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Spring 2008 NewsletterNotices of Upcoming EventsGLPOA Annual General Meeting: Saturday, June 7The 2008 GLPOA Annual
General Meeting will be held Saturday, June 7th at the Killaloe Public
School. The meeting will start at 9:00. More detailed notices will
appear on the GLPOA web site and in local newspapers. Pleasure Craft Operator’s Course: Saturday, July 5Last year's course successfully graduated eighty
students from ages eight to eighty. We will once again offer this
important service on Saturday July 5th. The four-hour course,
starting at 8:00 am will be held at Killaloe Public School at a cost of
$35.00 per person. You can pre-register with an email to info@goldenlake.info
or by mail to GLPOA, P.O. Box 99 Golden Lake ON K0J 1X0. GLPOA Summer Members’ Meeting: Saturday, August 23Our busiest season, of course, is summer. We convene our Annual General Meeting early in June at which time we deal with Association business including election of officers as outlined in the constitution. However the annual members' meeting is more of a social gathering, with a lighter agenda. It is traditionally held around the third week of August, so that members can get to know one another and to reach out to more members with updates. An old fashioned lakeside corn boil is timely and we plan to do it again this year on Saturday, August 23rd.
Water Quality Committee Report
Proposed water quality testing programAfter meeting by email over the winter, the GLPOA
water quality committee got together on April 9 at the Sands on
Golden Lake. Committee members agreed to work with the Lakes Partnership
program managed by the Ontario Ministry of Environment to test levels
of phosphorous in the Lake. Phosphorous levels are a
good indication of the impact that shoreline development may have on
water quality, according to the Ministry. Bev Clark of the Lake Partnership program said that the Kingston Office of the Ministry of Environment acted as a lake partner for Golden Lake in 2003-2004 as part of the assessment of Renfrew County lakes. Phosphorous levels were found to be well below the upper limit of acceptability at that time. The Water Quality Committee is examining the Water Quality Management Report, which reports on Golden Lake water chemistry. The report emphasized the importance of public education in preserving water quality in Ontario lakes: "Land owners are in the best position to implement best management practices, such as ensuring they have a properly functioning septic systems, provision of adequate setbacks in accordance with the official plan and zoning bylaw requirements, maintenance of vegetation and tree cover in setback buffer and the elimination of pesticide and fertilizer applications near lakes." The committee continues to discuss the ways it can help to inform GLPOA members on steps they can take to maintain and enhance water quality in the Lake and River. GLPOA members attend FOCA seminar in TorontoTwo members of the Water Quality Committee, Gail McPhee and Chair Kathy Lampi, attended a day-long seminar in Toronto April 5 dealing with the importance of plans for lake development and impending legislation about mandatory septic tank re-inspections. The Federation of Ontario Cottagers’Associations has received funding from Trillium to design a template for members who want to create lake plans for a specific area. The template, which will be available the summer of 2009, was the topic of the morning workshop. It can be used as a tool to help rate payers and municipalities design development plans for lake areas. FOCA presenters emphasized the importance of developing a plan as a proactive involvement in the community, rather than waiting for the proposal of some undesired development to trigger opposition. This template will make the development of lake plans, without using highly-paid consultants, much easier, according to FOCA. The afternoon workshop focused on Ontario’s Clear Water Act, and implications for rural areas. The Clear Water Act was passed October 2006 as a response to the Walkerton Report. It is a recognition of the need to protect drinking water at the source, not just the tap. Source protection will be based on watershed boundaries; local source protection committees will be created. First steps involve mandatory regular re-inspection of those septic systems located close to sources of municipal water. A septic tank inspector from Mississippi Valley Conservation, Jamie Saunders emphasized that proper use and maintenance of a septic tank is more important than its age in assuring effectiveness of the system. Mr. Saunders said that mandatory inspections for general private systems will likely not come into effect until 2012, at the earliest. Information about ground water protection can be found at www.thewaterhole.ca and at www.wellwise.ca.
Cell Phone ProgressOver the past two years GLPOA has actively worked to promote improved cell phone service in the region. To date, three Bell Mobility tower installations, located in Douglas, Rankin and near Wilber Lake, have been initiated with required permits and approvals and are in the early stages of construction. As well, there are two additional sites underway and we understand that the plan is to have a package of five towers that, once completed and operative, will most likely carry a continuous cell phone signal from the Pembroke and Renfrew areas through Eganville, Golden Lake and Killaloe to the easterly signal already at Barry’s Bay. There is also word that Rogers intends to erect towers in the region. We might suggest that the sharing of towers among service providers could be a more environmentally suitable way of providing cell service and competition among providers to keep prices down.
Looking back
at the shimmering wake. High Water LevelsEveryone is aware of the high water level of the Bonnechere system this year. Both Round Lake and Golden Lake and the Bonnechere River in between have had their high-water record broken in 2008. While damage is extensive to many property owners, we can be thankful that the water level receded before there were any high winds. Windy weather during high water periods can lead to very severe erosion damage. There was much reporting of this issue in local media at the time of the crisis. While fingers have been pointed at Renfrew Power Generation (RPG), investigation demonstrates that legally binding guidelines might need to be reassessed. A possible solution to the water level problems throughout the Bonnechere River system each spring could be found in certain changes in Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) policy. The theory is that more aggressive and earlier draw down of water in both lakes in the fall would create added capacity for spring freshet, especially in a year with high winter snowfall. At present the MNR management plan specifies certain levels during the fall to protect a lake trout spawning shelf on Round Lake. Although it makes sense to be realistic in
acknowledging that nature cannot always be controlled for our benefit,
some possible solutions can be investigated and the GLPOA Board is
working toward that end. To encourage further analysis, a joint proposal
has been submitted to MNR by the Round Lake and Golden Lake Property
Associations and Renfrew Power Generation to consider adjusting this
policy. Ruby Road Waste Site NewsBonnechere Valley Township is moving forward through its Waste Management Committee to examine the feasibility of expanding the Ruby Road Waste Transfer Station site. With the contracted services of an engineering company, Cambium Environmental, ratepayers are assured that any development would be based on site testing so that a new operation would conform to standards established by the Ontario Ministry of the Environment. A Public Liaison Committee has been formed to
oversee the testing process. Public consultation meetings are being
scheduled throughout the process to receive input from residents and to
assist with effective communication to the public. It is the
intent of the GLPOA to continue to closely follow this issue. Waterway Hazard MarkingGolden Lake and the Bonnechere River bottoms have irregularities that enhance their beauty and intrigue boaters. However, these features can present hazards and must be marked for boaters on the waterway. GLPOA has established a program of hazard marking with large orange buoys in the main lake as well as red and green channel markers at the lake approach to the River at Deacon bridge. It is our plan to have buoys installed by the May long weekend and have them removed by Thanksgiving. This year the program will be managed by member Jay
Foran, who offered to organize the marker placement, anchoring and
identification effort. Jay will upgrade the program with visible
numbering of buoys, according to their respective GPS locations. The
numbering system will help to identify any buoys that might break away
from their anchors and show up on your beach. You can call Jay or
anyone on the executive and let us retrieve the errant buoy for
re-installation. As well, you can participate in our
"adopt-a-buoy" program if you can commit to installing and
removing the marker buoy nearest your property. Membership is ImportantThrough a survey of tax rolls of the three townships in the region, our membership committee, headed by Gail McPhee, has determined that there are 740 waterfront properties along the Bonnechere River and on Golden Lake. We are pleased to report that 400 of these properties are represented as members of our association. Having a large membership was one of the three original objectives of the GLPOA founding members and having reached the 400 mark we have a strong collective voice with which to express our interests and concerns to all levels of government. Our geographic area is divided into eleven zones, each managed by a Zone Representative who is normally assisted by additional volunteers. The role of the Reps and other volunteers is to contact you and offer you the chance to join or renew your membership in GLPOA. We trust that you agree that the investment of $20 in your membership is good value for money and that you are pleased to be a member of an active and progressive organization. The 11 Organizational ZonesTo help maintain good communications between the members and the Board of Directors and to help promote membership in the Association, the shoreline around the river and lake have been divided into eleven zones. The local directors and zone reps are your link to the Association. If you need information, contact your local rep or director. A number of changes in the zone reps are now underway and the make-up of the board of directors will change substantially at the Annual Meeting on June 7th. In the mean time, if you need to know who your zone rep or local director is, please contact the Association at info@goldenlake.info . Shortly after the Annual Meeting, the web site will be updated to reflect the new board and zone reps.
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