The clean air and sunshine of the Muskokas are still attracting visitors to the Sanitarium. Initially, this was the only known treatment for tuberculosis (or TB), as we see from this advertisement from the early 1900's.
More recently, the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) has been using this setting for a variety of training purposes including Emergency Response, Crime Scene Forensics, and the Canine Training Program. Canine training courses run throughout the summer and include basic handling, handler selection, explosives detection, and narcotics detection courses.
From personal experience, a winter-time exploration (see group photo to left) of the Muskoka Centre is a cold and somewhat dangerous affair (due to the thick rivers of ice throughout the halls and stairs of the Gage Building - see below).
This certainly did not stop Rick Mercer and David Suzuki who visited the former Muskoka Regional Centre in February. The Ontario Provincial Police Emergency Response Team showcase some high level resuce work at the Gage building complex as well as ice resuce. In order for Mr. Suzuki to get his 'Vote for the Environment' message out on the CBC, he had to submit to being dangled from a building and then thrown into the icy lake. Some highlights from the Rick Mercer Video.
Dr. Suzuki being 'lowered onto Rick' in preparation for the high level rescue exercise.
Rick is received through the window by this OPP Officer. Note the Officer's precarious balancing act on the stairwell railing.
2 comments:
Thanks for the posting regarding Muskoka Regional. I am sorry to admit that I live in Muskoka and didn't know it was still in existance!
Great photos and background.
Thanks for the comment Kent. That's what we love about Urban Exploration . . . finding unique beauty in the otherwise unnoticed or unkown.
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