newsflash
August 28, 2020
Langmaid's Island Update

On July 24 the Local Planning Appeals Tribunal (LPAT) conducted a Mediation Assessment and have agreed to provide mediation, with an LPAT-assigned mediator, for the Langmaid’s Island appeal. All parties have agreed to participate—that is Langmaid’s Island Corp., Township of Lake of Bays, Town of Huntsville, District of Muskoka, Kelly Zytaruk and LOBA/LBHF. It is anticipated that there will be four one-day sessions with at least a week between each one. The first two dates have been scheduled for September 14 and 25, 2020. The sessions will be conducted on Zoom and LOBA/LBHF will be represented in the proceedings by our consulting team H.G. Elston Professional Corporation (lawyer), Northern Vision Planning Ltd. (planner) and Ages Consultants Limited (planner). Both LOBA and LBHF will have members attending and available for consultation with Wendy Gibson, Mary Ann Peden and Lili Davis-Burchat attending on behalf of LOBA.

Mediation is a confidential settlement process. All information shared either verbally or in written form is to be treated as confidential by the parties and cannot be disclosed in a public forum unless all parties agree or are compelled by law. Anyone who will be privy to the mediation process (listening or watching) will be required to be bound by the same terms. Should the mediation proceed to an agreement, there will be opportunity for the LOBA and LBHF Boards to review the agreement prior to it being finalized. 
Q: Are soap and shampoo safe to use in the lake?

A: No! Never!

That shampoo bottle or soap package says “all natural” but that doesn’t mean it’s harmless. Surfactants and other natural ingredients harm the chemical composition of lake water and can have a deleterious effect on the microscopic and macroscopic critters in the food chain. Interrupt that food chain and you make it difficult for the larger critters, including fish, to feed.

But the packaging says it’s biodegradable. That may be true, but biodegradable soaps and shampoos need soil and the bacteria found in that soil to break down. NOTHING is biodegradable in water. Every drop of shampoo you put into the water is there for good. All the living creatures in the water will be drinking that soap and it will negatively affect their health. Shampoo could end up in your drinking water and you probably don’t want to drink that.

If you feel you just must clean off in the lake, use a washcloth and scrub. Water is an excellent solvent that attaches to dirt and mud and washes it away. No soap required! Shampooing in an outdoor shower is fine so long as it is at least 30 m (98 feet) away from the water’s edge.

Better yet—play it safe. Wash inside and let your septic system do its job of slowly releasing its contents into the soil where it can biodegrade over time.

Muskoka Steamships and Discovery Centre invites you to read the summer 2020 issue of Muskoka Reflections magazine which describes some of their environmental stewardship projects and how you can support these efforts. 

The MSDC has a number of exciting projects underway. They are creating a new environmental sustainability exhibit which will be provocative and challenging with the objective of changing behaviours and attitudes through education and discovering ways we can each make a difference.  
 
Their recent Watershed Wonders and Water Is Life exhibits are examples of their success as leaders on environmental issues across Muskoka. They are also working on a 12,000 square-foot addition to the Discovery Centre built around Wanda lll, with three major exhibits opening in 2022.
Earlier this summer we let you know about a free app to help identify ticks, offering an easy way for people to determine if the tick they have found is a black-legged tick, which can spread Lyme disease. The app, eTick.ca, is a photo-based identification platform that can identify the species of tick quickly and accurately.

We have heard from members that they are experiencing tick bites and so are sharing a few more tick resources:

Reading, interesting links and events

Township of Lake of Bays

Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry

Muskoka Watershed Council

Federation of Ontario Cottagers' Associations

photo by Cathy Vohries
The purpose of the Lake of Bays Association is to promote, sustain and enhance a clean and healthy natural environment, a well serviced community and a safe and peaceful Lake of Bays.

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