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Volume 18 No. 4
Whether you are a fan of the cold and snow or not, there is much to be said for the cold this winter…as can be seen by the satellite photo above taken Feb 7, showing much of the Great Lakes frozen, although not all. But the good news is that the ice cover should bode well for water levels come summer as the ice coverage now prevents water evaporation – a chief cause of loss of water into the atmosphere and thereby decreasing water levels. Year to year is different, but Winter 2026 shows promise for at least steady water levels if not slightly higher ones come summer. Please check out the current Ice Chart seen below!
Table of Contents In this eBlast:
PaBIA
- GBA Champion of the Bay – Cath Fairlie CONGRATULATIONS!
- Final PaBIA Membership Renewal Reminder before March 15 cutoff for listing in Yearbook
- Sneak Peak to Summer Programming – The Secrets of Great Salt Lake
- New PaBIA Members
- In Memoriam – Allen Ford, Laura Goodwin, Jacqueline Isbester, Susan Malone, Patrick Shaw
OF INTEREST
- ToA – New Laws for Renewal for Pleasure Boat Licences
- GBA – February Update
- GBA – Ice Coverage at 7 yr high
- GBB – Understanding ToA’s Environmental Programs vis FREE Webinar March 11
- NEW Great Lakes Ice Coverage 2025-2026
- Lake Michigan-Huron Water Levels – February 27, 2026
PaBIA
GBA Champion of the Bay – Pointe au Baril
CATH FAIRLIE
As a 5th generation cottager in Pointe au Baril, Cath has always been passionate about Georgian Bay and its conservation. So, in 2018, Cath volunteered for PaBIA and became the supervisor of PaBIA’s Marine Patrol. During her supervision of PaBIA’s Marine Patrol, Cath worked with GBLT, GBF, GBB and the Lake Partner Program to maintain the focus of the patrollers on environmental concerns. Water testing with LPP and GBB, rattlesnake gestation surveys with GBB, Phragmites cuts with GBF, and land stewardship with the GBLT were some of the activities Cath trained and organized for the patroller’s summer duties. The program to remove and manage Phragmites in Pointe au Baril was so successful after conducting major cuts in 2018, 2019, and 2020 that current efforts need only focus on monitoring activities to ensure no new sites arise.
In 2022 Cath became the Director of Member Safety for PaBIA, expanding her activities to also include Fire Preparedness, Boating Safety, and Maps and Markers. With the changes to our climate, fire prevention has become a critical part of maintaining the natural beauty of the Bay. Cath’s efforts to maintain awareness and preparation for forest fires included: early season contests to encourage families to start-up and practice using their fire pumps as well as the maintenance of PaBIA’s 5 Wajax fire pumps. Cath also worked with Provincial fire authorities to develop a series of six articles on how to prepare for and respond to fires on the outer islands available to all on PaBIA’s website.
PaBIA Membership Final Renewal Reminder –
The deadline for membership listing inclusion in the 2026 PaBIA Yearbook is fast approaching: March 15. If you haven’t already renewed, please do so today!
Renewal details and the online payment portal are linked below. If you need assistance or are unable to renew online, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our secretary, Elise Findlay— accommodations can be made.
Renew or Join PaBIA Online:
Sneak Peek: Secrets of Great Salt Lake
Pointe au Baril’s own award winning cottagers, Alex and Tyler Mifflin, will be coming to PaB on Friday late afternoon on August 14th to provide us a wonderful film called: Secrets of Great Salt Lake and how water connects all life on earth.
Put this program on your summer calendar NOW…
it’s not to be missed!
Of Interest
Pleasure Craft Licensing
UPDATED AS OF FEBRUARY 2026
As of December 31, 2025, new changes to the federal Pleasure Craft Licensing process are now all across Canada.
A Pleasure Craft Licence (PCL) is a unique identification number displayed on bothsides of the bow of recreational boats. All power boats with 10 hp or more require a PCL.
Why This Matters in The Archipelago
The Township of The Archipelago is a primarily water-based community, where boating is not only a recreational activity but an essential part of daily life. With thousands of residents andvisitors relying on marine navigation, ensuring vessels are properly licensed and information is up to date is critical for boater safety, search and rescue operations, and regulatory compliance.
The Township has prepared a memo outlining these changes (click the button below). The memo is also available on the Township website.
Great Lakes Ice Coverage
Hits a Seven Year High
This winter, the Great Lakes “overachieved” with the highest ice coverage recorded since 2019. Driven by extreme cold in early February, the combined ice cover peaked at 58%, with Lake Huron reaching an impressive 77%—well above its long-term average.
GBA Update February – In this edition:
- Attention boat owners: March 31 deadline for licenses issued in 1974 or earlier
- Federal info session outlines next steps for Meaford pumped storage project
- Township seeks community input on proposed Honey Harbour speed limit
- GBA attends the 2026 Mnidoo Gamii Georgian Bay Biosphere Stewardship Gathering
- Great Lakes ice coverage hits a seven year high
- Ontario invests in community-led projects to protect species at risk
- State of the Great Lakes 2025: a “fair to good” forecast for the Bay
- The myth of ice thickness: staying safe during the spring thaw
- Why winter pruning is your secret weapon for wildfire resilience
- Water levels report
Understanding ToA’s Environmental Programs via Free Webinar March 11 7-8:00 pm
Sign up by Clicking on Poster Below or Scanning the QR Code!
New Members
Ditter, Clara & Sam
Durbin, Philippa
Fairlie, Andrew & Poliquin, Esther
Fairlie, John & Lubniewski, Kaitlyn
Fairlie, Sarah & Pitman, Patrick
Finch, Graydon
Gibson, Julie & Turnbull, Jeff
Kennedy, Andrew & Carol
Kennedy, Ken
Malone, Jill & Goodson, Rod
Matys, Tyler
McKenzie Cecil, Mavis
Morrison-Reed, Elliot & Reed, Inchai
Smith, Stephen & Whittaker, Sandra
Weston, G
In Memoriam
Allen H. Ford, A-328 and A-330, former member of PaBIA; husband of the late Connie Towson and brother-in-law of Anne and Pete Towson; father of Hope Murphy (Stephen), Sarah Whitener (Mark), February 1, 2026
Laura Goodwin, past owner/operator of Beacon Marine with her late husband Norman Goodwin, mother of Lorne (Rosemary) and Jean, January 2, 2026.
Jacqueline Isbester, past PaBIA member A184 ‘Pus Wa Wa’, wife of the late Fraser Isbester, mother of James (Jeni), Katie (Kees ‘t Hooft) and Andrea (Doug Malcolm), February 1, 2026.
Susan Malone, B985-1, wife of Steve Malone, sister of Michael (Barbara), Jane, and Tweed, mother of Kimberly, mother-in-law of Scott, and grandmother of Chloe, Corbin, and Kachel, December 27, 2025.
Patrick Shaw, A96 – 16 ‘Carrick’ on Mackenzie Is., husband of Leea Litzgus, father of Simone and Harris, January 12, 2026.
Yearbook Update
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 2023 yearbook came out in early May are provided in THIS printable format for you to print out and insert into your own Yearbook! Changes as of June 23 are below.
For reporting Markers’ problems
contact Tom Cavers by cell (pg. 267 in yearbook) or email
For contacting Secretary-Treasurer and Asst. Sec. Treas.
Nancy Rogers and Elise Findlay: contact.pabia@gmail-com)
Ice Levels
Below is a chart showing the average ice cover from 1973-2025.
The dark line shows the ice cover for 2025-2026 to date.
Please click on the chart to see a daily digital chart up to the present day.
Water Levels
Lakes Michigan/Huron Water Levels Febuary 27, 2026.
To better read the charts, please click on the chart for the Daily or Six Month Forecast Water level chart and the corresponding websites
Please support PaBIA’s Yearbook Advertisers 2026
This site’s advertising feature was created to provide assistance for special local information & events for existing Yearbook advertisers only.
Emergency
• PaB Nursing Station
• Canadian Coast Guard
Search and Rescue
800-267-7270
• PaBIA Emergency info