The Parry Sound Area Founders Circle has announced the five finalists for the 2023 Founders Choice Awards.

The five finalists, in alphabetical order:

1. A Bushel & A Peck

2. Georgian Medical Aesthetics

3. Northern Swine and Steer

4. Rewind Design Studio

5. Sound Youth Counselling

The finalists were chosen by the Founders from applications that were evaluated on the following five criteria: broad economic impact; innovation; scalability/growth potential; profitability potential, and demand for product/service.

www.parrysound.com

King Family Bursary Winner: Katy McNabb - Georgian Bay Land Trust

“Congratulations to this year’s King Family Bursary winner, Katy McNabb! Katy will be using the bursary funding to produce the second season of her environmental cottaging podcast, Rewind Design. Katy McNabb is a cottage interior designer, and sustainable design advocate, born and raised in the heart of the Thirty Thousand Islands, Parry Sound.”

www.gblt.org

How they got the shot

“We always see cottage country from the boat, car, or dock, but hardly ever from the air,” says Katy. “The drone lets me see how cottages fit into the natural landscape.” She uses her drone primarily for site analysis for her work as a designer, but she admits it’s expanded her love of photography. “It shows me a new perspective. The islands seem to line up perfectly—I would never have known that from the ground.”

What makes it a winner

Drone shots are often discounted as an easy way to get a great photo with minimal effort, but they do require technical skill—the angle and focus need to be calculated with precision. This photo makes the viewer feel like they’re leaving the atmosphere, as the water and the sky blur together. But it’s the details of the sunken islands, the cottage roofs, and the boat cutting across the frame that really capture cottage life.

cottagelife.com

Your next great listen: “Rewind Design” a podcast on the history of cottages in Georgian Bay.

“Welcome to Rewind Design, where history meets sustainability, led by Georgian Bay Interior Designer, Katy McNabb, ARIDO. Graduating with a Bachelor of Interior Design from Ryerson School of Interior Design, she is a Registered Interior Designer, as well as NCIDQ certified through National Council of Interior Design Qualification.” 

arido.ca

Parry Sound interior designer shines a light on Ontario's cottage country with podcast

“Katy McNabb is rewinding back into history with her podcast “Rewind Design” and exploring what makes up the cottages along the shores of Georgian Bay. “I think it’s the most rewarding thing I've done ever,” said McNabb. “It takes a lot of time, but it’s worth every second.” “Rewind Design” shines a light on Ontario’s cottage country, cottage design and the intimate stories of cottage history. In Season 2, McNabb dives into building sustainability on the Bay.

www.muskokaregion.com

Katy McNabb awarded GBLT’s King Family Bursary  - My Parry Sound Now

“A local interior designer and podcaster is the recipient of this year’s King Family Bursary. Parry Sound-born Katy McNabb started her podcast, “Rewind Design,” in 2022 to talk about the history of Ontario’s Cottage Country. According to the Georgian Bay Land Trust, which gives the award, McNabb will use the $3,500 bursary to create a second season of the podcast. It will be focused on sustainable design, featuring building industry professionals. “

www.myparrysoundnow.com