FOCA's 60th anniversary Annual General Meeting (AGM) and Spring Seminar for Member Associations was held on March 4th, as we "came out of our shells" and returned to more in-person events - despite Mother Nature's best efforts to keep us from travelling due to intensely snowy weather!

For this event we had over 200 participants, both digitally and in-person. In addition to the business of the AGM, we had a full slate of speakers on cottage country hot topics including fire safety, Lyme disease and ticks, land use planning in a Bill 23 world, biodiversity and more hot topics. The extensive Event Summary (and links to all the slides presented) is available for all members to download, here: https://foca.on.ca/news/events/#2023AGM.

If you need help with the member login, contact us for assistance during business hours.

Visit rogers.com/WHI to view packages and check availability at your address, or visit the Rogers booth at your nearest cottage show. See you there!

Over the last 12 years of OPP marine unit statistics, of the 289 boaters who have died on the water, 88% of them were not wearing a PFD (personal floatation device), and more than 85% were in vessels shorter than 6 metres in length. As part of making the boating experience safer, FOCA has long encouraged everyone to wear a PFD when on the water, as have our colleagues at the Lifesaving Society, Canadian Safe Boating Council, Boating Ontario, the Ontario Provincial Police and others.

This Spring, Transport Canada will be seeking input on proposed changes to Small Vessel Regulations which would require all boaters and passengers to wear a PFD on boats. The public review will take place through the Let's Talk Transportation website likely starting in April.

In the meantime, tell FOCA what you think: Should PFD wear become mandatory?

Please take FOCA's quick anonymous survey by April 15th, 2023, and share the link with others: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/FOCApfd23E

FOCA's colleagues at Community Legal Education Ontario (CLEO) have launched an Ontario-wide survey to get a picture of the legal needs of nonprofits relating to governance, employment law, and privacy/record keeping. The survey is anonymous and has 15 questions that will help CLEO tailor future legal supports, but may also help your association become aware of related documents and tools that might be available to you. Click here to take the survey. Members: Please forward this information to the appropriate representative in your association!

Are you an affected owner of residential property in Canada that needs to file the Underused Housing Tax form to the Canadian Revenue Agency by April 30, 2023? Find out who is affected, get updates about filing penalties, and a link to the tax form on FOCA's webpage: https://foca.on.ca/property-taxation-assessment/

FOCA has made official comment on the public consultation about Floating Accommodations. The original proposal underwent wording amendments in response to concerns raised by the boating community that, as written, it could change or limit boat mooring access. The Environmental Registry public comment period continues to April 11, 2023. Get information and read FOCA’s submission on our webpage: https://foca.on.ca/floating-accommodations/

March 22, 2023 - The network of protected areas administered by Parks Canada received an announcement of approximately $74 million over three years, for projects related to critical infrastructure improvements along the Trent-Severn Waterway National Historic Site, which welcomes more than 1 million visitors each year. This investment will include repairs to the Kirkfield Lift Lock and recapitalization at Lock 42 - Couchiching, as well as Little Chute Dam "G" near Port Severn, and Healey Falls Locks 16 and 17, among other undertakings. Read more from Parks Canada (download PDF, 3 pages).

image below: https://parks.canada.ca/lhn-nhs/on/trentsevern

On January 7th, 1963, 125 people representing 40 cottage associations met and decided the time was right to form a provincial association. By the spring of 1963, the organization was called The Federation of Ontario Cottagers' Associations. Today, FOCA represents 50,000 families in more than 525 lake, road, river and residents' associations.

There are many ways YOU can contribute to FOCA's 60th anniversary celebrations:

upcoming webinar series: Freshwater Stewardship Community

Our colleagues at Watersheds Canada are hosting 4 webinars:

Get details about each event and register on the Watersheds Canada website.

upcoming webinar series: Baseline Coastal Habitat Survey for the Canadian Great Lakes

April 19-20 and 26-27, 2023 - Register to attend a webinar series about a novel baseline coastal habitat survey for the Canadian Great Lakes that was recently completed by Environment and Climate Change Canada, the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, and Fisheries and Oceans Canada. Existing coastal habitats including wetlands, shorelines, inland lakes and ponds have been catalogued, classified, mapped and surveyed. Click to download an overview (PDF, 3 pages) which includes the link to register for all 4 sessions.