LOW Area News - Early Spring 2019

Volume 50

Number 1

Early Spring 2019

W e lcome

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In this Issue…

President’s Message

4

Editor’s Note

3

Executive Director's Note

6

Our Contributors

5

7 LOWDSA 9

What does "stewardship" mean to you?

Members

Mark Your Calendars Call for Nominations Government Notes Provincial Land Taxes continue to rise Calendar year membership becomes annual membership Membership Renewal

In the District

24

Getting to know them: groups who serve and

protect your lake interests Lake level too high at freeze-up What's happening on your lake?

Kenora Winter Carnival history More free fishing weekends Common Ground: A sharing of our stories

Smith Camps: A Dream Realized by Al Smith

32

38 Snowmobiles Embody Versatility by Duncan McEwen 40 Drones: A bird's eye view of legal regulations

by Raymond P. Oakes 43 Accessing Health & Emergency Services in the Lake of the Woods District

by Leanne Fournier 44 Environment 48

The Rainy River: A Case Study in Pollution & Recovery Crappie Fishing in Sunset Country by Jeff Gustafson

With Ontario’s forest fire season starting as early as April, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) begins recurrent training for its CL 415 water bombers crews as soon as open water appears in the spring, possibly as early as March.

MNRF operates nine water bombers. This one was spotted on Lake of the Woods from Lakeview Dr. in Kenora. Notice the ice near the far shore. Photo by Kim Pirie-Milko.

Lake of the Woods Sustainability Foundation IJC watershed board wants your help

Wildlife & Wilderness

Living

58

Eat healthy? Why bother?

Gardening for mental health

Do It Yourself

62

Workbenches and storage

LOWDKids!

53

Partners in name Pine Siskin tops Kenora Christmas Bird Count

64

Kat the Nature Dog Spring: A Season of Renewal

Cottage Services Classifieds

69

68

70 Advertisers' Directory 71 Real Estate Listings

Captain Frank Kendall by Lori Nelson

72

Beautiful Inside & Out Kenora’s Quality Builder

807 407 9983 | blackfoxconstruction.com

President’s Message

3

Hardy Bock, LOWDSA President It’s early January as I write this, and I would like to wish you all a Happy New Year and all the best for 2019!

In November I wrote that I was looking forward to more snow on the ground and to getting out cross-country skiing, my favourite winter activity. I got my wish with the arrival of more than enough snow to start grooming those cross-country ski trails, but have to admit that as much as I enjoyed the groomed trails, clearing the driveway was far less enjoyable!

In the November issue of Area News we introduced your association’s new name, LOWDSA (Lake of the Woods District Stewardship Association). Although our name has changed, our association’s stated vision—to preserve one of the most beautiful places on earth as a high quality environment for future generations—remains unaltered. I believe that the name change will be a catalyst for increasing our membership and engaging the next generation of lake lovers.

Your board has committed to reaching out to those who have not yet renewed their membership for 2019. Our Membership and Communications Committee’s analysis of the association’s membership statistics over the past year shows a net decrease of 150 members. Some of this decrease is related to members simply forgetting to renew. We are hopeful that the introduction of an auto-renew option will prove to be a popular convenience for many members and will also reduce that loss of members who set the renewal notice aside for ‘another day’.

With the introduction of advance renewal notices, emailed prior to the mass mailing, almost 700 2019 memberships were purchased before the renewal notices were even mailed, allowing us to plan and budget for the next year’s activities more efficiently and to save a little on distribution costs. The board and staff also held a “call centre” evening in January and phoned many members who had not yet renewed their membership for 2019. Our “call centre” went beyond calling to encourage renewals; we also wanted to talk to members and hear what they had to say regardless of their renewal decision.

LOWDSA’s Government Affairs Committee has been very active over the past few months, meeting frequently and in communication with employees and elected representatives of provincial ministries on a number of matters of interest and concern to members. We were pleased to hear that the MNRF (Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry) has postponed the final decision on decommissioning Turtle Portage Marine Railway to July 2019 to allow for public engagement with the possibility that MNRF might have enough funding to keep the portage operational this upcoming season until a final decision is made.

The MTO (Ministry of Transport Ontario) information session regarding the twinning of Highway 17 between the Manitoba/ Ontario border and Kenora, which I attended with several

board members and staff, was held November 20, 2018. A series of display panels outlining the process, alternative routes considered and the studies that have been carried out so far for the first section, six kilometres from the Manitoba/Ontario border to Highway 673, were presented and are available on line at 4lanehighway17kenora.ca. We were able to meet representatives from MTO and the study consultant (WSP Canada) who were available to answer questions, an important first step in establishing a relationship to allow for further communication and discussion. LOWDSA will continue to keep our members informed as the project evolves.

For the past couple months, the Finance Committee has been busy preparing the budget for 2019. The committee has been diligent in reviewing the costs of operation in an environment of increasing expenses. The board acknowledges the many contributors to the Environment and Tax funds in the past and gave careful consideration and unanimous approval to the policy developed by the Finance Committee, one that combines these funds into the Environmental Initiatives & Special Projects Fund as announced at the 2018 AGM. The purpose of the fund, as stated in the policy, is “to address some longer term and periodic funding strategies for environmental initiatives and special projects for the Association and to ensure good financial and cash management for the ongoing financial stability of the Association. In conjunction with investment policies, this policy will provide informed decisions relating to financial planning for environmental initiatives and special projects.”

I am very fortunate to be working with a great group of committed board members and hardworking staff. We are looking forward to another busy year for the association and to seeing many of you at LOWDSA events beginning with our annual Lake of the Woods Cottage Show and Annual General Meeting.

Please join us at the Victoria Inn Monday, May 6, 2019.

And now it is time to sit back in your favourite chair, turn the page and enjoy this issue of Area News!

4

Editor’s Note Elsie Neufeld

Upon hearing that Lake of the Woods District Property Owners Association was changing its name to Lake of the Woods District Stewardship Association, I was delighted, but with reflections I was not entirely sure why. The words stewardship has wholesome connotation, but is it a word that deserves it. The question put to directors, page 9, “What does stewardship mean to me?” sent me to the dictionary.

My trusted Canadian Oxford Dictionary just tacked stewardship on as a derivative of the word steward, without any elaboration.

A search on the Internet found me a more nuanced definition under the stewardship theory of governance. This theory, pared down, proposes that a group will act collectively with high, long-term principles to care for its resources for the betterment of the whole, as opposed to the agency theory, which says the people involved in an organization are motivated to care for the assets of an organizations for the betterment of themselves.

Considering LOWDPOA/LOWDSA board is a volunteer board and the hours and effort the board put in compared with the personal rewards, it could be argued stewardship has always been at the heart of its mandate. I believe the delight I felt with the name change comes from the collectivism aspect of stewardship, like member Eileen Wilton on page 7, who doesn’t own property on the lake but now feels it is her organization.

LOWDSA as LOWDPOA has been an inclusive organization, not requiring property ownership as a condition of membership for a long time, if ever, but the “property owner” didn’t reflect that.

Many people believed they couldn’t be members because they weren’t property owners and, in particular, property owners on Lake of the Woods. Now, the name reflects that inclusive, collective part of the association’s philosophy.

I also reacted to the high-principled, long-term aspects management of resources, which I link with the environment, not just my membership dollars.

Stewards on airplanes, in households, and properties look after the people in their charge, provide service, but they also care for the physical surroundings. For LOWDSA and its members that includes the water, land and air in the 5,500 sq. km of the Lake of the Woods district. This is not a new responsibility for LOWDSA. Through LakeSmart and other education programs it promotes, LOWDSA has embraced this aspect of stewardship.

No, the name does not change the organization as much as it more accurately reflects the role it took on long ago. However, the name change acknowledges the stewardship responsibilities front and foremost, and it reflects the long-term collective responsibility we all feel for the environment and the people in our area.

The official publication of the Lake of the Woods District Stewardship Association

PUBLISHED BY

Wake Marketing Inc. 140 Main St. S., Kenora, ON P9N 1S9 Phone: (807) 407-7252 Publisher: Mike Greaves, mike@areanewsmagazine.ca Editor: Elsie Neufeld, editor@areanewsmagazine.ca Art Director: Shayla Smith, design@areanewsmagazine.ca Design & Layout: Mike Newton, Ashley Pereira Advertising: Mike Greaves, Deb Polakoff, Jason Petric

DISTRIBUTION & MEMBERSHIP

Lake of the Woods Area News is published five times per year and is mailed to LOWDSA members. To receive Area News visit lowdsa.com and become a member today.

Publication mail agreement #43107013. Printed in Canada.

UPCOMING EDITORIAL DEADLINES:

March 4, 2019 May 1, 2019

July 24, 2019 October 2, 2019

©2019 LOWDSA. All rights reserved. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced by any means, in whole or in part, without prior written consent. Statements of fact or opinion are the responsibility of the author and may not represent the view of LOWDSA or Wake Marketing Inc.

5

Executive Director's Note Diane Schwartz-Williams

While I don’t make New Year’s resolutions for myself or for the Lake of the Woods District Stewardship Association, I admit to having dozens of ideas and plans in a long wish list for the association in 2019. Credit for many of those ideas must be shared with the LOWDSA members who asked a question or made a suggestion; with the 13 passionate, committed and creative directors we are fortunate to have at the helm; and a dozen giving volunteers.

Surveying the landscape of possibilities before us in 2019 is energizing, even exciting—too many ideas and plans to tackle in one year, but all worth exploring another year. This year will see longstanding and familiar events and activities and some new ones—some of which you will find on the calendar on page 11.

Historically, January is the month when LOWDSA’s board and staff tackle administrative tasks, wrapping up the year-end and requisite reports, finalizing the budget for the year ahead, and pulling together plans for the Cottage Show, AGM, LakeSmart and summer events. Typically, sending renewal reminders to members not-yet-renewed for 2019 is another of those tasks, but not this year. This year, we changed it up, adding a special board meeting and reached out personally to over 250 members from our LOWDSA “call centre”.

To do this, we connected directors and staff virtually, between five locations—Winnipeg and Kenora conference rooms plus three other individual locations. As is the case for all board meetings, we kept a handle on travel expenses, yet made it possible for directors who work and live in multiple locations to join in. It wasn’t quite the same as having everyone in the same room and making those calls to members, but it was close.

This “call-centre” evening was a first for LOWDSA, and it was Photo by Tom Thomson a success on many fronts. Some calls with members not-yet-renewed were short and to the point, others were lengthy, and almost without exception very positive. We heard what members like about LOWDSA programs, what they are looking for, and some thoughtful suggestions about areas requiring attention. The feedback from members and the opportunity for ‘lake-talk’ was valuable and enjoyable.

Members are the foundation and strength of the association, and we were buoyed by the response to the calls over the course of one-and-a-half hours, which included more than 25 renewals confirmed on the spot and over 45 commitments to renew online or by mail right away (some of which we saw come through the next day). We left dozens of messages, hoping to receive call-backs, and unfortunately could not complete some calls due to changes in phone numbers. The take-away was so positive that the directors are committed to doing this again. If you did not receive a call and would like to talk to a director or staff, whether your membership is current or not, let us know by emailing info@lowdsa.com or calling 807-468-8715. We really do want to hear from you.

LAKE OF THE WOODS DISTRICT STEWARDSHIP ASSOCIATION Executive Committee

Board Members

Staff

Contact

PRESIDENT Hardy Bock, Black Sturgeon

Chris Boult, Mackies Island Robert Bulman, Tunnel Island Dave Christie, Granite Lake Jason Coreau, Big Traverse Bay Anneke Gillis, Paddy Lake Jean Anne Hallas, Lily Pad Bay Lucas King, Woodchuck Bay Trevor Templeton, Minaki John Waterer, Clearwater Bay

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Diane Schwartz-Williams (807) 543-4287 diane@lowdsa.com

P.O. Box 1160 Kenora, ON P9N 3X7

VICE PRESIDENT & TREASURER Christine Semenchuk, Storm Bay PAST PRESIDENT Nancy Salmijarvi, Welcome Channel DIRECTOR Don Parfitt, Winnipeg River

ASST. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Shelley Bujold (807) 468-8715 shelley@lowdsa.com

EMAIL info@lowdsa.com

M LOWDistrictStewardshipAssoc N @lowdsaLakeTime TOLL-FREE 1-888-265-9784 PHONE (807) 468-8715

Our Contributors

Phil Burke Cecil Burns Bev Clark

Bonnie Baltessen is a freelance writer and former Winnipegger, living on beautiful Lulu Lake. Her family has been camping and cottaging in the Laclu area for over 100 years.

Leanne Fournier Jeff Gustafson Leo Heyens Ray Hignell

Barry Corbett is a retired Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources biologist. When he's not outside enjoying Kenora's hinterland, he works as a consulting biologist and commercial diver.

Susan McLeod Jack McKenzie Drew Monkman Lori Nelson

Duncan McEwen is a full time outdoor education teacher, fishing guide and tour operator in Kenora. He spends his time cruising with his guests on Lake of the Woods in search of fish and adventure. He can be reached at blueheronlaketours@gmail.com.

Jacob Rodenburg Dave Schwartz Todd Sellers Bob Stewart

SEE YOU AT THE

LOW COTTAGE SHOW! — MAY 6, 2019 —

1272 Dugald Road, Winnipeg // 204.987.5460

832 Lakeview Drive, Kenora // 807.468.5975

WSLSPORT.COM

L.O.W. AREA NEWS

EARLY SPRING 2019

Members

Rebuilding after the Redden’s Store fire 2018 brought a lot of change for Redden's Store— we were so close to opening up the new store when it went up in smoke at the end of June. We are incredibly thankful for the efforts of local volunteers, firefighters, and O.P.P. and immensely grateful no one was hurt in the blaze.

So, we start again, building a bigger and better store experience for locals and seasonal guests alike! December saw us pouring foundations and putting up all of the external walls. January has been spent laying the groundwork for custom timbers, and getting ready for the next big step— the roof! With supplies and materials arriving weekly, we can’t wait to welcome you into a larger space with so many new features we’re excited to show you.

Follow along with our progress by visiting us on Facebook! facebook.com/ReddensStore —Leanne & Carlton Dent

on June 28, After a fire destroyed the Redden’s Camp store in mid-construction 2019. spring for set ion complet with again swing full in is tion construc 2018, Photo courtesy of Redden’s Camp.

New name more inclusive Congratulations to LOWDPOA for the name change to ‘Lake of the Woods District Stewardship Association’.

It opens the association to everyone with the same commitment to preserve our beautiful lake. As a resident of Kenora but not a cottage owner I now feel more like a team player. We all have an equal obligation to maintain it now and for further generations.

—Eileen Wilton

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7

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L.O.W. AREA NEWS

EARLY SPRING 2019

LOWDSA

What does “stewardship” mean to you?

Stewardship is very important to many LOWDSA members.

Environmental stewardship is actually the core value you will see heading the list on our Vision page at lowdsa.com and has been for some time. With the change in the name of the association to Lake of the Woods District Stewardship Association, stewardship is going to be a word you see and hear frequently.

There are likely as many definitions of stewardship as we have members, maybe more as everyone will have their own individual understanding of what it means to them. We thought we would ask a couple of our directors how they would define it, but we would also like to know how you would define it.

“The first thing that came to my mind was caretaker. As directors we have the responsibility of ensuring the association is run according to our mission/vision statements and that we continue to be fiscally responsible. Of course, our biggest responsibility is to the membership. Personally, the caretaking aspect pertains to everything we do as individuals while enjoying the lakes and rivers we love. That list is endless, but I'm sure most of us do our utmost to protect our favourite environment.”

“Open, balanced and responsible management and communication of all issues relevant to the Lake of the Woods region.” ~ Trevor Templeton, Director “Dictionary definition: ‘The job of supervising or taking care of something such as an organization or property.’ Through extension, we are stewards of our members needs as it pertains to their love of the Lake of the Woods area and all of the things that can influence that relationship – the environment, the quality of the water, development, forestry, and taxation.” ~ Robert Bulman, Director "Coming together to preserve the area we are passionate about” ~ Lucas King, Director And what does stewardship mean to you? We’d really like to know. Call 807-468-8715 or email info@lowdsa.com.

~ Nancy Salmijarvi, Director

It’s not too soon to book the LakeSmart team for a visit to your lake, property or event in July or August 2019 800 DOCK STOPS AND EVENTS ON 10 LAKES IN 2018 & WE’RE LOOKING TO TOP THAT RECORD NEXT SUMMER Take advantage of the knowledge and resources available from the LakeSmart team, including healthy shorelines, buffer zones, reducing run-off, invasive species, safe boating, septic systems and so much more.

For more information or to book a visit call 807-468-8715 or 1-888-265-9784 or email info@lowdsa.com Invitations and bookings accepted from LOWDSA members and friends of the association.

9

L.O.W. AREA NEWS

EARLY SPRING 2019

LOWDSA

11

Mark Your Calendars We’re looking forward to a busy spring and summer for LOWDSA with some plans firmly in place and others well underway.

Look for updates in the next issue of Area News, and in the meantime follow us on Facebook @LOWDistrictStewardshipAssoc or Twitter @lowdsaLakeTime to keep up to date.

March 13–14 | 2019 Rainy-Lake of the Woods Watershed Forum

May 18 | Seedling Pick-up Day

International Falls, Minnesota

10am – 12 noon

Professional symposium intended for researchers and resource managers working and/or interested in research and management activities related to the International Rainy-Lake of the Woods Watershed.

July 1 | LakeSmart Team & LOWDSA at Matiowski Farmers’ Market

April 5 | LakeSmart & Invasive Species Outreach applications due Summer employment opportunities with LOWDSA. We're looking for two LakeSmart Ambassadors and one Invasive Species Community Outreach Liaison. See page 23 for job ads.

April 15 | Nominations for LOWDSA’s 2018 Board of Directors due For more information see article in this issue or contact Nancy Salmijarvi nancy@lowdsa.com or Diane Schwartz-Williams diane@lowdsa.com.

May 4 | Last Day to Order Seedlings Visit lowdsa.com/cpages/seedlings to place your seedling order, or by mail or phone 807-468-8715.

May 6 | 56th Annual General Meeting & Lake of the Woods Cottage Show Victoria Inn, Winnipeg | 1808 Wellington Ave. Doors open for the Cottage Show 1:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Over 90 Exhibitors last year, and we’re on the way to matching that or more!

LOWDSA Annual General Meeting 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Catch up on your Association business, and enjoy a special presentation (Stay tuned for details!)

Whitecap Pavilion, Kenora 10am – 4pm July 3 – August 28 | LakeSmart Team & LOWDSA at Matiowski Farmers’ Market Whitecap Pavilion, Kenora 8:30am – 2:00 p.m. every Wednesday

Plans in the works & Dates Pending • LOWDSA Summer Meetings at the Lake (Kenora & Nestor Falls) • Full day visits to IISD Experimental Lakes Area (3) • Free Metal Waste Collection Day • LakeSmart Team visits to area lakes (Let us know when you would like to see the team in your lake neighbourhood.)

• LOWDkids activities including Storm Drain Painting to spread the message “A healthy lake starts here!”

For more info to add an event to the calendar email info@lowdsa.com.

Looking for your LOWDSA membership renewal package?

If you haven't received it yet, contact Shelley to have your renewal package sent out or check pages 19-20 for everything you need to know about membership renewal. info@lowdsa.com 807-468-8715 1-888-265-9784

Share your passion for lake life... with a LOWDSA gift membership!

Easy to order! Login online at lowdsa.com or call 1-888-265-9784.

You can also order by mail. See page 20 for details, or contact info@lowdsa.com or (807) 468-8715.

Monday, May 6, 2019 | 1:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Victoria Inn, 1808 Wellington Avenue, Winnipeg 57th Annual General Meeting: 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Lake of the Woods

COTTAGE SHOW AND

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING Share your passion for lake life!

Bring a friend and introduce them to the benefits of LOWDSA membership.

P R E L I M I N A RY E X H I B I TO R L I ST Don't miss out! Reserve your booth space today—contact info@lowdsa.com, visit lowdsa.com or call 807-543-4287.

Century 21 Northern Choice Realty Ltd.

Penta Protective Coatings Ltd.

Foundation

Lake of the Woods Cottage Guide Brignall Media

Wolframe’s Inc. World of Water

Royal LePage Landrys for Real Estate Kenora - Brokerage

Docks & Lifts Unlimited Inc.

Brown & Associates Law Office

Earth 4 U Consulting Garriock Insurance Linwood Homes MB - TF Leisure Marketing Lake of the Woods District Hospital Foundation Wake Marketing Lumber One Building Supplies The Nature Conservancy of Canada

All Brands Boat Repair Cabin Country Realty Ltd. City of Kenora Enviro Doctor's Faux Rocks Northwest IISD Experimental Lakes Area Star Building Materials Oakwood Roofing and Sheet Metal Co. Lake of the Woods Water Sustainability

Luxe Furniture company McMunn & Yates Building Supplies Accurate Fire & Safety Ltd. Lake of the Woods Brewing Company Lake of the Woods Control Board LOTW Septic Barge MB Sustainable Development - Forestry & Peatlands Branch Solid City Rentals (T/A Bestway Rentals)

L.O.W. AREA NEWS

EARLY SPRING 2019

LOWDSA 13

Call for Nominations

2019 LOWDSA Board of Directors LOWDSA is now accepting nominations for the 2019 board of directors.

We are especially interested in candidates with experience in business, organization management, government affairs, accounting or environmental science. We also seek to maintain a broad geographic representation of our membership base.

The primary qualification is a strong interest in the Lake of the Woods district along with a willingness to represent both the association, and the wide-ranging interests of our membership.

The Nominating Committee shall present its recommendations to the Board no later than thirty days prior to the date of the Annual General Meeting.

Additional nominations for directors may be made by voting members, providing such nominees are voting members, are sponsored by at least ten voting members in writing, and contain the acceptance of the nomination in writing by the nominee. Such nominations must be submitted to the Executive Director of the Corporation at least twenty-one days (April 15, 2019) prior to the Annual General Meeting (May 6, 2019). No nominations for directors shall be accepted from the floor of any meeting of members.

PREREQUISITES • Nominee must be a 2019 member in good standing of the Lake of the Woods District Stewardship Association.

• Nominee must accept the nomination • Name, e-mail address and telephone number of the nominee must be provided.

• Nominee must provide a brief written outline detailing areas of expertise, property location and areas of specific interest.

Please contact Nancy Salmijarvi, Past President and Chair of the Nominating Committee, nancy@lowdsa.com or in care of: LOWDSA, Attention: Nominating Committee PO Box 1160, Kenora, Ontario P9N 3X7.

Contact Diane Schwartz-Williams for more information: diane@lowdsa.com or 807-468-8715.

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L.O.W. AREA NEWS

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14 LOWDSA

Government Notes Your directors and staff communicate regularly with representatives of a number of ministries and departments at all levels of government. Whether communicating via email, talking on the phone or meeting in person, we enjoy positive working relationships including collaboration in some instances. This makes it possible for us to access and share government bulletins in a timely manner, and open lines of communication often allow us to go directly to the source with questions on your behalf.

FEDERAL

Highway twinning public consultation: next steps WSP Canada Group Limited, on behalf of the Ontario Ministry of Transportation (MTO), is undertaking planning, preliminary design and class environmental assessment (Class EA) studies to review options for expanding of Highway 17 to four lanes between the Manitoba-Ontario border and Kenora. The studies will identify a preferred option for a four-lane divided highway corridor based on an evaluation of alternatives. Separate studies are being carried out for three sections.

The preferred route for twinning Section 1—Highway 17 from the Manitoba border to Highway 673 (Shoal Lake Road), approximately 6.5 km—as well as alternate routes and the rationale for the recommendation were presented on a series of display boards in Kenora on November 20. The public information session was well attended with ministry and consultant representatives on hand to answer questions.

The full set of display boards presented and timelines for the project can be viewed online at 4lanehighway17kenora.ca.

Mr. Neil Ahmed, P.Eng., Consultant Project Manager & Mr. J.A. (Sandy) Nairn, MCIP, RPP, Senior Environmental Planner WSP Canada Group Limited 610 Chartwell Rd., Suite 300, Oakville, ON L6J 4A5 E-mail: project-team@4LaneHighway17Kenora.ca Dr. Yolibeth Mejias, P.Eng. Senior Project Engineer, Ministry of Transportation, Northwestern Region 3rd Flr, 615 James St. S, Thunder Bay, ON P7E 6P6 E-mail: project-team@4LaneHighway17Kenora.ca Next steps and timeline: The ministry and consultants will review comments submitted, finalize the recommended plan, complete a preliminary design and prepare a TESR (Transportation Environmental Study Report) for a 30-day public review period. At that time, a Notice of Submission will be published in local newspapers and posted on this website to explain the review process and identify locations where the TESR can be reviewed.

The construction of Section 1 is set for the fall of 2019.

Your next opportunity for public review and comment will be when the TESR is published in February 2019. LOWDSA is already talking to MTO about the scheduling of a public session in Kenora. While the ideal timing to hold a public meeting would be in the summer, this first TESR must be held in February if we hope to see construction begin in 2019.

PROVINCIAL

Environmental Registry overview

Section #1: Between the Manitoba/Ontario Border and Highway 673 (6.5 km) Section #2: Highway 673 and Rush Bay Road (8.5 km) Section #3: Between Rush Bay Road and Highway 17A (24 km)

While the period for comments on Section 1 closed in December, it’s not too early to submit comments on Sections 2 and 3. If you have comments, suggestions or questions for the ministry and consultant, or simply want to be added to the study mailing list, contact:

The Ontario Environmental Registry contains "public notices" about environmental matters being proposed by all government ministries covered by the Environmental Bill of Rights. The public notices may contain information about proposed new laws, regulations, policies and programs or about proposals to change or eliminate existing ones.

Each notice tells you where you can find the details about the proposals, how and where you can send your comments and the deadline for having your comments considered.

When final decisions are made, you will able to see how many and what kind of comments were made, as well as the impact, if any, the comments had on the decision. Details as to whether and how you can appeal and challenge the decision will also be posted.

L.O.W. AREA NEWS

EARLY SPRING 2019

LOWDSA 15

The search function on the website allows you to find out about proposals that affect your community and to create personalized search requests to help you track the progress of specific environmental proposals.

There is an overwhelming amount of information on the Environmental Registry with 153 notices open for comments and 2,640 notices posted in early January. With that much information to sift through, the time required would be crippling and it would be pretty easy for us to miss a notice of interest to LOWDSA members. We want to make sure that does not happen, and we’re working with MNRF staff to come with an approach that will keep us in the loop for relevant information without having to filter through a couple hundred notices every month.

Interested in checking out the Environmental Registry and having a look around? Go to ebr.gov.on.ca/ERS-WEB-External/

Boat launches, landings, rollers, lifts, marine railways... What do you use?

Given concerns voiced by members about Thatcher Landing (page 26) and the Turtle Portage Marine Railway (in the Winter 2018 issue), we are interested in learning more about docks, landings, and/or boat transfer systems used by our members.

There are private and public ones; well maintained ones and others not so much; and those maintained by small associations and groups of volunteers and those maintained by businesses.

We would like to know something about as many of them as possible, and we are hoping you will reach out and tell us about where and how you get your boat in the lake or from one lake to another. Tell us a bit how it is operated, maintained, funded and who uses it. Aside getting a better understanding of what is out there, you might have a great idea that works for your lake neighbourhood that we could share with others (with your permission of course).

Tell us about what you use on your lake. Contact us at info@lowdsa.com, editor@areanewsmagazine.ca or 807-543-4287.

MNRF plan to control spread of jack pine budworm awaiting final approval

Proposed Made-in-Ontario Environment Plan now closed for comments; review and finalization pending Ontario's proposed Madein-Ontario Environment Plan was posted online and opened for public comment for 60 days until Jan. 28, 2019.

All comments submitted are to be considered during the finalization and implementation of the plan.

The proposed Environment Plan aims to address four key environmental challenges facing Ontario: protecting our air, lakes and rivers; addressing climate change; reducing litter and waste in our communities and keeping our land and soil clean; and conserving land and greenspace.

To have a look at the proposed plan, presently under review go to prod-environmental-registry.s3.amazonaws.com/2018-11/ EnvironmentPlan.pdf

Jack pine budworm is not welcome in our forests, but has infected several areas of forest in the region this past year. The 100,187 hectares infected in the region last year took a huge jump to 627,455 hectares this year. Based on the rate of spread a detailed plan for action (looking at all alternatives) was developed. The plan is in draft stage, awaiting final approval with no updates available in time to include here.

Jack pine budworm can kill or severely damage jack pine trees. Trees 40 years and older are particularly susceptible. If infestation lasts for 3 years, even young ones will die. MNRF is taking steps to try and stop the spread to other areas and if they do spread, stop it early.

Aside from the potential damage to our forests (and their beauty), one major concern is the dead trees are super fuel that are vulnerable to lightning fires. ontario.ca/page/jack-pine-budworm

Access to MNRF forest management planning process To keep informed: Ontario Electronic Forest Management Plans (eFMP): efmp.lrc.gov.on.ca/eFMP/home.do To get involved: 2018 Handbook for Getting Involved in Forest Management on Crown Lands in Ontario files.ontario.ca/ involvement_handbook_final_english A guide prepared by MNRF staff "Useful tips on navigating the eFMP (electronic forest management plan) website" is available by contacting LOWDSA info@lowdsa.com or (807) 468-8715.

L.O.W. AREA NEWS

EARLY SPRING 2019

16 LOWDSA MUNICIPAL

Proposed Expansion of Aggregate Permit (Gravel Pit) #14871 – Ritchie Road

UPDATES PENDING We are working to stay on top of any updates on topics including highway twinning, the

The City of Kenora submitted an aggregate permit application to the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) in November 2018 for the expansion of their category 9 aggregate permit (gravel pit) located east of the Ritchie Road and north of the Wynd Road.

proposed Made-in-Ontario Environment Plan

Landowners, agencies and stakeholders in the immediate area were notified of the proposal by mail and invited to provide any comments or concerns that they may have with the proposal.

LOWDSA expanded the distribution of proposal notice by email to members we could identify as Black Sturgeon area property owners, to all LOWDSA members in an eNews bulletin and with posts on Facebook, Twitter and our website.

Updates will be shared as received on our

In response to LOWDSA's letter to MNRF requesting an extension of the period for comments, it was extended by 30 days and closed January 20, 2019. By the time you are reading this, we hope to have an update on this proposed expansion, which will be posted online as soon as it is available.

M LOWDistrictStewardshipAssoc

and the proposed expansion of aggregate permit (gravel pit) #14871, Ritchie Road.

website, Facebook page and Twitter feed:

lowdsa.com

N lowdsaLakeTime

The plan and proposal can be viewed online at lowdsa.com/articles or in person at the MNRF office in Kenora.

Provincial Land Taxes continue to rise

by Bob Stewart Property owners in unincorporated areas will again be receiving larger tax bills this year. In addition to any assessment related increases, the Provincial Land Tax rate is going up.

As part of a multi-year process to increase and standardize PLT rates, rates are increasing by $5 per $100,000 of assessed value for residential property within school zones, $40 per $100,000 in non-school areas and $32 per $100,000 for commercial properties.

The PLT, or Provincial Land Tax, helps cover the cost of a variety of services in non-municipal areas including policing, land ambulance, social housing, public health and the provincial share of local roads costs.

The province undertook a review of the service-related tax in 2013 and began a series of rate increases aimed at increasing the level of local property tax support for the services and to address disparities in rates applied to different property types in various areas.

By 2021, all residential properties will be paying $250 per $100,000 of assessed value, while commercial properties will pay $300.

Based on average assessments in this area, the higher 2019 rates represent an increase of about $20 in the total tax bills for properties within school tax zones, and $80 for those outside school tax zones.

In addition to the Provincial Land Tax, about two-thirds of the properties in the unincorporated areas of the region pay the provincial education tax, many also pay Local Roads Board and Local Service Board taxes primarily for fire protection which are included on a consolidated tax bill.

Initial tax bills are mailed in February, with amounts due set at 50 per cent of last year’s total bill, with a final tax bill mailed in June reflecting actual tax rates for the year for the various services.

PLT Rate changes

(Expressed as dollars [rounded] per $100,000 of assessment)

2019 2020 2021 Residential (School areas) Residential (Non-School) Commercial

$ 242 $ 195 $ 215

$ 247 $ 235 $ 247

$ 250 $ 250 $ 300

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L.O.W. AREA NEWS

EARLY SPRING 2019

LOWDSA 19

Lake of the Woods District Stewardship Association

Calendar year membership becomes annual membership The auto-renew option introduced this past fall has been well received with many members choosing to take advantage of the convenience. With the introduction of that new feature, we also changed the membership plan from a calendar year term to an annual one.

This will not change anything other than your membership expiry date for some of you. For those of you who renewed your membership prior to Dec. 31, 2018 (and that is over 70 per cent of you), your expiry date will remain Dec. 31.

If you have not yet renewed, we hope you will, and when you do your new membership plan will start on that date and will continue for one year from the date of your renewal. For example, if you renew Mar. 15, 2019, your new renewal date will be Mar. 15, 2020. Don’t worry; you’ll receive a reminder as your date approaches.

If you have any questions about this, please call Diane or Shelley at 807-468-8715 or email info@lowdsa.com.

Auto-renew need-to-know

• Lock in the price of membership! If the membership fee were to increase in the future, and you already have an active auto-renewing membership at that time, you will not be affected by the price change and will continue to be billed at the previous rate.

• If you wish to set your membership for auto-renew, you can only activate it when you renew your membership online. It is not something that we can activate for you.

a new year a new name and new contact info for your association Although you may be aware of some of the changes in our email addresses, website addresses and other digital links, we wanted to be sure that you had the full list in one handy location. Our phone numbers and mailing address remain unchanged, but we have included them here as well.

Diane Schwartz-Williams, Executive Director diane@lowdsa.com 807-543-4287 Shelley Bujold, Assistant Executive Director shelley@lowdsa.com 807-468-8715 General inquiries info@lowdsa.com (807) 468-8715 Toll-Free: 1-888-265-9784

lowdsa.com N @lowdsaLakeTime M LOWDistrictStewardshipAssoc

• We will send you a reminder email of when your plan will be automatically renewed a few weeks prior to the scheduled billing date and then again one week prior to the scheduled billing date.

Lake of the Woods District Stewardship Association Box 1160 Kenora, ON P0X 1C0

• You will also receive a confirmation email that your renewal was successful.

Thanks to electronic wizardry, a search for the website using LOWDPOA rather LOWDSA (acronym or full name) or an email to our old email addresses will default and be forwarded to the new domain.

• If you wish to change the credit card number associated with your auto renew, that is something that we must edit for you, and that is as simple as a phone call.

• If for some reason your auto-renew transaction is not successful, you will receive an email notification, as will we. You can then go online to renew and reset your membership to auto renew or contact us directly if you prefer to handle your renewal another way.

• You can deactivate the setting for auto renew at any time—and that is something we can do for you upon request.

If you have renewed your membership already, thank you! Remember there is still time to give the gift of membership or order seedlings.

There are four ways you can renew your membership, order seedlings or purchase gift memberships; choose what works best for you—online, by mail, email or phone.

lowdsa.com • PO Box 1160, Kenora, ON P9N 3X7 • info@lowdsa.com (807) 468-8715 • TF 1-888-265-9784

NEW

U RENEW WHEN YO

CONTACT INFORMATION

ONLINE

Name _________________________________________________________

AUTO-RENEW OPTION NOW AVAILABLE

Address _______________________________________________________

LOGIN to renew or call/email for details.

Please tell us a little about yourself for your confidential member profile.

City _______________________ State/Prov _________________________ Country _______________________ Postal/Zip ______________________ What you include here will help us better understand who our members are. This info will only be used by LOWDSA and will not be shared.

YES, email LOWDSA eNews (updates between issues of Area News) YES, send my renewal notice by email YES, email LOWDKids in the Wild notices and events

EMAIL ____________________________________________ Please do not print my name in the membership listing in the June issue of Lake of the Woods Area News.

Please tell us how you enjoy the Lake of the Woods area. Check all that apply: Owned my own property in the Lake of the Woods area for ________ years.

Part owner of a shared/family property for ________ years.

Not a property owner; enjoyed Lake of the Woods area for ______ years as a  camper  sailor  renter  other: ______________________ When are you at the lake?  Summer Only  Permanent  Part-time year round

Home Phone ____________________________ Cottage Phone ___________________________ Mobile Phone ___________________________ Please indicate where you cottage or you spend most of your time in the Lake of the Woods area (please select one only): Clearwater Bay area Kenora area Minaki area Morson area Sioux Narrows-Nestor Falls area Other_________________________________ What location would you like included with your name in the membership listing published annually in Area News? ___________________________________________

Your Age Range (check one):  under 21  21-30  31-40  41-60  61-70  over 70

2019 MEMBERSHIP

WHITE PINE SEEDLINGS

Full Membership (Magazine Mailed) One Year Two Year

$50 $ ________ $100 $ ________

Virtual Membership (Digital Magazine) One Year Two Year

$42 $ ________ $84 $ ________

Seedlings (see right) $ ________ Gift membership (see right) $ ________ Donation Environmental Initiatives & Special Projects Fund $ ________ I will not be renewing my membership because: ____________________________________________

TOTAL AMOUNT DUE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . $ ________

Our members planted 10,000 seedlings in 2018 and over 300,000 since this program was launched.

15 seedlings per bundle: # of bundles ____ @ $10 each

$ ________

 Pick-up location (Sat., May 18: 10 am - 12 pm) Clearwater Bay (Firehall) Kenora (The Blue Heron) Minaki (Minaki Marina) Laclu (PUFF Fire Hall) Morson (Location TBA) Nestor Falls (Location TBA) Sioux Narrows (SN Gov’t Dock) Storm Bay Rd. (Firehall)

GIFT MEMBERSHIP Full Membership ($50 ea.)

Virtual Membership ($42 ea.)

Name ______________________________________

PAYMENT OPTIONS

Address ____________________________________

Online: LOGIN at lowdsa.com to renew.

City ______________________ State/Prov. ______

By Cheque: Please make payable to LOWDSA.

Country _______________ Postal/Zip __________

 Visa

Email ______________________________________

 Mastercard

Amount $ ________(Cdn.)

Card # _____________________________________________ Expiry date (mm/yy) ______ / ______

CVC (3 or 4 digits on back of card ) ______ (REQUIRED)

Name on card _____________________________________________

Phone _____________________________________ Please send recipient a gift card with message: _________________________________________ _________________________________________

Mail completed form to Box 1160, Kenora, Ontario, P9N 3X7 or scan and email completed form to shelley@lowdsa.com.

Questions? (807) 468-8715 or 1-888-265-9784

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Contact us today to discuss the advantages of working with Century 21 Northern Choice Realty Ltd.

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TOOLES ISLAND, LOTW $699,900

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MOORE BAY, LOTW $289,900

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LEISURE ISLAND, LOTW $159,900

HARBOUR ISLAND, MINAKI $129,900

LONG BAY CAMP $699,000

STORM BAY, LOTW $695,000

ANDREW BAY, LOTW $399,900

Lake of the Woods, Kenora

Watch for my new website coming this spring!

w w w. k e n o r a c o t t a g e c o u n t r y. c o m

O F C W

807-468-3747 807-468-8977 807-468-1167 donnybooth.com

donny.booth@century21.ca

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807-466-8266

greg.kirby@century21.ca

L.O.W. AREA NEWS

EARLY SPRING 2019

22 LOWDSA

Digital Editions FREE r ou with y SA LOWDrship e memb

Read Area News wherever you are!

Access this issue with LIVE WEBLINKS as well as all previous issues since 2016.

Visit lowdsa.com

Can't log in? Contact LOWDSA at (807) 468-8715 or 1-888-265-9784

Login Online!

Sign up for eNews Keep up to date on LOWDSA news & events There’s always plenty going on with your association and sometimes getting updates and info out to you in a timely manner does not fit into our Area News publishing schedule. That’s where LOWDSA’s eNews fills the gap. Our eNews is sent periodically (but not too often) and includes breaking news that may be time sensitive, important reminders, event updates, and useful links.

To sign up for eNews: • Email shelley@lowdsa.com

• Call 807-468-8715 or 1-888-265-9784 • Login & update your online profile at lowdsa.com

LOWDSA WEBSITE UPDATES We are continually updating our website with great resources. Access links to resources such as Boating Safety, Nature Conservancy of Canada, Rainy Lake of the Woods Watershed and much more.

lowdsa.com

@lowdsaLakeTime

We always enjoy your phone calls, emails and letters; and now our member online community gives you one more way to stay informed, up-to-date and: • • • • • •

Access your member profile Renew your membership Register for events Order seedlings Purchase a gift membership Read Area News anywhere

Prefer to try it on your own?

• • • •

Go to lowdsa.com Click on login Enter your email and click on ‘forgot password’ Check your inbox and you’ll be on your way.

Contact us: • • • •

If your email address is not recognized If you're unsure about the process To ensure we have your current email address If you need assistance to get started

Shelley Bujold, shelley@lowdsa.com (807) 468-8715 | 1-888-265-9784

LOWDistrictStewardshipAssoc

L.O.W. AREA NEWS

EARLY SPRING 2019

LOWDSA 23

SUMMER EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES OFAH INVADING SPECIES AWARENESS PROGRAM POSITION: Environmental Stewardship Technicians (2)

POSITION: Invasive Species Community Outreach Liaison (1)

LOCATION: Kenora, Ontario

LOCATION: Kenora, Ontario

DURATION: June 17 - August 24, 2019

DURATION: Late June for 8-10 weeks, dependent on funding

DESCRIPTION: LakeSmart is an environmental outreach program managed by LOWDSA during summer (2019).

LakeSmart assists the Association delivery on its environmental education mandate and to raise the profile of LOWDSA.

DESCRIPTION: LOWDSA partners with OFAH (Ontario Federation of Anglers & Hunters) in delivery of their Invading Species Awareness Program. This program assists the Association in meeting its environmental education mandate and to raise the profile of LOWDSA.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES: • Act as LOWDSA ambassadors • Conduct visits by boat (supplied) to waterfront residents to share information about sustainable shoreline living • Conduct presentations to various community and cottager organizations • Prepare reports about property visits and information shared EDUCATION AND QUALIFICATIONS: Education in job-related program and/or work experience in a related field REQUIRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE: • Strong organizational and people skills and the ability to work independently • Knowledge of issues surrounding shoreline health • Excellent written and oral communication skills; e.g. public speaking, contributing articles to newspapers/newsletters/magazines • Familiar with computer and database management • Familiar with the Lake of the Woods region including strong navigation skills • Capability in using marine equipment safely and according to legislation • Able to work flexible hours including weekends OTHER REQUIREMENTS: • Valid driver’s license • Valid Pleasure Craft Operators Card • CPR/Standard First Aid Certificate would be an asset

Applicants must have acess to a vehicle for the duration of the position. Must be between the ages of 15 and 30 as per the requirements of Canada's Summer Jobs program.

Please forward a resume and cover letter for either position(s) by April 5, 2019.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES: • Liaison with community groups and resource professionals to assist in the development of invading species awareness initiatives • Attend and provide support to community events, such as fishing derbies or community fairs • Conduct presentations to various community organizations • Coordinate community groups in stewardship/monitoring activities • Develop educational materials on invasive species/contribute articles to local newspapers/newsletters.

EDUCATION AND QUALIFICATIONS: Education in job-related program and/or work experience in a related field (e.g., biology, environmental science, resource management).

REQUIRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE: • Knowledge of invasive species affecting local environments • Plant, fish and invertebrate identification skills • Knowledge and skills relating to monitoring local waters and natural areas for invasive species • Experience networking with resource professionals/agencies and engaging volunteers/public in invading species awareness and stewardship projects • Excellent written and oral communication skills, including experience conveying information to the public (e.g. presentations to community/contributing articles to newspapers/newsletters) • Familiar with computer and database management skills (MS Office, MS Outlook, Internet) • Knowledge of the principles of field work, such as accurate data recording, use of technical equipment, record keeping • Able to work flexible hours and perform occasional field work • Strong organizational skills and the ability to work effectively with minimal supervision • Valid G driver’s license • Pleasure Craft Operators Card & valid police reference check Mail to: Lake of the Woods District Stewardship Association PO Box 1160, Kenora, ON P9N 3X7 E-mail: info@lowdsa.com

L.O.W. AREA NEWS

EARLY SPRING 2019

24 In the District

Getting to know them: groups who serve and protect your lake interests This is the first of a regular series we will run introducing you to rural groups—associations, road boards, rural fire departments (whether they be highly organized or ad hoc)—that serve seasonal and permanent lake residents.

Meet DoKURA

District of Kenora Unincorporated Areas Ratepayers Association (DoKURA) is an Ontario non-profit corporation, formed in 1996, to represent the interests of over 35,000 permanent and seasonal residents, and ratepayers, who reside outside the organized municipalities in the unincorporated territories within the District of Kenora.

It is operated by a volunteer board of directors of which half are selected each year, for a term of two years. The directors come from one of four electoral wards, established by the Province of Ontario, namely The Lake of the Woods North; The Lake of the Woods South; Oxdrift; and Lac Seul.

The Lake of the Woods North takes in the area north of the Trans Canada Highway, from the Manitoba border through to approximately Gordon Lake on the east. The Lake of the Woods South has the same east and west boundaries, and applies to the territory south of the Trans Canada Highway. The Oxdrift Ward encompasses the area east from Gordon Lake to approximately Ignace and north to around Ear Falls; while the Lac Seul ward takes in the territory north from approximately Ear Falls, primarily the area around Red Lake.

program extended to include the area’s many local roads boards.

They have made presentations to the province with respect to the changes that have taken place to the provincial land tax system.

Their most recent undertaking was the conducting of the election, last October, for the election of the four representatives who sit on the Kenora District Services Board.

This undertaking was conducted using funds received under contract, indirectly, from the Province of Ontario. This election saw DoKURA first canvas the district looking for individuals who would let their name stand for one of the four seats, and then conducted the actual vote, with polling stations located throughout the areas where the seats were contested.

DoKURA operates entirely on the backs of those who serve as volunteer directors. Yes, they have a small bank account funded by generous donations from the property owners within the district. Unfortunately their revenue provides no where near the funding required to cover all the activities their directors would like to be able to deal with to make sure the interests of the property owners of the unincorporated areas of the district are properly represented.

Several of the elected directors that make up DoKURA’s board sit on several district wide boards including the Kenora District Services Board (KDSB). KDSB administers four services across the Kenora district, including Ontario Works; childcare, social housing and all land ambulance services across the district— including those located within the towns and cities in the district. In addition to the KDSB board, DoKURA directors sit on other organizations such as “Common Voice North West”—which promotes common interests for the region. DoKURA was most recently invited to place a representative on the All Nations Health Partners board, which advocates for improvements to health services in the Kenora area.

For more information about DoKURA, readers can contact them by email at DOKURAORG@hotmail.com or by regular mail at Box 1245, Keewatin, ON P0X 1C0.

While the Kenora District Services Board is a key area of work for DoKURA, it speaks for unincorporated area residents in many other forums and on many issues. Representatives attend various municipal level conferences, such as those hosted by the Kenora District Municipal Association; the Northwest Ontario Municipal Association and the annual conference of the Association of Ontario Municipalities, usually held in Ottawa.

Mark Sobchuk, Lac Seul

DoKURA has, and continues to take an active role in both provincial and federal policy reviews that effect local residents.

They were instrumental in getting the Federal Gas Tax rebate

2019 Board of Directors: President - Jack McKenzie, Lake of the Woods South Vice President - Gord Dingman, Lac Seul Treasurer - Irene Kember, Lake of the Woods South Secretary - Bob Stewart, Lake of the Woods South Bill Deschamps, Lac Seul Barry Baltessen, Lake of the Woods North Ed Murray, Oxdrift Laurie Huffman, Oxdrift

L.O.W. AREA NEWS

EARLY SPRING 2019

In the District 25

Groups—Organized or Ad Hoc—We want to know you LOWDSA wants to build a comprehensive list of associations and other groups, official or ad hoc, in the Lake of the Woods district. We have the beginning of a good list of organizations including cottager associations, road boards, fire teams, and others, but we know we are missing even more.

We are asking these groups to contact us to ensure they are on our list and to provide the relevant information: the name of an organization, its main focus, area of concern and/or service provided, catchment area, some contact information and any other information they would like to provide.

With this information, we can include organizations in the distribution of relevant notices or requests for input that we may otherwise miss.

With your permission, we can share this information with our members who may be unaware of organizations directly relevant to them, and we’re looking at creating an online directory. Knowing who is in your area we will be able to go straight to the source to obtain answers to questions we receive from members.

LOWDSA draws it members from a very large area, extending from Morson at the south end of Lake of the Woods to the Minaki area on the Winnipeg River and from the Manitoba border east to the Longbow Lake/ Dogtooth Lake area, covering an area of approximately 5,500 sq. km.

The area is as diverse as it is large, encompassing three municipalities, several unincorporated townships and a myriad of organizations. We need your help to connect with this vast area.

Lake level too high at freeze-up

by Jack McKenzie Well, here we are on January 17 and I have just finished a midwinter conference call meeting with the Lake of the Woods Water Control Board. This meeting was called to review current conditions and take a look at what is expected until they get together again on March 12.

When the board last met, October 10, fall conditions looked ideal heading into freeze up. The lake level was just where everyone wanted it to be for the formation of ice cover. Then everything changed. Fall rains hit and instead of continuing its downward trend, Mother Nature elected to put the lake level up, substantially. This led to the Norman Dam in Kenora having to be opened to the extent that water levels at Minaki started to rise.

Unfortunately, in spite of the increase in outflow, the lake level was not drawn down as much as everyone wanted before the formation of the ice cover.

For further information—or to share your organization’s information, call Diane Schwartz-Williams at 807-543-4287 or email info@lowdsa.com.

Yes, conditions have improved. The lake level has started to decline to where it appears the spring draw down target level (early April) will be met.

OUR LIST

This provides storage capacity to handle the spring refill from the snowmelt and normal spring rains.

Black Sturgeon Lake Property Owners Association Coney Island Rate Payers Association District of Kenora Unincorporated Areas Ratepayers Association (DoKURA) Gibi West Development Association Hay Island Cottage Association Laclu Campers Association Minaki Cottagers Association Pickerel Lake Cottagers' Association Red Pine Ridge Road / Granite Lake & Woodchuck Bay Rice Lake Road Cottage Owners Association South End Road Association (SERA) Tannis Lake Cottagers Association Trout Lake Association Washagamis Bay Cottage Association (WBCA) Zig Zag Yacht Club

Unfortunately, with the lake having frozen over at this higher, undesirable level, there is the chance that we will see more damage to docks and waterfront structures, than in normal years. The ice tends to pull dock face boards with it as it is drawn down.

The other problem caused by the high freeze up level is that in an attempt to get the water level down for spring, the outflow through the Norman Dam is approximately 25 per cent more than normal. This increase causes stronger current under the ice, which means thinner ice.

Many of the ice roads that follow a specific route in normal years, have been re-located in an attempt to avoid areas of stronger current.

So, if you are considering venturing out on the lake this winter, exercise extreme caution.

L.O.W. AREA NEWS

EARLY SPRING 2019

26 In the District

What’s happening on your lake?

If you and your lake community or association are already making plans for gatherings, activities or meetings next spring and summer, it is not too early to share those details with us. Whether it is an event you would like us to promote, something you would like us to attend or an invitation for our LakeSmart team, please let us know. We’ll be ready when you are to swing into action and talk up your event(s) in the Area News, on our website, and on Facebook and Twitter too. Contact us at info@lowdsa.com or 807-468-8715 or editor@areanewsmagazine.ca.

BSLPOA keeps Thatcher Road passable In our last issue, an article discussed Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry’s (MNRF) plan to decommission Turtle Portage marine railway. For several years now, MNRF has stopped maintaining boat transfer systems and launches, leaving these important pieces of infrastructure to fall into disrepair. Local residents, groups and associations are stepping up to fill the gap. Black Sturgeon Lake Property Owners Association is one of them.

Local Services Board, they are able to give first responders an address instead of directions and quickly call 911.

Even before the 911 system kicked in, residents have already found the signs handy, using them to identify their property for contractors or utilities like Hydro One.

Black Sturgeon Lake Property Owners Association (BSLPOA) is made up of 120 properties representing close to 500 members.

Over the years, BSLPOA has been forced to maintain Thatcher Road and boat launch through volunteer work parties and its own finances to keep it passable.

In the past five years, BSLPOA has contributed 300 volunteer hours and $4,000 to maintaining the road to keep. As well local businesses have donated gravel and a private citizen’s machinery spreading and grading gravel.

As the only public boat launch on Black Sturgeon Lake, the lake’s residents and cottagers, the public and local businesses use Thatcher Road boat launch extensively. When required, MNRF, the City of Kenora and emergency service also rely on it. In a survey conducted by BSLPOA, about 85 per cent of the responses from the membership put access to Thatcher Road landing as the number one or two concern for them.

BSLPOA has approached MNRF annually to enquire about the ministry’s planned maintenance of Thatcher Road. Upon each enquiry, the response is that there is no money in the budget to maintain Thatcher Road.

For more information about BSLPOA, visit blacksturgeonlakepoa.com or email bslpoa@gmail.com.

911 comes to Pellatt Your loved one falls, unconscious. You don’t know what’s wrong.

You call the seven- or ten-digit number listed in the phone book for an ambulance. You try to describe where you are. You are frantic and panicking. Dispatch is trying hard to follow your directions. Minutes are ticking away.

This is the reality for many in rural areas but on December 5, 2018 this changed for residents in the Pellatt United Fire Fighters (PUFF) coverage area when 911 service became a reality. Thanks to a new addressing system installed by the Pellatt Pelican Umbach Gidley (PPUG)

Robert Wares pounds in the first sign in the Pellatt Pelican Umbach Gidley area for Iris Nenadov, 220 Riverview Drive.

The implementation of 911 service has been a priority of the local services board since 2014 with a series of public meetings culminating in a vote to proceed with adding the power of emergency communications in 2015. In 2016, after receiving approval for the additional power from the Ministry of Northern Development and Mines, the board hired a contractor to do the mapping and to consult with Bell Canada. The contractor along with a group of volunteers assigned addresses and named streets. The local volunteers installed street signs, and at each address, reflective blue signs with white numbers.

Most of the signs were in place for all of the past summer, allowing the crews time to clear up errors, lost orders and other concerns.

“I’ve been hearing lots of good things about the addresses from the police and ambulance services,” PUFF fire chief Barry Bennett said.

The long time firefighters like Bennett, a firefighter for some 30 years in the area, can generally find everyone, but newer recruits rely heavily on addresses and directions from dispatch.

Constable Jason Canfield, media liaison for the Ontario Provincial Police Kenora detachment, said he knows that addresses had been very difficult to find in the Pellatt area.

“Having the numbers, especially reflective ones, has made things so much easier for us,” he said. In talking to other

L.O.W. AREA NEWS

EARLY SPRING 2019

In the District 27

responders, he said, everyone has commented about locating destinations quicker.

Craig Marek, communications for Kenora dispatch said they have no concerns, but will know more once the service is operating.

“We couldn’t have achieved our goal had it not been for the sweat equity of so many volunteers,” said Barry Baltessen, PPUG LSB chairman. “I can’t say enough about the way people in our community help out when needed.” Community volunteers spent days and weeks pounding in signs, sorting out signs, correcting discrepancies and double-checking the mapping. Through their efforts, costs were kept to a minimum.

Serving the community throughout the years, ZZYC continues to provide quality programs and events for the families of Clearwater Bay. We will be offering our regular array of programs–sailing, swimming, tennis, and summer fun (beginner and advanced). Back by popular demand for a second season, our Learn at the Lake series will provide an opportunity for community members to be educated and informed on relevant topics. Our ever-popular events will return, including our pancake brunch and family BBQ. Come enjoy a delicious meal and dance the night away at our annual dinner dance held on Saturday, July 20.

PPUG and Bell Canada has sent letters to area property owners advising them of the 911 system including a “How to use” 911 list.

Please remember that for non-emergency calls, please refer to these numbers in the phone book.

Police/OPP: 807-548-5534 Fire: 807-468-4598 Ambulance: 807-468-4598

McKenzie Clearwater Fire Station lobbies for 911 Service With Pellatt’s successful implementation of 911 service, McKenzie Clearwater Fire Station has lobbied the KeeMan Local Services Board for the same.

Dennis Wallace, the newly elected chairman of KeeMan, said the first steps toward this process have been initiated.

“Contact has been made with Bell Canada and possible 911 implementation service suppliers. In the case of Bell Canada, the body responsible for 911 in Ontario, it was made clear that there is a process of GPS mapping of property owners, development of addresses and preparation of signage and road names necessary to move ahead,” Wallace said.

He is developing cost estimates but a tender cannot be proposed until KeeMan is given the authority to proceed.

KeeMan will have a website in place in by the end of February and will be presenting their proposal to area residents in May of 2019 with a final vote in the fall.

Zig Zag Yacht Club: Celebrating the past, looking towards the future Zig Zag Yacht Club (ZZYC) turns 65 this year! It humbly began when a group of dedicated sailors on the lake decided they wanted a permanent meeting spot. A donated cottage was moved across the ice to a spot on Fisherman’s Island and the club was in business. Today ZZYC enjoys gorgeous lake views from the same vista, but in a much newer facility.

We are forever grateful to all of our volunteers, past and current whose dedication to the club is exemplary. We are finalizing our plans for activities and events to commemorate our anniversary. Please check the ZZYC website regularly for updated information.

A highlight in Zig Zag Yacht Club’s 65-year history was the opening of its new clubhouse, which was officially opened July 3, 2004, by Commodore Jim Ferguson at the Commodore’s Reception.

Mark your calendars—our season begins on the weekend of June 28-30 with lots of exciting activities! Look for our ice cream boat delivering free ice cream to docks in Clearwater Bay. Our Welcome Back Reception held from 4 p.m. on Sunday, June 30, is open to all cottagers and a great opportunity to tour the club, catch up with friends and register for all your families’ summer programs. We top off the evening with a fireworks display in Deception Bay, curated by Archangel Fireworks of Winnipeg.

Members and guests are welcome! For detailed information, please see our website at zigzagyachtclub.com.

Getting the boat on the water: What do you use? Who is maintaining it?

There are private and public ones; well maintained ones and others not so much; those maintained by small associations and groups of volunteers and those maintained by businesses.

We would like to know something about as many of them as possible, and we are hoping you will reach out and tell us about where and how you get your boat in the lake or from one lake to another. Tell us a bit how it is operated, maintained, funded and who uses it. Besides getting a better understanding of what is out there, you might have a great idea that works for your lake neighbourhood that we could share with others (with your permission of course).

Tell us what you use on your lake: contact Diane SchwartzWilliams at info@lowdsa.com or call 807-543-4287, or Elsie Neufeld, Area News editor, at editor@areanewsmagazine.ca

L.O.W. AREA NEWS

EARLY SPRING 2019

28 In the District

Kenora Winter Carnival history

by Tourism Kenora Kenora’s first Winter Carnival was held in 1945 and advertised as “The Biggest Publicity Stunt Kenora Has Ever Tried!” The three-day winter event was the cornerstone in the marketing of Kenora’s postwar winter tourism industry, with motivation being the Northwestern Ontario Outfitters’ Convention held in Kenora that February.

Magazine and newspaper writers and photographers from across Canada and the United States would attend, potentially giving Kenora more free publicity than it could ever hope to purchase. The carnival showcased Kenora as an unrivalled winter playground. The Kenora Snow Carnival Association was formed under the leadership of Judge Earle Popham. The dates were set—February 5-7 (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday)—with Mayor Holland declaring the afternoon of February 7 as a civic holiday so that everyone could enjoy the festivities. The theme was “Kenora Goes Back to Its Rat Portage Days.”

Carnival Princess in the Sleigh: These are the 1945 princesses, the first Kenora’s winter carnival princesses: Back seat, left to right, Patricia Odam (who was eventually crowned Queen), Belle Love, Doris McManus and front seat, left to right, Elizabeth Hook, Lena Zrobok, Florence Letain.

Golf Course Bay was the site of the winter sports arena. A huge skating rink was cleared on the ice, roadways were plowed and a parking lot established, a ski hill was groomed, tents were erected and a toboggan slide was built. Hockey, speed skating, tug-o-war on ice, and curling were all part of the activities on the bay. A huge ice palace was built on the Golf Course site.

It was there that many of the formalities of the Karnival—the spelling was changed to better suit “Kenora”—took place, like the crowning of the Karnival Kween. Voting was by means of ticket purchase with the princess selling the most tickets being crowned Kween. The first Kenora Karnival Kween was Pat Odam who sold a whopping 62,800 tickets, more than 12,000 more than her nearest competitor.

Festivities weren’t restricted only to Golf Course Bay, as events happened all over town. The Thistle Rink hosted figure skating

and hockey games and singers roamed the streets serenading passers-by. There were dances, log-sawing competitions, dog races, costume parties, and snow sculpture competitions. A sixtiered ice pyramid was built on the corner of Main and Second Street South. This downtown centrepiece became the focal point for many of the Karnival activities, including dog sleigh races from the Fire Hall to the pyramid; logsawing competitions; a snow moccasin dance; and skijoring with boys on bicycles towing girls on skis.

A six-tiered ice pyramid at the corner of Main

and Second Street South.

In recent years, Kenora Winter Carnival has taken place on the first weekend of March annually and has remained a three-day festival. The celebration kicks off with events and fireworks on the Friday night at the Whitecap Pavilion, followed by a community day that hosts various events around Kenora and finishes with a pancake breakfast and activities at the Kenora Recreation Centre. The theme for 2016-2018 was very similar to the theme in 1945, focusing on the history of Kenora and the logging, trading, trapping, mining and Indigenous roots of the city. Locals would proudly wear their “Kenora Dinner Jackets” and celebrate the season with log sawing, a trapper’s display, the Great Canadian Canoe Race and this past year’s Frosty Foot Race.

The 2019 Kenora Winter Carnival’s theme is Frozen Fiesta, “It’s a Party in the Snow” and will take place on March 1-3, 2019.

The Friday evening will be a Mexican themed party underneath the Whitecap, with piñatas, snacks, announcing of the snow sculpture winners and skating before the fireworks light up the sky at 6:45 p.m. Saturday will remain community day and various events and fundraisers will be held around Kenora, including Mt. Evergreen Ski hill. On Sunday, March 3, the Fiesta will conclude with a pancake breakfast, kid’s crafting, skating, swimming and outdoor activities and events at the Kenora Recreation Centre.

Updates for the 2019 Kenora Winter Carnival can be found on the Tourism Kenora Facebook and the full schedule of events for Carnival will be available at kenora.ca.

Photos courtesy of the Lake of the Woods Museum

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L.O.W. AREA NEWS

EARLY SPRING 2019

In the District 31

More free fishing weekends Common Ground:

by Bob Stewart A sharing of our stories Good news for anglers this year. Ontario's current licence-free fishing periods—Family Day weekend (Feb 9-11) and Family Fishing week (June 29-July 7)—have been expanded to include Mother’s Day weekend (May 11-12) and Father’s Day weekend (June 15-16).

The licence free-fishing periods apply to all Canadian residents.

In addition, beginning this year the government has extended licence-free fishing to active duty Canadian military personnel and veterans residing in Ontario. Fishing continues to be licencefree for Canadian seniors 65 and older, and youth 17 and younger.

Government issued identification to verify you qualify must be carried with you to take advantage of the various licence-free fishing opportunities.

The government has also cancelled plans for a general licence fee increase this year and is removing a $2 service fee that had been charged for licence and outdoor cards issuing.

“We’re making it easier for Ontarians to get out on the water and enjoy the great outdoors by keeping licences more affordable,” said John Yakabuski, Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry.

For those looking to try angling for the first time, the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters, in conjunction with Ontario Power Generation, operates a program called Tackleshare, which provides the free use of fishing gear through 140 loan sites across the province. In this area contact Rushing River Provincial Park (807-548-4649) and the Kenora Public Library (807-467-2081) to make arrangements to borrow equipment.

Copies of Ontario’s recreational fishing regulations, which outline licence details, fishing zones and rules and restrictions are available online at ontario.ca or at licence issuers.

by Lori Nelson Common Ground: A Sharing of Our Stories, a day-long storytelling event, returns for its 14th year. Hosted by a group of Kenora residents who have a passion for our area and the stories that define it, the event provides an opportunity for storytellers to share the stories of their life and interests on Lake of the Woods. This year’s event will be held on Saturday, April 6, at the Seven Generations Event Centre in Kenora.

Over the past 13 years, those in attendance have been enlightened by such stories as: Shipwrecks on Lake of the Woods, The History of TryLight Theatre Company; Building a Birch Bark Canoe, and Marrying into a Commercial Fishing Family. As well, there have been stories of early residents, businesses, and how people throughout the years have utilized our abundance of natural resources to promote our area and preserve the cultural diversity for which we are known.

This year’s Common Ground will include a story of Ball Lake Lodge, known at one time as the “Hollywood of the North”; an immigrant story of the Leydier family who made their way to Rat Portage from France in 1895; excerpts from a war veteran’s diary; a tale of how a job at the Machin's Gold Point Camp on Shoal Lake was the beginning of a lifetime passion for the lake; and more.

Tickets are $30 (cash or cheque only, payable to: Common Ground) and will be available at the Kenora Public Libraries and the Lake of the Woods Museum by March 6, 2019.

Admission includes a full day of storytelling, lunch and coffee breaks. For details, or to make ticket arrangements, please contact Lori Nelson at (807) 467-2202 or lnelson@kmts.ca.

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SMITH

32

by Al Smith, edited by Susan McLeod from his original presentation at 2015 Common Ground

In 1969 Al’s parents bought a 70-acre property on Heenan Point on Lake of the Woods with a dream of building a tourist camp. Since then they, and now Al and his family, have owned and operated Smith Camps.

My dad, Ken Smith, a pharmacist from Bloomington, Illinois always had a love for hunting and fishing and often travelled to northwestern Ontario, satisfying his passion for the outdoors.

Ken was lucky to find a girl who also loved the outdoors and in 1958 my parents, Ken and Nancy Smith, spent their honeymoon at Eisentraut’s Camp on Pine Portage Bay. This quickly became their favourite vacation spot and for years they stayed a couple of weeks each summer. When Doc Eisentraut decided to sell the camp, Mac and Laurel Ormiston of Kenora bought the business.

Our families became friends, spending many happy summers together at Ormiston Lodge.

Young Bruce Ormiston (now a lawyer in Kenora) was a guide on the launch and I joined him when I could. He taught me to troll Little Joe and Prescott spinners for walleye and pike, how to fillet fish, cook a shore lunch, and get everyone home safely at the end of the day.

These were great family vacations. My brother, Eric, and I were on frog patrol and fuelled with Laurel’s peanut butter sandwiches, catching the big leopard frogs was a huge thrill. I remember one day when the men were out fishing and a pack of kids stayed back at the camp. We were playing on the beach and noticed it was full of one-inch baby perch. Someone called them pinheads. We caught a few and decided to go fishing off a big floating raft at the end of the dock. The crappies went crazy and the next day we kept three dads busy in the fish house cleaning fish—we’d caught around 200!

Dad had such a love for the area that he decided to sell his share of the Smith Rexall Drug Store in Bloomington and either buy a tourist camp or follow his true dream, to build a tourist camp. He followed his dream against some huge odds.

CAMPS 33

a dream realized

In 1968, before buying what would become Smith Camps, Dad ended up with a crushed pelvis and broken leg in a freak plane crash while taking a Piper PA12 for a test flight. It took months of traction and almost a year of rehab before he was able to walk properly again. It was a struggle, but Dad had a vision—so even after the accident, he pursued his dream to build a tourist camp in the Canadian wilderness he loved.

At this time, Mac Ormiston was considering selling Ormiston Lodge and Dad was thinking about buying it. Dad also heard that Leonard Whiting was trying to sell Heenan Point (called Needle Point by the locals). The price for the 70-acre undeveloped parcel of land was $25,000—a lot of money in those days.

We were familiar with the property; we used to troll there for what we called walleye and the locals called pickerel, which was funny to us because in the U.S. a pickerel was a little, warmwater pike. We learned the Canadian name for pike was “a damn jackfish”. After fishing, we would go to a cool little beach on the east side of the point for lunch and a swim. Well, that cool little beach just happened to be located on the Heenan Point property my parents bought in 1969, and there ended the annual summer family vacations on Lake of the Woods. Now it was work!

First things first, starting with putting in the road, then septic field, main lodge and cabins. Nick Serduletz won the road contract and during Christmas of 1970 Nick called to say, “Merry Christmas! Your road is complete.”

At that time the Ontario Ministry of Transportation didn’t maintain any of the side roads off Storm Bay Road, so it was a challenge just to keep ours in decent shape.

Every time we had a big blow we’d make a run with the chainsaws to clear fallen trees, and we had to handle all the snow plowing in the winter. I cannot count how many vehicles we pulled out of the ditch—and still do! In 1982 the residents formed a road association to upgrade it to Ontario standards, so the province would handle ongoing maintenance. Looking back, it was not much more than a goat trail before they took over.

Construction on the Camp site began while the road was being built. The first dock was built with materials hauled in

by Dad’s 20-ft. AlumaCraft Yukon with only a 20-h.p. motor.

Next came the motor house to store all related boating equipment and include a small fish cleaning room. This old building, with a couple of additions over the years, is still in

All photos courtesy of Smith Camps

use—a busy place in fishing season! Finally, we were ready to start on the lodge and septic field. I recall the field cost $29,000—$4,000 more than the whole property!

During construction of the first guest cabins, the contractor was fired for breach of contract, but luckily Dad was able to hire Ernie Whiting to finish the cabins. Ernie met the deadline and the next five cottages were ready in time for the first guests.

Ken Smith promotes Smith Camps at the Milwaukee Sport Show in 1974.

Nancy Smith catches dinner on Lake of the Woods.

Eric, Al and Ken Smith pose for a photo to mark a great day on the lake.

The early years were spent figuring out how to build a tourist camp out of raw Canadian bush, and then how to operate it successfully. We used to attend the main sport shows; Milwaukee, Chicago, Minneapolis and Rock Island and many long-time customers came from these shows. I remember a time in Milwaukee when we left the booth for lunch. Upon returning there was an inquiry about the Camp. It read, “Dear Sir: I would like more information about your beautiful camp.

Please give me a call at your convenience. Yours truly, R. Sole.”

Well, there was no phone number so Dad and I headed off to check the Milwaukee phone book. After a few minutes he said, “There’s no ‘R. Sole’ in the book”. Then the lightbulb came on. We got back to our booth and, surprise, there were two ‘R Soles’ laughing their heads off; Jim Adams from Portage Lodge and Dick Simpson from Fletcher Lake—45 years later and we are still laughing at their joke.

At the age of twelve, I had my first trip as a ‘real’ guide. We saw all kinds of scenery on our travels. I only wished we went faster when going by one particular point in the Hades. The owners were often skinny-dipping and, when we’d go by, they would get out of the water, stand on the rock named Hades Gate, face us and wave. Passing French Narrows Camp in mid1970s, the lawn keeper (we nicknamed her Lady Godiva) was a big, tall, quite attractive, blonde lady who did her grass cutting and yard chores in the nude. She was not shy and would happily wave to the fishermen going by—all great excitement for a lad of 12.

Making Smith Camps Home Our family settled into the community over the years and in 1973 became landed immigrants of Canada, moving here permanently. I was in grade 9 at Beaver Brae Secondary School and Eric was in grade 6 at King George School. Mom and Dad became friends with other tourist operators, and were active members of the District Camp Owners Association. We missed our family and friends from Bloomington, but life was busy here and time flew by.

Tragedy Struck

Standing: Reid, Kim, Mac, Eric, Bob, Nancy, Al, Joanie, Karen (holding Daisy), Johnny. Kneeling: Ethan with Callie.

One evening in August 1976, Dad took a break from building the west dock, and while up in the lodge a helpful guest laid some dock boards down, but didn’t nail them, or tell Dad what he had done. When Dad came back down, he stepped on a loose board and took a bad fall that put him in the hospital when camp was full of guests. I had taken a summer job at Nethercutt Lodge, in Portage Bay—an amazing experience—but after learning that Dad had injured his hip again, I had to leave to come home and help Mom and Eric run the camp.

Dad got out of the hospital and came home, but never seemed to be able to manage his pain. I believe the prescribed pain

medication led to a depression that was not understood by the doctors back then, and ultimately led to his taking his own life—his way to put an end to the intolerable pain. Mom, Eric and I were on our own. While it was a struggle, for many reasons, there was never any talk of giving up.

It's all about the people Fred Clark, owner of Clark Aviation at the Bloomington Airport where Dad parked his Cessna 180 N4665A, was the first guest in Cabin 1 in 1971. That same year Kenwhitie’s Camp in Clearwater Bay closed and three families who vacationed together there needed to find a new place to stay. The Drommers from Sioux City, Iowa, the Hills and Youngs from Kansas heard of our new camp, but when they came to check us out realized we didn’t have enough room for their group. Mom and Dad showed them plans for the proposed new cabins and Dad said that if they gave him deposits, based on the cabin plans, he guaranteed they would be completed when they arrived the next summer.

The group arrived in July 1972 to check into the newly-built cabins and just kept coming back. The Drommer family has not missed a single year. The Youngs missed a few years, but we are happy to have them back since 2012. The Hills have not been here for many summers, but a few years ago a granddaughter, who had fond memories of Smith Camps as a child, returned with her children and stayed for a week. We are very fortunate to have so many long-time customers and lifelong relationships— too many to mention! Many of our family’s dearest friends are guests who came from around the world to visit Smith Camps.

Some of our employees have been with us so long they are like family. For 35 years, George Wiens greeted guests and called himself our number one dock boy. He stayed at camp most of the summer after he retired as a Manitoba magistrate and welcomed the boats that pulled up to our dock. George was as genuine and honest as any man can be. He is gone now, but his son Ed and his wife Rowena still spend their summers at camp.

As the years went by, we’ve grown to provide more than just fishing and hunting trips. We started serving meals to the public in 1986 and built the Old Pilots Pub in 1993. The dining room addition, begun in 2000, has allowed us to host larger groups, providing a setting on Lake of the Woods that offers such beautiful scenery and makes for wonderful memories.

We’ve hosted numerous area fundraisers, including the first annual Lake of the Woods District Hospital Foundation Dinner.

Owning a tourist camp is not a ‘job’, but a full-time lifestyle.

And like all camp owners we’ve had our share of frozen, burst pipes, cabin fires, dock destruction from high water and spring ice pile-ups, fallen trees and the never ending cycle of maintenance, maintenance and more maintenance. We don’t ‘punch a clock’, but just get it done when it needs doing… whatever ‘it’ may be. Our children were raised here as ‘camp kids’ and Nancy remains the host and matriarch of what she helped create back in the ‘60s. Today, four generations of Smiths have their family gatherings at the camp, the place where my father Ken realized his dream. AN

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Unlike other fish species, anglers focus on crappies in winter. They are always good eating and beautifully coloured, but in winter they are simply fun to catch, thanks to their schooling nature.

Crappie Fishing in Sunset Country

by Jeff Gustafson

Crappies are prolific where they exist and grow relatively fast but they are more easily exploited than any other species because they school up, especially in the winter when a large percentage of a population group together.

Like bass, crappies are not native to the Lake of the Woods area. It’s likely they were mixed in with bass when they were stocked in Lake of the Woods and surrounding waters in the 1920s and 30s. Most bass came here from Lake Erie as young fry on railway cars, which explains why most lakes in the area along the railway tracks have bass and crappies present in them today.

Established populations of crappies have existed in the Lake of the Woods watershed for decades and are fished by both local and visiting anglers.

A species of panfish, crappies average 10–12 inches (25-30 cm) in size and weigh a little over a pound (0.5 kg). Crappies over 15 inches (38 cm) are considered trophies and can weigh over two pounds (1 kg).

When it comes to actually finding crappies and catching them, anglers need to know that they are not everywhere but when you do find them you will usually have some fun. On Lake of the Woods isolated populations are located in many bays throughout the lake. The most popular areas include Blueberry Inlet, Snake Bay, Outer Bay and Sabaskong Bay.

When crappies get finicky small soft plastics will do the trick. Photo by Jay Samsal.

Whether you fish on Lake of the Woods or one of the many inland lakes across the region with a population of crappies, finding them in the winter is usually not overly difficult. Typically, crappies will school up over mud bottom in the deepest holes in the bays or lakes that they live in. This is usually 25–40 ft.

(7–12 m) of water on most lakes. While crappies will eat a minnow if they get the opportunity, their stomachs are usually full of small invertebrates that hatch out of the mud bottom.

39 Since we are catching crappies in deeper water throughout the winter, I like to use baits that will get down to the fish I see on my screen quickly.

I like small spoons the best and I tip them with a couple of scented, plastic wax worms or maggots. A small jig and live minnow will work for crappies but it’s been years since I’ve used any live bait. Finding them is the key and then they are often suckers for small artificial baits. If they are finicky and tough to catch, a small jig and tiny soft plastic will usually trick them into biting.

One final thing to remember when you are looking for crappies under the ice is that they almost always suspend at least a couple of feet above the bottom. Keep this in mind when you are hole hopping and looking for fish. There are times when they are tight to the bottom but not often.

Red is a great colour for catching crappies under the ice.

Photo by Jeff Gustafson.

When it comes to actually putting crappies on the ice, I will seldom drop my bait down the hole until I see fish on my sonar screen. Once you have an idea of where you are going to fish, the routine is usually to drill a bunch of holes and then do a quick check in each hole for crappies. If you are fishing with multiple anglers then one person can drill holes while another follows up and checks each hole for fish. Sometimes you need to drill several holes to find them but once you do its time to have some fun.

Finally, if you use a flasher or sonar when you drop your jig or spoon down the hole, always try to stop the bait a foot or so above where you see the fish. Crappies naturally look up and if you can make them swim up a little bit for your bait, it often helps trigger them to strike.

As I mentioned earlier, crappies are easy to exploit in the winter because an entire population will spend the winter together in a relatively small area. More conservative limits (it is 10 per person) introduced by Natural Resources in recent years have helped to save some populations but there have been some good areas on Lake of the Woods that have been wiped out in the past due to over fishing. If you happen upon a good spot, of course it’s fine to keep a few for dinner but leave a few for next time as well. AN

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40

Snowmobiles Embody Versatility

by Duncan McEwen

Northwestern Ontario boasts one of the biggest and best winter playgrounds around. It has millions of acres of untouched wilderness, thousands of kilometers of snowmobile trails, hundreds of kilometers of cross country ski trails, and dozens of other frozen surfaces meant for skating or playing. Many of us have recreational property on it, and use it year round.

One of the mainstays in this metaphorical playground is the snowmobile (aka: snow machine, SkiDoo). As an outdoor education teacher, as well as a fishing guide, Friends and family make the most of a I spend about as much beautiful winter day by ice fishing on Dryberry Lake. Photo: Dennis Chevalier. time in the outdoors as anyone. I own a snowmobile and use it for many different things. It is a multiuse tool for me and in this article, I want to share its many uses, as

well as reflect on its functionality and fun, and when it becomes the bad kid in the sand box.

At the time of writing this article, another nice dump of fresh snow has just fallen; every snowmobiler’s wish come true. The snowmobile serves as a fun and an exhilarating vehicle to carve up the fresh powder, riding our very well maintained Sunset Trail Riders/OFSC trails. My 17-year-old son is the proud owner of his very own snowmobile and he loves to ride! In fact, this is the second snowmobile he has owned, and it really is his number one passion. I enjoy connecting with him and riding with him since he discovered his passion. (Many parents may relate to feeling less and less connected with teenagers.) We will often work in the garage together, fixing or tweaking, creating time shared. The one downside, as some would see it, is the exhaust system he has on his snowmobile. He has put a “can” on it, which, a) reduces weight of his snowmobile for performance reasons, and b) makes it sound (insert adjective here). His adjective and your adjective might be very different.

Now, both my son and I love to do other things on our sleds that don’t necessarily disrupt the tranquillity of our lakes and forests.

We love to ice fish, which involves riding our snowmobiles to the fishing spots, with our sleigh and equipment in tow. We inevitably use it to carry our gear and us for a weekend at camp, an 11 km ride from mainland. The ability to get things out to

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camp over the ice, versus in a boat on the water is priceless. My sled has hauled many heavy items at a fraction of the effort.

I also love to cross-country ski. This is best done at Kenora Nordic and Biathlon Trails, but if I am not able to get to those trails, I often set my own track using my snowmobile. This involves towing a homemade device behind my snowmobile that carves two beautiful tracks in to the snow, allowing for better classic cross-country skiing.

This brings me to my next use of my snowmobile, hauling my eight-year-old daughter and her friends around in our sleigh, nicknamed the “Minnesota Sleigh”, circa 1950. It came from my wife’s grandparents in Minnesota, and I wouldn’t even hazard a guess at how many miles it has followed behind a snowmobile.

This sleigh is great for carrying gear out to camp, as well as people. My daughter absolutely loves riding on it!

Most years, towards the end of November, we head out by snowmobile on a dual mission as a family to gather firewood and a Christmas tree. It’s a great tool for hauling a sleigh, drag a load of wood out for our woodstove, or bringing home that perfect (or not-so-perfect) balsam fir for the living room Christmas tree.

Unfortunately, snowmobiles sometimes come with a bad rap and many of us have stories that don’t reflect snowmobiles in this

positive light. They are loud and we need to be aware of where and what time of day we are operating them. They can damage septic fields, skating rinks, and cross-country ski trails. They can be intimidating and dangerous if they come too close to people walking their dogs on the lake or trails.

For these reasons and more, we need to exercise courtesy and caution. If you are riding one, keep others in mind that may have to listen to your snowmobile, or share the same space as you.

So, whether you are sightseeing, playing, fishing, skiing, working My two boys, Oli (front) and Mason or just cruising around (back), setup for some trout fishing.

Photo: Duncan McEwen. northwestern Ontario, the snowmobile is a staple. We enjoy their various uses, but let’s play nice in the sandbox. Ride respectful; ride safe! AN

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43

Drones: A bird's eye view of legal regulations

by Raymond P. Oakes, B.A., LL.B.

If you've ever been relaxing at the cottage, enjoying the peace, quiet and privacy that your rustic refuge offers, only to be spied upon by a noisy, whirring device known as a drone, then you may be comforted by Canada's new regulations for drones that come into effect June 1, 2019.

Real estate agents, developers and professional photographers and videographers have had to amend their practises, given that these rules are more restrictive than in the United States.

Violating the rules could result in a $25,000 fine. This fine was previously only up to $3,000, and so the government has sent a strong message, especially since the penalty can also include jail time.

The Canadian regulations restrict flying drones higher than 90 meters (300 feet) above the ground, more than 500 meters (1,640 feet) away from the operator, within 75 meters (246 feet) of buildings, vehicles, vessels, animals or people. As well, no flying is permitted at night or in the clouds or within 9 kilometers (5.6 miles) from an airport. On this last point, it is noted that incidents involving drones at Canadian airports have more than tripled since 2014. The recent incident of the emergency closure of Gatwick and Heathrow airports in London, England highlights the devastating impact of drones operated improperly at airports.

Now, all pilots of drones that weigh between 250 grams and 25 kg must obtain a drone pilot certificate. There are two types of certificates—a Basic Operation Certificate or an Advanced Operations Certificate. To obtain the latter, there is an advanced exam and an in-person flight review that assesses the pilot’s ability to operate their drone safely. Drones must be registered with Transport Canada and be marked with their registration number.

Other drone operators in urban areas or close to air traffic (including harbour areas where float planes land) must have Transport Canada registration and markings, follow a set of flight rules and may need approval from any nearby air traffic control and/or obtain a Special Flight Operators Certificate (SFOC) in certain circumstances.

Such regulation is necessary as drones continue to be bought in large numbers by the public and as the footage becomes a standard for real estate sales listings.

In the United States, drones outnumber piloted aircraft.

In addition to federal regulations by Transport Canada, criminal prosecution and civil litigation have been used to address unsafe drone use. Examples include multiple injury cases such as where a drone crashed into spectators at Virginia Motorsports Park. Other cases were even more serious - a drone decapitated a teen in a Brooklyn park in 2013 and other deaths have been reported in Texas and Switzerland. Litigation will include both lawsuits for negligence and product liability cases.

The future holds even more challenges. People-carrying drones (some of which are known as Vertical Take Off and Landing Craft (VTOC)) can be autonomously controlled or piloted. Uber apparently has plans to harness VTOC taxies in urban areas.

The City of Dubai is already testing VTOC taxi operations with the German firm Volocupter's unmanned people-carrying drone, which can fly for up to 30 minutes. Canadian regulations presently do not permit living things or persons to be transported by drones.

Hopefully, Canada can chart a safe course and protect not only our safety but also that invaluable right—our privacy. AN

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Accessing Health & in the Lake of the Woods District You’re off the beaten path and need emergency services: What do you do?

Carol Paul, a cottager on Armstrong Lake in Redditt, worries about how she’d identify her property in case of an emergency. “We don’t have addresses on some of our properties,” she said. “There’s even some confusion about lot numbers!”

“So and so’s old place” isn’t good enough, according to the emergency services contacts I spoke with.

Jon Hensrud, Operations Manager, Kenora Central Ambulance & Fire Communications Centre, Anthony Sharp, Base Manager, Ornge, and Constable Jason Canfield of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) all say detailed directions and GPS coordinates are best to ensure services get to callers as quickly as possible.

Most importantly, they urge cottagers and residents to gather location information before they need it and to have it in a handy place for others who may be making the emergency call.

“These are all easy things to do ahead of time, but not when you’re stressed because you or someone with you is in need of emergency medical services,” said Sharp.

What you’ll need to provide:

Above: Anthony Sharp, Base Manager, Kenora Safety, Engagement, and Standardization. Below: Jon Hensrud, Kenora Central Ambulance and Fire Communications Centre.

• City/town/municipality • Exact address: civic address, closest major intersection, fire road number, physical description (lake, island, etc.) and possibly, detailed directions • Apartment number and access code, if applicable • Phone number and area • For paramedic response: caller will be asked a series of questions to determine the urgency or priority of the call • For Fire Service: Call taker will need to know the nature of the call—smoke, flames, alarms, hazards (gas leak, carbon monoxide, etc.)

Canfield added that providing the 911 sign number (those little blue signs on most rural lots) can help OPP spot the location faster once they are in the area.

How to find your GPS location • If you have an iPhone, open the compass app and the coordinates will be displayed at the bottom of the page as long as you have location services turned on.

• GPS on your boat displays your location on the map screen.

• If you have neither, go to Google Earth, hit the search icon and enter your address. Your coordinates should appear in the bottom right corner of the screen (Note: you need to have the Google Chrome browser installed).

45

Emergency Services Article & photos by Leanne Fournier

Who to call?

Healthcare tips for non-residents

911 is the universal number used in Canada and the U.S. by police, fire and paramedic services but it is NOT available for all customers in the region. Find this out in advance. Direct access is available as follows:

As you arrive for the season and settle into cottage life, the last thing you want to think about is heading home because of a medical emergency. You can plan ahead by having up-todate prescriptions to tide you through and travel insurance for unforeseen emergencies, but what about those misadventures you didn’t plan for?

Community

Ambulance

Fire

Clearwater Bay

468-3111

547-2400

Minaki

468-3111

224-1100

Pickle Lake

928-2255

928-2255

McKenzie Portage

468-3111

547-2400

Toll-Free Province Wide For non-emergency police services call the 24-hour toll free number 1-888-310-1122.

Cell phone users who dial 911 will be directed to the nearest communications centre. Hensrud said that you should also be confident that you’ll have cell service in times of emergency. If not, you should have a backup plan such as a landline.

Will they come?

Hensrud said that the goal is always to do whatever they can to help, drawing on the appropriate emergency services. Routine ground ambulance or fire service is pretty straightforward as long as good location information is provided. Remote areas can be more challenging.

“When a call is received, if it meets air ambulance requirements, we call the Ornge Operations Control Centre,” Hensrud said.

They in turn call the base at the airport and the captain will then perform a weather check to determine if it is safe to fly.

If air travel is out, other options will be considered. Paramedics are not permitted to jump into a cottage owner's boat for transport to an emergency. In these cases, OPP or Search and Rescue would be dispatched. Same with ambulance service on ice roads that aren’t certified by the Ministry of Transportation.

All of these factors are considered when the call is placed and decisions are made based on the information that’s provided, said Hensrud.

Canfield said that OPP can get pretty much anywhere, using the Kenora Marine and Trails Unit, which has a fleet of boats, ATV’s and snowmobiles. They also have access to the MNRF helicopter to help in searches.

More information for fire and ambulance dispatch services is available at kenoracacc.ca. For Kenora area Police Services, including local contact information, visit: kenora.ca/living/ emergency-services-and-preparedness/police/

Chantal Tycholiz, RN BScN, Unit Chantal Tycholiz, RN BScN, Unit Manager, Emergency, at the Lake Manager, Emergency, at the Lake of the Woods District Hospital of the Woods District Hospital (LWDH), is often on the front line of LWDH Emergency Services when cottagers come in with health concerns.

“We hate to turn anybody away,” she said. But the fact is, the wait can be long and, if not truly urgent, may not be in the best interest of the patient. “For continuity of care, it’s always best to wait to see your primary care provider if possible,” she explained.

Getting the most out of ER If you do have to visit the ER, once admitted, you’ll be assessed by a triage nurse using the Canadian Triage Acuity Scale.

“This is a standard assessment tool that determines a patient’s level of acuity—which is pretty much a timeframe of how long they can safely wait to see a physician,” said Tycholiz. Patients are then seen according to the level of acuteness that’s been established—a one is a seriously acute patient that may require immediate attention including resuscitation, while a patient assessed as a five may be a minor complaint but still needs to see a doctor or other health care provider.

It’s essential to have the following information readily available for admissions, or if you need to be transferred due to a trauma for which services are not available locally: • Lists of medications currently taking • Your health card—you will otherwise be required to pay a registration fee. Have travel insurance if from Quebec or outside of Canada as fees will need to be paid.

• Emergency Contact information—next of kin, who you would like contacted in an emergency “The goal is to see everyone who truly requires emergency care,” said Tycholiz. With our population tripling for the peak tourist season, this means staffing up for the anticipated “surge.”

46

Tips for non-urgent health care needs

New leader: New vision for LWDH

Tycholiz said many people show up at LWDH ER for things like prescription refills and regular blood work when there are other options available. She offers these tips:

Ray Racette, MHA, CHE, the new President and CEO at the Lake of the Woods District Hospital (LWDH), already had an appreciation for the area when he took on his new role.

• Have your prescriptions filled for the period of time you’ll be away from home.

• For regular blood work, get your primary care provider to fill out the necessary requisitions before you leave home. You can then go to LifeLabs in the Patterson Centre—bypassing ER all together.

Contact Good Doctors at 1-888-818-3254 to discuss your symptoms with a triage nurse who will assess if your concern falls under their scope of practice. Some of the non-urgent health concerns that can be handled include urinary tract infections, strep, poison ivy, skin conditions, eye infections, prescription refills, blood pressure, and lab requisitions.

Book (or schedule) a same day or next day (Monday to Friday) telemedicine video appointment at the Medicine Shoppe Pharmacy, 700 Lakeview Drive.

Call Telehealth Ontario Toll-Free 1-866-797-0000 (TTY 1-866797-0007) for free, confidential health advice or information.

A Registered Nurse will take your call 24 hours a day, seven days a week. More information is available at ontario.ca.

“For seasonal residents, becoming more aware of some of the things they can do to help reduce stress on emergency services is definitely a positive step,” Tycholiz said.

Time spent vacationing and visiting family in Sioux Narrows and Rainy River gave him an understanding of the broad community that LWDH serves. This will be an integral part of planning for the new All Nations Hospital, scheduled to begin in 2019.

“We’ll be reaching out across the entire district for meaningful engagement with First Nations communities, local communities, and key service partners,” Racette said. This will also include extensive consultation and planning with hospital and medical staff.

LWDH’s new president and CEO, Ray Racette.

“We’ll be successful because we’re working together.”

He brings to the project his experience in the planning of new hospitals in Yellowknife, NT, The Boundary Trails Health Centre in Morden/Winkler, MB, and the development of a new Emergency Department and Oncology Centre at Victoria General Hospital in Winnipeg.

“We need to look well into the future.

This involves complex planning and it’s important to get it right.” An overall goal, Racette said, will be to use new technologies that show environmental responsibility while creating a healing environment for patients. Incorporating indigenous elements into the project will be essential.

This will help support efforts to attract more physicians and other healthcare providers.

“Healthcare professionals are interested in coming into healthy work settings.”

This, he said, includes the physical environment as well as team culture and the opportunity to offer as many services locally as possible.

47

Seasonal residents part of planning Racette said seasonal residents are another community that will be part of the planning process. One area he hopes to see advancements in is the sharing of electronic health records with other provincial systems, which he said currently don’t readily connect with each other.

Gearing up for the seasonal “surge” that plays out in emergency, intensive care and surgery will continue to be a priority, as will the provision of conveniences such as docking facilities and access to transportation services such as the air ambulance.

“We appreciate that our summer residents can come here knowing that if something happens, they're in safe hands.”

New doctors on the horizon In spring 2015, the critical shortage of physicians was addressed in a deputation to Kenora City Council.

In response, the City spearheaded creation of the Kenora Area Health Care Working Group. Three key issues were identified: 1. Physician recruitment & retention

She said that the community’s range of outdoor and healthy lifestyle attractions, top notch school systems, and other benefits including a full service teaching hospital are proving to be appealing benefits for both new physicians and residents.

While it’s still a tough job, Parker said she doesn’t do it alone, crediting others on her sub-committee as well as the community as a whole. “When a visiting doctor and his family get great service in one of our restaurants or discover some of our other attractions, it’s helping to make that decision even easier.” AN

Karen Parker, Healthcare Professional Recruiter.

Permanent residents, including new retirees to the area, who are waiting for a primary care provider are advised to register with Health Care Connects at health.gov.on.ca.

2. Cross border access to care between Ontario and Manitoba 3. The need for a long-term collective vision for healthcare in Kenora area Shortly after, a consortium including representatives from Grand Council Treaty#3 Ogichidaa, cities of Kenora and Sioux Narrows/Nestor Falls, Kenora area First Nations Chiefs, and Kenora Metis Council assembled to sign a resolution agreeing to work together in partnership to develop an All Nations Health Care System. The partnership is being implemented through a working group known as All Nations Health Partners.

The physician recruitment and retention working group is a sub-committee of that partnership, comprised of representatives from: City of Kenora, Sunset Country Family Health Team, Lake of the Woods District Hospital, Lake of the Woods Health Sciences Campus, Waasegiizhig Nanaandawe'iyewigamig Health Access Centre, and Kenora Chiefs Advisory.

In summer 2018, a full-time Healthcare Professional Recruiter, Karen Parker, was hired to represent the interests of all of the organizations that support the subcommittee. Progress is definitely being made. Three family physicians as well as a surgeon and internist have joined the community since July 2018. Parker said, “It takes on average anywhere from 6 to 18 months to recruit a physician.”

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L.O.W. AREA NEWS

EARLY SPRING 2019

48 Environment Rainy River at Long Sault Rapids

THE RAINY RIVER:

A Case Study in Pollution & Recovery The history of the Rainy River is fascinating. How could it not be with voyageurs and lumberjacks all tangled up in it? The overlooked part of any history lesson, however, is often the timeline of environmental insults that occurred in concert with the industrial revolution and the population of the land and exploitation of its resources.

There was a great deal of progress between the invention of the steam engine in the early 1700s and the first Model T in the early 1900s—and a great degree of environmental damage to go along with it all. This happened almost everywhere. Increasing environmental insults up until around the middle of the 20th century followed by some second thoughts and the beginning of the process of cleaning up the messes.

It wasn’t anyones fault really; it just took people a while to wake up. One interesting example of this process is the Chicago sewer and water and pig fat and river reversal story. You can read the history on that one if you have a strong stomach. But let’s get back to the Rainy River and have a look at its environmental insults timeline.

There were people tramping around the Rainy River in the 1600s. Not the first people, of course, but the first people trying to figure out how to make money. This amounted to the frantic lugging of beavers to the east, but all was still relatively okay by the 1800s when Alexander Mackenzie called the Rainy River one of the finest rivers in the Northwest.

By the end of the 1800s someone finally figured out how to lug a small Fibre mats in the Rainy River downstream of the mills, 1952 sawmill onto the river and it was basically downhill for water quality from that point forward. No, we don’t have data to show the downward trend, but it seems like that is what happened.

Next, people started reading newspapers and just before World War 1 they got set up to make much needed paper on the Rainy River. So, the timeline here was increasing discharge of pollutants into the Rainy River from the 1920s up until the 1960-70s. The pulp and paper industries in Fort Frances, Ontario and International Falls, Minnesota discharged large quantities of

wood chips and fine particulate matter together with organic compounds into the Rainy River.

Sewage and other domestic wastes added to the mix. By the late 1950s, pollution of the Rainy River was dire enough for both Canada and the United States to bring in the International Joint Commission to study the problem and ultimately in 1966 to establish an international pollution board for the river. Water treatment upgrades greatly reduced these loads beginning in the early 1980s (and it was not just pulp and paper mills because people make sewage and other bad things that its just easier to get rid of by throwing it into the river).

Biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) is a process whereby oxygen in the environment is used up by bacteria that are trying to break down extra organic material in the river.

High BOD is bad because it starves the natural organisms of oxygen. If you track them since the 1960s, BOD loads in the river also indicate quite nicely how the mess is being cleaned up.

Figure 1: Daily BOD5 loading to the Rainy River between the 1960s-1980s

This cleanup process has been equally effective for other pollutants as well. In a review report, Beak showed the mean concentrations in ten-year segments for several measures of concern and all showed improvements between the 1950s and the 1980s (see table 1).

L.O.W. AREA NEWS

EARLY SPRING 2019

Environment 49

Table 1 – Average decadal concentrations of selected substances in the Rainy River.

Variable

1950s

1960s

1970s

1980s

Notes

Total phosphorus (µg/L)

130

110

80

45

Anything over 30 is too high

BOD5 (mg/L)

3

4

1.5

0.8

Drinking water is <0.5

Iron (µg/L)

550

200

25

Anything over 300 is too high

Total Suspended Solids (mg/L)

18

15

10

< 20 mg/L sample appears clear

Data from Beak 1990, notes from various sources

Recent data from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (2014) show 86 per cent decreases in total phosphorus and 75 per cent decreases in Total Suspended Solids between 1953 and 2010. In data collected by Environment Canada, the number of times that water quality criteria was exceeded for total phosphorus declined from 68 per cent for the period between 1979-1985 to 19 per cent for the period between 2009 and 2011. This is clearly an improvement and steps are currently underway to reduce total phosphorus loads through a Minnesota, Total Maximum Daily Load initiative, which has been, described elsewhere. So, you might ask “Why didn’t we get on this earlier?” Part of the answer to that is that the scientists at the Experimental Lakes Area figured out that phosphorus was the element that controlled the growth of algae in the early 1970s.

Not that long ago—and well into this period of record. We just didn’t know for sure what was going on with algal blooms till the mid 1970s. And they are still a bit of a puzzle.

In 2011, Kathryn Hargan (research scientist) estimated that the two largest sources of phosphorus to the Rainy River are Rainy Lake and the Little Fork River. Point sources include seven municipal sewage treatment plants and two pulp and paper mills. These two mills at the time were the largest human source of phosphorus to the Rainy River at about 16 per cent. Phosphorus concentrations generally increase in a downstream direction in the Rainy River due to additional non-point sources from agricultural runoff and erosion. Even with all this, the total phosphorus loads to the Rainy River have declined dramatically since the 1960s.

Many of the recent “State of the Resource” documents list aquatic ecosystem health priorities such as nutrients, contaminants, aquatic invasive species and climate change.

Some of these issues such as nutrients and contaminants lend themselves to cleanup by limiting point source loads as we have seen above while others like the threat of aquatic invasive species or the impacts due to climate change are much more difficult to manage.

The problems involved with contaminants can also be difficult to manage. Sulphate is a good example. In 2009 through 2011 the sulphate concentrations at the outlet of the Rainy River ranged between 2.6 and 12.9 mg/L (Environment Canada). The median at 5.6 mg/L is considered fine for this area. But there are concerns about future acid mine drainage additions of sulphate to the watershed. This is a concern because sulphate can increase the rate of phosphorus release from lake sediments and it can also increase the transfer of mercury to more biologically available forms.

Currently Minnesota has a sulphate guideline of 10 mg/L for the protection of wild rice. Concentrations are currently below the Minnesota standard but these may increase with future, increased, mining activity in the basin.

The situation where the Rainy River was pristine to begin with followed by a period of industrialization where water quality suffered, followed by a cleanup effort that greatly improved water quality and supported the recovery of walleye, sturgeon and other fish leaves us at a point where both congratulations and some concern are in order. We have come a long way and the cleanup of the Rainy River is an example that shows what coordinated international efforts can achieve. However, the Rainy River is still not what it once was and now we have climate change, invasive species and other stressors to deal with. Will we be able to wake up again? Time will tell. AN This article was written for the Lake of the Woods Water Sustainability Foundation by Bev Clark as part of the Foundation’s project: “Enhancing capacity for collaborative governance in the Lake of the Woods Basin”

Figure 2. Phosphorus loads to the Rainy River between ~1960 and 2010 (State of the Basin Report 2nd Edition).

L.O.W. AREA NEWS

EARLY SPRING 2019

50 Environment

Lake of the Woods Water Sustainability Foundation Put a plan in place. Ensure there's enough science and management expertise. Unite and coordinate actions bi-nationally—communities, researchers and policy makers. That’s our vision.

Watershed Environment and Climate Change Canada Forum – A key science program part of our vision Over the coming year, we will be featuring regular updates on The International RainyLake of the Woods Watershed Forum will take place March 13-14 in International Falls, MN. Now entering its 16th year, the forum has become the annual meeting place and coordination hub for Canadians and Americans working on water quality and aquatic ecosystem health of Lake of the Woods and upstream waters. Although the forum is primarily a technical event, interested members of the public are welcome. Highlights this year will include sessions on:

the science underway on Lake of the Woods by Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC). For this first issue, let’s look at the overall context – the purpose and scope of the Canadian federal science program.

In late 2016, ECCC began a science program on Lake of the Woods. The purpose is to provide information required to develop nutrient objectives to limit the frequency, duration and extent of harmful algal blooms, while maintaining a healthy lake ecosystem for other beneficial uses, such as productive fisheries.

• Environment and Climate Change Canada’s Science Plan for Lake of the Woods—updates and preliminary results of its research into nutrients, harmful algal blooms, satellite tracking of algae and lake water quality modeling.

• Advances in satellite remote sensing and image processing technology to assess water quality and land use in large lakes and ecosystems, including development of automated near-real time systems.

• Minnesota’s intensive monitoring of water quality and fisheries assessment of the Rainy River, which is the major inflow to Lake of the Woods.

• Updates on invasive species, including the status of zebra mussels spread, which are in the watershed but have not spread to Lake of the Woods.

• Updates on the IJC Watershed Board’s project to develop recommendations for objectives and advisory alert triggers for water quality and aquatic ecosystem health.

As in past years, many other groups will be holding meetings and workshops in and around our forum program, including the IJC Rainy-Lake of the Woods Watershed Board and its committees, the International Multi-Agency Arrangement, and several subject-specific collaborative research groups.

The foundation leads a team of volunteers from government agencies and universities to organize and run the forum every year.

Registration deadline is March 7. Please register at the foundation’s website: lowwsf.com/register. For more information including program details and presentation abstracts, please visit the Foundation’s website lowwsf.com/watershed-forum.

Lake of the Woods monitoring sites, Environment and Climate Change Canada

The overall objectives of ECCC’s science projects are threefold: • Enhanced monitoring and assessment of water quality to inform setting of lake ecosystem objectives.

• Identifying the causes and effects of nutrient enrichment and algal blooms.

• Predicting the lake’s response to potential nutrient loadreduction strategies.

L.O.W. AREA NEWS

EARLY SPRING 2019

Environment 51

To address these objectives, ECCC has expanded baseline monitoring on Lake of the Woods and the Rainy River. Enhanced nutrient monitoring of tributaries rivers is also underway in a partnership with Trent University.

Research projects underway by ECCC is aimed at: 1. Assessing whether shoreline developments are a significant cause of algae blooms.

2. Determining how release of phosphorus built up in the lake bottom sediments (“internal nutrient loading”) contributes to algal bloom formation and what is the role of resuspension vs. chemical release in areas of the lake with low oxygen at the bottom.

3. Investigating what are the sources and types of algae toxins in the lake and to provide insight into risk assessment, prediction and management of toxins in Lake of the Woods.

4. Developing satellite remote sensing tools to identify and track algae blooms in near real-time.

5. Developing an integrated lake and watershed model to examine the cycling and transport of nutrients through the many basins of Lake of the Woods and predict the ecological response of the lake to various nutrient reduction strategies.

In the next Area News, we’ll take a deeper dive and look at the progress and preliminary findings of the ECCC study titled “Loading of nutrients from cottages and other developments to the nearshore of Lake of the Woods”, which is led by ECCC scientist Dale Van Stempvoort.

Thanks to our supporters A big "thank you" to all who have invested in the future of Lake of the Woods by donating to the Lake of the Woods Water Sustainability Foundation or by helping us at public meetings. Your gifts and support are helping to develop a sustainability plan for our lake. A key element will be standards and reduction targets for phosphorus, responsible for the algae blooms.

Support of lake families and firms has been instrumental to success for Lake of the Woods—it has really made a difference. Lake of the Woods is now an international priority and the building blocks of a sustainability plan are being put in place with: • An international water quality board established through the International Joint Commission.

• Research nearing completion required to solve the phosphorus and algae problems.

• An action plan to address phosphorus loading to combat algae blooms coming this spring from Minnesota.

As science nears completion, it is time to put a plan in place to move from science to action. Over the coming year, we will continue efforts to ensure that scientific knowledge leads to binationally coordinated policy and management actions, including international water quality objectives and nutrient targets and an ongoing oversight role for the International Joint Commission. AN

IJC watershed board wants your help!

The IJC’s Rainy-Lake of the Woods Watershed Board launched a project this year to develop recommendations for water quality and aquatic ecosystem health objectives and alerts (advisory triggers) for the Rainy-Lake of the Woods Watershed.

They would like to hear from you on your perspectives and expectations for aquatic ecosystem health in this basin. Please consider attending any of these public sessions: • Our public workshop on Tuesday, March 12, at Rainy River Community College in International Falls, MN—same week as the Watershed Forum—tentatively scheduled for 4:30-6:30 p.m.

• An informational webinar for those who are unable to attend the workshop, to be scheduled in late March or early April • A public workshop and community conversation in Kenora, in summer 2019.

If you would like to attend any of these events, please call or send an email to the Project Coordinator, Kelli Saunders at ksaunders@lowwsf.com or (807) 548-8002 to secure a spot!

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Wildlife & Wilderness 53

Partners in name

by Barry Corbett Not long ago the giant fish name (pronounced na-may), Ojibway for lake sturgeon, flourished in the rivers and lakes of North America.

Tragically, overfishing, habitat loss and fragmentation drove many sturgeon populations to the brink of extinction. Today, a few of the great sturgeon stocks, like the Rainy River/Lake of the Woods population, are recovering because of improved water quality and reduced harvesting, but many populations still face the legacy of dams blocking their migrations and fragmenting or isolating populations between dams.

Many sturgeon researchers believe a barrier-free distance of 250-300 km of lake or river habitat is the minimum distance required to maintain a self-sustaining population. However, there are a few examples where sturgeon and dams co-exist. One such population lives next door to us in Manitoba, inhabiting the Winnipeg River between Point de Bois and Slave Falls dams. This area is only 12 km long, but sturgeon is thriving here. Researchers believe isolated populations are successful when healthy habitat for all life stages (egg, larva, juvenile and adult) is available and water flows are managed ensuring successful spawning and egg incubation. Fragmented populations may not attain their past abundance, but they can be self-sustaining.

While the Winnipeg River sturgeon may be rebounding on the Manitoba side, things aren’t as positive in the stretch of river between the Kenora and Whitedog dams. This is home to Ochiichagwe’babigo’ining (Dalles) Ojibway Nation (OON). In 2004 and 2009, it undertook a cooperative netting program with the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) assessing the status of sturgeon in its homeland. The results were disappointing, only a remnant population exists in this part of the river.

As stewards of the land, Chief Lorraine Cobiness wants the OON to play an active role in the conservation and restoration of sturgeon in their homeland. Seeking advice, OON met with the Rainy River First Nation (RRFN) chief, council and elders who were instrumental in the recovery of the Rainy River/Lake of the Woods sturgeon. Included in these discussions was Joe Hunter, manager of Sustainable Sturgeon Culture, the only sturgeon hatchery in Ontario. Joe Hunter is a recognized sturgeon culture authority, participating in several sturgeon studies in Canada, U.S., China and providing sturgeon eggs, fry and fingerlings to Minnesota First Nations and Minnesota Department of Natural Resources for sturgeon rehabilitation projects.

As first steps on the path to recovery, Joe Hunter and RRFN provided several thousand sturgeon fry to OON for stocking in the Winnipeg River between 2004 and 2011. Ryan Haines, a local biologist, also led a team of OON technicians assessing the health of the river’s bottom and whether it could support the organisms sturgeon feed on. Bottom samples produced good news—the river cleansed itself, flushing the former pulp and paper mill’s effluent wood fibre further downstream and suitable spawning and feeding habitats was available to sturgeon in this segment of the river. However, even with improved habitat conditions, the 2014 netting survey confirms there are still not enough adults to support a recovery. The population needed a boost!

Working together: Chief Lorraine Cobiness (Ochiichagwe'babigo' ining Ojibway Nation) and former Chief Jim Leonard (Rainy River First Nation) carry and release a Rainy River sturgeon into the Upper Winnipeg River signifying their communities shared vision to restore Name into its traditional waters.

L.O.W. AREA NEWS

EARLY SPRING 2019

54 Wildlife & Wilderness of Rainy River, we are very supportive of other communities who also take on their traditional role of stewards of their lands and water,” said former chief Jim Leonard said.

Joe Hunter and fellow RRFN members captured and transferred Rainy River sturgeon ranging in size from 1.0 to 1.5 m to the Winnipeg River. Twelve sturgeon were released in 2017, 15 in 2018 and hopefully another 15 in 2019. MNRF staffs, providing scientific expertise and advice, surgically implant sonar transmitters in each sturgeon. They also strategically placed 16 acoustic receivers or listening stations within this section of the river monitoring and recording the sturgeon movements. Ontario Power Generation is providing financial support and recently the Minaki Cottagers Association came on board contributing funding to the recovery effort.

“The objectives of this phase of the project are three-fold: first, determine whether the released sturgeon survive; second, do they remain in this segment of the river or will they move downstream over the Whitedog Dam and; finally, do they spend any time in areas believed to be spawning habitat?” explained Allan Anderson, consultation coordinator for OON. Future stocking: Stocking larger juveniles with protective scutes may increase survival.

The Upper Winnipeg River Lake Sturgeon Recovery Team, a partnership between the OON, RRFN, Sustainable Sturgeon Culture, MNRF, and Ontario Power Generation (OPG) was formed.

Its mission statement is “Committed to the restoration of lake sturgeon in the Upper Winnipeg River with the hope this project will help build relationships between the people and this fish as well contribute to the scientific knowledge of lake sturgeon and future recovery efforts.” The restoration program began with RRFN “gifting” adult sturgeon to OON. “Rainy River First Nation is proud to partner with Ochiichagwe’babigo’ining Ojibway Nation in their lake sturgeon recovery efforts. Having taken a proactive approach many years ago in the recovery of lake sturgeon in our own ancestral waters

All 27 sturgeon survived the transfer and release. Only one individual went AWOL, living now between the dam and the Manitoba border. For some, the “grass is always greener on the other side of the dam”.

Early monitoring results show the new comers initially exploring their new home, but now the team see movement and habitat use typical of established sturgeon. Distinct feeding and overwintering areas have been delineated and mapped.

Spawning has not been confirmed, but the team recorded sturgeon in the vicinity of spawning habitat in the spring.

With a 10-year life span, the sonar tags will provide the team with valuable insights into sturgeon behaviour and habitat preferences until 2029.

“This information will determine the next steps in the recovery strategy,” Anderson said.

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EARLY SPRING 2019

Wildlife & Wilderness 55 All partners agree the existing adult population, even with the addition of the Rainy River sturgeon, is still too small to restore itself through natural reproduction. Also, it is believed fry stocked in the past suffered high mortality through predation, limiting their usefulness as a restoration option. Consideration is now being given to stocking larger fingerings with protective scutes to accelerate the recovery.

Sturgeon restoration may be the driving force behind this project, but Chief Lorraine Cobiness emphasized, “the value of educating and including non-indigenous people in our ceremonies, our culture, being part of our practises, learning from our Elders and allowing our young people to learn from the MNRF.” She also stresses the importance of building relationships.

“When you take out our differences, many of our beliefs and what we are struggling for are similar. We want to celebrate what we have in common, not our differences.”

The project’s success is important to all the community, especially Sturgeon Clan members. Release day centres on the sturgeon, but it’s also about bringing people together, celebrating and honouring this ancient fish. The day is filled with drumming, singing, dancing, Elders’ prayers and a feast including the sharing of a sturgeon given by the people of RRFN symbolizing and strengthening the indivisible bond between name and the people.

With the Upper Winnipeg River Recovery Program established, the partnership is strong, and expertise and knowledge are growing. Now a long-term financial commitment ensuring the success of this worthwhile initiative is needed. The road will be long, but taken together, one day name may again reclaim its rightful home in the Upper Winnipeg River.

Historically, this ancient fish brought people who harvested it for their very existence together. Today a new generation of people are once again coming together, but this time to ensure the survival of this gentle giant.

For more information on this project, visit the OON website ochiichag.ca for two informative videos: 2018 Sturgeon Release and Homeland Sturgeon Release. AN

Minaki community fundraiser benefits the Ochiichagwe'babigo'ining First Nation Sturgeon Recovery Project The Minaki community cocktail party gave the Ochiichagwe’babigo’ining (Dalles) First Nation's Sturgeon Recovery Project a boost in 2018, designating the recovery project as the beneficiary of its fundraising component.

That annual gathering at the community hall of year-round and seasonal residents has become a tradition in Minaki since it was first organized by the Minaki Foundation in 2008. Lately the Minaki Cottagers Association has arranged the event, to help spread the volunteer workload in the small community. The first several fundraisers benefited the Foundation, but the party has started to spread the proceeds to other needs—the Minaki United Fire Fighters in 2017, and the Sturgeon Recovery Project this year.

Allan Anderson, Consultation Coordinator for the First Nation at the Dalles, and Christy McDonald and Jim McNulty from MNRF's Kenora office attended the four-hour event on July 22, staffing a terrific information booth, and had a chance to meet and talk with many of the 200 party attendees. After everything was cleaned up and accounted for, the Ochiichagwe'babigo'ining First Nation's share of ticket revenue and additional voluntary donations exceeded $2,850.

"The Dalles First Nation is grateful for the donation," Anderson said. “We appreciate that the Minaki community shares our interest in protecting the Winnipeg River system and in restoring a stable sturgeon population as an important part of it.”

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L.O.W. AREA NEWS

EARLY SPRING 2019

56 Wildlife & Wilderness Pine Siskin tops Kenora Christmas Bird Count

by Leo E. Heyens The 39th Annual Kenora Christmas Bird Count was held December 15 and a number of you may recall that there were no Pine Siskins counted during last year's count. This year they topped the list at 531, followed by the Black-capped Chickadee (415), Pine Grosbeak (364), and the Common Redpoll (321). In total, 30 species were tallied comprised of 2,605 individual birds.

This compares to 26 species and 1,468 individual birds last year.

There were virtually no cones on most of the conifer tree species in our area last year so many of our winter finches moved further south and east in search of food. The conifer cone crop is only slightly better this year, particularly Tamarack trees.

These trees, along with White Birch, are excellent food sources for the smaller finches like Common Redpoll and Pine Siskin.

Most volunteer Kenora Christmas Bird counters (37 in total) chose to participate in this annual event by watching their bird feeders from the comfort of their kitchen or living rooms.

The Annual Christmas Bird Count first began in 1900, when ornithologist Frank Chapman was disturbed, as were many conservationists, at the slaughter of birds in the annual holiday event called the “side hunt.” The team that shot the most birds and other small animals was the winner. As a protest, Chapman organized 27 friends in 25 locations on Christmas Day, 1900.

Instead of shooting birds, they counted them.

Thank you to all the folks who continue to annually contribute to this long-standing Kenora holiday tradition.

FIELD COUNTERS:

Count day, December 15, was a glorious day to be outside and looking for birds. With sunny skies and light winds, temperatures reached a high of 6°C. Usually the field counters have to be careful they don't get frostbite!

Lyndon Kivi, Eric Matheson, Stacy Gan, Chris Martin, Phil Killeen, Phil Burke, Scott & Lynn McAughey, and Leo Heyens.

FEEDER COUNTERS:

Count day highlights included: a Northern Shrike spotted by Diane Marilynn Allanson, John Barr, The Bohemian Waxwing. Photo by Christopher Martin.

Konoski (Gould Road area); two Liz & William Barling, Phil & White-throated Sparrows (one Pat Burke, Roger Dimit, Murray at Phil & Pat Burke's feeder and one spotted by field counter & Judy English, Al & Deb Farrer, Marg Fors, Tim Fullmer, Diane Lyndon Kivi); two Boreal Chickadees at Murray and Judy English's Gagnon, Leo Hertz, Meg Illman-White, Jim & Sandy Irish, feeder on the James Rd; a Barred Owl spotted by Jim and Sandy Barb Jackson, Dianne Konoski, Jan Lindstrom, Scott Lockhart, Irish at Ritchie Rd; Two Common Grackles (one seen by field Katherine Lozenski, Ron & Liz Lunny, Elsie Neufeld, Ward counter Christopher Martin, the other by Stacy Skene); two Purple Palson, Albert Rose, Stacy Skene, Bob & Brenda Stewart, Judy Finches at Eric Matheson's feeder at Hilly Lake; and 120 Bohemian Stockham, Mel Warttig, Donna Wiebe, Bob White, Betty Wires Waxwings spotted by Christopher Martin at Sunset Place. and Cathy Zroback. AN

39th Annual Kenora Christmas Bird Count, December 15, 2018 Common Goldeneye

32

Northern Shrike

Bald Eagle

13

Blue Jay

111

American Crow

23

Ruffed Grouse Rock Pigeon Barred Owl

Downy Woodpecker Hairy Woodpecker

Pileated Woodpecker Total Species = 30

5

89

1

21

33 10

Gray Jay

Black-billed Magpie Common Raven

1

46 6

172

Black-capped Chickadee 415 Boreal Chickadee

2

Red-breasted Nuthatch

157

Pine Grosbeak

364

European Starling

68

Common Redpoll

321

Pine Siskin

531

White-breasted Nuthatch Bohemian Waxwing Dark-eyed Junco

White-crowned Sparrow

White-throated Sparrow Common Grackle

Total Number of Individual birds = 2,605

9

120 18

0 2 2

Purple Finch

Hoary Redpoll

Evening Grosbeak House Sparrow

2

5

6

20

BUILDING DREAM S

L.O.W. AREA NEWS

58 Living

EARLY SPRING 2019

MEMBER’S RECIPE:

Eat healthy?

Why bother?

by Ray Hignell Ray's Lentil and Veggie Soup

I found the answer to that question in 1999.

After months of pain, I was diagnosed with osteoarthritis and its much more painful relative, gout arthritis. Pain is a very good motivator. I knew nothing about arthritis but heard it was diet related. Months of reading and experimenting with my own body turned into six years. I had to change my diet radically, which seemed like the end of the world at the time, but in hindsight was a blessing in disguise. Besides ending the pain, we discovered a whole new world of food.

At first, it was a bit of a challenge, but with curiosity and a lot of experimentation, we found wonderful foods to eat. We spoke with people, found good recipes, and adapted them to conform

to an anti-inflammatory diet that suited our taste buds. We have found many other people enjoy our new food, too.

Now we feel we eat like kings—delicious food in our opinion. And we don’t have to limit quantities—I still eat as much as I want, which is quite a lot. I don’t even miss all the foods I used to eat but had to give up. I look forward to my next gourmet meal every weekend, made with healthy food.

We consider ourselves semi-vegetarian—we usually avoid meat and alcohol Monday to Thursday. On weekends, we will eat chicken or fish and lots of vegetables. We also eat fruit in the morning and nuts and seeds (not a lot of grains).

No beef or pork.

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L.O.W. AREA NEWS

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Living 59

Ray’s Lentil and Veggie Soup This recipe makes about 11 litres, so make it in a pot that is at least 12 litres or cut everything in half to fit a smaller pot. I vary it a bit every time, so each batch is similar, but a bit different.

2

900-gram bags of dry red split lentils

4-6

large carrots, diced

4-6

celery stalks, diced

Water, lots of it, about 3 inches or so higher than the dry lentils. More might be better, add as required.

Ray and his granddaughter Pearl.

Arthritis has made me curtail some activities but our diet has helped immensely. So has physical activity, including hot flow yoga, water skiing, alpine skiing and lots of chores at the lake and at home. At 65 years old, I am very active and robust—much better than age 45 when gout made walking painful and severely limited my activities. At 62, Barb is in better shape than me. She usually runs one to two marathons a year, several half marathons and many other activities including skiing and swimming. I think this demonstrates our diet provides excellent nutrition.

Diet and exercise! There is no shortcut to good health. It can be fun and delicious too. At the lake, at home or anywhere.

Anyone can do it. You just have to make up your mind and then actually do it.

Ray Hignell and Barb Heiliger, front, believe food holds the key to a healthy and active lifestyle, a lifestyle that includes boating with friends like Dale and Brent Thacher (back)

3-5 1 1 1

parsnips, diced

600-gram bag of frozen broccoli, chopped 600-gram bag of frozen diced squash 500-gram bag of frozen kale

½-1 750-gram bag of frozen cut green beans (they are 2-3 cm long and do not need to be cut) 3-4

limes

2-3

tablespoons dried dill

3-5

1

tablespoons dried basil. Fresh basil is also nice, but more work. (I use about 5 heaping tablespoons) tablespoon ground rosemary

Put the lentils into a big stockpot. Add water to at least 2-3 inches higher than the dry lentils, cover and bring to a boil. Watch it carefully as temperature rises to avoid the foam spilling over. Boil it constantly for 2-3 minutes and keep stirring. Reduce heat to low. The foam will disappear with stirring. Add water as necessary to keep the lentils covered. Don't worry about having too much water—it tends to evaporate or soak in to the lentils.

Add the carrots, parsnips and celery. A simmer is ok. Stir frequently, every 3-4 minutes. As the soup thickens, add more water as required. Add all the spices and stir in.

Add broccoli, squash, kale and green beans. Cut the limes in half, spear with a fork and get as much juice and flesh out as possible, and add to the soup. Discard the peels.

Ray Hignell has been going to Clearwater Bay for 65 years.

Ray’s grandfather, Russ Hignell, bought the family cabin in 1939, sight unseen! He paid the enormous sum of $400 for his half of the cabin. Ray has been active all his life and currently keeps busy snow skiing, water skiing, doing hot flow yoga, along with house and cabin repairs. Barb Heiliger has been coming to the cabin since 1977. She runs quite a bit and also keeps busy snow skiing, water skiing and swimming. They both enjoy travelling, good food and wine. Ray and Barb have two children, Brad (married to Jessica Beatty) and Leslie, as well as two grandchildren, Pearl and Leo. AN

Stir thoroughly including top to bottom. Be sure to add water and stir in to the bottom so it does not burn.

Bring to a boil again for 1-2 minutes and turn to low or simmer. Keep stirring every 4-7 minutes. If there is room, add more veggies of your choice. Simmer for one, two or several hours until all the veggies are soft or to your liking. At low heat you can stir every 10-20 minutes.

I do not add salt or pepper to the soup. Each person can add those when eating.

You could also try it with half the lentils and add more veggies. I have tried that and went back to two bags.

Feel free to alter the portions or even use different spices such as Herb de Provence or the similar Italian seasoning and oregano.

L.O.W. AREA NEWS

60 Living

EARLY SPRING 2019

Notes from Razberry Lane by Henry & Anita Rasmussen

Gardening for mental health “All gardeners know that in some way they work out their problems in the garden. There is no mystery to it. They are simply following Nature’s laws. Planting a garden is an act of optimism.”

~ Marilyn Barrett, Creating Eden From time to time over the years, we have questioned the amount of time and effort we expend growing vegetables when a short trip to the supermarket would provide everything we could possibly need with a lot less work. Well-meaning friends and relatives have suggested that our endeavours border on obsessive behaviour or worse. We’ve tried to explain our behaviour by invoking the enjoyment we derive from socializing with our visitors at Razberry Lane. There is actually more than a grain of truth to this.

The people who visit our compound are interesting as well as intriguing. Many are fellow growers who drop by to discuss problems, swap solutions, seeds, gardening lore and empathy.

They are a pleasure to chat with as we share similar triumphs as well as the failures and hopes that constitute a gardener’s life.

“Gardening is a triumph of hope over experience.”

~ Marina Schinz Then there are the foodies who, lacking the space or time to grow their own, seek out the freshest produce available locally each summer. They are canny folks who have learned from experience that nothing quite compares to a sun ripened tomato, a handful of fresh peas, tiny new potatoes or a carrot just pulled out of the ground. They know what they like and are prepared to pay others to provide it for them.

These various guests are a joy to entertain because, generally, we speak the same language. On the subject of vegetables, they do not need convincing that freshness equals flavour and quality; they already know this. They scorn much of the pre-packaged produce readily available all year round. In winter they dream of that first salad made with tender lettuce leaves, topped with green onions, crisp cucumbers and radishes, none of which have even a passing acquaintance with a plastic bag. They leave us smiling and happy, secure in the knowledge that their healthy food choices are good for the spirit as well as the body.

“Gardening is ultimately a folly whose goal is to provide delight.” ~ Deborah Needleman

L.O.W. AREA NEWS

The occasional lost person drops by as well, having made a wrong turn on Railway Street and wandered into our gardening compound by mistake. Others are fooled by the name on the gate, thinking we are a raspberry-picking operation. These may be folks who are content with their current shopping venues and not entirely comfortable away from the bright lights and endless choices of the local supermarket. They may be a little suspicious of vegetables that don’t come pre-washed, pre-trimmed, and safely packaged in a layer of plastic. They look askance at that bit of earth clinging to a potato and that oddly shaped cucumber or squash. And horrors! was that an earthworm they just saw slithering into the ground?

We welcome them all, offering them a Tumbler tomato or two warm from the vine, hoping to add them to our list of converts.

In time, some of these folks may alter their eating and shopping habits, but it is no easy task.

Years of conditioning have led us North Americans to expect no less than vegetables that are cheap, perfectly shaped and unblemished, as shown on TV and magazine ads. However, to their credit, some local businesses now stock less-than-perfect looking vegetables. Of equal importance to our society is yearround availability. We have all been spoiled by strawberries in January and corn-on-the-cob in March. But awareness of the environmental impact of hauling produce long distances is of increasing concern to more and more consumers. One obvious solution is large urban greenhouses that provide fresh vegetables and fruit all year round—as well as local jobs. A number of towns and cities have embraced this concept; ours is still at the dream stage though not impossible to implement, if and when the demand becomes great enough to be heard.

Getting back to the question of why some people go to all the trouble and labour of growing things. Beyond the obvious satisfaction of interacting with like-minded people and putting fresh produce on the table, gardening is good for us. There are

EARLY SPRING 2019

Living 61

health benefits as well as vegetables to be harvested from the garden plot.

Before retirement led us into our present labour of love, we learned that spending a few minutes each day after work in the garden pulling the odd weed and dead-heading blossoms eliminated a lot of stress. We were invariably left feeling refreshed, renewed and calmer. Many other people have discovered that there is something elemental and almost mystical about working the soil. The simple act of digging in the ground restores a sense of balance and well being to our busy lives.

“Gardening is medicine that does not need a prescription. And with no limit on dosage.”

~ Author Unknown In short, the best-kept secret is that peace and good mental health may be found in one’s own garden. But we suspect that wise gardeners and farmers have known this all along. AN

“A garden is the best therapy.”

~ Germaine Greer

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L.O.W. AREA NEWS

EARLY SPRING 2019

62 Do It Yourself

Part 3: The home or cottage workshop

Workbenches and storage

by Cecil Burns

In Part 2 of this series I talked about the pros and cons of various locations in your home or cottage that might make for a decent workshop space. In this edition I’ll discuss the things that make your workshop tick: workbenches and storage.

One of the most important things to have in any workshop is a solid, appropriately sized workbench. These can come in an infinite variety of sizes, shapes and materials. Depending on your specific needs they can be very simple or very sophisticated and complex.

They can also be quite reasonably priced or very expensive—depending on your needs, your taste, your budget and your do-ityourself skills.

A quick check of the latest Lee Valley catalogue can This is a folding work table that I made using a slab door and some see you spending upwards collapsible legs. of $2,000 for a high-end workbench. Alternatively, a perfectly good workbench/table can be constructed from a slab door and a set of folding legs. A more solid workbench can be easily built using some 2’ x 6’ planking for a top, 4” x 4” posts for legs with 2” x 4” stretchers and braces. Piece them all together and you have a very solid workbench that will take a beating and last a lifetime.

Those who work a lot with metal or do a lot of mechanical work will want to have a workbench that has a metal top to keep grease and oil from staining a wooden bench top. If you’re handy with a welder you can build a good bench from angle iron and plate steel or purchase a decent one from Canadian Tire or Princess Auto. And nothing says you can’t cover a wooden bench top with heavy gauge galvanized sheet steel to protect the wood.

Ideally a workbench is solid and heavy so that it can support whatever work activity you are doing. That can be a bit of a problem if you have limited space or if you share your space with other household activities. The addition of fold-down casters to a heavy workbench can make it easier to move, or you can decide on using a folding or knockdown workbench. Your individual circumstances will dictate the best solution.

Storage space is another important consideration for your workshop. You will need storage space for your portable power tools and for your assortment of hand tools. In addition you will also need to store stock such as lumber, sheet goods, glues, paints and various other hardware items. Storage space, especially for portable power tools should be enclosed and resistant to infiltration of dust. You note that I say resistant and not impervious—it’s just about impossible for any storage space to be impervious to workshop dust.

Shelving and pegboards are adequate for storage and organization of smaller tools, but enclosed cabinets are a better choice if you can manage them, especially for portable power tools. Make sure that any shelving is adequately sized and well

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EARLY SPRING 2019

Do It Yourself 63

I use Earl Grey tea tins that I collected over the years to store screws, nails, nuts, bolts, washers and other small hardware items.

This is one set of open shelves that I built from locally produced TimberStrand™ to store tools and other shop items.

A collapsible and portable commercial workbench (Workmate™). I have had this in my shop for over 30 years and it’s still functioning well.

anchored for the loads to be placed on them. Any shelf that is expected to carry any weight should be made from ¾” plywood or 1” lumber at a minimum—2” lumber for longer spans or heavier weights. Inexpensive metal shelving units are readily available, but make sure they are up to the task before putting them in service. Sealable plastic tubs, mechanics tool chests or handmade tool chests are all good alternatives for your best hand tools.

Paints, vanishes, oils, greases and other flammable solvent or petroleum based products should be stored separately from other materials—preferably in a sealed metal cabinet to reduce the risk of fire. Rags that have been in contact with petroleum products or solvents should never be thrown in the garbage— spontaneous combustion and fire could result. Make sure these get aired outside or disposed of in a sealed metal container. You will want to make sure you protect your investment.

For storage of screws, nails, small parts and other various hardware items, you can buy racks of bins that are suited to the task or you can improvise using things like discarded plastic jars with sealable lids (peanut butter jars work well) or small Tupperware™ containers. We used to drink a lot of Earl Grey tea that came in small, square metal containers and I saved them over the years and put them to good use in the shop.

With a bit of ingenuity and careful planning, your workshop can be setup so that your workbench fulfils your needs and that you have the right storage capacity to keep your tools, your workshop items and yourself safe and secure.

For storage of lumber or other stock, a bin for short pieces is handy to have as well as a rack for standing longer pieces on end; in most cases this will be limited to stock less than 8 ft. long, so a horizontal rack for longer pieces may come in handy.

Sheet goods can be stored flat against the wall for short periods of time, but are best used up as quickly as possible—they tend to bend the longer they are stored this way and most of us don’t have the space to stack them flat.

Safety should always be top of mind when you’re in your workshop and the next instalment in this series will focus on power, lighting and workshop safety. Send any feedback and/or workshop ideas and stories to editor@areanewsmagazine.ca. I’d love to hear from you. AN Woodworkers Words of Wisdom: There will always be one other tool that you don’t have that you really, really need for your next project. Your arsenal of tools will always be just a little bigger than the storage space you have available.

L.O.W. AREA NEWS Early Spring 2019

64 LOWDKids!

lowdkids.ca

Kat the Nature Dog Meeting Kenora Kate

Last summer Kat met a groundhog who introduced herself as Kenora Kate.

When Kat told her new friend that her name was Kat The Dog, they both had a big laugh.

Kat loves winter in February. She loves jumping and romping in snow drifts that are so deep that sometimes they swallow her up like a blanket. She loves it when the temperature is so low that she can hardly see the red line on the thermometer. But the reason she loves this so much is that anytime she gets cold she can always run into the house and take a warm nap in front of the fireplace.

However, when February 2 came, Kat went for a walk in the woods and searched for Kate the Groundhog in a clearing near a large pine. Kat remembered that this was where Kate’s den was but there was so much snow around that Kat couldn’t even find it. Kat went out every few days for weeks and she still didn’t see Kenora Kate. Finally, when most of the snow had melted, she saw a groundhog. But it looked tired and skinny and totally worn out, not fat and sleek like her friend.

When Kat was a puppy, she went to Dog School along with twelve other dogs.

She was happy going to school. Her teacher was really nice but Kat mostly loved all the new friends she made there. While she learned to walk on a leash, sit, lie down and other important things, there was never a lesson about calendars. And one of the most important days in Kat’s year happened on February 2, Groundhog Day. Kat learned about this special day when her human dad and mom were having a talk.

This is how Groundhog Day is supposed to work. On February 2, the groundhog will come out of its den underground where it spends the winter hibernating. When it comes out it looks for its shadow.

If it is cloudy, the groundhog will not be able to see its shadow so it will stay awake. However, if the sun is shining and the groundhog can see its shadow, then it would go back to sleep because winter will last for another 6 weeks. At least, that’s the story.

“Hello,” Kat barked. This scared the groundhog so much that it climbed a few metres up a nearby tree and stopped. It was Kenora Kate.

“Wow, Kat. You almost scared me to death,” said Kate.

Kat was amazed to see her friend in a tree. “What? You can climb trees?”

Groundhog Riddles What would you get if you crossed February 2nd with a puppy?

Ground-dog Day!

What’s green, has four legs, and jumps out of its hole on February 2nd?

What do you call a groundhog who eats too much?

What side of the groundhog has the most hair?

How do groundhogs smell?

The ground frog!

A round-hog!

The outside!

With their noses!

Photos by Phil Burke

lowdkids.ca

L.O.W. AREA NEWS Early Spring 2019

LOWDKids! 65

My name is Kat The Dog and I am an eleven year-old labradoodle. My human parents are retired teachers who love kids and nature. My dad helps me write this column because it is impossible to type with paws, and he has been writing nature columns for grown-ups for more than twenty years. I love living in the Lake of the Woods area because it gives me a chance to meet the plants and animals that share our lives. And I am thrilled to have you accompany me on my nature adventures.

Kate the Groundhog's Word Puzzle “Oh yes,” said Kenora Kate as she backed down the tree. “We can climb trees but mostly it’s when we’re afraid, like I was when you barked.”

Kat asked Kenora Kate why she was so thin and scruffy looking.

Kate the Groundhog smiled and said, “During our big winter sleep that we call ‘hibernation’, we don’t eat or drink anything.

We just sleep. But we don’t starve to death because when we are sleeping, we use all the fat that we put on in the months before we hibernate.”

Kat the Dog and Kenora Kate the Groundhog talked for a while and then Kate said she had to find food, a few green plants that had already started to grow.

That summer Kat met Kenora Kate when the groundhog was teaching her two children about what kind of plants they should eat. After the visit, Kat trotted home smiling to herself.

She was happy she didn’t have to find plants to eat. All her food comes from bags of dog food that her mom and dad buy at the store. AN

Find these words:

HIBERNATE FAMILY KENORA SPRING WOODCHUCK FEBRUARY MATE SUNSHINE SNOW WINTER

S A W W M A T E F W

U R O I N Q W T R O

N O O N U R O A O N

S N D T G F N N S S

H E C E N A S R T K

I K H R I M M E J Q

N A U F R I D B A S

E T C Q P L D I T E

M C K L S Y U H A Y

Y R A U R B E F J O

Groundhog Day Facts 1. Groundhog babies are called kits or cubs, and when they are six weeks old they leave home and have to live on their own.

2. Our Kenora area groundhogs never wake up as early as February 2. It is simply too cold.

3. By the time groundhogs begin to hibernate in the fall, the kits are on their own and must find or dig a den. Groundhogs hibernate by themselves.

4. Groundhogs, also called woodchucks, can do real damage to garden plants if they find a garden that isn’t fenced.

5. Groundhogs have many enemies: eagles, hawks, foxes, wolves, owls, lynx and many more.

L.O.W. AREA NEWS Early Spring 2019

66 LOWDKids!

lowdkids.ca

Spring

After a long winter, spring comes to us in fits and starts. There are those days when we are teased by melting snow and swelling buds only to be blasted by icy winter air that very evening.

But slowly, exquisitely, shadows shorten, the sun climbs higher, the snow and ice melt, and the earth warms.

This is a time to take the kids and head outdoors to absorb the energy and vitality that marks spring as the season of rebirth and renewal. Here is what you can look and listen for this spring:

Watch and listen for the first signs of spring As winter retreats, snow fleas are often at their most abundant and can be seen on the snow, looking like a sprinkling of black powder.

The furry catkins of pussy willows and aspens poke through their bud scales and become a time-honoured sign of spring. Collect a few of these and place them in a vase of water.

Wolves, coyotes and foxes may bear young by the end of March, followed shortly by raccoons, skunks, squirrels and weasels. Watch for young fox pups frolicking in fields.

Depending on latitude and the vagaries of the weather, the first frogs and toads begin calling.

You can learn their calls by visiting torontozoo.com/adoptapond/frogs.asp. Soon after, frogs lay masses of gelatine-like eggs, while toads lay their eggs in what looks like a tube of jelly.

Ducks and geese move north in large numbers and often concentrate in huge flocks on ice-free sections of lakes and rivers and in melt water ponds in fields. Watch, too, for loons and grebes.

Early nesters include Canada Geese, Common Ravens, Ospreys, American Robins, European Starlings, and House Sparrows.

Bird songs fill the air Listen for the ardent song and courtship displays as birds make claims to nesting territories and try to attract mates. Listen, too, for the hooting of owls, the drumming of Ruffed Grouse, the winnowing of Wilson's Snipes and the hammering of woodpeckers.

The first migratory songbirds return with Red-winged Blackbirds, American Robins and Song Sparrows leading the way in many areas. The early morning chorus of robins, sparrows and doves, along with the drumming of woodpeckers, can be overwhelming!

Don't be surprised if a half-crazed bird, maybe a robin or a flicker, starts aggressively pecking at one of your windows in an attempt to drive the "invader"—their reflected image—out of their nesting territory.

lowdkids.ca The Magic of Nests…

If you think about it, a bird egg is a beautiful thing. Within this fragile, round container, is the promise of new, feathered life. And bird eggs come in surprising variety of shapes, sizes and colours. But no matter what they look like, there is one indisputable fact that may seem obvious but deserves mention—eggs roll. A rolling egg is not a safe egg. Keeping her eggs both warm and safe is the challenge every mother bird faces. That is why she makes a nest. Sometimes a bird nest is an elaborate affair like the weaved, domed nest of an ovenbird—or sometimes it is as simple as a hollow scrape in the ground like that of a killdeer.

The nests that birds such as warblers, orioles and finches create from a few bits of grass, bark, twigs and mud—are truly wondrous examples of natural architecture.

L.O.W. AREA NEWS Early Spring 2019

LOWDKids! 67

Type of Nest

Description

Who makes this?

Scrape

A shallow, hollow scrape made in the ground

Killdeer, avocet, duck, many terns

Mound

A small mound with a hollow in the centre made out of mud and plant materials

Loon, flamingo

Borrow

An excavated hole in the ground or side of a hill

Kingfisher, puffin, burrowing owl

Cavity

Hollow cavity in a tree often made by woodpeckers

Woodpecker, flicker, chickadee, bluebird,

Platform

Large nests that are often constructed on the tops of trees, telephone poles and manmade platforms. New material is often added each year

Osprey, eagle, great blue heron,

Pensile

A woven nest supported from the sides, often located at the tips of trees so that predators have difficulty reaching this

Oriole, Bullock’s oriole, vireo, kinglet

Cup

Located on top of a branch, on a ledge, or in the crook of a tree, a cup nest is woven together out of materials such as mud, plant material, spider’s silk and moss. They are self-supporting and are shaped like a bowl

Robin, hummingbird, barn swallows

How robins make their cup nest: Male and female robins work together to find a site shielded from sun, wind and rain, and hidden from predators. Robins always begin building their nest on something solid—a ledge, a windowsill or a forked tree branch. Each pair of robins will collect over 350 individual fibres of grass, twigs and wildflowers. They’ll even weave in bits of paper and plastic bags—whatever is close at hand (or beak!). Robins will wait until after a soaking of rain to scoop up beakfuls of mud. A pair of robins will make several hundred trips back and forth to collect enough quantities of mud to act like the binding agent to hold all the plant fibres together.

Next, they’ll use their feet and beak to weave the fibres and mud together. They make sure the nest is securely anchored to whatever is underneath and they use their tummy to shape and sculpt the sides. Lastly they line the inside of the nest with soft grass, even their own feathers and bits of fur. The nest has to be small enough to keep the heat in and the eggs warm but big enough to accommodate growing chicks and mom. A clutch of baby robins can weigh up to 300 grams when they are ready to leave the nest!

Make your robins nest: What you’ll need: A bucket of warm soapy water, nice gooey mud (you can mix soil and water), lots of dried plant fibres (soft dried grass, wildflowers) and of course patience!

1. Begin by making a mud and plant fibre pancake—or a round, flat disk of mud and plants.

Scrunch the fibres together with globs of mud. Mix, knead and mix again. You should have a pancake about 6 inches (18 cm) in diameter and about ½ (1 cm) thick.

2. Make 4 long fibre and mud cylinders – about 4 inches long and ¾ of an inch thick. Roll, mix and roll again.

3. Using mud, stick these mud cigars to the perimeter of the pancake. Knead them all together using plenty of mud. Knead and knead some more until everything binds together.

4. Sculpt the sides by squeezing, pressing and adding more mud as required.

5. Line with soft grasses, tufts of downy seeds. Let dry.

6. Place your nest on something sturdy and watch what happens. You never know—a robin may come by to check out your work or even steal some material! AN

L.O.W. AREA NEWS

EARLY SPRING 2019

68 Home & Cottage Services

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Classifieds 69

Classified ads are a free service for LOWDSA members.

How to Submit Classifieds Email: diane@lowdsa.com | Mail: LOWDSA, Box 1160, Kenora, ON P9N 3X7 Next submission deadline: March 16, 2019 Please try to keep your listing to 35 words or less.

For Rent Road access Lakefront Cottage on LOW. Storm Bay Road, Branch Road 6. Located 15 minutes east of Kenora, this sunny, bright 3 bedroom cottage has beautiful views. Sleeps 6. Well equipped kitchen, fridge, stove, dishwasher, washer, dryer, one and a half baths, internet, TV, wood stove. Large dock area with waterfront sauna and boat lift. Excellent swimming. Kayaks available. Non smoking, no pets.

Weekly rentals available with reduced rates in the fall. Email for details & rates darbruce@shaw.ca Lakefront cottage on Lake of the Woods. Access off the Northern Peninsula Road (south down the McKenzie Portage Road). Cottage is fully modern septic system/washer/dryer/dishwasher etc. Two bedrooms, screened porch, very private setting.

Some time still available during July and August 2019. Rate is $835 per week. Contact lowcottage@ hotmail.com for pictures, detailed information and available dates.

LOW Storm Bay Rd. 9 Large house with 9 bedrooms, hot tub, multi level decks, granite kitchen, boathouse, sauna, WiFi, fireplace, washer and dryer, dishwasher. Kayak and boat are a possibility. $2500$7000 weekly. Available now and discounts available in the fall. Email mail@markmcgregor.ch Island rental Storm Bay Rd. near the rollers, two log homes, new mattresses, one king, one king, a double and a single. Two kayaks, and a boat can be included. $200-$375 per night, email kaitlyn.mcgregor@gmail.com Private Cottage in Bulman Bay, LOTW minutes from the Yacht Club. Near Keewatin, 10 minutes down McKenzie Portage Rd. Lake front with large dock and great swimming. 4 bdrm, full bath with washer & dryer, good size kitchen with dishwasher, wood burning fireplace & satellite TV. Screened porch, large deck and firepit. Lots of parking. Recently renovated. Available January through December.

Min 2 wk stay. $2940/week. Email inquiries to hklapman@mwgapparel.com Lake front 3 bedroom cottage Road access. 30 mins from Kenora. On a beautiful quiet lake with lots of bays and clear clean water—perfect for swimming, kayaking, canoeing, paddle-boarding, fishing, boating, blueberry picking, hiking & biking.

The cottage is great – modern, comfortable, very clean and well equipped with a GREAT newly renovated kitchen, washer/dryer, 2 decks, floating dock. Good cell reception. It will appeal to those who enjoy the outdoors and the simple joys of lake life. Rented by the week or longer periods.

Email: LakeforU@mymts.net .

Exceptional location on Coney Island…minutes from Kenora / Keewatin with western exposure.

Newer, open concept cottage with 4 large bdrms and 3 baths. Separate master suite with bath and private deck. Amenities include full kitchen (dishwasher, microwave, washer/dryer, large island), separate dining area, wood burning fireplace, satellite TV. Screened porch with large wraparound deck, outdoor shower and built-in gas barbecue. Waters edge has large main dock with two floaters that provide deep water docking and great swimming. Minimum 2 week stay. Email enquiries to bill.ralph@shaw.ca

EARLY SPRING 2019

All classified ads are posted online at lowdsa.com.

Note that they are posted within a couple days of submission and not subject to magazine deadlines.

Lakefront Cabin on Trout Lake 20km North of Kenora. 2 or 3 bedroom cabin available for rent weekends or weekly in May & June. Full kitchen & bathroom, TV/DVD player, BBQ. Comes with a canoe, kayaks & 12 ft Aluminum Boat. Chairs on deck off front of cabin & on private deck at the water’s edge with your own sand beach. Trout Lake is a spring fed Lake with crystal clear water and beautiful natural sand beaches. For more details email huffgear@hotmail.com.

Lakefront Island Property Brule Point. Boat access only, 16 miles from Kenora. Sand beach, dual docking facilities (with plugs), fully equipped and has full service hydro and water. 3 bedrooms—ideal for families and in ideal fishing area. Weekly rental rate: $1195 (Can extend your stay—add individual nights at $170/night). Contact Donna Bell by phone 204-736-4555 or email taketwo@taketwoinc.com.

Beautiful lakefront cottage on LOTW. Rush Bay Rd, west of Kenora. Large 2 storey cottage: 4 bdrms, 3 baths, bunk room that sleeps 6. Full kitchen with dishwasher, oven, microwave. Full washer and dryer, 2nd refrigerator. Dining room, living room, enclosed sun porch. No A/C but has attic fan. Furnished outside deck with grill overlooking lake. Great for fishing, swimming, water sports. Available June, early July, August. Cost $2500/wk. Call Alan at 214629-6006 or e-mail at alanhull@sbcglobal.net.

Lakefront Cottage on Lake of the Woods, near Kenora, road access. Includes 3 bedrooms, full kitchen, bath. 2 acres, private bay, sandy beach, floating dock and good fishing! Available June, July, August. $5,000/month. Call (204) 951-5812.

For Sale Poplar Bay Cottage for sale. 1800 square feet, 3 bed rooms, master bedroom with ensuite, full second bathroom. 3 season sunroom and large deck. Oil heating with new oil tanks installed 2 years ago, central air. New metal roof in 2014. Built in 1996, low profile, road access, south east exposure. Contact doug@drls.ca LONGBOW LAKE 3 BDRM, 1100 sq. ft. Cottage with 2 BDRM guest Cabin for sale. Spectacular southern exposure with low sloped lot to the water’s edge. 2.4 acres with 186ft. lake frontage. Easy access to Lake of the Woods. Contact 133primmersroad@gmail.com Golf Course Bay, Lake of the Woods for sale by original owner, 3200 sq. ft. 2 story air conditioned home, 2.5 stall garage with heated workshop, on 2 lots with sand beach, dock, covered boat lift, municipal water & sewer, natural gas heat, paved driveway, many other features. Phone (807) 468-8770.

For Sale – Miscellaneous

Used Duracell 3000 watt Inverter $150, ProStar30 Charge Controller prewired in the fusebox $100 & main battery cables $100. ($300 for set). Call Pam @ 204-489-6337 or Simon 204-803-0609.

2 Shore station SS1053 manual lift personal water craft lifts. Dock mount, 800 lb capacity. Asking $1000.00 ea. Offers? Jneufeld13@shaw.ca for more info and pictures.

Want to Buy Used set of jib and main sail for a Fireball.

Call 204-233-4285 Laurie MacIntosh Retired couple looking for building lot on LOTW contact Richard at kaletzke@mymts.net

Boats & Motors For Sale Harkin MKIII Jib Reefing & Furling System Unit 0—never been used. With a reputation for being an excellent Furling system, this was originally purchased brand new for a 27’ C&C sailboat; but was never used and is still in the original boxes. The current equivalent system is the MKIV, which retails for approx. $2,600 - $3,000. Originally paid $1,800; now asking only $950. Contact Colleen at 204-8855255, or by email at cgsmith@mymts.net.

1986 Doral 17.4 BowRider, 4.3L Cobra I/O, SunDeck Package, one owner, convertible top, travel cover, Calkin Trailer, stored near LOTW. Asking $6,500. Please call 807-543-2393 or email dmbrueckner@gmail.com Prindle 16 Catamarin Sailboat, Sioux Narrows, JuneSeptember. Hobie type dual hull fiberglas sailboat with main & jib sails.Older, fast sailing comes with many replacement lines and rigging. No trailer $1200.00 larry.yarham@gmail.com.

Spindrift 13 sailboat. Centreboard dinghy built by Vandestadt & McGruer. Fully equipped with mast, boom, centreboard, rudder, tiller, mainsail and jib.

Needs some fiberglass patching. Great fun for just $350.00. (Open to offers.) Call Bob at 204-474-0976.

1956 Lyman 19ft, with 100 H.P. Gray Marine inboard. Boathouse/garage kept. Original condition, runs great. Call 807-466-2578 or for pictures email burchwell@sympatico.ca. $15,500 or best offer.

C&C 24 1978, sails main, jib100 150, Honda 7.5 4 cycle, galley (sink,alcohol stove folding table), head, VHF radio, depth finder, compass,diaphragm bilge pump. Well maintained. 807 543-2018 / gjwise10@gmail.com. Asking price $6500

Want to Rent

Miscellaneous

Road access cottage for two to three weeks in July. Prefer west side of Kenora. No children, pets or houseguests. Just for two persons. elskevin@hotmail.com

LOVE DOGS? It's A Dog's Life needs foster and forever homes for their rescue dogs. Cottagers can help with short or long term fostering or adopting.

Website: adogslife.cc or call 807-467-3647.

Drive-up cabin. Former owner, retired, responsible, clean, quiet N/S seeks modest (senior budget) drive up cabin, canoe & good swimming spot, within 20minutes of Kenora (wifi and tv would be ideal).

No kids, no pets. Flex dates May - Sept.2019 (3mos).

Excellent references. murrace@mymts.net

L.O.W. AREA NEWS

EARLY SPRING 2019

70 Real Estate Listings

Otter Lake

Corkscrew Island, LOTW

Sioux Narrows

$99,900 ($76,018 US)

$144,900

$225,999

Quaint rustic cottage on an approx. 6.4 acre peninsula of titled land on Otter Lake. Approx.

400 ft. of deep water rocky frontage and amazing wetlands. Your own piece of rugged Canadian north awaits.

Shelley Torrie Home & Cottage Realty 807-547-4020 / kenora-realestate.com

Norman Heights Condos

Nine quality constructed, 2-bedroom condos including private balconies or patios with garage parking & additional outside parking. Nestled in the woods walking distance to Winnipeg River and LOTW.

$241k - $345k + HST

Shelley Torrie Home & Cottage Realty

Located outside the Clearwater Bay Restricted Development area. Approx. 10 min out of Kendall Inlet. 0.95 of an acre w/ approx. 152 ft. of rocky shoreline; low profile, amazing eastern views; fantastic beach, good water and privacy.

Duncan Carmichael Real Estate Brokerage 807-467-2323 / lakeofthewoods.net

Long Bay, LOTW

1.37 acres vacant waterfront with 160 feet frontage. Road access.

$259,000

Greg Kirby, Century 21 Northern Choice Realty

807-547-5555 / kenoracottagecountry.com

Beautiful 3.5 acre lot on Black Sturgeon. This cottage was built with the wilderness in mind, creating an authentic private getaway! Built in 1986 but major work was completed in 2003, with continuing improvements over the years.

$525,000

Cabin Country Realty

807-468-3541 / cabincountry.com

Northwoods Realty

807-226-1024 / northwoodsrealtyltd.com

Purfords Island, LOTW

Perfectly situated just south of the Yacht Club and minutes from all conveniences, this vacant lot is approx. 1.98 acres and has 243 ft of frontage. Beautiful trees and good water depths. Hydro, phone and internet are available.

$265,000

Duncan Carmichael Real Estate Brokerage 807-467-2323 / lakeofthewoods.net

807-547-4020 / kenora-realestate.com

Peterson Road, Black Sturgeon

Your getaway in Sioux Narrows - This brand new unit has one bed, one bath and full kitchen above a double garage. Each owner has a dedicated docking space. Located in Au Lac Retreats in the heart of Sioux Narrows

Tooles Island, LOTW

2 Acre Private Island with a very convenient location just 1 minute from downtown Kenora.

1366 sq.ft cottage, double boat port, city water servive (seasonal) and massive white pines!

$699,900

Century 21 Northern Choice Realty

807-547-5555 / kenoracottagecountry.com

Lily Pad Bay, LOTW

An architecturally designed home on a 1.08 acre low profile lot. Inspiring views from every room, this home or cottage offers an open concept main floor and a total of 5 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms; a total living area of 3,084 sq ft.

$1,095,000

Cabin Country Realty

807-468-3541 / cabincountry.com

L.O.W. AREA NEWS

EARLY SPRING 2019

Advertisers' Directory Building & Supply Community & Philanthropy

Contractors

Cottage Maintenance

Docking & Marina Docks

40

McMunn & Yates

1666 Highway 17 W, Keewatin

807-547-3366

mcmunnandyates.com

39

Star Building Materials

16 Speers Road, Winnipeg

204-233-8687

starbuilding.ca/winnipeg

City of Kenora

1 Main Street South, Kenora

807-467-2000

kenora.ca

55

LWDHF

21 Sylvan Street West, Kenora

807-468-9861

lwdhf.com

Inside Back 2

Black Fox Construction

Lot 19, Williams Road, Kenora

807-407-9983

blackfoxconstruction.com

43

Conquest Manufacturing

3077 Road 6 NW, Altona

866-300-0222

conquestbuilt.com

57

DTL Carpentry

Keewatin

204-979-4055

dtlcarpentry.ca

18

LOTW Timber Works

Keewatin

807-543-1817

lotwtimberworksinc@gmail.com

68

Middle Lake Enterprises

Keewatin

807-466-8202

middlelakeenterprises.com

10

REMR Roofing

2053 Hwy 17 E, Kenora

807-548-2811

remrroofing.com

63

Bell's Septic

Kenora

807-468-7251

bellskenora.com

68

Denver's Window Cleaning

30 Deerfield Trail, Steinbach

204-320-1935

denverswindowcleaning.com

68

Keystone Security

1221 Highway 17 W, Keewatin

807-468-7878

keystonelock.ca

63

LOW Septic Barge

Kenora

807-464-3468

septicbarge.ca

68

Mason Plumbing & Heating

West Hawk Lake

204-349-2672

masonplumbing.ca

68

Penta Protective

39 Merit Crescent, West St. Paul

204-992-2603

penta.ca

62

World of Water

712 Lakeview Drive, Kenora

807-468-4338

worldofwateronline.ca

54

LOTW Docking

Kenora

807-467-1644

lotwdocking.ca

52

Docks & Lifts

1940 Highway 17 East, Kenora

807-547-4444

docksandlifts.ca

56

Frank Hickling Sales

204-222-3301

fhsales.ca

Electrical

68

Bob's Electric

225 Main Street North, Kenora

807-468-5915

rbrignall@yahoo.ca

Financial Services

17

RBC Darcy Zaporzan

3100-201 Portage Avenue, Winnipeg

204-982-2635

dzwmg.com

29

Richardson GMP Limited

1 Lombard Place, Winnipeg

204-943-5263

richardsongmp.com

Fireplaces

58

Flame & Comfort

318 Logan Avenue, Winnipeg

204-943-5263

flameandcomfort.com

36

Plantz

1820 Highway 17 W, Kenora

807-547-0005

plantz.ca

46

Sunshine Greenhouse

824 Main Street, Steinbach

204-326-9053

sunshinegreenhouse.ca

68

Garriock Insurance

390 York Avenue, Winnipeg

800-773-7157

garriock.ca

35

The Standard Insurance Brokers

319 Second Street South, Kenora

807-468-3333

thestandardonline.com

Greenhouse Insurance

Legal

Marine Personal Services

8

BD Oakes

387 Broadway Avenue, Winnipeg

204-957-1717

bdoakes.com

41

Brown & Associates

71 Main Street South, Carmen

204-745-2028

brownlawoffice.org

61

Hook Seller Lundin LLP

203-301 First Avenue South, Kenora

807-468-9831

hsllawyers.com

60

Shewchuk, Ormiston, Richardt & Johnson LLP

214 Main Street South, Kenora

807-468-5559

kenoralaw.com

Woodlake Marine

1956 Highway 17 West, Kenora

807-468-2628

woodlakemarine.com

6

WSL Sport & Leisure

832 Lakeview Drive, Kenora

807-468-5975

wslsport.com

31

Lisa Reid Audiology

412 Marion Street, Winnipeg

204-977-6867

lisareid.ca

Cabin Country Realty

138 Main Street South, Kenora

807-468-3541

cabincountry.com

Back Cover

Inside Front Real Estate

Sunrooms

71

21

Century 21

213 First Street South, Kenora

807-468-3747

century21kenora.com

42

Duncan Carmichael Real Estate

625 Lakeview Drive, Kenora

807-467-2323

lakeofthewoods.net

47

Northwoods Realty

5701A Highway 71, Sioux Narrows

807-226-1024

northwoodsrealtyltd.com

30

Shelley Torrie Home & Cottage Realty

721 Beach Road, Kenora

807-547-4020

kenora-realestate.com

13

Suncoast Enclosures

1106 Buchanan Boulevard, Winnipeg

204-292-2173

suncoastenclosures.com

L.O.W. AREA NEWS

EARLY SPRING 2019

72 History

Captain Frank Kendall

by Lori Nelson Steamboat captain, prospector, adventurer, entrepreneur—Frank Kendall was all of those.

Kendall, an American, was in his early thirties when he came to Canada, first settling in Winnipeg for a couple of years before heading east and making his home on the lake that was to claim his heart, feed his sense of adventure, and provide him with a living—Lake of the Woods.

The year was 1883. The lumber industry was well established, gold had been discovered, the leisure prospects of the area had been realized, and the railroad was under construction. At the heart of all these activities was the pioneer settlement of Rat Portage. It was adventurers like Frank Kendall who moved into the community, saw the potential that was there, and declared it home.

Kendall’s business interests were widespread. For a time, Frank, his wife Ressa and his business partner Sam Whiting lived on an inlet southwest of Rat Portage. There they cut timber and tended a market garden, the produce of which was sold to logging camps. In a letter written in 1889, a visitor to the Kendall home described it: Am sitting in a cozy room of a log house about sixty feet long divided up into four compartments. The one in which I am has walls as white as snow. Mrs. Kendall with her lords? help having tacked on both ciling (sic) and sides an old tent and then whitewashed the same. To look on the outside one would hardly know it was a log house it is so covered with vines. The garden is full of flowers of every description and so luxuriantly every thing grows here that we already are eating radishes not yet two weeks in the garden.

their portfolio as well. Sam’s son, Len Whiting, said they would often buy and sell gold claims, always making a good profit because Kendall was a “good promoter”.

The mining industry also Captain Frank Kendall, 1895. benefited from their freighting business which they conducted in two boats, the Rambler built in 1896, followed by the Clipper in 1897. Early Rat Portage resident Agar Fitzgerald recalled: When the Sultana [mine] was running, Captain Kendall used to take a barge load of supplies and dynamite out in the late fall to keep them going till spring. The Captain always tried to keep his boat running longer than the other boats… One fall when the other boats were laid up he took the barge load to the Sultana and the lake froze over and he had to leave the Clipper there all winter. The other boatmen would ask [the Captain] when he thought the Clipper would be back just to tease him.

Their boats were also used for ferrying passengers, setting navigational markers and towing logs to feed the sawmills and tie mills they operated in various locations, including Norman, Clearwater Bay and Sultana Mine. Frank’s only child, Frank Jr., often accompanied his father on his lake trips and by the age of ten was steering the steamboats.

It was on a return trip from Warroad, Minnesota in late August of 1899 with the Clipper towing a laden barge that disaster struck. There was a heavy wind blowing and the waves on the Big Traverse were kicking up a mighty swell. Young Frank, then 25, had left the helm to another to inquire about lunch. How he fell overboard is unknown. A splash was heard and then crew members saw Frank Jr. struggling in the heavy seas. The barge was cut loose and a boat was put off the Clipper to try and rescue the young man, all to no avail. His body was recovered 11 days after the accident.

His father and mother had a home, by this time, on Water Street on the present site of the OPP offices. It was there that Captain Kendall died in his 73rd year in early January of 1923. Mrs. Kendall passed away in 1931.

The 47-foot Rambler, owned by Frank Kendall and Sam Whiting, was used for all sorts of work. They charged $3/day for the boat, a barge, a captain and engineer.

Frank and Sam also engaged in prospecting. The Coppermine in Andrew Bay was opened by Kendall and Whiting in 1896. The same year Whiting discovered the Cornucopia Mine in Shoal Lake and the King Solomon Mine on Allie Island was part of

Their life gives a glimpse into the hard work and the heartache of early settlers. Captain Kendall’s love of the lake, his contribution to the development of the area, and his homesteading are marked by the naming of the inlet where he, Ressa and Sam Whiting first put down roots—Kendall Inlet. AN

Photos courtesy of Lake of the Woods Museum

March 1st - 3rd

Kenora’s Winter Carnival is back again for 2019 and this year we will be hosting a Frozen Fiesta “It’s a Party in the Snow.”

Join us for three days of free family fun!

For more information on tickets, registering for events, or becoming involved, please contact Kenora Tourism at (807) 467-4637.

Snow Sculptures Matiowski Winter Farmers’ Market Evening Entertainment

A Fiesta Themed Party at the Whitecap March 1st Fireworks and much more! *Events subject to change

Don’t miss out... visit kenora.ca to stay updated on the events schedule, registration deadlines and ticket information.

See us at the FEB 28 - MAR 3, 2019 ON-SITE FINANCING AVAILABLE

KENORA - LAKE OF THE WOODS

NEW NON-CURRENTS PRE-TARIFF INVENTORY!

$

2017

59,995

$

185 T-Pro Sport Mercury Verado 175 Eagle Bunk Trailer

$

2017

35,995

$

2016

99,995

2018

36,995

2017

74,995

190LS Reata Merc Verado 175XL Ranger Custom Bunk Tr

2017

20,995

$

2018

30,995

130 Super Sport Mercury 40 PT Karavan Bunk Trailer

$

2017

55,395

150 Super Sport Mercury 60 CT Karavan Bunk Trailer

$

2017

149,995

19 SPX I/O Mercruiser 4.5L MPI Karavan Bunk Trailer

1625 Falcon Mercury 90L EZ Loader Bunk Trailer

$

620FS Fish / Demo Merc Verado 250XL Pro Ranger Custom Bunk Tr

$

205 Competitor Tiller Mercury 115PXS Eagle Bunk Trailer

1825 Warrior SC Mercury 90XL CT EZ Loader Bunk Trailer

$

2017

46,995

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2017

23,995

230 SLX Wake Mercruiser V-Drive 6.2L Custom Bunk Trailer

$

2018

40,695

Tiller 17’ Side Console Mercury 50PT No Trailer

Mink 18’ DC Mercury 90L No Trailer

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