13 www.georgianbay.ca GBA UPDATE Spring 2022 The Decibel Coalition In addition to the 2021 results related to boat noise, the 2017 SQL survey found that loud boats were a major obstacle to the enjoyment of life at the cottage and that more than 67 per cent of respondents wanted muffler laws enforced. SQL’s Decibel Coalition was formed to address these issues, and last summer GBA reached out to our member associations to join the Coalition in helping to reduce excessive boat noise on our waterways. The GBA got behind this SQL initiative because we believe our cottages are treasured sanctuaries where we go to enjoy safe swimming and boating, and to feel nature’s soul-calming embrace. If quiet at the cottage is important to you and your family, we need to make our voices heard. The Decibel Coalition needs your vote of confidence - please sign on to this important initiative. To learn more about the Decibel Coalition please visit: georgianbay.ca/boating/boating/the-decibel-coalition/ Dock Foam Polystyrene, or dock foam, pollution on Georgian Bay is a very real environmental problem and its negative impacts should concern us all. Polystyrene is not only an eyesore when it breaks down and washes up on our shorelines, but it’s extremely harmful to anything that ingests it. That is why GBA got behind MPP Norm Miller’s Keep Polystyrene Out of Ontario’s Lakes and Rivers Act. GBA’s letter-writing campaign encouraged members to use our online platform to send a letter we provided to their local MPPs and ask them to support this important legislation to keep this pollutant out of our Bay. The program worked to great success. Coastal Protection With Canada’s and Ontario’s ongoing population growth, development creep will continue to impact us all. What should be of concern for our members and those who live around the Bay, is how development can affect Georgian Bay and its environs. That is why we have developed the Coastal Protection Committee to lead the creation of sound policies and best practices that will govern development in a sustainable, ecologically sensitive manner. We can’t prevent the inevitable increase in population around the Bay, but we can prevent it from degrading this rich and unique biosphere that we cherish. For more information on our Coastal Protection Committee please see the cover story. Water: Levels and Impacts In the fall of 2020, GBA and Georgian Bay Forever (GBF) held a very successful and well attended water levels symposium, where a field of experts presented the facts about water levels on the Great Lakes and on Georgian Bay. While we addressed the question of why water levels fluctuate, many questions remained about how extreme high and low water levels might affect peoples’ cottaging experiences on the Bay. The GBA/ GBF team developed a highly informative, three-part webinar series this fall to follow up on those questions and discuss the impacts of extreme water levels and strategies for how best to address them. For a brief summary of this series, please see the story on page 8. Looking Forward The coming year will be another busy year for your Board as we ramp up our coastal protection initiatives, put our collective shoulders behind Bill 279 to get filters into clothes washing machines, and keep microfibres out of Georgian Bay. We’ll finally get to delve into Environment Canada’s longawaited study on future water levels, and as always, we will continue to work closely with our Georgian Bay counterparts to ensure that our best efforts meet your best interests. Last, but certainly not least, please continue to support our membership programs (georgianbay.ca/membership/gbamembership-benefits/) and our UPDATE advertisers – these groups work hard to supply you and your families with special discounts on products you need while our advertisers directly support our bottom line with their advertising support. And finally, a big thank you to our directors, executive director, and communications and executive services coordinator for their commitment to GBA and the Bay. Thank you!
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