13 www.georgianbay.ca GBA UPDATE Summer 2023 surrounding archipelago, the so-called “fishing islands”, and some inland land parcels to be transferred to Wiiky reserve land. The Wiiky/NGBA/GBA agreement is in final draft form, but still needs to be ratified by the Wiiky at a meeting in person, expected in about five months. COVID delayed this process. The remaining details of the settlement agreement between the federal government and the Wiiky are not expected to be completed until 2024; it will then take a further three plus years to finalize the process. Washing Machine Bill The clothes washing machine bill to require filters for new machines is now Bill 83. GBA has sent an email to all MPPs here: bit.ly/MPPb83 If you support this plastic pollution reduction measure, please take a couple of minutes to input your postal code and email address into the portal to send your own email directly to your MPP to ask them to support this bill. It’s easy and takes very little time to do: bit.ly/Bill83 Briefly: ≥ We are working on reversing the decision by MECP to delay implementing the regulations to ban unencapsulated dock foam from new docks and repairs in order to get these regulations in place. ≥ We continue to work with the Great Lakes Ecoregion Network, which GBA helped to found in 2022, to coordinate efforts to improve and enhance bi-national federal government action on the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement and other protections for the Great Lakes ecosystem, see: bit.ly/GBA-GLWQA. ≥ Delegations are underway to the five municipalities where GBA members reside, on both water levels (jointly with Georgian Bay Forever), and on the Municipal Planning Comparison Project, as part of our coastal protection work – townships of the Archipelago and Killarney completed; townships of Carling, Georgian Bay, and Northeastern Manitoulin and the Islands still to come. ≥ Your Boating Safety and Emergencies Committee is gearing up to provide input to, and information on, a number of new Transport Canada regulations: • Mandatory lifejacket wear • Engine cut off switches • Pleasure craft licensing • New vessel operation restriction regulations for wakeboarding • Pleasure craft operator competency • Powered surfboards So, GBA continues to bring value to you on a wide range of important issues to protect our precious Bay and your safety. In addition to your 23 volunteer directors, there are 32 others who help out on the 14 GBA committees. This tremendous support not only allows us to move the needle on so many matters, but also provides you with enormous value well beyond the dues you pay to keep GBA going. Thank you so much for your support! CHATHAM POTTERY Individually handthrown, functional stoneware Located in Cognashene in the Summer GPS: 44°55’17.7”N 79°55’00.1”W text , email or call to set up a time to stop over or to place a custom order Art on the Rocks July 30 www.chathampottery.ca gillespie.cath@gmail.com
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