45th Parallel Painters Presents New Works and Fundraiser for Gary Froude

The 45th Parallel Painters will be back at the Muskoka Place Gallery for an excellent show of new works! The exhibition will be on view from Friday, October 10, 2014 - Thursday, November 6, 2014. The gallery hours are Monday - Friday, 10 am - 5pm and Saturdays, 11 am - 3pm.

Join us for a reception on Sunday, October 19, 2014 from 2pm - 4pm at Muskoka Place Gallery, 1182 Foreman Rd., Port Carling, ON. Meet the artists, enjoy the art, indulge in some delights and have a chance to win a special prize! A portion of the sales from the exhibition will be donated to the Bring Gary Home fund, a fund dedicated to the support of Gary Froude.

The artists - Krysia Bower, Anne Clement, Betty Dawson, Gayle Dempsey, Donna McLaren, Marie St. Germain, Susan Ware and Margaret Richards - have been creating art together for several years. Five years ago they adopted their name from the geography in which they live and paint. They have a strong sense of the beauty of the natural world and enjoy sharing their works with others. 45 Parallel Painters have shown their works in galleries across Muskoka and Kitchener/Waterloo.

To see more of their story and view their works, check out www.45thparallelpainters.com

Victoria Banks Concert in Port Carling

Victoria Banks, Port Carling’s hometown country star, is playing a concert at the Port Carling Community Centre this Friday, October 10^th at 8:00 pm. Tickets are $25 and are available at The Apothocary Shop and Aunt Doodie’s Antiques in Port Carling, online here, at the door, or call Linda Dodington at 705-765-3937. She will be providing an opportunity for people to donate to the Bring Gary Home fund. 

Gary Froude is half way through the West Park Transition to Home Ventilation Program in Toronto and is scheduled to be home for Christmas!

New wheels

Gary's been making good progress at the West Park Healthcare Centre in Toronto. Earlier this week, we got a sneak peek at the wheelchair that will help bring him home:

His recovery continues at a remarkable pace. Gary even got into the summer swing of things by downing a bit of ice cream.

We're hoping to have have him back here real soon. Only one major obstacle still remains - getting a generator to power the equipment Gary will need once he's back here in Muskoka. Other than that, we're full steam ahead at bringing him home!

What's Up gives a shoutout to Gary

Our good friends at our award-winning local newspaper, What's Up Muskoka, took the time this week to share some kind words about our friend Gary.

This month, we are heading into ChautauquaFest, a new, 10-day celebration of arts and culture that runs from Aug.14-23. The festival is the culmination of nearly 20 years worth of hard work that Gary and his wife Gayle have put into Muskoka Chautauqua, its brand, its programs and its vision.

Unfortunately, while Gary is on the way home, it appears he will not be in Muskoka for this monumental occasion. This massive festival features over 20 events throughout Muskoka that encompasses the visual, literary, dramatic and musical arts - the essence of what Muskoka Chautauqua is all about.

Gary will be following along with this festival from his hospital bed. He is hoping his community will be having a great time on his behalf at this inaugural festival while he is away.

We're on track to bring Gary home, but a generator is still the major obstacle standing in the way of his return. Otherwise, the journey home continues at full speed.

Stay tuned friends!

Another encouraging step closer to home

More encouraging news this week for Gary. We've just learned that Gary has been accepted to a ventilator program at the West Park Healthcare Centre in Toronto!

What this means is that now Gayle and volunteers will receive training on the ventilation system that will ultimately allow Gary to come home. The training is expected to begin soon. We've already received some interest from some locals, which include a volunteer firefighter from our local Port Carling station. However, we're always seeking the company of more friends, and are still taking in volunteers for this role.

The biggest challenge for now still remains in getting a generator to power the equipment for Gary once he comes home. But one way or another, we're hoping to be able to bring Gary home very, very soon.

Stay tuned!

The journey home begins

Plans are afoot for finally getting Gary home.

Gayle and Gary have applied to a ventilator training program at the West Park Healthcare Centre in Toronto, and are now in the process of looking for a generator. The hope is that once a power source is secured, it can be installed at Gary's home in Port Carling. Friends and family will then be able to help care for Gary as he continues his recovery here in Muskoka.

Though this game plan has been struck, Gary's exact path home remains unclear at the moment. Gayle and Gary are looking for anyone in the community who is interested in taking the ventilator training, and for anyone who can assist in the process of acquiring a generator. If you think you can help, give us a call at 705-765-1048.

18 years and still going strong

Gary had good reason to be happy yesterday - he celebrated 18 years with Gayle at his side! Our thoughts and prayers are with Gary as he continues to recover. We're hoping that by the time he celebrates 19 years, he'll be right back here in Muskoka where he belongs.