PaBIA eBlast July 17, 2019

Volume 11 No.12

Dear PaBIA,

These last two weeks have been gorgeous – so now a little rain will be a good thing for everyone and everything!

The PaBIA Naturalist, talking about Wildfires and why some thick, boggy areas don’t burn, even though there is wildfire all around, was fascinating! Perhaps more importantly, though, learning about the potential impact of the loss of the deep peat (deep, compacted soil created over an extended period of time such as in our area where there hasn’t been a burn for a long time) and how that when it is burned off by fire, the burn leaves the rocks bare, which, in turn, hastens the water runoff into the Bay.

In this eBlast:

PaBIA’s Needs Photographer(s) to Join the Team!
PaBIA’s Needs Volunteers for the Junior Regatta!
PaBIA’s ALL member Triathlon Event – Saturday, July 20
PaBIA’s Sailing Races 5 & 6
Ojibway’s 4th Annual Craft Beer & Food Festival July 20
PaBIA’s Community Picnic with Brad – Monday, July 22
PaBIA’s Boater Coaching and PCOC Exam – Wed, July 24
GBLT Painted Rocks Walk with Nick Eyles – Thursday July 25
PaBIA’s Junior Regatta – Saturday July 27
GBLT’s Conservation & Climate Change – Sunday, July 28
PaBIA’s Regan Flying Scot Race Week – July 29-31
ToA Game of Thrones – Tuesday, July 30
PaBIA’s Senior Regatta – Saturday Aug 3
PABIA’S Pancake Breakfast & AGM – Sunday Aug 4
PaBIA’s Marine Patrol – on Patrol
Fishing Catching Up!
Habitat for Humanity PaB Build – Women Rock!
WPSHC – Non Urgent Clinic Open 7 days a week
Ontario Birds – Yellow and Black Throated Warbler
Lakes Michigan & Hurons Water Levels July 12, 2019
Yearbook Update
In Memoriam

Looking for a Way to Give Back?

Do You Enjoy Taking High-Res Photography?

Help Needed!

PaBIA is looking for someone(s) who would like to join Mike Berton taking quality photographs of various PaBIA events – more assuredly the Junior and Senior Regattas. These high resolution photos are then used in the PaBIA/Ojibway Yearbook and add immensely to the quality of the production!

Dave Hitchcock has been taking high quality photos for us for upwards of 15 years…and says he needs to step away from doing so. So to Dave, MANY thanks for your many years of service, sharing your artistry and professionalism with PaBIA. You will be missed!

If YOU would like to share your skill sets and work alongside Mike Berton, please contact him ASAP. We could use your help this summer!

Wednesday’s PaBIA Coaching and Testing

With Randy Johnson – July 24th, Not Today!

Randy Johnson will again teach boater coaching and provide the Boat Pro Seminar and Testing next Wednesday, July 24th. Please sign up for either one of these opportunities at the Ojibway Office or PaBIA Marine Patrol Hut behind the Ojibway Gift Shop.

Week Starting Wednesday, July 17th

PaBIA Triathlon

Saturday, July 20, 2019

Come Out, Join the Fun and either Participate or Rally the Troops!

Medallions for all Participants

Winners in each Category Receive

C. Ian Sharpe Award

Categories: First Female Overall,

First Male Overall,

Mixed Pairs

Saturday, July 20th

8:30 Gathering; 9:00 am Start

All PaBIA Members are welcome!

Contact with questions: Virginia Walker

Last chance to

Sailing Race Near Poplar Island – This Saturday

Last Saturday, we held the first annual Mike Mosley Memorial Regatta, honouring over 30 years of the Mosley family running our races on the Committee Boat. The races were held in the open (above), with the weather defying forecasts and giving us sunny skies, nice winds and manageable waves. Rainer Kaufmann and Madeline Arsenault kindly hosted the Rendezvous where we celebrated Mike and the Mosley family’s significant “unsung” contributions to our summers.

The next races are this Saturday July 20 on the Poplar Island Course, with the Rendezvous hosted by Jane Wilkins and Derek Wilson at Ragged Edge M90.

Week of July 21st

Rock Walk at Painted Rocks

July 25 (rain date August 1),

12 pm picnic, 1 pm walk,

Painted Rocks (Charles Inlet)

Join the Georgian Bay Land Trust and “rock star” Dr. Nick Eyles for a tour of the geological history seen in the rocks beneath our feet. Optional: come out early and join us for a picnic (bring your own). If you would like to be guided out, a boat convoy will leave the Ojibway Club docks at 11:30 sharp. More information

Remember When You Were in the Junior Regatta?

We are still looking for volunteers if there is anyone who is interested in helping out on the day of the event. Please send a message to Margaret Berton if you would like more information or just want to volunteer!

Upcoming Opportunities

Mark Your Calendars NOW

LANDMARK Speaker Series: Conservation & Climate Change

July 28, 4-6 pm,

Doritty Cottage on Castor Island (A207-1)

The Georgian Bay Land Trust presents Dan Kraus, Senior Conservation Biologist at the Nature Conservancy of Canada, for a discussion about the

impacts of climate change on Georgian Bay and
the critical role of conservation.

Light refreshments will be served. For more information

Flying Scot Race Week Coming Up!

The annual Regan Flying Scot Race Week hosted by Gail Regan starts Monday July 29 and runs from 9:30 am to noon, with lunch provided. All are welcome to attend this free 3 day course held at her Ojibway Island cottage, which focuses on learning how to race with multiple starts and plenty of on-the-water training. All you need to bring is a lifejacket and some water. For more details, contact Margie Wheler.

Annual Flying Scot Regatta

A reminder that the annual Flying Scot Regatta will be held Friday, August 2, starting at 11 am for Ojibway Bay.

Ongoing Programmes

Marine Patrol on

Little McCoy and

West Lookout Islands

Monday July 15th was a very exciting day for the Marine Patrol in terms of wildlife! In the morning we travelled to Little McCoys and saw a rattlesnake bathing in the sun! Then in the afternoon we went to West Lookout Island where we saw a bald eagle fly above our heads while watching a young bear wander around the island!

Non-Urgent Care Clinic in the West Parry Sound Health Centre Emergency Department

When: Now until August 31, 2019

Where: Emergency Department

Time: Noon to 4 PM

Women Build Community!

Thanks to the volunteerism of two Ladies’ Build Day groups, and one family group, we have some big news….. the first-floor walls are UP! The house is beginning to grow vertically, and it wouldn’t be possible without your help. To: The 23 women who volunteered on our site this week, thank you.

To their male counterparts: let’s step it up!

With the walls up, we are looking ahead to one of our next hurdles- the roof. We are (Fund)Raising the Roof on this house, one truss at a time! Trusses cost $300 each, and with 14 trusses required for our Habitat home, we very much want and need your support.

Donate now and see your contribution in real life. Better yet, sign up for a Build Day with your friends or family and sign your name and well-wishes on the truss that you donate and house that you’ve helped to build.

Email Rachael Allen to volunteer. Get a group together and get started!

To donate (including to the Raise the Roof campaign), click here! And for US Taxpayers, click here!

Of Interest

Excerpts from Our Ward 3 Councillors’ Newsletter

To receive the whole Newsletter, please contact Scott Sheard or Earl Manners to join their monthly email Newsletter.

Community Brief – Pointe au Baril

South Shore Road Traffic Calming Initiative

At the request of residents along the South Shore Road, TOA Council has asked Staff to plan and implement, on a trial basis, multiple traffic calming initiatives along this road that serves a significant part of our community including residents, tourists, businesses and cottagers.

It is our understanding that traffic concerns have been expressed by the Community for decades and that singular remedies have not delivered results.

The stretch of road identified of greatest concern begins at the Township docks continues to the Community Centre and Nursing Station and up the succeeding hill heading south and west. Measures in combination may include but not limited to the following:

Increased OPP presence,
Speed humps,
Road painting,
Signage,
Speed limit reduction and other measures.

While the speed limit is 40 km/hour in that area, the road has little or no shoulders and the curves in the road also impact visibility and speed. Please mind your speed when travelling along the South Shore road and look for the new signs near the Community Centre. The children’s playground and use of the Community Centre is significantly up.

Speed and Wake PaB Harbour

The high water levels are impacting the shorelines of residents and businesses on both sides of the harbour. We have witnessed boats travelling at high speed and/or with large wake throughout June and now into July.

Please be aware that we are all responsible for damage from our wake and a great neighbourly policy would be to travel at a maximum of 8 kph or 5 mph when entering or exiting the harbour. It adds only 4 minutes to your transit time to and from Neil Cameron’s dock and you are obeying navigation rules!

July Fishing: After a Slow Start, the Bite is On

[10 lb Northern Pike (Harrison, bottom right), 18 inch walleye (Spencer), 21 inch walleye (Anna) and 18 inch smallmouth bass (Harrison)]

Several PaB fishers I spoke to reported fishing was disappointing during the long weekend in July. I found the same thing: skunked. However, the action appears to have picked up since. Many thanks to Sandy Boeckh for passing along some great photos of family’s and friend’s accomplishments. After a week of no action, her sons Spencer and Harrison and his girlfriend Anna Graham finally got some fish in the boat. All fish in the photos below are back swimming in the Bay. Good work Spencer, Harrison and Anna!

A reminder about the special restrictions for walleye: fish between 16 and 22 inches are to be released, a measure put in place to help rebuild the walleye population in our area.

Have you got fishing photos from this season? I throw the gauntlet down: show me what you’ve caught! Snaps telling me who the anglers are, the size of fish, and if you like, what kind of lure or bait you were using, please send along to Phil Jenkins.

Ontario Birds – Yellow Warbler

(Click on the picture to listen to one of its calls.)

Feeding Behavior

Forages from low levels up to treetops. Takes insects from twigs and foliage, hovers briefly to take items from underside of leaves, and flies out after flying insects. Males tend to forage higher and in more open foliage than females. Forages alone in winter in the tropics, defending a winter feeding territory.

Eggs

4-5, sometimes 3-6. Greenish-white, with variety of specks or spots of brown, olive, and gray. Incubated solely by female, 11-12 days. Male feeds female on nest. Very frequently parasitized by cowbirds. May defend against parasitism by rebuilding new nest on top of cowbird eggs, or by deserting nest. Young: Fed by both parents (female does more). Young leave the nest 9-12 days after hatching.

Young

Fed by both parents (female does more). Young leave the nest 9-12 days after hatching.

Diet

Mostly insects. Up to two-thirds of diet may be caterpillars of various kinds. Also feeds on mayflies, moths, mosquitoes, beetles, damselflies, treehoppers, and other insects, plus spiders; also eats a few berries.

Nesting

Males defend nesting territories by singing, sometimes performing fluttering flight displays. Male courts female by actively pursuing her for 1-4 days. Nest: Placed in upright fork of branches in shrubs, small trees, and briars from 2-60′ above ground. Nest (built by female) is compact open cup of weed stalks, shredded bark, grass, lined with plant down or fur. Males accompany females on trips to the nest and will occasionally help build. Females will steal nest material from other nests.

Lakes Michigan/Huron Water Levels – July 12, 2019

Yearbook Updates

Each week, we will provide you a list of names for those who have provided updated information. The details of all the changes since the Yearbook’s came out in April is provided in a printable format for you to print out and insert into your own Yearbook copy!

Donald & Patricia Freyburger (addition)

Lowinn & Mindy Kibbey (addition)

Poste, Russell & Jeannette (addition)

In Memoriam

Lorne Bushey (1938 -2019) Born in Pointe au Baril and a member of the Desmasdons staff for over 40 years, Lorne always had a friendly wave to folks from Desmasdons Red Barge and was an important member of the team that placed and removed the PaBIA markers annually, July 2019.