District of Muskoka outlines the progress they’re making with their Strategic Plan
The District of Muskoka outlined the progress they’re making with their Strategic Plan, in the February 24, 2025, Huntsville Council meeting.
According to the District report, they’ve completed 7% or 6 actions, 80% or 65 actions are in progress, and 12% or 10 actions will begin this year.
In his overview, District Chair, Jeff Lehman, said that priority items are environment, team, services, and community.
He reported that 14 actions are in progress in environment, 10 in team, 18 in services, and 23 in community.
Environmental actions include protection with climate strategies in place, shoreline revitalization, increasing resiliency of District facilities, public engagement, emergency preparedness, including 1800 people added to their Voyant Alert app that provides emergency notifications and the GeoHUB to assist residents using floodplain mapping for floodproofing their home.
Community actions include housing, which Lehman said is a “top priority” for the District. He indicated that 88 units are completed or in progress, they provide rent support to 200 households, have new social housing on Pine Street, and have extended childcare workers at Fairvern, with the goal of increasing the current 181 to 373.
According to his report, further community plans include a “$35 million investment over 5 years” on housing.
He said they’ve also expanded paramedics, including the paramedicine program that provides remote assistance through home visits, a new ambulance for the Township of Dwight, and a new response unit in McTier.
His report indicates that the goal is to expand paramedic coverage in east and west areas of Muskoka “to address rising call volumes.”
Service delivery actions include implementation of 109 improvements, such as better communication to the public about District initiatives. Lehman said their social media engagement has increased by 30%.
He added that they also connect people to supports. For instance, their Volunteer Income Tax program helps low-income residents file their tax returns. He said people won’t get their benefits if they don’t file their taxes.
Team efforts include workforce retention, innovation, like using their internal “think tank” for new ideas, supporting the Community Land Trust, and building on collaborations, such as the Muskoka Housing Task Force, Muskoka Homelessness Sharing Table, and Pedagogy of Care Child Care Conference.
Mayor, Nancy Alcock, suggested that some of the District initiatives may be “more extensive or complex” than others.
Lehman advised that areas such as social services, economic development, and housing have grown. He said the challenges can be complicated, so, “partnerships can help tackle issues.”
Councillor, Helena Renwick, inquired about the progress of the Demand Responsive Transportation initiative.
Lehman advised the new program started two years ago and allows people to call and schedule a ride to the curb or door. They are currently piloting the program in Gravenhurst, and the success of it will depend on strong ridership numbers.
Councillor, Scott Morrison, touched on the District’s new clear bag program, debunking the common belief that most recycling doesn’t get processed. He said he’s been to the facilities, and the process saves money which the municipality can use for other initiatives.
Lehman concurred, “Yes, stuff does get recycled and composted.” He warned that it can be costly to try and open another landfill site or to truck garbage elsewhere.
He added that using the green bin for organic waste can also lead to savings. He said, “It can save 10s of millions or more… Clear bags works. It’s effective and saves a ton of money and is right to do for our kids.”
He also highlighted that Muskoka’s tax rate of 4.4% is currently comparable to other regional municipalities, such as York at 4.55%, Peel at 5.5%, Halton at 6.2%, Durham at 7.4%, and Waterloo at 9.5%.
