PaBIA’s eBlast June 14, 2023

RESTRICTED FIRE ZONE (RFZ) NOW IN EFFECT

Due to the extreme forest fire hazard, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry has declared a Restricted Fire Zone effective Thursday, June 1, at 12:01 a.m. local time for the Northeast Region, which includes the entire Parry Sound District.

During a Restricted Fire Zone, the use of open fires – such as campfires, or burning of brush or debris, is restricted. Failure to comply could result in fines of up to $25,000 and three months in jail, as well as financial responsibility for the costs incurred in fighting a forest fire.

Summer’s here! With this email, we start our weekly eBlasts for the season! We will do our best to keep each blurb short….wherever possible! The goal is that there is a variety of information – something for everyone!

Yesterday, I double-checked with the Township regarding the Extreme Fire Ban. Although there has been a bit of rain, the Ontario government has not changed its restricted fire ban. It is still in effect!

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In this Eblast:

PaBIA:

• Do You Know How to Start Your Own Firepump?
• PaBIA Membership Has Its Privileges! Check out various Fire Pump Accessories!
• Floating ‘Homes’ NOT ‘Vessels’ Designation – Support is Needed To Change Categorization
• PaBIA Sailing 2023 – Tune Up Race, Saturday, June 24^th at 2 pm.
• PaBIA Learn-to-Sail On-the-Water Weekend Program at the Ojibway
• WhatsApp Directions for Connecting with One’s Neighbours

Of Interest:

• Celebrate Indigenous Culture – GBB
• Canada Day 2023
• NEW – Archipelago Express – ToA Spring Newsletter
• ToA Waste Management – As of June 14, FoodCyclers are still in Stock!
• ToA LARGE ITEM Pick Up Day – June 26
• WPSHC Northern Angel Boat Tour Silent Auction
• 10 More Days of Preseason Tennis & Pickleball!
• LOST – Wooden Boat and Ramp
• Sign up for ToA E-News Link
• GBA May 18 eUpdate for 2023
• Yearbook Update as of June 10, 2023
• Lake Michigan-Huron Water Levels – June 12, 2023

PaBIA

Awareness

As I, Cath Fairlie, PaBIA Director of Member Safety, sit here writing this article, it’s a sunny afternoon in May and spring is in the air. However, the day is grey, and the skies are full of smoke from the BC and Alberta wildfires. Yes, Fire Season started in May this year! Already the fire rating in Pointe au Baril is EXTREME, which means no open burning except for cooking and warmth (campers only). No fireworks!

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While the actual pumps are not included in the savings, the hoses, nozzles, caddy, and any other related accessories often add up to more than the cost of the pump!

Bobcat of Parry Sound is our local Honda Compact Power Equipment dealer, located conveniently at 25 Woods Road, just north of Nobel off Highway 69.

Call ahead to order and ensure your equipment is in stock.
Open Mon. – Fri. 8 am – 5 pm, Sat. 9am – 12 noon
705 342-1717

Remember to show this message at Bobcat of Parry Sound to receive your savings!

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Floating ‘Homes’ NOT ‘Vessels’ Designation – Support is Needed

Below in blue is the Safe Quiet Lakes June 2023 Newsletter as explains it. We thought it worth sharing!

Floating homes that can pull up and park on any lake or river have put our cottages, waterfront communities, and marine environments at risk. They have also exposed major gaps in the oversight of Canada’s waterways. 

Transport Canada (TC) has labeled them vessels, which means they are under federal jurisdiction on any navigable waterway. Others call them water squatters – they are exempt from all provincial and municipal rules and regulations so long as they are classified as vessels and are not physically connected to the shoreline. 

And they have floated into Port Severn, Ontario, on the Trent-Severn Waterway, and into Georgian Bay. One manufacturer of the floating homes – essentially converted shipping containers on barges – is advertising them as affordable waterfront alternatives and Airbnb accommodations. 

Aside from the encumbrances on lakes and waterways, the floating structures take advantage of other loopholes. For example, they do not have to pay taxes yet can consume a municipality’s resources in the event of a fire. They are also not subject to municipal bylaws on noise, lighting, safety, building codes, environmental controls or waste disposal. The National Post and Cottage Life have reported on the controversy. 

The risks to safe, quiet, and sustainable lakes are real in any province except British Columbia. Dealing with a rising number of houseboats and floating homes in Victoria Harbour, B.C. was able to obtain a TC policy that specifically regulates float homes around 20 years ago. 

Now others are picking up where B.C. left off. Gloucester Pool Cottagers’ Association, on the Trent-Severn Waterway, where the floating structures first appeared, has formed a national coalition to lobby TC to change their designation, consistent with B.C. Float Homes Not Vessels Coalition currently represents more than 30,000 cottagers. Organizers have started a letter-writing campaign to TC; are educating municipalities on the issue; lobbying MPs and submitting paper petitions to Ottawa to reclassify them as floating homes.

They are not trying to ban the floating structures, the coalition says. But by reclassifying them as float homes not vessels, they can then be managed by the same municipal and provincial rules that apply to landowners, cottagers and communities. A municipality does have the right to govern what’s in their lakebeds – so long as they are not labeled vessels. 

To facilitate the process, here is a master link to a website to the Float Homes not Vessels Minister Letter & Instructions to Complete

There are two links within the master link:

• The first link is to the letter to the Minister of Transport;
• the second link is to view instructions to send the letter to the Minister of Transport successfully.

GBA is endorsing this initiative wholeheartedly, and given limited available resources at the GBA, is deferring to the GPCA to rally support up and down the Bay! Please consider sending in your letter today.

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PaBIA Sailing Update – Tune Up Race – Saturday, June 24th @ 2 p.m.

So, brush those pine needles off on whatever sailboat you can get your hands on, check out the sails and sheets and pull the mast out from under the cottage. Evict nesting rodents and get out there for practice runs. Come on out for the June 24 tune-up race @ 2 p.m. (more later), then some or all races to follow. You don’t have to commit to a full race series. If one race is all you’re available for or all you wish to do, that’s fine. We’d love to see you out there.

We will be sending out regular Sailing eBlasts with updates on upcoming races: people looking for boats, boats looking for people and other sailing-related matters. Lots of information is also available on the PaBIA website under Activities/Sailing (https://pabia.ca/sailing/). If you’d like to be on the distribution list of these Sailing eBlasts, and/or have any questions or requests, please let Andrew Vanderwal know.

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PaBIA Sailing Clinics at the Ojibway

The dates for Learn to Sail are Saturday, July 15, Saturday, July 22, Sunday, July 31, and Sunday, August 6. An Introduction to Racing will be offered Saturday, August 12. All sessions will be led by Izzy Pepper, US Sailor, a Certified CANSail Instructor who will be assisted by other experienced sailors to help ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for all. Boats will be provided so be sure to choose which boat you would like to sail when registering.

• Flying Scots (2-3 sailors + Instructor per boat),
• Albacore (2 sailors per boat)
• 420s (2 sailors per boat),
• Lasers (1 sailor per boat)

Capacity: 12-14 students per clinic.

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This May Be of Interest

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Celebrating Indigenous Culture – And Taking Time to Learn

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Visit our online auction for more information at www.NorthernAngels.ca

Why is it important?

• Provincial government funding does not cover new or replacement equipment or technology in our hospitals and health centres.
• We have 24/7 emergency care supported from 6 rural nurse practitioner lead clinics, 4 operating rooms and ICU beds, and 70 beds for acute care.
• We are the Ontario Massasauga Rattlesnake Provincial Antivenom Depot.
• We have 45,000 permanent residents and over 120,000 seasonal.

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If you are interested in purchasing a FoodCycler, we strongly suggest you call the office at 705-746-4243 ext 338 to ensure there is stock before your arrival.

This is also a reminder that you:

• you must visit the municipal office to both pay and pick up the unit, and
• payment can only be made by debit, cash, or cheque. 

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“Reminder that pre-season tennis and pickleball can be enjoyed now that the nets are up. Members and guests are reminded that all other Ojibway Club facilities are closed until Opening Day, June 24^th, and the use of all docks, courts, and paths is at your own risk. For those wanting a fun, social hit daily mixed round robin drop-in play, weather permitting, is at 10.00 am.”

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LOST and FOUND

MISSING DOCK

Wood dock with a long wood ramp on top and new tan plastic swim ladder attached missing from the east side of island A 41-1 (between Tonches and Barclay islands). If you see this dock anywhere on the Bay, please email Christina. Any help with locating this dock would be very much appreciated. 

Yearbook Updates

Water Levels

Lakes Michigan/Huron Water Levels June 12, 2023

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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