Policies

Privacy

We do not disclose your name or contact information to any third parties unless required to do so by law or in order to facilitate your stay at the cottage, such as to meet a specific need of yours or in case of emergency. We do not disclose any financial or other non-contact information of yours except as reasonably required to carry out our business with you, such as in cashing a cheque, or as required by law. In addition, credit and debit card numbers are not stored by us.

Arrival & Departure Times

Arrival time in summer is 3:00 PM on Saturday, departure is by 11 AM on (the following) Saturday. These hours are required in order for the housekeeper to do their work.

PLEASE DEPART ON TIME. Otherwise the housekeeper may not be able to wash all the linens in the available time, in which case we have to take extra steps which may then result in a chargeback to you.

For 3-day weekend rentals in the off-peak season, arrival time is 8:00 AM on the start day and departure is 8:00 PM on the departure day.

Boats & Access To Lake

The lake is a small, quiet lake that does not connect to any other lakes. There are no power boats on the lake, nor is there a boat ramp. A canoe is included in the rental. You can fish in the lake but if you do then be sure to eat everything that you catch, because the fish really don't like being reeled in and then thrown back.

Access to the lake is by a footpath that slopes downhill. People with mobility impairments may not be able to access the lake.

Safety

Fires are to be moderate in size, within the existing outdoor fire pit only, and in compliance with local ordinances and advisories. Firewood is available in the woodshed. Be sure to put out the fire with water when done. The woodstoves in the house are not to be used. No barbequing inside or in the Muskoka room.

Two-wheel-drive vehicles are not to be used on the driveway when there is snow or ice. Use 4-wheel-drive vehicles when there is snow or ice.

You must take appropriate steps to ensure your safety, including but not limited to wearing boots when walking in underbrush or leaves, carrying a working cell phone, traveling in groups, avoiding unsafe situations, using caution on and in the water, and wearing appropriate gear when boating, hiking, or otherwise using the property. Bears, foxes, poisonous snakes, deer, and other wildlife are all known or suspected to be present on the property. Do not attempt to pick up snakes or other wildlife.

> Dial 911 in case of an emergency.

The Ontario Massasauga Rattlesnake Antivenom Depot is in Parry Sound at the West Parry Sound Health Center (www.wpshc.com), Ernie Eves Way, Parry Sound, reception (705) 746-9321, automated attendant (705) 746-4540.

There is a good hospital in Barrie, the Royal Victoria Regional Health Center, (705) 728-9802 , at 201 Georgian Dr, Barrie, ON L4M 6M2.

The South Muskoka Memorial Hospital in Bracebridge has an emergency room, 705-645-4400, 75 Ann St, Bracebridge, ON, P1L 2E4

Linens

The sheets on the beds, and the towels that have been put out, are for your use and are included in the rental. Please do not raid the cabinets for additional sheets and towels, because then there will not be any clean ones available for the next visitors.

Please do not strip the beds on departure, just leave them.

There is a good quality washer / dryer available for your use.

Cleaning & Garbage

A light cleaning (2 hrs) and washing of the linens and towels is built into the rental rate. If excessive cleaning is required then we may have to charge the excess back to you. Our cleaning does NOT include dishes, garbage, barbeque, putting away toys, or cleaning the walls (especially not bugs smushed on walls) which you must take care of. We do charge extra for these. Please do check the barbeque and clean the grill if needed.

The area around the house and near the dock is a natural environment free of garbage, snack wrappers, cigarette butts, etc. In order to keep it this way we request that you check this area for refuse prior to leaving. In addition our policy is to charge $50 if we find garbage lying around outside.

You are responsible for taking the garbage and recycling out to the green tidy bin near the highway when you leave on Saturday (or by Tuesday PM each week, in case of a multi-week rental -- pickup is on Wednesday).

Normal Garbage & Recycling

  • Garbage goes in the tidy bin out front, on your way out on Saturday. Do not leave garbage in the woodshed or elsewhere.

  • Recycling must be separated i.e. should be bottles, cans, and plastic packaging only -- no cardboard or other fiber materials mixed in with the glass/metal/plastic recycling.

  • Recycling has to go in a clear plastic bag and then in the tidy bin. Do not use the recycling blue bins or other open containers.

  • The garbage must fit into at most three large black plastic bags, or else put a "pay as you throw" tag on each extra bag. The tags are usually kept on the little shelf to the left of the sink.

  • Garbage and recycling bags must not obstruct each other in the tidy bin. The District will not dig in there to see if there is a recycling bag hiding under the garbage bags.

  • Bags must not be torn or open, must not exceed 55 lbs each, and must not contain any household hazardous waste. You must take away and dispose of any household hazardous waste yourself.

  • Do not put multiple small bags of garbage in the bin. The District will not pick up more than three bags no matter how small they are. You have to pack the little bags into three larger bags.

  • Everything has to fit into the tidy bin; don't leave anything outside.

Problem Garbage

  • We usually check the bin after you leave, to see if the garbage and recycling is packed in a way that the District will collect. If it is not, then we deal with it, but if it is bad then we may charge you for the yuckiness.

  • Sometimes something goes wrong and not everything is collected by the District on schedule (Wednesday) even though it was bagged correctly.

    • We prefer that you check the bin on Wednesday or Thursday to make sure that it is empty. If not then please tell us on Thursday so that we can get the District to fix it in time for your departure on Saturday (a photo helps us with this).

    • If there is (acceptably bagged) garbage still there on Saturday when you depart, then hopefully you can still fit yours in there as well.

    • If all else fails, call us.

No matter what, DO NOT LEAVE GARBAGE OUTSIDE THE BIN OR ELSEWHERE OUTSIDE.

Water, Heating, Cooling, Bathrooms

Water:

- The hot water should be on when you arrive, please call us if it is not. There is a water filter system that covers the whole house and that should need no attention. All water is softened except the cold water at the kitchen sink. It is recommended to use the hot tap in the kitchen for the expresso machine and the kettle.

Toilets:

- They won't handle those 'personal' items. Please use the garbage.

- Do not attempt to use the downstairs bathroom during a blackout. It will not work !!

Cooling:

- There is an air conditioner, however we have found that we do not need it if we keep the door to the green porch room closed. The porch warms up due to the sun and if you keep the door closed then the house stays much cooler.


Heating:

- In summer leave it off. In winter, turn the thermostat up to 68 on arrival, down to 57 on departure.

- Be sure to run the ceiling fan while heating the house. Otherwise the house will take forever to heat up.

- During heating season, the upstairs vents need to be mostly closed in order to force the hot air into the basement.

Woodstoves:

- Just leave them shut in the summer, don't use them.

- In the winter, we prefer that you rely on the furnace system instead of using the upstairs stove.

- If you are renting in the winter and need to use the basement then please let us know. The basement woodstove is likely to backdraft if it is not handled carefully.


Shoes, Bathing Suits, Chairs

Please remove shoes in the front hallway on entering the house. Wet bathing suits and towels can be hung on the clothesline on the porch -- please don't sit on the chairs with wet clothes.

Do not move the indoor chairs outside. There are plastic chairs for outside and also some picnic benches.

Smoking, Pets, Fireworks, Guns

No guns anywhere on the property.

No smoking is allowed in the house.

No pets allowed.

Please do not disturb the neighbors with fireworks outside of the normal holiday dates.

Carpet

No food upstairs, especially no coffee, ice cream, wine, cranberry juice etc. -- all can wreck the carpet.

Likewise no open toiletries upstairs, especially no face cream, nail polish, skin powder, peroxides, whitening toothpaste, perfume/cologne etc. These also can easily wreck the carpet.

To repair a permanent stain in the carpet one must cut and replace that piece of carpet (assuming the stain is in a place where this is possible). This costs about $300 to do, and it is not something we enjoy doing.

Windows, Doors, Bugs

Keeping the windows and doors closed will keep the house cooler in summer and warmer in winter. The exception is the enclosed porch where the sun comes in and you will probably want to leave the glass doors open. Keeping the sliding screens closed will prevent mice from coming into the house.

In any case, do not leave windows open at night, even with the screens on. Doing so will result in a multitude of little bugs crushing themselves to death on the screens, which is messy; also some are small enough to get in. Do not try to remove the window screens, they are easily broken.

Bugs are an intrinsic part of Muskoka life in the summer. Go ahead and smush 'em if you want to, but if you do then you must clean up … we do not want bug marks on the walls. Absolutely no use of RAID spray or other chemical insecticides is allowed. These are carcinogenic, leave a poisonous residue, smell bad, and are bad for the environment. About the use of bug repellant on your skin, please use the pump or spray outside rather than in the house.

You must lock all doors and close and latch all windows on departure. Please check that the latches catch on the sliding doors and that the door to the Muskoka room is locked as well. s

Neighbors, Loons

Sound travels easily over the lake and we ask you to be considerate by not disturbing the quiet environment.

Please note that the two ends of the lake are not on our property and we ask you to respect the privacy enjoyed by the neighbors by not going over there. Similarly, please do not go hiking on other people's driveways or property.

Loons (and ducks) are often found on the lake. Please do not feed them. Doing so creates a dependency and disrupts their normal behavior patterns. We also ask that you do not go over to their nesting area as we do not want to drive them away.

Barbeque, Dishes, Hammock, Kitchen Lights, Etc.

The barbeque tank valve is usually left open in the summer, closed in winter. Be sure to open the lid before lighting. When done, heat the barbeque to 450 and brush off the grates. There should be a spare tank next to the barbeque. If the tank runs out because you forgot and left it on all night, then the right thing to do is to exchange the empty tank in Port Carling or in Gravenhurst.

We do not provide barbeque brushes with steel bristles; if you see any then you should throw them out. This is due to reports of the wires coming off and sticking in peoples' throats. Do not use fine steel wool as this will come off on the grates.

There is a hammock out back, limit one adult or 2 kids. Believe it or not it is possible to break the steel hooks that hold it up.

The switch for the kitchen lights is hiding to the left of the microwave.

Using the TV

Please do not move the wires around at the back of the system. We already have them connected in the best way for these components, and there are practically no other configurations that work.

There are five remotes -- one each for the TV, sound system, and BluRay player plus two Wii remotes. There is an attachment for one of the Wii remotes. Please do not lose any of these as they cost about $150 each.

To use the Wii, select the "Game" input on the TV. When done, be sure to turn it off by pressing and holding the power button on one of the Wii remotes until the power light on the Wii turns red.

If the volume does not seem to work on the remote control, try pressing and holding the power button on the amplifier for 3 to 5 seconds. This will cause the amplifier to reset and re-establish its connection to the TV.


Disclaimer & Limitation of Liability

SWIMMING, BOATING, HIKING, SKIING, ENCOUNTERS WITH WILDLIFE, WALKING ON LAKE ICE, USE OF BARBEQUE OR FIRE PIT, AND OTHER OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES MAY BE HAZARDOUS AND MAY PRESENT A RISK OF SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH.

THE COTTAGE (INCLUDING BOATS, LIFE-JACKETS, BARBEQUE AND OTHER ITEMS PROVIDED WITH THE COTTAGE) AND SURROUNDING PROPERTY, AS WELL AS THIS WEB SITE OR DOCUMENT, ARE PROVIDED ON AN "AS IS" BASIS WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED. WE DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.

IN NO EVENT SHALL WE BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, SPECIAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, OR ANY OTHER DAMAGES OF ANY KIND WHETHER IN AN ACTION IN CONTRACT, TORT (INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO NEGLIGENCE) OR OTHERWISE, ARISING OUT OF OR IN ANY WAY CONNECTED WITH THE USE OR INABILITY TO USE THE COTTAGE (INCLUDING BOATS, LIFE-JACKETS, BARBEQUE AND OTHER ITEMS PROVIDED WITH THE COTTAGE) OR SURROUNDING PROPERTY, OR THIS WEB SITE OR DOCUMENT.

IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AGGREGATE LIABILITY OF US -- WHETHER IN CONTRACT, WARRANTY, TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE WHETHER ACTIVE, PASSIVE OR IMPUTED), PRODUCT LIABILITY, STRICT LIABILITY OR OTHER THEORY -- ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THE USE OF THE COTTAGE (INCLUDING BOATS, LIFE-JACKETS, BARBEQUE AND OTHER ITEMS PROVIDED WITH THE COTTAGE) OR SURROUNDING PROPERTY, OR THIS WEB SITE OR DOCUMENT, EXCEED ANY COMPENSATION YOU PAY, IF ANY, TO US FOR ACCESS TO OR USE OF THE COTTAGE (INCLUDING BOATS, LIFE-JACKETS, BARBEQUE AND OTHER ITEMS PROVIDED WITH THE COTTAGE) OR SURROUNDING PROPERTY OR THIS WEB SITE OR DOCUMENT