Category Archives: Press Release

Local REALTOR® Honoured with Philanthropy Award

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 Local Orillia REALTOR® Mike Stahls has been selected as a 2016 recipient of the Ontario REALTORS Care® Foundation (ORCF) Spirit Award.  Established in 2007, the award is given to real estate professionals that go the extra mile with outstanding fundraising events in their community.

Mike is a long-time supporter of Green Haven Women’s Shelter in his community, serving as the only male in a committee capacity on the fundraising committee since 2012.  In working to raise awareness of the issues affecting abused women, Mike has raised significant funds for the shelter. In 2014, Mike organised a night of entertainment both to raise money for the shelter, and for the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation.  The event was such a resounding success that it was held again in 2015.

The Royal LePage Shelter Foundation is Canada’s largest public foundation dedicated exclusively to funding women’s shelters and violence prevention programs.  Mike’s fundraising efforts on behalf of this important cause took him to trek Peru’s famous Inca Trail to the lost City of Machu Picchu in 2015. The Machu Picchu Challenge saw Royal LePage Realtors from across Canada raise over $495,000.  Mike was able to exceed the required $5000 fundraising goal for the Foundation to join the trip with the proceeds for Green Haven in Orillia.”

The Ontario REALTORS Care® Foundation Spirit Award is a nomination-based award given to real estate professionals by the Ontario REALTORS Care® Foundation Board of Directors. The criteria for successful nominations are focused on the importance of local Realtors supporting their communities with volunteer leadership in shelter-based charity organisations. Mike’s work with Green Haven, and his long-standing position on The Lakelands Board of Directors as a key decision-maker have given him lots of opportunity to support his community and his profession with great skill.

“The Lakelands Association of REALTORS® membership and Board of Directors is delighted to congratulate Mike on his recognition by ORCF”, says Association President Tom Wilkinson.  “As a leader in volunteerism, and for his great work in the community of Orillia, Mike has always been a stand-out contributor to professional real estate.”

Local REALTORS® support community charity groups

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December 2015
Muskoka – Through the month of December, REALTOR® members of Muskoka Haliburton Orillia – The Lakelands Association of REALTORS® visited local community shelter-based charities to distribute funds collected from the Every REALTOR® Campaign. The donations, totaling $17 590, were presented to organisations selected by the membership to assist with their efforts in promoting strong sustainable communities.
Local Realtors are committed to improving Quality of Life by supporting community initiatives ensuring economic vitality, housing opportunities and safe neighbourhoods. Each month, in support of the Ontario REALTORS Care® Foundation, Lakelands members donate $2 to the Every REALTOR® Campaign. Annually, the collective funds are distributed to shelter-based charities within our boundaries to support their efforts of improving the quality of life for those most in need.
In 2015, groups that benefited from the grants included:
Hillcrest Lodge (Orillia): provides housing and meals for vulnerable seniors
Salvation Army Family Centre & Food Bank (Gravenhurst): provides support to families in need
Camp Oochigeas (Rosseau): provides summer camp environment for children with cancer
Burk’s Fall Food Bank: provides food and resources for those in need. Covers 7 municipalities.
Heat Bank Haliburton County: provides material & financial support for heating of homes
Cottage Dreams (Haliburton): provides rental cottages for families to gather after cancer treatment
The contributions by Lakelands members through the Ontario REALTORS Care® Foundation are important to the communities we live in as they boost the ability for these organisations to support residents. Lakelands President Tom Wilkinson: “Local Realtors have a deep pride for their community. The donation initiative through the Every REALTOR® Campaign gets us directly involved with organisations that make our communities stronger. Many of our local brokerages give to and support causes in their own specific communities on top of these monthly contributions. Realtors across The Lakelands Board are committed to our mission of being an integral part of the communities we live in. We’re all honoured to help.”

Lakelands REALTORS® keep the heat on in
Haliburton County

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Local REALTOR® members of Muskoka Haliburton Orillia – The Lakelands Association of REALTORS® gathered in support of Heat Bank Haliburton today. Under the Quality of Life mandate supported by the association, and with the Ontario REALTORS Care® Foundation, Realtor members spent the morning splitting wood to help build the pile higher for those in need.
“It seems timely as the nights get colder to make sure we have time to be thankful for our own warm homes”, says Tom Wilkinson, Association President “It seems hard to imagine that there are families in our neighbourhoods who have to make the decision between warmth, food or paying rent. It’s important to lend a hand and help others. As local Realtors, keeping the communities we live in strong through volunteerism and activism is essential to this cause”.
Heat Bank Haliburton gathers firewood to distribute to households struggling to keep the heat on. As a member of The Lakelands, local Realtors contribute $2 per month to the Ontario REALTORS Care® Foundation. Heat Bank Haliburton is one of 5 local charitable organisations chosen to benefit from these funds for this year. The Lakelands Association of REALTORS® selects organisations that focus on shelter-based support to those requiring assistance within the communities in their jurisdiction of Orillia, Muskoka, Haliburton and Almaguin.
“For a few hours today, we were able to help the Heat Bank get ahead, and make sure that the wood these families need is ready to go when they need it”, said Wilkinson. “The initiative of Quality of Life that Realtors subscribe to, along with the great work we can accomplish through our contributions to Ontario REALTORS Care® Foundation, fits perfectly with our desire to see Haliburton, and other communities we represent, be vibrant and sustainable.”
Through late fall to early winter 2014, Heat Bank Haliburton assisted 57 households. 28% of which were seniors in need of support, with 34% being families with children. Says Wilkinson: “Local Realtors have pride in their communities. This is a fantastic initiative, and we’re honoured to be able to help.”

Local REALTORS® support Muskoka Watershed Council

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REALTOR® members of Muskoka Haliburton Orillia – The Lakelands Association of REALTORS® gathered in support of the Muskoka Watershed Council’s resource publication Living in Cottage Country: What You Need to Know. The book, which is a comprehensive source of information for residents on sustainable practices for protecting the natural shorelines and watersheds throughout cottage country, can be purchased throughout the Muskoka region.
“As local REALTORS® we know what people are looking for in a home, cottage and in their community. Preserving shorelines and our watershed by promoting sustainable practices will ensure the iconic landscape of cottage country will remain healthy for generations to come” says association president Tom Wilkinson. “Working to support the Muskoka Watershed Council on this project, getting our members educated, and sharing that information with our clients fits perfectly with the REALTORS® Quality of Life mandate.” The Lakelands Association of REALTORS® has financially supported the production of the book, as well as held education workshops for their members with Executive Committee Chair, and University of Windsor professor Dr. Peter Sale over the past year.
Living in Cottage Country: What You Need to Know provides the essential know-how for a wide variety of topics for residential owners in cottage country. From understanding the Land Use Act to shoreline development, septic systems, wells, to promoting a healthy environment through landscaping. The book is available throughout the Muskoka region, and can be purchased directly from the Muskoka Watershed Council as well. “We are in the business of connecting people with their dream home. Being able to do that in a place that has such natural, sustainable beauty is icing on the cake. Having a resource like this that we can stand behind as a membership, and help both the council and the environment is a win-win”, says Wilkinson.

Welcome Tom Wilkinson, 2015-2016 Association President, plus 3 new Directors

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We are pleased to announce Tom Wilkinson as Association President for 2015-2016

Wilkinson has been a REALTOR® for 13 years and is a Broker with Century 21 Granite Realty Group Ltd. in Minden, ON. He has served twice on the Board as Director for a total of 3 years and was also a member and Chair of the Association’s MLS® Committee.

Serving on the Board in support of Tom will be

  • Immediate Past-President, Mike Stahls of Royal LePage Real Quest Realty in Orillia;
  • President-Elect, Mike Taylor of Coldwell Banker Thompson Real Estate in Huntsville;

    • returning Directors,

  • Debbie Gilbert of RE/MAX Orillia Realty Ltd. in Orillia; and
  • Debbie Vernon of Royal LePage Lakes of Muskoka Realty in Bracebridge;

    • and newly appointed Directors,

  • Heather Scott of RE/MAX Hallmark Realty Ltd. in Port Carling;
  • Catharine Spencer-Inniss of Royal LePage Lakes of Muskoka Realty in Gravenhurst; and
  • Emilio Foffano of Royal LePage Lakes of Muskoka Realty in Burk’s Falls.

Please join us in welcoming our 2015-2016 Board of Directors.

2015-16 Board of Directors
Front Row L-R: Catharine Spencer-Inniss, Heather Scott, Debbie Gilbert, Debbie Vernon, Crystal Henderson, EO; Back Row L-R: Emilio Foffano, Mike Taylor, Mike Stahls, Tom Wilkinson, President

Three Ontario REALTOR® Associations Integrate MLS® Systems

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The REALTOR® Associations of Grey-Bruce Owen Sound, Muskoka-Haliburton-Orillia (The Lakelands) and Southern Georgian Bay recently completed the database integration of their respective MLS® Systems providing a combined membership of over 1,500 with the ability to seamlessly search property listings across all three Boards. The integrated systems are hosted by Millennium Real Estate Solutions, a subsidiary of Lone Wolf Real Estate Technologies.

From left to right, Presidents: Kevin Woolham, Southern Georgian Bay Association of REALTORS®, Karen Cox, REALTORS® Association of Grey Bruce Owen Sound, Mike Stahls, Muskoka Haliburton Orillia – The Lakelands Association of REALTORS®

This project represents a huge benefit for buyers. It removes the technology-imposed borders which previously restricted property search capabilities of Buyer Representatives to a single Board jurisdiction. Property Sellers will also benefit as their listings will now have greater exposure to potential buyers, without the added cost of placing listings on multiple MLS® Systems.

The data integration represents a substantial undertaking for the three participating Associations and Millennium Real Estate Solutions, who performed the integration. Unrestricted access for the REALTOR® members of these Associations now covers a vast area of central Ontario. The searchable area includes properties in Bruce and Grey Counties, parts of Simcoe County, the District Municipality of Muskoka, Haliburton County and portions of Parry Sound District. The boundaries include Lake Huron in the west from Point Clark in the South and Tobermory in the North; along the shorelines of Georgian Bay from Tobermory down to Collingwood and back up to Go Home Bay, Sundridge to the north; Wilberforce in Haliburton Highlands to the east, Gamebridge to the south-east of Orillia, with Clearview, Grey Highlands and upper Wellington County to the south.