PaBIA eBlast December 2018

Volume 10 No.33

Dear PaBIA,

We hope this upcoming holiday season, however you celebrate it, will be full of joy and laughter and gratitude – grateful for our families, friends and our health; as well as our collective ability to enjoy summers on Georgian Bay in a community that cares passionately for the natural beauty and bounty that surround us.

PaBIA also wishes to thank so many of you that took the time to share your thoughts and opinions with us via PaBIA’s survey. Your responses to the survey will serve to guide PaBIA as we move forward into 2019! More on this in the New Year!

Tom Lundy – New PaBIA Director of

Member Safety Portfolio

Your PaBIA Directors are delighted to welcome Tom Lundy to take on the all important Member Safety Directorship! He has worked closely with Scott Sheard at the Township level as the past Councillor of Ward 1 and is a perfect fit to take on this all important position vacated by Scott Sheard so he could run for Ward 3 Councillor.

Tom is semi-retired, lives in Pointe au Baril year round, and is eager to take on this all important challenge! One of his many responsibilities as a Councillor was representing the Township as the Representative of the Parry Sound District Emergency Medical Services Advisory Committee. He was also a member of the PaB Save the Ambulance Base Committee (the hired consultant had recommended relocating it to Britt) and instrumental in our new PaB Nursing Station and Ambulance Base Complex. So he is already well versed in the emergency concerns we share and looks forward to working as a PaBIA Director toward finding the best solution to our islanders’ concerns with regard to long term and effective Emergency Response for Pointe au Baril. Welcome Tom!

David Sharpe – New PaBIA GBA Representative

David Sharpe has graciously agreed to represent PaBIA as one of its Georgian Bay Association (GBA) representatives along side Mike Berton. David said, “I am looking forward to sharing both our love and passion for Georgian Bay and the business of keeping it pristine for future generations.” This is an important position as they both bring much to the table at the GBA and, in turn, report back to PaBIA regarding issues of concern and interest. A major portion of each member’s dues goes to the GBA which serves as an umbrella organization up and down Georgian Bay

David has also agreed to continue to help as Marketing & Membership Chairs as he had done prior to his taking a leave of absence last summer. We are delighted to again have him actively working for PaBIA.

Marine Patrol Candidates – 2019 Summer Program!

Do you have an interest and ability to serve your community? Protect the environment? Participate in scientific testing? Promote boating safety and the interests of a dynamic community association? The Pointe au Baril Islanders’ Association (PaBIA) is seeking students currently enrolled in Grade 12 or College/University who have a strong interest in the local environment, protecting community quality of life, and promoting better boating safety.

Employment Period:

Saturday, June 22 to Monday, September 2, 2019

(Training week is from June 22^nd to June 30^th).

The Marine Patrol position demands maturity, dedication, and teamwork. Individuals will be required to work autonomously, follow well defined protocols, and demonstrate sound decision-making in advancing PaBIA’s agenda and those of its partners: Georgian Bay Land Trust and the Canadian Coast Guard. It is a ‘resume worthy’ position with attractive compensation for students that are looking for a demanding position with serious responsibilities. Please click here for key responsibilities and requisites!

If interested, a detailed job description can be found at PaBIA’s website The DEADLINE for receipt of all resumes is February 22, 2019. Please submit a cover letter, resume, and references by email to: Cath Fairlie, Marine Patrol Supervisor and Nancy Rogers, PaBIA Secretary-Treasurer.

Fall Cottage Patrol

Bruce Tiffin completed his fall patrol in November. Photos and reports of any problems found were sent to the property owners. All reports were weather related: roof shingles off in 5 locations plus one chimney cap blown off; open doors and windows which Bruce was able to close and secure. For the first time since Bruce took the Patrolman’s job 10 years ago, he had to use his Scoot to reach properties where ice had formed earlier than expected.

Channel Markers

In our efforts to begin bringing our channel markers up to the standards required by the Coast Guard for ‘private markers’, during the past summer discussions were held by the committee headed by Jim Rogers to look at viable options. Four protype permanent markers were purchased from a company based in BC. The plan was to place these in the Fall in four different locations as tests to determine if they would stand up to winter ice and water currents and stay in place. Unfortunately, unforeseen delays in shipping and early formation of ice resulted in delivery too late for installation. These new markers will be placed in 2019.

New Edition of the PaBIA Map

Map Chair, Jim Rogers, has met twice with the cartographer to make the large number of changes required. We expect the 2019 edition of the Map to be completed in time for it to be available for all the retail outlets in early May.

If you have not already done so, please email Jim Rogers with changes…please provide the island/property number in question, the changes you believe need to be made and a drawing attached if possible. Jim will let you know he’s received your email!

2019 Membership Dues

Annual dues remain unchanged! Invoice forms will be in the mail early in January. Options for dues payments: on-line by credit card through PaBIA’s website in the Membership section; by e-transfer to Nancy Rogers; by cheque mailed in the addressed envelope provided.

Successful GBA & GBF H₂O 2018 Event

A very successful H₂O 2018 event was held and videotaped in October in Toronto. And now you can enjoy the presentations at home from your own computer!

Co-hosted by Georgian Bay Forever (GBF) and the Georgian Bay Association (GBA) and sponsored by Bruce Power, the event featured expert speakers on:

Climate change,
Microplastics pollution,
Invasive Phragmites,
Cage aquaculture and more.

To start, get a quick feel and overview of the day in this 7 minute video.

We will be sending the links to these videos available over the next couple of months by topic.

See the first topic: Climate Change – there can be no doubt. It’s here and it’s going to get worse.

See this compelling 36 minute video by Dr. Carto, from the office of the Environmental Commissioner of Ontario (ECO).

It was one of the highest audience-rated presentations from H₂O 2018. It is so imperative to see because of the urgency to mitigate even worse effects, and because the Ontario government has essentially just eliminated the independence of this important office.

Check Out the Great Lakes and Specifically

Lake Huron Water Trends

One of the fun ecological hobbies is to look at comparison data to give us a sense of what the Great Lakes are telling us about the trending direction of various factors of our waters.

One such measurement comes from the GLCFS (Great Lakes Coastal Forecasting System) where they do a GLSEA or Great Lakes Surface Environmental Analysis. Take a look and see the temperature trends for

Georgian Bay! (It may take a bit to load up!)

Please remember that should you see that the eBlast content has been truncated, please go to the bottom of the eBlast where it says: “the [Message clipped] View entire message“. Once you click on the verbiage, the entire message/side panel can be read

Information for Americans Wishing to Transfer Canadian Property

“U.S. taxpayers who own natural lands in Canada are often interested in transferring their property to the next generation of family members and/or permanently protecting their lands in Canada. In both cases, conservation can be a valuable legal and financial strategy. There are tax incentives in both the U.S. and Canada to encourage conservation of priority natural lands in Canada.

“Landowners from the U.S. are often unaware of either the potentially dire implications of Canadian taxes or the good news about available incentives. These landowners and their professional advisors, from both the U.S. and Canada, need to know how the tax codes of the two countries interact and how tax benefits can help with estate planning.

“With support from the Ontario Trillium Foundation, American Friends and the Ontario Land Trust Alliance (OLTA) developed tools to inform U.S. taxpayers and their advisors about how to conserve land in Canada, and the potential U.S. and Canadian tax benefits.”…American Friends for CA Trusts

You are invited to access one of these tools, Save Some Green, A Handbook for US Taxpayers, through completing a form on the American Friends of Canadian Land Trusts website to join their mailing list so you can download the article and be alerted when new information and tools become available.

Sandy McCoy, on the Board of American Friends, consolidated some of the major points here.

GBLT King Family Bursary

King Family Bursary Applications are now open for the 2019 King Family Bursary. If you have an idea for a project that will contribute to knowledge and appreciation of Georgian Bay’s environment, culture, or communities, we’d love to hear from you!

Supported by Wally and Marilyn King and John Hartman, the King Family Bursary gives two awards of $3,500 each year to projects that promote awareness and appreciation of the unique environment, culture, communities, and/or history of eastern Georgian Bay or the North Channel. Past recipients have come from a variety of fields, and we encourage applicants from the sciences, arts, humanities, and more.

Applications are due by February 8th, 2019, and projects must be completed by June 2020. For more details and to apply, please click here!

Henvey Fire Update

The Key River Area Association and GBA have been working closely with Dave Seglins at CBC since the fire started and earlier this month Dave published his article on the fire.

Please note the embedded videos which are short and well worth watching. This is an ongoing file and we will keep you apprised.

ToA is Requesting Your Opinion:

Cannabis Retail Stores in the Township?

Recreational cannabis was legalized on October 17, 2018 by the Federal Government and it is now legal to purchase and use cannabis for recreational purposes across Canada.

In Ontario, currently the only way to legally purchase recreational cannabis is online through the Ontario Cannabis Store, but beginning in April 2019 it will be available for purchase through private recreational cannabis retail stores.

The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) will be the provincial regulator authorized to licence private recreational cannabis retail stores. The Ontario Cannabis Store will be the exclusive wholesaler to these retailers.

The province is providing municipalities a one-time opportunity to opt-out of having private recreational cannabis retail stores, within their municipal boundaries, by January 22, 2019.

Council has directed that staff gather public opinion with respect to the possibility of private recreational cannabis retail stores locating within the Township of The Archipelago. Please complete the following short survey: Cannabis Retail Sales Survey

Please be advised the final day to access the survey will be Friday, January 4th, 2019.

Cormorants

The Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) is proposing a hunting season for cormorants at the request of the commercial fishing industry and supported by the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters.

GBA is opposed to this, as are the Georgian Bay-based First Nation bands, GBF and GBBR. The primary reason GBA is opposed is because there have been no studies done linking the decline in fish stocks to cormorants and, therefore, this needs to be researched first. If a study shows that a cull is necessary, it should also determine the most viable method to reduce the cormorant populations. More information on this can be found here.

Environment Commissioner’s Office Merged with Attorney General

Last month GBA submitted a request to Premier Ford to reconsider the proposed removal of the Environment Commissioner’s independence, as per the attached letter. To demonstrate the importance and relevance of the Environment Commissioner, and underline why [she] should remain independent, please also see her 2018 report here.

In Memoriam

Ron Buttineau, son of the late Gene and Theresa Buttineau (G1600), brother of Alvin (Laurie) Buttineau (G1570), December 2018.

Klaudia Gross, Leisure Bay Marine, South Shore Rd., wife of Karl Gross, mother of Diane (Frank) Penfold, November 2018.

Warren Moysey, Sr., A510 – 29, husband of Barbara, father of Graham (Fabienne), Valerie and Warren Jr., step-father of Ryan (Tess) and Heather (Justin) Gallagher, December 2018.