PaBIA’s eBlast August 2, 2023

As a follow up to Alex and Abby’s Marine Patrol article of last week, Rob Muir shared the above stunning photo of this Eastern Massasauga rattlesnake on the pathway to his cottage. Take a look, not only at the diamond shaped pattern of the skin, but perhaps more telling is the diamond head shape AND the distinct rattle seen at the tail.

Well this past week has provided another half inch of rain (last Thursday) plus more on Friday, which then gave way to sunny and less humid weather for the Junior Regatta! What a GREAT turnout (see below)…full of laughter and fun!

PaBIA Volunteers ROCK!

What a remarkable group of fine people!!!

PaBIA volunteers are everywhere! They’re younger, they’re older, or more likely somewhere in between. But regardless of age, they all share one incredible gift… they are all undeniably GIVERS of the first degree! All that generous effort rolls up to create the most successful Cottagers’ Associations on the Eastern shore of Georgian Bay.

Have a look at this list of our most recent PaBIA volunteers.  Eighty Pointe au Baril neighbours doing everything from protecting our environment, and organizing regattas, to training our Marine Patrol and making sure our navigation markers are helping us home, and hundreds of things in between. We are truly blessed to live in a community with such deep resources of generous neighbours.

PaBIA Sailing Clinics

There are two more Sailing Clinics left this season: Sunday August 6 and Saturday August 12. We have had great success so far introducing or reintroducing people to sailing! The goal is to learn the basics in a friendly and calm atmosphere. Adults have been enjoying sailing the new RS Zests purchased this year by the club! Albacore, Laser and Flying Scot are also available. Register here 

PaBIA’s REAL Blueberry Pancake Breakfast
@ 9:00 a.m.
&
Annual General Meeting 9:30 a.m.
Monday, August 7 – Ojibway Dining Room
with Speakers,
Earl Manners & Scott Sheard,
ToA Ward 3 Councillors
“The Channel Ahead”

As part of our rolling Capital Replacement Plan for the PaBIA navigation markers, we will be replacing 10 wooden stick markers with permanent markers each year. As we move into August and September, you’ll start to see this year’s 10 new permanent markers appearing in various locations around the Bay, bringing the total number to 24. As they are installed, the location of the markers may shift slightly to allow for differences in anchoring systems for the new markers. The permanent markers are larger, have have heavier anchors and chains, and therefore require a different approach to installation. In addition, we may choose to replace 2 stick markers with 1 permanent marker as the new markers are more visible and provide a better aid to navigation. So don’t be alarmed if the new markers aren’t exactly where the old one used to be.

It has been an interesting year for the old stick markers. By July 1^st, we had already replaced more broken markers (hit by boats) than the whole of last season. It is important to remember that the markers are AIDS TO NAVIGATION. They do not mark a fixed path such as with highway lines. Their location may shift as the water water levels go up and down during the summer and from year to year. Wind and currents also shift their location. If you are unfamiliar with a channel and are not sure where the rocks are located, SLOW DOWN and proceed with caution. It is your responsibility to navigate safely, considering the size, speed, and limits of your boat.

As a final note, PaBIA maintains 2 lighted beacons in the area. These beacons were originally Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) maintained light beacons, but several years ago the CCG retired them from operation. PaBIA took over ownership and maintenance of the beacons as they were deemed to be important for local navigation. For the last 2 years, the light

PaBIA’s Marine Patrol stewards 16 GBLT properties – two of which are Friend Island and West Lookout. Once again it is good to be reminded that for all GBLT properties, NO campfires of ANY kind and NO overnight camping are allowed! In addition, it is important to respect the ecosystems, keep dogs from running free, and “leave nothing but footprints, and take nothing but pictures”. Please notice that this differs from public land (crown land) where campfires and overnight camping are permitted.

On the 2019 printed maps, however, there are two unfortunate mistakes.

Marine Patrol Events of the Week

The past week has been particularly busy for the Marine Patrol with the Junior Regatta coupled with usual weekly responsibilities..

Your Nature on the Bay

Written by Trudy Irvine, PaBIA Director for Education. Each week, Trudy will be bringing Nature to you with her wonderful eye for unfolding a deeper meaning for us all to consider.

The summer of 2023 has brought a bumper crop of both blueberries and raspberries to the region. Longtime Sudbury blueberry vendor, Arthur Choquette, forecast a good harvest earlier in the season, noting that lots of moisture from a good winter snow cover and plentiful spring rains, plus spring temperatures warmer than the last few years, had gotten things well underway. Luckily, the delicate flowers of the blueberries had already turned to fruit hardy enough to withstand a relatively late May frost, and, of course, the drop in temperature was not as great out in the Georgian Bay islands, given the moderating waters of the lake. We continue to be blessed by moderate temperatures and regular rains.

Some neglected whipper snipping on my island last year led to the delightful discovery this year that raspberries bloom on two-year-old canes. The heady scent of their blossoms and fruit has been filling the air since early June, and veritable clouds of bumblebees have been buzzing busily amongst the bushes. They studiously ignore me as I jockey for space with them, picking fruit, weeding out grasses, and taking copious amounts of video meant to sustain me through the winter months.  Somewhere, there is some lovely raspberry-tinged honey being made.

The theme of bountifulness also extends to our night skies this summer. Because the moon orbits the earth in a slightly elliptical orbit, sometimes it is a little closer to earth and sometimes a little further away.  A supermoon takes place when a full moon occurs near the moon’s closest orbital point to Earth and is larger and brighter in appearance. This summer is seeing the appearance of four back-to-back “supermoons”, in July, August and September. Tuesday evening’s supermoon arose in the east just after the sun set in the west but will still look full when it rises this evening. The supermoon on August 30^th can also be called a “blue moon”, as it is the second full moon in a month.

Literally on the Bay

Book recommendations by Charlotte Stein, owner of Parry Sound Books

Edited by Janet Irving, Education Committee.

There is nothing – absolutely nothing – like reading a book on a summer’s day on Georgian Bay! This summer we suggest some books that are literally set on the Bay – or feel so much so that we just had to include them

NATURE PAINTING IN WATERCOLOR by Kristine A Lombardi will help you learn to create florals, trees, forest animals, and much more in watercolour. Discover the essential tools and materials, painting techniques, and tips for finding inspiration outdoors. Easy to follow instructions – just what you need to begin, or continue, to paint the world around us – a perfect cottage pastime!

Should you wish to replace either the carbon pellets (need to be replaced every 3-6 months) or the filter, or need some other part for your FoodCycler, please visit their website.

Should you need to contact them with questions, please write them at this support email address.

Ongoing at 7 p.m., there will oe weekly Monday evening AA,’ Al-Anon meetings of the inaugural 1906 Group at the Ojibway Club. Meetings will he held on the screened porch (adjacent to the dining room and front veranda).

The 1906 Group is an open meeting – all are welcome – based on traditional meetings of AA and Al-Anon. Many of us in Pointe au Baril have loved ones who battle various addictions and substance disorders; and of course, there are others of us who face these challenges ourselves or simply want to hear how others have overcome their own cravings. The 1906 Group will alternate between speaker-led formats and readings pertaining to the disease of “more” and there will always be opportunities for individuals to share openly and discreetly.

Remember… ‘What you hear here, Who you See here, Stays here’.

We look forward to seeing you on Mondays at 7 p.m. the rest of August.

Arts on the Bay – Tonight, August 2

PaB Community Centre

4 p.m. Social; 5 p.m. Dinner; 6 p.m. Show

Folk artist known throughout North America as the lead singer and founding member of multi – platinum country-roots group Prairie Oyster, Russell deCarle has spent the last decade carving out a solo career, concentrating on songwriting and rhythm guitar playing. ” I’m proud of the stuff I wrote for Prairie Oyster, but now I get to tell my own story with my material.”

Our special Artist this year is Karen Lediard – Metis artist working in mixed media.

To subscribe to our Eblast, visit our website and look for the “sign up for our Newsletter” button at the top right hand corner, which, when pressed, will direct you to where you can fill out your name and email to subscribe to our Eblast mailing list.

Here is the July 2023 GBA Update

https://georgianbay.ca/flipbook/GBA-Summer-2023/

With each eBlast, we will provide you a list of names of those members who have provided updated contact information. The details of all the changes since the 2022 yearbook came out in late April are provided in THIS printable format for you to print out and insert into your own Yearbook! As of August 24th, here are the changes.

Julia Garry (correction and address change)

Peter Watson & Sandy White (address change)

Emergency 

• PaB Nursing Station
• Canadian Coast Guard 
Search and Rescue
800-267-7270
• PaBIA Emergency info

PaBIA

• Board Minutes June 2023
• PaBIA Map 2019 correction
• Environment and Nature
• Education