Muskoka Lakes Mayor Phil Harding says he’s been told of instances where long-term area cottagers and seasonal residents have been told to leave by some locals.
Today Harding relayed that some of the cottagers with American and/or Canadian licence plates have been confronted in many of the urban towns here in particular.
“(It’s been) about ‘why are you here, you’re American go home’ – some have been asked to show their passports when they say their Canadian,” said the Mayor.
Harding is putting the messaging out about these instances, saying it certainly doesn’t reflect the inclusive Muskoka that he wants.
“We had a hard time with seasonal residents being welcomed here – now, again, we are all residents and people who are here in Muskoka are people who own properties or are legally allowed to be in the country, otherwise the borders would just shut them down,” said Harding.
With the Province allowing some areas of Ontario to reopen during Stage 2 while others remain closed, some fear it will cause an influx of visitors to Muskoka who could potentially further spread Covid-19 from their own main areas which might still have relatively high counts of cases.
