PaBIA’s eBlast August 6, 2025

Lastly please remind everyone in your family who pilots a boat that when passing an oncoming boat, especially through narrow channels (station channel is a good example) – they should pass port to port (red light to red light). Likewise in busy narrow channels, it’s better to s-l-o-w down than try to win the race in front of another boat. It’s not a race to see who can get somewhere first but rather getting there safe and sound!

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Table of Contents In this eBlast:

PaBIA

• PaBIA Series – In the Footsteps of the Group of 7 & Tom Thomson – Wednesday, Aug.13 @ 4 pm
• MNR Bear Wise Briefing: Preventative Measures – Part 2
• PaBIA‘s Saturday Sailing Race: August 9, 2 pm Poplar Island in Station Channel
• PaBIA’s On-the-Water Boater Coaching Class 9 am Wednesday, August 13
• Literally on the Bay – The Golden Summer by Carley Fortune

OF INTEREST

• Ojibway Art Show Fundraiser Marketplace & Online
• ToA Large Item Pick Up Day – THIS Saturday August 9
• OHPS Annual Meeting – Saturday, August 16 at 10 am.
• Georgian Bay Forever Slide Presentation from Annual Meeting
• Did You Know?? Bottled vs GBay Water
• Georgian Bay Forever Annual Report 2024
• Georgian Bay Association Update July 2025
• CZBL Review ToA Open House in Parry Sound: Tuesday, August 26th from 3-5 pm
• Lake Michigan-Huron Water Levels – August 5, 2025

PaBIA

Join Us for a Slide Presentation by Sue and Jim Waddington

In the Footsteps of the Group of Seven and Tom Thomson

Wednesday, August 13 @ 4 pm
Ojibway Movie Hut

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Should you wish to read the entire briefing, please click here to read it in its entirety. Otherwise, this discussion will be shared in four separate parts. Part 2 is below.

Bear Break-in Preventative Measures – Knowing how bears get attracted to or into a cottage provides us with helpful pre-emptive measures.

1.       Take down bird feeders. Did you know that 1 bird feeder can hold up to 30,000 calories and bears are naturally looking for food to ward off their hunger (spring) or ‘stock up’ for their hibernation (mid-summer to late fall.)

2.       Store all dry pet food INSIDE a cottage. Feed your pets inside (not on a porch).

3.       Do not leave dirty diapers (or anything stinky) on a screened in porch!

4.       Close and lock all windows and doors before retiring for the night.

a.       Even a window on ground/entry level that is cracked open a little bit is enough for bears to get its paws around the opening, destroy it and enter the cottage – especially kitchen windows and areas where food is stored.

b.       Screen doors or old entry doors with a simple door latch are not enough to deter a bear.

c.       If you have sliding doors, place a pole at the bottom of the closed door frame between the door and the frame to prevent the door from opening.

5.       Put away all food in containers and off the counter (no sense letting the bear enjoy the smells of sausages or baked goods!)

a.       Bears are attracted to sweet foods: fruit, sweets, veggies, etc.

b.       Freeze meat scraps until you take your trash off the island.

c.       Do not put meat, fish or sweet food such as fruit in a composter

d.       Burn off your grill after cooking

e.       Don’t leave out meats or bones

6.       Food Garbage is the number ONE reason why bears are attracted to cottages.

a.       Remove all garbage from the kitchen counters (put in an airtight closed container and remove from the island often. Do not stockpile garbage).

b.       Use a Food Cycler

• disperse the dregs around outside – just not all in one place (one cottager said the dregs were put into the garden and the garden scent wasn’t appealing!) or
• put it in a Ziploc bag and add to your trash
• use a garburator

c.       Empty all bacon grease/grill drippings into a can and freeze until removing it from the island on garbage day.

d.       Used butcher wrappers from foods (meat, fish, etc.) should be well rinsed and then placed in a Ziploc bag before throwing into the trash.

Brandon wants everyone to know that if you have a bear break-in or see a bear around your cottage, it is imperative that you call the MNR Bear Wise Hotline 866-514-2327 to record the incident asap.

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PaBIA’s Sailing Race on Saturday

In a west wind, there is a sheltered anchoring ground (red circle), good for rigging up on the south side of the Station Channel (yellow arrow), just west of Poplar Island.

The Station Channel carries a fair bit of traffic. Although sailboats generally have right of way, there are exceptions and not everyone knows the rules. Please keep an eye out for others using this waterway.

Want to be added to the sailing email list or for further information, please email Jamie Isbester by either clicking on his name or text/phone him by finding the information on page 292 of the 2025 Yearbook.

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PaBIA’s On-the-Water Boater Coaching – NEXT Wednesday, August 13

Randy Johnson will again lead this coaching class – so sign up in the Ojibway Club office for NEXT Wednesday. Bring your boat to the back Ojibway Docks. If you have questions, please email him before next Wednesday. It’s never to late to learn/brush up on your boating skills!

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Literally on the Bay

Now Alice lives behind a lens. As a photographer, she’s most comfortable on the sidelines, letting other people shine. Lately though, she’s been itching for something more, and when Nan falls and breaks her hip, Alice comes up with a plan for them both: another summer in that magical place, Barry’s Bay. But as soon as they settle in, their peace is disrupted by the roar of a familiar yellow boat, and the man driving it.

In a recent interview Fortune was asked about the decision to set the book in Barry’s Bay, Ontario. “I heard that getting a setting was a problem. I needed to have a broad audience. If you want to reach a broad audience outside of Canada, you’re advised to set the book on a beach in the United States. But, I love the setting of Barry’s Bay. Who doesn’t want to escape to Canada for the summer?” Fortune was determined to take a risk and, against industry advice, set the book here; a decision that continues to reach that broad audience.

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Of Interest

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Did You Know?? from David Sweetnam

Q. Which is better: Bottled water vs UNfiltered Georgian Bay water?

Answer: Bottled water is better

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Q. Which is better: Bottled water vs Filtered* Georgian Bay water?

Answer:

Filtered Georgian Bay water is better – with the caveat that the following recommendation given for the filtration and treatment of water pumped from the Bay is specific to the Pointe au Baril area:

Complete filtration and treatment consists of a 3 step system:

1. sediment,
2. carbon, and
3. micron filter

plus a treatment program using:

1. reverse osmosis and
2. UV

But at a minimum, doing the filtration is mandatory for safe drinking water.

By installing a filtration and/or treatment system at your cottage means no longer buying/carrying/discarding plastic bottles that are harmful to the environment!

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All Too Clear – filmed and directed by Zach Melnick and Yvonne Drebert

David also mentioned the documentary about the Great Lakes and why having the water all too clear isn’t necessarily a good thing. Find out why in the following documentary…please click on the picture below to access it.

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The Ojibway Art Show Fundraiser opens Tomorrow!

10 a.m. at the Ojibway Club + Online

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Comprehensive Zoning By-law Review 
NOTICE OF PUBLIC OPEN HOUSE

In Memoriam

Kieron Bayley, past PaBIA member, 36 Payne’s Rd. and 190 South Shore Rd., husband of Diana, father of Chris (Justine), David (Leslie), Nicole (Matt French) and Miranda (Ray), June 18, 2025.

Paul Andrew Buchanan, past PaBIA member, A510-76, husband of Martha Cumming, father of Stewart and Meredith Buchanan, March 12, 2025.

Heather Doner, A96 – 44 Champlain Monument Is. ‘Dunkerron’, wife of Jim Doner, mother of Nathan (Laura), Scott, and Kaileigh (Kyle), grandmother of Cole and Tayte, and sister of Randy (Jan) and Bonnie (Barb), June 5, 2025.

Hillary Weston, A468 – 2 & 3 Carolyn Is., wife of the late Galen Weston, mother of Galen G. Weston and Alannah Weston Cochrane, August 3, 2025.

Yearbook Update

Water Levels

Lakes Michigan/Huron Water Levels August 5, 2025.

To better read the charts, please click on the chart for the Daily or Six Month Forecast Water level chart and the corresponding websites

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Please support PaBIA’s Yearbook Advertisers 2025

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