The Ontario Energy Board (OEB) decision on this is now final and the cancellation will go ahead. GBA has asked for the current planned implementation date of January 1, 2022 to be postponed, and for the maximum phase in period for billing increases. - As previously reported, the main reason cited for this decision is to uphold the principle of “user-pay” meaning that  seasonal customers, who only use hydro for part of the year, pay the cost of maintaining the supply infrastructure for the months that they are not using hydro. The elimination of the seasonal rate class will have a significant impact on the vast majority of GBA members who use hydro. Those customers will be moved from the seasonal to the R2 rate class and face an estimated doubling of their hydro costs. A few GBA memb

Following the water levels web symposium last October, GBA and GBF undertook to follow up with another public meeting on the impacts of, and adaption to, extreme water levels.  Find out how our wetlands are dealing with both this challenge and increasing water temperatures, wilder weather and much more. https://georgianbayforever.org/assess-coastal-wetland-resilience/

Temperatures in the Great Lakes were below normal for most of the week and this is continuing through Monday. Water levels continue to be well above average and near record high levels, but all the lakes are continuing their seasonal declines. Lake Michigan-Huron continues to be below the level it was at this time last year – see first graph below. All the lakes are now lower than they were at this time last year. - From a month ago the water levels on Lakes Superior, Michigan-Huron, St Clair, Erie and Ontario are down  3, 4, 14, 4 & 3 inches respectively. Lakes Superior, Michigan-Huron, St Clair, Erie & Ontario, are lower by 7, 10, 22, 13 & 22 inches, respectively, than they were at this time last year. Lakes Superior, Michigan-Huron, St Clair & Eri

Henry Lickers, Haudenosaunee citizen of the Seneca Nation and Canadian IJC Commissioner, artfully explains the importance of drawing from multiple knowledge systems including science and Traditional Knowledge to broaden our understanding of the world and create a more complete Naturalized Knowledge System. As an Indigenous scientist, Lickers draws comparisons between the approaches used in both Traditional Knowledge and scientific method, noting both disciplines rely on description, observation, and analysis to determine the validity of a fact. He notes that great scientists are the ones that are interested in everything, rather than compartmentalizing their knowledge. Read the article here.

The Aquaculture Committee had a productive meeting with federal representatives from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) last week. The committee had just made their second submission on the new federal Aquaculture Act, which focused on addressing the specific elements of the new act’s August 2020 consultation paper. GBA has also made two other recent submissions regarding aquaculture to the Ontario government: Asking for changes to the Fish and Wildlife Act amendments in Bill 197, to ensure that the industry is compliant, and strengthen the provisions for public consultation; Requesting that open net cage applications and license renewals are added to the project list for comprehensive environmental assessments under the Environmental Assessment Act (EAA). An over

Water levels continue to be well above average and near record high levels, but all the lakes are continuing their seasonal declines. Lake Michigan-Huron continues to be below the level it was at this time last year – see first graph below. All the lakes are now lower than they were at this time last year. From a month ago the water levels on Lakes Superior, Michigan-Huron, St Clair, Erie and Ontario are down  3, 4, 2, 2 & 4 inches respectively. Lakes Superior, Michigan-Huron, St Clair, Erie & Ontario, are lower by 7, 10, 9, 10 & 22 inches, respectively, than they were at this time last year. Lakes Superior, Michigan-Huron, St Clair & Erie are 9, 28, 32, 26 & 0 inches, respectively, above their long term February average, whereas Lake Onta

The Canadian Safe Boating Council (CSBC) is hosting a Cold Water Awareness Virtual Workshop featuring Dr. Gordon Giesbrecht (aka Professor Popsicle) on Tuesday February 23 and Thursday February 25 from 8p.m. - 10:30p.m. Dr. Giesbrecht is physiologist who studies the effects of extreme environments on the human body. The workshop focuses on everything you need to know to survive an accidental cold water immersion and how to help others who may have become hypothermic. Topics include: Understanding the Myths Around Cold Water Immersion and Hypothermia How Our Bodies React to Heat and Cold Stimuli 4 Ways Our Bodies Lose Heat What Happens to Our Bodies When Immersed in Cold Water Immersion vs. Submersion in Cold Water Cold Water Survival and Thermal Protective Clothing

Explore the detailed results of this successful joint venture with Georgian Bay Forever (GBF). Find out about: Future water levels – what to expect and why; The wider range of water level fluctuations on Lake Michigan-Huron compared to Lake Superior – the real reason for this difference; Plan 2012 – positive action that has helped mitigate our high water levels in the Bay – what has been done and how it works; and Much, much more. For a brief overview of the primary issues and action plan, featuring the Top 10 Questions and Key Takeaways, see: Water Levels Web Symposium Summary; If you’d like to take a deeper dive into the symposium’s presentations and discussions go to: Water Levels Web Symposium Synopsis; and to find answers to all 259 questions we rec

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

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

Sticking it to Garbage Along the Shoreline What’s your name and what’s your connection to Georgian Bay? My name’s Chloe Drayton and I’ve been going to Georgian Bay with my family since I was born - I’m only 7! It’s a nice, peaceful place and it’s nice to go swimming, look for turtles, go exploring on the rocks along the shore and spend time with my family. - Why is being a Guardian of the Bay important to you? Because I want to help all the animals and plants in nature and because it’s nicer to enjoy the cottage when there isn’t garbage lying around. I also want to enjoy Georgian Bay for a long, long time so we have to keep it nice and clean. - What’s your story that helps to show your Guardian of the Bay  values? Every year we walk around the shoreline of ou