A $75,000 consultation process on the Muskoka Heritage Place is now underway. Last night, Lord Cultural Resources, the consultation company, was at the Summit Centre to hear input from the community about the future of the village.
Some of the ideas from the public include having a Nuit Blanche type night, a winter solstice event, and creating programming for schools. A recurring theme throughout the night was the importance of drawing in the youth.
Huntsville’s Community Services Director, Kari Lambe says all of the ideas have merit, but it’s about which ones are actionable, and can be implemented and sustained over time. She notes the meeting showed a lot of how the village has changed over the years, and how the town can get back to what it was and what it means for the community.
Lord Cultural Resources is now going to look at all of the input from last night, and from their meetings with community stakeholders and town council. Lambe says from there, they’ll come back with business plans attached to the most feasible ideas. That report will look at the financial impact of implementing those plans.
The Ontario Trillium Foundation is paying for the consultation part of the project, and Lambe says once a model has been decided on, the town can apply for more funding. Lord is expected back in the new year with an interim report.