Susan’s Background and Accomplishments

Susan is a fourth generation Muskokan. Her great-grandfather, Thomas Stanton, placed the first steamboat on Sparrow Lake. Susan spent her early years working at her family’s resort.

She is a graduate of the University of Toronto (BSc) and the Toronto Teachers’ College. She taught elementary school in Orillia and Waterloo for ten years before moving to Australia in 1981. In 1983 she married artist David Pryke, in Canberra, Australia. They lived in Captain’s Flat, a small village that had once been famous as a mining town. There she wrote her first book, Boom to Bust and Back Again. On returning to Canada in 1984 she settled into a career as a writer and editor in Muskoka.

Susan is a founding member of the Sparrow Lake Historical Society, and former board member of the Muskoka Lakes Museum. She is the author of eight books of local history. Her book Huntsville: With Spirit and Resolve was chosen as the best regional history in Ontario and Susan received the Fred Landon Award in 2003 as a result.

In 1994 she became a councillor for the Township of Muskoka Lakes, serving at the local and district level. She was instrumental in establishing a recreational trails committee within the township, and chaired the committee for four years. She was also the chair of the 9-1-1 steering committee which oversaw the launch of 9-1-1 service in the District of Muskoka.

In November 2000, and again in 2003, she was acclaimed as Mayor of the Township of Muskoka Lakes. She stood for election as Mayor for a third time in 2006 and won convincingly.

Under her leadership, the Township formulated a mission statement and strategic vision that reflects the need to protect the environment while encouraging a vibrant year-round economy.

She also introduced regular newsletters to keep the public informed of issues. This newsletter is circulated by e-mail to 400 ratepayers. She initiated annual performance reviews of senior management staff and spearheaded a review of all policies and procedures to ensure that they were transparent and consistent with current regulatory frameworks.

During her term she has seen the construction of a new library, a new community centre, a new sports park and a renovated municipal office. She led council in a successful lobbying effort that saw the Provincial Government rehabilitate the Port Sandfield Canal.

Under her leadership the Township budget never exceeded a single-digit increase. In reassessment years, the municipality always reduced its tax rate to offset assessment increases.

As a member of the District of Muskoka’s ad hoc committee on fair taxation, she played a lead role in educating the provincial government about the inequities that result from real-estate driven assessment increases in waterfront communities.

She introduced biannual award ceremonies to recognize volunteers within the community and instigated the creation of the Muskoka Lakes Heritage Committee. Working with local residents she secured an Ontario Heritage Foundation plaque for the community of Windermere.

She is a founding member and supporter of the Muskoka Watershed Council. She was instrumental in establishing policies that prohibit the cosmetic use of pesticides on municipal property and require dark-sky complaint lighting.

Her mayor’s charities, including a Mayor’s Cruise for heritage initiatives, and an annual Golf Classic, have raised $300,000 for local organizations to date.

In 2004 Susan was awarded the Robert J. Boyer Award for her significant commitment to the cultural and historical heritage of Muskoka.

Susan Pryke is highly regarded as a politician who listens and facilitates solutions. Task-oriented, she created a framework for Council to set goals and measure progress.

Her annual Progress Reports are published on the Township of Muskoka Lakes website at www.township.muskokalakes.on.ca.

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