GBA Update Spring 2024

GBA U P D A T E

Vol. 34 No. 1, Spring 2024

INSIDE:

Your Voice on the Bay

News and Information from the Georgian Bay Association

By Liz Phillips, GBA President

GBA Associations Love the Bay

PAGE 4 Short on Maps, Strong on Will: The Early Years Cottaging on Twelve Mile Bay

I n the depths of winter, our editorial team was thinking about what our GBA readers most want in this UPDATE issue. As we shivered and dreamt about warmer days, it hit us: we all want to remember our cottage time and start planning for our next great summer. So, we contacted our member associations to ask them to share some of their memories of the events that brought us together last summer. We hope this warms you and inspires your association to incorporate new events into your summer plans. Fire Safety Hands down, fire safety events were the most common activity across our associations. Several associations partnered with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry’s (MNRF) FireSmart program in some way or another. Pointe au Baril Islanders’ Association (PaBIA) received funding from FireSmart to host their Start Your Fire Pump contest in early July, where cottagers submitted photos of themselves using a fire pump for a chance to win a prize. South Channel Association (SCA) used its funding to buy couplers so its fire pumps were compatible. SCA also invited a FireSmart representative to its annual general meeting (AGM), which the Key River Area Association (KRAA) also took advantage of. Many other associations also focused on fire safety presentations in their AGMs. PaBIA and Bayfield-Nares Islanders’ Association (BNIA) hosted training workshops to provide cottagers with an introduction to owning and operating a fire pump. BNIA plans on continuing its fire and safety education next summer with a session on how to maintain a fire pump.

PAGE 15

A New Community Stewardship Model

Boating 2023 ......................................... 8 Proposed EPA Rule Fails to Protect the Great Lakes from Invasive Species ..................................10 President’s Report ............................11 Indigenous Land Conservation in Georgian Bay .................................12 Transport Canada in 2023...............14 ED’s Advocacy Report.......................16 Upcoming Events...............................18

PM # 40038178

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TIP: Any association can apply for the $ 500 Wildfire Community Preparedness Day. If you applied before the January 31 deadline, we hope you were successful. (For more information: bit.ly/WildfireCPD ) You could also schedule someone from MNRF to give a FireSmart presentation to your association.

Photo: BNIA

BNIA members attend the fire safety event at Bayfield Boat Club.