PaBIA's eBlast August 11, 2021

PaBIA's Vision: To Preserve This Unique Natural Habitat for Generations to Come

Volume 13 No. 23

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Greetings!

This week, a number of American cottagers will be returning to their beloved PaB! Welcome 'home'!!

Be sure to familiarize yourself with the Canadian COVID protocols for Stage 3 reopening. (see article below).

July was a cooler and rainier month...So let's hope that this week will be warmer and drier!

An exciting new offering on August 22nd is the long-anticipated Ojibway Talking Circle hosted by OHPS (Ojibway Preservation Historical Society). It'll be new for most of us to learn about one of the Shawanaga First Nation's customs and then experience it ourselves. Each person will need to register for this event!

And congrats to the Ojibway Club and the entire Art Show team, for a very successful Art Show - no small feat given the pandemic!

Lastly, please remember that to check out the entire eBlast, click on the

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to see the entire Eblast content. By checking the list of what is

In this eBlast:

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR ALL BOATERS

The S-Turn Flashing Red Light is STILL NOT Back in Service by Tom Lundy, Director of Member Safety

TODAY

PaBIA Boat Handling Coaching - 9:00 a.m. on August 11 with Randy Johnson, PaBIA Boating Chr & Royal Squadron Trainer

AUGUST

PaBAR & Jr PaBAR Sailing Races - Saturday, Aug 14 @ 10:30 a.m
PaBIA Triathlon August 14
Celebration of Life for Bill Kennedy, native PaBer and owner of CC Kennedy's Aug 14
PaBIA Naturalist - Key River Fire: Remember Parry Sound 33? August 15
OHPS Hosts The Talking Circle at the Ojibway - August 22 Registration is Required
PaBIA/Ojibway Welcome Home Party - Everyone is Welcome - August 20
GBB Climate Speedier Webinar August 26

OF INTEREST

Americans Returning: Understanding Ontario COVID Requirements
Literally, on the Bay Janet Irving, Education Committee
This Week: Polar Ice Caps & Storm Surges: the Balance of Precipitation and Evaporation by Helen Bryce, Education Committee
Lake Michigan-Huron Water Levels - August 5, 2021
Yearbook Update 2021 from August 1

OF INTEREST

Markers ALERT UPDATE -

The S-Turn Light REMAINS OUT

Submitted by Tom Lundy, Director of Member Safety

Please be advised that the S-Turn Flashing Red Light remains

OUT OF SERVICE until further notice!

We repeat, please plan any night boating accordingly.

Americans Returning to PaB:

Understanding Ontario’s COVID Requirements

Because Americans are coming from various parts of the USA where the COVID rules can vary tremendously depending on where one comes from, PaBIA would like to alert every American coming 'home' to their beloved Canadian islands of what all of Ontario is doing with regard to requirements for masking, social distancing and size of crowds, to name just a few.

Ontario works with the tier system - and presently, as of July 16, is in the 3rd tier allowing for certain size crowd gatherings WITH certain protocols: social distancing, group sizes and masking indoors public places, etc. Please familiarize yourself with Ontario's guidelines (which could change depending on the variants). Being fully vaccinated doesn't release anyone from Ontario restrictions.

So when you are shopping, at your marinas or a friend's cottage and/or going to the Ojibway Club, it is each person's responsibility to be aware of and follow all protocols as requested.

Having asked the Ojibway Club for their guidelines, here is John Siddall's (General Mgr) response:

Step 3 restrictions:

Mask must be worn inside all buildings of the Ojibway Club and whenever physical distancing is compromised. Please bring your mask – if you forget it, masks are available for purchase at the Club for $1.
The only time masks may be removed is when one is sitting at a dining table on the veranda or screened porch
When inside the Snack Bar or under the roofline of the veranda/porch, the maximum number of people who may be seated at one table is 6.
If hosting an outdoor event, members & guests are required to maintain a 2M (6 ft) physical distance from someone who is not in their bubble or household
If you are not feeling well or have signs of COVID, please get medical attention and self-isolate
For more information about visiting the Club, visit the Ojibway Club website.

COVID Tests for RETURNING to USA REQUIRED ONLY for Air Travel

New: Home Test Kit Available for Purchase before entering Canada

Traveling to CANADA, aside from the regular documentation and showing proof of being fully vaccinated, everyone will need to fill out the ArriveCAN app, and almost everyone will need a COVID test (check which type of test is accepted) within 3 days before crossing the border. If flying, the 3-day period is the 3 days before the flight’s departure as the test validity does not depend on the time of the flight or the time of day that the test was administered.

CHANGE

RETURNING to USA for AIR TRAVELERS ONLY (for land crossing, the tests are NOT required):

ALL those traveling by air will require a negative COVID test within 3 days of traveling.

NEW

A new offering for bringing a test kit with you FROM the states is now available to purchase before going into Canada.

Neither the PaB Nursing Station nor the Assessment Centre in Parry Sound does testing for travel, only for those with symptoms. However, the PS Shoppers Mart does do the rapid antigen test for air travel purposes so long as you have been in Canada for 14 days*. Check the CDC Website and, if flying, your airline's website, to be sure that is still the case when you are about to depart back to the States.

*One will need to make an appointment at the PS Shopper's Mart for the Rapid Antigen Test costing $40 CN. Once taken, the results will be provided in about 15 minutes while you wait.

Literally, on the Bay

Book recommendations by Charlotte Stein, owner of Parry Sound Books

Edited by Janet Irving, Education Committee.

There is nothing – absolutely nothing - like reading a book on a summer’s day on Georgian Bay! This summer we suggest some books that are literally set on the Bay – or feel so much so that we just had to include them.

The late Basil Johnson was a prominent Ojibway ethnologist and the author of many books including Ojibway Heritage and Indian School Days, which describes his time at the Residential School in Spanish, Ontario. Born on Wasauksing First Nation in 1929, he spent his career at the Royal Ontario Museum. One of the highlights of my years of hosting authors was a conversation with him about his time in the residential school and his refusal to be a victim to that experience.

When the Stars Come Out

by Nicola Edwards and Lucy Cartwright is a great big beautiful picture book about the night sky, in various habitats. A wonderful book of constellations, and more, to share with children of all ages.

What Impacts Our Water Levels,

What Does The Future Bring, and

What Can We Do About It?

This week: A Continuation of the Balance Between Precipitation and Evaporation Previous Weeks: Precipitation & Evaporation

by Helen Bryce, Director of Education

(editor's note: this is the balance between the Precipitation and the Evaporation in this series of articles on water levels. Though best read all at once here, the eBlast is bringing it to our readers in segments)

By far the biggest influence over GBay levels is the combined interactions between precipitation and evaporation. Science has demonstrated that there are no other factors in existence today as influential as these natural processes on water levels - not Great Lakes inflows and outflows, not Great Lakes regulatory modifications and diversions as they currently operate.

A Continuation of

THE BALANCE BETWEEN PRECIPITATION AND EVAPORATION

Melting Polar Ice Caps

People wear light colours in the summer because light colours reflect heat away from their bodies. In the winter, darker colours absorb heat into their bodies.
The same applies to the white ice in the polar regions. It reflects the heat from the sun away. But when the temperature raises enough so that ice melts, exposing the surrounding darker water.
That dark water absorbs more heat. The extra heat in the water then contributes even more to the melting of the ice caps.
This creates an unwelcome cycle or “feedback loop”.
Global warming will, over time, have a significant impact on precipitation, storms, evaporation, and the other processes that affect our water levels.

What are storm surges?

The wind causes disturbances when it blows the waves back and forth across a body of water. The sloshing waves can cause the water level to go up or down 6 inches in one day. We’ve all seen this when the West wind blows.
This action can even mix the upper level of warmer water with the lower level of cooler water in the lake, creating more complicated, and potentially stronger, interactions.
During a storm, dropping air pressure will cause a bulge in the surface of the lake.
As the storm moves across the lake, the bulge moves with it, pushing the water levels higher as it goes. In severe storms, like a hurricane, this is called a storm surge.

What about living things?

Water holds oxygen, critical to all living things, but colder water holds more oxygen than warmer water.
Climate Change affects water temperature and that can have an impact on things living in the water.
Organisms that grow and thrive in cold water, may not do well as water temperatures rise.
Ecosystems have been known to bounce back from major disruptions, like an oil spill or wildfire but often experience permanent impacts.
However, if the conditions that organisms require to survive are no longer present due to the warming of the planet, this could lead to habitat loss and death for those organisms used to consistently cooler water temperatures. We are even seeing many places that are becoming increasingly uninhabitable for humans.

Next time will focus on inflow, outflows, and diversions! Riveting stuff - stay tuned!!

Online resources

• Jet Stream

• Countries Most Affected

TODAY

In-Person Boater Coaching

with Randy Johnson, Royal Squadron Trainer

Today at 9:00 a.m. Ojibway Back Docks

For anyone who is interested in one to one student/coach sessions, Randy has set up two 1 hour sessions on the signup sheet found at the MP office door

fully vaccinated and
wishing some in-person boater coaching (how to dock that boat in the wind),

Randy will meet you at the back Ojibway docks.

Bring your own boat and learn from the Pro! Sign Ups at Marine Patrol Hut

August 2021

PaBIA's Triathlon - This Saturday, August 14^th, at 9:00 a.m.

Only four days left to register for the Triathlon! Happening this Saturday at 9am join for a fun day of friendly competition. Race starts at the back swim pavilion on Ojibway island, we hope to see you there!

Get yourself registered by signing up on the red button below!

PaBAR Sailing Races Saturday @ 10:30 a.m.

PaBAR & Jr PaBAR August 14th

PABAR and Junior PABAR (awarded to boats with all sailors 25 yrs. and younger) is on Saturday, August 14 starting at 10:30 am. If you or your Juniors need a boat to sail, please contact Margie Wheler. The PABAR dinner and awards ceremony is that evening at 6 p.m. Please call the Ojibway Office to reserve.

In order to get the complete sailing and rendezvous information, you need to receive the Sailing eBlasts. If you are not receiving these regular eBlasts, please contact Margie Wheler.

Key River Fire: Remember Parry Sound 33?

What Happened to This Fire-Scorched Land? What Is Being Learned?

Sunday, August 15 @ 10:00 in the Movie Hut

Dr. Mike Waddington will return to PaBIA's Naturalist Program to share with 25 of us what McMaster's University has been doing at the Key River since the fires...what are they learning and what sort of things are they doing to assist in the regrowth of plant and turtle life, using both Indigenous and Western knowledge. Click on the YouTube video to watch an 8-minute explanation of some of the landscapes they explored (French River) and what they are presently doing - then come to the presentation with your questions and learn more about the wonders of nature! Please RSVP by email to Helen Bryce as numbers are still restricted to 25 people.

Celebration of Life for Bill Kennedy - August 14^th

The Celebration of Life for Bill Kennedy, life-long Pointe au Baril native and owner of CC Kennedy's Grocery and Hardware Store at the Station, will be held on Saturday, August 14. Everyone is welcome to the PaB Community Centre to pay their respects and have a light lunch from 12:00 - 2:00 p.m.

Please share your memories of Bill by placing a written note into his memory box. Please wear masks and social distance.

Talking Circle at the Ojibway - hosted by OHPS

GBB - Climate Action:

Project SPEEDIER

Thursday, August 26, 2021 10:00 AM EST

Project SPEEDIER aims to create a grid that builds towards a net-zero smart community in the Town of Parry Sound. This is a unique opportunity where a rural municipality is pledging to be net-zero in partnership with Bracebridge Generation.

Join GBF's Lunchtime Webinar on

Tackling Plastic Pollution

Georgian Bay Forever’s Tackling Plastic Pollution Webinar Series is a collection of one hour webinars aimed at raising awareness about the abundance of plastic litter entering our local and global waterways. Each webinar will end with descriptions of programs GBF has put in place to combat each issue and ways and alternatives you can implement in your life to reduce plastic waste.

The lunch-time webinar is:

Plastic Waters:

Thursday, August 26^th @ 12 - 1 pm

Lakes Michigan/Huron Water Levels Aug 5, 2021 To better read the charts, please click on the chart for the Daily or Six Month Forecast Water level chart and the corresponding websites

Yearbook Update! (as of Aug 5^th)

With each eBlast, we will provide you a list of names for those members who have provided updated contact information. The details of all the changes since the 2021 yearbook came out in late April are provided in THIS printable format for you to print out and insert into your own Yearbook!