Muskoka District Chair Jeff Lehman says the region is making meaningful progress on some of its biggest challenges, from housing to waste reduction, even as economic pressures and extreme weather continue to test local governments.
In a wide‑ranging conversation with Barrie 360, Lehman highlighted what he calls a “big moment” for Muskoka’s tourism‑driven economy: a new partnership between Muskoka Airport and Air Canada that will connect the region directly with Pearson Airport through a luxury coach service that functions like a flight.
“You check in in Muskoka with your bags, you get your boarding pass for your whole trip,” he explained. “People who are visiting Muskoka from around the world, the last leg of their trip on Air Canada will be a bus from Pearson to Muskoka.”
The goal is to strengthen the tourism sector—one of Muskoka’s largest employers—while opening new pathways for residents and businesses.
New affordable housing opens in Bracebridge
Housing remains Muskoka’s most urgent challenge. The district currently has about 400 households on its waitlist, many of them seniors.
Lehman announced the opening of a 44‑unit public housing building in Bracebridge, designed specifically for older residents. While he described it as modest, he was quick to emphasize its importance to the region.
“It is public housing, but I will tell you it’s a beautiful, beautiful building,” he said.
Rents range from $400 to $1,100 per month, with a portion offered as rent‑geared‑to‑income units. The building also showcases energy‑efficient design, including solar panels and heat pump systems that reduce both carbon emissions and monthly utility costs for tenants.
Listen below to our full interview with Jeff Lehman. It begins at the 20:25 mark.
Lehman says projects like this help move the needle in a region where private developers often struggle to make affordable rentals financially viable. “There’s no way around it that the math doesn’t really [work] for the private sector to build rentals at these kind of low rental rates,” he said.
The district is also expanding partnerships with organizations like Habitat for Humanity, including a new dual‑building site in Bracebridge.
Clear garbage bags are changing waste habits
One of the district’s most surprising success stories has come from its transition to clear garbage bags - a program many residents initially questioned.
Lehman says the results speak for themselves: “The clear bags alone have driven a reduction in garbage that’s just been dramatic, 38% less garbage.” That amounts to roughly 330,000 fewer bags heading to landfill in just one year.
He credits the change not to public shaming, as some suspected, but simply awareness. “I’m not sure it’s so much about the shame. I think what it is is it makes people take a second look at what they’re throwing in the garbage.”
The shift has already extended the life of Muskoka’s landfill by two years - saving “many, many millions of dollars” and lowering long‑term pressure on taxpayers.
He acknowledged community frustrations - especially when recycling pickups changed under a new provincial system - but said overall service has been improving.
“We just thank everybody for bearing with it because it’s worth doing,” he said. “It’s better for the environment. It’s better for their wallet.”
As for the persistent rumour that recycling and garbage all ends up in the same place, Lehman was firm: “No, of course not. No.” He pointed to Muskoka’s compost sales as proof that sorting works.
Weather extremes testing local infrastructure
Unpredictable winters have become another growing concern. After several years of heavy snowfall, ice storms, and highway closures, Muskoka is facing the reality of climate‑driven weather patterns becoming more common.
“That beats the roads up,” Lehman said, noting that the region is now planning for higher winter control budgets and improved emergency diversion routes for Highways 11 and 400.
