New condo project has been a labour of love for developer

It’s an engineering feat and developer Ed Wiebe is excited. 

You can sense it in his voice when he talks about his new condominium project on Brunel Road adjacent to the North Branch of the Muskoka River.

Wiebe is right when he says it’s an amazing location with great views of the river bend, and within walking distance to the downtown and the Algonquin Theatre. It is also close to the Canada Summit Centre which includes a walking track, fitness centre, double rink, and a swimming pool. Conroy Park is just stones throw to the south and includes tennis courts, a soccer field and track. 

While some see it as an engineering work of art, others have maligned its proximity to the river, but Wiebe says he’s not worried. The fact of the matter says Wiebe is that he’s delivering 15 more much-needed housing units that are desperately required to accommodate the extreme housing shortage. Huntsville is a sought-after attractive destination with proximity to Algonquin and Arrowhead provincial parks. 

His plan involves a three-storey, 15-unit, condominium building on a serviced lot with an estimated .14 hectares of developable land along 73.7m (242 feet) of frontage on the Muskoka River. There are few properties in Huntsville in the urban area with this much water frontage, making it attractive and a unique place to live. Two of the most popular destinations in Huntsville are the Lions Lookout and the Portage Flyer just a short distance from this location. 

The building will be located almost at the edge of the river and all the apartments will be above sea level as well as all doors and window openings. The building is indestructible, notes Wiebe, referring to 160 Heli-Coils drilled deep into the earth that form part of its 48cm concrete slab with a double row of 20mm rebar spaced at 40cm on centre.

Twenty-nine trucks are scheduled to pour the thick slab of cement over the foundation, and a drainage system that includes five underground holding tanks with high-flow pumps which been put in place to drain any water through the weeping tiles.

It’s solid, and not going anywhere, adds Wiebe who has been patiently waiting to execute a project which was approved and has been sitting on the books for more than ten years. That’s because the numbers didn’t make sense, says Wiebe. Since the Condo is located 9.1m from the water’s edge, making it prohibitively expensive, as an example the cost to build the foundation alone, including the Heli- Coils, was $673,000. But with the market rate increases over the last two years, the 15-unit project is now feasible. 

He sourced local materials as much as possible and created countless jobs for locals in the community. It’s been challenging with the cost of inflation and labour shortages but it’s a project that is well underway and scheduled for completion next year, says Wiebe.

“It’s going to be beautiful,” he adds, all suites face the water, with a 426m (1,400 feet) river view at the river bend, towards the Lions Lookout, one – two – and three-bedroom condominiums will be available. It has a flat roof and common areas include exterior parking, a lobby, and an elevator. The units have 2.7m (9’) plus ceilings, living and dining room areas, kitchens, bathrooms, bedrooms, and a fireplace. It is intended that there will be exclusive use areas for the underground parking and boat slips as well, according to Wiebe.

The boat slips will allow access to Huntsville’s four lakes system: Lake Vernon, Fairy Lake, Peninsula Lake, and Mary Lake, while at the same time allowing convenient access to all the recreational, commercial, and social amenities that are within walking distance. He said it will truly be an urban jewel that will make a fantastic location for those choosing to make Huntsville their home. 

You can find out more about the project, here.

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