GBA Flipping Book - Spring 2020

7 ≥ www.georgianbay.ca GBA UPDATE Spring 2020 use of unencapsulated foam in dock construction, but discussions have begun – the Township of the Archipelago (ToA) has recently passed a resolution to address the problem [see the sidebar].  GBF has launched a Say NO to Foam committee, with GBA participation, which aims to: ≥ Gather scientific information about the chemical harm of dock foam ≥ Help cottage owners find alternatives ≥ Push for long-term solutions to stopping the use of unencapsulated foam in dock construction As the Say NO to Foam committee continues its research, we will keep you informed of their recommendations and actions. In the meantime, if you have an older dock that has unencapsulated foam flotation billets, especially if they are starting to degrade, consider replacing them before they fully break down and release millions of plastic pieces into the lake. In some regions, you may need a permit from the building department to replace the billets, so be sure to check on that before you get started. A Timeline for Swift Action The time between recognizing the problem and taking the first steps to address it has been remarkably short – a demonstration that when we put our minds to it, we can make change happen quickly. July 28 to August 12, 2018 Bay of Islands Community Association (BICA) organizes their first Love Your Bay Day event to clean up shorelines in the Bay of Islands. They discover that a main pollutant in the area is dock foam, in both large and tiny pieces washed up along the water’s edge. July 2019 Inspired by BICA’s event, GBA encourages member organizations to hold locally organized Love Your Bay events. Four GBA member organizations (Woods Bay, South Channel, Sans Souci & Copperhead, and Pointe au Baril) connect with Georgian Bay Forever (GBF) to participate in one of GBF’s nine shoreline clean-ups. Volunteers fill out trash tally sheets to track what they’re finding – dock foam makes up a huge proportion: in Woods Bay, for example, 77 pounds of the 265 pounds of garbage collected is dock foam. Fall 2019 GBF forms the Say NO to Foam project as a result of the summer clean-up data.  December 13, 2019 Township of the Archipelago (ToA) approves the resolution on the previous page regarding the use of dock foam, as a direct result of the GBF’s clean-ups and conversations with ToA council members.  Photo: Sandy Thompson