Lake Michigan-Huron continues to be below the level it was at this time last year – see first graph below. From a month ago the water levels on Lakes Superior, Michigan-Huron, St Clair, Erie & Ontario are up 8, 3, 4, 3 & 0 inches respectively. Lakes Superior, Michigan-Huron, St Clair & Erie are lower by 0, 7, 2 & 0 inches, respectively, and Lakes Ontario is 17 inches higher, than they were at this time last year. Lakes Superior, Michigan-Huron, St Clair, Erie & Ontario are 4, 10, 14, 13 & 5 inches, respectively, above their long term May average. All the lakes remain well below their May record highs. - In a month’s time Lakes Superior, Michigan-Huron, St Clair, & Erie are forecast to be up 4, 2, 0 & 1 inches respectivel
As many head out on the waters for the first long weekend of the season, Canadian Safe Boating Council (CSBC) wants you to be prepared when you hop in your boat. - This year the CSBC has 5 key focuses to promote safe and responsible boating practices when you’re on the water this season: - Wear Your lifejacket - the majority of recreational boating related deaths in Canada continue to involve individuals who were not wearing a PFD (80%+) and sadly most of these fatalities were avoidable. Boat Sober – the use of any intoxicants (alcohol, cannabis, prescription drugs) is both irresponsible and illegal. Be prepared, You and Your Vessel – make sure you and your boat are properly equipped for your activities. Take a Boating Course – our waterways will be very busy
Lake Michigan-Huron continues to be below the level it was at this time last year – see first graph below. - From a month ago the water levels on Lakes Superior, Michigan-Huron, St Clair, Erie & Ontario are up 7, 4, 4, 4 & 2 inches respectively. Lakes Superior, Michigan-Huron, St Clair & Erie are lower by 3, 8, 4 & 1 inches, respectively, and Lakes Ontario is 17 inches higher than they were at this time last year. Lakes Superior, Michigan-Huron, St Clair, Erie & Ontario are 2, 10, 13, 13 & inches, respectively, above their long term May average. All the lakes remain well below their May record highs. - In a month’s time Lakes Superior, Michigan-Huron, St Clair, & Erie are forecast to be up 4, 2, 2 & 0 inches respectively,
It’s a beautiful sunny day. And you or your family or your guests can’t wait to get on the water. The canoe is just sitting there on the dock so what better way to spend the afternoon on the water than to hop in a canoe, get a tan and soak in nature. There’s no motor, people will be close to shore so what could go possibly wrong - even if the people in the canoe are totally inexperienced? But the fact is that troubling numbers have emerged about the use of canoes and the drowning fatalities associated with them. It seems that people look at canoes as one of the safest on water activities. But nothing could be further from the truth. Last year’s OPP fatality data showed canoes as the vessel type with the most drownings at 10 of the 27 that occurred or 37%. In 2020 the results
GBA is addressing the floating cottages issue on numerous fronts, one of which was to provide comments to the Ministry of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry (MNR), see here: - GBA Comments to MNR on Floating Cottages - April 16 2022 GBA Follow up Comments to MNR on Floating Cottages - April 19 2022 We anticipate that this will be a long term advocacy requirement across multiple government agencies that will require a coordinated effort to ensure that floating cottages are properly regulated, and full environment protections are in place. See more details here: https://georgianbay.ca/floating-cottages/ -
Lake Michigan-Huron continues to be below the level it was at this time last year – see first graph below. In the next month, water levels on all lakes are forecast to rise except Lake Ontario, which will be near its current level, with Michigan-Huron up about 2 inches. - From a month ago the water levels on Lakes Superior, Michigan-Huron, St Clair, Erie & Ontario are up 7, 5, 6, 4 & 5 inches respectively. Lakes Superior, Michigan-Huron, St Clair & Erie are lower by 6, 9, 2 & 0 inches, respectively, and Lakes Ontario is 19 inches higher than they were at this time last year. Lakes Superior, Michigan-Huron, St Clair, Erie & Ontario are 0, 9, 15, 13 & 7 inches, respectively, above their long term May average. All the lakes remain well
A 2015 global study on water temperatures showed that the Great Lakes are getting warmer, and getting warmer faster than other lakes around the world. The study found that Lake Huron summer water temperatures increased by 2.1 degrees Celsius over a 25-year period and in the fall of 2021, all five Great Lakes were at record-high temperatures for the season, or about 5-6 degrees above average. The evidence that climate change is warming our waters in irrefutable and the need to do what we can to reduce the environmental risks of deteriorating water quality is becoming more and more important. GBA will continue our work on such matters as septic systems, aquaculture, and the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, all of which represent controllable ways to reduce these risks. Read mo
Canadian Power and Sail Squadrons (CPS-ECP) are once again teaming up with Transport Canada and CIL Dealers to undertake a project on education and awareness of safety equipment, the care and maintenance of that equipment and how to safely and effectively use and dispose of flares. Have Your Flares Expired? If your flares have a manufacture date of 2018 or earlier they have or will expire this year. You can’t light them, throw them in the water or in your household garbage to dispose of them. Even when they expire they are extremely dangerous and toxic. Disposing of expired flares has been an ongoing dilemma for boaters across the country. To help boaters dispose of expired flares in a safe and environmentally responsible manner CPS-ECP and selected CIL Dealers are hosting Safet
Study #1 - The Lifesaving Society The Lifesaving Society - Drowning Prevention Research Centre, the lead agency for drowning research in Canada, shared their data in a 2021 report that described the epidemiology of fatal boating related incidents across Canada for the years 2008-2017. The Stats There were almost 500 unintentional water-related deaths each year across Canada for the study years. 21% of these deaths were recreational boating related. 91% of these are males 45% were in the 35-64 age group Children 5-14, where PFD use is highest, account for only ½ of 1% of fatalities Fatalities by type of vessel: Powerboats under 5.5 metres 23% Canoe 23% Powerboats size unknown 15% Power Boat over 5.5 metres 9% Kayak 8% Per
Ontario voters are going to the poll on June 2, 2022. We encourage all GBA members to question prospective MPP candidates for the upcoming Ontario elections on their commitment to protecting the Great Lakes. In particular their intentions with regard to a range of issues that affect the Georgian Bay. This is best done at “all candidates” meetings in your riding, but other meetings, or approaches to individual candidates also provide an opportunity. Accordingly, we have put together a number of suggested questions which we would ask you to consider: Will you support and uphold the provisions of the Great Lakes Protection Act and the Canada Ontario Agreement that binds Ontario into the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (see here for information on the Act and Agreements and GBA
We need your help now! The Decibel Coalition has been working to get regulatory change that will allow enforcement agencies to deal with boat operators who have excessively loud boats. The simple solution is to put limits on the amount of noise that motors can make and the procedures to enforce it. This will give police the tools they need to help control excessively loud boats that affect the quiet enjoyment of our lakes. The federal government, through Transport Canada (TC), has opened consultations on these regulations but only until May 13, 2022. We would like you to go to the TC “Let’s Talk” web page and weigh in on question 5: The following text can be used as a guide: This is the only proposal that can realistically address excessive boat motor noise
This month outflows from Lake Superior into the St. Mary’s River are predicted to be below average, not above average as they have been for almost 3 years prior to the spring of 2021. This shows that, under Plan 2012 balancing, the flow into Lake Michigan-Huron continues to be reduced. Lake Michigan-Huron continues to be below the level it was at this time last year – see first graph below. - From a month ago the water levels on Lakes Superior, Michigan-Huron, St Clair, Erie & Ontario are up 7, 6, 2, 1 & 5 inches respectively. Lakes Superior, Michigan-Huron, St Clair & Erie are lower by 6, 8, 4 & 1 inches, respectively, and Lakes Ontario is 20 inches higher than they were at this time last year. Lakes Superior, Michigan-Huron, St Clair, Erie & On
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GBA will continue to work with government and non-government agencies in the US and Canada to determine if and how a better job can be done to improve coordination between the different control structures that affect our water levels. The aim is to do the best we can to mitigate and address the impacts of extreme high and low water levels which are expected to worsen if climate change impacts unfold as expected. We will also be surfacing any issues on the accuracy and completeness of water levels data and exploring how water levels data can be enhanced to improve ease of interpretation and better inform decision making including adaption strategies.
Learn more about this priority >>The message from traditional Indigenous teachings is that catch and release is disrespectful to the fish (it can also harm their ability to eat properly after they are released) and one should only fish respectfully, which includes eating the fish we catch. Now it seems there is another reason to question this practice. Some bass are smarter than we might think, learn to avoid lures and can pass that knowledge down through the generations! Who knew! - Read more here. -
What’s your name and what’s your connection to Georgian Bay? Sheila Williams and I (Celesta Bjornson) are the co-presidents of the Bay of Islands Association (BICA) and have been enjoying our summers in the Bay of Islands since we were toddlers. My family is from Pittsburgh and we originally found the Bay of Islands in the 1950s by vacationing at a fishing lodge called Moredolpton Lodge. Sheila's family is one of the founding families of the Bay of Islands. Her grandfather discovered the Bay of Islands in early 1900s while working on the lakers, travelling from southern Georgian Bay to the North Channel, transporting lumber back south. He fell in love with the area and purchased an island around 1924 and began building a cottage. Why is being a Guardian of the Bay important to yo
Luc Voorn is a cottager in the South Channel and a passionate advocate for Georgian Bay. He currently serves as the Membership Chairperson for the South Channel Association (SCA), Editor of the SCA “On the Waterfront” newsletter, and as Director, Friends of the Massasauga Park. This past summer (2019), he was nominated as a Guardian of Georgian Bay for his ongoing enthusiasm and efforts to protect and preserve the Bay. Note from Jamie Drayton, GBA Chair of Guardians of Georgian Bay Committee My Dad used to take us camping. His lure to get us to bathe was to promise us ice cream if we ran into the water first thing in the morning for a swim. I recall the water being absolutely freezing at 7 o’clock in the morning… I don’t recall ever getting any ice cream. A few years l
Boating from October through June offers a very different experience steeped in solitude and excellent fishing. It is a beautiful time to be on the water. But boating during this season also requires extra attention to detail and the ability to be self-sufficient given that there are fewer boaters around should you require assistance. Here are some helpful tips from the Canadian Safe Boating Council (CSBC) and the Ontario Federation of Anglers & Hunters to make off-season boating safer for you. Check the weather forecast. The weather can change quickly and storms can be more violent. Fog is also more common. Ensure that your boat and engine are in good working order. Ethanol-based fuel can allow water contamination in the tank. The use of a fuel additive prevents water in the f
As nominated by Heather Sargeant My Phragbuster Hero About 5 or 6 years ago, at an event jointly put on by the Georgian Bay Association, Georgian Bay Forever, and featuring Dr. Gilbert, an ecologist with Phragmites expertise , I first learned about invasive Phragmites and the harm it can have on wetlands. I decided to investigate if Phragmites was a threat in Woods Bay (my favourite area of Georgian Bay), and that’s when my journey tackling this plant began. I wasn’t sure if a plant across from the family cottage was indeed the invasive type, and so I was nervous and queasy about leading people to help me cut it. What if it was the native plant, and I’d taken all these people out to cut down something benign? One of my neighbors told me there was a hero on Georgian
The Nature Conservancy of Canada is asking motorists to look out for vulnerable turtles on our roadways. Road surfaces provide an attractive source of warmth for these cold-blooded reptiles, particularly in the spring and early summer. During this time, turtles are mating and nesting; in late summer and early fall, newly hatched turtles are travelling from their nests to nearby wetlands. The Nature Conservatory of Canada has an informative video and tips for safely moving turtles. Watch the video and read the tips here.
Here are some things to think about around Fire Safety at the cottage: Make sure smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are present and working. Have a list of local emergency numbers posted for all to see. Include all pertinent cottage location information. Have the right fire extinguishers in the right places. Have an individual fire plan for evacuation. Make sure your plan has two escape routes. Respect local fire ratings. Have a fire pump and use it regularly to ensure it is in good working order. At the very least have a list of neighbours to call for assistance. Follow your association’s emergency plan if it exists. Make sure you have insurance. Make sure you understand what it covers and that it is adequate to rebuild and covers contents AND fire de
The Environmental Commissioner of Ontario has just released a useful guide on how to how we can all reduce our environmental footprints. Being a Guardian of the Bay also means doing what we can to reduce our individual consumption of carbon based fuels. - Here is a very good fact sheet and here is a full presentation on this topic. -
What’s your name and what’s your connection to Georgian Bay? Cory Kozmik, Anthony Laforge, Samantha Noganosh, Chevaun Toulouse. We are the Lands and Resource Department for Magnetawan First Nation, in Britt, Ontario. - Source: Magnetawan First Nation Our connection to the Bay is the dense biodiversity that it hosts and the role its ecology plays in our lives, including the environment. It is also where ancestors of the Anishinabek Nation walked and practiced each day what it means to live with the land in reciprocity. The connection to the land and water is sacred to the Anishinaabe culture, and held very close to the communities that inhabit the area. - Why is being a Guardian of the Bay important to you? We take great pride in being “Guardians” because it is our
Large wakes continue to be a bone of contention. They cause damage to docks and shorelines and can be very disruptive to cottagers enjoyment of their docks. What can be done? The occasional disruption and damage caused by excessive wakes are an ongoing source of irritation between boaters and cottagers. Boaters are responsible for their wakes and any damage caused by them. But the OPP tells us that damage caused by wakes is a civil issue. And so what you need to do is be able to identify the vessel and the operator and pursue the matter in small claims court if a reasonable result can’t be agreed upon between the parties on their own. However, if a boater is observed to be operating their vessel in a dangerous or careless way then the OPP should be called. They ideally would like t
This past summer there seemed to be a search & rescue operation happening and it left many cottagers confused about what was going on. The questions were about what to do in a situation like that - where to get information, and potentially how to help. When involved in a current investigation the OPP generally will not disseminate info through the media. They most often feel they have the resources to adequately conduct a search. Note that, if the OPP does ask the public for assistance, they are civilly liable if a member of the public gets injured while searching, and so tend not to involve the public. If the OPP is not successful then they will ask the public for assistance through media channels. If people have questions they can call the OPP non emergency ( 1 800-310-1122 ) num
My name is Eileen Maynard; I am 10 years old and the eldest of the 5th generation in my family at our cottage in Cognashene, part of the Georgian Bay Archipelago. Georgian Bay is so special to me. It is where I spend my summers and any weekend we can get free of our crazy life in the city. In the summer you can go swimming and tubing or out to islands for picnics. In the fall, it is so pretty with all of the colorful leaves and trees and a great time to go for a walk on Beausoleil Island. Being a Guardian of the Bay is important to me because Georgian Bay is vital to us and the animals around us. Being a Guardian of the Bay is a responsibility that we all have for keeping it healthy for the next 5 generations. Last year, with my grandfather, I applied for and was accepted as a vo
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