Winter 2007 Update

By Dave Lemkay, President

I am pleased to present a brief report on many things that have taken place over the early winter.  I offer this as an update so that you will be able to have news for anybody asking about the Association and what it’s doing on their behalf.

There have been numerous activities since the last board meeting.  These include meetings to deal with the lake water level, cell phone service, membership records and procedure, the Deacon toilet project, the lifting of the Walleye fishing ban and plans for the 2007 boat licensing course.  A lot has been, and is, happening.

Water Level and Ice Monitoring

Peter Boldt from Renfrew Power Generation, Don Pouliot of RLPOA and I met in December.  We were informed that all the logs have been out of the Golden lake dam since mid-November and the system is flowing freely.  With excessive Fall precipitation, the lake and entire Bonnechere system is very high.  RPG is undertaking an ice-monitoring program with systematic boring of test holes to measure ice-to-shore bonding.  In total, five sites will be tested through this winter with the help of residents to record relevant weather conditions.  This will establish benchmark data for any future ice studies.

Cell Phone Service

Cairine Cybulski and I visited Bell Mobility in Montreal on December 14 to discuss the local “no-service” issue.  We were able to outline our concerns to a team of eight people who are in charge of engineering, development and customer-service for Bell.

We were advised to assemble concrete evidence of residential and tourist potential for cell phone service uptake.  We plan to undertake a survey or gathering of names, which will serve to demonstrate support.  We are working in tandem with the other lake associations and likely will label this project under the name of “The Highway 60 Corridor Cell Phone Task Force” to broaden the scope.  We plan to make use of local media and select mailings, such as with tax notices to attract input.

Membership Committee

The Membership Committee, comprised of Kevin O’Connor, Carolyn Letters, Susan St. Jean, Gail McPhee and I have had meetings to analyze the data base and  procedures for 2007 renewals.  As well, we are hoping to glean the township tax rolls to identify all property owners and to obtain mailing addresses with which to do a mailing in the coming season.

Fishing Regulations 

The Walleye ban was lifted on January 1 as planned by the OMNR.  Notices were distributed to local media – we are awaiting the electronic files so that we can post on the web site.  I attach the OMNR’s notice specific to Golden Lake.

On Golden Lake, a five-year closure of the walleye fishery ends and a 50 cm minimum size limit, and a catch and possession limit of two walleye (under a sport fishing licence) and one walleye (under a conservation fishing licence) take effect. The season will run from the third Saturday in May to March 31. This will increase angling opportunities while protecting species.

Deacon Boat Launch Project

The Deacon Boat Launch Toilet Project is well underway.  Funding has been approved through a grant to North Algona Wilberforce Township from Renfrew County Community Futures Corporation.  Work commenced in October and to date tall the concrete work to install tanks and the floor slab is done.  Bryan Fraser is pre-fabricating the 10’ x 20’ building to be assembled by the March 1, 2007 deadline.  Had we known that the winter would be so mild, we might have been able to take better advantage of the season.

Pleasure Craft Operator Course

We are “on course” to deliver a Canadian Coast Guard Accredited course and test as a co-operative project with members of the Inter-Lake Committee.  In that vein, notices are going out through Round Lake POA Newsletter and will be included in our Spring Newsletter, as we want to make this widely available.  Sessions will be advertised in the local newspapers too.  Dates will be the first week in July, likely one or two weeknights and also Saturday the 7^th, depending on the expression of interest.  The cost has been pegged at $35.00, which covers a four-hour session of instruction, the written test and the issuing of a temporary certificate on site.  The official, permanent license is mailed directly within two weeks. 

Last but not least, the Association books are being audited at time of writing and the annual report to the Ministry of Corporate & Consumer Affairs is will be filed by the due date.

John Gulland has kept the web site up to date with meeting minutes, notices, history items and new pictures.  For more information, please visit www.goldenlake.info

Posted January 21, 2007