There are so many ways you can get involved in and around the Bay.
Take a minute to learn about all the organizations working to protect the Bay by exploring our guide to the GB5.
Or see how you and your entire family can contribute by becoming a Guardians of the Bay.
Who Does What on Georgian Bay? Your Guide to the GB5 Organizations Working to Protect the Bay
Read More...The “Guardians of the Bay” (GOTB) is an initiative to permeate a mentality of protection and preservation across all parties that touch Georgian Bay, in any way, big or small.
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This month outflows from Lake Superior into the St. Mary’s River are predicted to be below average, not above average as they have been for almost 3 years prior to the spring of 2021. This shows that, under Plan 2012 balancing, the flow into Lake Michigan-Huron continues to be reduced. Lake Michigan-Huron continues to be below the level it was at this time last year – see first graph below. All the lakes are now lower than they were at this time last year. - From a month ago the water levels on Lakes Superior, Michigan-Huron, St Clair, Erie & Ontario are down 3, 5, 0, 1 & 0 inches, respectively. Lakes Superior, Michigan-Huron, St Clair & Erie are lower by 11, 20, 7 & 5 inches, respectively, and Lake Ontario is 11 inches higher than they were at this ti
As part of our ongoing advocacy to ensure that open net cage aquaculture operations in Georgian Bay and Lake Huron are sustainable, and environmental impacts are minimized or eliminated, GBA has written to incoming federal government ministers of the Environment and Fisheries to ask for a review of the agreement between the federal and Ontario government that governs regulation of this industry. The letter also includes recommendations on other related matters. - Read the letter here. -
GBA wishes to welcome Christine McKernan to her new role as Executive Director of the West Parry Sound Health Care Foundation. Christine, a longtime seasonal resident, now a full-time resident of Seguin is the former director of philanthropy with the Sunnybrook Foundation. She has over 23 years of fund development experience and extensive health care work experience with the Heart and Stroke Foundation, London Health Sciences Foundation, the Canadian Diabetes Association and the Alzheimer Society of London. Read more here.
This month outflows from Lake Superior into the St. Mary’s River are predicted to be below average, not above average as they have been for almost 3 years prior to the spring of 2021. This shows that, under Plan 2012 balancing, the flow into Lake Michigan-Huron continues to be reduced. Lake Michigan-Huron continues to be below the level it was at this time last year – see first graph below. All the lakes are now lower than they were at this time last year. - From a month ago the water levels on Lakes Superior, Michigan-Huron, St Clair, Erie & Ontario are down 2, 4, 2, 1 & 0 inches, respectively. Lakes Superior, Michigan-Huron, St Clair & Erie are lower by 11, 18, 9 & 6 inches, respectively, and Lake Ontario is 9 inches higher than they were at this time
Winter road conditions are here and the OPP want to remind drivers venturing out to adjust their driving habits and following these simple tips: Make sure your vehicle is roadworthy Clear all windows, mirrors and headlights of snow and frost Have extra supplies and blankets in case you break down Get snow tires (you may get an insurance break) Always tell someone where you are going Take extra care to watch out for pedestrians (pedestrians – make sure the driver sees you and remember it can take longer for vehicles to stop) **Most importantly, please take your time and adjust your speed according to the road conditions. Speed limits are set for ideal road conditions and higher speeds in less than ideal conditions boost your chances of losing control. Also be a
Make your voices heard on Canada’s 2030 Emissions Reductions Plan by completing the survey here by January 14 2021. - Canada has committed to reducing our emissions by 40-45% below 2005 levels by 2030 and want to know what you think about how emissions can be reduced to achieve this ambitious target. The government is engaging with the provinces and territories, Indigenous Peoples, the Net-Zero Advisory Body and would like to hear suggestions from interested Canadians on ways to address these climate change goals. Here are the survey questions being asked on Canada's 2030 Emission Reduction Plan: What opportunities do you think the Government of Canada should pursue to reduce emissions by 40-45% below 2005 levels by 2030 and position Canada to achieve net-zero emissions by 20
This month outflows from Lake Superior into the St. Mary’s River are predicted to be below average, not above average as they have been for almost 3 years prior to the spring of 2021. This shows that, under Plan 2012 balancing, the flow into Lake Michigan-Huron continues to be reduced. Lake Michigan-Huron continues to be below the level it was at this time last year – see first graph below. All the lakes are now lower than they were at this time last year. - From a month ago the water levels on Lakes Superior, Michigan-Huron & St Clair are all down 2 inches, and Lakes Erie & Ontario are unchanged. Lakes Superior, Michigan-Huron, St Clair & Erie are lower by 12, 17, 12 & 6 inches, respectively, and Lake Ontario is 7 inches higher than they were at this ti
Fantastic news for Georgian Bay boaters! Transport Canada has issued a Tier 1 Policy to accept electronic visual distress signal devices (eVDSD) in lieu of traditional pyrotechnic distress signals (flares and smoke) in an effort to improve pleasure craft safety. The policy, which applies only to pleasure craft, came into force on November 9th, 2021 and will be reviewed in five years. Small Vessel Regulations currently require all pleasure craft longer than six metres to carry pyrotechnic distress signals unless: they are operating on a river, canal or lake in which they can at no time be more than one nautical mile from shore; or they have no sleeping arrangements and are engaged in an official competition or in final preparation for an official competition The Burning Issu
This month outflows from Lake Superior into the St. Mary’s River are predicted to be below average, not above average as they have been for almost 3 years prior to the spring of 2021. This shows that, under Plan 2012 balancing, the flow into Lake Michigan-Huron continues to be reduced. Lake Michigan-Huron continues to be below the level it was at this time last year – see first graph below. All the lakes are now lower than they were at this time last year. - From a month ago the water levels on Lakes Superior & Michigan-Huron are both down 2 inches, and Lakes St Clair, Erie & Ontario are all up 1 inch. Lakes Superior, Michigan-Huron, St Clair & Erie are lower by 12, 17, 7 & 3 inches, respectively, and Lake Ontario is 9 inches higher than they were at thi
Food Cycle Science has signed up about 20 municipalities across Canada to pilot its FoodCycler, a small food waste recycling machine in an effort to reduce the volume of food waste going to landfill. This project aims to put FoodCycler units into communities at a reduced cost and have residents track their usage to determine how much waste is being diverted. Through a cycle of drying, grinding and cooling, FoodCycler aerates food waste, turning it into compost within 4-8 hours, greatly reducing the weight and volume of food waste at the source and creating an odourless soil additive. - Parry Sound will be looking closer at this pilot project in January. Read more about the pilot project here. - FoodCycler offers a fantastic discount for GBA members. Details can be found here. -
This month outflows from Lake Superior into the St. Mary’s River are predicted to be below average, not above average as they have been for almost 3 years prior to the spring of 2021. This shows that, under Plan 2012 balancing, the flow into Lake Michigan-Huron continues to be reduced. Lake Michigan-Huron continues to be below the level it was at this time last year – see first graph below. All the lakes are now lower than they were at this time last year. - From a month ago the water levels on Lakes Superior, Michigan-Huron, St Clair, Erie & Ontario are down 2, 2, 2, 2 & 0 inches respectively. Lakes Superior, Michigan-Huron, St Clair & Erie are lower by 12, 18, 7 & 3 inches, respectively, and Lake Ontario is 11 inches higher than they were at this ti
Temperatures in the Great Lakes region have been above average so far in December. This month outflows from Lake Superior into the St. Mary’s River are predicted to be below average, not above average as they have been for almost 3 years prior to the spring of 2021. This shows that, under Plan 2012 balancing, the flow into Lake Michigan-Huron continues to be reduced. Lake Michigan-Huron continues to be below the level it was at this time last year – see first graph below. All the lakes are now lower than they were at this time last year. - From a month ago the water levels on Lakes Superior, Michigan-Huron, St Clair, Erie & Ontario are down 3, 3, 0, 2 & 0 inches respectively. Lakes Superior, Michigan-Huron, St Clair & Erie are lower by 13, 17, 9 & 3 inche
What’s your name and what’s your connection to Georgian Bay? Sheila Williams and I (Celesta Bjornson) are the co-presidents of the Bay of Islands Association (BICA) and have been enjoying our summers in the Bay of Islands since we were toddlers. My family is from Pittsburgh and we originally found the Bay of Islands in the 1950s by vacationing at a fishing lodge called Moredolpton Lodge. Sheila's family is one of the founding families of the Bay of Islands. Her grandfather discovered the Bay of Islands in early 1900s while working on the lakers, travelling from southern Georgian Bay to the North Channel, transporting lumber back south. He fell in love with the area and purchased an island around 1924 and began building a cottage. Why is being a Guardian of the Bay important to yo
Luc Voorn is a cottager in the South Channel and a passionate advocate for Georgian Bay. He currently serves as the Membership Chairperson for the South Channel Association (SCA), Editor of the SCA “On the Waterfront” newsletter, and as Director, Friends of the Massasauga Park. This past summer (2019), he was nominated as a Guardian of Georgian Bay for his ongoing enthusiasm and efforts to protect and preserve the Bay. Note from Jamie Drayton, GBA Chair of Guardians of Georgian Bay Committee My Dad used to take us camping. His lure to get us to bathe was to promise us ice cream if we ran into the water first thing in the morning for a swim. I recall the water being absolutely freezing at 7 o’clock in the morning… I don’t recall ever getting any ice cream. A few years l
As nominated by Heather Sargeant My Phragbuster Hero About 5 or 6 years ago, at an event jointly put on by the Georgian Bay Association, Georgian Bay Forever, and featuring Dr. Gilbert, an ecologist with Phragmites expertise , I first learned about invasive Phragmites and the harm it can have on wetlands. I decided to investigate if Phragmites was a threat in Woods Bay (my favourite area of Georgian Bay), and that’s when my journey tackling this plant began. I wasn’t sure if a plant across from the family cottage was indeed the invasive type, and so I was nervous and queasy about leading people to help me cut it. What if it was the native plant, and I’d taken all these people out to cut down something benign? One of my neighbors told me there was a hero on Georgian
The Environmental Commissioner of Ontario has just released a useful guide on how to how we can all reduce our environmental footprints. Being a Guardian of the Bay also means doing what we can to reduce our individual consumption of carbon based fuels. - Here is a very good fact sheet and here is a full presentation on this topic. -
What’s your name and what’s your connection to Georgian Bay? Cory Kozmik, Anthony Laforge, Samantha Noganosh, Chevaun Toulouse. We are the Lands and Resource Department for Magnetawan First Nation, in Britt, Ontario. - Source: Magnetawan First Nation Our connection to the Bay is the dense biodiversity that it hosts and the role its ecology plays in our lives, including the environment. It is also where ancestors of the Anishinabek Nation walked and practiced each day what it means to live with the land in reciprocity. The connection to the land and water is sacred to the Anishinaabe culture, and held very close to the communities that inhabit the area. - Why is being a Guardian of the Bay important to you? We take great pride in being “Guardians” because it is our
My name is Eileen Maynard; I am 10 years old and the eldest of the 5th generation in my family at our cottage in Cognashene, part of the Georgian Bay Archipelago. Georgian Bay is so special to me. It is where I spend my summers and any weekend we can get free of our crazy life in the city. In the summer you can go swimming and tubing or out to islands for picnics. In the fall, it is so pretty with all of the colorful leaves and trees and a great time to go for a walk on Beausoleil Island. Being a Guardian of the Bay is important to me because Georgian Bay is vital to us and the animals around us. Being a Guardian of the Bay is a responsibility that we all have for keeping it healthy for the next 5 generations. Last year, with my grandfather, I applied for and was accepted as a vo
Sticking it to Garbage Along the Shoreline What’s your name and what’s your connection to Georgian Bay? My name’s Chloe Drayton and I’ve been going to Georgian Bay with my family since I was born - I’m only 7! It’s a nice, peaceful place and it’s nice to go swimming, look for turtles, go exploring on the rocks along the shore and spend time with my family. - Why is being a Guardian of the Bay important to you? Because I want to help all the animals and plants in nature and because it’s nicer to enjoy the cottage when there isn’t garbage lying around. I also want to enjoy Georgian Bay for a long, long time so we have to keep it nice and clean. - What’s your story that helps to show your Guardian of the Bay values? Every year we walk around the shoreline of ou
Go Wild and Protect the Bay What is your connection to Georgian Bay? I came from a family of campers. We didn’t have a cottage. This was back in the 1960s and early 70s and Killbear Provincial Park was one of my favourite campgrounds. It’s where I saw my first rattlesnake and caught my first smallmouth bass. I was introduced to the South Channel in the early 1980s when my wife, Beth, invited me to her family cottage. We bought our own property in the late 90s and have made the annual trek from Alberta to Georgian Bay every year since. - Why is being a Guardian of the Bay important to you? I believe that an individual’s actions are as important as government regulations for protecting Georgian Bay. We are the guardians of our property’s ecological health. Collectively, Guardi
