Innisfil’s Friday Harbour marina slowly fills with lake water

By Laura Finney Innisfil Journal

The marina at Friday Harbour is finally full of water.

A dam was put in place at the mouth of the marina and last week water from Lake Simcoe started flowing in slowly and naturally said Shauna Dudding, Geranium Corp. chief engineer and vice-president of land development for Friday Harbour

“It’s like watching paint dry for other people, but for me it’s absolutely thrilling,” she said.

The creation of the marina has had little impact on Lake Simcoe water levels, Dudding said.

“If you treated the lake like a closed system we would drop the water level 0.4 mm,” she explained.

It took a few days, but by Saturday morning, the water level was almost at the desired two-metre depth as dignitaries and guests gathered to officially celebrate the newly flooded harbour.

But it did not always look like this.

“If it weren’t for the fact that Geranium Corporation’s Earl Rumm needed some repairs to his boat, and wasn’t a very good mechanic, we might not be here today,” said Cheryl Shindruk, executive vice-president of Geranium Corporation – one of the developers behind the resort. “Earl and his boat visited what was then known as the Big Bay Point Marina, where we are today, and well that changed everything.”

When finished, Friday Harbour will have a 1,000 slip marina, an 18-hole golf course, 2,000 condominium and hotel residences, a nature preserve, shops, entertainment space and more.

Additionally it is expected to bring approximately 1,000 permanent jobs along with millions in revenue from building permit fees, development charges and tourist dollars.

Speakers at the event included representatives from Friday Harbour along with local politicians who talked about the benefits this will have on the local community, region and province. Dignitaries included Gerry Marshall, Warden and CAO of County of Simcoe; Mike McCann, acting mayor for the City of Barrie; Wayne Emmerson, chair and CEO of York Region; MPP Julia Monroe; and MPP Ann Hoggarth.

“It is amazing what something like this can do for a community,” said Hoggarth. “This is very important to this area.”

Innisfil Mayor Gord Wauchope agreed.

“We could not be more excited about the economic impact Friday Harbour will have on Innisfil for generations to come,” he said. “Already the project has created hundreds of jobs, and will create hundreds more.”

“Friday Harbour will generate millions of dollars for the town every single year. Money that will be invested into making the lives of Innisfil residents even better,” he said.

He also said it would bring tourists and highlight the local culture.

“As every resident in Innisfil knows, we are truly blessed to have Lake Simcoe. It is where the people ride a boat, catch a fish, and even go swimming for the first time,” he said. “Without a doubt the lake is a vital part of our community and we are extremely fortunate to have a relationship with several world-class partners, all of us together who are dedicated to unlocking Lake Simcoe’s potential while preserving and enhancing everything that makes Lake Simcoe beautiful.”

Dudding talked about the steps the developers took to protect wild life and habitats and enhance water quality.

“We at Friday Harbour along with our municipal, conservational, regional and provincial partners all take this responsibility very seriously,” she said.

Along with a 200 acre nature preserve, which is one third the property, they have helped protect the endangered butternut tree by enhancing the grove with tree plantings and a seed collection program, they have increased the amount of available fish habitat, and created amphibian breeding habitats.

“I’m happy to report that our fornicating frogs have been very, very busy in their new habitat,” she said.

They will also be enhancing a turtle pond, completing a snake hibernaculum, and wildlife passages.

Additionally they have partnered with the Town of Innisfil, the Lake Simcoe Conservation Authority, Simcoe County and the province to take the lead on a pilot project “testing multiple wastewater treatment technologies to achieve ultra-low phosphorus limits”, she said.

They also entered a contract with the Lake Simcoe Conservation Foundation called Inspiring Greener Communities.

“It’s a pledge to donate $250 from each resort home sold at Friday Harbour, which over time will mean half a million dollars in funds for critical environmental programs and projects in the Lake Simcoe Watershed.”

There will be another tour of the site on Sept. 20. For more information visit fridayharbourresort.com