PaBIA eBlast April 22, 2020

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Volume 12 No. 8

Greetings!

Again, we hope we find each and every one safe and healthy during these very trying times. In most areas of the continent, folks are sheltering in place and wearing masks whenever they go outside - others only when they go into stores or are around others. Until medications/vaccines are found, keeping that six foot distance and washing hands for 20 seconds especially after coming from being in public are the essential actions known to slow the spread of the virus.

Meanwhile scientists are scrambling to find/develop a) the COVID-19 tests that provide us accurate diagnosis quickly , b) contact tracing to map the spread of the disease so as to isolate those who have been in contact with a known COVID-19 patient (done by measuring the antibodies in a person's blood which shows who has been infected), and c) medicines to treat the disease, eventually creating an effective vaccine. Flattening the curve is just the beginning - but we are heading in the right direction!

That being said, last Saturday, the US and Canada agreed to keep the border closed another month, to May 21, for all non essential travel and reassess the situation at that time. "This is an important decision and one that will keep people on both sides of the border safe," Trudeau said at the top of his daily COVID-19 briefing Saturday ."

We all want to be actively planning to spend time at our cottages...and by continuing what we are doing now to stay the course ( fastest way to the finish line if you ask our sailors ), there are glimmers of hope that we will get there!!!

And planning for the summer continues!!!!! Be well, everyone!

In this eBlast:

PaBIA Board's Response to COVID-19 & Tentative Summer Plans
PaB Spring Storms Affects Shorelines Brings Water Safety Warning
Meet our new Marine Patrollers
GBBR Webpage & Activities for Families at Home Activities
GBA Request for Photos TODAY only
GBF Water Level Webinar NEW DATES May 2020
Helen Bryce Review: We Are the Weather
GBF Microfibre Webinar May 12 or June 12
Lake Michigan-Huron Water Levels April 20, 2020
In Memoriam - John W. McDaniel

Dear PaBIA Members:

Your PaBIA Board of Directors has been meeting via teleconference and will continue to meet regularly while this disturbing pandemic unfolds. Our ambition is to be relevant to our Pointe au Baril Community and to provide you with links to the law covering COVID 19 from Municipal, Provincial and Federal Authorities wherever possible and to comment as we try to interpret the implications of them.

Like you, our wish is to return to our cottages as soon as responsibly possible. As a community, we must consider the best interests of those most impacted and threatened by this virus: the permanent residents and businesses, frontline healthcare and critical services workers and our First Nations neighbours. Therefore, we recommend staying away until it is officially clear to return. The Community will be grateful to know that we have helped to support them and have helped to keep everyone safe until restrictions are eased.

Thank you for sending in your 2020 PaBIA fees. As we write this, the 2020 Yearbook has been printed and is in the process of being mailed out to you. Hilde Clark, who puts our Yearbook together, says the cover gets better every year, and this year is NO exception. As ever, we owe a gigantic debt of thanks to Hilde, Nancy and all the contributors for their hard work, sense of humour and passion for creating our annual Yearbook. And our thanks, too, to all our advertisers who make the book possible financially. Together, this book is a cooperative effort that certainly binds our Community together...what would we do without it?

How PaBIA plans to deliver our normal suite of summer programming and member services will depend on how and when current restrictions begin to relax. It would appear that social distancing and limitations on group activities will persist until a vaccine can stop further outbreaks; however, it is sure that PaBIA will be busy this summer delivering member services, albeit in a form that will need to be shaped as the situation evolves.

In anticipation that we may be able to get out to our islands, PaBIA has decided to:

Ask that PaBIA’s navigation markers be installed once we are permitted and able to do so.
Continue our off-season patrol
Commit to operating our Marine Patrol

The balance of programs, recreational activities and so on will need to take shape as the weeks ahead unfold.

As for PaBIA expenses and revenues for 2020, again as the summer progresses and PaBIA work is undertaken, we will have a clearer sense for any possible savings versus our budget. Any identified savings will be applied to the 2021 budget and any consequent Membership credits will similarly be applied.

In the face of this international emergency, Pointe au Baril’s both permanent and seasonal residents are in this together. Thankfully, as of this writing, the local community has no known cases of COVID-19, and it is our collective duty to keep it that way by all means possible.

We remain your dedicated friends and volunteers here on the PaBIA Board of Directors. Should you have any questions, suggestions or concerns that we might assist with, please reach out accordingly.

Stay healthy and safe, and we will all be together again soon in our beloved Pointe au Baril.

Your PaBIA Board of Directors,

Erica Allen xxxxxxx Ian MacLeod xxxxxxx Dave Sharpe

Helen Bryce xxxxx Michael Phippen xxxx Virginia Skuce

Hilde Clark xxxxxx Nancy Rogers xxxxxx Julia Sievwright

Tom Lundy xxxxxx Tom Scoon xxxxxxxxx Mary Thomson

PS. Y ou may find the following links informative in understanding the Covid-19 infection in Canada,Ontario and Toronto:

• Canada COVID-19

• Ontario COVID-19

• Toronto COVID-19

Latest Updated Calendars for

July ( 3/25) and August (NEW 3/25)

Of Interest

Meet PaBIA's Marine Patrol 2020

This season, we are delighted to share that Emma Berton will be returning, but this time in a dual role: both as a volunteer involved in the training process in late June and assisting the patrollers in their day to day affairs and as a part-time staff person to enable the Patrollers to operate the boat at all times with two aboard. In the past, our patrollers have been operating over the weekends and taking their ‘weekends’ during the week with each patroller taking off either Tuesday or Thursday with Wednesday a day when the office was closed. This arrangement left each patroller alone in the boat on either Tuesday or Thursday, which was not safe whenever a need arose where two people were required. Thus, with Emma’s involvement, she will work Tuesdays and Thursdays in the boat, providing two patrollers in the boat at all times. Her role will be vitally important this summer with Tom Wunderlich and Chris Lusty being new to the Marine Patrol position.

Tom Wunderlich : "I am the eldest grandchild to Penny Anne and David Davidson. I have been going to the family cottage that we like to call “Pine Point” on Tonches Island since I was a baby and have been proud to call PaB my home away from home. I have just completed my 1st year of University in French Immersion studying Social Sciences and Business Management at the University of Ottawa. I am very honoured to have earned the Marine Patrol Position for the summer of 2020 and to be serving the PaB community. I hope we can all enjoy our beautiful cottages and outdoors this summer, while sustaining our environment and staying safe as best as we can!"

Christopher Lusty : "I am very excited to be apart of the Marine Patrol team this summer. I am a currently a Biology major at Ontario Tech University in Oshawa. I love being at the cottage and hope to make this 2020 summer an enjoyable and memorable one!"

Emma Berton : I am 22 years old, from Vancouver BC. This April I graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Forestry (Honours) from the University of New Brunswick. I have spent my last year studying hard and being part of the UNB Woodsmen team where we competed in logger sports including axe throwing, chainsaw, pull climb etc!. The last two summers I have been working in the forestry sector in Northern Alberta and Ontario and haven't been able to spend very much at the cottage with my family.

"I was one of the patrollers in Summers 2016 and 2017. This year I am acting as the Assistant Supervisor to help the new supervisor of the Marine Patrol, Bill Culp. I am extremely happy to be back, and I am looking forward to many more days of exploring the bay this summer."

Water Safety Warning in Effect for the Parry Sound District Georgian Bay Shoreline

An article appearing in the Parry Sound newspaper may be of great interest to you with regard to the April 18th weekend storms that brought 90 -100 kph west winds to the Pointe au Baril and eastern shoreline of Georgian Bay.

The pictures you see here are courtesy of Tom Lundy taken yesterday! You might wish to contact your contractor to ensure that your property is intact - especially where you have near shoreline septic systems, buildings or docks. Should the water rise during a surge, the septic systems could be compromised.

GBF Book Pick Review by Helen Bryce

We Are the Weather , by Jonathan Safran Foer

PaBIA's Helen Bryce, in her capacity as volunteer chair of the Education Committee for Georgian Bay Forever, has picked a great book that argues for collective action to combat climate change. We're seeing it today in all the work being done defeating this virus. READ WHY SHE PICKED IT AND GIVE IT A READ .

Georgian Bay Biosphere Reserve NEW Webpage & Activities for

Families at Home

New Webpage for Families at Home

GBBR staff has created a running list of activity ideas and online resources designed for kids and families to complete at home. These are fun, engaging, and educational for everyone. You’ll find:

Kids Activity Sheets – crafted by GBBR for backyard fun through the seasons
Local & Community Online Resources – lots of businesses and organizations are offering amazing things online!
Additional Resources – we’ve rounded up a collection of other websites to help teach kids at home and provide dozens of project ideas

We will continue to add links, activity sheets, and other information as we see it, so please check back weekly! Are you aware of something great for families that isn’t listed here but perhaps should be? Email us with your suggestions!

GBBR Activity Corner!

Kids at home? Young at heart? These are our top activity picks for April:

1. April Nature Scavenger Hunt : How many can you find in your backyard?

2. Kids Can Grow Guide : A beginner guide for young green thumbs.

3. Rocking & Rolling : Use candy and cheese to learn about rock formation.

4. Ice is Nice : Learn the important role of melting ice for local fish.

Have Pictures of Your Beloved Pointe au Baril?

GBA would love you to share them for all to enjoy!

The Georgian Bay Association is looking for photos of Pointe au Baril’s familiar vistas - those images that are unique to you and that serve as your area's touch stones.

We’re hoping to print some of those photos in our summer issue representing who we are and where we’re from and what our special places mean to us.

The Challenge is we’re trying to pull this concept together by this afternoon !!!

At the end of the day we think that it’s important that we all do what we can to help lift each other up during these uncertain times and photos of where we’d all like to be and of what we love is a pretty simple way to do so. Our aim is to get photos from all 19 member associations so that we can showcase the magic from each of our corners of Georgian Bay. This is a great way to showcase your piece of Georgian Bay to other GBA members.

We are on a tight schedule for this initiative though.

Please forward any photos you would like to share by today , Wednesday (April 22) by 5 o’clock EDT to Rolfe Jones by clicking on his name.

Here’s what we need…

Photographer’s Name:
Association Name:
Title of image: Such and such island, or rock
Image Size: 5 MBs or larger, please

Upcoming Events

GBF NEW dates in May

What's Up with Water Levels??

(Editor's note: this seminar is extremely well done, full of information, charts and visuals that help to explain in some detail why water levels have been fluctuating abnormally...and what to look forward to in the future and why!)

The Great Lakes are home to 20 percent of the world’s surface fresh water. But only about one percent of that water is replenished each year. The other ninety-nine percent is there because the glaciers melted and filled the deep scars on the earth’s surface.

Water levels are the result of a variety of processes -- rainfall, evaporation, historic dredging, erosion, ice cover, diversions, managed regulation, power generation and other factors. All interact in a complex and chaotic dance. And climate change is altering that dance – instead of a regal Viennese waltz the Great Lakes are now moshing in the pit at a rock concert.

The coming decades hold a promise: “nothing in their water levels past is a predictor of what will happen in the future.”

Join one of our two webinars with David Sweetnam to learn about the forces driving extreme variability in water levels (content will be mainly the same, so just register for one)!

Wednesday, May 20, 2020 @ 1 pm EDT

Tuesday May 26th @ 7 pm EDT

MORE ABOUT SPEAKER DAVID SWEETNAM

David is the executive director of Georgian Bay Forever, a scientist and a Climate Reality leader trained by Vice President Al Gore. He has spent his career in environment and high tech industries and holds a BSc in Biochemistry from the University of Waterloo. He has always been interested in protecting the environment through sound business practices to yield sustainable outcomes. His business ventures have included the first G.R.E.E.N. chemical drum recycling program, state of the art atmospheric instrumentation development to monitor UV levels and the ozone hole, as well as aquatic and terrestrial ecosystem health.

Webinar on Microfibres in May and June

There will be a NEW Georgian Bay Forever (GBF) 1 HR. WEBINAR. Water pollution comes from tiny fibers in your clothes.

Discover research and solutions to change that.

What is this about? We think there is something important for everyone. Something for newcomers to this issue, and important info for those more in the know.

If you have heard or read about microfibers and the Parry Sound project from GBF before, join the webinar to learn preliminary results from about a year in on the project from the researchers and the coordinator making it happen. Teaser: Preliminary findings show a reduction of microfiber pollution not getting into the water of Georgian Bay from Parry Sound!…join to find out what that could mean if the solution was scaled up and the preliminary findings hold. Plus, have the opportunity to ask questions of the knowledgeable speakers.

If you’re new to the issue: Every single time we put our clothes in the washing machine, thousands of tiny plastic pieces wash away in the form of small fibers (microfibers). Millions get through wastewater treatment plants and into our water daily. Listen to the state of research on effects and the progress of the Parry Sound study on proving a solution. Find out what you can do to help stop this form of microwaste.

We’re looking forward to virtually connecting with you on this important issue.

Tuesday, May 12, at 7:00 pm EDT

Thursday, June 4, at 2:00 pm EDT

How to register: Click on one of these bitly urls of a date and time that works for you, or copy the bitly url and put it in your browser. If you are still having trouble, email [email protected] to help.

About the 3 speakers:

Brooke Harrison is the Project Coordinator at Georgian Bay Forever. She has a Bachelor of Science in Environmental and Earth Sciences from Trent University, previously working at the Bruce Peninsula Biosphere Association before starting at GBF in 2019. She manages the Phragmites Eradication Program and Divert & Capture: The Fight to keep Microplastics out of our Water.

Lisa Erdle researches the effects of microplastics on animals that are part of a Great Lakes food web. In her work, Lisa collaborates with the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) as well as Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) to better understand how microfibers – one of the most common types of microplastics – impact fish and invertebrates through physical and chemical processes.

Dorsa Nouri Parto is an undergraduate student double majoring in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology and Molecular Genetics. Last summer, she worked as an intern for the Centre for Global Change Science to study the effects of microfibers on chironomids. This year, she will be working on quantifying microfiber emissions in wastewater treatment plants.