Innisfil Friday Harbour | ?m | ?s | Geranium | a—A

[MisterF]

The Kawarthas are well developed, just not as much as Muskoka. The area from Rice Lake to Kingston has yet to be discovered though. The biggest exception is Warkworth, IMO, not for boating and cottages, but for its arts scene.

Speaking of Rice Lake, there's a mega-resort proposal there too.

Massive resort planned for Rice Lake

Jul 28, 2007 04:30 AM
Tracy Hanes
Toronto Star

BEWDLEY, ONT.–A resort that began as a simple fishing camp on Rice Lake in the 1940s is slated for a $300 million redevelopment into a deluxe, four-season facility with condo hotel units, full-ownership cottages and fractional ownership resort homes.

The plan for Golden Beach Resort, which sits on the south shore of the lake in Northumberland County, about a 90-minute drive east of Toronto, also calls for construction of an 18-hole golf course, a Victorian-inspired village with boutiques and cafes, a snow tubing hill and an equestrian centre.

Roger Chernuck Sr. and his wife, Louise, founded the 300-acre resort in 1948 and their daughters, Kelly Lang and Olga Chernuck, own it today. It currently has 300 seasonal trailer sites, 57 rental waterfront cottages, resort homes for sale, a restaurant, conference centre and 350-slip harbour.

Lang said the redevelopment plan, one of the largest of its kind in Ontario, was sparked by the need to adapt to the marketplace and respond to changing demographics. The redevelopment will echo a trend set by other Ontario resorts such as the Village at Blue Mountain and Red Leaves in Muskoka.

"The challenge for resorts is that people want enhanced, upgraded experiences and they want to be enlightened and inspired on vacation," said project development officer Max Le Marchant.

"There's never been a better time to develop resorts. The baby boomers will be an extremely significant factor in what we're doing. The first wave of boomers has caused prices in Muskoka and Collingwood to go off the map and that's just the leading edge. The main tidal wave is still to come."

The Golden Beach plan was developed with Sean Kelly of Stempski Kelly Associates Inc. of Guelph, one of the top resort planners in North America, who has been a consultant for resorts across North America, including several by Intrawest.

The redevelopment plan will take 10 to 15 years, says Le Marchant, with the first phase to be launched within the next 12 to 18 months, including condo hotel suites, full ownership seasonal cottages and fractional ownership resort homes.

Rice Lake, with its 20 oval-shaped islands, is a renowned fishing area and is the second largest lake on the Trent Severn system. It's named for the rice crop that used to grow there, which was harvested by Indians and early settlers.

 

[Mike in TO]

All these baby boomers with their live savings approaching retirement - this resort boom in Collingwood/Wasaga/Muskoka/Kawarthas may only just be the beginning.

 

[Mike in TO]

Big Bay Point Approved

From NRU:

OMB DISMISSES APPEALS
Big Bay Point Resort approved
By Mark Ostler

The final Ontario Municipal Board hearing of appeals in the Big Bay Point case has come to a close with the board dismissing the opposition of Nextnine Limited, 2025890 Ontario Inc. and Innisfil District Association Inc. and allowing Kimvar Enterprises Inc.’s proposed resort to be built on Lake Simcoe. The proposed development—modified as part of a set- tlement between Kimvar, the Town of Innisfil, Simcoe County, municipal affairs ministry and two residents groups—includes 2,000 hotel and condominium units, an 18-hole golf course, 86,000-sq.ft. of commercial space, a 54,000-sq.ft. conference centre, a 32,000-sq.ft. recreation facility, 300-seat theatre and a 1,000-slip marina. Central to the debate before the OMB was the defini- tion of the proposed development. The opponents of the project insisted that the proposal represents a settlement, which cannot be developed outside of an existing settle- ment area. The proposed development site is situated out- side of the town’s settlement area.

Alan McNair (McNair & Marshall, Planning & Development Consultants) speaking on behalf of the opponents, said that in his opinion the development is a settlement. However, if the board determined it to be a resort, a decision should await completion of the county’s growth management plan. McNair suggested that addi- tional analysis and studies should be undertaken because neither the county or town official plans provide for recre- ational resorts. He also noted that the Lake Simcoe Protection Act, which is expected to be introduced in the spring, could impact development on the lake, including the pro- posed resort. However, county planner Ian Bender testified that the county’s official plan recognizes that some development will occur outside of the settlement area and that the pro- posal is consistent with the official plan.

James Bennett (Marshall Macklin Monaghan Limited) provided planning evidence on behalf of the town. Bennett testified that though transit is not required for the resort, the Yonge Street GO Transit bus and the recent resumption of GO train service to Barrie suggests shuttle service from the resort to nearby stops could provide a transit link. He also noted that adequate road capacity exists to accommodate traffic to and from the resort. Bennett further testified that the Greenbelt Plan provides for the development of resorts on the shore of Lake Simcoe. Ultimately, after a lengthy hear- ing process, the board decided that the development is a resort and approval is not prema- ture; and it allowed the proposed official plan and zoning by-law amendments and the draft plan of subdivision. The board also agreed with the environmental impact study, which showed no negative environmental impact arising from the development.

“The clients are very disappointed, but the outcome is not unexpected,†David Donnelly (GILBERT’S), coun- sel for Nextnine, 2025890 Ontario Inc. and Innisfil District Association told NRU. Though they participated in the discussions, Nextnine, 2025890 Ontario Inc. and Innisfil District Association did not sign on to the settlement and proceeded with their appeals against the proposed resort.

“The board mentioned in its decision that we produced no alternative development proposal,†Donnelly said. “But we took a principled stand in this hearing that there is no criteria whatsoever…for assessing or even defining a resort versus an urban settlement.â€

“The opponents were against the whole of the project and told the board to turn it down completely,†Michael Melling (Davies Howe), counsel for Kimvar, told NRU. “Our clients and the government were ultimately success- ful in all respects at the OMB. Our clients are very happy.â€

“At the end of the day I think everybody was disappoint- ed with the quality of the evidence that those in opposition brought, because they didn’t come forward and prove any negative impacts as a result of the development,†said Ira Kagan (Kagan, Shastri) in an interview with NRU.

“They just questioned whether or not all of the work that was going to be done should have been done up front.†Kagan repre- sented the Sandycove Acres Home Owners Association and The Residents of Innisfil Association—both organi- zations had agreed to the settlement. Lawsuits against several opponents of the development are currently pending, as is a judicial review application by the Huron-Wendat First Nation, which seeks to quash the settlement based on the fact that no notification of, or con- sultation with First Nations took place. “We hope that the bord’s decision will be the final deci- sion,†Melling said.

 

[waterloowarrior]

http://www.fridayharbour.com/

 

[ProjectEnd]

aA hits the countryside for some r&R. Looks good!

 

[gristle]

But it still manages to have that regimented suburban subdivision quality to it.

 

[urbandreamer]

How did I manage to get hold of the renderings 1.5 months ago? It was 13 August 2012 RenderPornStar. Weird.

It is my favourite aA design to date and believe it is what Peter Clewes really wants to do but couldn't so far due to demand from the condo investor biz. It really reminds me of those minimalistic Amish & Mennonite meeting houses one finds in Waterloo County or Lancaster County Pennsylvannia etc. It also is like a new twist on Waterloo "Mennonite" villages like Linwood, Wellesley etc.

I am not Mennonite btw--just familiar with their architecture as I happen to be a fan of the plain peoples' simple lifestyle.

 

[Youranthony1]

Aerial footage of Friday Harbour:

 

[Jasonzed]

 

[innsertnamehere]

looks great - but I do wonder how the retail will do here. It doesn't seem like it will have the densities needed, at least at first until more of it can be built out.

The quality of construction and architectural design is incredible though.

 

[Jasonzed]

 

[Jasonzed]

looks great - but I do wonder how the retail will do here. It doesn't seem like it will have the densities needed, at least at first until more of it can be built out.

The quality of construction and architectural design is incredible though.

A lot of the boats that were there were from people who came from elsewhere. It's a cool place to go even if you don't live in the complex.

 

[jje1000]

This is probably the closest people around here are going to get to a Low-Countries style of aquatic canal living (barring houseboats).

Very well-finished, though I wished the urban grain was just a little more varied and compact.

 

[UrbanAffair]

This whole development is such a turn off to me. It feels like a suburbification or Floridafication of the countryside. I think, and I'm generalizing, that people who purchase here thinking cottage life, are totally missing the point of cottaging. But hey, that is just me, everyone's complex, and everyone sees things differently. I simply don't see how this would be relaxing to anyone trying to escape the city. I can already hear the constant hum of jet skis. Then again, maybe people buying here are thinking, this is the primary home, and they will have cottages in rural areas?

 

[Edward Skira]

I would take this over a cottage any day. A cottage can be a lot of work.

This is no different than something like Blue Mountain Village. A mini resort.