PaBIA's eBlast September 8, 2021

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

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Volume 13 No. 27

Greetings!

Your PaBIA Board is busy getting ready for its AGM on Tuesday, Sept 21st. A separate invitation will be sent out to all PaBIA members to which we ask that you RSVP for the meeting!

It rained most of Tuesday afternoon here...but we've been lucky enough to have had wonderful sunny weather most of this past week, albeit a bit cooler. We hope everyone had a wonderful Labour Day weekend, wherever you were!

Before everyone's minds turn to fall and winter, please consider all the pictures you took and perhaps a few stories that you would be willing to share in the 2022 Yearbook. Please remember to send them to me now or before January 2022 so I can be planning for next year's edition!

And please don't forget to add your patrol tags to your cottage buildings!

Fire Danger

Downgraded to Medium

In this eBlast:

SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER

Notice & Agenda of PaBIA AGM: Tuesday, September 21 @ 7 p.m. EDT
Put up Your PaBIA Cottage Patrol Tags for FALL, WINTER, SPRING Patrols
Tennis for Everyone (member or not) at the Ojibway beginning after Labour Day
H₂0 2021 by GBA and GBF Series of 3 Webinars: October 23, Nov., and Dec.

OF INTEREST

New Director Position for Indigenous Affairs & Liasion to Shawanaga First Nation
Proposed new Director, Mark Gwozdecky, for IA & Liaison to SFN
This Week: What Does The Future Hold? by Helen Bryce, Education Committee
Marine Patrol - Many Thank Yous!
ToA BAY NOTES by Earl Manners and Scott Sheard
GBA: Supporting Decibel Coalition
Lake Michigan-Huron Water Levels - Sept 7, 2021
Yearbook Update 2021 from August 26th (no change from last week)
Lost/Missing Starcraft haul from A501-7

September 2021

Notice of AGM

Tuesday, September 21 @ 7 pm EDT via Zoom

A Special Notice will be sent out to register for

PaBIA's Zoom AGM

Please be advised that a member may ask that an item be added to the Annual Meeting. The Bylaws provide that the member must provide written notice to the President no less than 14 days - TODAY - prior to the Annual Meeting. Further, the member must provide sufficient background and detail to allow that Board to consider same.

The Final Agenda is as follows:

1. Opening by Elder Marilyn Capreol, Shawanaga First Nation

2. Receipt of and Motion to approve the minutes of the previous Annual Meeting (Sept 24, 2020)

3. Consideration and adoption of 2020 Financial Statements and Treasurer's Report

4. President's Remarks by Erica Allen

5. Proposed New Director Position - Director Indigenous Affairs and Shawanaga First Nations xxLiaison

6. Election of Directors

xxa) Proposed New Director (see below)

· Mark Gwozdecky

xxb) Currently Standing for Re-election of Directors

· Erica Allen

· Mike Berton

· Helen Bryce

· Hilde Clark

· Tom Lundy

· Michael Phippen

· Cam Richardson

· Nancy Rogers

· Dave Sharpe

· Virginia Skuce

· Mary Thomson

7. Directors Reports

· Cam Richardson – Ratepayer and Regulatory Affairs (Land Use)

· Tom Lundy – Maps and Markers Director

8. ToA Councillors – Scott Sheard and Earl Manners

9. Guest Speakers on GBA Highlights 2021

· Rolph Jones, President GBA

· Rupert Kindersley , Exec. Director GBA

10. Closing Remarks

Proposed PaBIA Director - Mark Gwozdecky

Our First Nations forbearers helped to shape and build what we now know and love as Pointe au Baril. Many years ago, our Shawanaga First Nation neighbours were an integral part of our community. Sadly, over time, that changed. We recognize there is a tremendous opportunity for reconciliation, cross-cultural learning and much to be done to rebuild those relationships. PaBIA is pleased to announce a new role within its board of Directors, Indigenous Affairs & Liasion with Shawanaga First Nations.

With his many years serving Canada’s Diplomatic Corp, Mark Gwozdecky is the ideal candidate.

Born and raised in Thunder Bay, Mark spent more than 50 years in his family cottage near Lake Superior before purchasing a cottage in Laura Bay 5 years ago.

In 2019 he retired from a 37 year career as a Canadian diplomat during which time he served in Korea, the Philippines, Syria, Lebanon, Vienna, and as Canada’s Ambassador to Jordan and Iraq.

In the past year he has served as one of PaBIA’s representatives on the Georgian Bay Association. His familiarity with the federal government was called upon in the GBA’s advocacy strategy to allow our international cottagers to regain access to their cottages after 16 months of absence. During this past year, he was also asked to take on responsibilities as PaBIA’s liaison with the Shawanaga First Nation (SFN). In this regard, he developed a strategy to increase PaBIA’s awareness of indigenous issues as well as engagement and cooperation with SFN, including on phragmites eradication and water quality testing.

He lives in Ottawa with his wife Wendy and has 5 grown children.

PaBIA's Marine Patrol 2021

A shout out to our two Marine Patrollers, Tom Wunderlich and Chris Lusty, who have served PaBIA well all summer long! Thank you!

Their interest in the environment and attention to safety on the water has provided our members with information and observations that will serve PaBIA well in the future.

Post Season Tennis For Everyone at The Ojibway Club After Labour Day

Post Season Tennis For Everyone at

The Ojibway Club After Labour Day

Pre and Post season tennis will be available to anyone (member or not) who wishes to play on a daily basis at 10 a.m. with a 2 p.m. rain delay.

Also, our annual " Granite Cup" tennis tournament will be held on Saturday, September 25th with a rain date of Sunday, September 26th. Please show up at 10 AM. Pot Luck luncheon to follow at the Honsberger's A510-9. If you need any further information please contact Brad or text him. His cell phone is in the Yearbook.

OF INTEREST

COTTAGE PATROL TAGS

Before closing at the end of the season, please attach your patrol tags to your main cottage and any other buildings for which you’re purchased extra tags for the fall ’21, winter and spring ’22 patrols.

What Impacts Our Water Levels,

What Does The Future Bring, and

What Can We Do About It?

This week: What Does The Future Hold?

Prior Weeks: Diversions; Inflow and Outflow; Precipitation & Evaporation, Regulations, and the IJC

by Helen Bryce, Director of Education

What Does The Future Hold?

Lots of uncertainty.
Throughout most of the 2000s until around 2014, drier conditions across the region caused water levels on the lakes to be below average before hitting near-record and record lows.
This limited cargo loadings for ships and access to marinas and docks, impacted fish and wildlife habitat and led to discussions about the need for dredging shipping channels.
Beyond 2014, heavy precipitation from severe storms and sizable spring inflows from tributaries (particularly in 2017 and 2019) has reversed the problem, with the lakes reaching record or near-record high water levels, causing flooding across the basin and damaging homes, marinas, businesses, and infrastructure.
More extreme water levels and storms have focused public attention across the Great Lakes on how climate change may result in catastrophes. While we do not know what future years will bring, we can project likely scenarios and plan around them.
Current indications are that water levels will be slightly lower this upcoming year and it is possible that we will be entering a period of declining levels.
However, this is not for certain
All measurement and modeling results in a certain amount of uncertainty. All future predictions, therefore, contain a degree of uncertainty. This holds true with respect to calculating over-lake precipitation, evaporation rates, and run-off.
Since the proven influence of Climate Change began, we can only predict the weather - and therefore water level conditions - for up to 6 months with any accuracy.

The bottom line is that

any future forecast about water levels that goes

beyond 6 months is meaningless.

Next week: Calls to Action Online resources

COUNCILLORS EARL MANNERS AND SCOTT SHEARD

BAY NOTES

Ward 3

At least quarterly, our Ward 3 Councillors put out a newsletter designed to keep our membership informed of what is going on at the Township level. What they do affects all of us one way or the other. PaBIA highly suggests you read it (if you didn't get it directly from the Archipelago). There is wonderful information worth obtaining. Please contact Earl or Scott if you would like to receive the details as outlined below:

Summer 2021 | First full Council Meetings

Why is the Strategic Plan Important?

Your input was/is critical to the re-work of the current Strategic Plan, one that had not been updated since 1983, except for a response to Amalgamation threats from the provincial government in the 1990’s.

The duration from 1980 to 1997 is far too long a period to revisit community priorities, recognize the challenges of delivering municipal services in a biosphere, and managing land use in our community. Further to this, the 1997 effort was singularly focused on preventing amalgamation: a significant political challenge. The Township as one of the largest corporations in West Parry Sound and was working with essentially a 1983 strategic plan when we entered Council.

It is our view that an updated Official Plan, combined with a comprehensive strategic plan, and integrated operational planning by department, will serve the needs of the community for the next decade. Your input informs how we move forward.

CZBL Review Update | Where we are today ...

Noise By-law Update

Community Donations | Support of Community Recreation, Community Access

Responsible Development | Building Permit Applications

Good Neighbour | Truth & Reconciliation

WELCOME BACK | US & Int'l Cottagers

Broadband Update

October 2021

Save the Dates for H20 2021 by GBA and GBF

Extreme Water Levels: Impacts and Strategies

Following on our successful Water Levels Symposium from last year, GBA is once again teaming up with Georgian Bay Forever to host H₂0 2021 - Extreme Water Levels: Impacts and Strategies.

We will be hosting three, two-hour webinars, on Saturday mornings starting on October 23.

Topics will include:

Action Plan 2030 - Progress Report
Impact Report: Flora and Fauna
Protecting your Property & Shoreline
Planning for More Intense Storms
How Vulnerable is Your Septic System?
Weather and Property Insurance - What You Need to Know
How Extreme Weather Impacts Municipal Infrastructure, Shoreline Businesses and How You Build
And Much More

Speakers will be announced as the events get closer. Watch for details!

Lakes Michigan/Huron Water Levels Sept 07, 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 26^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!

Anna & Nick Crouch (new addition)

Lost/Missing

Missing a small Starcraft boat (seen here with motor) 2 years ago from Nadeau (501-7) which was in very good shape: # 59E36717 If you have seen this boat, please contact Cynthia Neely by texting or emailing her.