Doing Business in Muskoka: My Experience & Thoughts

Muskoka is known for many things...beautiful sunsets, sparkling lakes, muskoka chairs, docks, boats, cottages, fishing, and relaxation.  Increasingly, though, it is becoming known for small business development.

In speaking with Matt Holmes, the Head Planner for the town of Bracebridge for the past decade, he indicated that for the first five years he was in the job, most development applications were for residential building.  In the past five years, though, the preponderance of applications have been for commercial and industrial building.  This should translate into jobs.

At Aspire Muskoka's building, there are 50 different tenants, most of whom are small businesses.  Muskoka Futures and Contact North are both in the building and they foster and develop small businesses in Muskoka.  Lake of Bays Brewery is growing and they have recently opened a brewpub in Huntsville.  Sheerly Genius will be joining Aspire Muskoka in August and they are a new business in Muskoka.  Premium Storage's lockers are full and they are currently building another 18 lockers to provide more capacity.  Muskoka Contracting has recently opened.

David Grand of Muskoka Grown has started growing marijuana in his new building off Keith Road and has purchased expansion lands beside to build a larger building to grow more marijuana.  There are two other marijuana groups that have bought property in town.

Muskoka Lumber has recently purchased a building by Highway 11 to begin constructing their own roof trusses, an expansion of their existing business.  There are many more businesses opening and growing which will be the subject of future blogs.

Suffice it to say that doing business in Muskoka is a growing trend.  Both the town and the government agencies in Muskoka are very supportive of this movement.  The benefit of job growth in Muskoka is that those who come to call Muskoka home can enjoy the beautiful sunsets, sparkling lakes, muskoka chairs, docks, boats, cottages, fishing, and relaxation when they are not working.  A true win-win.

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