With Victoria Day weekend on the way, the LCBO has one message for Ontarians: Stock up now. 

In April, 95 percent of LCBO employees voted in favour of a strike, and according to a report in the Star, neither the agency nor the workers’ union is optimistic about reaching a deal before this Friday’s strike or lockout deadline, which also happens to be the Friday leading into the long weekend.  

The potential strike comes from unresolved issues regarding wages, benefits, job security, and improvements to health and safety, as the two sides have been bargaining since February. 

“A major sticking point for the union is hours of work with some employees called in to do a little as two-hour shifts a day,” OPSEU president Warren Thomas told the Star.

If workers do take to the picket line later this week, it will be the first strike in the LCBO’s 87-year history. 

But whether there’s a strike or not, cottagers will also want to keep in mind that LCBO stores will definitely be closed on Victoria Day, which falls on May 20th this year. 

Drink up! It’s easier than ever to take your hot or cold beverage of choice on the road, thanks to these insulated, BPA-free, stainless steel bottles by Green’s Your Colour. They’re available in 350 ml, 500 ml, and 750 ml sizes, and come in a variety 
of bright hues. Cold liquids stay cold for 24 hours, while warm ones stay piping for four hours. Plus—neat bonus!—every bottle comes with a tea and ice strainer. (Accessories and other interchangeable lids are also available.) This versatile bottle won’t make the Friday night cottage commute go any faster, but mercifully, it will keep your 
coffee hot. $19.99 for a 350 ml bottle.

More info: Green’s Your Colour

The articles below provide the expert advice you need to ensure you don’t miss some of the best moments at the cottage.

While spring weather is known to wreak havoc in cottage country, it’s often after the ice melts. But last Friday, a lakeside community in Western Manitoba declared a local state of emergency after strong winds managed to push built-up ice off of Dauphin Lake and onto the shores of Ochre Beach, destroying a number of homes and cottages.  

According to a report by the CBC, in some instances, the piles of ice were more than nine metres tall and damaged more than two dozen structures. The damage is quite extensive, as some homes and cottages were even knocked off their foundations. 

“The whole thing happened in about 10 minutes,” Clayton Watts, deputy reeve of the Rural Municipality of Ochre River, told The Canadian Press. “We had people barbecuing on their decks. They turned around to go inside to get something, they came back and their decks were ripping apart.”

According to the Government of Manitoba, one displaced family was helped by provincial emergency social services, while others are staying with friends and family. 

While the community experienced damage from a flooding in 2011, the last time the region experienced ice damage like this was in the 1960s, and even then, it was less severe. 

Don’t get overexcited, but you’re going to the cottage this weekend. You’ll get to hang out with your friends, sleep wherever you want (even on the bed), and enjoy the best of cottage cuisine—raw steak, or ground beef mixed with kibble. Win! Especially if you’re a dog.

Most of the guests that Brendan Smalley hosts at his family cottage on Christian Island are canine. That’s because Smalley and his fiancée, Judy Furtado, run Dogtown, a Toronto dog-walking and boarding company. The idea of taking customers’ dogs to the cottage, for what Furtado calls “a total doggie getaway,” seemed like an obvious one. “We had some 
clients boarding their dogs with us, and we wanted to go to 
the cottage,” she says. “So we just packed everybody up.”

The dogs—the couple brings four to six at a time—are thrilled to go, says Smalley, who has cottaged on Christian Island for more than 20 years. “They have the same emotional response that I had as a kid: ‘Oh my God, we’re at the cottage!’ ” At the lake, the pooches do what any guests would: Swim, hike, lie in the sun, and relax around the A-frame cottage. “I’ll do anything within my power to make sure they’re having a good time,” says Smalley. Wow! Who’s a good boy?

Moms are special ladies. They would do anything for you, and they love you unconditionally. We don’t say thank you enough, so while everyday should be Mother’s Day, make the “official” day extra special with a gift any cottage mom would enjoy.

Where are the best butter tarts in cottage country? For cottagers, no question could be more contested, but Peterborough’s new Flavour Festival attempted to answer it—at least for one region.

Last week, the Flavour Festival hosted the first Annual Kawarthas-Northumberland Butter Tart Tour Taste-Off, where a panel of judges tasted and ranked 19 different butter tarts.

In the end, four different locations in the region came out on top:

• Best Crust: Country Mart in Buckhorn
• Best Filing and Best Specialty Butter Tart: Doo Doo’s Bakery in Bailieboro
• People’s Choice: Cravings Bakery in Peterborough
• Best Overall: Betty’s Pies and Tarts in Port Hope

But whether butter tarts should truly be firm or runny, with raisins or pecans or without is still debated. If you need to try for yourself to decide, the Peterborough Examiner provides a detailed map of where to find the winners.

Comment below and let us know who you think makes the best butter tarts!

According to recent reports, the Muskoka Wildlife Centre closed as of May 1st.

Located on Highway 11 just south of Gravenhurst, the Wildlife Centre was not only a refuge for animals in need of care, it was also an educational resource, giving visitors the chance to get up close and interact with the animals. Home to a range of species native to Ontario, from owls to beavers to moose, it included multiple exhibits and more than 50 acres of scenic walking trails. 

However, the upcoming development of Highway 11 means they will no longer be able to operate from their previous location. 

“We have enjoyed hosting visitors at our unique wildlife education centre for more than 13 years and although we will no longer be allowing people to view our creature wards at our current location, we will continue to work with the private sector and government agencies for the betterment of Ontario wildlife in other capacities,” Glenow told Cottage Country Now. 

The centre is working to come up with an arrangement for the animals, as it’s no longer open to the public. While there are plans to relocate the centre, nothing is confirmed.