If approved during 2019 budget discussions, local residents will be able to visit Muskoka Heritage Place (MHP) for free. The move is part of a new master plan for the attraction.
Town staff presented an updated fee schedule to Huntsville’s General Committee on November 22. Muskoka Museum would be free to access year-round for all visitors, the train museum and Portage Flyer would continue to have an admission fee for all visitors, and the pioneer village would have two different admission periods—from Victoria Day through Thanksgiving, visitors would pay an admission fee while local year-round and seasonal residents would gain free entry, and for the remainder of the year the village would be a free-admission public park for all.
If the fee schedule is approved during budget deliberations, it would be implemented in time for the 2019 season, said the Town’s Director of Community Services, Kari Lambe. (See the full proposed fee schedule here.)
The draft Muskoka Heritage Place master plan, which was presented to General Committee in August, includes other recommendations like a name change to Muskoka Heritage Park, a new pavilion for programming and special events, and development of trails for hiking and snowshoeing as well as a skating rink.
According to the master plan, by the time recommendations are fully implemented in 2025, assuming that they are approved by council, revenues would more than double from a budgeted $152,432 in 2018 to a projected $324,456 in 2025, despite the free admission proposed for residents.
Net operating costs would be higher over the implementation period of the plan, from a high of $431,479 in 2019 to $308,150 in 2025. The net operating cost for the 2018 budget was $252,356.
As part of the resolution presented to committee in August, staff were directed to submit grant applications to seek funding for implementation of the master plan.
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It will be always be Pioneer Village for me. What a hard working and friendly group of people that operate it. This is a great draw for tourists and I believe that the Town should direct more dollars towards it. Free admission for locals? Yes!!
Rob, locals could have a card that they would show on entering and it wouldn’t look any different to others as it could say one year membership or something similar. I am sure if the free to locals goes through we will have to show some sort of identifcation to show we are locals. It’s nice for locals to get break every now and then. This may eliminate non locals being upset. Good point.
Interesting. I like all the suggested changes and it would be nice for locals to enter for free as many or maybe all of the things in the buildings were donated by locals I know my grandparents donated plenty. It is always nice to visit the pioneer village.
I have always balked at paying admission when bringing paying visitors with me on this outing – this will mean I will encourage more visitors to join me this summer.
Thanks from a Huntsville taxpayer!!!
A great idea for free admission to locals. Many of us come from the history represented at the Village. We locals that are interested in our shared history also become informal, and informative, interpreters as well; very astute plan on the part of the Village administration!
I am very much in favour of the name change to “Muskoka Heritage Park”, and all the proposed changes; trails, rink, and pavilion. I am somewhat concerned, however, about the potential dichotomy in fees. Will our visitors from the States balk at the difference? Not likely: with their inflated dollar, it’s not a major change. I am concerned that our other source of visitors (The Six, the Niagara Peninsula, etc.) may take umbrage; not at the fees (which they can well afford), but at the preferential treatment of locals. Did anyone consider a straw poll to essay their opinions?