Protection of the waters of Georgian Bay is something that resonates with all who live, work and play on the Bay and all living beings that depend on these waters for their very existence. The following video contains a powerful message in this regard from a young member of the Wiikwemkoong First Nation.
The province of Ontario is currently asking people to limit interprovincial travel to help curb the spread of Coronavirus. Further to that, on Monday, the province issued an emergency order to close at-risk and non-essential businesses for the safety of the general public. GBA has been made aware that Honey Harbour Boat Club Marina will be closed until further notice, and other marinas may choose to follow suit. Although marine craft repair is listed as an essential service, people should not assume that all normal marina operations will be in place (such as boat launch) and that marina stores will be open. Individual businesses can decide whether or not it is safe to stay open. Please contact your marina before venturing out to be sure services will be available should you need them w
An approaching winter storm will impact the region this weekend with a significant amount of precipitation expected. - Water levels continue to be well above average and near record high levels. From a month ago the water level on Lakes Superior is down 1 inch, Lake Erie and St Clair are 2 inches higher and Lakes Michigan-Huron and Ontario are unchanged. Lakes Superior, Michigan-Huron, St. Clair, Erie & Ontario are 3, 17, 9, 4 & 7 inches higher respectively than they were at this time last year, and 16, 37, 33, 28 & 16 inches, respectively above their long term March average. In a month’s time, the levels of Lakes Superior and Michigan Huron are expected to be down by 3 and 1 inches, respectively, Lake Erie is expected to be unchanged and Lakes St. Clair
An approaching winter storm will impact the region this weekend with a significant amount of precipitation expected. - Water levels continue to be well above average and near record high levels. From a month ago the water level on Lakes Superior is down 1 inch, Lake Erie and St Clair are 2 inches higher and Lakes Michigan-Huron and Ontario are unchanged. Lakes Superior, Michigan-Huron, St. Clair, Erie & Ontario are 3, 17, 9, 4 & 7 inches higher respectively than they were at this time last year, and 16, 37, 33, 28 & 16 inches, respectively above their long term March average. In a month’s time, the levels of Lakes Superior and Michigan Huron are expected to be down by 3 and 1 inches, respectively, Lake Erie is expected to be unchanged and Lakes S
The Integrated Community Energy and Climate Action Plan (ICECAP), spearheaded by Georgian Bay Biosphere Reserve (GBBR), launched in February aiming to help municipalities and First Nations on the eastern Georgian Bay coast work toward the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions at the local level. GBBR is working cooperatively with these communities to collect and analyze data to develop an "emissions inventory" that will be used to identify patterns, set targets for reductions, and create action plans aimed at reducing community emissions and creating energy savings. Read more about the project here. -
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, and St Clair are all down by 3 inches, Erie is up 1 inch and Ontario is unchanged. Lakes Superior, Michigan-Huron, St. Clair, Erie & Ontario are 1, 14, 10, 12 & 7 inches higher respectively than they were at this time last year, and 14, 35, 35, 33 & 18 inches, respectively above their long term February average. Lakes Michigan-Huron, and Erie are 3 and 2 inches higher, respectively, than their previous record highs for February. In a month’s time, the level of Lake Superior is expected to be unchanged, and Lakes Michigan Huron, St. Clair, Erie & Ontario are all expected to rise by 2 - 4 inches.
In 2019, GBA made a submission to the Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing on the proposed Provincial Policy Statement, 2020 (PPS, 2020). The Provincial Policy Statement, 2020 has now been finalized and some of the changes and exclusions in the final statement reflect GBA’s recommendations. Matters that were addressed in GBA’s submission are highlighted below. - The key changes include: - adding further references to support a changing climate and green infrastructure adding policy direction that is responsive to the recommendations of the province’s Special Advisor on Flooding. increasing the minimum requirement for housing land supply to 15 years clarifying the policies related to market-based housing by adding a reference to affordable housing
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 and Ontario are 4, 2, 2 & 2 inches lower respectively, Lakes Erie is 1 inches higher. Lakes Superior, Michigan-Huron, St. Clair, Erie & Ontario are 0, 15, 11, 11 & 4 inches higher respectively than they were at this time last year, and 13, 37, 40, 36 & 19 inches, respectively above their long term February average. Lakes Michigan-Huron, and Erie are 4 and 5 inches higher, respectively, than their previous record highs for February. In a month’s time, the level of Lake Superior is expected to be down by 1 inch, and Lakes Michigan Huron, St. Clair, Erie & Ontario are expected to rise by 2,
Previous Canadian IJC chair and Cognashene cottager, Gord Walker, has joined the former US Chair Lana Pollack to write the forward for the book The First Century Of The International Joint Commission. The IJC was formed only a few years before GBA in 1909. We have therefore had over 100 years of productive dialogue and liaison with this important and unique Great Lakes bi-national institution. Check out the book and read about their history here. -
Georgian Bay Forever (GBF) is hosting Energy Rights and Wrongs. Can we do more right? Yes we can, a Toronto area event on April 25, 2020 focusing on renewable energy and electric vehicles (EV). GBF Executive Director, David Sweetnam, will discuss Ontario's energy grid followed by the opportunity to have all of your EV questions answered by experts and take an EV test drive. The event will be held at the Electric Vehicle Discovery Centre in Toronto. Tickets are $20 and include refreshments and a light lunch. For more information or to register for your preferred session, click: Morning session Afternoon session
According to U.S. Army Corp of Engineers (USACE) measurements, precipitation remains below average for the Great Lakes, estimated at 59% of typical month-to-date February values. - 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 and St Clair are 4, 1 & 2 inches lower respectively, Lakes Erie and Ontario are 2 and 1 inches higher, respectively. Lakes Superior, Michigan-Huron, St. Clair, Erie & Ontario are 2, 16, 14, 11 & 5 inches higher respectively than they were at this time last year, and 13, 38, 38, 36 & 20 inches, respectively above their long term February average. Lakes Michigan-Huron, and Erie are both currently 5 inches higher than their previous
An article in the New York Times is warning that extremes may be the new norm as Great Lakes water levels are poised to break records again this year. As global warming continues to cause extreme fluctuations in weather and water levels, local governments and lakeside business and property owners must develop a game plan to adapt to and mitigate all the potential impacts. This article lines up with GBA’s position on what to expect this year, and why it is possible that there will be even higher levels in future years. The watchword is “be prepared for extremes” both high and low water levels as climate change effects increase. Read the article here.
