GBA’s current Strategic Plan for 2023 – 2025 can be viewed here.
Plans, priorities and committee structures are reviewed and updated from time to time as required, and details can be found on the GBA website, as referenced in the Strategic Plan.
GBA AGM 2022
GBA held its 106th Annual General Meeting on April 2, 2022. Summaries and highlights of the wide range of issues and topics that we deal with on behalf of our members were presented and discussed. You can view the presentations here.
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 is down 1 inch, and Lakes Michigan-Huron, St Clair, Erie & Ontario are up 1, 3, 5 & 4 inches, respectively. Lakes Michigan-Huron, St Clair, Erie & Ontario are lower by 5, 4, 2 & 6 inches, respectively, and Lakes Superior is up 10 inches, than they were at this time last year. Lakes Superior, Michigan-Huron, St Clair, Erie & Ontario are 7, 4, 14, 17 & 8 inches, respectively, above their long term March average. All the lakes remain well below their March record highs, except for Superior which is only 7 inches below. - In a month’s time Lakes Superior, Michigan-Huron,
President Joe Biden’s first official visit to Canada reaffirmed the Canada-US binational commitment to protect our shared waterways, biodiversity and fragile ecosystems. In a joint statement, the two leaders committed to “preserving and restoring our shared national treasure, the Great Lakes”. Prime Minister Trudeau announced on Friday that Canada has committed $420 million in funding over the next 10 years as part of a shared responsibility to preserve and restore the waters of the Great Lakes. This investment will focus on cleaning up pollution hot spots and efforts to stop harmful chemicals and agricultural run-off from entering Great Lakes waters, but falls short of the $1 billion over 10 years requested by the Action Plan 2030 coalition, which GBA has been supporting, see: h
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 is down 1 inch, and Lakes Michigan-Huron, St Clair, Erie & Ontario are up 1, 8, 9 & 4 inches, respectively. Lakes Michigan-Huron & Ontario are lower by 4 & 4 inches, respectively, and Lakes Superior, St Clair & Erie are up 11, 1 & 2 inches, respectively, than they were at this time last year. Lakes Superior, Michigan-Huron, St Clair, Erie & Ontario are 8, 4, 17, 19 & 6 inches, respectively, above their long term March average. - All the lakes remain well below their March record highs, except for Superior which is only 7 inches below. - In a month’s time
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 is down 1 inch, and Lakes Michigan-Huron, St Clair, Erie & Ontario are up 1, 5, 7 & 5 inches, respectively. Lakes Michigan-Huron, Erie & Ontario are lower by 4, 0 & 4 inches, respectively, and Lakes Superior an St Clair are up 12 & 1 inches, respectively, than they were at this time last year. Lakes Superior, Michigan-Huron, St Clair, Erie & Ontario are 9, 4, 13, 15 & 6 inches, respectively, above their long term March average. All the lakes remain well below their March record highs, except for Superior which is only 6 inches below. - In a month’s time Lake
The Stephen Bulger Gallery in Toronto is presenting “Parry Sound 33”, an exhibit by photographer Joseph Hartman. The exhibit is a series of landscape photographs and watercolour paintings documenting the aftermath of the Parry Sound 33 forest fire on the Henvey Inlet which began on July 18, 2018. The fire devastated over 11,000 hectares of ecologically important Georgian Bay coastal habitat along with several cottages and homes. GBA worked with Dave Seglins of the CBC and Jean Burke, who represented local victims, for several years to compel the MNRF to release the fire investigation report, but our efforts were struck down by an independent adjudicator last spring. This exhibit examines how humans can rapidly change a fragile landscape and the effects this has on the ecosystem
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) is asking for your feedback on proposed changes to how floating cottages may be used on Ontario waterways. These changes are intended to reduce the environmental and social impacts of floating accommodations which GBA’s Floating Cottages Strategy Group has been working toward over the past year. MNRF is proposing to amend the Public Lands Act with regards to camping on water over public lands. The proposed changes will clarify the types of camping units that can be used on water by allowing watercrafts equipped for overnight accommodation (live-aboards and houseboats), but excluding floating homes or barges with residential units or camping facilities These changes would not apply to a person exercising rights that are p
As GBA previously noted, the new Underused Housing Tax (UHT) is a 1% annual tax levied on the value of residential property owned by non-Canadians that is vacant or considered underused. The intention of this tax is to deter non-residents from passively investing in Canadian real estate and make housing more available to Canadian residents. The tax itself will not apply to GBA members who have property that is water access only/not insulated for winter use however all non-Canadian property owners do need to submit a UHT tax form (form T1261) to the federal government by April 30th annually. To file a UHT tax form one must also apply for an ITN which is a 9-digit number issued to Non-Canadian individuals who need an identification number. - After talking with the CRA there are some is
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 are down 2 & 1 inches, respectively, and Lakes St Clair, Erie & Ontario are up 2, 2 & 4 inches, respectively. Lakes Michigan-Huron, St Clair, Erie & Ontario are lower by 5, 4, 0 & 5 inches, respectively, and Lakes Superior is up 12 inches, than they were at this time last year. Lakes Superior, Michigan-Huron, St Clair, Erie & Ontario are 7, 4, 15, 14 & 7 inches above, respectively, their long term February average. All the lakes remain well below their February record highs, except for Superior which is only 7 inches below. - In a month’s time Lakes S
As part of the ongoing work of your Floating Cottage strategy group, GBA has asked Transport Canada for fundamental changes needed to pave the way for the implementation of appropriate provincial and municipal regulations to prevent floating cottages from causing any environmental harm, and for the safety of those on board. - GBA is asking that Transport Canada publish, with clarity, the definition of a vessel, reassess whether a structure that is designed as an accommodation unit should be granted a vessel licence, and modify the existing online self registration process to include a photo upload requirement for the vessel being registered. Read the letter here. -
So far this month, temperatures continue to be above average throughout the basin. - 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 are down 2 & 1 inches, respectively, and Lakes St Clair, Erie & Ontario are up 4, 4 & 5 inches, respectively. Lakes Michigan-Huron, Erie & Ontario are lower by 6, 1 & 3 inches, respectively, and Lakes Superior & St Clair are up 12 & 7 inches, respectively, than they were at this time last year. Lakes Superior, Michigan-Huron, St Clair, Erie & Ontario are 7, 4, 15, 14 & 7 inches above, respectively, their long term February average. All the lakes remain well be
Last spring GBA reported on the proposed new Underused Housing Tax (UHT) for US and overseas property owners. The federal government put forth this new 1% annual tax levied on the value of residential property that is vacant or considered underused. The intention of this tax is to make housing more affordable for Canadian residents by deterring non-residents from passively investing in Canadian real estate. GBA has been looking into the effects UHT may have on our members. Here are some of our findings: This new tax only applies to non-Canadian residents. Canadian residents do not need to submit a UHT tax form. Non-Canadian residents must submit this form by April 30 annually even if they are exempt from the tax. As far as GBA is aware, non-resident owner
