ON THE WATERFRONT South Channel Association Fall Newsletter www.southchannel.ca Family Fun Day 2014 Newsletter Issue: Fall 2014 Important Contacts 911 - for Medical, Safety, Fire Telehealth Ontario 1-(866)-797-0000 Hydro Outage 1 - (800)-434-1235 Township of the Archipelago (705) 746-4243 West Parry Sound Health Centre (705) 746-9321 The annual Family Fun Day 2014 took place at Craganmor on Sunday, August 17th from 10:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. SCA Executive Member, Grant Heikkila organized the event and his wife Laura Heikkila created a program of crafts, games and water play. Said one participant, Fire Safety & Prevention http://www.thearchipelago.on.ca/i mages/fire-prevention-2011.pdf Inside this issue: “This was the most fun I had all summer!” President’s Message 2 AGM Raffle Report 5 Friends of Massasauga Park 5 Water, Water Everywhere 6 SEE MORE Winter Cottaging 7 FAMILY FUN DAY SCA Committee Messages 9 Portraits of the Past 10 SCA Executive Contact List 13 PICTURES www.southchannel.ca President’s Report A message from your newly elected president, Claudette Chabot Greetings to our SCA members this chilly September day. I do hope you are not yet finished with fun on the Bay just yet. It may be a long winter season – but I know there are many property owners who visit their lakeland play land all seasons. Some exciting news: Your SCA Executive and newly established committees are bursting with new ideas and ready to continue to take reign on the issues of concern for our shared water and lands of wonder. But first things first! October Election Voting Day is October 27, 2014. Approximately 95% of ratepayers in the Archipelago are seasonal residents. The Township of The Archipelago will once again be using Internet and Telephone Voting in the 2014 Municipal Election. I placed a call to the ToA Clerk on the final day for nomination of candidates to learn: To be eligible to vote in the 2014 Municipal Election in October of 2014 you must meet the following criteria: (a) resides in the local municipality or is the owner or tenant of land there, or the spouse of such owner or tenant; (b) is a Canadian citizen; (c) is at least 18 years old; and (d) is not prohibited from voting under any Municipal by law. Voting for School Board Trustee: Near North District School Board. English Public School Voter must: Be a supporter of the English-language public district school board – one to be elected. Two candidates: James Beatty (incumbent) [email protected] and Linda Anne E-Thompson [email protected] The French Public School Voter must: Be a supporter of the French –language district school board – one to be elected. Lone candidate: Dennis Boyer (contact info not given on ToA website) Note: There is no Separate School Board within the District. Question: My family owns a cottage. Can I vote in that municipality? Answer: In order to qualify as a non-resident elector, you (or your spouse) must be the owner or tenant of the property. If a family member who is not your spouse is the owner, and you have use of the cottage, you would not qualify as a non-resident elector. If the cottage is owned by a trust or corporation, you would not qualify as a non-resident elector. Are you on the voters list? It has become easy to perform this civic right from afar. Register at the ToA. They send you a PIN. You use that personal PIN to vote on-line or by telephone. You ought to receive this newsletter in time to check: If you are not sure if you are on the voters list, or want to register another owner/tenant/or spouse thereof to vote you must register your name for voting by calling or emailing Stephen Kaegi, Clerk and CAO at 705-746-4243, Ext.303 or email [email protected] with: 1. 2. 3. The name of all eligible voters The mailing address for each eligible voter The date of birth of each eligible voter. President’s Report . . . continued Voting for Municipal Ward 4 Councilors: - Three to be elected There is a total of 10 Councilors and 1 Reeve for the 6 Wards in the Archipelago. There are three positions for the SCA members in Ward 4 to vote for. Currently there are 2 incumbents. John Seagram (our 3 rd Councilor) is running for re-election this election year. We have two new candidates. At mid afternoon of this closing day for nominations there are 4 candidates for 3 Councilor positions: Rick Zanussi (incumbent) [email protected], member of both the SCA and SSCA Ted Christie (incumbent) [email protected], member of the SSCA John Pepperell [email protected], member of the SSCA Scott Sutherland [email protected] A Ward 4 Elections Committee is being formed by the Presidents of the four Associations within the Ward 4 catchment area: 1) South Channel Association (SCA) 2) San Souci Copperhead Association (SSCA) 3) Manitou Association 4)Woods Bay Association. We plan to hold joint meetings with each of the four candidates after planning clear and relevant questions to ask of each one. The Committee will then meet again after these question periods to discuss our recommended choices for council. The Associations may come out of these meetings with or without a unified decision. The SCA hopes to get Bios from all the candidates onto our website for you to browse. A recommendation from your Executive might be forthcoming in a separate mailing. The 2014 AGM Even though people had to drive to town for this year’s AGM, we had a full room at the Canadian Legion with some lively discussion; informative speakers; and a fun and satisfying luncheon. For those not in attendance you will benefit from reading the Minutes in the Spring edition of On The Waterfront. Pin this date for 2015: South Channel AGM, August 8, 2015 As is our custom during election years, the candidates for Council positions 10 – noon with lunch to follow. were given time to speak to those in attendance, incumbents Ted Christie Craganmor Resort, 7-Mile Narand Rick Zanussi addressed the members. John Pepperell arrived too late to rows speak but remained through the luncheon and members were invited to speak to him directly. Scott Sutherland was not a candidate at the time. Keynote Speaker Mr. Walker, Canadian Co-Chair for the International Joint Commission, cautioned us to remain vigilant about the water level issues despite all the precipitation raising the levels at your dock this year. Recorded levels in January 2013 measured the lowest in recorded history and both US and Canadian Government has yet to respond. Attendees appreciated further reminders of Bay living stewardship responsibilities from the following presenters: O.P.P Constable Tim Nicksy – Lifejackets, Licenses, Lights and Liquor, and to call 9-1-1 on dangerous drivers SCA Member and GBBR Volunteer, Lance Topping – on water quality issues. StoptheInvasion.ca Founder, Colin Dobel – on the horrors of the fast encroaching invasive plant, phragmites. Rick Zanussi , on behalf of Reeve, Peter Ketchum also spoke of the issue of concern to all ( inevitable hike in our municipal taxes) due to the decision made August 13 changing the method and allocation for funding the O.P.P. Newsletter Title Page 4 President’s Report . . .continued Your 2014/2015 Executive, New Committees, New Roles (Ever more devoted work) Claudette Chabot – President (ex officio to each committee) John McAllister – Vice President (ex officio to serve in absence of President), Chair, Environment Committee Liane Black – Treasurer Gervis Black – Past President Celese Fletcher – Secretary, Chair, Communications Committee Lis Wigmore – Co-Chair Membership Committee Pat Blundy – Co-Chair Membership Committee Grant Heikkila – Fun Day and Merchandise Coordinator Paul Morgan – Georgian Bay Association Representative Read on and check out what fun we’ve made and what more we aim to Do for you! Reports Raffle Fun Day Communications Environment and more….. Presentation to Matt Overend Fund: Past SCA President, Gervis Black, Craganmor Owner and wife of Matt Overend, Natalie Overend, SCA President Claudette Chabot at the South Channel Associations Annual Family Fun Day, August, 2014 Volume 1, Issue 1 Page 5 2014 AGM Raffle Report Our raffle was a great success this year as in the past. Our total revenue was $480.00. Seventeen Merchants and two cottagers made donations. We thank the Parry Sound merchants with a thank you letter delivered to each business. This gives us a chance to say a personal thank you to the Merchants so they know how much we appreciate their donations. We tried a different approach to the raffle this year and we had good reviews from the members about having the draws a few at a time throughout the Wood Burning Quality White Oak 25.7 Red Oak 24 Beech 24 Sugar Maple 24 Hemlock 15.9 White Pine 14.3 Balsam Fir 14.3 by Eliana Wheeler meeting. Special thanks goes, again to Denys Reed for another year of his enthusiastic ticket sales. Thank you to Robin Argenta, Lis Wigmore and Eleanor Reed for setting up the draw table and looking after the distribution of items. We thank the merchants of Parry Sound for their generous donation to our annual draw: Archipelago Canadian Tire Kitchen Cupboard Bulk Store Georgian Bay Propane Harris Furniture Huckleberry’s Island Queen Cruise McNabb Lumber Parry Sound Furniture Parry Sound Golf & Country Club Parry Sound Home Hardware RONA Lumber Sobey’s TD Bank Town Trading Post White Squall Wellington’s Restaurant Based upon BTUs measured in millions per cord. Friends of Massasauga Park Massasauga Park has recently entered into a formal agreement with some local cottagers and interested others to create a "Friends of Massasauga Park" organization. Many provincial Parks have such groups, of which Algonquin is the most famous. The general intent is to support the Park objectives in various ways. Most recently, Massasauga Friends were instrumental in building fire pit grills for campsites. Helping clear trails is also on the list. As a new group they are just in the process of setting up websites etc. Two South Channel members are currently exploring the possibility of joining the Board and would be a logical liaison with SCA. For more information or to join the Friends group, go to https:// www.facebook.com/pages/Friends-ofthe-Massasauga- Park/138465632875330 . We will keep you updated on further developments. ON THE WATERFRONT Page 6 Water, Water Everywhere Remember how last Fall at this time the level of water in Georgian Bay was a pressing matter for us, and the SCA spent most of its energy dealing with that issue. Then, lo! and behold, winter returns to its old-time massive bombardment and coupled with extra rainfall come Spring, we were pleasantly surprised to find the water level up again to near record height. Good news to most...if not all of you. Right? Not to Liane and me. We have had a permanent, fixed dock system which has served us well, even in low water, with an adjustment or two. Two summers by Past President, Gervis Black ago, I faced the entire dock of sixty feet with a new, improved piece of carpentry. But now, half of it was under water, and when every boat went passed, the whole structure waved back and forth...and eventually came loose and floated away. Next summer, 2015 will find me at work trying to address the new water level at my dock site. The fact that we invited our Commissioner of the IJC to our annual meeting in August was a clear sign that we have not solved the problem of low water levels...we have just been granted some time before facing up to the challenge again, so don't get too complacent. I think of something my Father used to say: “When the weather is dry, we must not cry. When the weather is wet, we must not fret. When the weather is warm, we must not storm. When the weather is cold, we must not scold... But be thankful together, whatever the weather !!” I'll try, Dad. Solar Energy for the Cottage Either power up the cottage or Get the cottage to pay for itself through the highest return and income from the Ontario MicroFit/FIT program. We have a cottage on 5 Mile Bay and install and service across Ontario. Call Bill Prout @1-855-676-5276 or Check out our website: www.enercontroltech.com Newsletter Issue: Fall 2014 Page 7 Winter Cottaging: a few considerations by Don Wheeler (Revised and reprinted by popular demand.) Assuming you are water based, have no running water in winter, and have some form of heating. BEFORE: Things to think about in advance of your trip □ Information: Reliable persons for ice conditions and routes. The Bay ice is very dangerous because of currents among islands. Discuss your plans with a backup person in case of emergency. http://www.wikihow.com/Know-When-Ice-is-Safe □ Conveyance: Pack, tow a sleigh, rent a sled, or contract a local? Layered clothing if walking. □ Car Parking at your usual site is not always available □ Timing – try to avoid late arrival – gets dark and cold early □ Slush strategy – possibly your biggest challenge. Footwear? □ Communication – cell phone, landline operating? Battery powered radio □ Waste management. Outhouse? Warm seat? Grey water disposal? Slop bucket. □ Plan your first meal without electricity – just in case, hydro outage number is 800-434-1235 □ Access to lake water. Auger & pump, chainsaw hole, nearby open water, pails. Chopping with an axe is no fun □ Drinking Water – carry, boil, filter, treat, but don’t even think of melting snow!! □ Access to the building - shovels available, screw drivers etc needed to open up doors or windows. Building shifts cause doors and windows to stick. □ Heating? Wood supply nearby, propane full? Pearhuna available? □ Snowshoes are important on most sites to access outbuildings, wood piles, and any travel on land □ Flashlights, extra batteries, candles, lamp oil, propane tanks full? □ Ski poles – safety across ice if walking. Sharpened tips act as ice picks in an emergency □ Camera – the winter potential is breathtaking . . . . . continued on next page Newsletter Issue: Fall 2014 Page 8 Winter Cottaging: a few considerations . . .continued DURING: □ Warm-up time – allow 24 hours – shut off extra rooms with door, blanket □ Some newer appliances (stoves, microwaves) require 24 hrs of warmth before using □ Get water, pack trails (they harden overnight), shovel steps and decks, locate BBQ near door □ Bedding – electric blankets are awesome to take away the chill □ Ensure you have warm indoor footwear □ Minimize humidity □ Ice dams – poorly insulated roofs can cause leakage (and dangerous slides if they are metal) □ Dry boot liners nightly □ Hopefully have access to a sauna □ “No footstep” principle □ Have Fun! Make Ice Candles, Snow Angels, listen to the Ice Symphony, light winter bonfires (great time to burn brush), go to different places, ice fish, brew mulled wine, and plan for summer! ON LEAVING: □ Open doors for at least 10 – 15 minutes to reduce humidity. Leave 2 windows partly open for ventilation . □ Remove all freezable liquids □ Separate mattresses etc. □ If you used drains, refill with antifreeze □ Pack out any refuse that might attract bears in the spring. Email: [email protected], or [email protected] From Our SCA Committees Membership Committee Co-Chairs Lis Wigmore and Pat Blundy. Member: President, Claudette Chabot Thank you for being part of the South Channel Association (SCA) and a special welcome to all new members! The South Channel Association makes a difference in our cottage community. Please encourage your cottage friends and neighbours to join our association. Together we are strong and together we have a voice! Watch for your membership renewal form in the February newsletter. Please contact Pat Blundy ([email protected]) or Lis Wigmore ([email protected]) regarding membership in SCA. Environment Committee Chair and VP SCA, John McAllister Members: SCA’s Georgian Bay Association Representative, Paul Morgan, President Claudette Chabot If you attended the SCA AGM, you heard a very interesting presentation from Colin Dobell about phragmites, an invasive plant that is slowly engulfing not only Georgian Bay wet lands, but much of our province. Colin, best known for his “Stop the Drop” campaign last year has now started a “Stop the Invasion” campaign aimed at bringing awareness to phragmites . You can check it out at stoptheinvasion.ca As a result of his presentation, the SCA executive has created an Environment Committee that will look at not only the issue of phragmites, but other important issues that affect our environment. If you are interested in joining this committee you are welcome to do so. I will be chairing the committee. As yet, no meetings are planned. I suspect that once the fall/winter season passes, we will look at gathering next spring. The intent is to bring awareness to our members and to learn what we can do to protect our treasured Georgian Bay. Please contact me at [email protected] Communications Committee Chair and SCA Secretary, Celese Fletcher Members: Newsletter Editor, Robin Argenta, Membership Co-Chair Lis Wigmore , President Claudette Chabot and guest Pat MacDonald The Communications Committee has begun working on it’s five objectives, beginning with a refresh of ON THE WATERFRONT and will continue in 2014/15 to: 1. Establish a SCA style to convey a consistent image. 2. Refresh the Newsletter. 3. Better use of electronic media including building upon the success of the SCA website. 4. Use events such as the AGM and Fun Day to enhance communications. 5. Work with the Membership Committee to support their communication. We invite SCA members to join the committee. Please contact Celese Fletcher at [email protected]. Portraits of the Past from our archives 2001: A Day in the Life of the President by Tracy Biggar, Past President My fellow executive members thought it would be a humorous anecdote for me to relate to the events that occurred before and after our August AGM, as sort of a “day in the life” piece. I think they are a bunch of sadomasochists myself, but here goes: Having a rather busy schedule, and a hectic life, I could not make it up to the cottage for the long weekend in August. I decided I would just come up by myself Saturday, for the one night, and head back after the AGM on Sunday. So, Saturday morning I set out early, expecting to be at the cottage by noon. All the rest of you people should have already been up there, and there should be little traffic. Not so. The roads were jammed and it took me an extra 2 hours to get up to Parry Sound from Kitchener. And along the way, just at the Holland Marsh (you never see anyone working the fields at the Holland Marsh -- have ever noticed that? It is Ontario's salad bowl and yet, apparently, their produce is harvested by elves under dark of night). But I digress…. At the Holland Marsh my car decided to quit on me. Just stopped. Wouldn't go. Sat there for a while, considering my options (now, see if there were people working the fields, I could have sought their help, but noooo). Then, did the only thing that us non-mechanically inclined can do in such a situation, said a prayer and turned the key. And it turned over! Not sticking around to ask questions, I joined the line of cars, crawling up the 400 at a snail's pace, and kept a going. Made it to the MacDonald's at highway 89 and stopped to check out the car and get a bite. Of course, the line up was 30 deep. Of course I was in the slowest line. Of course, when they rang up my order it came to $6.66! I don't know. I am sure I have ordered a Quarter Pounder Meal before and it has never totalled $6.66.I told myself that that was not a bad omen. Of course not! Made it to Parry Sound, got over to the island and discovered that there had been a break in attempt at our cottage. 4 window screens had rips in them, and the back screen door had been torn off it's hinges. The offender had not made it into the cottage though, the offender being a mama bear and her two cubs, which have been harassing the island this summer. I put things back together as best I could, and then went next door to my sister's cottage to see if the bear had been there. Oh, yes, indeed, it had. It had pushed open the porch door, to get access to the kitchen window from the porch. It then smashed the window, crawled in and had torn the kitchen apart. It was just like a scene from a Disney movie, there were broken canisters and flour and sugar everywhere. And broken glass, and tuffs of bear hair! So, I can't leave it like this. My sister and her family are all in Calgary and won't be back for weeks. I don't know how to turn their pump on, so I bucketed water up from the bay and cleaned it all up. It took me several hours; a cottage has a lot of nooks and crannies. I have to admit as I moped up the sugar, that I held a secret wish that the bear would develop diabetes. Then there was that big gaping hole where the kitchen window used to be, so I nailed a piece of plywood over it, 3 inch spike nails. Hung my sister's very cutesy "wipe your paws" back up. From the state of the kitchen wall I could tell they hadn't followed that directive anyway. Headed back to my cottage, and made the mistake of phoning the matriarchs in our family to tell them what had occurred. They put their heads together and suddenly I was no longer "allowed" to stay at our cottage alone. I was sent off to the relatives to spend the night. Sunday morning, up bright and early and headed out. Had my boat filled with boxes of stuff for the AGM. Since I don't dock at Glen Burney, I drove my car from my marina, Point Pleasant, over to Glen Burney. The AGM was great. Everyone pitched in to help. Even though it was a very hot day, many people stayed behind to help us load up the chairs and tables. Thanks to all of you. Portraits from the Past: 2001 A Day in the Life of the President . . . continued My car got loaded up again and I headed back to Point Pleasant Marina. When I got there, there were fire trucks in the upper parking lot, blocking any access down to the boat docks. I don't know why they were there, but there they were, and they were not budging. So, box by box, I trucked it all down to my boat. It is a good walk even on a cool day and it was STINKING HOT. Finally I got it all in the boat and headed back to my cottage where, I promised myself, I would just stay long enough to have a beer on the deck, then head for home. But before I do that, I should check my sister's cottage again. That thick piece of plywood, nailed in with spikes had been pulled off the window like it was cardboard! Where, yesterday, they had just pushed the porch screen door open to get access to the kitchen window, today, they had ripped both screens off the porch doors. And this time, once in, not being satisfied with what they had previously found on the counters, they got into drawers (pulled the drawer plates right off) and into the fridge. So, now, there was salad dressing and macaroni noodles all over everything. I wiped the place clean one more time. Nailed the plywood back on, again with the 3-inch spikes, but with them spaced every 2 inches. That plywood is never coming off. (Sorry about the loss of your view sis). Then nailed huge plywood sheets over both porch doors. (not an easy task alone!) I have told my sister that she needs to have a crow bar with her when she returns to that cottage, or else she ain't getting in. Finally, back to my own cottage. There is not time left now for that aforementioned beer on the deck. I will just pack up and go. However, now I find that the wild life at our cottage had been busy. No, not bears, MICE! They had gotten into the food in our pantry. OK, so I clean that up. I bag that garbage, and all the garbage from my sister's cottage, and lug it back to the city with me. Back down I go on the 400. It is late Sunday afternoon of a long weekend. There should be no traffic till Monday. But, of course there is. It is even worse then the drive up. I finally abandon the 400 and take highway 27. It is bumper to bumper. Then my car decides to die again. At the side of the road, cursing. Give it a couple of minutes, it starts no problem. What is going on? Make it back to Kitchener late at night, put the garbage out on the curb and collapse into bed. Wake up Monday morning, and all the bear garbage from my sister's cottage, and all the mouse garbage from my cottage, is strewn all over my sidewalk, as some animal has gotten into it. So I get to clean up one more time. I am thinking of rescinding my membership in the World Wildlife Fund. Stop laughing. ON THE WATERFRONT The South Channel Association Communication Committee publishes On the Waterfront three times a year with Fall, Spring and Summer Issues. Advertise with us!! Contact the Editor , Robin Argenta at [email protected] for details and advertising rates. Classifieds are FREE for South Channel Association members. Watch for new features in Spring 2015 “Things we learned the hard way at the cottage" Photo Contest Classifieds are FREE for SCA Members! Buy, Sell, Trade & Share Special Moments Photo Contest Details in the Spring 2015 Issue Contact Robin Argenta: [email protected] Wishing you a safe and enjoyable summer! Offering: Quick courteous service Factory trained mechanics Summer dockage and hi-dry service Winter Storage Large, well staffed gas dock Ample, convenient parking Clean restrooms open 24 hours BBQ propane exchange Contact: Drew and Sherry Lichtenheldt Telephone: 705-746-9671 Email [email protected] Web: www.ppml.co Contact Us SCA Executive Claudette Chabot President , 2014 to current [email protected] cell 613-914-1432 Non-Executive Gervis Black Past President 2010-2014 [email protected] Liane Black Treasurer 2010 - present [email protected] John McAllister Vice President. Chair Environnent Committee [email protected] Celese Fletcher Secretary Chair, Communications Committee [email protected] Lis Wigmore Co-Chair Membership Committee [email protected] Pat Blundy Co-Chair Membership Committee [email protected] Paul Morgan GBA Rep [email protected] Grant Heikkila Chair, Fun Day and Merchandise [email protected] Pat MacDonald Web Master [email protected] Robin Argenta Newsletter [email protected] Eliana Wheeler AGM Raffle [email protected] Special Thanks to our Supporters Glenn Burney Marina 705.746.6215 P.O. Box 184, 25 Glenn Burney Road, Parry Sound [email protected] www.glennburneymarina.com Georgian Bay Marina Jeff Beitz 705.746.9559 [email protected] 99 Rose Point Road, Parry Sound www.georgianbaymarina.ca Georgian Bay Propane Inc. Bill McLean 705.746.2175 55 Great North Road, Parry Sound. Pharmasave Lane Family Pharmacy 705.746.2187 [email protected] 4 Pine Drive, Parry Sound www.mmmeatshops.com Point Pleasant Marina Drew & Sherry Lichtenheldt 705.746.9671 [email protected] Box 85, 32 Point Pleasant Rd, Parry Sound. www.ppml.co Sound Boat Works Ltd. 705.746.2411 [email protected] Box 190, Parry Sound. www.soundboatworks.com Craganmor Point Resort Matt, Natalie & Andrew Overend 705.746.5774 or 1.877.333.3736 [email protected] 85-B704 McLaren Island, Parry Sound www.craganmor.com G & B McNabb Lumber Co 705.746.2147 or 1.800.810.0156 [email protected] 22 Seguin Street, Parry Sound www.mcnabblumber.ca 707.746.5894 [email protected] 115 Bowes Street, Parry Sound www.parrysoundrona.com Parry Sound Marine Kelly & Rudy Krist, Mike Hergaarden 705.746.5848 [email protected] 51 Great North Road, Parry Sound www.parrysoundmarine.com M&M Meat Shops Stephen & Beatrice Burford 705.746.1200 [email protected] 4 Pine Drive, Parry Sound. www.mmmeatshops.com Georgian Bay Whole Foods 705.746.5584 Dellard Labrosse 20 James Street, Parry Sound Canadian Tire Donald Clothier, Associate Dealer 795.746.2133 30 Pine Drive, Parry Sound www.canadiantire.ca LCBO 705.746.5591 19 Seguin Street, Parry Sound
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