Our Purpose

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