Fire on the Ice

By Andrew Wagner-Chazalon

He worked slowly and carefully, keenly aware of his danger. Gradually, as the flame grew stronger, he increased the size of the twigs with which he fed it. He squatted in the snow, pulling the twigs out from their entanglement in the brush and feeding directly to the flame. He knew there must be no failure.

Jack London, To Build A Fire

In Jack London’s 1908 story, an unnamed man is hiking through the Yukon bush alone when he falls through the ice and soaks his feet. It’s 75 degrees below zero, and he knows he has to build a fire or die…

What happens next?

Birdie Num-Nums

Winter has gone to the birds

By Kristen Hamilton

Winter can sometimes be long and dreary, but learning how to attract birds to your backyard can add some excitement and make for a great hobby to keep you busy this winter.

Feeding the birds is been something I’ve done since I was a little kid. It’s wonderful to watch them swoop from feeder to tree and back to the feeder. By providing the birds with food, water and shelter, you are bound to attract many lovely species…

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Fish Wish

A sport for all seasons. Tommy Waldock on Pen Lake.

By Pamela Steel

Huntsville’s Tommy Waldock is a fisherman. Four seasons, he can be found out on the lakes of Muskoka.

He’s hooked.

And he has a dream. The 24-year-old has founded his own charity, Shots for Kids; an ecologically minded outdoor education business, Hooked Young; and he dreams of opening a world-class aquarium in Huntsville some day.

“My cousin is an engineer and we are working with some architects to help design a state-of-the-art educational facility,” he says. “To be built in the Huntsville area, the aquarium will cater to educational studies, class trips, supporting companies with green initiatives, and the public at large. The focus is to promote environmental education and practice looking towards a brighter, greener future.”…

More about Tommy

Stormy Weather

Local weatherman Harry Brown remembers Muskoka's stormiest seasons.

Story and photo by Gillian Brunette

When Huntsville and area residents awoke on the morning of Dec. 11 last year, they might well have believed they’d been transported to the North Pole overnight.

As people slept, a huge snowstorm blasted its way across the region. By 7:30 a.m., Huntsville’s mayor reported more than 50 cm (1.64 feet) of snow had fallen and residents of Ontario’s cottage country were being told to stay home amid predictions that a massive snowstorm could dump as much as 80 centimetres of snow in some areas.

It took days before the area returned to normal…

How did they survive?

The Stars of Pine Lake

A digital yearbook keeps one family warm in winter months. Photo by Joe Virball.

By Sarah Ryeland

You’ve seen it a million times in the media. Stars being followed around by the paparazzi, hounded by adoring fans and blinded by flashbulbs. We don’t really feel sorry for them – they know what they signed up for and they’re usually happy to see the pictures when they come out. Besides, if they didn’t spend their time in high-profile locations, they wouldn’t be in this position, right?

We don’t usually think of Muskoka being a place where celebrities worry about cameras in their faces, but for certain cottagers near Gravenhurst, it’s part of daily life…

Who are the stars of Pine Lake?

A New Way to Ski

Photo by Louise Choquette

By Alison Brownlee

You love to ski and you love to skate, so why should you have to choose between the two? Thankfully, you don’t.

Skate skiing has taken the amateur and professional worlds of Nordic skiing by storm. The winter sport combines the snowy trail travel of cross-country skiing with the leg movements of skating to create a fast-paced, exhilarating experience for people of all ages.

“It’s fun, it’s fast and it’s different,” says Peter Briand, park superintendent at Arrowhead Provincial Park. “If you do get the technique right and you realize you can actually skate up a hill, it’s pretty cool.”…

Learn more

Music Maker

Having a good ear for acousitcs is only the first step. Jennings combines his musical talent with a gift for woodworking and craftsmanship to create and restore guitars.

Turning broken into beautiful

Story and photo by Sarah Ryeland

Have you ever listened to a piece of wood?

Of course you have. You’ve heard beautiful music from guitars, banjos, violins, and maybe even a cello or two. But have you ever picked up a simple piece of wood and tapped it just so, dropping it on the floor to hear the sound living inside?

Rod Jennings does it every day.

Jennings is a luthier – a maker of stringed, wooden instruments. He chooses the finest wood and takes the utmost care with his creations, earning himself a stellar reputation in the process…

How does he do it?

Winter Trails

Find a trail and get outside this winter

By Andrew Wagner-Chazalon

From spring to fall, the trails of Muskoka Lakes can be busy spots. The crowds vanish when winter arrives, but the trails remain where they always were. Just because the weather has cooled and there’s snow on the ground, doesn’t mean you have to stay inside.

An hour or an afternoon spent hiking, snowshoeing or skiing any of these trails can be a terrific way to get some much-needed winter exercise. Top it off with a drink or a meal at one of the many restaurants in the area, and you’ve got the makings of a perfect mini getaway. If you have a particular after-spot in mind, though, be sure to call ahead: many restaurants close their doors for all or part of the winter season, and most of the rest adjust their hours…

Find some trails

Skol! Salud! Cheers!

A toast to holiday spirits

By Andrew Hind

Wine is an important part of holiday festivities. We toast with it for good health, savour its taste while curled up in the warmth of fireplace, give bottles of fine vintages as thoughtful gifts, and wash down the turkey dinner with a glass or two. Wine adds a festive touch to any celebration.

But as any wine connoisseur will tell you, there’s a different wine for every occasion. How do you know what type to serve over dessert, or which best compliments the main course of your Christmas feast? With the dizzying array of wines available on the market today, picking the right one can be a confusing task. And with so much fuss over holiday details, who needs to stress about wine?

So, with the help of local wine experts, we’ll simplify things for you…

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Saving Man’s Best Friend

Sharron Purdy cuddles one of the many puppies she has rescued. Photo by Don MacTavish.

A Bracebridge family gives northern dogs loving homes

By Tamara de la Vega

Retirement didn’t keep Sharron Purdy and her husband Paul still for very long. After retirement, Sharron became involved with the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) and started volunteering for the organization when she met Toby, a mixed-breed dog that would undoubtedly change the Purdys’ lives.

They were asked to give Toby a temporary home until a foster family could be found…

More about the rescued puppies