PLCA President’s Report, Winter 2021, updates
I know we were all hoping that by now we would be ‘over the hump’ with COVID-19. Well, not quite yet!
Vaccines are here but cautious activities will likely be the norm still for the rest of 2021. Your Board has to wait until we get closer to the summer before we can decide how our ‘summer activities’ will be delivered. It may be a combination of ‘in person’ and ‘virtual’ like it was in 2020. We will make final decisions on all our events as we get closer to each one.
For now, just a reminder of potential dates:
Canada Day Boat Parade and Bar-B-Q – July 1
Don Thomas Memorial Rock Bass Derby – July 10
PLCA Regatta – July 31
PLCA AGM – August
PLCA Golf Tourney – August
Geocaching – All seasons
Lake Health Reports
In 2019 we made this available to all members of PLCA. Many of you have not yet picked up your copy. If you still want to receive one, please contact us at info@paudashlake.org.
North Hastings Community Fish Hatchery
As you know, our lake has been the recipient of 30,000 lake trout so far. The NHCFH has stocked these and have committed to continuing this program for another four years.
COVID-19 has been extremely hard on this non-profit group. Last year they had to cancel their largest fundraising dinner/auction and the same is happening again this year. In addition, their tanks had some problems in 2020 increasing their operating costs.
Your Board has decided to use our communications arm to raise money for the hatchery, as we did last year for the ‘food bank’ (over $5,000.00). You will see our campaign for this very soon.
Wake Signs/Slow Down
This spring several sensitive locations on the lake will have these signs placed at the shorelines. There is no ‘one speed’ that reduces a boat’s wake to a minimal level – learn your boat’s wake speed and please follow it in these areas.
Board Initiatives
I am excited to welcome three new Board members to PLCA – Jennifer Marano, Michelle Marano and Allen Wright. Together they have formed a Task Force to revitalize and update the PLCA’s Communication Plan. Their report to the Board at our next meeting will improve the way PLCA interacts with members, non-members, businesses, and regulators. By using social media, technology, and traditional hard copy, we want to be more relevant to all the ‘publics’ we connect with.
PLCA also wants to thank the following former Board members for their many years of volunteer hours!
Nathalie Poirer-Cox
Russ Bertram
Bill O’Brien
Jonathan Hale
Don’t forget that PLCA is a non-profit charitable organization and donations receive a tax receipt. We thank those that have made memorial donations over the past few years. If you ever want to do the same, we have a ‘donor page’ on our website https://www.paudashlake.org/
Lake Water Testing
In 2020 this program (Lake Partner Program) run by the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks was cancelled due to COVID-19. In 2021, it is back again and PLCA continues to be a partner.
We have our lake’s history of testing on the MOE website at https://www.ontario.ca/environment-and-energy/map-lake-partner
We test for phosphates, calcium, and water clarity.
In the past, we have also tested for invasive species – zebra mussel, spiny water flea and starry-stonewart.
This May several lake volunteers will be taking the training required to be able to safely remove the invasive ‘Chinese Mystery Snail’ from Paudash. PLCA has partnered with the Coalition of Haliburton Property Owners Association (CHA) and the MNRF to train and licence our people to be able to do this. More about this program will come later.
Septic Inspection – Level 4
If COVID rules allow, we hope to have a demonstration of ‘pump-out’ and level 4 septic tank inspection on May 22nd at 9:00 am. Location to be determined later. If you are interested in volunteering your septic for this ‘open house’ please contact us at info@paudashlake.org.
Also, let us know if you would be interested in attending. Members will also be eligible for preferred pricing on their own septic pump-outs and inspection.
Haliburton County Shoreline Preservation Bylaw
This issue has been ongoing since 2017. There have been many configurations of this bylaw over the past three years as amendments, deletions and additions have been done.
It is expected to pass this spring but at the February Council meeting, councillors decided to send out an ‘RFP’ to recruit an independent consultant to review the bylaw and bring back a report to Council. The process may take months.
The latest by-law draft can be found at https://www.haliburtoncounty.ca/en/living-here/shoreline-preservation.aspx . The main purpose of this bylaw is to protect degradation on current natural shorelines. Existing developed shoreline properties will be ‘grandfathered’.
You will hear more about this issue later in the season.
Centre Lake Development
PLCA sent out information about this development earlier this year. Here is the current status as we know it.
Centre Lake has two developers owning parts of the properties that abut the shoreline allowances. One owns most of the east side and the other the west side. Currently, this lake is undeveloped of cottages or any shoreline alteration. Deer Creek empties out of Centre Lake into Inlet Bay on Paudash. Both development companies have applied to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Fisheries to take ownership of the 200 ft. shoreline allowance that
the Ministry currently owns (ownership goes back to the mining days when the ‘Crown’ wanted to protect shorelines and water from close by potential mining operations).
You can see one of the proposed developments on this website: https://letstalkcentrelake.ca/granite-shores
The MNRF will be setting a date(s) for public consultation soon. This first step is about their conveyance of this 200 ft. shoreline to the two developers. The next step may depend upon the decision that MNRF makes. The developer on the east side, called Granite Developments, has indicated that they will proceed to develop cottage lots and hotel spa on their properties regardless of the decision. At that point, further public consultation will be required and organized by Haliburton County and Highlands East municipality. We will keep you informed and may be asking our members for support of any advocacy decisions we may have to make.
STAY POSITIVE – TEST NEGATIVE
Mike Thomas
President,
Paudash Lake Conservation Association