While Collingwood is rich with beautiful scenery, fun shops and great recreational activities, we’ve also got a terrific arts scene. There are great theatre events located right in Collingwood, adding some culture to everything else there is to offer. These include everything from live theatre, music, film and lectures.

Simcoe Street Theatre

An intimate theatre featuring 100 seats, the Simcoe Street Theatre is located in the home of a former newspaper. They offer theatre events, live music, documentary screenings and it is also available for rent for artistic purposes. Some events coming up at the Simcoe Street Theatre include:

• RPR – folk/rock musicians
• A Celebration of Joni Mitchell
• Vertical Belles – a documentary film screening and live performance about aerial silks artistry
• The Wright Experience – live music

The Historic Gayety Theatre

This jewel of Collingwood features 350 seats in the Centre for the Performing Arts right on Collingwood’s main street. With a Victorian feel and art deco appearance, it still boasts the most modern and high-tech amenities needed for a theatre in 2016. These include air conditioning, ample sound system and fantastic theatrical lighting. The Historic Gayety Theatre hosts performing arts events, along with concerts, speakers, film presentations, plus is available for rent for weddings, parties, conferences and more. Some of their upcoming events include:

• The Collingwood Cinema Club hosting a variety of movies
• Beach Party Boys & The Daydream Believers – two great shows
• Wichita Lineman – playing the music of Glen Campbell

Theatre Collingwood

Not an actual theatre, but a theatre company, Theatre Collingwood produces live theatre in the Georgian Triangle, including performances at the Historic Gayety Theatre, among others. They’ve got some great stay and play or dine and play packages, which give you discounts off of your food or hotel with your ticket stub. Their education program includes a Young Actor’s Company for kids aged 9 – 13. Check out the Learn & Play Lecture Series where you can learn about costume design and other aspects of the theatre. If you are an avid theatre goer, you can get a great deal on tickets by going to all five of their upcoming plays for only $200. Upcoming events for Theatre Collingwood include:

• The Art of Costume Design in Film – lecture series
• A Very Motown Gala – dinner, dance and auctions
• Spin – a theatrical and musical experience
• Stag & Doe – theatrical experience

You don’t have to drive south to the city to experience great theatre. Collingwood’s got it all right here. Talk to us for more information.

With the recent ice and wind storms that hit Collingwood, many people lost power. This article will detail how to prevent this from happening again with tornado weather on its way.

We can all remember what we doing during the great blackout of 2003, where most in Ontario were without power for two days. Recent ice storms also knocked out power for many Ontario residents for days this spring. Have incidents like these prepared us more? There are many out there who aren’t sure how to prepare for power outages and this article will let you know how to do it.

Food

A power outage means two things for your food: you can’t cook it and you can’t keep it cool. This is probably the biggest problem during a power outage as you’ll want to eat and you don’t want to waste food. During a power outage, don’t keep opening the fridge or freezer, as food will stay cool for four hours in an unopened refrigerator and 24 hours in an unopened freezer. A digital response thermometer will tell you quickly if the internal temperature is cold enough for you to eat the food safely.

Always have canned and other packaged foods in your pantry for times like these. Canned tuna or oysters with crackers can be a filling dinner, great for times when you can’t cook. Bottles of water are important to have on hand too, as sometimes tap water is not safe to drink during power outages. The Red Cross suggests having one gallon per person, per day with a three-day supply of both food and water.

Light

Flashlights and candles are great things to have on hand during a power outage, but remember you’ll need fresh batteries and a lighter or matches to use them. Store both on each floor of your home, where you will be able to find them easily. The Red Cross actually suggests not using candles during a power outage as there is a risk of fire.

Heat

A power outage in the winter can be a real bummer! To avoid heat loss when you can’t turn on your heat, ensure your home is well-insulated beforehand. Stay in one room, where you can artificially insulate it by putting blankets on windows and doors. Be careful using outdoor appliances like grills for heating, as you increase the risk of fire and carbon monoxide poisoning. If you have a working BBQ, you can heat up items like bricks or bags of rice to keep under blankets with you for warming. Have extra blankets and these bags of rice on hand for when you need them.

The Little Things

Keep some spare cash in your home for times like these when debit machines will be down. As well, always make sure your vehicle has some gas in it, as gas stations won’t work during a power outage either. A charged extra battery or battery source for your cell phone or other devices is also a great item to keep on hand for times like these.

Generators

Many people went out and bought generators during the last large power outage. These are great for getting the heat to turn on for a bit, for animal cages that need to be kept at a good temperature, for your refrigerator and also for your sump pump. Spending the night without power bailing out your basement is not a great scenario and a generator can be a very helpful tool to ensure your basement doesn’t get flooded. You’ll have to consider your budget and what exactly you’ll want the generator for before buying one.

More and more coyotes are encroaching on people’s land in Collingwood and this article will detail how to keep them away from you, your pets and your garbage.

With spring here, we see more and more animals coming out of the woodworks and possibly encroaching on your yard. While coyotes are active all year, they become much more active in the spring when the babies are born. While we do need to live in harmony with these animals, there are ways you can protect your yard and your pets.

Human Attacks

Humans don’t need to worry as much as true coyote attacks are rare and there have been very few fatalities resulting from coyote attacks. In fact, there have been no incidents of coyotes attacking humans in Ontario at all. What coyotes are after is small prey like your small dog or cat, so you’ll need to be extra vigilant in protecting them.

Protecting your Pet

The biggest threat to your pet’s well-being is by being left alone outside in an area frequented by coyotes. Outdoor cats have been known to not make it back home after being successfully stalked and killed by coyotes. You’ll probably know it too as coyotes are very vocal when they’ve captured prey and cats are very vocal when attacked. Your best line of defense is to not let your cat be free to roam outdoors, especially at night. For your dog, always ensure your backyard doesn’t have anyone lurking about before letting them out (this will protect them against skunks too!). When you are going for walks, ensure your dog is leashed, as some dogs upon seeing a coyote may rush after it, setting itself up for a nasty attack. This is especially true in the spring and late winter when coyotes are protecting their babies and will attack upon feeling threatened by your dog.

Fences

Fences will help to keep coyotes out of your yard, but they have to be large and sturdy. The fence itself should be six feet tall and go into the ground at least six inches. Coyote rollers can help, but they are super expensive. Take a look around your property regularly to ensure no one has been digging underneath your fence and make sure all gates are kept closed, especially at night.

Garbage

Coyotes are opportunistic eaters and will eat most small animals like mice, groundhogs and rabbits, but they also won’t pass up your tasty leftovers. To prevent coyotes from roaming your neighbourhood, keep all garbage inside where they can’t get to it. This will also help with other scavengers who don’t mind ripping open your garbage and strewing it across your lawn.

Lights & Noise

Protect your yard from any unwanted creature, including coyotes by using flashing sensor lights that will come on and scare the animal away if they happen to enter your yard. This is also great for scaring away thieves who might be trying to break into your home or vehicle. Noisemakers also work well to keep an animal away from your yard, so hang up that beautiful wind chime and feel some sense of protection from it.

Coyotes and other wildlife share our beautiful area with us and trapping or killing them is not the answer. These tips will help you live peacefully with these great animals.

The Municipal Cycling Infrastructure Program is going to gift Collingwood the funding to improve safety and enjoyment for cyclists in our region. I’ll detail how it will affect residents.

The Ontario Ministry of Transportation has developed a program to ensure better access to cycling and to improve and promote safety. The Ontario Municipal Cycling Infrastructure Program was developed to help the municipalities build and improve on cycling infrastructure. As well, the program was designed to provide economic benefits to the province in terms of jobs in building and repairing the infrastructure. The Town of Collingwood is going to receive $60,000 as part of this program.

The Town of Collingwood will be using the money to install 0.7 kilometres of a multi-use path that will connect to Millennium Park. This path will be a cycling and walking trail, making the park more accessible for all cyclists, including children and families, as well as expert cyclists.

South Georgian Bay already has 650km of cycling trails, which are great for all levels of cyclist from joy riding to speed cycling. There are even trails designed specifically to take you on a route where you can stop and enjoy some goodies along the way.

Cycling is an important part of the lifestyle in the Collingwood area, where not only locals partake regularly in leisurely rides and competitive races, but also many tourists make their way to our area from the GTA and further to enjoy the spectacular cycling available. These cycle tourists were found to have incomes in excess of $75,000 a year and cycling tourism actually contributes $104 million to the Canadian economy annually.

Cycle-friendly businesses are popping up all over, including in this region, where a poll found that 81% of respondents were interested in cycling here in the next two years. Businesses are installing bike storage and even repair, as well as are friendly to cyclists with all their gear, making Collingwood an extremely accessible place for cyclists of all types.

Collingwood’s Millennium Overlook Park is located at the most northern part of the Collingwood harbour and has fantastic views of Georgian Bay and the Niagara Escarpment. The park receives many tourists and locals throughout the year because of the beautiful landscapes and making it more accessible with a new cycling route will only grow its popularity. Once an active shipping and grain storage area, the beautifully landscaped walkways and gardens also incorporate learning opportunities about the history of the harbour, with granite plinths located throughout the park.

Collingwood’s new cycling trail, thanks to the province’s Municipal Cycling Infrastructure Program, will be a boom to the community, both in terms of new jobs, and an increase of tourists to the area, who will spend at local businesses. As well, residents will get to enjoy the newly-created cycling access to our wonderful Millennium Overlook Park.

While Collingwood is famously known for its perfect and abundant ski hills, it really is a four-season destination. Once the snow melts, there is an incredible bounty of things to do in this area.

Hiking

There are over 60km of hiking trails in Collingwood, with new trails still opening. The town is removing old railway tracks to make room for new trails and the much anticipated Fit Trail will open this spring. The Fit Trail will comprise of a 1 km trail with 10 fitness stations made of wood and metal. If you love a lake-view hike, check out the Georgian Trail, which makes it way west from Collingwood’s Harbourview Park all the way to Meaford.

Go Climbing

Collingwood has a number of spots where you can get your feet off the ground and have an adventure. The Timber Challenge High Ropes is nestled 60 feet above the forest bed and has many suspension bridges, cargo nets, ladders and zip lines. If you want something a little less elevated, the Woodlot Low Ropes might just be more for you, with some of the same features, just closer to the ground. If you prefer to be inside, the Climber’s Corner offers lessons and equipment, as well as birthday parties for the whole family.

Visit the Shops and Restaurants

With almost 100 restaurants just in Collingwood and many more in the surrounding area, you are sure to pleasure your palette. Two of our restaurants have been featured on the tasty Food Network show “You Gotta Eat Here!” – Smoke and the Iron Skillet – and for good reason. Besides that, a walk downtown will bring you to a number of high-end shops where you can taste some delicious olive oils, visit the candy factory, or pick up a unique gift. Plus, the Collingwood Farmer’s Market, which opens again in May, is more of an artisan market than a place to just pick up your vegetables.

Golf

Put the skis away and take out the clubs. Collingwood and the surrounding area is known for fantastic golfing. With the top- ranked Georgian Bay Club overlooking the lake, the Blue Mountain Golf & Country Club right beside the mountain, plus Monterra, Cranberry and Osler, you’ve got your pick of some of Ontario’s best golf experiences.

Spring is a great time to experience all that Collingwood has to offer, without the rush of tourists that tend to flood the area in the peak times of summer and winter. Get out there and enjoy!

A seller’s market is emerging in South Georgian Bay with home sales happening faster and more frequently than seen since 2002. The first months of 2016 have proven to be a very strong start to the year in South Georgian Bay’s real estate market.

South Georgian Bay is seeing record highs in home sales in the area. With numbers that haven’t been seen in 14 years, 2016 is starting off on a definite high in the areas encompassing several communities along the southern shores of Georgian Bay. These include Collingwood, Thornbury, Wasaga Beach, Midland, Penetanguishine, Severn, Oro-Medonte, Tay, Tiny, Springwater, Clearview, Meaford, Grey Highlands and the township of Georgian Bay.

Record Setting

The Eastern region of South Georgian Bay is leading the way, with an almost 50% increase in home sales from last January and a whopping 70% increase over last February.

More records were set this February with more than 350 homes sold in January and February, the first time this many homes have been sold in the first two months of the year in the region. On top of this, February 2016 also marked the first time there were more than $50 million in sales in the region, when the value of all residential transactions totaled $77.5 million.

Decreased Supply

With sales going up, supply is inevitably also going down. There is an over 30% decrease in homes available for sale in South Georgian Bay over this time last year.

Kevin Woolham, President of the Southern Georgian Bay Association of Realtors has an optimistic outlook for the year ahead. “At this point 2016 looks like it might be even stronger than 2015 for residential property sales in the region, provided new listings can keep up with demand,” he says.

What Does this Mean for Buyers?

Sales are seeing record highs and the supply of homes has now fallen to record lows, which makes it a definite sellers market. Analysts say this means that prices will rise over the spring and summer months to meet the growing demand. Looking at past trends in the area, home prices have steadily risen, which means the time to buy is now, before prices increase even more. Also, with a market that isn’t saturated in homes, buyers will need to jump on homes they want to buy before they are snapped up by other buyers. Statistically speaking, buyers spend less time shopping in these types of market conditions.

What Does this Mean for Sellers?

With the limited amount of homes on the market, now could be a great time to sell, while buyers have fewer choices. Alternatively, sitting on your home and waiting to see if the market increases even more is another worthy strategy. If you are the type of seller who wants to get in and get out when it comes to selling your home, this is the best time to sell. The number of days a home is on the market has gone down in this area, as long as the home is priced right.

What’s Ahead?

With a strong start to the year, analysts have predicted that the year will continue to be strong, with more home sales and fewer homes available on the market.