PaBIA's eBlast December 8, 2021

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

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Volume 13 No. 34

Greetings!

We hope that Fall was happy and healthy for everyone and with winter beginning...most of our cottages are tucked away for the winter! But our summer homes are never far from our hearts!

Below is a poem offered to me by a USA friend -- my gift to each of you this holiday season! Enjoy!

In this eBlast:

DECEMBER

Message from your Board of Directors
PaBIA's 2021 Fall Cottage Patrol
PaBIA Looking for New Junior Regatta Chair!
Welcome PaBIA Social Media Coordinator - Margaret Burton
PaBIA's Flagpole Burgees for Christmas?
PaBIA's Membership a Gift for Christmas?
Advertising in the 2022 PaBIA/Ojibway Yearbook

OF INTEREST

Spread the Word, Not the Germs! by Dr Will Sawyer
Your Lakes, Your Views Survey Results from Safe Quiet Lakes
Climate Actions are Crucial - GBB
Lake Michigan-Huron Water Levels - December 6, 2021
Yearbook Update 2021
In Memoriam - Maureen "Moe" Douglas, Steven Duff

Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays

The holidays are such a magical time of year; gathering with friends and family and reflecting on all that we have to be thankful for. We are incredibly blessed to cottage in a community that shares such a passion for Georgian Bay. Families have passed this passion along through multiple generations and conversely, many new families are just discovering all that encompasses our beloved Pointe au Baril.

Whether young or old, there is no doubt that PaB has much to offer but most importantly, friendships that stand the test of distance and time.

In less than 6 months we will be back, with any luck, COVID will be behind us, and we can once again enjoy Pointe au Baril fully!

In the meantime, Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and all our very best wishes for a very Happy New Year.

Your PaBIA Board of Directors

PaBIA's 2021 Fall Cottage Patrol Completed

Bruce Tiffin has served as PaBIA’s Patrolman since 2009. The PaBIA Board is pleased that Bruce has, with the Fall Cottage Patrol, continued in the position with a contract from now until 2024.

'This Fall’s Patrol was completed by mid-November. The only reports were for four locations where doors were found open (Bruce was able to close them) and one location had a large garbage bin knocked off a deck with its contents scattered. We need to remember to secure doors and windows when closing for the season and that bears and raccoons are our hungry and sometimes destructive neighbours.

PaBIA Social Media Coordinator

The Communications Team is excited to welcome Margaret Burton as our new Social Media Coordinator. Please be on the lookout in 2022 for an enhanced program - begun by the very talented Savannah Richardson who has had to step aside due to increased 'outside' responsibilities. But she and Margaret have assured us that PaBIA's new social media is in very capable hands and we look forward to Margaret's contributions! Stay tuned!

Volunteer Needed for Junior Regatta!

PaBIA is looking for a new Junior Regatta Chairperson!

The Junior Regatta is an incredibly fun day full of swimming, canoeing and diving for kids aged 4 to 14. The Chairperson is responsible for the planning and execution of this event. PaBIA will provide a guidebook that outlines details, timelines and logistics for the event, and we will support the Chairperson in every way possible to ensure the event is a success!

The Junior Regatta will take place on Saturday, July 23, 2022.

Key responsibilities include:

Pre-Event:

Arrange event day volunteers and equipment
Design posters and t-shirts
Coordinate trophies and ribbons

Event Day:

Set up and takedown
Ensure event stays on schedule
Manage volunteers
Announce winners during the Awards ceremony

If you or someone you know is interested in this great volunteer opportunity,

please email Virginia Skuce.

Order NOW!

The Perfect PaBIA Christmas Gift(s)

Santa’s Elves came through just in time!

The PaBIA Flagpole-Sized Burgees have arrived, and they’ve even gone DOWN in price!

27" x 54": $30.00 (previously $36)
36" x 72": $43.00 (previously $46)

If you would like to order these, please be in contact with Nancy Rogers ASAP!

2022 PaBIA Membership Fees Unchanged

Also great news for the Holidays; our PaBIA fees are unchanged for 2022. And remember, there are now 4 four different categories from which to pick what is best for you...as the *primary member, secondary, supporting, and junior!!!!!

So now’s the perfect time to fill someone’s stocking in your family with their 2022 PaBIA Membership! Found on the form are the various options to pay for the membership for 2022!

*PRIMARY member dues cover ONE patrol tag for your main building. However, the extra tags are now $42 each since the Cottage Patrol 2022 fees have increased marginally to fund increasing contractor expenses. The slightly higher costs trace mainly to safe winter travel over the ice in an airboat “scoot” requiring two people.

But it’s reassuring knowing our adored summer cottages are being PaBIA monitored year-round!

Advertising in the 2022 PaBIA/Ojibway Yearbook

If anyone is interested in advertising in the Yearbook for 2022, please take a look at this form, and if you have any questions, please contact Nancy Rogers. All requests for ads need to be into Nancy by February 15 (for planning purposes). And both the final ad into Hilde Clark and payment to Nancy no later than March 10 to be guaranteed placement of your ad in this upcoming Yearbook.

"Spread the Word NOT the Germs" -

National Handwash Awareness Week-

December 5-11

from Dr. Will Sawyer, M.D., PaBIA member

This IS a CRITICAL time to "Spread the word NOT the germs''! There are posters on Henry the Hand Foundation's website in 21 different languages that volunteers have helped translate. (GREAT for kids!) The Henry the Hand program was started in Cincinnati in 1999 during a flu vaccine shortage. Attached is a brief about NHAW if you are interested.

The 4 Principles of Hand Awareness:

1. WASH your hands when they are dirty and BEFORE eating.

2. DO NOT cough into your hands.

3. DO NOT sneeze into your hands.

4. Above all, DO NOT put your fingers into your eyes, nose, or mouth.

The 4 Principles of Hand Awareness have been endorsed by the AMA and AAFP.

Your Lakes, Your Views Survey

Results from Safe Quiet Lakes

Taken from GBA President's Letter

There were 5,951 complete responses; 1,111 from the Georgian Bay area with 975 from Georgian Bay Association members.

Check out the results, review the findings, and read the comments submitted: either as a Summary or as a Full survey.

Results of the TOP PLEASURES

Three activities hold almost universal appeal. Interestingly, none of these activities involve a boat. Each group below gave the activity the very high importance rating of 4 or 5 out of 5.

95% - relaxing on the dock or near the water
96% - swimming
92% - enjoying nature on the lake or by the shore

All other major lake activities are based around a boat of some kind – the top core pleasures are:

86% - paddling, canoeing, kayaking, rowing, and paddleboarding – also the largest group of boaters
68% - cruising

Also rated as important:

57% - visiting friends and neighbours by boat
54% - transportation/getting things from A to B

Results of the TOP CONCERNS

Top problems associated with unsafe and inconsiderate boating:

Boat noise, especially from personal watercraft and sound systems
Boat wakes
Boats operated at high speeds, especially when close to shore

KEY SOLUTIONS

A majority supports these specific actions:

71% - no wake zones to protect people and wildlife in sensitive areas
70% - stronger enforcement of boating while under the influence
67% - frequent and consistent enforcement of laws about above-water exhausts
67% - establishing decibel limits on noise made by boats

Just 8% of respondents find their lake “Not at all noisy,” and this fortunate group rates overall quality of the lake at 9.5 out of 10. As the noise level goes up, the quality of experience drops. The 10% who consider their lake “Very Noisy” rate their overall experience at 5.5 out of 10.

Climate Action is Crucial - GBB

to develop and promote climate actions in the Biosphere region

Scientists around the world agree climate change is occurring, human activity is the cause, and we must act quickly if we are going to slow the warming of the Earth. You can read about eastern Georgian Bay’s climate change impacts and trends in our State of the Bay report. Climate action is crucial. There are many ways the GBB advances the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) #13, Climate Action.

Since 2019, the GBB has facilitated the Integrated Community Energy and Climate Action Plans (ICECAP) project that serves municipalities and Indigenous communities to take climate action and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. GBB coordinates with ICECAP partners to work through five milestones to reduce emissions at the corporate and community levels. The first milestone was completed in 2020 as the total GHG emissions for the region were calculated. Having this baseline information helps to set targets to reduce emissions, manage energy use, and measure progress.

As part of the ICECAP program, the GBB created a carbon calculator. Our carbon calculator is a made-in-Georgian Bay region tool that allows businesses, seasonal, and permanent residents to calculate the GHG emissions produced by their buildings, vehicles, and waste. You can try the carbon calculator to learn how much greenhouse gases you produce in a year. By knowing how much greenhouse gases you produce in a year, it is easier to identify and understand ways you can work towards reducing them.

This year, GBB created transportation, buildings, and waste Climate Action Groups (CAGs) to develop and promote climate actions in the Biosphere region. The CAGs are a true community effort – together they have dozens of volunteers who meet regularly to advise the GBB, identify opportunities, draft action lists, engage industry experts, and more. Watch for more information and ways to get involved next year!

By changing the types of energy we use, our consumer behaviours, and reducing the amount of emissions we each produce, we can all have a positive impact on climate change. Learn more about climate action and how to make a positive impact today.

Lakes Michigan/Huron Water Levels December 6, 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 Nov 30^h)

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!

Gill Cameron (email change)

Bonnie & Hoot Gibson (new members 2022)

Virginia & Rosh Grigg (new members 2022)

Chris & Alex Keith (new members 2022)

Kara & Dan Livy (new Members 2022)

Matheson/Kennedy (address change)

T.K. & Emily McClintock (address change)

Erika Schengili (address change)

Dan Schenkman & Sara Griffin (new members 2022)