Collingwood Downtown Farmers' Market accepting applications

The Collingwood Downtown Farmers’ market is now accepting applications

Although the weather is still frosty, preparations are underway for the season at the Collingwood’s Downtown Farmers’ Market.  

The market will return on Saturday, May 16 and continues until Thanksgiving Weekend.  Located in the municipal parking lot at the corner of Second and Pine Streets in Collingwood’s historic downtown, the market is open each Saturday morning from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.  Many of last year’s vendors have already submitted their applications and new inquiries are being received.

If you are interested in participating in market this year, please contact the Collingwood Downtown office, 705-445-5595, or download the application information package from the Farmers’ Market page at www.collingwooddowntown.com.

For more information on the market vendors and special events, as well as information on the events and businesses of Downtown Collingwood, please visit our website at www.collingwooddowntown.com and like us on facebook at www.facebook/collingwooddowntown

Get more exposure for your Events and Activities

Did you know that you can post all of your events and activities for free on www.mycollingwood.ca?  Dining promotions and weekly specials, classes, events, workshops seminars, concerts.  Event better, each event posting can be linked to your website or your facebook event page.  Just click the link and fill in the fields.  If you have any questions, please feel free to get in touch.

Julie Card

Business Manager & Partner

www.mycollingwood.ca

705.444.3453

jcard@mycollingwood.ca

Valentines at The Pottery

One of our favourite places to dine is The Pottery Restaurant located in the Blue Mountain Inn. Check out what they have lined up for Valentine's Day!  For only $41 per person plus taxes.  Newly renovated! This favourite of locals and resort guests alike is pleased to reveal a new open rustic contemporary space. Not to be out-shined by the new décor, the menu features fresh seasonal fare inspired by the flavours and harvests of the Georgian Bay region. 

108 Jozo Weider Blvd., Blue Mountains  Call T: 705-443-5509 for reservations,

Great Gift Ideas for Valentine's Day

It seems like Christmas and New Years were just last week and now Valentine's Day is looming on the horizon.  I've often said that homemade gifts are the best, because you can really personalize them and they have heart built right in. The perfect Valentines gift for me is a simple equation:  Thoughtfulness + a little effort = success!  If you knit fast using chunky wool and big needles you can knit a scarf for your honey bunny just in time for Feb 14th or you could get creative and paint a little pottery (real men paint pottery too-it's been said).

A wonderful solution is to get a gift made by someone else and in our area we have so many talented artisans that it could be hard to choose.  For example, start with chocolate that is home made by Master Chocolatier Mark Aarden from Aarden's Chocolates in Stayner.  A visit to the Candy Factory in Collingwood will give you lots and lots of sweet indulgence to choose from.  There is a sweetheart in our household that always manages to score some Orange Creams for V-Day.  If fudge tops the list of ‘must get for Feb 14th' then a visit to either Grandma's Beach Treats in the East or the Ravenna Country Market on top of the Escarpment will satisfy that craving and if your sweetheart is of the healthy, vegan, GMO free variety there is always the wonderful Collingwood Community Food Co-op that has all sorts of healthy stuff - yes even candy!

Have you considered giving artwork or a one of a kind piece of jewellery as a Valentine's gift?  Four must visit galleries are Bonnie Dorgelo's gallery and studio on Pine Street in Collingwood where you're sure to find a unique piece of jewellery that could possibly make you a Valentine's Day hero, The Loft Gallery in Clarksburg and the Arts Centre in Collingwood or Bright's Gallery in the Blue Mountain Village.

Make Valentine's Day truly memorable this year with a custom gift from Loose Goose in Collingwood. Pick from their selection of garments, burlap pillows or cozy fleece throws.  Choose a graphic from Loose Goose, create your own saying, print your favourite photograph or allow Loose Goose to design something just for you. Show your love in a unique and creative way this year with a gift which will be treasured for years.

If you're going to opt for the tried and true and send flowers you can kick it up a notch in the floral department and give Abigail Hitchens a call at Petals in Thyme for a truly stunning Valentine's Day arrangement.

If you've got a fashionista on your list then a visit to Christie's Clothing is just the ticket for classic fashions and Echo Trends in Collingwood on Pine Street has a huge selection of trendy ladies wear.  For the sporty types then a visit to One Tooth in either the Blue Mountain Village or Cranberry Mews for all kinds of stretchy stuff.  Julia's Walk-in-Closet in the Blue Mountain Village has some really cute fashions for both men and women andThe Style Boutique in Wasaga is great for all sizes.  For a more daring fashion statementTingle in the Blue Mountain Village is having a huge sale - oh la la is all I can say.

If you're planning on dining out here is a complete list of all of the Amazing Restaurants in the area (make your reservations soon).  Watch our facebook page in the coming weeks as we showcase some of the special Valentine's menus that our wonderful area chefs are creating

Whatever you choose start thinking now because a little forethought and creativity will go a long long way.  Hmmmm a romantic snowshoe at Scenic Caves is topping my list of activities to do with my Sweetheart wonder if he'll read this newsletter and surprise me.

Happy V-Day!

Julie Card

Blue Mountain Special Olympics Alpine Team go for the Gold

Skiers from the Blue Mountain Special Olympics Alpine Team go for the Gold as the Special Olympics Provincial Winter Games open in North Bay on January 29th.

Skiers from the Blue Mountain Special Olympics Alpine Team travel with their coaches to North Bay, Ontario to compete in the 2015 Provincial Winter Games.

The following 8 racers qualified at the Conference One Alpine meet at Blue Mountain resort last winter to represent the Blue Mountains/Collingwood area at the games.

Matthew Fields, Kristin Draper, Sebi Gaussen, Andrew Richards, Jeffrey Plouffe, Sebastian Guinyou-Savage, Matthew Poste and Robin Shuter

These games offer athletes the opportunity to compete on a provincial stage, and winners may represent Ontario at the 2016 Special Olympics National Winter Games next season in Corner Brook Newfoundland.

‘The athletes, coaches and volunteers have been working and training hard for this event and look forward to representing our team, the region and Blue Mountain’ says Terry Sears, Head Coach.

Currently the Blue Mountain Special Olympics Alpine Team is the largest program in Canada. Since 1997 when the World Games were held in Collingwood, Blue Mountain Resorts has sponsored this team of more than 30 athletes, with the help of over 40 volunteers.

New Technology in Real Estate Virtual Tours

Royal LePage Locations North, Brokerage is proud to be the first licensee of iGuide, a Canadian-based 3D Technology that offers buyers an immersive home viewing experience without ever setting foot in the home.

Developed by Kitchener, Ontario based Planitar Property Technologies, iGuide weaves together floor plans and 360° virtual views of a property through data captured on-site using a camera equipped with a special lens and laser scanner unit, along with software on a portable tablet. The end result is an easy-to-share link with floor plans, measurements, photo and video tours.

“Our brokerage is always looking for ways to improve the home buying (and selling) experience for our clients,” says Desmond Von Teichman, Owner and Broker of Record for Royal LePage Locations North. “The area we service is a largely discretionary marketplace and some buyers simply can’t make it here to see the property firsthand. This technology allows us to take the virtual tour one step further with a truly interactive experience that is utterly convenient for client’s busy lifestyles.”

Founded in 2013 by Kevin Klages and Alex Likholyot, Planitar has until now managed all projects end-to-end in-house in order to learn how to effectively service their marketplace. Royal LePage Locations North, with offices in Collingwood, The Blue Mountains, Creemore & Meaford, is the first licensee of the iGuide, and is proud to be at the forefront of this technology, offering its clients leading-edge solutions to market and ultimately sell their properties for top dollar.

The iGuide has a great many applications for homebuyers, including renovating, decorating and even simple furniture placement. Royal LePage Locations North has already started to put the iGuide to use. Click here to view one of the brokerage’s iGuide listings.

About Planitar Property Technologies

Planitar is an exciting new digital media company creating innovative technologies such as the iGuide to immerse home shoppers in online visual property content. In 16 months, iGuide has been used by hundreds of agents to showcase over 1,600 homes across Ontario. iGuide elegantly weaves together floor plans & 360 virtual views to provide users with an incredible understanding of a built space. iGuide offers property professionals and users significant new value for the planning, marketing and management of properties.

About Royal LePage Locations North, Brokerage

Royal LePage Locations North offers Personal, Professional and Progressive Real Estate Services through offices in Collingwood, Thornbury, Meaford & Creemore. The established team of over 50 dedicated real estate professionals serves Ontario’s premier all-seasons sports and recreation playground and is Georgian Triangle’s biggest and fastest growing Brokerage. Royal LePage Locations North is also the area’s most technologically progressive brokerage, with the most tech-savvy REALTORS^®, and has a substantial online presence and network. Whatever a client’s interest – home, condominium, country estate or investment property – Locations North’s specialists have the expert knowledge to provide the service and support they need.

For more information:

Desmond Von Teichman

Owner, Broker of Record, Royal LePage Locations North, Brokerage

877/705-445-5520 / teichman@royallepage.ca

LocationsNorth.com

Kevin Klages

Co-Founder and CEO, Planitar Property Technologies

844-568-1723 / kevin@planitar.com

Collingwood's Winter Wonderland

Remember when winter was fun? Remember the thrill of a snow day?
It’s time to take a break from the grown-up world of winter hassles and relive the excitement of winter as a family. Create snow-filled memories in Collingwood – South Georgian Bay’s Winter Wonderland.

From December 27 to January 4, there will be plenty of free fun to keep you and your family entertained and active after the holiday rush. The full schedule is included with this release and available online at www.collingwoodswonderland.com.
Enjoy bonfire bliss at the FIRESIDE LOUNGE, the height of coziness in snow belt weather. Roast marshmallows, warm your fingers and toes, and enjoy story time every day leading up to New Year’s.

Visit the SNOWFLAKE CHALET for all things frosty this holiday season, including ice block building, snowshoe trials, the Marshmallow World Series of snowshoeing and a New Year’s Eve family scavenger hunt.

The SUGAR PLUM PAVILION is the place to be for arts and crafts for the whole family. Whether you’re an amateur photographer or your child is sure to be a brilliant artist, you’ll have fun at the Sugar Plum Pavilion with balloon sculpting, arts and crafts, the Great Northern Gingerbread Build-off, pottery painting, and the Joy Rediscovered Photo Contest.

No winter is complete without a nice mug of steaming cocoa to keep you warm and cozy while the snow is falling. Come to the COCOA CABIN for tasty treats and hot beverages that will warm your hands & hearts this season.

CELEBRATION STAGE is the place to be to cozy up in the Muskoka chairs next to the bonfire! Enjoy the music of Kelly’s Heroes (Saturday, 5 p.m.), then cheer on the professional ice carvers as they compete to create the best sculpture in the time provided during the Battle of the Chainsaws (Saturday – Monday, 1 p.m.). On Tuesday afternoon, root for your favourite in the Celebrity Carve-Off; smaller tools but higher stakes! (Tuesday, 1 p.m.)

Get ready for big screen adventure and family fun at the Collingwood outdoors MITTENS & MOVIES! Bring your friends, your family, or your date to this free event.
Frosty fun in Collingwood’s Winter Wonderland

Movies start at 5:00 p.m. Join us on December 29 for Disney’s Frozen: Sing Along Edition, and on December 30, enjoy 24 of the best Pixar animated shorts.

The annual Collingwood Downtown Ice Sculpture Festival returns, and will feature more than 30 stunning sculptures. Don’t miss the exciting carving demonstrations, free wagon rides, and other fun family activities.

The Collingwood/Blue Mountains Transit Link will be operating extended daytime hours (7 a.m. – 7 p.m.) from December 27 – January 4 to help you easily reach your Collingwood’s Wonderland destination. You can view the holiday schedule for all Collingwood Transit at www.collingwood.ca/HolidayTransit .