2018-Apr-18
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Members of the OPP Marine Patrol attached to the Southern Georgian Bay Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) have recently come across a number of non-approved lifejackets while conducting their vessel checks on the waters Georgian Bay. The officers educated those vessel operators to ensure that their vessels contained sufficient approved lifejackets for each occupant of the vessel. These photos below are two of the non-approved lifejackets the officers found: Vessel operators should check that their lifejackets have a label stating it has been approved by any of the organizations below: Transport Canada Canadian Coast Guard Fisheries and Oceans Canada Please take a moment to review the following Transport Canada regulations to ensure that you ha
Looking for fun activities to do with the family at the cottage this summer? Look no further than our sister associations Georgian Bay Biosphere Reserve (GBBR), Georgian Bay Land Trust (GBLT), and Georgian Bay Forever (GBF) offering a wide range of programs and activities to keep you and your kids active and engaged at the cottage. Summer at Home with Georgian Bay Biosphere Reserve GBBR staff have created a great slate of fun, engaging, and educational activities for kids and families to complete at home. Check out their weekly Kids in the Biosphere Blog, join GBBR's iNaturalist project, and see how many things you can find on the Complete Summer Scavenger Hunt. There are also activity pages and books available on their website. The complete list of program offerings can be foun
Lakes Superior and Michigan-Huron have accumulated more precipitation than their normal month to date averages. Lakes Erie and Ontario have both received less than 60% of their typical month to date precipitation. Water levels continue to be well above average and near or above record high levels. - From a month ago the water levels on Lakes Superior & Michigan-Huron are up 4 & 2 inches, respectively, and Lakes St Clair, Erie & Ontario are down 0, 2 & 4 inches, respectively. Lakes Superior, St. Clair, Ontario, & Erie are down 4, 0, 4 & 26 inches, respectively, and Lakes Michigan-Huron is 4 higher than it was at this time last year. Lakes Superior, Michigan-Huron, St Clair, Erie & Ontario are 11, 35, 32, 28 & 7 inches, respectively, ab
Ever since invasive species started arriving in the ballast of lake freighters, GBA has been calling for tighter ballast regulations to protect the Great Lakes and Georgian Bay from the devastation that these invasive species can and have caused. In 2010, Canada acceded to the international ballast water convention, but the US did not. After 10 years working on these new regulations, which are aimed at significantly reducing the risk of further invasive species entering the Great Lakes and Georgian Bay, Transport Canada has finally put the proposal forward. Details of the proposal can be found here. The US has launched an investigation into the competitive fairness of Canada’s proposed ballast water regulations. See their response here.
Great Lakes, Great Minds aptly describes the contributions of the Council of the Great Lakes Region (CGLR) under the leadership of Mark Fisher and the Great Lakes and St Lawrence Collaborative (GLSLC) led by Gord Miller and Jean Cinq-Mars. GBA liaises with these organizations to keep you informed on their activities. - GLSLC just released Action Plan to Protect the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence, 2020-2030, which calls on the federal government to provide $2.2 billion dollars to fund a 10-year road map aimed at tackling shoreline flooding, outdated wastewater infrastructure, pollutants, runoff and other environmental challenges. The plan also offers a means to kick-start the economy for coastal communities after the impacts of COVID-19. Read the press release here and download the full Act
Water levels continue to be well above average and near or above record high levels. From a month ago the water levels on Lakes Superior & Michigan-Huron are both up 2 inches, and Lakes St Clair, Erie & Ontario are down 1, 1 & 3 inches, respectively. Lakes Superior, Ontario, & Erie are down 6, 3 & 24 inches, respectively, and Lakes Michigan-Huron & St. Clair are 4 & 1 inches higher, respectively, than they were at this time last year. Lakes Superior, Michigan-Huron, St Clair, Erie & Ontario are 10, 35, 33, 29 & 9 inches, respectively, above their long term June average. Lakes Michigan-Huron and St Clair are 4 & 2 inches higher respectively than their previous record highs for June. All the other lakes are below their
Water levels continue to be well above average and near or above record high levels. From a month ago the water levels on Lakes Superior, Michigan-Huron, St Clair, Erie & are up 3, 4, 3, & 3 inches respectively, Lake Ontario is down 2 inches. Lakes Superior, Ontario, & Erie are down 6, 2 & 23 inches, respectively, and Lakes Michigan-Huron & St. Clair are 6 & 2 inches higher, respectively, than they were at this time last year. Lakes Superior, Michigan-Huron, St Clair, Erie & Ontario are 10, 35, 32, 29 & 10 inches, respectively, above their long term June average. Lakes Michigan-Huron is 5 inches higher than it’s previous record high for June. All the other lakes are either at or below their June record high. - In a month’s
To provide you with the most up-to-date overview, GBA will collect the relevant information and issue a Fire Danger Rating Report on Thursdays throughout the summer to get you prepared for your cottage weekends. This report is an amalgamation of the current information with links to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) and your local municipalities. The MNRF map gives an overview of the conditions around Georgian Bay, and the local municipalities will have details on their ratings and what activities are allowable under the conditions. See the latest Fire Danger Ratings Report here.
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) has issued a Watershed Conditions Statement for Water Safety for the Parry Sound District advising area residents to exercise caution around the shoreline of Georgian Bay. With the high water levels, any storm surge or waves from wind or storm events may worsen shoreline conditions and create the possibility of further shoreline flooding. - The statement also advises that residents may wish to take action to ensure sump pumps are working properly and to secure or protect property in vulnerable or flood-prone areas. As the water remains very cold and banks and shorelines may be slippery and unstable, caution should be exercised along the shores. - This statement remains in effect until Wednesday, July 08, 2020 and more information ca
Time to Put Away the Bird Feeder - Members of the Southern Georgian Bay Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) would like to make area residents aware of some valuable Bear Wise safety information as the area bear population has begun to move about. Unfortunately, some bears in their quest to locate food wander into urban and rural properties that have outdoor food sources such as bird feeders, insecure garbage containers and unkempt BBQ's to name a few. - The OPP and MNRF would like to remind residents that most human-bear encounters occur when bears are attracted by smells, so removing potential attractants will help avoid unwarranted visitors. Knowing what to do if you come across a bear, as not every bear sighting
Water levels continue to be well above average and near or above record high levels. From a month ago the water levels on Lakes Superior, Michigan-Huron, St Clair, Erie are up 2, 4, 2 & 3 inches respectively, Lake Ontario is down 2 inches. Lakes Superior and Ontario are down 6 & 23 inches, respectively, and Lakes Michigan-Huron, St. Clair, & Erie are 7, 2 & 1 inches higher, respectively, than they were at this time last year. Lakes Superior, Michigan-Huron, St Clair, Erie & Ontario are 9, 35, 32, 31 & 11 inches, respectively, above their long term June average. Lakes Michigan-Huron is 5 inches higher than it’s previous record high for June. All the other lakes are either at or below their June record high. - In a month’s time, the
As part of GBA’s ongoing COVID-19 strategy to ensure that you are armed with the best information on safe boating, please see Transport Canada’s updated information on a wide range of transport related measures and guidance on how to keep safe at marinas and on all types of vessels here. Below are links to four useful and informative posters on marine COVID safety guidance that we recommend you consider printing and putting on your cottage fridge, or notice board, for reference: - Guidance For Using Marinas and Boat Launches Physical Distancing and Safe Boating Physical Distancing for Boating Safe Boating to Reduce the Burden on Emergency Responders