Critical next steps for Gravenhurst’s business community

At the April 21, 2026 Committee of the Whole meeting, Gravenhurst council approved the Vacant Building and Land Bylaw to combat absentee commercial landlords, get unmaintained buildings cleaned up and to spark business attraction to properties that have been sitting vacant for a long period of time. 

This new bylaw is only one part of a larger strategy to try and help address some of the issues identified by the community, particularly those business owners in the downtown and Muskoka Wharf areas. 

In addition to the bylaw, the town’s Community Improvement Plan Program (CIP) that provides incentives for building improvements, has shifted to a continuous application intake to be more responsive to business owners’ needs and to help develop a standard look and feel to the Gravenhurst central business district as well as the Muskoka Wharf. 

Economic Development staff have also been working to foster more activations and experiences in the community. 

New street banners, scheduled wayfinding signage upgrades and the kickoff of the Business Improvement Area (BIA) Review project round out the immediate activities to be implemented. 

The BIA Review project will begin next week with a kickoff meeting with the project consultants, J.C. Williams Group, and be followed up with the first meeting of a project steering committee. 

The most successful downtowns have an active BIA, with engaged and enthusiastic business owners who help beautify, grow, and enrich the town’s commercial core. The BIA Review project will have a steering committee made up of a cross section of business owners who represent the previous business improvement area, possible future improvement areas, past organizational directors and engaged business owners representing from across our community. 

A detailed project page is available on www.engagegravenhurst.ca and the community is encouraged to visit that page and subscribe for updates. This will be the main source of information for the BIA Review and will house information, engagement exercises, and public meeting information about the project. Ideas, comments, survey responses, and other key findings will also be posted there as the project rolls out. 

As always, be sure to visit www.gravenhurst.ca to find information on upcoming events and activations across Gravenhurst and for the latest news, notices, and advisories. 

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For more information, contact: 

Amy Taylor
Manager of Economic Development
amy.taylor@gravenhurst.ca
705-687-3412, ext. 2280

Mike Gennings
Manager of Communications and Engagement
mike.gennings@gravenhurst.ca
705-687-3412, ext. 2239