FOCA e-news: June 2025

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Our vision is to sustain and enhance the cottage experience for generations.

Our voices were heard! FOCA has a signed agreement with the Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) that enables us to continue the LPP over the coming five years, with the support of our hundreds of volunteer Lake Stewards throughout the province.

Thank you to everyone who copied FOCA on your letters to the Premier and Minister of Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP).

We are also pleased to report that the 2023 and 2024 LPP data have been released by the Ministry and are accessible via links on our webpage, including new sulfate data from 2017 onward. Click 'more' to reach our webpage with all the news and links.

image: Gloucester Pool Cottagers' Association

FOCA’s partners at the Floating Homes Not Vessels Coalition have released a position paper to inform municipal partners about FA and possible regulatory pathways forward. Click 'more' to read the latest news in FOCA's media release and download the position paper. Then, share with your local municipal representatives. What is your Council doing to manage these structures?

FOCA has participated over the past five years in partner efforts to reduce salt impacts across Ontario because of environmental risks but also infrastructure damage and particularly snowplow liability insurance costs as a result of slip-and-fall lawsuits. Watch for a summary article about salt in the upcoming FOCA Ontario Lake Stewards Magazine this July. In the meantime:

FOCA's partners at the Ontario Salt Pollution Coalition (OSPC) have a campaign to encourage the Province to act on oversalting. Click 'more' to read the latest news from FOCA's webpage, and join the OSPC letter writing camping by August 10, 2025. OSPC has also posted a 'Municipal Resolution Toolkit' and a dozen municipalities have already signed on! Share this news and toolkit with your local Council.

image: Deborah Martin-Downs

Please help FOCA deliver on our mission: to sustain and enhance the cottage experience for generations. We ask you to make a one-time or recurring donation to FOCA today.

Many lake communities mark Canada Day or other summer long weekends with festive boat parades—a cherished tradition that brings members together in celebration! While these events are a highlight of the summer, it's important for Associations to consider the liability and risk management implications involved.

Whether it's ensuring participants follow a clear route, encouraging safe boating practices, or confirming appropriate insurance coverage for the organizing Association, proactive planning helps keep the fun afloat. To support your efforts, FOCA and Cade Associates created a video outlining key considerations for hosting a safe and successful boat parade. Whether you're organizing your first event or continuing a long-standing tradition, this is a 5-minute must-watch. Click 'more' to be taken to the video posting on the FOCA website. Happy Canada Day!

An update from our partners in risk management - administrators of the FOCA Association Insurance Program and CottageFirst group insurance for cottagers

Invasive species pose a serious threat to our lakes and rivers—but you can help stop their spread. If you’re a boater, paddler, or angler, it’s now the law in Ontario to Clean, Drain, and Dry your boat, trailer, and gear before moving to a new waterbody.

These simple steps help prevent the transfer of harmful species that can disrupt ecosystems, damage equipment, and cost millions to manage:

• Clean all visible mud, plants, and debris.
• Drain water from your boat, motor, live wells, and other equipment.
• Dry everything thoroughly before launching elsewhere.

Let’s work together to keep Ontario’s waters healthy for generations to come. Stay informed. Click to learn 'more' on FOCA's website.

Recent kick off meeting, Halls Lake

Building on the success of our 2024 pilot, FOCA is working with three member associations this year, to help them develop and deliver their own volunteer-led source water protection community planning, including mapping vulnerable areas and identifying potential risks. Thank you to our 2025 'Phase 2' participant associations:

• Lake Bernard Property Owners
• Halls & Hawk Lakes Property Owners
• Little Silver & Rainbow Lakes Property Owners

Phase 2 participants will apply the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks' Best Practices for Source Water Protection, to lead their own community-based efforts and create localized protection plans, contributing to a user-friendly 'roadmap' that other communities can follow in the future.

In related news, Conservation Ontario has released a new video about source water protection, marking the 25th anniversary of the Walkerton drinking water tragedy. Click 'more' to watch on YouTube.

Phragmites, a fast-spreading invasive plant, is threatening Ontario’s wetlands and shorelines, and recreational activities like ATVing can unknowingly make the problem worse. Seeds spread easily through wind, water, and especially human activities like trail riding, landscaping, and moving soil.

If you're heading to the cottage or exploring backroads this summer, remember: clean your ATVs and gear (boots, boats, decoys) before and after use. Let’s keep Ontario’s ecosystems healthy—ride responsibly and help stop the spread! Click 'more' for information on invasive Phragmites and how it spreads. 

Cottage country folks along the Great Lakes: although invasive carps are not established in Canadian waters, please be on the look-out for them!

There are four species of carps that are invasive to North America: Silver Carp, Bighead Carp, Black Carp and Grass Carp. All four have a short dorsal fin and no barbels (whisker-like appendages at the corners of their mouths).

Click 'more' for FOCA's infographic to learn how to ID invasive carps and what to do if you spot one. Share the news with others on the Great Lakes.

Earlier this month, Ontario experienced severely poor air quality as a result of wildfire smoke blowing across the country, and some impacts are still being felt. Track fire smoke forecasts by clicking 'more'.

Wednesday, September 10, 2025 (7:00pm-8:30pm, Zoom): Join FOCA and estate lawyer Peter Lillico for TRUST THE COTTAGE, an in-depth look at a combination of trust techniques that can help avoid payment of probate tax, protect against claims by children’s creditors and divorcing in-laws, and defer capital gains tax by “generation skipping” ownership. Click 'more' to register (free for members!).

FOCA is excited to offer a special new on-demand 1.5 hour video recording about cottage succession tax planning with expert advice for both American and Canadian owners of Ontario cottage properties. Click "more" for details, the member discount code for $75 off the regular price, and the order link.

Each month, estate lawyer Peter Lillico answers a FOCA member question about cottage succession planning. This month's question comes from Barbara B. Click 'more' to reach our webpage, where members can login to read Peter's response to this, and earlier questions.

"I’d like to leave my cottage to my three adult children. I own no other dwelling now and live in a retirement home. Can I designate my cottage as my principal residence since I spend more than a month there every summer?"

Have a question too? Email: programs@foca.on.ca

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FOCA is currently seeking a full-time, permanent MEMBERSHIP COORDINATOR: an energetic, detail-oriented, and tech-savvy individual who will work in a hybrid setting (remote and in-office in Peterborough). Click 'more' to download the job posting and apply as indicated under the section "Application Process." Expressions of interest will be accepted on a rolling basis until the position is filled.

Please join us in welcoming Dana Zashi Ventenilla, FOCA's 2025 Summer Student!

She has launched a fun and interactive FOCA Stewardship BINGO game (see more, below) that is playing out on Instagram this summer. Click to learn 'more' about Dana Zashi and the whole FOCA team.

Download your BINGO card from FOCA's Instagram Story or Linktree, or click 'more' to be taken to a PDF version posted on the FOCA Welcome webpage. Each square is a small action you can take to protect, enjoy, and sustain cottage country.

Follow FOCA on Instagram: @ontariocottagers for weekly BINGO updates and featured actions, and post & tag us on your photo or video actions (or direct message us and we'll share for you).

Play continues until August 15th. What you get for playing: bragging rights!, a possible feature on our social channels, and the title Cottage Country Steward of the Summer. Let's BIN-GO!

The Round Lake Property Owners Association (RLPOA) in eastern Ontario has written to the Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks and the Minister of Natural Resources, to ask about the Province's lack of invasive species prevention messaging at Ontario Provincial Parks. FOCA has forwarded this message up the chain to our partners as well. We encourage our members to share a similar message with your own local provincial park. Click 'more' to read RLPOA's letter for inspiration.

Every "Friend of FOCA" and member of our Member Associations can create a unique login to access members-only materials on the FOCA website, including publications and the access codes for offers! Click 'more' to visit FOCA's member benefits webpage.

Your association renewal contact has a link (unique to your association) for you to use to set up your own Username and Password as a Sub-Account. Please ask your contact to reach out to FOCA if they need assistance locating the association's link.

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May 1-2, 2025 in Haliburton - FOCA participated in the inaugural national conference with fellow lake and watershed enthusiasts.

May 15, 2025 - FOCA participated in the virtual Spring Meeting of the Lake Networking Group with member association representatives from eastern Ontario, together with local Conservation Authorities and other partners.

May 21-22, 2025 in Peterborough - the FOCA staff were out in force to participate with 100 colleagues in the Ontario Biodiversity Summit, titled "Our Turning Point for Nature" as part of 20th anniversary celebrations of the Ontario Biodiversity Council. Click 'more' to review the event schedule, and download the new State of Ontario's Biodiversity 2025 Summary from links on FOCA's webpage.

FOCA Board Member Carol Armstrong with Programs Coordinator Deanna Forgie

May 24, 2025 - FOCA was pleased to attend the Kawartha Lake Stewards Association (KLSA) Annual Spring Meeting. The event was a celebration of community science and the shared responsibility of caring for our waterfronts. We enjoyed many engaging conversations with attendees and exhibitors, and were inspired by the strong community commitment to environmental stewardship.

June 21, 2025 in Lakefield - FOCA participated in the annual gathering of lake association representatives, municipal representatives, and regional organizations in the Kawarthas. Thank you to the Lakefield Herald for the image at the side.

Even if we can't attend your local event in person, you can bring a recorded message from FOCA to your membership, explaining their member benefits and FOCA's work on behalf of waterfront Ontario. Click "Email" to send a request to the FOCA office for a copy of the recording.

FOCA's partners at Safe Quiet Lakes have launched the 4th edition of their lakes survey, and everyone is encouraged to participate! Please spread the word and add your voice by July 21. Reach the survey by clicking 'more'.

Fish for free across Ontario from June 28 to July 2, 2025 during ‘Family Fishing Week.’ You must still follow fishing regulations! Click ‘more’ to learn about fish species and regulations in your area from the Ministry of Natural Resources’ Fish ON-Line.

The North American Lake Management Society is once again celebrating Lakes Appreciation Month with their annual student poster contest. This year's theme is "Why are lakes special?" and kids from kindergarten through grade 12 are encouraged to participate! Click 'more' for the details.

source: CTV News story

As reported on CTV News in early June, northeastern Ontario is currently experiencing an outbreak of forest tent caterpillars that is expected to last for another couple of weeks. Click 'more' for the story (source of the image).

source: Natural Resources Canada's Forest Vulnerability Assessment Tool

Natural Resources Canada has a tool that visually tracks the vulnerability of trees species to climate change over time. Click 'more' and Zoom in to investigate forecasted tree vulnerability to drought over the coming century. (Shown: 2071-2100. Green and blue areas are least vulnerable in the map image; pink and orange areas are most vulnerable.)

Click 'more' to read the Conference edition of the Ontario Onsite Wastewater Association's newsletter with an article by a building inspector outlining recent changes to the Ontario Building Code. The article suggests composting toilets (at least in new constructions?) may need to drain into a septic system rather than grey water pit, as previously.

Following the March 2025 ice storm, the Ontario Woodlot Association hosted a webinar on woodlot cleanup and recovery, including chainsaw safety. Click 'more' to reach the YouTube posting of the webinar.

Wednesday, July 16, 2025 from 3-7pm in Thunder Bay: members of the public are invited to an Open House about the Lakehead Coastal Resilience Management Plan Project. Come out to hear how coastal natural hazards and climate change are shaping life along the Lake Superior coastline. Click 'more' for information about the event.

Our partners at the Ontario Invasive Plants Council (OIPC) have released a summary guide with Best Management Practices for Aquatic Invasive Plants. Click 'more' to reach our invasive species webpage, where the link to the guide is posted under 'Latest News'.

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Photographer and FOCA member, Kevin Pepper, has sent us amazing photos like the one at left, and this recent update:

"Having a great year with 5 loons on Salerno and 1 new born chick. The lake people have named it Loonlet. Very appropriate. Please enjoy and share."

The FOCA office will be closed on Tuesday, July 1st for the Canada Day holiday.

On behalf of the FOCA Board of Directors and Staff, we wish each of you and your families the very best on July 1st and beyond.

Inform. Protect. Unite.

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