GBA Fall 2019

Vol. 29 No. 3, Fall 2019 H 2 O Symposium....................................6 President’s Message ...........................7 ED’s Advocacy Report.......................10 Obituary – Dr. Karl Schiefer..........13 Upcoming Events...............................14 News and I nformat i on f rom the Georg i an Bay Assoc i at i on New Developments on the Wiikwemkoong Claim Front PAGE 5 PAGE 8 PM # 40038178 GBA U P D A T E Your Voice on the Bay Marine Spills Uniting the Coast Pursuing a Vision for Georgian Bay Source: GBBR Continues on page 2 “The archipelago has an unusual community of interest in the preservation of the area.” – The Archipelago Municipality, Georgian Bay Association with assistance of Professor Norman Pearson, April 1977 The release of The Archipelago Municipality study by GBA over 40 years ago marked the beginning of GBA’s work to create a coastal municipality in the Thirty Thousand Islands archipelago. After several years of very hard work and political lobbying, a significant part of the vision was realized with the creation of the Township of the Archipelago (ToA) in 1980. That history is wonderfully documented in the book Passion for Georgian Bay . 1 The creation of the Archipelago was a huge victory in the effort to preserve the pristine coast of eastern Georgian Bay. Since then, the Township has exemplified the values of environmental protection and sound stewardship of the coast’s important ecosystems since its founding. Those principles form the foundation of the Township’s strategic plan, and it continues to play a strong leadership role in those areas in the wider Georgian Bay community. However, only part of the vision set out in the GBA’s initial studies promoting the coastal community were realized in 1980, primarily due to political decisions and circumstances at the time. Since then, the By John Carson, GBA President 1 Passion for Georgian Bay: The Founding of the Township of the Archipelago 1812-2012, Michael Erkelenz, 2016. Available from The Nautical Mind, Toronto, www.nauticalmind.com INS IDE :