The G8 Summit in 2010 is sure to bring a whirlwind of activity to small-town Ontario.

It's amazing to see how such an event can really change a small town in the middle of the woods.

In a little over a year from now leaders from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom, USA, and Europe will invade tiny Huntsville, in Muskoka Ontario, along with at least 3000 members of the media.

I am amazed that the G8 Summit will be conducted where I've lived for the past 6 years in this sleepy-town community. Touted as Toronto's outdoor playground, gateway to the wilderness, Algonquin Park, multi-million dollar cottages and picturesque lakes surrounded by rolling hills, the Summit will bring many benefits to this area.

Planning for the "Political equivalent to the Olympics" in July 2010 has been going on for over a year now, and the town has had a welcomed injection of $50 million dollars from the G8 infrastructure fund. Most of the funds will be used to upgrade and enhance the town, and probably a significant portion will go into security costs for the 3-day event.

Also it was announced a short time ago, that The University of Waterloo, with assistance from the G8 Fund, will create a world-class research and learning facility for environmental and ecological sustainability in Huntsville. That one came out of left field.

Spending aside, in such a rapidly changing world what will be the leaders focus next July? The economy, the environment? The Middle East or the global food crisis?

Can the Summit achieve anything besides throwing money into these host communities? Can they realistically reach the international "targets" set on poverty, debt relief, and increasing aid to developing countries?

Will there be any new and "outside the box" ideas and thinking?

Let's hope so.

The Big East River which cuts through Huntsville and into Algonquin Park, exhibits great winding beauty and force.

A Great Blue Heron in Algonquin Park, one of many species you can get close to.

Lone Moose can still be seen wandering the side roads of Muskoka.