April 20, 2025 • 27 mins
Norm Murray speaks with Canadian filmmaker and Executive Producer, Mitch Azaria about the up-coming TVO Documentary film, "Tripping The Muskoka Lakes", a 3 hour boat journey through the Muskoka lakes. It’s a beautiful and fascinating mixture of dynamic, bustling cottage life combined with slices of pristine wilderness, and a rich historic background. Starting April 20, Tripping The Muskoka Lakes premieres on digital via the TVO Docs YouTube channel, website and Smart TV app and on TVO’s broadcast channel at 9 pm ET. Visit: www.trippingseries.ca
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
The views expressed in the following program are those of
the participants and do not necessarily reflect the views of
Saga nine sixty am or its management.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
I'm Nora Murray. You're listening to News Talk Saga nine sixty.
Great to have you along today. Oh what a special
day for me. I mean this sincerely because I've been
looking forward to speaking to our friend Mitch's area for
quite some time. You know, I have to say. From
the makers of Tripping the Rita Canal, Tripping the Niagara,
Tripping the Bruce Tripping Train one eighty five, Tripping the
(00:55):
French River tvOS Tripping series returns with an immersive boat
ride tripping the Muskoka Lakes. I don't know if I
am allowed to pick a favorite in all this. It's
so tough, but this one is right up there. I'm
absolutely enamored with this incredible, three hour, scenic, beautiful documentary
(01:18):
from the hugely popular TVO original series Tripping. It returns
with a remarkable boat ride exploring the Muskoka Lakes, one
of Ontario's most famous cottage regions, of course, and it's
available to stream right across Canada starting April twentieth on
TVO for broadcast. Tripping the Muscoca Lakes premiers on digital
via Broadcast nine pm on TVO, nine am on TVO
(01:42):
dot Org, TVO Docs, YouTube, TVO channels on smart TV
services such as Apple TV and Roku. Now this is
big time. This is big time, and it offers you
and me the opportunity to truly set aboard a locally
built vintage Mahogany runabout and joined two Muscoca locals, which
(02:03):
is the best thing to hook up with when you
if you can to to, you know, search the area
and journey the area, and they take you and me
to well known and hidden wonders of the Muskoka Lakes
that are absolutely spectacular. Joining us on the phone. I've
known and watched Mitch's Area since his early years in
the eighties as a reporter ANCHORMANIC Global Television, and then,
(02:26):
of course in the nineties he formed Good Earth Productions,
an independent production company that's won numerous international awards, multiple
Gemini Award nominee nominations. I should say Mitch's Area the
executive producer of the Tripping series since day one. Hello Mitch,
how are you?
Speaker 1 (02:44):
I'm great, Norman, thank you for having me along, and
what a wonderful introduction, although I think he kind of
aged it both. They're referring back to the eighties and.
Speaker 2 (02:54):
My mom told me you were on TV. I don't know.
I was an infant. Anyways, listen, congratulations on the entire
Tripping series. I have to ask you, first of all,
before we talk specifically about Tripping the Muskoka Lakes your
new baby, did you ever, in your wildest dreams imagine
with the tripping the Rito Canal the first in the series,
(03:17):
that this would branch out to where it is today?
Speaker 1 (03:22):
Never? Never, never know? You know, that's that's a that's
a great question because I was thinking about that today
because I'm in I'm in Ottawa at the moment, and
I was, you know, going by the canal and I thought,
you know, I was here. It was really kind of
seven years ago when we started production, but you're right,
you know, in terms of when it aired, and I thought,
you know, I never thought that, you know, we would be,
(03:43):
you know, still making these all these years later. So
it's been a treat too. I mean as an Ontarian,
you know, seeing these incredible places and then being able
to capture them for you know, the rest of Ontario's
it's been a treat and uh and uh and this
one and you're right, this is this is this is
a good one.
Speaker 2 (04:02):
Now do you just have like the bug for learning
more about our province? Is that what this is?
Speaker 1 (04:08):
Part of it is that I've I've always you know,
you know, we did we did a series called Great
Canadian Parts and another one called History Lands. Those were
really Canadians, you know series, and they took us to
nooks and crannies in Canada that I never imagined. But
I've always been fascinated by history, both human and natural.
So for me, you know, and I think, having been
(04:32):
a reporter, you're curious, like if you're going to be good, right,
you know, like you you're curious, right, You're a curious person.
So this series fits me perfectly because when I look
off to the side of the boat in this case,
and you know, and I see you know, an auto
an Adirondacks share, I start to wonder, you know, where,
did you know, where'd the idea of that share come from?
(04:53):
And I can tell you the story about it, but
it's just a curious guy.
Speaker 2 (04:59):
Uh. The Tripping the Muskoka Lakes documentary starts airing April twentieth,
and I hope everybody will check it out if you
checked out any of the others, which you can do.
By the way, when you go online, make sure you
follow everybody like on Twitter for example, on x at
tvo docs, Facebook at tvodocs, also on Facebook at Tripping
(05:22):
the Muskoka Lakes at Tripping the Muskoka Lakes slash pound
it is on Instagram. Just look up Tripping the Muskoka
Lakes and then the website Tripping Series dot CA. That's
an amazing website. I want everyone to go check that
out because you're gonna love all of them there, Tripping
Series dot c A. So I mean, doing this, it's
(05:46):
a huge undertaking. I can't even imagine where you begin
with each one of them. Is it start Does it
start off at the at the drawboard, Mitch, a drawing
board where you're sort of like, okay, I know this
is a monster undertaking because I've done it before, but
here we go. Is it like this giant boulder now
you're going to be putting on your back and you
know it going into it, or is it like a
(06:08):
labor of labor of love and Okay, I can't wait
to get into it.
Speaker 1 (06:12):
Yeah, absolutely a labor of love and can't wait to
get into it. And you know, the first thing we do,
you know, of course, tons and tons of research and
you know try and you know, watch anything that's ever
been done, you know, on YouTube or you know, wherever
we can you know, see something visually. But the big
day comes when we go up and scout and I'm
usually you know, with the same you know guys John Morrison,
(06:35):
our director, and Peter or In, our cinematographer, and all
three of us know within minutes of getting to a
place if it's going to work or not, it's it's
and we all sort of look at each other and
kind of you know, we've got this look like, oh boy,
this is going to be fun. I can't wait to
you know, start rolling on this stuff because it's just
(06:56):
and you know, Muskoku was immediate. You know, everything they
say about Muskoka, I mean, I think the headlines are
you know, landed, they're rich and famous and you know,
exorbitant cottages and all that and that, you know, that
is the headline, and some of that absolutely exists. But
you know, you can't describe an area that big with
you know that smaller lands. Right, there's way more to it,
(07:18):
way more than I'd imagined. I'd never been there before,
So my first day of scouting was my first day
you know in the Muskokas. And yeah, there's there's certainly absolutely,
you know, gigantic boat houses and cottages, but there's also
you know, beautiful old you know boats that people have
cared for for many generations. There's people that are connected
(07:42):
to land through generations, millionaires a row. Yet it's opulent,
but it's also you know of a time when they
were building you know, cottages that worked into the environment.
You know, you don't see you know, you almost don't
see them. They're set back from the water, the colors
are muted or or go well with you know, with
the landscape. Everything like they're almost like they're almost like
(08:06):
a beautiful jam upon the landscape, as opposed to some
places that you seem more like a blake. So yeah,
I'm when I see a place, I'm just it's like
a meal. I just can't wait to dig in.
Speaker 2 (08:18):
It's true there's millionaires billionaires row and the landscape is
not interrupted by the cottages. We think of it as
cottage country. But I when I was watching this, and
I'm mesmerized, thinking to myself, Okay, i'll watch an hour today,
I'll watch an hour tomorrow. No, I watched all three
at once because I just got drawn right in. And
(08:39):
I look at these cottages, and I know that's not
only part of it, Mitch, but I do look at
the cottages and I think of the families there. I
can picture them in a way. You know, as the
generations pass and more and others take over, you realize
many of these places in the Mosco because are that.
And then there's of course the incredibly rich history that
(09:01):
I didn't know much about, but you, through you and
your team make it available to us subtly along the way.
You don't throw it at me like a hardball. You
just drop it in here and there, a little bit
trivia on this and oh hey, you see that building
over there, This is what it used to be. And
when it starts. I mean, I absolutely love the journey
(09:22):
and the pacing of it, which I'm sure for you
is is important also it is, and.
Speaker 1 (09:29):
We probably at some point, you know, watch it exactly
with your eyes to make sure that you know that
that pasting is right, like just when we think, you know, okay,
we need a little something, you know, then we'll put
in one of these information boards, and an information board
for us, you know is you know, and you remember
and you know them well now, but you know they're
like those old MTV pop up you know, video information boards.
(09:53):
There are only one hundred and sixty five characters, so
we have to you know that I can't remember how
many words that is, but it's not too many works,
so we have to percolate it down to it.
Speaker 2 (10:02):
You know.
Speaker 1 (10:02):
It takes rewrite after rewrite after rewrite. Like one of
the things I was saying to is that the you know,
the Adirondack chair or the Muskoka chair is an Aronduck chair.
In the Muskoka chair, I was fascinated. Didn't know, you know,
start to research it, and you know, the first chair
of that kind was you know, was was patented in
(10:23):
in an Adirondack, in a small town inside of the
Adirondack Park, and it became the Adirondack chair. But the
muskokas you know, we're famous as a tuberculosis retreat and
there were many tuberculosis treatment centers and the tuberculosis chair
in the muskokas was this wide you know chair so
that you know, because tuberculosis affected the lungs and for
(10:45):
the lungs to clear, they built these sort of wide
chairs with big arm or sure sort of in a
sitting position but slightly leaning back. So there's the Muskoka chair.
You know what came first. I guess Muskoka and Adirondack
will battle it out, but they both exist almost identically.
Speaker 2 (11:01):
Yeah, and I learned, you know, because of the air
and just the whole landscape and the climate and such,
it was perfect for those kinds of reasons and applications.
But you know, we're speaking with Mitch's area. By the way,
Tripping the Muskoka Lakes is the documentary. You may remember
we've spoken to Mitch. I think with every single tripping
(11:23):
the in the series, Tripping the Rito Canal, Tripping the Niagara,
the Bruce Train one eighty five, Tripping the French River,
and now Tripping the Muskoka Lakes. A popular TVO original
series Tripping and It's going to be premiering on digital
via broadcast at nine pm on TVO April twentieth. April twentieth,
(11:45):
and also on the same day earlier in the day
at nine am on TVO dot org, tvodocs YouTube channel,
TVO channels, on smart TV services such as Apple TV, Roku,
and also on the website where you'll be able to
see them all Tripping series dot c A. You start
off in Gravenhurst. I wanted to ask you why you
(12:06):
start there. And I'm not trying to give any spoilers here,
but at the very very beginning, as even in the
press release, it says Mitch, we sort of join a
couple of Muskoka locals, and I think that's perfect. I
feel like I'm climbing in this stunning Mahogany vintage boat
with them to go for a trip trip in the
(12:27):
Muskoka Lakes. What a what a great idea. How did
you choose the people that you were using there and
how that came to be the Gravenhurst beginning.
Speaker 1 (12:35):
Yeah, and we were looking for someone we definitely wanted,
you know, we wanted to locals, and and I saw
a little tiny YouTube video about a boat builder up
in Muskoka, and he just seemed like such a neat
character yet a real passion for, you know, for what
he was doing. And then what made him incredibly interesting
(12:58):
is he was transforming gasoline powered vintage boats into electric boats.
And I thought, you know what, like here's a you know,
a guy in his late sixties who's you know sort
of you know, did done a little pivot. And then
I started talking to him and I realized, you know,
his great great great grandfather, you know, gave the first
(13:19):
sermon at a you know, boat only church on the lake.
And how you know, he sings in the choir and
he's you know, completely connected to the lakes and the
history and knew I mean you could point to almost
any cottage in any of the big three lakes and
he could just kind of reel off its entire history.
He was so attached to the place, so he was
(13:40):
a no brainer. His partner, you know, equally as enthusiastic.
So they just seem like you know, like a like
a like a like a great you know a lot
of what you see in that film, you know, came
out of their suggestions. You know, places that you know,
you you had mentioned off the top about you know,
some hidden gems, and they're the ones that sort of
(14:01):
told about those. You know, those are big lakes to
be searching on your own.
Speaker 2 (14:05):
Oh yeah, and it's so much more than only going
along and seeing a lot of water and a lot
of opulent, fantastic cottages. There really is so much more
to the Mesco because that I didn't know. And I've been,
like a lot of people up through cottage country, a
little bit here and there, rented the odd cottage. Some
I have friends who own cottages up there too. But
(14:26):
this really gives you an idea of the vastness of
the whole area, the culture, if you will, behind it.
You mentioned the boat only church, which I love seeing
in this. I'm so glad you included that. That is
a real anomaly, by the way, and I can't wait
for people to see that. But you know, going through
this you also don't just stay above water. I've noticed, Mitch.
Speaker 1 (14:50):
Yeah, you know, we knew that there had been and
it's a tragic story. In nineteen thirty four, a steamship
called Wyoming and it's always this way. We found it
on the broost, you know, it's on its glass trip,
you know, heading back to Gravenhurst, and it was a
real fluke fluke storm, and it hit it broadside, dipped,
(15:12):
you know, its entire side into the into the lake.
So it sank very very quickly. And you know, the
waters is the water in the Muskokas is it's quite
dark and it's it's it's hard to see anything after
sort of a foot of from the surface. But we
had this incredible team. It's they're a couple, Zach and Yvonne,
(15:35):
and they have an underwater drone the size of a
coffee table and it's got great big lights on it
and they can get they can go as deep as
three hundred meters. It's an incredible, incredible machine. And we
went down to this uh, this this wreck and it's
it's breathtaking. It's got it had a very heavy hull,
so it landed, you know, perfectly upright. And you know,
(15:58):
the scene as we get to this wreck is it's
it's almost the Titanic, you know, where you see that
bow come out of the dark, you know, and it's
and and then to think of you know, because right
before we we go underwater, we do a three D
animation to show the storm, show the you know, the
ship and you know how it you know, and how
(16:19):
it tipped and how it sinks, so you see the sinking.
And then as the boat is going down, we go
down in the water in live action, and and and
and show you the entire wreck. And it's haunting. It's
really really haunted. We use the drone again to to
see some of the fishwife and it's it's quite fun
because the small mouth bass. I kept saying to to Zach,
(16:43):
why why are they why are they staring at the camera,
you know, at the drone. Well, the drone has like
a it's it's it's it's got like a bulb on
it where the where the lens is, and it's sort
of circular and and it's and it acts as a mirror.
The water is clear enough and the fish are seeing themselves,
so they're just sort of they think it's another fish.
(17:05):
They're kind of giving them the stink eye, you know,
and looking really grumpy. I've never seen fish like that before.
It's really cool like that. Their faces to me are
like it's like they have personality. They're kind of saying,
what are you doing here?
Speaker 2 (17:20):
You know?
Speaker 1 (17:20):
Like anyway, it's wonderful to see underwater, isn't it. I Mean,
if you're going to be on a lake, if you're
to be on any body of water, you kind of
want to see.
Speaker 2 (17:28):
What's going on for sure. The stories are magical and
interesting and sort of horrific. Also a couple of them.
There's a great story. I'm not going to talk about
it too much because I want everyone to see it,
but there's a great story about John le bat from
the Lea Bat Beer family that is just stunning to me.
(17:50):
It drew me right in again even further and so
much more from all these different regions. Did you have
any challenges along the way? Now, I understand spent an
entire summer filming this and and working it. How is
the weather for the whole summer, Mitch? Was that ever
a concern? And anything else go on? Anything else happened?
Speaker 1 (18:10):
Yeah, I mean the weather. You know, the weather is always,
you know, always a challenge. It actually kind of worked
in our favor because, you know, winds as tough as
anything else, and it wasn't a particularly windy summer. That
helped us a lot. You know, it's it's it's it's
always a challenge. And it's funny that you brought up
the jungle with that story. And I love the fact
(18:32):
that one of his kidnappers was named three finger Ad.
That's that's just like, I mean, that's out of a movie.
It's out of a movie three things or eight. So
it's funny. You know, we were talking about that shot
that we that we got with the church, and that's
you know that it was a tricky shot because you know,
(18:52):
if if we if I sort of draw the curtain
a little bit when it's a drone shot that starts
really high up in the sky and an eventually kind
of comes down, goes across a dock, through a little
bunch of trees, and then into the church right up
to the preacher. And what I what I what I'll
tell you about it is that the two guys standing
(19:14):
on the dock, one of them, one of them is
our director, and he has a hand literally in in
in getting that drone and bringing it into the church.
And we almost called him four finger John. It was
a close call.
Speaker 2 (19:34):
That's great. I know you had quite a team working with.
How many people were working on this? Would you say,
I'm looking at your name here? Andrea Mintie, Producer and
writer John Morrison, director, Peter Warren, Mark Alberts, Is it
Matt necked night? Excuse me? I do know how to
thank you for connecting me Matt West. And there's probably
(19:56):
others too, But it sounds like you had a really
stellar team with you.
Speaker 1 (20:00):
It's it's it sounds like a big team. And some
of those guys obviously are you know, our post guys
that are doing animation stuff. But the three of us,
John and Peter and I are are like, we're you know,
this is TVO sort of you know, you know, public
television sort of budgets. So it's it's a small crew.
(20:21):
It's you know, it's the three of us with a
boat driver. We we do we all do a little
bit of everything. It's just it's the reality of you know,
of of of of filmmaking these days. You know, budgets
are smaller, lean and mean is the way to go.
I think that's kind of true in everything nowadays.
Speaker 2 (20:40):
They must love you at t v O because you know,
you've come up with these amazing uh documentaries. Do you
feel like you have to one up yourself every time
or is it sort of doing the same thing but different?
How would you describe it? Every time you approach a
project like this, you want to be even better than
last time? How do you do that? Yeah?
Speaker 1 (21:01):
Yeah, yeah, we definitely want to you know, we want
to be better but we also want to you know,
balance right, and and you know when you when you said,
you know when you when you went through the list
of them, you know, so you know, we went on
a train, and we went on a canoe, went on
a sailboat, went underwater, you know, to visit Rex. We
try and you know, make each one, you know, a different,
(21:22):
different mode of transportation the next one. You know, I'd
like to I'd like to find a kayak. I'd like
to go further north. You know, I think you know
it's our you know, if we're doing what we're doing, well,
we're representing Ontario well, and we're taking you know, the
vast majority of people live in southern Ontario. A lot
of the places that we go to they may never
(21:45):
you know, have an opportunity to visit. So we take
a lot of pride in saying, okay, you know, can
we take Ontarians that may not have an opportunity or
just don't have a time or can't get to these places.
So we take them there and leave them with the
feeling that you know, they know another part of their
own province right, and that they can take pride in
(22:06):
their province. I always tell the story about, you know,
sitting with the head of TVO, Jan Ferry, and saying
to them, you know, do you know we're the most
northern community in Ontario is and it's it's Sports seven.
And we were sitting in his office in Toronto and
I said to him, you know, sports Severn in Ontario
is as far from us as Atlanta, Georgia is. That's
(22:28):
how big this province is, you know. And you know,
I'd like to keep pushing north, you know, and keep showing,
you know, parts of Ontario that Southern Ontarians just won't
believe that that's still part of their province.
Speaker 2 (22:39):
Yeah, it's so true. We almost default, don't we too.
When we think of vacations and going away, so to speak,
we think of getting out of the country. But there's
so much vastness and diversity and expansive beauty in our
own country, let alone our own province of Ontario. For
goodness sakes. It's massive, it really is. There's so much
to see. And you know, if you u who would
(23:03):
you say? This is for a mitch before we sort
of wrap it up here for now at least anyways,
The tripping the Muskoka Lakes is the name of it
tripping the Muskoka Lakes. Who are you speaking to? Who
is your ideal viewer in your mind? Who are you
when you're creating it, when you're doing all the different
cinematography with your team and such, and which is spectacular?
Who do you think you are speaking to and appealing to.
Speaker 1 (23:27):
Yeah, you know, that's a that's a great question, because
I want to make sure that any local who sees
it comes away knowing a little bit about their own backyard.
But at the same time, I want anybody you know,
you know, in in the big areas of you know,
(23:47):
Toronto and Ottawa windsor work to say, you know, that's
a cool part of my own province and I'd like
to go there. I'd like to see it. But if
I if I do, you know, I've had a pretty good.
Speaker 2 (24:01):
Look at it, absolutely, And has there ever been a
better time than right now to think about seeing your
own province and being in Canada. You know, we hear
about it on the news every day, which I know
we won't get into, but I'm sure that that plays
a part of it as well, too, doesn't it.
Speaker 1 (24:19):
It really does, And you know, particularly for you know,
someone in in in Toronto I mean in an hour
and forty minutes, you can be engraven Earth. You can
get on a steamship that's you know, one hundred and
forty years old. You can take a two hour tour
that takes you through you know, the narrows. I can
see a bird sanctuary, go to a millionaire's a row,
(24:42):
you know, see the vastness of Lake Muskoka, and you know,
have lunch, come back, you know, two hours later, and
be back, you know in Toronto an hour and a
half later. I mean, it's it's it's it's right there, right, It's,
it's right there.
Speaker 2 (24:57):
So true Mitch's area. It's Tripping the Mascoke Lakes from
the makers of Tripping the Rideoucanal, Tripping the Niagara, Tripping
the Bruce, Tripping Train one eighty five, Tripping the French River,
now Tripping the Muskoka Lakes. April twentieth on TVO. Following
this incredible success of the entire series. It's and you'll
(25:19):
see it, of course, via broadcast at nine pm on
April the twentieth, and also streaming on some of your
favorite streaming services as well, like YouTube channel. The website,
which we talked about smart TV apps as well that
are connected to tvotvo dot Org, tvo Docs, Apple TV
(25:43):
Roku nine pm April twentieth on Tvo and of course
starting at nine am actually on the apps and such
in streaming services. But make sure you go to the
website to check the check it out afterwards tripping series
dot ca and have a look at all of them
when you really want to get away. That's one way
to really get away and let Mitch and his team
(26:04):
do it for you expertly, and by the way, you
learn a little something along the way too. I'm absolutely
enamored with this. I couldn't wait to tell im good
wait to tell I mentioned my mom to you off
the air earlier. I couldn't wait to tell my mom
about this. You know, we love the Musko because as
a family, and I said, Mom, you gotta see this.
This is because you know, she loves like a lot
of people. I know, I'm getting personally here riding along
in the boats and looking at all the great cottages
(26:25):
and all that sort of thing, right and owing and awing,
and it is that. But it's so much more than that. Mitch.
You've really brought something uniquely Canadian to all of us,
whether you're up there regularly like you say, or for
those who have never ventured north of Highway seven. I'm
just saying it's a must have. Thanks so much for
doing this and I can't wait for whatever you have
(26:48):
planned going north in the future too. All the best
to you and good luck with Tripping the Muskoka Lakes.
Speaker 1 (26:55):
Thank you, Norman, and thank you for screening. It means
a lot to talk to you and know that you've
watched it, and I really really appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (27:04):
Thank you for having my pleasure. Absolutely it's Tripping the
Muskoka Lakes. Go to their website of course, as we said,
Tripping Series dot ca A and tune in on April
twentieth and going forward. I'm Norm Murray. This is News
Talk SAGA nine sixty. We'll be back right after this
(27:30):
stream us live at SAGA nine sixty AM dot CA
The views expressed in the following program are those of
the participants and do not necessarily reflect the views of
Saga nine sixty am or its management.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
I'm Nora Murray. You're listening to News Talk Saga nine sixty.
Great to have you along today. Oh what a special
day for me. I mean this sincerely because I've been
looking forward to speaking to our friend Mitch's area for
quite some time. You know, I have to say. From
the makers of Tripping the Rita Canal, Tripping the Niagara,
Tripping the Bruce Tripping Train one eighty five, Tripping the
(00:55):
French River tvOS Tripping series returns with an immersive boat
ride tripping the Muskoka Lakes. I don't know if I
am allowed to pick a favorite in all this. It's
so tough, but this one is right up there. I'm
absolutely enamored with this incredible, three hour, scenic, beautiful documentary
(01:18):
from the hugely popular TVO original series Tripping. It returns
with a remarkable boat ride exploring the Muskoka Lakes, one
of Ontario's most famous cottage regions, of course, and it's
available to stream right across Canada starting April twentieth on
TVO for broadcast. Tripping the Muscoca Lakes premiers on digital
via Broadcast nine pm on TVO, nine am on TVO
(01:42):
dot Org, TVO Docs, YouTube, TVO channels on smart TV
services such as Apple TV and Roku. Now this is
big time. This is big time, and it offers you
and me the opportunity to truly set aboard a locally
built vintage Mahogany runabout and joined two Muscoca locals, which
(02:03):
is the best thing to hook up with when you
if you can to to, you know, search the area
and journey the area, and they take you and me
to well known and hidden wonders of the Muskoka Lakes
that are absolutely spectacular. Joining us on the phone. I've
known and watched Mitch's Area since his early years in
the eighties as a reporter ANCHORMANIC Global Television, and then,
(02:26):
of course in the nineties he formed Good Earth Productions,
an independent production company that's won numerous international awards, multiple
Gemini Award nominee nominations. I should say Mitch's Area the
executive producer of the Tripping series since day one. Hello Mitch,
how are you?
Speaker 1 (02:44):
I'm great, Norman, thank you for having me along, and
what a wonderful introduction, although I think he kind of
aged it both. They're referring back to the eighties and.
Speaker 2 (02:54):
My mom told me you were on TV. I don't know.
I was an infant. Anyways, listen, congratulations on the entire
Tripping series. I have to ask you, first of all,
before we talk specifically about Tripping the Muskoka Lakes your
new baby, did you ever, in your wildest dreams imagine
with the tripping the Rito Canal the first in the series,
(03:17):
that this would branch out to where it is today?
Speaker 1 (03:22):
Never? Never, never know? You know, that's that's a that's
a great question because I was thinking about that today
because I'm in I'm in Ottawa at the moment, and
I was, you know, going by the canal and I thought,
you know, I was here. It was really kind of
seven years ago when we started production, but you're right,
you know, in terms of when it aired, and I thought,
you know, I never thought that, you know, we would be,
(03:43):
you know, still making these all these years later. So
it's been a treat too. I mean as an Ontarian,
you know, seeing these incredible places and then being able
to capture them for you know, the rest of Ontario's
it's been a treat and uh and uh and this
one and you're right, this is this is this is
a good one.
Speaker 2 (04:02):
Now do you just have like the bug for learning
more about our province? Is that what this is?
Speaker 1 (04:08):
Part of it is that I've I've always you know,
you know, we did we did a series called Great
Canadian Parts and another one called History Lands. Those were
really Canadians, you know series, and they took us to
nooks and crannies in Canada that I never imagined. But
I've always been fascinated by history, both human and natural.
So for me, you know, and I think, having been
(04:32):
a reporter, you're curious, like if you're going to be good, right,
you know, like you you're curious, right, You're a curious person.
So this series fits me perfectly because when I look
off to the side of the boat in this case,
and you know, and I see you know, an auto
an Adirondacks share, I start to wonder, you know, where,
did you know, where'd the idea of that share come from?
(04:53):
And I can tell you the story about it, but
it's just a curious guy.
Speaker 2 (04:59):
Uh. The Tripping the Muskoka Lakes documentary starts airing April twentieth,
and I hope everybody will check it out if you
checked out any of the others, which you can do.
By the way, when you go online, make sure you
follow everybody like on Twitter for example, on x at
tvo docs, Facebook at tvodocs, also on Facebook at Tripping
(05:22):
the Muskoka Lakes at Tripping the Muskoka Lakes slash pound
it is on Instagram. Just look up Tripping the Muskoka
Lakes and then the website Tripping Series dot CA. That's
an amazing website. I want everyone to go check that
out because you're gonna love all of them there, Tripping
Series dot c A. So I mean, doing this, it's
(05:46):
a huge undertaking. I can't even imagine where you begin
with each one of them. Is it start Does it
start off at the at the drawboard, Mitch, a drawing
board where you're sort of like, okay, I know this
is a monster undertaking because I've done it before, but
here we go. Is it like this giant boulder now
you're going to be putting on your back and you
know it going into it, or is it like a
(06:08):
labor of labor of love and Okay, I can't wait
to get into it.
Speaker 1 (06:12):
Yeah, absolutely a labor of love and can't wait to
get into it. And you know, the first thing we do,
you know, of course, tons and tons of research and
you know try and you know, watch anything that's ever
been done, you know, on YouTube or you know, wherever
we can you know, see something visually. But the big
day comes when we go up and scout and I'm
usually you know, with the same you know guys John Morrison,
(06:35):
our director, and Peter or In, our cinematographer, and all
three of us know within minutes of getting to a
place if it's going to work or not, it's it's
and we all sort of look at each other and
kind of you know, we've got this look like, oh boy,
this is going to be fun. I can't wait to
you know, start rolling on this stuff because it's just
(06:56):
and you know, Muskoku was immediate. You know, everything they
say about Muskoka, I mean, I think the headlines are
you know, landed, they're rich and famous and you know,
exorbitant cottages and all that and that, you know, that
is the headline, and some of that absolutely exists. But
you know, you can't describe an area that big with
you know that smaller lands. Right, there's way more to it,
(07:18):
way more than I'd imagined. I'd never been there before,
So my first day of scouting was my first day
you know in the Muskokas. And yeah, there's there's certainly absolutely,
you know, gigantic boat houses and cottages, but there's also
you know, beautiful old you know boats that people have
cared for for many generations. There's people that are connected
(07:42):
to land through generations, millionaires a row. Yet it's opulent,
but it's also you know of a time when they
were building you know, cottages that worked into the environment.
You know, you don't see you know, you almost don't
see them. They're set back from the water, the colors
are muted or or go well with you know, with
the landscape. Everything like they're almost like they're almost like
(08:06):
a beautiful jam upon the landscape, as opposed to some
places that you seem more like a blake. So yeah,
I'm when I see a place, I'm just it's like
a meal. I just can't wait to dig in.
Speaker 2 (08:18):
It's true there's millionaires billionaires row and the landscape is
not interrupted by the cottages. We think of it as
cottage country. But I when I was watching this, and
I'm mesmerized, thinking to myself, Okay, i'll watch an hour today,
I'll watch an hour tomorrow. No, I watched all three
at once because I just got drawn right in. And
(08:39):
I look at these cottages, and I know that's not
only part of it, Mitch, but I do look at
the cottages and I think of the families there. I
can picture them in a way. You know, as the
generations pass and more and others take over, you realize
many of these places in the Mosco because are that.
And then there's of course the incredibly rich history that
(09:01):
I didn't know much about, but you, through you and
your team make it available to us subtly along the way.
You don't throw it at me like a hardball. You
just drop it in here and there, a little bit
trivia on this and oh hey, you see that building
over there, This is what it used to be. And
when it starts. I mean, I absolutely love the journey
(09:22):
and the pacing of it, which I'm sure for you
is is important also it is, and.
Speaker 1 (09:29):
We probably at some point, you know, watch it exactly
with your eyes to make sure that you know that
that pasting is right, like just when we think, you know, okay,
we need a little something, you know, then we'll put
in one of these information boards, and an information board
for us, you know is you know, and you remember
and you know them well now, but you know they're
like those old MTV pop up you know, video information boards.
(09:53):
There are only one hundred and sixty five characters, so
we have to you know that I can't remember how
many words that is, but it's not too many works,
so we have to percolate it down to it.
Speaker 2 (10:02):
You know.
Speaker 1 (10:02):
It takes rewrite after rewrite after rewrite. Like one of
the things I was saying to is that the you know,
the Adirondack chair or the Muskoka chair is an Aronduck chair.
In the Muskoka chair, I was fascinated. Didn't know, you know,
start to research it, and you know, the first chair
of that kind was you know, was was patented in
(10:23):
in an Adirondack, in a small town inside of the
Adirondack Park, and it became the Adirondack chair. But the
muskokas you know, we're famous as a tuberculosis retreat and
there were many tuberculosis treatment centers and the tuberculosis chair
in the muskokas was this wide you know chair so
that you know, because tuberculosis affected the lungs and for
(10:45):
the lungs to clear, they built these sort of wide
chairs with big arm or sure sort of in a
sitting position but slightly leaning back. So there's the Muskoka chair.
You know what came first. I guess Muskoka and Adirondack
will battle it out, but they both exist almost identically.
Speaker 2 (11:01):
Yeah, and I learned, you know, because of the air
and just the whole landscape and the climate and such,
it was perfect for those kinds of reasons and applications.
But you know, we're speaking with Mitch's area. By the way,
Tripping the Muskoka Lakes is the documentary. You may remember
we've spoken to Mitch. I think with every single tripping
(11:23):
the in the series, Tripping the Rito Canal, Tripping the Niagara,
the Bruce Train one eighty five, Tripping the French River,
and now Tripping the Muskoka Lakes. A popular TVO original
series Tripping and It's going to be premiering on digital
via broadcast at nine pm on TVO April twentieth. April twentieth,
(11:45):
and also on the same day earlier in the day
at nine am on TVO dot org, tvodocs YouTube channel,
TVO channels, on smart TV services such as Apple TV, Roku,
and also on the website where you'll be able to
see them all Tripping series dot c A. You start
off in Gravenhurst. I wanted to ask you why you
(12:06):
start there. And I'm not trying to give any spoilers here,
but at the very very beginning, as even in the
press release, it says Mitch, we sort of join a
couple of Muskoka locals, and I think that's perfect. I
feel like I'm climbing in this stunning Mahogany vintage boat
with them to go for a trip trip in the
(12:27):
Muskoka Lakes. What a what a great idea. How did
you choose the people that you were using there and
how that came to be the Gravenhurst beginning.
Speaker 1 (12:35):
Yeah, and we were looking for someone we definitely wanted,
you know, we wanted to locals, and and I saw
a little tiny YouTube video about a boat builder up
in Muskoka, and he just seemed like such a neat
character yet a real passion for, you know, for what
he was doing. And then what made him incredibly interesting
(12:58):
is he was transforming gasoline powered vintage boats into electric boats.
And I thought, you know what, like here's a you know,
a guy in his late sixties who's you know sort
of you know, did done a little pivot. And then
I started talking to him and I realized, you know,
his great great great grandfather, you know, gave the first
(13:19):
sermon at a you know, boat only church on the lake.
And how you know, he sings in the choir and
he's you know, completely connected to the lakes and the
history and knew I mean you could point to almost
any cottage in any of the big three lakes and
he could just kind of reel off its entire history.
He was so attached to the place, so he was
(13:40):
a no brainer. His partner, you know, equally as enthusiastic.
So they just seem like you know, like a like
a like a like a great you know a lot
of what you see in that film, you know, came
out of their suggestions. You know, places that you know,
you you had mentioned off the top about you know,
some hidden gems, and they're the ones that sort of
(14:01):
told about those. You know, those are big lakes to
be searching on your own.
Speaker 2 (14:05):
Oh yeah, and it's so much more than only going
along and seeing a lot of water and a lot
of opulent, fantastic cottages. There really is so much more
to the Mesco because that I didn't know. And I've been,
like a lot of people up through cottage country, a
little bit here and there, rented the odd cottage. Some
I have friends who own cottages up there too. But
(14:26):
this really gives you an idea of the vastness of
the whole area, the culture, if you will, behind it.
You mentioned the boat only church, which I love seeing
in this. I'm so glad you included that. That is
a real anomaly, by the way, and I can't wait
for people to see that. But you know, going through
this you also don't just stay above water. I've noticed, Mitch.
Speaker 1 (14:50):
Yeah, you know, we knew that there had been and
it's a tragic story. In nineteen thirty four, a steamship
called Wyoming and it's always this way. We found it
on the broost, you know, it's on its glass trip,
you know, heading back to Gravenhurst, and it was a
real fluke fluke storm, and it hit it broadside, dipped,
(15:12):
you know, its entire side into the into the lake.
So it sank very very quickly. And you know, the
waters is the water in the Muskokas is it's quite
dark and it's it's it's hard to see anything after
sort of a foot of from the surface. But we
had this incredible team. It's they're a couple, Zach and Yvonne,
(15:35):
and they have an underwater drone the size of a
coffee table and it's got great big lights on it
and they can get they can go as deep as
three hundred meters. It's an incredible, incredible machine. And we
went down to this uh, this this wreck and it's
it's breathtaking. It's got it had a very heavy hull,
so it landed, you know, perfectly upright. And you know,
(15:58):
the scene as we get to this wreck is it's
it's almost the Titanic, you know, where you see that
bow come out of the dark, you know, and it's
and and then to think of you know, because right
before we we go underwater, we do a three D
animation to show the storm, show the you know, the
ship and you know how it you know, and how
(16:19):
it tipped and how it sinks, so you see the sinking.
And then as the boat is going down, we go
down in the water in live action, and and and
and show you the entire wreck. And it's haunting. It's
really really haunted. We use the drone again to to
see some of the fishwife and it's it's quite fun
because the small mouth bass. I kept saying to to Zach,
(16:43):
why why are they why are they staring at the camera,
you know, at the drone. Well, the drone has like
a it's it's it's it's got like a bulb on
it where the where the lens is, and it's sort
of circular and and it's and it acts as a mirror.
The water is clear enough and the fish are seeing themselves,
so they're just sort of they think it's another fish.
(17:05):
They're kind of giving them the stink eye, you know,
and looking really grumpy. I've never seen fish like that before.
It's really cool like that. Their faces to me are
like it's like they have personality. They're kind of saying,
what are you doing here?
Speaker 2 (17:20):
You know?
Speaker 1 (17:20):
Like anyway, it's wonderful to see underwater, isn't it. I Mean,
if you're going to be on a lake, if you're
to be on any body of water, you kind of
want to see.
Speaker 2 (17:28):
What's going on for sure. The stories are magical and
interesting and sort of horrific. Also a couple of them.
There's a great story. I'm not going to talk about
it too much because I want everyone to see it,
but there's a great story about John le bat from
the Lea Bat Beer family that is just stunning to me.
(17:50):
It drew me right in again even further and so
much more from all these different regions. Did you have
any challenges along the way? Now, I understand spent an
entire summer filming this and and working it. How is
the weather for the whole summer, Mitch? Was that ever
a concern? And anything else go on? Anything else happened?
Speaker 1 (18:10):
Yeah, I mean the weather. You know, the weather is always,
you know, always a challenge. It actually kind of worked
in our favor because, you know, winds as tough as
anything else, and it wasn't a particularly windy summer. That
helped us a lot. You know, it's it's it's it's
always a challenge. And it's funny that you brought up
the jungle with that story. And I love the fact
(18:32):
that one of his kidnappers was named three finger Ad.
That's that's just like, I mean, that's out of a movie.
It's out of a movie three things or eight. So
it's funny. You know, we were talking about that shot
that we that we got with the church, and that's
you know that it was a tricky shot because you know,
(18:52):
if if we if I sort of draw the curtain
a little bit when it's a drone shot that starts
really high up in the sky and an eventually kind
of comes down, goes across a dock, through a little
bunch of trees, and then into the church right up
to the preacher. And what I what I what I'll
tell you about it is that the two guys standing
(19:14):
on the dock, one of them, one of them is
our director, and he has a hand literally in in
in getting that drone and bringing it into the church.
And we almost called him four finger John. It was
a close call.
Speaker 2 (19:34):
That's great. I know you had quite a team working with.
How many people were working on this? Would you say,
I'm looking at your name here? Andrea Mintie, Producer and
writer John Morrison, director, Peter Warren, Mark Alberts, Is it
Matt necked night? Excuse me? I do know how to
thank you for connecting me Matt West. And there's probably
(19:56):
others too, But it sounds like you had a really
stellar team with you.
Speaker 1 (20:00):
It's it's it sounds like a big team. And some
of those guys obviously are you know, our post guys
that are doing animation stuff. But the three of us,
John and Peter and I are are like, we're you know,
this is TVO sort of you know, you know, public
television sort of budgets. So it's it's a small crew.
(20:21):
It's you know, it's the three of us with a
boat driver. We we do we all do a little
bit of everything. It's just it's the reality of you know,
of of of of filmmaking these days. You know, budgets
are smaller, lean and mean is the way to go.
I think that's kind of true in everything nowadays.
Speaker 2 (20:40):
They must love you at t v O because you know,
you've come up with these amazing uh documentaries. Do you
feel like you have to one up yourself every time
or is it sort of doing the same thing but different?
How would you describe it? Every time you approach a
project like this, you want to be even better than
last time? How do you do that? Yeah?
Speaker 1 (21:01):
Yeah, yeah, we definitely want to you know, we want
to be better but we also want to you know,
balance right, and and you know when you when you said,
you know when you when you went through the list
of them, you know, so you know, we went on
a train, and we went on a canoe, went on
a sailboat, went underwater, you know, to visit Rex. We
try and you know, make each one, you know, a different,
(21:22):
different mode of transportation the next one. You know, I'd
like to I'd like to find a kayak. I'd like
to go further north. You know, I think you know
it's our you know, if we're doing what we're doing, well,
we're representing Ontario well, and we're taking you know, the
vast majority of people live in southern Ontario. A lot
of the places that we go to they may never
(21:45):
you know, have an opportunity to visit. So we take
a lot of pride in saying, okay, you know, can
we take Ontarians that may not have an opportunity or
just don't have a time or can't get to these places.
So we take them there and leave them with the
feeling that you know, they know another part of their
own province right, and that they can take pride in
(22:06):
their province. I always tell the story about, you know,
sitting with the head of TVO, Jan Ferry, and saying
to them, you know, do you know we're the most
northern community in Ontario is and it's it's Sports seven.
And we were sitting in his office in Toronto and
I said to him, you know, sports Severn in Ontario
is as far from us as Atlanta, Georgia is. That's
(22:28):
how big this province is, you know. And you know,
I'd like to keep pushing north, you know, and keep showing,
you know, parts of Ontario that Southern Ontarians just won't
believe that that's still part of their province.
Speaker 2 (22:39):
Yeah, it's so true. We almost default, don't we too.
When we think of vacations and going away, so to speak,
we think of getting out of the country. But there's
so much vastness and diversity and expansive beauty in our
own country, let alone our own province of Ontario. For
goodness sakes. It's massive, it really is. There's so much
to see. And you know, if you u who would
(23:03):
you say? This is for a mitch before we sort
of wrap it up here for now at least anyways,
The tripping the Muskoka Lakes is the name of it
tripping the Muskoka Lakes. Who are you speaking to? Who
is your ideal viewer in your mind? Who are you
when you're creating it, when you're doing all the different
cinematography with your team and such, and which is spectacular?
Who do you think you are speaking to and appealing to.
Speaker 1 (23:27):
Yeah, you know, that's a that's a great question, because
I want to make sure that any local who sees
it comes away knowing a little bit about their own backyard.
But at the same time, I want anybody you know,
you know, in in the big areas of you know,
(23:47):
Toronto and Ottawa windsor work to say, you know, that's
a cool part of my own province and I'd like
to go there. I'd like to see it. But if
I if I do, you know, I've had a pretty good.
Speaker 2 (24:01):
Look at it, absolutely, And has there ever been a
better time than right now to think about seeing your
own province and being in Canada. You know, we hear
about it on the news every day, which I know
we won't get into, but I'm sure that that plays
a part of it as well, too, doesn't it.
Speaker 1 (24:19):
It really does, And you know, particularly for you know,
someone in in in Toronto I mean in an hour
and forty minutes, you can be engraven Earth. You can
get on a steamship that's you know, one hundred and
forty years old. You can take a two hour tour
that takes you through you know, the narrows. I can
see a bird sanctuary, go to a millionaire's a row,
(24:42):
you know, see the vastness of Lake Muskoka, and you know,
have lunch, come back, you know, two hours later, and
be back, you know in Toronto an hour and a
half later. I mean, it's it's it's it's right there, right, It's,
it's right there.
Speaker 2 (24:57):
So true Mitch's area. It's Tripping the Mascoke Lakes from
the makers of Tripping the Rideoucanal, Tripping the Niagara, Tripping
the Bruce, Tripping Train one eighty five, Tripping the French River,
now Tripping the Muskoka Lakes. April twentieth on TVO. Following
this incredible success of the entire series. It's and you'll
(25:19):
see it, of course, via broadcast at nine pm on
April the twentieth, and also streaming on some of your
favorite streaming services as well, like YouTube channel. The website,
which we talked about smart TV apps as well that
are connected to tvotvo dot Org, tvo Docs, Apple TV
(25:43):
Roku nine pm April twentieth on Tvo and of course
starting at nine am actually on the apps and such
in streaming services. But make sure you go to the
website to check the check it out afterwards tripping series
dot ca and have a look at all of them
when you really want to get away. That's one way
to really get away and let Mitch and his team
(26:04):
do it for you expertly, and by the way, you
learn a little something along the way too. I'm absolutely
enamored with this. I couldn't wait to tell im good
wait to tell I mentioned my mom to you off
the air earlier. I couldn't wait to tell my mom
about this. You know, we love the Musko because as
a family, and I said, Mom, you gotta see this.
This is because you know, she loves like a lot
of people. I know, I'm getting personally here riding along
in the boats and looking at all the great cottages
(26:25):
and all that sort of thing, right and owing and awing,
and it is that. But it's so much more than that. Mitch.
You've really brought something uniquely Canadian to all of us,
whether you're up there regularly like you say, or for
those who have never ventured north of Highway seven. I'm
just saying it's a must have. Thanks so much for
doing this and I can't wait for whatever you have
(26:48):
planned going north in the future too. All the best
to you and good luck with Tripping the Muskoka Lakes.
Speaker 1 (26:55):
Thank you, Norman, and thank you for screening. It means
a lot to talk to you and know that you've
watched it, and I really really appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (27:04):
Thank you for having my pleasure. Absolutely it's Tripping the
Muskoka Lakes. Go to their website of course, as we said,
Tripping Series dot ca A and tune in on April
twentieth and going forward. I'm Norm Murray. This is News
Talk SAGA nine sixty. We'll be back right after this
(27:30):
stream us live at SAGA nine sixty AM dot CA
Popular Podcasts
CrimeLess: Hillbilly Heist
It’s 1996 in rural North Carolina, and an oddball crew makes history when they pull off America’s third largest cash heist. But it’s all downhill from there. Join host Johnny Knoxville as he unspools a wild and woolly tale about a group of regular ‘ol folks who risked it all for a chance at a better life. CrimeLess: Hillbilly Heist answers the question: what would you do with 17.3 million dollars? The answer includes diamond rings, mansions, velvet Elvis paintings, plus a run for the border, murder-for-hire-plots, and FBI busts.
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.