I’m writing from the city after a glorious few weeks to end the summer – hopefully not our last chance for boating and dockside fun as we transition to fall activities.
Thank you to everyone who took time out from their August long weekend to join us at the AGM. Scott Francisco got the discussion started with a fast-paced brainstorm. It was fun and inspiring to hear everyone’s ideas. Below is a recap of what we heard at the AGM and some next steps.
Our appreciation once again to the three directors who retired from the Board: Bruce Hatherley, Diana Piquette and James Buchanan. And a warm welcome to Natalie Smith on Wegamind.
Also below is a roundup of this summer and some of our winter plans. Not too soon to start thinking about new activities for next summer. Please be in touch with ideas.
We are really pleased with the strong membership renewal. Many thanks for your trust and commitment. Your ongoing support and engagement are so important to the work we do.
Thank you to everyone who took part of their long weekend Saturday to join in, to our set-up and clean-up volunteers and especially to Gordon Bay Marine and Maple Leaf Marinas. We really appreciate it. Over 95 persons were in the room plus 10 logins on Zoom and one proxy representing over 75 member families. The AGM presentation is posted to our website as usual.
Board plans for the upcoming year include:
New ideas coming out of the Community Visioning conversation
Adding more activities to the LJNA calendar.
Revisions to LJNA bylaws to comply with new legislation
Continuing water quality monitoring and communications activities
Continued advocacy at municipal level: monitoring and input to land planning policy: OP, STRs, Shoreline Alterations, Planning Applications, etc,..
Recruiting
Our LJNA bylaws are being reviewed in light of the new Ontario Not-for-Profit Corporations Act. Our goal is simple but effective bylaws, that provide for appropriate rights and protections for the members and the association. A Special Meeting of members is required for approval of the revisions.
We were pleased to welcome Councillor Terry Fellner and Mayor Ann MacDiarmid to the AGM. They gave us updates on Seguin Council activities including: upgrades to the airport runway, road maintenance plans including establishing bike lanes, updating waste management strategy, Park to Park trail upgrades, land planning policy updates. There were so many questions from the group that we opted use the time f a prepared presentation from the Fire Chief. It is posted to our website and contains many important fire safety tips.
Our last speaker was Dave Rozycki, President of Maple Leaf Marinas. He gave an overview of his company, their plans for Gordon Bay Marine and invited everyone to their first annual fireworks.
Notes from Scott Francisco on our Community Visioning
It was a great moment to have so many North Lake Joe neighbors together in a conversation about our common and diverse ideas, experiences and values. And I was happy to test drive our custom-made whiteboard! The conversation around the Keep Toss and Create lists will inspire new ways for us to work together and was a lot of fun.
Our next steps are to develop the ideas further and gather more community feedback, including from those folks who were ‘not in the room’. Later this fall, we plan an interactive poll which will allow meaningful and playful interaction and elaboration by all community members - whether they were with us at Gordon Bay or not!
Our shared environment is our ‘commons’ – the space, resource, mystery, beautiful natural canvas that draws us together. Elaborating on what this sharing and stewardship looks like practically is one of our challenges and mandates. I look forward to continuing the conversation.
Three years ago, a “citizen scientist benthic sampling regimen” was begun on our portion of Lake Joseph, with support from the District of Muskoka Benthic monitoring program. This year, in an effort to broaden our sampling strategy, two different sites were chosen on the east side of the lake. Observations include: an abundance of pollution-intolerant organisms including dragonflies and damselflies, high numbers of amphipods (scuds or fairy shrimp) and isopods (sow bugs) that are listed as “moderately sensitive” to pollution. The presence and abundance of these sentinel species of good health is a great start to the development of a long-term data base.
Additionally, the importance of the involvement of citizen scientists in monitoring the environment cannot be overstated. We are so grateful for the LJNA members who have helped monitor the health of the lake and we look forward to meeting more such dedicated people in future.
The large creature in this dish is a dragonfly nymph - one of the many found in this year's sampling.
Membership Update
Our AGM was a dynamic and positive experience. Thank you to all who joined us in person and on zoom. It was great to see you.
We are very pleased to welcome 6 new families to our dynamic association, bringing us to 172 member families so far this year. Neighbours’ support and involvement are so important. Thank you for the backing you show LJNA with your renewals, new memberships and contributions to our reserve fund.
If you have not yet joined for 2023, it's not too late. Look for a reminder in your inbox this week or go to the Join Us page on our website to check your renewal status now.
In celebration of the Rosseau Memorial Hall’s upcoming centennial, the Township of Seguin is embarking on a campaign to enhance this beloved community space. An online community survey was held over the summer. There is still an opportunity to share your ideas. The public is invited to join the team on Friday, September 29 from 5:30pm-7:30pm for a special Open House and Potluck event with ERA Architects.The team is delighted to partner with The Creative Hands of Rosseau for a special potluck dinner to coincide with this information session.
In the Community
Gordon Bay Marine - Fill the Boat Food Drive
Sink the Unsinkable Legend!
Join Gordon Bay Marine in filling the unsinkable Boston Whaler – yes, it is half a Whaler that still drives – with enough food to sink the boat just in time for Thanksgiving! Drop off any non-perishable food item and all donations will go to support local families through the MacTier Foodbank. Donations will be collected until October 4th.
MLA 11th Annual Food Drive
The MLA is thrilled to partner with the Salvation Army this year for their annual Food Drive. Non-perishable food items can be donated at many convenient locations in Muskoka. Drop off locations include: Hamer Bay Marine and the Rosseau General Store. More info HERE.
Pumpkinfest returns to Rosseau October 7.
There will be vendors, games, food and lots of family fun. Visit their Facebook page for vendor details and updates about the event as organizers finalize details.
The Ontario Fire Marshal is asking all Ontarians to test the smoke alarms in their residence on September 28, 2023 by pressing the test button and making sure ... http://savedbythebeep.ca/
Of Interest and Partner Updates
Safe Quiet Lakes – Avoid Boating Tragedy Webinar
The focus of this year’s joint webinar with the MLA was that, with rare exceptions, boating tragedies are avoidable.
Sgt Moffat of the OPP shared some statistics including that over the past 13 years, 86.7% of the fatalities in Ontario were people not wearing life jackets or PFDs. The top two reasons for dying on the water are capsizing (41.1%) and falling overboard (39.5%). Moffat explained that the Shock Factor is one of the main reasons for marine deaths. While most lake residents are familiar with the involuntary gasp reflex caused by plunging into cold water, what many might not know is the same effect can occur in warm water – like accidentally falling off a vessel.
Also in the webinar, Scott Ferguson presented his top 10 tips for avoiding boating tragedies.
Smart decisions and safe and courteous boating ensure our lakes and waterways can be enjoyed by all. Learn more about Safe Quiet Lakes on their website.
FOCA Benefits for LJNA Members
Membership in LJNA entitles members to several very interesting benefits including discounts on AED’s and cottage insurance. More info HERE. Click HERE for the latest Elert from FOCA.
MLA Updates
MLA ‘s Newsbites has a great round up of news for Muskoka Area. View the September one HERE. Or view all past issues HERE.
The E-News is published on a regular basis to keep LJNA members and Lake Joe residents
informed of items of importance and interest to them. Want to view a past issue? Click HERE.
The Lake Joseph North Association (LJNA) represents the interests of shoreline residents on the Seguin section of Lake Joseph, including Portage Lake.
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