14 www.georgianbay.ca GBA UPDATE Fall 2022 PRESIDENT’S REPORT By Rolfe Jones, GBA President Summer on the Bay reetings everyone. I hope this finds you all in good stead and continuing your good times on the Bay. Opening Up. Susan, the dogs, and I arrived on Island 79 on June 1 after a three-day drive from Nova Scotia, only to discover we had no power. We promptly ascertained that it was due to faults in the underwater cables. A couple of wonderful things quickly ensued. Our good friends Craig (Past GBA president) and Cathie Bowden put us up at their cottage, Uneedarest, and then we discovered just how amazing Hydro One can be. We had two, then three, then four work crews swapping out underwater cables around our island plus various neighbours’ islands over four days. And boy did they have their work cut out for them! One crew had actually finished up in Peterborough at 11 p.m. the night before and were on our island by 10 the next morning – a Saturday – to assist with the work. Now that’s commitment! All the crews were super professional, very polite and did great work. In our hearts and minds, they quickly became Hydro Won! Coastal Protection. This is rapidly becoming one of our most important files. People are flocking from everywhere to Georgian Bay, and while we welcome the positive effects to our economy, we must be ever mindful of the negative impact that improper development can have on our environment, waters, infrastructure, native species, and species at risk. To that end, your Coastal Protection Committee has been very busy this summer working on such important matters as floating cottages, Ontario Land Tribunal decisions, and precedent-setting developments. We have also been honing our vision for the Coastal Protection Fund, launching our Planning Regulations Guide, working on the municipal planning comparison project, and writing our septic management/maintenance guide. Growing Strategic Alliances. Birds of a feather flock together. While GBA partners on numerous projects already with Georgian Bay Biosphere (GBB), Georgian Bay Forever (GBF), and Georgian Bay Land Trust (GBLT), we feel that it’s important to partner with other like-minded organizations so that we can amplify our voice and extend our messaging further afield. So, we continue to work with organizations such as Canadian Environmental Law Association, Boating Ontario, Ontario Nature, and Environmental Defence. We are also working more closely on specific issues with the Federation of Ontario Cottagers’ Associations (FOCA) and the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative. All of these groups get us a seat at more tables of influence and expose us to larger and broader audiences who share similar interests and concerns. It’s a win-win-win for everybody! The Value GBA Provides You. At some of this summer’s association AGMs I was asked to validate the $50 you pay annually to GBA as part of your association membership dues. At some meetings I started my chat by saying that I thought annual fees should be $500. While that was somewhat tongue in cheek, I think that your GBA membership is exceptional value for the money. The math on 3,000 paying members equals $150,000. That number barely covers the salaries of our full-time executive director and our parttime communications and executive services coordinator. At the same time, the time and energy contributed by our 23 volunteer directors is worth somewhere in the neighbourhood of an additional $350,000. We run a very tight fiscal ship and tackle big initiatives with our engaged volunteers, rather than with big budgets. [Note to members – we can always use more volunteers!] Put another way, your annual GBA dues could buy you about 15 cups of coffee at Starbucks, or roughly nine Big Macs, or two decent bottles of wine. But none of those things have the staying power of your annual GBA membership. It is an investment in protecting the Bay, your property, your family, and your peace of mind. A fair and inexpensive investment if I do say so myself. Safety. We are hearing more and more about poor boating behaviour and etiquette (see cover page) which only means that we need to better educate all boaters and remain vigilant on our waterways. Please slow down – especially in slow zones, drop your wake and your engine noise – understand the rules of the “road,” take outside channels wherever possible, and please wear a personal floatation device. Giving Thanks. We are very fortunate to call this remarkable place our spiritual home. Let us always be mindful of just how special it is and to do our very best to protect it. Enjoy your respective falls, hold your families close, and as always, please be safe. Miigwech. G
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