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 GB4.
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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May 3 to May 9, 2026 marks National Emergency Preparedness Week. In a country as vast as Canada, emergency management is a shared responsibility—starting with you. This year’s theme, "Be Prepared. Know Your Risks," challenges every resident to move from awareness to action. While first responders work tirelessly at the local level, experience shows that individual preparedness is the most effective way to protect your household and help communities recover faster after a disaster. The rugged beauty of the east and north coasts of Georgian Bay comes with specific challenges. Understanding these regional risks is the first step in effective planning. 1. Know Your Risks: Wildland Fires: The dense forests and rocky terrain of the Canadian Shield are highly susceptible to wild
Did you miss our "Beneath the Surface" webinar? - If you weren't able to join us live on April 28, you can now watch the full 90-minute recording of our exclusive session with renowned biologist Arunas Liskauskas. - Arunas, recently featured in the documentary All Too Clear, spent 35 years as a Management Biologist with the Ministry of Natural Resources. In this presentation, he shares a career's worth of data and insights into the shifting ecology of Lake Huron and Georgian Bay. - [WATCH THE VIDEO RECORDING HERE] - What’s Covered in the Presentation: Arunas walks us through the latest population data and the drivers of change for the species most familiar to our members: - The Invasive Impact: A look at the species currently re-engineering our underwater ecology
Join the Celebration! Please join us in honoring our amazing community volunteers. We warmly invite you to a special virtual ceremony celebrating our 2025 Champions of the Bay: When: Thursday, May 28th at 7 PM Where: via Zoom (register here) We’ll be gathering from every corner of the Bay to hear their inspiring stories and celebrate the nominators who brought their work to light. - Honouring Our 2025 Champions We are proud to recognize the following association champions for their outstanding dedication to Georgian Bay: - Linda Bartlett & Lynda Montgomery – Bay of Islands Community Association Andy Metelka – Blackstone Lake Cottagers Association Ted Simmonds – Bayfield Nares Islanders’ Association Jack Giroux –
Following our initial report on the proposed 300-km high-voltage transmission line from Sudbury to Barrie, GBA has been on the ground at recent public consultations. In April, GBA Board Member Andy Metelka attended the in-person community open houses in Barrie and Parry Sound, while both Andy and GBA Executive Director Meredith Denning participated in the virtual open house on April 21. - During these sessions, Hydro One staff presented project overviews and fielded questions from the public. The most frequent questions from attendees centered on: - The Route: Where exactly will the new towers go? - The Existing Line: What happens to the current infrastructure? - Economic Impact: Will there be local benefits or just local disruption? - Environmental Risk
Lake Michigan-Huron is now 7 inches hgher than it was at this time last year. From a month ago, the water levels on Lakes Superior, Michigan-Huron, St. Clair, Erie & Ontario are up 7, 14, 11, 9 & 15 inches, respectively. Lakes Superior, Michigan-Huron, St. Clair & Ontario levels are up 4, 7, 2 & 17 inches, respectively, from last year. Lake Erie levels are the same as they were at this time last year. Lakes Michigan-Huron, St. Clair, Erie & Ontario are 0, 2, 1 & 10 inches above their long-term May averages. Lake Superior is 1 inch below its long-term May averages. All the lakes remain well below their May record highs. In a month, Lakes Superior, Michigan-Huron, St. Clair, Erie & Ontario levels are expected to rise by 4, 3, 2, 2 & 4 inches, res
It is officially spring on Georgian Bay. The ice has cleared, boats are going in, and the sun finally has some real heat behind it—but the water remains dangerously cold. - The recent tragedy on Heart Lake in Brampton on April 11, 2026, is a devastating reminder that you don't need a storm or a massive lake to lose your life. A man and woman in their 30s—in a simple canoe on a calm, inland lake—capsized. Despite being close to shore and within earshot of bystanders, the man did not survive. Neither were wearing lifejackets. - Cold Water Season on the Bay Lasts from October through June For Georgian Bay, the "summer" window is smaller than you think. Water is considered dangerously cold before June 15 and after September 15. In 2025, 10 out of 19 marine fatalities in O
Ontario Corps is the province’s premier emergency response initiative, designed to unite skilled professionals, community volunteers, and private-sector partners under a single mission: protecting Ontario during times of crisis. Managed by the Ministry of Emergency Preparedness and Response, the program bridges the gap between traditional emergency services and community-led relief. - The Foundation: A Network of Everyday Heroes Established in late 2024, Ontario Corps provides a "rapid-response" layer for communities overwhelmed by natural disasters. It operates on a volunteer-driven model where participants, depending on their skills, are matched with needs such as: Infrastructure Support: Debris removal and flood barrier construction Humanitarian Aid: Wellness ch
The federal review of TC Energy’s (TCE) proposed pumped storage project in Meaford has reached a new phase with the release of the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada's (IAAC) Summary of Issues, which outlines the environmental, social, and technical risks that must be addressed before the project moves forward. - The IAAC received over 420 comments during this initial consultation phase, including a submission from GBA, and it is promising to see that several of the IAAC’s key requirements mirror specific concerns raised by GBA, including the risk of disturbing PFAS and PCBs in the soil around the site, the potential for water quality degredation, and habitat disruptions. - Identified Areas of Concern Based on feedback, the IAAC has flagged several areas of concern that TCE
Lake Michigan-Huron is now 6 inches hgher than it was at this time last year. From a month ago, the water levels on Lakes Superior, Michigan-Huron, St. Clair, Erie & Ontario are up 4, 12, 12, 11 & 17 inches, respectively. Lakes Superior, Michigan-Huron, St. Clair & Ontario levels are up 3, 6, 3 & 15 inches, respectively, from last year. Lake Erie levels are lower by 2 inches than they were at this time last year. Lakes Michigan-Huron, St. Clair, Erie & Ontario are 2, 5, 2 & 13 inches above their long-term April averages. Lake Superior is 1 inch below its long-term April averages. All the lakes remain well below their April record highs. In a month, Lakes Superior, Michigan-Huron, St. Clair, Erie & Ontario levels are expected to rise by 4, 3, 1, 3 &
On Tuesday, April 28 at 7:00 PM, GBA invites you to go beneath the surface for a comprehensive look at the shifting ecology of Lake Huron and Georgian Bay. - Join us for an exclusive 90-minute webinar with Arunas Liskauskas — renowned biologist featured in the documentary All Too Clear — for an in-depth look at the fish populations of Georgian Bay. From walleye and trout to pike, salmon, and channel catfish, Arunas will walk us through the latest data on each species and explore what’s driving population changes across the Bay. - Meet the Expert: Arunas Liskauskas Arunas’s life and career have been defined by the waters he protects. He spent his youth learning to fish the waters of Severn Sound near Waubaushene, a passion that led him to pursue an Hon. BSc. in Fisherie
The Canadian Coast Guard’s Inshore Rescue Boat (IRB) program will hold search and rescue training for crews between April 24 and May 11, 2026 in Parry Sound, Ontario. Training will be carried out during daytime and nighttime hours at the Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) base in Parry Sound and surrounding waters south to Midland, and north to Britt. The public can expect to see upwards of 10 CCG Zodiac Fast Rescue Craft and helicopters throughout the area. There is no real emergency or danger to the public. This training certifies and prepares students to respond to marine emergencies during the summer months, such as, but not limited to, medical emergencies, persons overboard, vessels aground, vessels taking on water, and disabled vessels. Each summer, the Canadian Coast Guar
Lake Michigan-Huron is now 4 inches hgher than it was at this time last year. From a month ago, the water levels on Lakes Superior, Michigan-Huron, St. Clair, Erie & Ontario are up 2, 10, 11, 8 & 15 inches, respectively. Lakes Superior, Michigan-Huron & Ontario levels are up 4, 4 & 11 inches, respectively, from last year. Lake St. Clair levels remain the same as this time last year, while Lake Erie levels are lower by 6 inches than they were at this time last year. Lakes Superior, Michigan-Huron & Erie are 2, 2 & 2 inches below their long-term April averages. Lakes St. Clair & Ontario are 2 & 8 inches above their long-term April averages. All the lakes remain well below their April record highs. In a month, Lakes Superior, Michigan-Huron, St. Clair,
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
