1. IWCS 2014 AGM 02-07.September.2014 Huntsville, Ontario CANADA

2. Map of central Ontario showing location of Huntsville (approx. in the center of the picture).

3. Map showing closer location of Huntsville, Ontario. Huntsville is in the northern part of the region known as Muskoka. Muskoka is a four-season recreational area about 2-3 hours north of Toronto, Ontario’s provincial capital city. It is “cottage country”. About ½ hour south of Huntsville, around the Muskoka Lakes (Muskoka, Joseph, Rosseau), there are well-established family cottages, some from the late 1800s and early 1900s, in the multi-million $$ range.

4. A map of Huntsville, Ontario. The red star is the location of our meeting, the Active Living Centre, which is part of the Canada Summit Centre. The purple star near the top left of center, at the junction of Highways 11 & 60, is the location of the Holiday Inn where we have a block of 40 rooms on hold for our members.

5. A beautiful aerial view of the center part of Huntsville. In the upper middle is the Canada Summit Centre/Active Living Centre. In the center foreground is the Huntsville “Lookout”, close to our meeting location and providing a lovely view over the town and surrounding lakes and forests.

6. The Active Living Centre – our meeting location. It is part of the Canada Summit Centre that was built in 2010 for the G8 Conference held in Canada.

7. A list of the rooms and amenities at the Active Living Centre; we have both floors at our disposal. There is a modern kitchen facility on the first floor and we will have many of our catered meals here, as well as our closing Banquet.

8. Information (page 1 of 2) about our arrangement for accommodations with the Holiday Inn Express and Suites in Huntsville. The hotel is about a 5-10 minute drive from our meeting location. There are regular city buses around town. Members wishing to stay here at the discounted rate(s) should make their reservations directly with the hotel, and need to mention they are with International Wood Collectors Society, and quote the block code “IWS”.

9. Information (page 2 of 2) – please read instructions for reservation and the hotel policies. **Note** The prices quoted are daily rates in CANADIAN $$. Right now the US$$ is trading at a premium against the CDN$$.

10. Information about the Waterloo Summit Centre for the Environment. We have secured 40 beds in dormitory-style rooms for the period 02- 07.September during our AGM. Rooms are double (2 single beds) and triples (one single bed & one bunkbed), with separate (male & female) shared bathrooms and showers on each of 2 floors. This is a new facility owned by the Town of Huntsville and leased by Ontario’s University of Waterloo. The 3 rd floor kitchen and lounge is also available. This would be suitable for those members wishing to stay here at a lesser rate (per room/per night) but are willing to share with one or two other members. Contact Robert (Ritchie) directly to reserve a space while they last – first come first served. This is a new, modern, clean building with beautiful views and a gorgeous curved “living wall” in the entrance/foyer. It is about a 5-10 minute walk away from our meeting location, and close to the Huntsville “Lookout”. NOTE: the building also has a state-of-the-art Lab which we may be using for our session(s) on Wood Identification.

11. This is a comprehensive listing of other accommodations in Huntsville and surrounding area, including other hotels, motels, resorts, B&B, RV & campgrounds, and our two local Provincial Parks (Arrowhead, and Algonquin). Members wishing to stay at any of these facilities are to make your reservations directly with the businesses. The list was prepared/provided by the Huntsville Chamber of Commerce.

12. More accommodation listings. (Huntsville Chamber of Commerce)

14. Arrowhead Provincial Park is about a 15 minute drive away from our meeting location, directly north of Huntsville. Excellent for camping and RVs and trailers, with many sites serviced by electricity, etc. Contact the Park directly to make reservations. Although our meeting begins right after Labour Day, make reservations well ahead of time; this park is well attended.

15. Algonquin Provincial Park (page 1 of 2) – our first, oldest and largest Provincial Park, with a long and interesting history. There are several very beautiful and pristine camping areas all along Hwy. 60 east out of Huntsville. Depending on the campground chosen, the drive to our meeting area will take at least ½ hour or more, with the furthest ones being more than an hour away.

16. Algonquin Provincial Park (page 2 of 2) – if you are planning on arriving days before the meeting, or staying later after the meeting, this park area has a lot to offer, especially for fishing, canoeing, hiking, wilderness travel, etc. Contact the Park directly to make reservations, and make your reservations well in advance to avoid disappointment.

17. Directly beside our meeting location (one minute or less away!) is a steam train ride/attraction. Also, within a 5- 10 minute walk, there is a Pioneer Village.

18. Calling all “wannabe” steam train engineers!! If that is on your “Bucket List”, here is your opportunity! See the brochure for information (bottom right corner of the image).

19. One of our Field Trips will be south to Gravenhurst, Ontario. Along the way we will visit Muskoka Woodworking, Muskoka Stone (a must-see computer operated sawmill that cuts Canadian Shield granite for stone steps, buildings, etc.!!), maybe a sawmill or two, and to top the day off, a dinner cruise aboard the “Royal Mail Ship Segwun” that has been in operation since 1887. The dinner cruise takes us through “Millionaires’ Row” where we will be able to see stately “cottages”, some still existing from by-gone eras.

20. Medical & Travel information for Huntsville, Ontario.

21. This is current information for our IWCS 2014 AGM, up to 20.February.2014. I still need to make arrangements for some catered meals and our banquet. A Registration Form for the meeting is still being prepared, as is the Meeting Schedule/Agenda. There are still a lot of preparations to do, demonstrations and presentations to organize, tour and/or field trips to arrange, spouses program to put together, and all the other details that go together to make an enjoyable and memorable AGM. Remember, this is YOUR meeting and I want to receive your ideas, suggestions, comments, and input. Please let me know if YOU will be doing a demonstration, or wish to make a presentation, or would lead a nature hike, or be willing to conduct a Wood Identification session. PLEASE – let me know NOW so that we can plan it into the agenda. Robert Ritchie (3457-L) IWCS Canadian Region Trustee & Host of IWCS 2014 AGM 705-382-6214 Email – duskysal@gmail.com