E-NEWS AUGUST 2021

Fellow LJNA members and Lake Joseph Neighbours,

We have accomplished a lot together in our 25 years as an association. Early challenges such as water quality in Hamer Bay, and runaway municipal spending have largely been resolved.

Development on our part of the lake is restrained in large part because of Seguin’s strong official plan and bylaws. put in place with much input from LJNA members and executive.  

Looking ahead, we will continue to provide input to the ongoing Official Plan Review, bring together a round table on boating safety, investigate updating our by-laws, develop a strategy to bolster our reserves, and launch a Benthic testing program. Municipal elections will be October 2022. This winter we are going to start planning all-candidate meetings, and other communications to help get the vote out. 

The slides from this year's AGM slides give further details and are posted to our website info@ljna.org In our LJNA update below, you will see we are starting to take action on some of these plans already. Being part of the community that advocates for North Lake Joe is as important as ever.

Wishing you a wonderful holiday weekend.

Warm regards,

Nancy Cohen, President

LJNA Update

Membership Update

The LJNA continues to be grateful for your interest and support. We currently have 145 paid memberships and expect to have another 40 with renewals yet to come in for 2021. Membership fees enable the Association to represent all shoreline residents when it comes to water quality, shoreline protection, safe boating, fair taxes, reasonable development and good neighbour practices. We also support organizations doing work complementary to our own initiatives: Safe Quiet Lakes, the Muskoka Conservancy, and the Muskoka Lakes Association. And being part of the LJNA is being part of a community that shares that unique way of life at the cottage.

If you haven’t yet joined the LJNA or renewed your membership, we encourage you to do so at:https://ljna.org/join-us, so that we can continue uninterrupted the work of advocacy and education on behalf of North Lake Joe.

No Wake Zones in North Lake Joe 

Members have expressed concern about these two spots for a long time. Each is less than 60 meters wide, so the speed limit is only 9km/hr. The LJNA is working on getting official signage. In the meantime, we will soon be posting Safe Quiet Lakes’ new NO WAKE sign.

Benthic Testing: Looking for

'Bugs in the Mud'

The LJNA has been hoping to start a Benthic* sampling program, but the implementation has been hampered by COVID. Benthic sampling is an indicator of lake health;  Benthic invertebrates are responsive to environmental impacts, therefore a diverse Benthic population is is a sign of a productive and healthy ecosystem.

Last week we decided that the best way forward was to do a test run to learn how to do it. With the guidance of the District of Muskoka Biomonitoring Technician Jess Lario, Nancy Cohen, Lynda McCarthy and I took samples at the boat launch/beach at Port Cockburn. The experience was enlightening and we now know exactly what is involved and how interested members can help. 

We will be developing an overall plan for the sampling, adding one or two more appropriate sites on the lake. We plan to sample again in August 2022 and hope that six to eight of our members will take part. Keep an eye out for more information in early summer 2022.

Alex Magditsch

LJNA Board Member

*Benthic comes from 'Ancient Greek benthos 'depth of the sea'. It is is the community of organisms that live on, in, or near the bottom of a sea, river, lake, or stream, also known as the benthic zone.

Stay Informed

New grant funding expands Cogeco high-speed internet services in Seguin

Seguin sent out a communiqué on August 20 regarding high-speed internet in the township. An edited version follows:  

Another $5.9 million has been allocated towards improving internet connectivity in Seguin Township… Cogeco will be installing fibre to approximately 750 Seguin homes and businesses in the areas of Port Cockburn, Hamer Bay, Gordon Bay and Stanley House. 

“Fibre is the most reliable, future-proof form of connectivity available today and will ensure that our businesses and residents have dependable, scalable internet access that is equal to their urban counterparts,” says Ann MacDiarmid, mayor of Seguin Township.

Read more about this here.

Shoreline Assessment Webinar September 22

Monica Seidel of Watersheds Canada is inviting you to attend a webinar naturalizing your shoreline:

Have you ever wondered how to naturalize your shoreline? What should you and your family be looking for on your property that might impact water quality and wildlife habitat availability? Chloe and Monica from Watersheds Canada will walk you through a property assessment to show you what our staff look for on a property that can help protect freshwater health and provide crucial habitat for wildlife. There will be a question period at the end of this webinar, so be sure to bring questions about your own property! This is a free and family-friendly webinar.

Register here.

This webinar is part of a project generously funded through Wildlife Habitat Canada’s Community Conservation Action Program.

In the Community

Late Summer Reading

This summer a book came out that caught our attention: Letters from Lake Joe. Author Mary E. Hughes previously published a biofiction series The Violet Trilogy, bringing to life her grandmother’s experiences, including summer in Muskoka. This novel continues in the same vein. We asked LJNA member Wendy Ritzer to write a review of the book. Order your copy on Amazon while they are still available!

I have always been interested in the history of the Muskoka Lakes and enjoy reading stories about the past. When I saw Letters from Lake Joe on display at Foot’s Bay General Store, I was immediately intrigued and thought it would make a good “summer read." It is a series of fictional letters that tells the story of summer life on an island in Lake Joseph during the early 20^th Century. Although it is historical fiction, several characters are based on real people. 

Stories of the struggles of travelling to the island with a family in tow in the early 1900’s captivated me. As a current island cottager I could relate. On the other hand, it also made me appreciate the conveniences we now have for commuting to our island in the 21^st century. The scene that stuck with me the most was learning that women had to “hide themselves when they were expecting a child and not show their girth in public.” They would get curious looks from fellow cottagers. Why was this was unacceptable in that era?

I was surprised that we still share the same appreciation and many of the same concerns for the lake as cottagers did back in the early 1900’s.  Water quality, gas-powered speed boats, overcrowding the lake -- the issues haven’t really changed, albeit on a different scale than in the 1900’s.

I think all Lake Joseph residents would appreciate reading the stories of the cottagers who came before us to this lake. It reminds us how lucky we are to experience this piece of paradise and the importance of preserving the aspects that we all love so much. 

Wendy Ritzer

Playfair Island

Shop Local!

In each issue we try to feature a local Seguin business. We welcome suggestions from satisfied customers!

This family restaurant has been serving up hearty family fare for 15 years. Catering to a local clientele of regulars, cottagers in summer and sledders in winter, they boast a wide menu of everything from eggs Benedict and French toast in the morning to burgers, wraps, pizza, salads, apps and mains the rest of the day.

Along with dine-in and patio service, they also offer take out and even deliver -- including drinks to go with your meal. 

Recently we ordered a lunch of take-out omelettes and Greek salad. The food was fresh and delicious.

I asked owner Jamie Blake about favourite dishes on the menu. “Chicken slouvaki as a dinner. Pizza and wings for take out.” 

Blakes Memories of Muskoka is located at 1200 Lake Joseph Road, just north of exit 207 from Hwy 400. 

Hours are Wednesday and Thursday 11am to 9 pm, Friday and Saturday 8 am to 9 pm, Sunday 8 am to 8 pm. Closed Monday and Tuesday.  

You can check out their website here. 

Every year things go astray around Lake Joe. The culprits are usually wind and waves. Have you lost a tube? Has someone’s raft washed up on your shore? We would be happy to connect the finder with the loser (so to speak). Let us know at info@ljna.org if you have lost or found something this summer.  

Caveat: We know you have dived in the lake with your Oakley sunglasses on (I have more than once), and there is not a darn thing we can do about that. Sorry! We feel your pain!

In solidarity with the Muskoka Lakes Association we are inviting you to contribute to their Annual Food Drive. Non-perishable food items may be dropped off to the the MLA office at 65 Joseph Street in Port Carling. Online donations may be made directly to the participating food banks above.

The E-News is published on a regular basis to keep Lake Joe residents and LJNA members 

informed of items of importance and interest to them. 

Editor: Karen McCullough, LJNA member

Volunteers bring fresh ideas and perspectives to our work. Interested? Contact us at info@ljna.org.

The Lake Joseph North Association (LJNA) represents the interests of shoreline residents on the Seguin section of Lake Joseph, including Portage Lake.