. You can learn more about the organization at www.muskokapride.com.

Earlier in the month, it was exciting to celebrate the completion of the Rotary Rocks The Barge project. The new seating at Gull Lake Rotary Park is magnificent. As I noted in my remarks at the ribbon cutting, this new seating area will serve not just our community today, or tomorrow, or next year, but it will be a part of Gravenhurst for decades to come. Again, kudos to the Rotary Club for its vision. And I want to thank everyone who supported this project.

I look forward to updating you again next month.

Until then, please take care.

Heidi Lorenz,

Mayor. 

Rotary Rocks the Barge

Congratulations to the Rotary Club of Gravenhurst. On July 4, the community celebrated the completion of the club's new seating at Gull Lake Rotary Park. The project looks great. Mayor Heidi Lorenz and council members were happy to take part in the official ribbon cutting ceremony. Thanks to the Rotary Club for its vision and thank you to everyone in our great community who supported this project.

GHS Bursary winner

Congratulations to Grace Montross, this year's Gravenhurst High School Bursary recipient. On behalf of council, Mayor Heidi Lorenz officially awarded Montross with her $2,000 bursary and a certificate of recognition at the July 16 council meeting. The local resident is attending Sudbury's Laurentian University in the fall and will study nursing. Each year, graduating GHS students can apply for the town bursary. Watch the town's website and social media channels for an opportunity to apply next year.

Muskoka Pride Week

On July 22, we raised the Pride flag at town hall. Council members and Muskoka Pride representatives were on hand. Muskoka Pride Week is July 19-28.

Gravenhurst Council Highlights - July 16, 2024

Learn what happened at the latest meeting.

Planning Council - July 23, 2024

Planning Council met July 23.

Click the above image to watch the meeting and learn what happened.

See a problem? Let us know

If you see playground equipment or other forms of town infrastructure needing repair, please let us know so we can take the proper steps to address the issue.

Join our team!

We are hiring for a variety of positions.

Visit our website to learn more about these opportunities.

Fun on the water

Make a splash! Join the Town of Gravenhurst at Gull Lake Rotary Park Beach for a fun-filled day of people-powered water sports and other great beach fun. Sunday, Aug. 4. 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. FREE.

Join us and play cornhole, lawn bowling, bocce ball, and croquet! Ages 5+. Family backyard games. Mondays, 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. until Aug. 26. Gull Lake Rotary Park. FREE.

Animal Services

The Town of Gravenhurst is a pet-friendly community.

Our Animal Services team works to ensure the safety of people and pets in Gravenhurst.

For information about dog licensing, animal control services, and more see our website.

Visit our website to learn more.

Community Calendar

Looking for something to do in Gravenhurst?

Make our website your first stop for information.

Visit our calendar for great ideas.

Recreation

We have a variety of recreation options available in Gravenhurst.

In some instances, these opportunities are offered through the town and in other cases they are provided by various organizations.

Visit our website to learn more.

Opera House

Stay in touch with the Gravenhurst Opera House.

Built in 1901, the opera house is a focal point for great entertainment.

Check out the opera house website to learn more about upcoming performances.

Visit the opera house website.

Gravenhurst Public Library

The Gravenhurst Public Library is a great spot to access reading material, movies, programs, entertainment, and so much more.

Located at 180 Sharpe St. W., the library is open Monday to Saturday.

For hours and more information, visit the library website.

Planning and building

Looking for planning and building information?

We are here to help.

Visit our website to learn about the town's official plan, zoning bylaw, building permits, and much more.

Visit our website.

Gravenhurst Fire Department

The Gravenhurst Fire Department provides fire protection services for the community.

Please call 9-1-1 if the department's assistance is required in an emergency.

Read a message from the chief.

Visit our website to learn more about the department.

Council contact

Members of council are your representatives.

They are elected to a four-year council term.

Visit our website to learn more about council members and how you can reach them.

Meeting agenda information

Find meeting agendas at Gravenhurst.ca.

Visit our website to learn more.

You can also subscribe to receive notice when new agendas are available for review.

Subscribe to agendas.

Watch our meetings online

Did you know our council meetings are available on our YouTube channel?

By watching the meetings, you can hear council and staff discussion on a variety of topics and stay better informed about municipal business.

Visit our YouTube channel.

District of Muskoka

The District of Muskoka provides important services to our community.

Governing the district is a 23-member council.

To learn more about the district and what it does visit the district website. 

Ontario Provincial Police

Policing in Gravenhurst is provided by the Ontario Provincial Police.

If you require police assistance for an emergency, please dial 9-1-1.

For non-emergency matters, call the OPP at 1-888-310-1122.

Minor non-emergency matters can also be reported through the OPP website.

211 Ontario

211 Ontario is a free service that connects people to a variety of resources.

To reach 211 Ontario, simply dial 2-1-1 on your phone. 211 is also available by text and e-mail.

Learn more by visiting the 211 website.