Business Views

Tomorrow Muskoka Futures will host 140 stakeholders from across Muskoka at Delta Grandview for our annual Future’s Symposium. We invite the “movers and shakers” in Muskoka’s decision-making community to come and be challenged, to hear new and innovative ideas, stories and case studies.

This year we are focusing on how to keep Muskoka’s prosperity sustainable into the future. Our impact statement for 2008 is “Why not Muskoka!”  Our featured speakers are John Little, the owner of Nautilus North and innovator of the Max Contraction Training Method; Brian Otis of the Otis Group of Companies and retail developer; Orla Irwin, the owner/operator of The Framing Place Gallery and Algonquin Arts Centre; Bob Cooper, the general manager of Muskoka Aircraft Refinishing; and Dr. Warren Jestin, the chief economist for Scotiabank.

Our first four guests will be sharing their experiences as small business owners and addressing why they chose to live, work and own businesses in Muskoka. Each represents a different sector of our incredibly diverse economy and each will be not only sharing their stories, but taking questions from the floor and stimulating creative dialogue from our attendees.

Our sponsors, the Town of Huntsville and Scotiabank, look forward to welcoming Jestin and his forecast for Muskoka in the global economy. Jestin is a second home owner in Muskoka and welcomes another invigorating session in Muskoka with our stakeholders.

Each year we try to present an event to the community that shows the incredible capacity our citizens have. Whether a year-round resident or second home owner, Muskoka should be proud of our residents and capitalize on the possibility for greatness we all have. They like to tickle the mind into thinking of new ways to re-invent themselves, their businesses and the role they play in the community.

Without incredible support from sponsors, board members, community groups and our stakeholders, Muskoka Futures’ impact in the community would certainly not be as wide-spread. We have been very proud to bring new and insightful programs to Muskoka, such as the award-winning Business Retention and Expansion Muskoka wide project and for creating home-grown programs and projects such as the Arts Council of Muskoka, Muskoka Community Network, Innovation Muskoka and SAVOUR Muskoka.

For those of you coming to the symposium, we welcome you and hope that you leave feeling inspired, confused and maybe even a little passionate about some of the items discussed.

We don’t promise a fight, but we do promise to present ideas and concepts that challenge you.

Muskoka is standing at a crossroads and a strategic direction needs to be selected and followed by all. We have to work together and collaborate on project and ideas or we will fade away.

Why not Muskoka! Why shouldn’t we be able to grasp our opportunities headon and make a difference for our area?  Status quo is dead and will not be coming back to life. Sitting watching the scenery change is not allowed. It’s time to wake up and do something. Together, unified and striving for the common goal.

Together we are all proud of Muskoka, together we all seek a better quality of life, together we all dream for the future and together we can achieve it all.