The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has eased its requirements for dogs entering the country from Canada, following criticism from Canadian authorities, veterinarians and pet owners. Canadian authorities, pet owners, and veterinarians asserted that the previous requirements were too restrictive and would cause unnecessary delays at border crossings. New Requirements: Health certificates are no longer required for personal travel with dogs Rabies vaccination proof is still necessary, but can be in the form of a record from a licensed veterinarian (no specific timeframe mentioned) These eased requirements should facilitate smoother travel for dogs and their owners between Canada and the US. Read more here.
Lake Michigan-Huron remains at one inch above its level at this time last year. - From a month ago the water levels on Lakes Superior, Michigan-Huron, St Clair, Erie & Ontario & are up 3, 3, 4, 1 & 5 inches, respectively. Lakes Superior, & Ontario are lower by 6 & 4 inches, respectively, and Lakes Michigan-Huron, St Clair & Erie are up 1, 2 & 2 inches, respectively, than they were at this time last year. Lakes Superior, Michigan-Huron, St Clair, Erie & Ontario are 0, 5, 13, 11 & 1 inches, respectively, above their long-term July average. All the lakes remain well below their July record highs. - In a month’s time Lakes Superior is expected to rise 1 inch, and Lakes Michigan-Huron, St. Clair, Erie &
The sun is shining, the water is sparkling, and the open water is calling – but before you fire up the engine and hit the waves, make sure you're aware of the rules of the waterway! As a boater, it's essential to know what's legal and what's not to avoid getting caught off guard (and fined!). Cottage Life recently consulted with the OPP to get the lowdown on the top things people are fined for when out on the water. Here's what you should watch out for: No Life Jackets Ensure all passengers have access to a properly fitting, Canadian-approved life jacket while on board Potential fine for non-compliance: $200-$500 (plus 3 demerit points) Speeding Obey speed limits (day and night) and adjust speed according to water conditions Potential fin
The Township of the Archipelago (ToA) has revised two draft by-laws to manage land and nature preservation following public comments on their earlier drafts. The Site Alteration by-law will manage alterations to the grade of land, changing drainage, and the removal or importation of soil and fill. The Tree Preservation by-law will protect our trees and native shoreline vegetation. - Council will be holding two open houses this summer to allow further public comment on these revised drafts: - In-Person at the Pointe au Baril Community Centre - Tuesday, August 13th at 2:00 pm Online via Zoom - Thursday, August 22nd at 6:00 pm Get more details on these bylaws and register for the open houses here.
Two recently circulated internal “Lunch and Learn” sessions for TC Energy have gone viral for exposing lobbying practices employed by the company to promote their interests. Among the practices described in the videos are: Using Indigenous leaders as “validators” to influence Canadian politicians Planting staff in events to ask politicians public questions Drafting briefing notes and persuading “underpaid and overworked” public servants to use them Meeting politicians in casual settings to blur personal and professional relationships Read more here.
From October 12 to December 11, 2023, Transport Canada (TC) held online consultations to give people the opportunity to comment on the proposed approach to modernize the Vessel Operation Restriction Regulations (VORRs) and to find out what Canadians thought about managing vessels that anchor long-term on shared waterways. This is what TC heard from you: On the modernization of the Vessel Operation Restriction Regulations (VORRs) TC received 2,052 comments from Canadians across the country, including members of the public; recreational boaters; boating safety advocates; marine stakeholders; businesses; local authorities; non-governmental organizations; and associations (like lake associations, environmental protection associations, and marine industry associations). It should be not
A new study is recommending the application of human health care approaches to lake health. Like humans, lakes are living systems that can suffer from a number of health issues. Regular screenings, similar to human checkups, including testing water samples or installing sensors could help detect problems early and prevent them from becoming critical or chronic issues. The Lake Partner Program is a simple way you can help monitor Bay health The Lake Partner Program (LPP) is a province-wide, volunteer-based, water-quality monitoring program. We, as citizen scientists, have the potential to contribute to the province-wide sampling effort that generates annual snapshots of important water quality parameters for free. These include phosphorus (a nutrient required by algae
The Georgian Bay Land Trust is looking for someone with exceptional leadership skills, knowledge of the conservation field, and passion for the Georgian Bay environment to lead the organization after current Executive Director, Bill Lougheed, retires at the end of this year. If you or someone you know might be interested, please review the job ad here, and contact Charles Lennox at cmlennox@mandrake.ca or 416-922-5600 x246 to learn more about the opportunity.
Lake Michigan-Huron remains at one inch above its level at this time last year. - From a month ago the water levels on Lakes Superior, Michigan-Huron, St Clair, Erie & Ontario are up 5, 4, 4, 1 & 1 inches, respectively. Lakes Superior & Ontario are lower by 6 & 7 inches, respectively, and Lakes Michigan-Huron, St Clair & Erie are up 1, 2 & 2 inches, respectively, than they were at this time last year. Lakes Superior, Michigan-Huron, St Clair & Erie are 0, 5, 13 & 11 inches, respectively, above their long-term July average, and Lake Ontario is 2 inches below. All the lakes remain well below their July record highs. - In a month’s time Lakes Superior & Michigan-Huron are expected to rise 1 & 0 inches,
Georgian Bay Forever and Georgian Bay Mnidoo Gamii Biosphere are pleased to present the premiere of the documentary film All Too Clear: Beneath the Surface of the Great Lakes on Saturday, August 10, 2024 at the Stockey Centre for the Performing Arts in Parry Sound. This immersive feature-length documentary explores the effects of quagga mussels on the Great Lakes using the world’s most advanced underwater drone. Directed by the husband-and-wife filmmaking team, Zach Melnick and Yvonne Drebert, the immersive film uses cutting-edge underwater drones to explore how invasive quagga mussels are re-engineering the ecosystem of the Great Lakes at a scale not seen since the glaciers. The film will be followed by a Q & A period where guests will have the opportunity to ask questions of
The voices of Georgian Bay Association members are needed for an important survey. The GBA board has agreed to distribute the survey described below to GBA members, including asking our cottage association members to include a link to it in their communications with their members. Please see the following message from the Geopark group explaining their request. Message from the Georgian Bay Geopark Network A team of volunteers is working to create a UNESCO Geopark for all of Georgian Bay and the lands that drain into the Bay. Our small group of volunteer scientists, cartographers, tourism experts and engineers have gained strong and positive reaction from the towns and villages, municipal councils, indigenous leaders, tourist groups and environmental organizations for a UNESCO G
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GBA Amplifies Your Voice
Since 1916, we have taken a leadership role, advocating to all levels of government and other stakeholders to protect and preserve this precious and fragile freshwater ecosystem on behalf of 18 water-based communities on the eastern and northern shores of Georgian Bay. We advocate on a broad range of issues as your watchful eye on the Bay. GBA works to identify and address issues before they become problems.
Read our Value Proposition >>What are sea lampreys and why are they problematic? Sea lampreys are an ancient form of a jawless fish with a toothed, funnel like mouth, that suck blood out of fish. They entered the Great Lakes through the St. Lawrence Seaway. During the 50’s, Lake Huron’s commercial fishing industry was verging on collapse. In particular, one of the most valued species, Lake Trout, a favorite sea lamprey meal, was nearing extinction. The good news is Lake Huron’s sea lamprey population (once the largest in the Great Lakes with over 700,000 in the 1940’s and 1950’s) has been declining. For example, in 2015 the population fell to 70,000, well below the target of 90,000 set by the Great Lakes Fisheries Commission (GLFC), established in 1954 to oversee a Great Lakes sea lamprey control
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
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