LOW Area News - Summer 2021

Volume 51

Number 3

Summer 2021

LISTINGS

•

M A R K E T E VA L U AT I O N S

•

B U Y E R R E P R E S E N TAT I O N

SELLER’S MARKET! With limited inventory, and increasing demand, we’re now in seller’s market territory.

We have seen a steady increase in demand for rural, residential and recreational real estate - places are selling FAST. If you’ve been on the fence about selling, now could be the right time. There are buyers looking for a property just like yours. Give one of our Realtors a call for a no obligation and confidential opinion of market value and see for yourself how the market has changed.

138 MAIN ST S, KENORA, ONTARIO toll free

1.800.528.8848

INFO@CABINCOUNTRY.COM WWW.CABINCOUNTRY.COM

SOLD IN 7 DAYS

LOT 9, 1+2 THOMPSON ISLAND | LOTW | $349,000

GRAHAM CHAZE

CHRISTOPHER CLARK

DUSTIN SHORE

DOUG ARMSTRONG

broker of record

broker

broker

salesperson

807.407.5253 graham@cabincountry.com

807.466.8819 chris@cabincountry.com

807.407.3211 dustin@cabincountry.com

204.955.5080 doug@cabincountry.com

SOLD IN 3 DAYS

LOT 5 BEAR PAW TRAIL | LOTW | $1,695,000

SOLD IN 6 DAYS

ISLAND 272PA PINE PORTAGE BAY | LOTW | $524,000

In this issue 3

Cover photo by Wanda Kabel

LOWDSA

President's Message 3 Executive Director's Note 5 Our Contributors 7 Advocating for our seasonal residents 9

68

Government Notes 12 Mark Your Calendars 17

Living

Treading wisely: Linking human health and the environment 68

A busy summer ahead for LOWDSA’s Environment Program Coordinator and LakeSmart Team 18

Member recipe: Barbecue pizza—a labour of love 70

LakeSmart gears up for summer 2021 21

Notes from Razberry Lane: The nitty gritty of dirt 72

LOWDSA's Mobile Boat Wash Station— protecting our lakes against invasive species 24

FireSmart: Protect your home & cottage from wildfire 73

Boater’s etiquette—be a good neighbour on the water 26

48

Boating safely into the night

by Duncan McEwen

Summer reading recommendations from The Muse 74

30

52

The fish of 10,000 casts

by John Hayes

76

In the District

What's happening: Northern Ontario Sportfishing Centre brings regional Fish Tales to life 30 What's happening: Lasting impressions— 60 years of the Sioux Narrows Arts Festival 33 Water levels: Water levels on track for summer 2021 36 Nibi Declaration 38

43

Longing for the Lake

by Leanne Fournier

55

Environment

The aliens next door

by Jacob Rodenburg & Drew Monkman

78

Services

New research into plastics and antidepressants, new protocols at IISD-ELA this summer 55

Real Estate Listings 78

LOWWSF: Despite COVID-19, progress towards a plan for Lake of the Woods continues 56

Home & Cottage Services 82

LOWWSF: Phosphorus concentrations and phosphorus loads—what’s the difference? 58 Reducing our footprint in cottage country: blue-green algae 61

Classifieds 81

Advertisers’ Directory 83

84

History of the Vernon Nature Trails by Lori Nelson

Stuck on you 66

Lake of the Woods District Stewardship Association LOWDSA

1

BUILDING DREAM S

President's Message CHRIS SEMENCHUK Summer has arrived, but it started off looking very different for many of us this year.

As a Manitoba resident, I recall the day the Ontario government made the announcement that travel from Manitoba or Quebec into Ontario would be restricted. My first thoughts were, "So does that mean we can't travel to our lake home that we spend literally every weekend at 12 months a year?! This can't be so?!" But yes, that is Chris Semenchuk the reality that many of us have been living in.

The Ontario stay-at-home order and Manitoba-Ontario border restrictions extended through the May long weekend, which is the traditional "cottage opening" weekend of the year. I've heard from some members this was the first long weekend they were not at the lake in their whole life—unheard of! Good thing Mother Nature delivered a cool and rainy weather forecast through the long weekend that might have softened the blow… just a little bit?!

The thought of a "new normal" is challenging, especially during this second year of COVID-19. While we recognize that keeping ourselves, our families, and our friends safe is the reason for the public health restrictions, it can still be difficult to accept.

On pages 9 and 10, you’ll see letters sent by LOWDSA to Premier Ford and Prime Minster Trudeau. We emphasized the impact that the border closures are having on our members and specifically requested an exemption to the current cross border guidelines to allow the same privileges of accessing secondary residences that Ontarians now have since the stay-at-home orders were lifted.

My thoughts continue to go out to our U.S. members who have been unable to travel to their lake homes for well over a year.

We want to acknowledge you as well as our Manitoba and even some of our international LOWDSA members who haven't been able to experience lake life as you normally would. We thank those who have shared stories of how you are coping and what you have missed about being at the lake. Be sure to check out some of these member stories on page 43.

The LOWDSA staff and directors are hard at work and abiding by the stay-at-home orders, working virtually via Zoom. We remain very busy preparing for the summer, which includes getting our LakeSmart team underway to deliver environmental programs either virtually, or as we typically do, out on the lake making dock visits. Our team is also preparing to create LOWDSA's 60th Anniversary video to capture moments on and around the Lake of the Woods region.

Given the quick transition from winter to spring, and current COVID-19 restrictions, we haven't started filming, but plan to get that underway as soon as it's safe to do so.

As we outlined at the AGM, we plan to transfer funds from the Environmental Initiatives & Special Projects (EISP) Fund to support our Summer 2021 programs, including LakeSmart, the Mobile Boat Wash Station, and Zebra Mussel Monitoring program. We continue to seek government sponsorships and appreciate the ongoing support from our sponsors. Still, we encourage LOWDSA members to contribute to this fund so that we can continue providing the programs and services you have come to expect from us each year. You can do this when you renew your membership or at lowdsa.com/campaigns/eisp any time. We appreciate your support!

Thanks to everyone who has renewed their membership as well as those who recently joined LOWDSA. Please ensure your contact information, including your email is up to date so we can keep you informed of happenings at the lake via eNews, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, TikTok and of course, through the Area News.

In a normal year, at this point in time, we would be looking forward to meeting our LOWDSA members face-to-face on the lake, at our summer meetings, or other regional gatherings.

While that won’t be possible for a while yet, we are convinced that brighter days are ahead.

I hope you and your families will continue to stay safe and healthy. I think I can speak for all LOWDSA directors and members who share the belief that being at the lake is a big part of getting back to normal.

I sincerely look forward to the time when we can all resume our travels and be back at our lake homes.

Lake of the Woods District Stewardship Association LOWDSA

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Executive Director's Note PATRICK PAULO Where has the time gone? It feels like it was 'only yesterday' that snow was melting, and signs of spring were beginning to make way for summer. In the blink of an eye, we are heading into summer, another edition of Area News magazine is on the books, and we are fully immersed in rolling out LOWDSA’s summer plans.

In the last issue of Area News, I mentioned that this summer would mark another season Patrick Paulo of continued adaptability for LOWDSA to meet the challenges that the pandemic presents. Our staff and team are working around the clock to stay up to date and share the best information available in response to the many phone calls, emails, and messages on our social media we are receiving about the uncertainties the coronavirus has presented.

For our members, this means seeing LOWDSA's current and existing programs in a new or enhanced format. While many challenges regarding the COVID-19 restrictions are less than ideal (to say the least), your Board of Directors continues to work to adapt our traditional plans into well-thought-out programs that meet the recommended guidelines or opportunities that come this year. Whether it's expanding our current programs, cancelling or rescheduling our plans, or creating new opportunities, we will continue to serve our members and the larger community by providing leadership, education, and communication on issues affecting the Lake of the Woods region.

With the weather getting warmer and the days getting longer, this summer will be our most ambitious yet. With our Environment Program Coordinator leading the way for our summer programming, the calendar is filling up. Having expanded environmental capacity means we look forward to launching our Mobile Boat Wash Station, Zebra Mussel Monitoring program, Seedling Day, virtual dock visits, and webinars.

As always, we encourage you to reach out if you have any ideas, suggestions, or requests for our LakeSmart team. Let us know what is happening on your lake, and we will do our best to make it work. You can contact us at info@lowdsa.com with any questions or suggestions about something you see in the Area News or are just interested in learning.

While it may be an oh-so-familiar message to our members, we continue to be impacted by the ever-changing COVID-19 restrictions. We empathize with our members who have been affected by both the Manitoba-Ontario and U.S.-Canada border restrictions. The coronavirus has significantly changed the way we have been living our lives—for everyone and particularly for those who have been unable to visit their summer homes. I take this moment to say that we sincerely hope to see you soon.

As we enter our second COVID-19 summer, we wish you safety and good health. Whether it be in person or virtually, we hope that your summer is filled with sun, fun, happiness, and better days ahead.

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

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DISTRIBUTION & MEMBERSHIP

Wake Marketing Inc. 140 Main St. S., Kenora, ON P9N 1S9 Phone: (807) 407-7252

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.

Publisher: Mike Greaves, mike@areanewsmagazine.ca Editor: Leanne Fournier, editor@areanewsmagazine.ca Art Director: Shayla Smith, shayla@wakemarketing.ca Design & Layout: Mike Newton, Ashley Pereira Advertising: Deb Polakoff, deb@areanewsmagazine.ca

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© 2021 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.

Lake of the Woods District Stewardship Association LOWDSA

5

“Dedicated to Lakefront Property”

Ian Carmichael Broker of Record

office 807-467-2323 cell 807-466-2236

lakeofthewoods.net info@lakeofthewoods.net

THINKING OF SELLING YOUR WATERFRONT PROPERTY? CALL ME DIRECTLY FOR ASSISTANCE AND QUALIFIED EXPERIENCE AT 807-466-2236.

2.29 ac, log cottage, double boathouse with sleeping quarters

Private Island $729,000

2.5 ac island with 2600’ of shoreline, 800 sq ft cottage, sand beach

Private Island $575,000

30 acres with 2200’ of shoreline Set up to enjoy!

Winnipeg River $299,000

Multiple spectacular building lots offering large frontages and acreages with beaches, protected coves, deep water shorelines and long views; surrounded largely by Crown lands and excellent fishing all 4 seasons.

Five Point Island Subdivision Call for Pricing

OFFER PENDING

Private Point $2,950,000

ACCEPTED AGREEMENT

Corkscrew Island $325,000

SOLD

Storm Bay Road $775,000

ACCEPTED AGREEMENT

Lot 7 Five Point Island $219,000 + HST

SOLD

Winnipeg River $495,000

SOLD

Cache Lake $165,500

Our Contributors Sharon Gurney fell in love with the Lake of the Woods region after buying a cottage on Granite Lake in 1993.

She worked for much of her career as a Water Quality Specialist for the Province of Manitoba, and now works part-time as an Environmental Consultant. Sharon served as a Board Member with LOWDSA and on the Association’s Environment Committee. She is actively involved with the Canadian Water Resources Association, and Dyslexia Champions of Manitoba (which she founded).

Sharon spends her leisure time at the cottage, hiking, cross-country skiing, kayaking, paddle-boarding, growing and cooking food and entertaining family and friends.

Sumeep Bath Bev Clark Barry Corbett Leanne Fournier John Hayes Lucas King Patrick Paulo Cassidy Mazur

Heather Gropp has been visiting the Lake of the Woods Region for her entire life, and was thrilled to make it her permanent home nearly 12 years ago. After having lived in many different regions of Canada, Heather has always felt most at home in Northwestern Ontario. She loves to explore its unprecedented beauty through hiking, kayaking, and boating with her young family. In her role at the Community Development Office for the Township of Sioux NarrowsNestor Falls, Heather works to support small business, and to grow and develop opportunities for the community with a focus on tourism.

Duncan McEwen is a full time 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.

Drew Monkman The Muse Lori Nelson Jeff Polakoff Henry & Anita Rasmussen Rosemary Robertson Jacob Rodenburg Todd Sellers

LAKE OF THE WOODS DISTRICT STEWARDSHIP ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT Christine Semenchuk, Bigstone Bay

CHAIR, GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS Don Parfitt, Winnipeg River

VICE PRESIDENT Garth Collier, Schnarr Lake

CO-CHAIRS, ENVIRONMENT Lucas King, Woodchuck Bay Chelsea Lobson, Kendall Inlet

PAST PRESIDENT, CHAIR, MEMBERSHIP Hardy Bock, Black Sturgeon TREASURERS Carley Fyke, Welcome Channel Jeff Rempel, Pine Portage Bay

DIRECTORS AT LARGE Dave Christie, Granite Lake Jackie Lowe, Gun Club Island Trevor Templeton, Minaki Adam Blake, Corkscrew Island

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Patrick Paulo 807-407-9182 patrick@lowdsa.com ASSIST. EXEC. DIRECTOR Shelley Bujold (807) 468-8715 shelley@lowdsa.com ENVIRONMENT PROGRAM COORDINATOR INTERN Cassidy Mazur 807-444-5176 cassidy@lowdsa.com

P.O. Box 1160 Kenora, ON P9N 3X7 EMAIL info@lowdsa.com

M LOWDSAssoc N LOWDSAssoc P LOWDSA V Lake of the Woods District Stewardship Association S LOWDSA LOWDSA TOLL-FREE 1-888-265-9784 PHONE (807) 468-8715

Lake of the Woods District Stewardship Association LOWDSA

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RBC Dominion Securities Inc.

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The Darcy Zaporzan Wealth Management Group of RBC Dominion Securities www.dzwmg.com

The DARCY

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of RBC Dominion Securities RBC Dominion Securities Inc.* and Royal Bank of Canada are separate corporate entities which are affiliated. *Member-Canadian Investor Protection Fund. RBC Dominion Securities Inc. is a member company of RBC Wealth Management, a business segment of Royal Bank of Canada. ® / ™ Trademark(s) of Royal Bank of Canada. Used under licence. ©2019 RBC Dominion Securities Inc. All rights reserved. 19_90783_N4D_001

Advocating for our seasonal residents President Chris Semenchuk wrote to Premier Doug Ford, Minister of Provincial Parliament Greg Rickford and copied Premier Brian Pallister in a letter on behalf of our members. Another letter was also written to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Now that the health order has changed, it was a responsible time to write such letters to advocate for our members to visit their secondary properties in Ontario. As a member of the Federation of Ontario Cottagers' Association (FOCA), we also have the backing of our province wide arm. Terry Rees, president of FOCA, wrote a very well written letter outlining the same concerns about allowing cottagers to go to their properties. It is also included and very much worth reading. We are also working on behalf of our American members and letters are being drafted at the moment with a focus on ensuring we deliver our message to exactly the right people.

Lake of the Woods District Stewardship Association P.O. Box 1160 Kenora, ON P9N 3X7 807-468-8715 TF 888-265-9784 info@lowdsa.com www.lowdsa.com

Premier Doug Ford Room 281 - Legislative Building, Queen’s Park Toronto ON M7A 1A1

Honorable Greg Rickford, MPP 300 McClellan Avenue East Kenora ON P9N 1A8

By Email Re: Exemption to Cross Border travel Dear Premier Ford and Minister Rickford: The Lake of the Woods District Stewardship Association (LOWDSA) is a not-for-profit organization representing approximately 2500 members. The area we serve on behalf of our members covers an area from the Manitoba/Ontario border to approximately a 100 km radius around Kenora, Ontario. The majority of our members have their primary residence outside of Ontario, mostly in Manitoba, with a number also having their primary residence in the United States.

One of our purposes is to speak with a collective voice on topics that impact our members. With the current closure at the Manitoba/Ontario Border, as well as closure to and from the US for non-essential travel, the majority of our members have not been able to access their secondary residences in the Lake of the Woods area. As you can imagine, LOWDSA continues to receive daily inquiries from our members requesting we advocate on their behalf to request an exemption to out of province property owners to gain access to their secondary residences in our defined geographic area.

To-date, LOWDSA has communicated the guidelines provided

by Linda Nelson in the Kenora Constituency Office of MPP Greg Rickford that have been established by the Ontario Government given that the entire province was mandated to a "stay at home" directive. As you are aware, this "stay at home" directive has been lifted as of June 2nd, 2021. As now stated in the updated guidelines, "Ontarians will be able to leave home to travel within the province to a secondary residence for any reason, however, they are not permitted to host members of another household indoors except for a person from another household who lives alone or a caregiver."

LOWDSA, on behalf of our members is requesting an exemption to the current cross border guidelines to allow

the same privileges of accessing their secondary residences that Ontarians now have. If granted our members would be expected to adhere to the similar guidelines as would be expected of Ontarians. Namely: 1. Travel directly to your secondary residence, bringing in your own supplies vs. using local establishments.

2. Once at your secondary residence, you are not permitted to host members of another household indoors except for a person from another household who lives alone or a caregiver.

3. For our members who have their primary residence in Manitoba, a stated guideline in the Manitoba public health orders that our members would also be encouraged to follow. "Because cottagers or those owning a second property either in or outside the province are exempt, they do not need to self-isolate upon return to Manitoba.

Cottagers should take a "leave no trace" approach and not interact with anyone on the way to or from their cottage while at their cottage".

LOWDSA is confident you will give our request serious consideration. We would be pleased to have further dialogue with your or your representatives if required. Thank you for attention to this matter.

Sincerely,

Christine Semenchuk, President Lake of the Woods Stewardship Association cc Premier Brian Pallister, Province of Manitoba

Lake of the Woods District Stewardship Association LOWDSA

9

Lake of the Woods District Stewardship Association P.O. Box 1160 Kenora, ON P9N 3X7 807-468-8715 TF 888-265-9784 info@lowdsa.com www.lowdsa.com

June 11, 2021 The Right Honourable Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister The Honourable Chrystia Freeland, Deputy Prime Minister The Honourable William Blair, Minister of Public Safety The Honourable Patty Hadju, Minister of Health By email Re: Exemption to US Canada Cross Border travel for Ontario Property Owners Dear Prime Minister Trudeau, Minister Freeland, Minister Blair and Minister Hadju: The Lake of the Wood District Stewardship Association (LOWDSA) is a not-for-profit organization representing approximately 2500 members. The area we serve on behalf of our members covers an area from the Manitoba/Ontario border to approximately a 100 km radius around Kenora, Ontario. The majority of our members have their primary residence outside of Ontario, mostly in Manitoba, but a significant number have their primary residence in the United States.

One of our purposes is to speak with a collective voice on topics that impact our members. With the current closure to and from the US for non-essential travel, the majority of our US based members have not been able to access their secondary residences in the Lake of the Woods area for well over a year. As you can imagine, LOWDSA continues to receive inquiries from our US members requesting we advocate on their behalf to request an exemption to out of country property owners to gain access to their secondary residences on which they pay Ontario property taxes.

Many of these properties are in remote locations in the LOTW area, with some situated on privately owned islands.

Since these US members have been through two winter seasons, they are anxious to attend to their residences to check on possible damage from vandalism, storms, forest fires, high/low water, animals and address regular maintenance needed for their properties and structures.

We are encouraged the Federal Government has introduced a plan related to the Canada US border that will no longer require Canadian citizens or permanent residents to selfisolate for 14 days upon arrival to Canada, in addition to other required conditions. We appreciate the Canada US border re-opening will occur in stages, with further steps yet to be announced and implemented. However, in our opinion, the plan announced this week fails to recognize the need for fully vaccinated US residents who are property owners in Ontario to travel to their secondary residences.

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LOWDSA Lake of the Woods Area News Summer 2021

Having said that, LOWDSA, on behalf of our members, is requesting the government act now to enable these individuals to attend to their residences as you continue formulating the further stages of the Canada/US border re-opening plan. Of course, they would be required to follow the Ontario public health orders including self-isolating upon arrival and following all Ontario health orders that are in effect to protect themselves and the community at large.

We might add that we received and acknowledged the letter dated June 2, 2021 from Mr. Terry Rees of the Federation of Ontario Cottagers’ Association (FOCA) and fully support their position. Both FOCA and LOWDSA organizations are aligned on the need to provide our US members with assurances they will be able to travel to their secondary residences in Ontario.

In closing, LOWDSA is confident you will give our request serious consideration. We would be pleased to have further dialogue with you or your representatives at any time if required. Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Sincerely,

Christine Semenchuk, President Lake of the Woods Stewardship Association cc Member of Parliament, Eric Melillo, Kenora Ontario Premier Doug Ford, Province of Ontario Honourable Greg Rickford, MPP, Province of Ontario Mayor Dan Reynard, City of Kenora Terry Rees, Executive Director, Federation of Ontario Cottagers’ Association

#201 - 159 King St., Peterborough ON K9J 2R1 705-749-3622 info@foca.on.ca

June 3, 2021 Premier Doug Ford Room 281 - Legislative Building, Queen's Park Toronto, ON M7A 1A1 By email Re: Easing of interprovincial border restrictions Dear Premier Ford, We write today to ascertain the timing or the criteria that the Province of Ontario will use to allow cross-border travel for residents of other provinces who own residential property in Ontario.

reasonable and justified. These individuals will be travelling by car, can easily bring sufficient supplies to self-isolate, and their properties are remote.

Non-Ontario Canadian residents who are residential property owners and taxpayers in Ontario have been unable to access their properties during the lockdown, due to the closures at the Ontario border. Most are seasonal residents of Ontario who come to summer homes, mainly in the months of May through September.

A great number of property owners in rural and northern Ontario are residents of other provinces, notably from neighbouring Manitoba and Quebec. These longstanding seasonal residents are vital to the local economies and to the character of our lake and river communities.

We note that a number of local politicians, business leaders and others across Ontario are calling for a plan for a reopening of the Ontario border.

We encourage the Government of Ontario to articulate a path forward to more normalized border operations, in concert with public health and other officials in Canada and begin to put in place the protocols to ensure such entrants to Ontario do so safely. This would be consistent with the end of the provincial stay at home order on June 2.

On behalf of our many members from outside of Ontario, we respectfully request your timely response as to what criteria you plan to use to eventually allow border access into Ontario for these individuals, and what if any measures will be requisite for such access upon the reopening of the border. Our members and their immediate families are understandably anxious to get to their properties, check them for winter damage, and carry out any repairs and maintenance that may be needed. They need not widely circulate in our communities, and accordingly, they pose significantly different risks than tourists or day shoppers.

While we appreciate that the intent of banning non-essential travel is to lessen the spread potential of COVID-19 and its variants, there will be a time when allowing owners of properties in Ontario to access their properties will be

FOCA appreciates and agrees that Ontario’s pandemic policy should be guided primarily by health and safety concerns.

FOCA has been supportive of the public health measures that protect community health but with vaccinations now covering a significant part of the Canadian population, some benefit should accrue to those who have done their part to address this virus head on. We are hopeful that, as dictated by a lessening of the public health threat, we can look forward to the reopening of Ontario’s borders with our neighbouring provinces. We should note that our non-Ontario seasonal residents are not just taxpayers, but (some, for generations) have been active contributors to the economic, cultural, historical and environmental life of rural and northern Ontario.

We appreciate all your efforts to keep us safe and hope that as we begin to emerge from this crisis, a measured and thoughtful plan of reopening will include provisions for lower risk travelers to Ontario.

Many thanks for your consideration, and we look forward to your response and an action plan at your earliest opportunity.

Sincerely,

Terry Rees, Executive Director On behalf of Federation of Ontario Cottagers’ Associations, Inc. FOCA is an Ontario association of over 500 community groups and represent the interests of the 250,000+ waterfront landowners who collectively contribute over $800 million each year in property taxes, and who collectively own 15,000 kilometres of freshwater shorelines and 50,000 hectares of environmentally important lands.

Lake of the Woods District Stewardship Association LOWDSA

11

Government Notes

BY PATRICK PAULO

FEDERAL/PROVINCIAL

COVID-19 updates and travel restrictions We continue to monitor COVID-19 announcements and updates from all levels of government that have particular relevance to our members who travel to and from the Lake of the Woods district. At the time of writing, COVID-19 regulations, restrictions, and recommendations strongly advise against non-essential travel and the Ontario government also enforced stricter measures including provincial border checkpoints with Quebec and Manitoba, with exceptions for essential travel until at least June 16.

As changes are occurring on a daily basis from provincially and federally, we continue to recommend the official websites hosted by the governments of Manitoba, Ontario and Canada and the Northwestern Health Unit (Ontario) as your best source for current and accurate information. We have posted links to each website at lowdsa.com/articles/covid-19-regulations-update.

To learn further details about the restrictions for travel from Manitoba or Quebec into Ontario, please visit ontario.ca/page/emergency-information.

DoKURA working for access to dependable high speed internet for all residents The District of Kenora Unincorporated Areas Ratepayers Association (DoKURA) is continuing their efforts to help ensure access to high-speed internet at reasonable installation cost and monthly rates comparable to other jurisdictions for residents in their catchment.

At the time of writing, there have been no updates to report.

To share your views, concerns or questions, you can email DoKURA at dokuraorg@gmail.com.

Navigation aids review Several years ago, a committee led by your Association, performed a chart-bychart review of the navigation aids on the lake, which resulted in the charts our membership and beyond use today.

Since this publication, there has been several updates leading to LOWDSA forming a Navigational Aid Review Committee. The committee intends to meet this summer for a discussion with Coast Guard officials.

The purpose of this note is to ask our members, who may have a concern about an un-marked hazard in their corner of their lake, to take a moment and detail your concerns. Please send your feedback and suggestions to LOWDSA’s Executive Director, Patrick Paulo by emailing info@ lowdsa.com. All suggestions and notes will be brought to the attention of the committee. All approved updates will be sent via eNews.

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LOWDSA Lake of the Woods Area News Summer 2021

PROVINCIAL

Nuclear waste selection site The Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) has narrowed their search for a site to host long-term underground storage of nuclear waste to two locations, including the town of Ignace. Currently, the NWMO is undertaking more intense geophysical surveys, environmental surveys, geological mapping, and other intensive fieldwork to determine the suitability of the area. This next phase also includes engagement for the community and surrounding municipalities to explore interest in the community and area while continuing to build awareness and understanding of the project.

This phase is expected to take one to two years, and we don’t expect to see any major updates in the near future, but of course, we will share updates and study results as they become available.

Site selection is projected to occur in 2023, which will be followed by confirming acceptance by the host. For more details on this project, visit NWMO.ca or email contactus@nwmo.ca.

Lake of the Woods Fisheries Advisory Council (FAC) John Waterer, LOWDSA’s representative on the Fisheries Advisory Council, reported that the council continues to meet regularly.

The council is reviewing the impact of various limit options (size and number) as well as the use of live holding devices. It was also reported that live holding devices (live wells or stringers) can allow anglers to upgrade fish when there are slot limits. The concern is that mortality of fish held in a live well or stringer is much higher than if released at the time of catching.

The FAC reported that there have also been questions regarding what the impact of two “COVID-19” seasons would have on the fishery with the reduced angling.

Although, no recommendations have been made to date, LOWDSA will report any further updates from the Fisheries Advisory Council, in our eNews communications or the next issue of Area News.

Four-laning Highway 17 There are no official updates related to this project on its website at 4lanehighway17kenora.ca. Comments, suggestions or questions for the Ministry and consultant, or your request to be added to the study mailing list, can be emailed to projectteam@4LaneHighway17Kenora.ca.

Full contact information including mailing addresses are available on the website.

Lake of the Woods District Stewardship Association LOWDSA

13

FORESTRY AND FOREST MANAGEMENT Slash Pile Burning: Burn plans will be submitted in July. This year’s burn plan program has kept up with the harvest and went fairly well. The hardwood piles went much better after being left to dry for an extra year. Burning of slash will continue this fall if conditions are favourable.

Roads: New construction will be limited. The Witch Bay/Loon Lake Road will get approximately another km added to it and a new water crossing. The Lost Lake Road where it comes off the rail bed towards the west towards Crow Lake will continue this year. Operational roads will be added as required. Similar to the Kenora Forest, there is no major maintenance planned.

Compliance/Monitoring: Miisun will conduct compliance inspections, and MNRF will do follow up as well.

The Whiskey Jack Forest Management is entering Stage Three

Whiskey Jack Forest Harvesting Plan

which is the public consultation stage.

In the forestry area known as the Whiskey Jack Forest, the harvest areas identified in the Annual Work Schedule, are either south of Kenora and north of Sioux Narrows or along the 105 corridor on the way to Sioux Narrows. There will be some blocks at Witch Bay and Ord Road. The planned tree plant is 810,780 trees, bringing the total of both the Kenora and Whiskey Jack forests to just over one million trees.

For more information on Whiskey Jack Forest Management operations, contact Kaitlin Moncrief, Regional Forester at the MNRF, kaitlin.moncrief@ontario.ca.

Review of Draft Kenora 2022 - 2032 Forest Management Plan

Ash Emerald are s r Bore at! a thre

a’s trees. b o it n a M t c e t ro P

od. o w e ir f e v o m ’t n o DF FOREST IN SPREAD HE

Invasive species threaten Manitoba’s trees.

The emerald ash borer and other insects live in firewood. When firewood is moved between locations, so are the insects.

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One log can kill a million trees.

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T LOWDSA Lake of the Woods Area News Summer 2021 F O R E S E C IE S SP

The Planning Process takes approximately three years to complete. During this time, five formal opportunities for public consultation and First Nation and Métis community involvement and consultation are provided. The third opportunity (Stage Three) for this FMP occurred on January 27, 2021 when the public was invited to review and comment on proposed operations for the ten-year period of the FMP. This 'Stage Four' notice is to invite you to: • Review and comment on the draft FMP; and

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The Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF), Miisun Integrated Resource Management Co. (Miisun) and the Kenora Local Citizens' Advisory Committee (LCAC) invite you to review and comment on the 2022 – 2032 Draft Forest Management Plan (FMP) for the Kenora Forest.

• Contribute to the background information Comments from the public will be considered in revisions to the Draft FMP.

How to get involved The Draft FMP, including supplementary documentation, the Draft FMP summary and the current versions of the information and maps can be made available by contacting the Miisun Integrated Resource Management Co. (Miisun). If you require more information, please contact Kurt Pochailo, R.P.F. at 807-467-3351.

Many cottage groups have been able to successfully negotiate changes in the proposed plan in specific areas. The following are examples where stakeholders have successfully negotiated changes in discussions with the MNRF: • Contingency blocks (added or changed based on area specifications) • Access concerns, including how and where equipment accesses harvest zones

Comments on the Draft FMP for the Kenora Forest must be received by Kyle Myschowoda of the planning team at kyle.myschowoda@ontario.ca, by September 3, 2021.

• Reduced visibility of harvest from road and private property

During the planning process there is an opportunity to make a written request to seek resolution of issues with the MNRF District Manager or the Regional Director using a process described in the 2020 Forest Management Planning Manual (Part A, Section 2.4.1).

• Replanting for species diversification

• Timing restrictions to mitigate noise and safety concerns (winter or offseason) • Access road decommissioning (removing culverts, crossings, replanting) • Identification/protection of important ecological/ cultural areas

The last possible date to seek issue resolution with the MNRF Regional Director is September 18, 2021.

For more information on forestry plans and processes, contact Kyle Myschowoda, Management Forester at the MNRF at: kyle.myschowoda@ontario.ca

Stay involved Further information on how to get involved in forest management planning and to better understand the stages of public consultation please visit the following link: ontario.ca/document/participate-forestmanagement-ontario/ how-get-involved-forest-management.

For Kenora Forest Management operations, contact Kurt Pochailo, Management Forester, Miisun Integrated Resource Management Company at: kurt.pochailo@miisun.ca an

Kenora Forest: Stage Four, Final Planning Review The Kenora Forest Management Plan is currently in the final planning review stage (Stage four) of the planning process.

LOWDSA is represented by director and vice president, Garth Collier, who sits on the MNRF Local Citizen Committee.

LOWDSA’s role on the committee is to support and facilitate dialogue between the community, stakeholders and Ministry representatives.

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Mark Your Calendars LOWDSA’s summer calendar has been laid out below, but it is of course subject to change dependent the status of COVID-19. We will notify members of any changes and final decisions on events with as much advance notice as is possible. Any changes and updates will be posted on our website and social media platforms, but we will also send out eNews updates. Make sure we have your email address so that we can provide you with those updates.

JUL

13 23 AUG 25

IISD-ELA Virtual Programming 4 p.m.

Algal Blooms: Phosphorus' impact on the health of our lakes with Mike Paterson, Senior Research Scientist, IISD-ELA

JUN

— TO —

LakeSmart Team & LOWDSA at Matiowski Farmers’ Market

Whitecap Pavilion, Kenora Subject to change; look for us in the Pavilion or close by on the harbourfront, 8:30 a.m. – 2 p.m. every Wednesday.

JUL

1

LakeSmart Team & LOWDSA at Matiowski Farmers’ Market Whitecap Pavilion, Kenora Subject to change; Look for us in the Pavilion or close by on the harbourfront, 10 a.m.– 4 p.m.

AUG

7

Free Metal Waste Collection Day Pye's Landing, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Get all the metal junk out of your yard, shed, garage and surrounding bush. Drop off by truck or boat. Volunteers will be on hand to help unload.

EMAIL info@lowdsa.com M N LOWDSAssoc P S LOWDSA TOLL-FREE 1-888-265-9784

Lake of the Woods District Stewardship Association LOWDSA

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A busy summer ahead for LOWDSA’s Environment Program Coordinator and LakeSmart Team

BY CASSIDY MAZUR, ENVIRONMENT PROGRAM COORDINATOR, LOWDSA It feels like just yesterday that planning the summer felt hypothetical. It has been an incredible six months as part of LOWDSA's growth this year, and I am so excited to share what I have been up to so far. On a personal note, it has been a pleasure to be working and living in the community. I have to admit, on my way from Winnipeg to my family cabin in Nestor Falls, we usually took the bypass. Getting to know the area and community here has been really special, and I am enjoying becoming part of the LOWDSA community.

As far as changes and growth go, I think this summer is shaping up to be one of our most active yet! I'm not surprised. We added my new position as a full-time Environment Program Coordinator and a fourth LakeSmart team member. Two of our LakeSmart team members returned from last year, and they started a month earlier than ever before.

Summer planning has many uncertainties surrounding inperson events, and we hope to be able to see people face-to-face soon. In the meantime, we dove into virtual programming this year. We have already set up a number of virtual events!

In mid-June, we held our Pollution Awareness Week, which

The team of volunteers at the Lake of the Woods Brewing Company’s tree planting event head towards the planting equipment to get set up for the day.

kicked off with discussions with our sponsor LOTW Septic Barge on shoreline health and septics. We held a virtual shoreline cleanup, and capped off the week with a webinar focused on new research by our neighbours at IISD-Experimental Lakes Area on microplastics in freshwater.

This summer has a key focus on invasive species; at the forefront of our efforts is the launch of LOWDSA's Mobile Boat Wash Station. Hand-in-hand with that is our upcoming workshop on aquatic invasive species and our new citizen science program for zebra mussel monitoring, which will distribute settlement samplers in the community. We are also planning community control days for invasive plants, are hosting a second webinar with IISD-ELA focused on algal blooms and nutrients, and our team will be out in the community stencilling storm drains.

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LOWDSA Lake of the Woods Area News Summer 2021

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We are also busy producing online resources like a virtual dock-kit, activity sheets, and posting on our social media platforms—especially on our new TikTok page! With our ever-evolving plans due to the nature of this year, I encourage you to follow along on social media for the latest updates, relevant environmental information, and to get to know our team.

Amongst our team, we have been talking about how having an Environment Program Coordinator allows LOWDSA to follow through with ideas the Association has had for a long time and explore and create new endeavours. I am eager to carry on taking advantage of this opportunity to expand LOWDSA's programming and resources.

I am anticipating a very successful summer, equipped with a fantastic team and big ideas. The less visible behind-the-scenes work I'm doing is setting us up for future success. This includes laying out strategic plans, organizing information and resources, applying for grants, and continuing to network and grow our community.

In the coming months, I am looking forward to continuing to get to know LOWDSA's community, our members, partners and discussing environmental topics with anyone willing to chat with me. I am already delighted with my experiences. The other day, I portaged my kayak down the sidewalk to go for a paddle—which I expected to get me some strange looks—and was greeted with children wishing me well on my trip. It's a wonderful community to be a part of and I look forward to sharing experiences with everyone throughout the rest of the year.

Top: LOWDSA’s Environment Program Coordinator, Cassidy Mazur, fills a tree planting bag designed to fit hundreds of seedlings before setting out to plant.

Bottom: Our LakeSmart team geared up and ready to go! Abbi Friesen equipped with a specialized narrow-bladed tree planting shovel, gloves, her LakeSmart uniform, and a planting bag stocked with red pine seedlings.

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Lake of the Woods District Stewardship Association LOWDSA

19

LakeSmart gears up for summer 2021 The LakeSmart team is getting ready for the eleventh season of our award-winning, environmental stewardship program. We have to say, this summer is looking like one of LakeSmart's busiest years yet. With a new Environment Program Coordinator overseeing the program, two returning and two new LakeSmart ambassadors, LOWDSA has set its sights high. And to do that, we've started one whole month earlier than LakeSmart has ever started before.

Last year gave us a "pilot" year for COVID-19 activities. We dipped our toes into virtual programming, and this year we are ready to dive in! We are preparing and putting on various virtual events, including webinars, panel discussions, live streams, virtual dock visits, and even instructional videos of the team taking action for environmental stewardship.

Our team is eager to offer information on how you can live and play green at the lake. While there are still many unknowns with COVID-19, our team has planned for a fully virtual year, a traditional year on the lake, and a combination of online and faceto-face visits. We hope to get out on the water for dock visits and environmental action if health and safety measures allow. Our social media platforms are full of environmental tips, fun facts, updates on our upcoming events, and other relevant information.

Follow along to get to know our team and what we are up to!

Introducing your 2021 LakeSmart team

Seanna Cyncora Seanna was born and raised in Kenora, Ontario and now attends college in Sault Ste. Marie. Her love for wildlife and passion for environmental sustainability inspired her to study Environmental Science.

She has completed her first year at Sault College and can't wait to put her skills to the test and continue to learn with LakeSmart. Her background experience and passion for conservation will allow her to excel this summer and inspire lake lovers to live more environmentally friendly. Seanna is excited to get out on the lake with LOWDSA and make a positive difference in Kenora's environmental health.

Welcome back Abbi and Brie!

We are excited to welcome both Abbi Friesen and Brie McCardle back to the LakeSmart team. Both are returning from last year's program and are eager to share their knowledge and passion for the lake. Their previous LakeSmart experience will be an asset to LOWDSA as we expand our Environmental programming.

Abbi Friesen

Welcome Quinn and Seanna This year is a milestone for LOWDSA as it will be the first-time ever that our LakeSmart team operates with four team members.

We are happy to welcome and introduce Quinn Miller and Seanna Cyncora.

Quinn Miller Quinn lives in Winnipeg and has grown up spending summers at her family cottage in Clearwater Bay, a place that has been passed down through the family for four generations. From this time spent on Lake of the Woods, her passion for the lake and science was nurtured, leading her to study microbiology at the University of Manitoba.

Quinn looks forward to bridging her knowledge in this field to LOWDSA and the LakeSmart team.

She acknowledges that these times are challenging but allow for innovative, exciting and novel ways of outreach and creative development of educational strategies. Quinn is eager to work with the team in such extraordinary circumstances and to learn as much as possible from LakeSmart and LOWDSA this summer.

A summer like no other, that's how Abbi Friesen would describe last year's LakeSmart season. Abbi is thrilled to be jumping back on the team this year for her second co-op work term with LOWDSA. She has just completed her third year in Environmental Science at the University of Manitoba with a focus area in Conservation Biodiversity.

Abbi fell into her studies by accident after following her passion for the outdoors and aquatic environments and is looking forward to sharing her knowledge with our members and residents alike. Abbi spends her summers in Kenora, where she grew up at her family's cottage on Coney Island and now lives off-grid at camp on the Winnipeg River.

"Working on the LakeSmart team has helped me to truly enjoy and gain a deeper understanding of the Lake of the Woods Watershed, and I am hopeful for what this summer's program has in store for us."

Lake of the Woods District Stewardship Association LOWDSA

21

Sponsors and funding make it all possible

Brie McCardle Returning for a second year is local Brie McCardle, who is very excited to continue projects that were started last year and to introduce many new ideas to the LakeSmart program! This spring, Brie graduated from Niagara College, as an Environmental Technician, with a focus in field and lab work to protect and preserve environmental wetlands, water supplies, and other natural habitats. Growing up on Black Sturgeon Lake introduced her to a special appreciation for the water. Whether it is fishing, swimming, or exploring, Brie feels very fortunate to be in an area surrounded by lakes.

She adores nature and is truly fascinated by all it offers. Her love for the environment has grown through traveling and observing the ample display of earth's beauty. Brie hopes to continue to travel and work toward conserving the natural beauty of the earth for years to come, for all to enjoy.

While we are grateful to our sponsors, ongoing support from LOWDSA members is key to our ability to deliver the LakeSmart program year after year. Please consider donating to the EISP fund to help meet our funding requirements for this effective program. For more information or to make a contribution contact Patrick at 807-468-8715 or info@lowdsa.com.

Thank you to our 2021 sponsors: 2 colour printing

Events/initiatives LakeSmart 2021 is set to be one of our most ambitious years to date. Here are some of the programs we have planned so far: • Virtual shoreline cleanups • Forestry panel discussions • IISD-Experimental Lakes Area webinars » Microplastics in freshwater » Algal blooms and phosphorous

4 colour printing

• LOWDSA's Mobile Boat Wash Station • Workshops on Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) • Launching a citizen science program for zebra mussel monitoring, which will distribute settlement samplers in the community • Community control days for invasive plants • Storm drain stencilling • and more!

black only

We also gratefully acknowledge funding support received through the ECO Canada Co-op Student Work Placement and Canada Summer Jobs programs.

Get to know our 2021 LakeSmart sponsors at lowdsa.com/cpages/lakesmart

22

LOWDSA Lake of the Woods Area News Summer 2021

LOWDSA's Mobile Boat Wash Station—protecting our lakes against invasive species Boat wash stations provide decontamination opportunities for boaters and significantly reduce the chance of introducing invasive species to water bodies through pressure washers to clean the watercraft. This summer, LOWDSA's Mobile Boat Wash Station, the first of its kind in the area, will provide the opportunity to educate lake users on how to clean, drain, and dry their watercraft throughout the summer months.

BY LOWDSA ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE LOWDSA's goal is to be a leader in educating the public about the proactive prevention of zebra mussels in the area. The station will target high traffic locations, operating along highways, at gatherings, boat ramps, and tournaments around the Lake of the Woods area. The Lake of the Woods watershed is vast, and while we won't be able to decontaminate all the boats entering or exiting our waterways, we can educate on the importance and 'how to' of Clean, Drain, Dry.

The mobile boat wash station project goes hand in hand with our other invasive species-focused projects and will complement data collected through the zebra mussel monitoring program.

The mobile boat wash station will serve as a self-contained education program complementing our award-winning LakeSmart program and focusing directly on the impacts of invasive species. Locations for the mobile boat wash station will be announced on social media and LOWDSA’s eNews. Make sure we have your email if you want to receive updates.

Why do we need it?

Promoting and practicing Clean, Drain, Dry is one of the simplest ways we can work together to protect our lakes against the spread of invasive species.

Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) continue to change the natural ecosystem of the Lake of the Woods district. The growth of the tourism industry and property development draws more boats and watercraft into the area each year, providing important economic growth. This increased traffic creates more opportunities for invasive species—rusty crayfish, spiny water flea, and the recent emergence of zebra mussels—to spread and impact the natural ecosystem, water quality, and infrastructure.

In the fall of 2019, zebra mussel veligers, their larval form, were first identified in the southern basin of Lake of the Woods in Minnesota. The numbers of veligers identified by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources each year since 2019 suggest that there are adult mussels present in the lake; however, we lack high resolution monitoring data to confirm this speculation and identify where and how many

24

LOWDSA Lake of the Woods Area News Summer 2021

causes clearer water and deeper light penetration, driving light-sensitive fish like walleye further down. The surplus of light warms the water, increases aquatic vegetation, and can promote toxic algal blooms.

It is better to be proactive than reactive Once an invasive species is established, it is extremely difficult to eradicate populations; methods can harm valuable infrastructure and the natural biodiversity needed for healthy ecosystems.

These processes are also costly.

So again, following Clean, Drain, Dry guidelines is a virtually cost-free method of stopping the spread of invasive species before they become a much bigger problem.

Watch LOWDSA’s social media and eNews for there are. To date, there have not been any adult mussels found in the lake, and there is speculation as to whether or not they can be supported based on calcium concentrations in the water.

announcements of mobile boat wash station locations throughout the summer.

About zebra mussels Zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) are small freshwater bivalves with brown and cream striped shells. They average about 2.5 cm long but can grow up to 4 cm in length. Zebra mussels are classified as invasive because they are highly adaptable to varying water temperatures and conditions and are nearly impossible to remove once a population has been established.

These highly effective invaders outcompete native species for habitat through rapid reproduction; each female zebra mussel produces approximately one million eggs per spawning event.

They have adaptations that our native mussels lack called byssal threads, which allow them to connect to hard surfaces reducing habitat for other species. When space is limited, they can release and move to better locations. Their byssal threads help them colonize large shoreline areas, rocks, pipes, and even boat motors.

Zebra mussel colonies have cost millions of dollars of damage to infrastructure and recreational areas across North America.

Zebra mussels filter up to one litre of water each day, feeding on native phytoplankton. Phytoplankton are the foundation of the food chain in freshwater lakes, and this causes an imbalance in aquatic ecosystems. Less food for native fish species and wildlife can reduce their populations. The excess filtration also

Lake of the Woods District Stewardship Association LOWDSA

25

Boater’s etiquette— be a good neighbour on the water

BY PATRICK PAULO Boating is FUN but there are some things to remember while out on the water to ensure everyone on the lake can enjoy their time in a safe and respectful way.

The Lake of the Woods boating community is widespread and diverse but regardless of differences, everyone is greeted with that classic neighbourly wave from boats and docks while passing by. Being a boater comes with responsibilities to your neighbour and the environment, and we all should do our part.

Being a respectful boater begins at the launch When preparing to launch, be considerate of the 15-minute maximum loading and unloading time period. The public launches are usually busy, so it is courtesy to move your boat from the launching ramp as soon as you can to keep the traffic flowing. When you pull your boat out of the water, remove all plant debris and standing water from all gear, live wells and the motor. LOWDSA encourages our members and the general public to clean, drain and dry all watercrafts and allow at least three days in the scorching sun before launching into any new waterbody. LOWDSA’s new Mobile Boat Wash Station, an educational tool, will be located around Kenora’s local boat launches to convey the importance of clean, drain, dry.

Boaters’ safety All boaters are required to have proof of their Pleasure Craft Operator card while operating a motorized vessel. It is never a bad idea to review basic boater’s safety and rules before heading out on the lake. Be sure there are enough life jackets in the watercraft for every passenger before leaving the dock, always boat sober, and stay alert while out on the water. Keep a spotlight, flares, paddles, first aid kit, fire extinguisher, a fuel reserve, and legally required equipment on board at all times in case of an emergency situation. Before taking off at dusk, check to make sure all of your lights are working, and never drive at night without them.

Shorelines and erosion Wave action causes shoreline erosion which increases the potential for pollution like sediment, excess nutrients, or waste.

It can also cause property damage and be dangerous to people on docks or personal watercrafts. Follow the 10/30 rule, slowing to 10km per hour within 30 meters of the shoreline. By sticking to this simple rule, you help protect the lake from erosional activity.

Remember that wakeboarding, water-skiing, jet-skiing or any other fun lake-time activities are not excluded from the 10/30 rule. Try and find an open body of water for these activities to allow that 30 metres of space from the shoreline.

26

LOWDSA Lake of the Woods Area News Summer 2021

Boater’s lingo Bow: The forward end of any boat Stern: The rearmost end of any boat Starboard: Right side of the boat facing forward Port: Left side of the boat facing forward

Right-of-way Lake of the Woods is a busy lake and sometimes the boat traffic can become overwhelming if you are unsure of who has the rightof-way. If you are being overtaken, do not alter your course or speed unless the scenario puts anyone in harm's way. Your first duty is to avoid collisions, so slow down and let other boats pass if your position is risky. In the case of two boats coming head-on, both boats should alter their course in the starboard direction, therefore passing port to port.

In addition, non-powered boats including sailboats, canoes, paddleboats, sailboards and racing shells generally have the right-of-way over power-driven pleasure boats.

Emergency boats always have the right-of-way and all boat operators should steer clear and yield to emergency boats under any circumstances. It’s also important to never pass between a tugboat and its tow as it may be using a submerged towline. It is your responsibility to give these watercraft space so that they can continue safely on their way.

Our lake has an incredible 14,542 islands and a staggering 65,000 km of shoreline. The pristine waters attract cottagers and lake users from around the world to explore, relax and take in the natural allure.

Be respectful, obey the laws and enjoy the wonders of Lake of the Woods!

One of the many benefits to LOWDSA membership...

Read your Area News wherever you are!

Your digital edition is free with your LOWDSA membership—visit lowdsa.com to read online!

Need help logging in? Call (807) 468-8715 or email shelley@lowdsa.com

While you're accessing this issue (or any Area News published since 2016) at lowdsa.com, don't forget to sign up for our eNews! It's a great way to keep up with breaking news, important reminders and event information between issues of Area News.

Did you know?

You can book a LakeSmart virtual dock visit or an in-person visit to your lake, property or event in July or August.

Take advantage of our knowledge & resources—book at lowdsa.com today!

You can easily purchase a gift membership—a great idea for birthday, graduation, and house warming gifts— online at lowdsa.com. You can also order by phone or email!

We love to hear from our members and we want to share your story! Help us continue to make this magazine great— send us your comments, suggestions, pictures and story ideas.

Lake of the Woods District Stewardship Association LOWDSA

27

LOWDSA membership...

Here's just some of what's in it for you!

LakeSmart One-on-one, customized onsite visits. Living green at the lake. Info, tools and resources to help you protect your legacy.

Blue-Green Algae Blue-green algae can steal your precious lake time. How to keep your lake clean and safe for swimming, drinking and pets.

Stop Invasive Species Invasive species can take over your favourite fishing hole (and habitat), dock access and lake stops. Tips, tools & best practices to identify them and prevent their spread.

Lake Life Resources Area News Magazine Easy access to just about Connecting you to ’the anything you want to lake’ year round. In your know about lake life. hands or online. Local If we don’t have the stories, all about lake answer we’ll help you life, and issues you’re find it or connect you interested in. with the person who can.

There are four ways you can renew your membership, order seedlings, purchase gift memberships or contribute to the EISP fund: Online Login at lowdsa.com/login.

Forgot your password?

Contact us!

By email, mail or phone...

See the form (and all relevant contact information) on the next page.

Questions? Need help to renew online?

Shelley Bujold, Assistant E.D. & Membership Coordinator: Phone: 807-468-8715 or toll-free 1-888-265-9784 Email: shelley@lowdsa.com

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LOWDSA Lake of the Woods Area News Summer 2021

Your continued support of LOWDSA's programs & initiatives does make a difference.

2021 Membership Renewal

Thank you!

PLUS GIFT MEMBERSHIPS & SEEDLINGS YOUR MEMBERSHIP

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Select either a Full Membership (magazine mailed) or a Virtual Membership (digital magazine).

LOWDSA members planted 10,000 seedlings in 2020 and over 300,000 since this program was launched. Please indicate a pick-up location and how many bundles (each with 15 seedlings) you would like to order.

 1 Year Full Membership ($60)  2 Year Full Membership ($120)  1 Year Virtual Membership ($52)

PICK-UP DATE: Saturday, June 5 from 10AM - 1PM

 2 Year Virtual Membership ($104)

We’ve been listening to you &

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2. Familiar activities SEEDLINGS, METAL WASTE DAY

3. Relevant & informative magazine

EISP Fund

Gift Memberships Please fill out recipient’s information, and select Full or Virtual Membership.

4. Growing & moving forward beyond the status quo

Please take a moment to consider contributing to the EISP Fund.

5. New environmental initiatives

Your contribution to the Environmental Initiatives & Special Projects (EISP) Fund will allow us to continue providing our well-known and highly regarded programs and services.

MOBILE BOAT WASH STATION

6. New & enhanced programs LAKESMART, WEBINARS

7. Fiscally responsible All this comes at a cost. In order to meet LOWDSA’s commitment to

Contributions to the EISP Fund can also be made online any time at lowdsa.com/campaigns/eisp.

deliver on all this, combined with

 $500  $250

the reality of basic operating cost

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lowdsa.com M N LOWDSAssoc P S LOWDSA V Lake of the Woods District Stewardship Association 807-468-8715 | 1-888-265-9784 | info@lowdsa.com | Box 1160, Kenora, Ontario P9N 3X7

W H AT ' S H A P P E N I N G O N Y O U R L A K E ?

Northern Ontario Sportfishing Centre brings regional Fish Tales to life

BY HEATHER GROPP, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT OFFICER TOWNSHIP OF SIOUX NARROWS-NESTOR FALLS Those that are familiar with Lake of the Woods understand that fishing in the region is more than “just an activity”. It is one of the greatest regional economic drivers, from the fisheries themselves to the tourism it attracts.

There is a strong understanding that fishing is heavily embedded into the history and culture of the area and one could reasonably argue that it has significantly shaped our region.

To discover more about the way fishing is interwoven into our culture, one only needs to go so far as the Northern Ontario Sportfishing Centre. Over the past eight months, the Northern Ontario Sportfishing Centre exhibits were refreshed to bring some of the greatest Lake of the Woods fishing tales to life. The new exhibits highlight the biological features that have turned Lake of the Woods into one of the best sport fisheries of the world. They detail Sioux Narrows-Nestor Falls contributions to the boats and bridges that allow us to access the lake, teach us lessons about the rise and fall of important fisheries on the lake such as the sturgeon, and provide an abundance of information about the fish themselves.

In addition to the new exhibits at the Sportfishing Centre, those who are interested in learning more about a variety of fishing or fish related topics are encouraged to gain a deeper insight and perspective during our 2021 Sportfishing Centre Summer Seminar Series. Visit sportfishingcentre.com to find out dates, times, and who will be presenting in 2021.

While we are excited to show the new exhibits and welcome everyone to the centre, we also respectfully ask visitors to adhere to all COVID-19 protocols in place to ensure a safe and enjoyable space for staff and visitors.

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In the District Lake of the Woods Area News Summer 2021

Top: There is always fun to be had, and lots to be learned at the Northern Ontario Sport Fishing Centre.

Bottom: The collections at the Northern Ontario Sport Fishing Centre have been rearranged and augmented to bring regional Fish Tales to life.

W H AT ' S H A P P E N I N G O N Y O U R L A K E ?

Lasting impressions: 60 years of the Sioux Narrows Arts Festival

BY HEATHER GROPP, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT OFFICER, TOWNSHIP OF SIOUX NARROWS-NESTOR FALLS

For many of us, there is that one festival or series of public events which are so vivid from our youth, that their impact lasts well into adulthood shaping and changing our lives forever. The Sioux Narrows Arts Festival is one such event.

This upcoming August long weekend, the entirely volunteer-run Sioux Narrows Arts Festival will be celebrating its 60th anniversary. While we look forward to the celebration this summer, we also look back with interest at the impact of this festival not only on the community but also on the artists who have attended it.

Gayle Bouvier, local Sioux Narrows resident, has been actively involved in organizing the festival for 53 years. Reminiscing about the festival she said, “Festivals like this have a cumulative effect in that the whole community feels it’s worthwhile to support.”

Every summer, the Arts Festival is a marquee event that brings the community together. It also is an admirable example of how a community can come together to support a cause, such as the arts. This support has contributed to the Sioux Narrows Arts Festival raising tens of thousands of dollars over the years, which has been re-invested into young artists in the form of scholarships. Inspiring young artists and providing them with the support and opportunity to grow as artists is one of the fundamental principles of this community festival that has remained steadfast over the past 60 years. In looking back, Bouvier said, “The opportunities were there for people to develop and display their talents.”

Kameron Gates was one such young artist who won the Arts Festival Scholarship each year between 2000-2003. He fondly remembers the festival as a being a big part of his life growing up. “It was huge when I was young. We were summer residents (from the U.S.). Sioux Narrows had all of these people from different places and it felt that it was more cosmopolitan and helped me to know that there were bigger ways to be appreciated (as an artist),” he said.

Kameron’s early artistic encounters during summers spent in Sioux Narrows have led to a creative career in the film industry.

His love for sculpting combined with storytelling is now part of his work in three-dimensional animation, stop motion animation,

Title photo: There are always opportunities for even the youngest attendees to engage with Art at the Sioux Narrows Arts Festival.

Lake of the Woods District Stewardship Association In the District

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Kameron Gates exhibiting at the Sioux Narrows Arts Festival in 1998.

Community support for the festival has been steady and allowed the festival to grow over the past 60 years.

make up artistry, and visual effects. He was a member of the visual effects teams for large scale productions such as King Kong, Star Wars II, Hellboy and Men in Black II. Gates credits Sioux Narrows, and specifically the Sioux Narrows Arts Festival for providing him “with a lot of artistic encounters and the ability to see art as a valid path forward into adulthood.”

Allan Turner won the Arts Festival Scholarships in 1997 and 1998. He said, “Growing up in Sioux Narrows was pivotal and the Arts Festival was a big deal.” While he did not have a booth in the festival, he credits local performer Robert MacDonald for giving him a chance to perform on stage as part of the festival’s live entertainment.

He has turned that early experience into a very successful twenty plus year career as a comedian, writer, actor and director. Turner remembers, “I got early experience under

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In the District Lake of the Woods Area News Summer 2021

the big top and now I make my living on stage where I am most comfortable.”

The 60th Anniversary celebrations will look slightly different this year, due to the pandemic. However, there are a few things about the festival that will be certain: community coming together to celebrate the arts, the inspiration that results from that, and opportunities for artists to connect and grow amongst the beautiful backdrop of the Lake of the Woods region.

For more information visit siouxnarrowsartsfestival.com.

Allan Turner: comedian, writer, actor and director first experienced life on stage at the Sioux Narrows Arts Festival.

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WAT E R L E V E L S

Water levels on track for summer 2021

BY JEFF POLAKOFF, LOWDSA REPRESENTATIVE, LAKE OF THE WOODS CONTROL BOARD While seasonal lake levels have encountered challenges from nature in 2020 and 2021, the levels have progressed well towards meeting targets set by the Lake of the Woods Control Board (LWCB) and balancing wildlife and lake user interests through spring and in anticipation of summer. Beginning in September 2020 and lasting through May of 2021, precipitation levels continued to be at or near drought levels for Lake of the Woods and the Winnipeg River Basin. The Kenora area received just over 50 per cent of the precipitation that it would typically get in a similar nine-month period during a normal year. Despite this lack of precipitation, the level of Lake of the Woods continued to increase and achieved levels consistent with the springtime normal. In fact, at the end of May, the Lake of the Woods water level was at its 45th percentile, or just about in the middle of the historical average for that time of the year.

The fact that the lake was at a typical level throughout spring surprised many Lake of the Woods area residents and observers who believed the lake was lower than usual for early spring. This perception may have been driven by the fact that the ice cover on the lake was gone very early. According to the Lake of the Woods Ice Patrol, who monitor lake ice conditions annually, the final week of ice cover on the lake was the week of April 19 with the final ice out being recorded on April 24. This is about three weeks before the lake is usually ice free. In typical years, the ice is gone closer to the May long weekend.

Interestingly, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry began conducting regular spring water bomber training in the Kenora area during the first week of April. I was able to watch CL 215 bombers picking up and dumping water loads in Safety Bay south of Keewatin on April 4. Given the ongoing lack of rain as we approach summer, these aircraft will undoubtedly be needed should the abnormally dry conditions persist.

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more typical year after ice out, the water level on the lake would have been 10 – 15 centimetres higher, but that would be two to three weeks later as we got closer to the May long weekend. This early open water is one more example, along with the COVID-19 pandemic, of challenges accessing cottages due to closed borders, quarantining and low precipitation that makes the past year one to remember.

In planning and regulating lake levels and outflows, the Control Board takes into consideration many different aspects of lake use.

The objective is to balance the overall needs and diverse interests of the basin’s wildlife, human residents, and other stakeholders.

While the lack of rain has made for challenging conditions, the target levels for summer are on track.

In considering summer water levels on Lake of the Woods a good number to keep in mind is the adjusted lake level datum on your nautical charts of 322.9 m (1059.0 ft.). As I write this article at the end of May, the lake level stands at approximately 322.7 m (1058.8 ft.), consistent with the LWCB end of May target and on its way to toward 322.9 m (1059.4 ft) for the end of June. We are on course to hit our peak summer level target of approximately 323.0 m (1059.7 ft) on Lake of the Woods as recommended by LOWDSA. While the past year has been anything but normal, the water levels on the lake are headed for preferred levels for the summer of 2021.

I hope you have a great summer and are able to enjoy quality time with family and friends on Lake of the Woods, the Winnipeg River and the other waterbodies, islands, beaches and natural areas available to us in this incredible watershed.

If you would like to keep up to date on the status of water levels, please visit the LWCB website at lwcb.ca/waterflowdata.html

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In the District Lake of the Woods Area News Summer 2021

Nibi Declaration

BY LUCAS KING, DIRECTOR, TERRITORIAL PLANNING UNIT, GRAND COUNCIL TREATY #3

Aaniin wengiijichige’wiing—why are we doing this This Nibi Declaration is about respect, love, and our sacred relationship with nibi and the life that it brings. It is based on Gitiizii m-inaanik teachings about nibi, aki/lands, other elements (including air and wind) and all of creation.

This knowledge will be preserved and shared through the declaration with our youth and future generations.

Anishinaabe-Ikwewag have a sacred responsibility to nibi and should be included in all decision-making around nibi. This declaration will guide us in our relationship with nibi so we can take action individually, in our communities and as a nation to help ensure healthy, living nibi for all of creation.

— Treaty #3 Women’s Council 2018

Ratified in 2019, the Nibi Declaration of Treaty #3 voices the relationship with water (nibi) and jurisdictional responsibility that all Anishinaabe citizens have within the Treaty #3 territory. It affirms the responsibilities and relationships that others living within the territory should have with the water and ensures that the spirit of Nibi is central to decisionmaking and water governance.

The key pillars of the development of the Treaty #3 Nibi Declaration are community driven engagement and ceremony.

This process driven by women, in ceremony, mirrored that of the Treaty #3 Law Making process with the help of Gitiiii m-inaanik (elders) and the nation as a whole. To start this process a partnership between the Treaty #3 Women’s Council, Grand Council Treaty #3 Territorial Planning Unit and Decolonizing Water was formed in order to bring forward the relationship of the Anishinaabe Nation of Treaty #3 and nibi through the Declaration. The advice of elders, knowledge keepers and the nation were brought forward in drafting the Nibi Declaration to then be brought to the Nation through four regional engagement sessions. The regional aspect of these sessions honours and respects the four direction governance model of Treaty #3. As the process progressed forward to National forum, Treaty #3 Assembly and ratification, the Declaration was brought to ceremony at each key milestone (see the timeline of Nibi Declaration process) from advice of Treaty #3 elders. In this

Title photo: Grand Council Treaty #3 Women’s Council members (L-R) Maggie Petiquan, Rhonda Fischer, Isobel White, Anita Collins and Priscilla Simard guided the Nibi Declaration and Toolkit process. Technical support was provided by Aimée Craft of the University of Ottawa, Decolonizing Water Governance (second from left), and Lucas King, Grand Council Treaty #3 Territorial Planning Unit.

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In the District Lake of the Woods Area News Summer 2021

way the declaration is responsive to the water and its desire to be engaged with through the principles of the declaration (see picture of Nibi Declaration Principles).

The Nibi Declaration reflects the voice and the relationship of the Anishinaabe Nation to nibi and ensures that this is foundational to Decision making and water governance in the Treaty #3 Territory.

The Declaration supports Manito Aki Inakonigaawin (Treaty #3 Great Earth Law) bringing forward Nibi Principles to decision making and planning for the nation as an embodiment of nationhood, sovereignty, and Anishinaabe jurisdiction as it relates to the environment and water.

The importance of ceremony and language

to the assertion of these responsibilities and relations to water can be better understood as a result of the Nibi Declaration and the sacred connection women have with Nibi, through the gift of life.

The Nibi Declaration reaffirms that Anishinaabe do not view water as a resource to be exploited, owned, consumed or commodified. Nibi is rather, a living entity with its own agency and ability to govern itself. From here, relationships with nibi become central to the responsibilities to protect and plan as water connects us all whether it be through the gift of life, our human composition or the environment and watersheds around us.

Every person has a relationship with water; the Nibi Declaration outlines the process of recognizing and respecting that relationship, and nurturing the relationship though the

Lake of the Woods District Stewardship Association In the District

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teachings, ceremonies and principles. Nibi has a spirit, nibi is life, nibi is sacred, we honour and respect and love nibi. Everyone is connected through the water, as we move forward together connected by nibi, the Declaration will provide clarity on the responsibilities, relationships and partnerships necessary in order to protect nibi for future generations and all of creation.

Treaty #3 Nibi Declaration resources: • Treaty #3 Nibi Declaration: gct3.ca/wp-content/ uploads/2019/05/Treaty-3-Nibi-Declaration-FinalMay-2019.pdf • Treaty #3 Nibi Declaration Toolkit: gct3.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/ Nibi-Declaration-Toolkit-updated-May-2020.pdf • Treaty #3 Nibi Declaration Video: youtu.be/Jcoz2SLyOiU • Treaty #3 Nibi Declaration Anishinaabe Oral Translation: gct3.ca/land/territorial-planning-unit/ • Treaty #3 Nibi Declaration Academic Article: mdpi.com/2073-4441/13/4/532/pdf

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Dyke Van Etten Williams

Deephaven, Minnesota, U.S.A.

Long-time cottager, Dyke Williams, has spent almost as much of his "discretionary time" in Canada over 80 plus years as in his homeland, the United States. He said, “For a Yank, I’ve been pretty much everywhere in Canada you can go.” While his leadership, support and activism for a number of environmental and social causes took him all over North America, it’s the family camp on Lake of the Woods that has always called him home.

COVID-19 has affected how many LOWDSA members—from near and far—have been able to experience lake life. In early June, we reached out to a few of these folks to see how they are coping, what they have missed and their hopes for when they are back at the lake.

Top: DIY projects are just one of the many ways Dyke and his family enjoy the lake.

Bottom: A gentle float on the lake brings the family together.

Normally, Dyke and his wife Katie would arrive at the Lake of the Woods cottage at the beginning of July for the summer. Now, going on year two of COVID-19, he misses many things about lake life, especially how it brings everyone together. “It’s those face-toface conversations and active involvement with family members who are otherwise usually scattered all over the place,” he said.

He also longs for time in the bush, where it’s quiet and not as frenetic as life in the suburbs of Minneapolis. “I find our normal lifestyles are causing so much harm to the natural world,” Dyke said. “In the bush and on the water there is a greater sense of peace in spite of the very evident strengthening of storms and natural phenomena coming to us from the climate crisis.”

He expects he isn’t the first person to find those woods and water experiences spiritual. “I really miss the great solace of water, particularly lake water. There’s just something about the quiet around early evening, when things are dimly etched over the water,” he said. For Dyke and his family, time on the lake often involves people-powered pursuits, whether on a small sailboat, a bigger cruising sailboat (Dyke has sailed 22 Lake of the Woods International Sailing Association regattas), a couple of canoes, several sit-upon kayaks, rowing dinghies or a tiny paddlewheel boat.

Small boats enable being alone. “We'll get in a kayak or Sailfish and slowly meander around the islands and come back just quietly euphoric,” he said.

Dyke’s extended family lives in Winnipeg, Manitoba, so time at the cabin has been a three-generation extended family affair. “Any cottage has the potential to cement relationships,” he said. When the grandsons, now 23 and 20, were younger, Dyke would often read aloud to them on rainy days. As they grew, this tradition

sparked many wonderful discussions, and has continued by popular demand. “We've covered many books, and currently we're most of the way through Lord of the Rings,” he laughs.

Zoom has kept Dyke and Katie connected to their Canadian family, but it isn’t a replacement for time together at the lake.

"But the lockdowns have been the only responsible reaction— for all of us to understand and behave with ‘sensible self-denial’."

He adds, “Canada’s reaction to the virus in this regard has been admirable.”

And parting words? Here, Dyke can’t resist. “The next and bigger crisis beyond the virus is climate. We can’t go back to normal.

COVID-19 should have given us some coping mechanisms for dealing with this other serious crisis.” And, he adds, if nothing else, the pandemic has taught us just how unpredictable the future can be. “If you want to do something that contributes to the well-being of others and yourself, do it now. Everything positive really helps!"

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Andrea Smith Derungs

London, England, United Kingdom

Andrea Smith Derungs’ family travels to their cottage on Thompson Island every summer from their home in London, England. It’s a bit of an arduous “trains, planes, automobiles and boats” journey, but as Derungs described in an earlier Area News member story (Winter 2018), she, her Brit husband Simon and daughter Maddy, 23, don’t mind it one bit. “Once we catch that first inebriating glimpse of the lake, we know that we are truly home.”

Andrea’s family history on Lake of the Woods began in 1913 when her great grandparents Clara and George Carruthers built their cottage on what became known as Carruthers Island. The couple divorced but Clara continued to raise and gather her family at the cottage, building a second one on Thompson Island in 1933. It’s said she built this second camp to escape the ruckus of all the extended family out at the original, larger cottage.

“Although the Carruthers Island cottage was sold 20 years ago, we are blessed to still have Thompson Island,” said Andrea.

Andrea’s parents married in Kenora and honeymooned in Sioux Narrows. She was born in Winnipeg but moved with her parents to Rome at the age of one. Still, the family travelled from Europe to the cabin every summer, which continued even after Andrea eventually settled in London where she married and had her daughter Maddy.

“We’re obsessed, we are always counting the days until we can be back there,” she said.

“We try and spend a couple of months there ever year. Simon vacations for two to three weeks but Maddy and I try and go for as long as we can.”

Last year the family was able to get to the lake and isolated together for most of the summer.

“For us to get to Canada and get away from what was happening in the UK was a lifesaver,” she said.

This year is more difficult. “We’re trying to stay positive about being able to come at some point,” Andrea said. “We’re holding on to that hope and following the news and are prepared to go through whatever hoops we have to.” All three are doublevaccinated, but having seen how bad it can get in the U.K., they don’t want to do anything that would harm people here.

“Regardless that we pay taxes, we need to do what’s best for everyone. We have to protect our lake community.”

When they can travel to Canada, what is she most looking forward to? “Sitting on the deck with a glass of wine, looking at the lake and being in some nice hot weather. And then, once quarantine is done, visiting friends – we have two and three generations of friends at the lake!”

Final words? “We all have to take a deep breath. This is a global pandemic. If we can’t make it to Canada, we will be upset but if that’s the way it has to be, that’s the way it is.

“The lake will always be there.”

Top: The Derungs cabin on Thompson Island has a long history and still draws family from afar to Lake of the Woods every year.

Right: The view from the Derungs cabin verandah offers spectacular sightlines of Lake of the Woods and surrounding islands.

Left: The Derungs pose for their annual dock photo, (L to R) Simon, Maddy, and Andrea.

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Lake of the Woods Area News Summer 2021

There’s nothing like a sunset over Lake of the Woods, as viewed from the Klassen cabin on Echo Bay.

help our kids with projects at their homes also.” Following health restrictions, he and Laura would arrive “to work” when the family was out of the house.

They’ve also taken advantage of the fact that the family could be together outside before the latest lockdown. “We got a “Hike Manitoba Travel Guide” and did some different hikes through the province,” he said. “We miss our Ontario hikes but have found some new ones in Manitoba.”

What are their hopes for when the borders open? For starters, “Spring cleaning!” and then, "Just being able to get out there, there’s nothing like it, the open water, the breeze, the trees, we love to putter. We all enjoy the lake immensely and are really looking forward to being able to get out there.”

Ken Klassen

Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

In normal times, Ken and Laura Klassen, of Winnipeg, were already going to their cottage on Echo Bay less often, now that their children are all grown with busy lives in the city.

But being restricted from crossing the Manitoba-Ontario border has helped them see how “vulnerable” having a piece of paradise can be.

Ken and Laura’s cottage has historically been a gathering place.

“Having family and friends spend time at the cabin is what we miss the most.” He looks forward to them coming when borders and health restrictions allow.

“You really see how privileged we are to have what we have when you’re not able to go there,” said Ken. He adds, “We need to hunker down and get through this next wave so we can enjoy that privilege again.”

Before the border closures, the isolation restrictions had made going to the cottage a different experience. “The notion of going straight to the cabin without visiting any of the neighbours is completely foreign,” said Ken. “Normally, it’s not unusual for one of the neighbours to hear your chainsaw and come waltzing up the trail to see what’s going on. There are always neighbours around their docks and there is a sense of community.”

How are they coping? “Our home has received a lot more attention this year than in past years! We have had more time on our hands so have been able to

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Laurel Whitla

Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

“You know that feeling you get as you’re driving out of the city, you’ve left rush hour behind and the stress oozes out of your body as you approach the lake?” This is one of the things Laurel Whitla of Winnipeg is most looking forward to when she, her husband Todd and their two boys, Shane, 23 and Quinn, 19, can return to their place on Corkscrew Island.

What else has she missed? “Sitting on the dock and watching the sunset, listening to the loons; the sight of the boys (who usually arrive later) coming around the island in their boat and within 30 seconds of their arrival heading out the door to go fishing!”

Laurel and Todd grew up on Lake of the Woods, Todd on Clearwater Bay and Laurel in Sioux Narrows where, in both cases, their parents still have cottages. She and Todd bought their “project” on Corkscrew Island in 2009 when their boys were seven and 11.

This year was the first in all that time they weren’t at the cottage for May long weekend.

Todd, she says, is like a caged animal without the lake. “The second the ice goes out in spring, we’re usually there trying to get all our projects done so we’re not doing them in July when it’s family time.” The plan for this year was to put in a septic field, with Todd doing most of the plumbing for the installation. Laurel says they will just have to wait and see what’s possible.

Last summer felt a little more normal. “We had to abide by the Ontario rules at that time,” she said. “It was different but still pretty nice in the big scheme of things.”

This year, so far, has been heartbreaking.

“We live for lake time. We aren’t city people.

You invest all of yourself in your cottage property.”

Laurel says while they understand why the restrictions are there, it doesn’t make it any easier.

Has this given them a new appreciation for cottage life? “I don’t know if we could appreciate it any more, we love it so much.” But she admits they may have taken it for granted. “We don’t travel a lot, because all we’ve ever wanted is to go to the lake.”

It’s also been hard for her elderly parents, Anne and Brian Parker, not being able to get to their Sioux Narrows cottage of 40 years. “My mom said, ‘This is pathetic, I just want to go sit on my chair!’,” said Laurel. “That is their happy place and time is so precious for them.”

Like so many of the others we spoke to, Laurel has missed the family time and how the lake brings everyone together. “Our boys, even though they are older, are still so attached to the lake.”

She describes how they have helped with many of the “projects” which, she says, put more “love” into their place. Hard days nailing boards usually end on the lake.

“At the end of the day, it’s such a magical place.

Anybody that has a cottage knows that.” an

Left: A musky caught by Quinn in the Whitla’s bay on Corkscrew Island made for a very exciting day.

Right: Shane Whitla poses with a walleye caught last year during a fun fish tournament with some healthy competition amongst Lake of the Woods neighbours.

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Lake of the Woods Area News Summer 2021

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BOATING SAFELY INTO THE NIGHT

When I was young (ha-ha), boating at night happened when we had an emergency, and it

was reserved for the most experienced captain in our family, my dad. Our family camp is on an island about seven miles from our mainland dock/ access. We would plan accordingly, so that we never had to leave our island after the sun went down, and we were always back to camp before dark. If someone was running that late coming

from the city, they would bunk up at a mainland friend’s place, and we would get them in the

BY DUNCAN MCEWEN, AREA RESIDENT & FISHING GUIDE

morning. Somehow, we did all of the planning and communicating without cell phones.

During his time on the lake as a boating enthusiast and fishing guide, Duncan McEwen has learned the importance of being prepared for nightime on the water.

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Lake of the Woods Area News Summer 2021

Today, things are different. I love night boating. There is an aura about it that is tough to explain. However, there is also an elevated layer of danger that can come in to play when your vision is reduced, and in some cases, completely taken away. Not all nights are the same. There can be some incredibly black nights where the trees cannot be seen against the sky. Then, there are nights where you’d swear the moon was subbing in for the sun.

While the GPS units on our dash can help, they can also hinder.

The one positive of having GPS is that it will tell you where you are, with fairly good accuracy. But when it comes time to make a turn at an island, or go through the narrows, I’d say cover up the GPS (with a towel or sweatshirt), and focus on what is in front of you. GPS units claim to be within just a few feet, and I believe they are. However, the map overlay on your screen can be dozens of feet out. For example, it always shows me driving over the land when I come around Oak Point in Big Narrows. There are several instances where the GPS will show you are on land, when indeed you are not. It is the other way around that can be a bigger problem; showing that you are safely in the deep water… but you are in shallow water, or on the land.

Another drawback that I often see when I am night boating around the more populated areas of the lake, such as Kenora and Clearwater Bay, is the amount of lights boats have on onboard. Many years ago, the only lights on our boat were the A Humminbird Helix 12 unit. Press “Power” button once (quickly), and this tab comes up. Arrow down to navigation lights, and we highlight “Light”, then arrow left for a dimmer setting. were always crossing our fingers that they worked.

Today, the dash lights, the nav lights, the interior lights, the light bars, and the built-in headlights all contribute to lost visibility. The worst culprit of bright lights is the GPS/sonar unit located just a few feet in front of the driver.

Many people do not realize or know how to dim this unit. My Humminbird unit is as easy as pressing the power button

Duncan enjoys a beautiful sunset ride from Sioux Narrows to Kenora.

once, and then you scroll down to “dim”, and it is easily dimmed from 10 power (day use) to 1 or 2 power. For your safety, learn how this is accomplished on your unit and be sure to do it when you are boating at night.

Marine Constable Dennis Chevalier, of the Kenora OPP, has this to add:

“When boating at night, be sure all your navigational lights are in good working order. A lot of individuals who have installed one of these amazing new GPS units rely on them way too much. First, make sure you have a proper chart on board outlining the area for which one is boating. Second, take time to learn your route in the daylight hours so you can travel it knowing exactly what is around the next point.”

He also agrees with my points above. “Turn the dim down so the unit is not bright, and only glance at it periodically while travelling in darkness. Keep a spotlight handy to light up each buoy as you approach and pass, and only travel at a speed that is comfortable for your abilities as shorelines and reefs come up quickly.”

As Constable Chevalier notes, being prepared should not be overlooked. Again, back in the day, it seems we had to be more prepared, rather than today with much more reliable outboards, electronics, and the like. However, I

Lake of the Woods District Stewardship Association

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Dimming all interior light sources during night boating improves visibility.

Photo courtesy of boatsmartexam.com.

was reminded recently that I wasn’t prepared for night driving—even though I knew I would be heading out late after a wedding at Ash Rapids Lodge. I failed to pack a flashlight, and although the trip from Ash Rapids to my destination in Ptarmigan was only 2.5 miles, it was a very long boat ride in the blackest of nights. The GPS was reassuring, but a flashlight to pick up the reflective tape on the buoys and a couple of the points on my turns would have been very helpful. An iPhone flashlight isn’t good enough!

Every boat should have a small safety kit with some basic survival gear. “In our area of the province, it is not a requirement but weather changes, and most people want

to enjoy our waters as soon as the ice is out, right through to Thanksgiving,” said Chevalier. “In between those dates, the nights still get cold and systems blow in. Having a basic sealed kit that does not get picked through or opened unless needed, is a really good idea.” He suggests this include a tarp, 50 feet of cord, a small flashlight, some waterproof matches, cotton balls smeared in Vaseline in a zip lock bag for a fool proof fire starter, some basic food like a mountain house meal, a few granola bars, chicken or beef oxo and a small pot or coffee can is huge. “These are just a few things to help better your situation if you ever break down or get weathered in and must spend the night somewhere.”

He adds, “The most common missteps that we see with any drowning is always no lifejacket and often, alcohol is a factor.”

The importance of everyone completing the boaters safety course and ensuring the vessel you are providing for your kids has all the required safety equipment can’t be understated. “Take the time to teach all the rules of the water to your children including being courteous to fellow mariners,” Chevalier said.

Finally, for the younger generations, enjoying the water at any time of the day or night, the constable has this to say, “Wear your life jackets and do not pick up more friends than your boat is legally able to transport. Wear the tether attached to the motor or the throttle, so if anything happens, the motor will immediately shut down.”

We live in the most amazing waterways in the country. It’s worth it to take steps to be prepared so that you can enjoy them to the fullest… day or night. an

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Lake of the Woods Area News Summer 2021

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The fish of

10,000 casts Article & photos by John Hayes So you want to catch a musky! You’ve heard tales of them, seen the infamous Husky the Muskie statue in Safety Bay, and have considered giving this a try. These highly elusive fish are sought by many anglers because of their mind-blowing vicious strikes and beastly size. They are an alpha predator at the top of the food chain.

Based on my years of experience fishing musky, I believe it’s very plausible the next world record could be found right here in the depths of Lake of the Woods.

To catch a musky is challenging, as they are smart and very selective on where and when they eat. This article will provide some basic information with a few tips and techniques to get your curiosity elevated.

We are fortunate to be provided with an excellent local musky fishery. That being said, it is still a daunting task to find, catch, and successfully release this magnificent fish.

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Lake of the Woods Area News Summer 2021

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The first place to begin your quest is to do research on habitat, the types of forage species, and seasonal variations with respect to fish movement.

It is known that these fish have no issues eating when and whatever they want. They have evolved a sleek shape resembling a cruise missile along with rows of razor-sharp teeth and a means to use them on unsuspecting prey. This fish is often considered the holy grail on many anglers' bucket lists.

This massive lake we call home combined with the abundance of prey makes landing a musky intimidating.

Anglers can go days or even months without ever seeing a musky.

These fish only have two things on their mind, spawn and eat. Once the spawn is done, they turn into eating machines. If you can find the habitat and locate forage on your sonar, you can significantly increase your odds of landing this great fish.

Musky fishing is an addiction and can quickly turn into a very expensive one at that. You will need highly specialized gear including rods, reels, lines, and baits. Specifically, you must have quality Catch and Release Tools—a proper net, needle nose pliers, hook cutters, and gloves. I strongly recommend you purchase a rod specialized for musky. My preference is at least nine feet or longer. Buying quality equipment will often reflect on your success rate, so look at it as an investment.

In terms of line, I prefer to use 100 lb. test line and fluorocarbon musky leaders. Baits are often expensive due to the sheer size of them. The most common types of bait are bucktails, large plastic swim/glide baits, giant crankbaits, and topwater baits. If you’ve ever experienced a musky strike on a topwater bait, you know how exhilarating it can be.

Musky have been known for striking right next to the boat, so watch your bait. Practice your “figure 8 musky technique”. It can be the difference between landing that 1. John celebrates a first time musky catch with Margaret Chow. It’s almost as big as her!

2. Three happy anglers, the figure 8 technique fooled this one!

3. Roland Schumaker shares the addiction to this incredible sport.

4. After three days and a few missed fish, Conor Kelly is successful on his first trip to Lake of the Woods.

5. This beauty succumbed to an aggressive “figure 8” technique!

6. John and crew watched this one chase the bait down and inhale it. The fight was on!

hungry musky at the boat or watching it painfully swim away. There are many videos online that can teach you this technique.

A musky’s movement and location is seldom the same year after year. I have certain locations on the lake (around 80 spots) that I visit throughout the summer months. To keep the musky population healthy, it’s important we are patient to wait for their spawn to finish. This takes place in the spring when the water temperature is between about 13° to 18°C (55° to 65°F). I have seen musky in the shallows during those times. They are oblivious to anything besides spawning; even if you put a bait right next to their nose they will ignore it.

Once the musky have recovered from the spawn, look out because they are hungry and aggressive. Water temperature again is the key. If it gets overly warm, the fish head for deeper, cooler water with the right oxygen levels.

This is why I prefer fishing for musky in the fall.

The fish are moving much shallower and seek out weedy areas or rocky points/humps.

Most of my musky fishing clients come in September and October as the water temperature drops. The water temperature slows down the musky's metabolism, they begin seeking out larger easy prey meals; ideally, this would be our expensive baits.

For so many anglers, including myself, musky fishing has become a thrilling hobby. I can attest that landing one of these elusive creatures is a life-changing event, like none other in the world of sport fishing.

The best and most obvious advice I can provide is to be patient. It can be painstakingly frustrating when you strike out day after day without success. But landing this elusive fish will make all those casts worth it in the end. You’ll have a story of triumph to tell back on land.

Happy angling and good luck on the water!

an

Lake of the Woods District Stewardship Association

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New research into plastics and antidepressants, new protocols at IISD-ELA this summer

BY SUMEEP BATH, EDITORIAL & COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER, IISD EXPERIMENTAL LAKES AREA Here at IISD Experimental Lakes Area (IISD-ELA), the world’s freshwater laboratory in Northwestern Ontario, we are carefully and safely opening our doors to new research and a slightly larger research team this summer, after a significantly pared down 2020 research season.

There will be two new research projects kicking off this year— both of which had been planned but ultimately postponed last year under the strict limitations imposed due to the COVID-19 virus.

The first project will explore what happens to all elements of a lake­—from its zooplankton to its fish—when microplastics are introduced. Plastics are used in all aspects of contemporary life, but little is known about what happens when they break down and reach our precious water supplies.

most-consumed drugs by Canadians 25–64 years of age. And as COVID-19 measures have taken their toll on populations, we are seeing prescriptions for those drugs growing.

After preparatory, small-scale experiments in laboratories and on the land, we are exploring what happens when venlafaxine, a commonly prescribed antidepressant, is introduced into freshwater environments. How does it affect how fish swim and interact? Does it have an impact on fish populations?

It is thanks to careful planning and a dedicated team, that we are able to start new research this year after a challenging, yet successful, 2020. Last year, we worked hard to keep one of the world’s longest environmental datasets running; this year, we are starting critical new research into the impacts of plastics and antidepressants on our freshwater supplies. We are also maintaining existing projects and exploring best practices for cleaning up oil spills and treating harmful algal blooms.

Here in Canada, less than 10 per cent of plastics are recycled, contributing to over three million tonnes of plastic being thrown into landfills or into the environment each year. Over a third of plastics produced in Canada are for singleuse packaging or products—such as plastic bags, take-out containers, and bottlecaps—which constitute one of the largest sources of plastics found in fresh water.

More than 50 years of existing data about the chemistry, biology, and weather patterns at the site will help us understand and validate what we discover. And once we know more about what microplastics do to our freshwater lakes and the aquatic life residing within, we can then work directly with governments and industry to develop relevant and effective policies and procedures that protect our precious freshwater resources from plastics pollution.

The second project will discover what happens when one of the most prescribed drugs in Canada—venlafaxine, a common antidepressant—is flushed out from humans and reaches our lakes.

Antidepressants are a lifeline for millions of people across North America and the world. In fact, venlafaxine, one of the most prescribed antidepressants, features among the top five

As always, safety will be our priority, with only a select group of researchers physically working at the site—more than were allowed at the site last year. Those researchers will be required to self-isolate for two weeks before and after they are at the facility and will follow strict protocols whilst working there.

Top: Fisheries Research Biologist Lauren Hayhurst using a trap net on IISD-ELA Lake 260 Bottom: Researchers load equipment onto a boat to head out onto a misty lake.

IISD Experimental Lakes Area is the world’s freshwater laboratory.

A series of 58 lakes and their watersheds in Northwestern Ontario, Canada, IISD-ELA is the only place in the world where scientists can research and manipulate real lakes to build a more accurate and complete picture of what human activity is doing to freshwater systems. The findings from over 50 years of groundbreaking research have rewritten environmental policy around the world—from mitigating algal blooms to reducing how much mercury gets into our waterways—and aim to keep fresh water clean around the world for generations to come.

Lake of the Woods District Stewardship Association Environment

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L A K E O F T H E W O O D S WAT E R S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y F O U N D AT I O N

Despite COVID-19, progress towards a plan for Lake of the Woods continues 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 mission.

BY TODD SELLERS, LOWWSF EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Great news for Lake of the Woods in Canada’s Budget 2021 Canada’s Budget 2021 included $1.8 million for Lake of the Woods. This is bridging funding for the current year only, but will allow Environment and Climate Change Canada to maintain research and monitoring activities and continue towards developing phosphorus pollution reduction targets to address toxic algae in the lake.

State of the Basin Report update underway It seems just like yesterday, but it’s been seven years since the last Rainy-Lake of the Woods State of the Basin Report (SOBR) was published. Since 2014, we have learned a lot about our lake, its watershed and the priority concerns about water quality, invasive species, nutrients and toxic algae, and much, much more.

It is now time for an update with over a hundred research studies completed, the establishment of the Treaty #3 Nibi (water) Declaration, and the recent Work is underway for the 2021 State of the Basin Report. completion of two significant studies: the Minnesota Lake of the Woods Phosphorus Total Maximum Daily Load Study (TMDL) and Canada’s Lake of the Woods Science Program.

In May, we launched a major project to update the State of the Basin Report to 2021, in a multi-jurisdictional collaboration of the Lake of the Woods Water Sustainability Foundation with the Territorial Planning Unit of Grand Council Treaty #3, members

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of the International Multi-Agency Arrangement (government agencies, U.S. Tribal, non-governmental organizations), and the International Joint Commission watershed Board. Partnership with TPU-GCT3 to include information from indigenous knowledge systems will provide a more holistic sharing and understanding of Basin issues, knowledge, and progress, which was not included in the previous SOBR 2014.

Publication of the Rainy-Lake of the Woods State of the Basin Report 2021 Edition is planned for March 2022 in two formats: a full technical report, and a summary report for raising public awareness on the state of priority issues and concerns.

Watershed Forum Proceedings Report available The Proceedings Report of the 2021 International Rainy-Lake of the Woods Watershed Forum is available for download at the Foundation’s website: lowwsf.com/forum-proceedings.

Held March 10-11, via Zoom due to COVID-19, over 180 researchers, resource managers, policy makers and members of the public put Lake of the Woods and its watershed under the microscope.

The report covers a wide range of subject, including: watershed governance, aquatic invasive species, nutrients and algae, water regulation and monitoring.

Download the 2021 Forum Report at: lowwsf.com/forum-proceedings

Most presentations were recorded and are available for viewing for a limited time at lowwsf.com/forum-presentations. Please download a copy of the report or go to the website to view any presentation recordings that are of interest to you.

Environment Lake of the Woods Area News Summer 2021

ECCC Phosphorus Consultations— what we heard Over the past several months, Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) held public engagements on its proposed ecosystem objectives and potential phosphorus reduction targets to tackle the algae bloom problem on Lake of the Woods.

ECCC had a website for soliciting comments with factsheets summarizing phosphorus options and target measures. In addition, LOWWSF organized a series of town-hall style webinars to provide opportunities for you to connect directly with the policy team at ECCC that is responsible for Lake of the Woods. At these sessions, ECCC outlined the expected responses of the lake to three potential scenarios reducing phosphorus loads by 5 per cent (natural flushing over several decades), 20 per cent, and 30 per cent but did not identify where or how the reductions could be achieved. The 20 and 30 per cent scenarios included that 5 per cent natural flushing and included Minnesota’s plan to cut phosphorus by 17.3 per cent. Here are some of the main points that we heard: • There is a strong desire to “get on with it” and take steps to reduce phosphorus loads.

• Phosphorus reduction targets are needed, and Canada should participate­—but this is an international lake and Canada should not "go it alone" separate from the efforts that Minnesota will be taking as part of its more developed plan.

Join us

• The 5 per cent “do nothing” is not a viable option—some noted that this may end up as a net increase if the effects of climate change or increased development continue over the decades to come.

• There was a general preference for the 20 per cent option as it met most objectives, was aligned with Minnesota’s plans to cut phosphorus, and might be achievable.

• The 30 per cent option was preferred by some who wanted to take the strongest action, although the achievability and potential costs were questioned.

• In addition to the general scenarios presented, information was wanted from Canada, similar to that detailed in Minnesota’s plan, that identifies and sets targets for phosphorus reduction for each identified source.

• Involvement and coordination by the International Joint Commission was strongly supported given that the issue is international in scope and the two countries should not have separate targets or approaches.

In general, we heard that there is enough information to get moving on a plan to reduce phosphorus pollution and that this should be done jointly with Minnesota through the International Joint Commission. Canadian information gaps should not be an excuse to do nothing. Any plan should require follow up and adjustment if needed – adaptive management is supported but is predicated on a systematic and sustained monitoring program.

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Lake of the Woods District Stewardship Association Environment

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L A K E O F T H E W O O D S WAT E R S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y F O U N D AT I O N

Phosphorus concentrations and phosphorus loads— what’s the difference?

BY BEV CLARK FOR LAKE OF THE WOODS WATER SUSTAINABILITY FOUNDATION

If you are concerned about algal blooms in Lake of the Woods or algal blooms anywhere for that matter, then you will hear a great deal about phosphorus concentrations and phosphorus loads.

The difference is almost straightforward.

Concentration: Describes how much of a substance is in a given volume of water. In the case of phosphorus, it is usually expressed as milligrams per litre, e.g., 0.020 mg/L, or as micrograms per litre, e.g., 20 µg/L. The phosphorus concentration in lakes is how we determine how susceptible the lake will be to algal blooms because phosphorus is the primary nutrient required for algae to grow. Lake trout lakes are typically less than 10 µg/L while more enriched lakes that sustain algal blooms will be 30 µg/L or higher.

This is a generalization, but there is no escaping the fact that higher concentrations of phosphorus favour algal growth. More about this later.

A microgram is really small A microgram is the same as a part per billion. Let’s put that into perspective. The internet says that you can put 1,000,000 ping pong balls in a school bus. It’s true. So, to hold a billion ping pong balls you would need to fill 1,000 school buses. Now to represent 10 µg/L of phosphorus (and let’s have these be green ping pong balls), it would mean that there are 10 green balls somewhere in those 1,000 buses. Is it difficult to analyse water samples for such low levels of phosphorus? You bet!

Load: Describes the total quantity of a substance that is being delivered into a lake or river within a certain period, such as per day or per year. You need to know the volume of water and the concentration in the water. You multiply these together and you get a weight or load. The load may be any quantity from grams

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Ultra-clear waters of oligotrophic Lake 224.

Photo courtesy of IISD Experimental Lakes Area.

to metric tons. The Rainy River, because of the high volume of water, delivers around 500 metric tonnes of phosphorus to Lake of the Woods each year. This is a load. Loads can be determined for inputs such as rainfall, erosion, runoff, etc. You normally combine individual loads to construct a phosphorus budget for a lake. If you do your best with the calculations, there are models that will then allow you to predict the in-lake concentrations of phosphorus based on the loads. This is important because algae growth responds to concentration—how much “food” is available—not the load. You can go ahead and measure phosphorus concentrations in the lake to see how close your predictions are to reality.

Loads determine concentrations: You can see now how increased loads from various sources will lead to increased concentrations in the lake or river. The enrichment of a water body to a more productive state is called eutrophication. We mostly don’t want this because it can lead to algal blooms and oxygen depletion in deep water. But how do we know when loads and their resulting concentrations are too high?

For this, we look to the trophic status index. This is a scale that describes concentrations against narrative or measured in-lake conditions. Generally, clear lake trout type water bodies, such as Whitefish Bay and the Clearwater Bay region have phosphorus concentrations less than 10 µg/L and such lakes are referred to as oligotrophic lakes. Ontario’s Provincial Water Quality Objectives (PWQOs) state that lakes having less than 10 µg/L phosphorus should be maintained below this value. Lakes with 10 to 20 µg/L phosphorus are often called mesotrophic lakes and the PWQO regards 20 µg/L as the concentration below which nuisance algal blooms are unlikely to occur. There are various concentrations used to describe eutrophic systems (the ones with algal blooms) but you often see 30 µg/L used as a guideline. It is important to realize that there are many of these indices in use by regulators in North America and they generally all use this 10, 20, 30ish scale.

This is because the numbers line up very well with observed data.

Environment Lake of the Woods Area News Summer 2021

2. A more acceptable concentration of phosphorus is determined—a water quality objective.

It’s all Greek to me Lakes are described on a scale of how nutrient rich they are. This is called the trophic status index from the ancient Greek trophikos meaning food or nourishment. The Greek

3. A phosphorus budget identifies the major sources (loads) of phosphorus to the system.

4. Load reductions (targets) are set that would be required to reduce in-lake concentrations to the desired level.

prefixes oligo (few or scanty), meso (middle or moderate),

5. A strategy is developed to reduce loads from manageable sources.

and eu (well or rich) give us the scale:

6. In-lake concentrations are improved.

» Oligotrophic (few nutrients) » Mesotrophic (moderate nutrients) » Eutrophic (rich nutrients) Managing concentrations: Managing phosphorus concentrations in lakes and rivers usually takes one of two forms.

The first is to maintain loads so that in-lake concentrations remain within an acceptable range. The second is to adjust loads so that unacceptable concentrations can be reduced. The latter is the more daunting task. That process goes like this: 1. Unacceptable conditions such as algal blooms are linked to measured phosphorus concentrations which are deemed to be too high on the index.

This is a common process that has occurred successfully on large systems like Lake Erie and Lake Simcoe and on many smaller water bodies where point source inputs have been reduced to improve water quality. Lake of the Woods is currently being evaluated in a similar way to reduce the frequency and severity of nuisance algal blooms. Major initiatives for Lake of the Woods include Minnesota’s Phosphorus Total Maximum Daily Load study and Environment and Climate Change Canada’s science initiative in Lake of the Woods, both of which, aim to manage algae blooms by setting phosphorus reduction targets.

This article was written for the Lake of the Woods Water Sustainability Foundation as part of its Enhancing capacity for collaborative governance in the Lake of the Woods Basin project.

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Lake of the Woods District Stewardship Association Environment

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Reducing our footprint in cottage country: blue-green algae

BY SHARON GURNEY

In recent years, we have all been reading more reports of blooms of harmful algal blooms (HABs) in our region and across the world. In fact, at my own property at Granite Lake, last summer we experienced the first recorded incidence of a dense bluegreen algae bloom forming on our lake.

While it was distressing, it was an opportunity to learn more about the factors contributing to the growth of blue-green algae, what we can do as cottagers to reduce the intensity and frequency of these incidents, and some good news about what is happening in the research community to help protect Lake of the Woods.

What’s contributing to the growth of harmful blue-green algae?

Blue-green algae, like all plants and most people for that matter, love warm water, sunshine, and plenty of good food! In order to flourish, these nuisances, and sometimes toxic species of algae, need the right nutrients and environmental conditions. The amount of phosphorus, and to a lesser extent nitrogen, in our lakes are the primary driving factors for the growth of blue-green algae. In addition to these key nutrients, harmful algal blooms will thrive even better under sunny, calm, and warm water conditions. These conditions allow the algae to get plenty of light

to photosynthesize; the warmer the water, the faster their growth rate. These algae are strong competitors, and often out-compete good algae for nutrients and space in the water column.

So, what can we do as cottagers?

Fortunately, there are several actions we can all take to help limit the growth of harmful algal blooms in our lakes.

Take action—reduce your carbon footprint Climate change along with the associated increases in water temperatures, longer ice-free periods, and extreme rainfall events are predicted to increase the frequency and severity of harmful algal blooms formation. We can all take steps to both reduce our carbon footprint and encourage our elected representatives to take strong action on climate change: • Explore nature naturally—Reduce your greenhouse gas emissions from boats, quads and cars and explore the region with paddles, hiking boots and bicycles instead.

• Ditch your AC—Stand-alone and ceiling fans also do an excellent job of cooling down the house, and are easier on our wallets. If all else fails… jump off the dock for a natural cool down.

Title photo: LOWDSA staff, directors and the LakeSmart team conducted dock visits with property owners on Granite Lake just west of Kenora to provide information about blue-green algae, including the causes and prevention measures.

Lake of the Woods District Stewardship Association Environment

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A note on biodegradable products Don’t be fooled by labels that say biodegradable and assume they are safe to use in the lake. Biodegradable only

Take action—reduce your nutrient footprint

lake. Even if they say phosphate-free they may still legally

Nutrient loading from erosion can be a big contributing factor to phosphorus loading to our lakes. Climate change is bringing more extreme rainfall events. For example, the seven-inch rainfall in the region last summer caused significant erosion and runoff to lakes, not to mention the damage to roads, driveways and foundations! Waves from storms and large boat wakes can also erode shorelines, stir up nutrient-rich lake bottom sediments, adding nutrients to the lake and destabilizing waterfronts.

contain a small amount of phosphorus that will fuel the

A. Reduce nutrient loading from your property:

means they eventually break down in the environment (unlike heavy metals). Sewage is biodegradable - but we won’t think of sending our sewage pipes directly to the lake! Shampoos and soaps should always stay out of the

growth of blue-green algae, and these products can contain other substances that are harmful to other beneficial aquatic life in your lake that chow down on the algae.

• Grow your own or buy local—Buying food produced by local farmers greatly reduces the pollution created from transporting food all around the world. Check out your local farmers’ markets and consider growing your own fresh greens and herbs.

• Landscape lightly—Keep as much of your property natural as possible, and use rechargeable or electric lawnmowers, grass, and limb trimmers to reduce your emissions.

Check out other tips for “Climate Friendly Living” at climatechangeconnection.org.

1. Grade your property to slow down water flow, diverting runoff to vegetated areas that are less prone to erosion.

2. Consider planting a rain garden to capture rainfall allowing it to filter through the soil before reaching the lake.

3. Minimize impermeable surfaces and allow rainfall to infiltrate into the ground, rather than running off and carrying nutrients directly to the lake.

4. Stabilize your shoreline with native vegetation to both reduce risk of erosion from waves and allow trees and shrubs an opportunity to use the nutrients moving toward the lake.

5. Ensure you and your lake neighbours are not contributing to shoreline erosion by boating too close to vulnerable/ soft shoreline.

6. Avoid the use of fertilizers on your property and maintain as much natural vegetation as possible.

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Environment Lake of the Woods Area News Summer 2021

Check out the fabulous resources available on the LOWDSA LakeSmart website for more details on how to protect water quality at lowdsa.com/cpages/lakesmart. Consider booking a LakeSmart visit to help you “live and play green” at the lake!

B. Manage your waste wisely: Human sewage has a high amount of phosphorus and nitrogen, so you do not want your systems overloaded and leaching into your lake, fuelling the growth of algae, and contributing harmful pathogens. Here are some things you can do to ensure waste isn’t contributing to the growth of algae in your lake: 1. Always use non-toxic phosphate free household cleaning products and do not put harsh chemicals like bleach into your septic field, in order to keep beneficial bacteria that break down the sewage in your septic system healthy and happy.

2. Use low-flow devices to slow the movement of septic waste through your field towards the lake.

3. Pick up or bury animal waste to ensure it does not wash into the lake.

4. Make sure your guests know that if they pee in the lake they will be feeding algae with a rich supply of both phosphorus and nitrogen!

Check out the Northwestern Health Unit for great information about the operation and maintenance of your septic system at nwhu.on.ca.

Blue green algae, Planktothrix rubescens, made an appearance at Granite Lake last summer.

Have some fun on the lake!

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Lake of the Woods District Stewardship Association Environment

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Precautions to take—Keeping pets and people safe at the lake Many species of blue-green algae can produce potent nerve or liver toxins that can be lethal to pets consuming algae-laden water, and blooms can be harmful to people who drink water containing toxic algae. It’s important to know that boiling, chlorination, and many types of drinking water treatment systems are not effective at removing the toxins. Always check with your water treatment system supplier to find out if your system can remove algal toxins. Specialized testing is needed to confirm if the bloom is toxic. Dense blue-green algal blooms may look bluish-green, resembling green pea soup or turquoise paint. If in doubt, or if confirmed by lab testing, follow these precautions:

Good news!

Phosphorus reduction targets are on their way! Environment and Climate Change Canada is in the process of developing Lake Ecosystem Objectives, and associated phosphorus reduction scenarios to address harmful algal blooms in the Lake of the Woods

• Use alternate sources of drinking water.

watershed. They are seeking the

• Do not eat the liver, kidneys and other organs of fish.

knowledge and perspectives of all who

• Keep pets from drinking water along shorelines with dense algae.

live, work and enjoy the lake. You can

• To avoid skin irritation to those sensitive to blue-green algae, avoid swimming and other recreational activities that might put your family in contact with toxic algae.

find out more information about this

• Do not cook with the water.

process through the online portal at

• If you spot a suspected blue-green algae bloom, report it to Spills Action Centre 1-855-889-5775 or contact your local Ministry of Environment Office.

placespeak.com/lakeofthewoods. Next

• More information on blue-green algae is available on the Northwestern Health Unit website: nwhu.on.ca/ourservices/EnvironmentalHealth/Pages/ Blue-Green-Algae.aspx an

the level of support for the proposed

initiative, and how to engage in the

steps include gathering input to determine objectives, and then taking action to reduce phosphorus loads to the lake.

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Environment Lake of the Woods Area News Summer 2021

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Stuck on you ARTICLE AND PHOTOS BY BARRY CORBETT

Blue sky, bright sun, balmy temperatures—a perfect day for canoeing with friends. But the sun was waning and the wind had picked up, time to head home. When we reached shore, I jumped into the shallows, steading the canoes while the others unloaded.

Before climbing into the truck, I gave my feet a quick swish in the lake cleaning off some dirt and detritus.

Halfway home, I had an irresistible urge to scratch my left leg. Instead of relief, I felt something warm and sticky, and a growing unease in the pit of my stomach. Quickly I stopped the truck, flicked on the interior light and to my horror, discovered my leg and ankle covered with tiny leeches feasting on tonight’s special—me. In a panicked frenzy, I scrapped off the blood-thirsty hitchhikers losing count after 120.

When we reached home, my oozing leg had ballooned, alternating between a dull ache and intense itchiness.

While cleaning and disinfecting my wounds, I wondered what ‘fresh hell’ had I stepped into? Time to fire up the search engine, dust off a couple of old text books and immerse myself in the world of hirudinea, commonly known as leeches.

Leeches are part of a large group called annelids or segmented worms making

them cousins to the earthworm. Worldwide there are over 700 species of leeches found on every continent except Antarctica.

Most species are found in freshwater but some are marine or terrestrial. Be thankful no leeches will be dropping out of trees or crawling up your pant leg here; all 35 Ontario leech species live in freshwater. When it comes to size, most of our leeches are runts, just a few centimetres long, paling in comparison to the world’s largest Giant Amazon leech (46 cm). But we do have How to remove a leech one, the Giant Horse leech measuring a respectable 36 cm.

• Traditionally people burned or sprinkled salt on attached leeches.

• This is no longer recommended because it may cause the leech to vomit into your wound, causing a possible infection.

• Leech experts recommend allowing the leech to “voluntarily” drop off after finishing feeding.

• If you don’t have the patience or will power to endure this, gently pry off the smaller oral sucker with a fingernail or credit card. Repeat for the larger caudal sucker.

Leeches are distinguished from other segmented worms by two suckers, the front or oral sucker and the back or caudal sucker. The caudal is much larger and more powerful. All leeches move by creeping or looping like an inchworm along the bottom using their suckers, while some are excellent swimmers undulating gracefully through the water column.

Contrary to popular belief, not all leeches are bloodsuckers. Some are scavengers feeding on dead animal matter or carnivores preying on snails, insects, aquatic earthworms and other small invertebrates. Others are parasitic taking a blood meal from a variety of animals including fish,

Title photo: Check out the size of this scavenger or carnivore leech. Luckily, human blood isn’t on its mind!

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Top: Large scavenger or carnivore leeches aren’t interested in humans.

Bottom: Ornate leech (Placobdella ornata), attracted to an existing wound oozing blood, latches on for a meal.

What good are leeches • Many animals—including fish, turtles, and ducks— find them quite appetizing.

• Ask any walleye angler what is the go-to bait during the dog days of July—the answer is inevitably leeches, specifically the ribbon leech.

• Surgeons are using leeches after skin graft operations or when reattaching severed body parts. Leeches drain off congested blood allowing capillaries time to regrow and prevent blood clots.

• Researchers are exploring leech chemicals for possible treatments for arthritis, glaucoma, cancer, and blood thinners for heart patients. frogs, turtles, waterfowl, beavers, otters or muskrats depending on their preference. Unfortunately for us, there are at least three species in Ontario that relish human blood. These are the American medicinal leech, American horse leech (not to be confused with the much larger Giant horse leech, thankfully) and the ornate leech that often hitches a ride on canoers as they cross over beaver dams. When we aren’t available, they satisfy their dietary needs with the nearest aquatic animal, usually a fish, frog or turtle.

Warning to reader—the leech bite is not for the faint hearted! Once the meal ticket is located, the leech latches on with its powerful caudal sucker. Using its oral sucker, it searches for the ideal spot to cut into. Once found, the leech firmly attaches the oral sucker, and “fires up” three jaws equipped with sharp serrated teeth. With surgical precision, the jaws move back and forth slicing three incisions into the victim’s flesh. After feasting for 30 to 45 minutes, the gorged leech drops off the host, five times heavier.

Despite their grotesque appearance and horrific eating habits (to our eyes), leeches are considerate parasites. Before biting, it injects an anesthetic and anticoagulant rendering the bite painless and ensuring blood flows freely reducing the victim’s ordeal. However, this also means the wound will flow for several hours (10 to 36 hours). Fortunately, unlike other parasites (e.g., mosquitoes or ticks), our leeches are not known to transmit diseases.

Leeches are primarily nocturnal, preferring shallow protected areas of lakes hiding amongst plants, under rocks, logs, or attached to organic debris especially decaying leaves. With the right conditions, they can occur in extremely high densities. One study found over 10,000 leeches per square metre in a lake. I consider myself lucky—I only stumbled into 120 of them!

Although leeches can distinguish light changes, they really can’t see or hear. Nevertheless, they possess an uncanny ability to sense vibrations which is particularly helpful when hunting prey or looking for a host. Unfortunately for us, leeches are attracted to vibrations created by swimmers splashing or wading in the shallows. Consider leeches the freshwater JAWS without the music! They also have a strong sense of taste and touch used to communicate chemically and physically with each other. This is especially helpful for their other main pursuit in life, reproduction.

Leeches are hermaphrodites, meaning they possess both female and male reproductive organs. As handy as this may sound, they cannot self-fertilize and must exchange sperm with another leech. Mating begins in the spring after a good meal and continues until August. Some species are very good parents providing nutrition and protection to their young, carrying the fertilized eggs under the abdomen. Once the young hatch, they remain attached, feeding on mucous provided by the parent.

Other species enclose their fertilized eggs in cocoons attaching or burying them in the lake bottom. After hatching they set off on their own taking up their parent’s vocation as scavengers, predators or parasites.

On my fateful day, I must have stepped into a nest of recently hatched and hungry bloodsucking leeches hiding under decaying leaves. As a fisheries biologist, it’s hard to admit I had an irrational aversion to leeches, but now I accept them for what they are—just another species trying to eke out a living in a tough environment. In the future, if a couple of hitchhikers hit me up for a takeout meal—so be it, but please be quick.

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T R E A D I N G W I S E LY

Linking human health and the environment

BY ROSEMARY ROBERTSON I am about to step way, way out of my backyard as I write this article. Join me in an exploration of human behaviour and health and how we can interact more positively with the environment in a post COVID-19 world.

For many of us, this has been a time of learning about how we are all stewards of the environment. It is becoming very evident how, inexorably, our health is joined at the hip with biodiversity and how we must expand our roles as custodians of the planet if we are to maintain human health.

Biodiversity, defined as the variety of life on earth, is our best ally in human health. The more animal and plant species, the greater the biological diversity. If we destroy it, we destroy the environment that sustains it.

Simply put, the decline in biodiversity will make us more susceptible to future pandemics as well as many other human health issues.

Due to human invasion of its spaces, wildlife is forced to share our spaces.

Blurring the lines—our effect on the environment Humans hold the greatest influence on the environment. We are affecting it in many ways, with our modes of transport, whose emissions poison the air we breathe, and by pouring pesticides and chemical fertilizers into the earth. Both actions are virus vectors, as we create environments where natural microbiomes (bacteria, fungi and viruses) are altered gravely, and unnatural ones emerge. Let’s have a look at some of the science.

Encroaching on the environment and eroding natural habitats increases the likelihood of other diseases emerging with devastating results.

The exact origin of COVID-19 is unknown, but we know it is a zoonotic virus. This means it was transmitted from animals to humans, as were the SARS, MERS and Ebola viruses. When these viruses no longer need an animal host to transmit it and they jump to humans, there is a greater risk of worldwide spread. Animals like livestock and bats are known to carry zoonotic viruses to which humans have no natural immunity.

One might ask why viruses are now doing this with greater frequency. The expansion of the human footprint has blurred the lines between natural and man-made environments. Humans, livestock and wildlife are interacting in new and unexpected ways. Additionally, climate change is accelerating loss of habitat and the way humans change the land. Cutting down old growth forests and rainforests that are rich in biodiversity, to create agricultural or pastoral land, increases the

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Living Lake of the Woods Area News Summer 2021

Top: Bears infiltrate our space because we have squeezed them out of theirs. In their environment, we are but guests. Photo by Sharon Smith.

Middle: It is our hope children will learn to respect the trails they walk and, for human and environmental health, to leave the rest in its natural state.

Bottom: To have the privilege of continuing pursuits we have enjoyed in the outdoors, the future needs increased action to protect its health.

contact between humans and livestock with previously isolated populations of animals who harbour new diseases we have never encountered. When biodiversity is reduced, animals seek food where people live, increasing human disease risk. Habitat destruction and climate change pose a myriad of threats to human health and well-being.

This year has seen unprecedented numbers of people using the environment for pleasure, as it should be—camping, hiking, and other pursuits. The sticky point is our impact while enjoying the natural world. The more we’re in their spaces, the more we drive wildlife away and into spaces they do not normally dwell. Along with that is potential increased interaction with them and the risks that poses to human health. Experiencing and exploring the outdoors naturally and respectfully includes giving wildlife their space and leaving as few as our footprints as possible behind—respecting the land, water and habitat, cleaning up after ourselves, etc.

Following are examples of zoonotic viruses already prevalent in our area.

West Nile virus is transmitted through the mosquito-bird-mosquito cycle and perhaps to a human host. Forest destruction and fragmentation has the effect of increasing the population of white-footed mice which carry Lyme disease. The Blacklegged tick who feed on these mice can become infected with Lyme and viola, causing Lyme disease in humans who are bitten. Granted, these may not be life-threatening diseases, but they are serious threats to human health.

What we can do in and outside our backyards If COVID-19 has taught us anything, it’s that we must be in oneness with all humanity to protect the world.

The use of the environment for our own benefit has its costs and if we are not vigilant, we will be aiding and abetting the destruction of biodiversity.

There should be a global effort to identify viruses in wildlife and the development of vaccines to combat those viruses. In other words, humans find the viruses before they find us. The elimination of wildlife trafficking for human consumption at markets and trophy hunting is key. We should also work with communities in emerging disease hotspots to identify and reduce risk behaviours.

The wise way forward is to widely learn about and invest in conservation and science. This is how we must step out of our backyards. Our lesson is that we cannot be afraid of nature, which sustains us and from which we originate.

The task set before us is to restore nature and the variety of life with which we share the planet.

A healthy future for humanity and a biodiverse planet go hand in hand.

Sources and additional reading • ohchr.org “Human Rights, The Environment and COVID-19”, article courtesy of United Nations.

• khanacadeny.org “Protecting Biodiversity: the power of the individual”, video tutorial courtesy of Khan Academy.

• cdn2.hubspot.net “COVID 19: Urgent Call to Protect People and Nature”, article courtesy of World Wildlife Fund • ontarionature.org “Zoonotic Diseases on the Rise”, article courtesy of Ontario Nature.

Lake of the Woods District Stewardship Association Living

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MEMBER RECIPE

Barbecue pizza— a labour of love

BY LEANNE FOURNIER, WINNIPEG RIVER We didn’t have electricity for our first 10 years at our camp at Long Bay on the Winnipeg River. Those early cabin days and nights were filled with many unplugged adventures that spurred a lifelong love of the region for me and my husband Michael and our two (now grown) children, Ang and René. This also meant being creative in many ways, one of which was our camp food traditions. While the cabin has now become our home with more conveniences, one thing that hasn’t changed is our love for barbecued pizza.

It is indeed a labour of love, requiring some preparation and vigilance. But I have never minded this as the effort (in normal times) is usually accompanied by family or friends who are either involved in the prep or at the very least, take charge of replenishing the cook’s beverage! And then there’s the view. Who can complain when the tantalizing aroma of pizza is accompanied by the sun setting on another great day in this spectacular place we have the privilege of calling home?

I usually only bake one pizza at a time so I can give each the love it deserves. While this takes patience, it also creates more anticipation for the next pie coming off the grill!

There were many burned crusts in the early days, until we came upon the idea of diffusing the heat by placing ceramic tiles directly on the grill under the pan. Voila! We now had great crust but the toppings didn’t always cook as consistently. Moving the pizza up to the second level grill to brown the toppings for a portion of the cooking time and pre-cooking meats and other toppings, as I did for the mushrooms and bacon in this recipe, has proven to be another great solution.

We’re thinking about trying walleye as a topping but haven’t yet. Perhaps that will be a worthy experiment when guests can return to our table— something we wish for every day.

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Top: (L-R) Michael, René, Ang and Leanne Fournier, together in 2019 after a paddle to a favourite spot, “Pirate Island”, on the Winnipeg River.

Middle: Vegetarian pizza with garden fresh zucchini is a new family favourite.

Bottom: And we’re off!

Best ever BBQ pizza Makes two 14 inch pizzas INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTIONS

Dough: 4 cups flour 13 ounces tepid water 5 tablespoons olive oil 1.5 teaspoons instant yeast Sprinkle of cornmeal (optional)

Dough: 1. Mix just under 4 cups flour with 1.5 tsp instant yeast.

2. Measure out lukewarm water, add oil to water.

Mix wet into dry.

3. Foolproof workout/kneading tip: Flip the dough on a lightly floured surface; fold it over and bang it down on the counter with a spatula for about 5 minutes. If kneading the usual way about 10 minutes.

Pizza sauce (store bought also works fine): 398 ml tomato sauce 156 ml tomato paste 1 tbsp olive oil ¼ cup finely chopped onions ¾ tsp oregano 1 tsp basil ½ tsp Piri Piri or red pepper flakes 3 cloves garlic, minced ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper, salt to taste 1 tsp sugar

4. Put in oil lined bowl and let rise for about 2 hours or until double in size.

5. Once the dough has risen, divide into balls for number of pizzas you wish to make (can be 3 or 4 smaller or 2 medium, 1 extra-large, etc.). Rest for another 10 minutes.

Sauce: 1. In a medium saucepan, heat olive oil, onions, oregano, basil, and Piri Piri or red pepper flakes for 3-4 minutes at medium heat. Stir frequently. Add garlic and continue to cook for another 30 seconds to a minute.

Cheeses: mozzarella preferred but cheddar works in a pinch plus extras such as parmesan, asiago, feta, goat, etc. Again, the storebought pizza blend is great.

Toppings for the pizzas shown (adjust to taste): Meat (10 x 14 inch pan) – 1 to 1.5 cups sauce, 2.5 to 3 cups cheese, ¾ cup pepperoni, ½ cup bacon (lightly cooked), ½ cup sautéed mushrooms, sliced onions and green peppers.

Vegetarian (12.5” round pan) – ½ to ¾ cup sauce, 2 cups cheese, ¼ cup caramelized onions, ½ to 1 cup zucchini and tomatoes, sprinkle of fresh basil, goat cheese.

2. Add the prepared tomatoes along with the sugar and salt and simmer for 30 minutes or longer.

3. Taste and adjust with additional seasonings as desired. The sauce can be applied to the pizzas immediately or when you’re ready. It can be made ahead and freezes well.

Pizza: 1. Place ceramic tiles on main grill of barbecue. Preheat barbecue to 400°F/205°C. It’s important to get it to this heat before putting the pizzas on.

2. Roll out dough and spread onto lightly oiled pizza pans.

Sprinkle with cornmeal if using and add toppings in the following order: 1) Sauce, 2) Cheese, 3) Toppings 4) Finish with a light sprinkle of mozzarella, parmesan, goat cheese or feta.

3. Once barbecue is ready, put pizza in pan on the tiles.

Depending on how your BBQ heats, you will likely need to turn the burners all to low to keep it at 400°, or turn the middle burner lower than the rest. Check the crust often.

Cooking times may vary if you are doing more than one pizza at a time.

4. Cook for about 15 minutes and then put the pizza on the upper grill for 5 to 8 minutes to brown the cheese.

Check often!

5. Put back down on main rack for an additional 5 minutes or so if the crust needs more time. Again check the crust often, lifting gently with a metal spatula. Note a smaller pizza will take less time.

6. Let sit for 5 to 10 minutes or so before cutting. We like Frank’s hot sauce to add an extra kick.

Putting tiles on the grill under the pan diffuses the heat for a more evenly cooked pizza crust.

7. Devour!

Lake of the Woods District Stewardship Association Living

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NOTES FROM RAZBERRY LANE

The nitty gritty of dirt

BY ANITA AND HENRY RASMUSSEN The following is an informal collage of lore gleaned from personal experience and that of fellow local gardeners. It in no way purports to be a scientific treatise on soil.

Negative sayings like “cheap as dirt” ignore the fact that one person’s dirt is another person’s treasure. Indeed dirt, or soil, is a crucial element of successful and fruitful gardening.

Nutrient-rich soil is the result of a balanced mixture of weathered rock, clay, and organic matter. Along with sufficient water and oxygen, it makes up the ideal growing medium: a rich soil that drains well yet retains moisture. Its basic requirements are much like those of human beings: food, water, shelter, and air. At its best it is alive, rife with the earthworms, insects and microorganisms whose work and castings enrich and bind particles together resulting in a loose and crumbly soil.

Over time soil’s mineral content is constantly being worked and reworked by the elements: wind, rain, and frost. Its organic component is comprised of partially decomposed remains of organisms and plant life, like grass, leaves, and other vegetable matter. Moisture is essential while too much water can be harmful; water-logged soil will inhibit oxygen, which is why drainage is so important. Heavy clay soils need some addition of sand and compost to loosen them, allowing retention of air.

Sandy soils tend to drain quickly with subsequent moisture loss and frequent watering. Adding clay and organic matter will help.

Growing vegetables year after year depletes the soil. Wise gardeners regularly replenish nutrients with kitchen waste, aged animal manure, mulches and peat moss. We’ve all been told that compost is the best way to improve the garden and there are many commercial composts and fertilizers available. But we have found that the best alternatives­—yard debris, grass clippings and kitchen waste, coffee grounds, vegetable peelings and egg shells—are free and right at hand. Animal manure, be it chicken, horse, cow, sheep or goat, is also beneficial but must be well aged as the fresh variety can burn the plants. While chicken manure rates highest in nitrogen content, it is very rich and should be used sparingly.

Mulching, involving ground cover around plants and on walking paths, is another familiar term. Mulch can be almost anything, like straw, hay, grass clippings, leaves or sawdust. Its basic purpose is to keep in moisture, discourage weed growth and promote earthworm activity. Mulch breaks down over time and adds its organic matter to the soil. Leaves provide good cover but take a while to decompose unless shredded. Bark is best used around trees, shrubs and foundation plants as it is very slow to decompose. Newspaper and garden fabrics suppress weeds while allowing water to penetrate.

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Burying compostable material in a trench is a useful shortcut.

Cover crops is a strategy used by experienced gardeners. It involves planting a green crop like Daikon radishes or ryegrass in the fall then plowing or digging it back into the ground in spring, thus enriching the soil. Vermiculture, wherein the tiny worms are added directly to the garden or compost heap is another option. Vermiworm castings are referred to as “black gold” in garden circles.

We have a few more tips from years of experience to share.

In autumn, digging a trench down the middle of garden plots and burying compostable matter is a useful shortcut. It lets Old Man Winter break the vegetation down while enriching the soil.

After harvest, covering the garden plot with a tarp, mulch or plastic encourages the proliferation of beneficial microorganisms while suppressing weed growth. When the garden is very wet in the spring, let it dry out and drain before attempting to work the soil and plant. Weeding is always best attacked while weeds are still small and manageable and before they produce seeds.

Keep your grass clippings; they make an excellent layer in the compost bin along with regular kitchen waste. Peat moss has little nutrient content in itself but will lighten heavy soil making it more workable. Since vegetables grow in the top 6” of the garden, it is wise to concentrate on that layer. Walking on your garden packs the soil. Keeping individual plots no more than three or four feet apart and creating walking paths in a larger garden avoids compacting the earth.

In short, soil is the gardener’s main working medium and best friend.

Turning plain old dirt into rich, beautiful soil is a labour of love entailing time and patience, not unlike cultivating and maintaining a long and fruitful friendship. an

FireSmart: Protect your home & cottage from wildfire FireSmart provides resources for cottage and homeowners to protect their property from wild fires and what to do should you find yourself with an evacuation order. Read this checklist and ask yourself, “How prepared are we?” If you get an evacuate order, leave immediately. That is not the time to be looking at this list and trying tick off all these items.

Monitor conditions and follow the advice of local authorities. If ordered to evacuate, do so immediately.

This checklist below (plus more FireSmart resources, including manual on FireSmart landscaping and construction) is available in PDF form at firesmart.ca. You can print it and have it handy.



Last–Minute Checklist for Protecting Your Home and Property from Wildfire

Evacuation Tips Monitor conditions and follow the advice of local authorities.

If ordered to evacuate, do so immediately.

Review your evacuation plan for your family and pets.

• Visit www.getprepared.gc.ca for helpful tips and evacuation plan templates.

Have your “ready to go kit” (emergency kit) ready and stocked with cash, portable radio, prescription medications, eye glasses, change of clothes, pet food, flashlights and batteries, etc. Make sure your phone numbers, insurance information and other important documents for your go bag are current.

• Visit www.getprepared.gc.ca for a more complete list of emergency supplies.

Before evacuating: • Turn off air conditioning.

• Turn off your electricity and gas.

• Close all doors, garage doors and windows. If weather seal or doors have gaps, seal with duct tape.

Quickly address outside surroundings

Check around the house

Complete a scan around your home and property and take steps to remove combustibles.

Check vents on roof, foundation and exterior walls to prevent embers from entering your home.

Remove leaves, pine needles and other debris from your roof and gutters.

Mow grass and weeds within 10 metres of the house to 10 centimetres in length, or less.

Clear all dead plants, leaves, and weeds within 10 metres of your home. Maintain a 1.5 metre non-combustible zone around your home and deck by sweeping or raking down to mineral soil, rock or concrete.

Move combustible items, such as toys, patio furniture, cushions, decorative items, firewood, and potted plants, that are on and under your deck and within 10 metres of your home. Move all combustible items into your home or garage.

Check your attic and foundation (crawl space) vents to see if they are screened and in good repair. Use duct or metal tape to temporarily cover damaged vents and those with 3 millimetre mesh screening.

If you store cardboard boxes and other easily ignited materials near a vent in your attic or crawl space, move them as far away as possible from vent(s).

• Another option is to place tape over vent(s) at these locations. Be sure to remove tape when you return home.

Cover dryer vents and wall-mounted make-up air openings for furnaces with a plywood cover, metal tape or duct tape.

If you have a propane tank located on your property: • Propane tanks should be moved to 10 metres away from structures.

• Remove weeds and other debris from area around large stationary propane tanks so there is no combustible material near tank.

If you have a combustible fence that attaches to your home:

Non-combustible Zone

• Secure gate in an open position.

Visit www.firesmartcanada.ca for additional resources and information.

• Clear vegetation and debris along both sides of combustible fence lines.

Lake of the Woods District Stewardship Association Living

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Summer reading recommendations from The Muse Dammed by Brittany Luby It can be easy to lose oneself in the natural beauty of Lake of the Woods and to forget the many industrial scars now hidden by the boreal forest and meandering shores of our summer paradise.

In Dammed, Dr. Brittany Luby examines the difficult legacy of this region’s hydroelectric building boom, and its devastating impact on the Indigenous peoples of the Winnipeg River.

With a wealth of historical context, Dammed is essential reading for those seeking a holistic perspective of Lake of the Woods, and a deeper understanding of our shared challenges as Treaty People.

Friends, Foes, and Furs: George Nelson’s Lake Winnipeg Journals, 1804-1822, edited

by Harry W. Duckworth Through his journals, George Nelson, clerk with the North West Company, provides a unique glimpse into the fur trading world of central Canada in the early nineteenth century. Nelson operated in the Lake Winnipeg area at various times between 1804 and 1822, and his daily accounts are both entertaining and illuminating.

The clerk’s lively descriptions of peculiar interactions, accidents, heartbreaks, and successes make events that occurred 200 years ago seem recent, while editor Harry W. Duckworth’s detailed annotations helpfully provide additional context without distracting from the source material.

Maud Lewis: Paintings for Sale

by Sarah Milroy We have all made adjustments to our lives due to COVID-19. We’ve seen tremendous creative output from people who may not have touched a paintbrush or musical instrument in years; but we've also seen how difficult it can be to remain positive and energetic in the face of lasting hardship and repeated setbacks.

Maud Lewis’ life was fraught with hardships—physical, emotional, and financial. In spite of this, she created persistently pleasant works of art that framed her world the way she wanted to see it. One of Canada’s foremost folk artists, Lewis’ cheery style is the perfect foil to the negativity of the past year.

With a foreword by Sarah Milroy, Chief Curator at the McMichael Canadian Art Collection, Maud Lewis: Paintings for Sale is a bright and inspirational addition to any personal library.

Masterpieces Up Close by Claire d’Harcourt Visual art is like a complex language, and learning to “read” it can be intimidating.

Understanding what an artist is trying to communicate when they use a particular medium, or represent their subjects in a peculiar way, or include symbolic items, takes practice.

Using a selection of influential works from the 14th to 20th centuries, Masterpieces Up Close hones its young readers’ interpretative skills by highlighting areas of importance, and asking questions for thought and discussion.

Red and White Pine Specialty Products T&G Pine Paneling Log Siding / Shiplap / Flooring Timbers | Hardwoods | T&G Cedar Paneling 1-800-757-4797 Box 300 Emo Ontario P0W1E0 www.manitouforest.com

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Living Lake of the Woods Area News Summer 2021

Contact The Muse for summer hours and purchasing options—themusekenora.ca.

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1272 Dugald Road, Winnipeg • 832 Lakeview Drive, Kenora || 204.987.5640

The aliens next door

by Jacob Rodenburg & Drew Monkman

Under a veil of water, In the mud and the ooze, A strange creature lurks, A strange creature moves.

You may think it’s an alien from some other place, But it has been here longer than our human race.

— Jacob Rodenburg Ever think about what lives in the slime and the ooze of your nearby pond? It may seem like there isn’t a lot going on down in that muddy underworld—just some mud, plants, and a few frogs. But you’d be surprised!

If you want to experience the alien next door, fetch a net, a white bucket, tweezers, some rubber boots, and if you have one, a magnifying glass. Visit a nearby pond.

Choose one that has a shallow area with a muddy bottom. Make sure the kids are closely supervised. Scoop up a healthy glob of mud and using your fingers (or a stick), carefully sift through the gooey mass. You can also try sweeping your net through the plant roots. Soon enough, you’ll spot something wriggling. Using the tweezers, carefully remove the wriggler and rinse it in clean water and place this in the white bucket. Continue and repeat.

76

LOWDKIDS Lake of the Woods Area News Summer 2021

What is that in the mud?!

Chances are you’ll have discovered the amazing underwater, jaw-thrusting, jet-propelled bug snatcher! What on earth? While it may seem otherworldly, what you’ve captured is not some alien, but a baby dragonfly! Baby dragonflies start their life as nymphs (the larvae stage) and depending on the species, they can live underwater for one to several years. And what hunters they are!

They suck water in through their mouth and expel it out their rear end, surging forward like a jet fighter.

Baby dragonflies have a folding lower jaw complete with a set of pincers that can thrust outward to seize their prey. They have been known to eat tadpoles, small bugs and even minnows. Want to see for yourself? Using the tweezers, you can gently unfold the lower jaw or labium by pulling it outward.

You’ll notice the curved pincers on either end of the jaw. While you are at it, use your magnifying glass and look along the rear of their stomach or abdomen. Watch how the abdomen moves in and out, as the baby dragonfly extracts oxygen from the surrounding water.

A baby dragonfly sheds its exoskeleton or skin as it grows. And when it is ready to change from an underwater critter to the acrobatic flying adult dragonfly with which we are all familiar, the nymph will crawl right out of the water onto an overhanging branch or cattail. Slowly, the dragonfly will slip out of a split along its back and unfurl two pairs of brand new wings. If you are lucky, you can find empty skeleton cases near the edge of a pond. These exuviae are a wonderful treasure to add to your nature table.

Aliens that skate

Water strider meet-and-greet!

Another alien can be found skittering along the surface of a pond. Skating on ice is one thing, but skating on water? How cool would that be?! Water striders—or pond skaters—can zoom over the surface of lakes and ponds without even getting wet!

Want to invite a water strider over for a friendly hello? Just like worm fiddling, you can encourage a visit from a water strider just by rubbing two twigs together!

Water striders have elegant, spindly legs that help them evenly distribute their weight. Each leg is covered with thousands of microscopic hairs containing tiny grooves that can trap air to help increase the water strider’s buoyancy and repel water. Water striders also use the surface tension of water to their advantage, navigating their world along the delicate film created by the naturally tight cohesion of water molecules on water’s surface.

They can “row” on top of this surface tension, using their three sets of paired legs: the middle set as oars, and the back set to steer and brake while the front legs are reserved for capturing prey on-the-go!

And boy are they fast! Water striders have been known to travel more than 100 body lengths per second. To put this in perspective, an average person would have to swim over 400 miles per hour to match the equivalent speed of a water strider, based on the ratio of size to speed.

If a water strider feels a sudden ripple of water, it will quickly skate towards the disturbance. And if there is a morsel of food (a mosquito larvae, for example), a strider will grab hold, unfold its long proboscis (a tube-like mouth part), jab it in its prey and suck out those yummy juices. Don’t worry, water striders don’t bite people!

Here is how: Find two small, thin twigs, about 4–5 inches each.

Submerge one twig vertically, about halfway under the surface of the water, making sure to hold it very still. Draw the other twig back and forth across the top part of the submerged one like a fiddler playing a jig. Your movements will create ripples that simulate a struggling insect. Don’t be surprised if a water strider or two glides over and grabs your twig!

Next time you are at a pond, stream, or lake, be on the lookout for water striders. Admire how they glide across the water without much effort. They are fascinating aquatic insects whose graceful movements remind us that the natural world is full of dancers, if we just take the time to look!

Water tension in action: Here is a way that you can see how water tension works. Take a paper clip and gently place it in a cup full of water. If it sinks, place a small piece of tissue paper on the surface, then float the paper clip on this. Carefully remove the tissue paper and the paper clip will float—this is surface tension in action. To break the surface tension, place a drop of soap in the water and the paperclip will immediately sink.

One of the first and best steps we can take to protect the Earth is to simply connect to the land we are situated on—so that we come to imagine the soil, plants, water, air and animals as part of our family—our “neighbourwood.” Whenever you have a positive experience with nature, share this with others. There are some simple ways reduce your carbon footprint, to regenerate and re-wild nature wherever you are. To find out more visit: davidsuzuki.org/what-you-can-do/ top-10-ways-can-stop-climate-change.

Lake of the Woods District Stewardship Association LOWDKIDS

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Real Estate Listings

LOTW Moore Bay Condos

Christie’s Bay, Winnipeg River

Lot 2 French Narrows

Water access. Only 3 left—cabins 1,6 & 7. Off grid boat-in cottage opportunity on PipestonePeninsula on 11 acres. 10 fully furnished cabins, each with woodstove, propane appliances, kitchenettes, bathrooms, electricity & sundecks.

4+ acres low profile waterfront lot with 216 ft. rock shoreline. Eastern exposure. Water access

This water access property is approx a 30-minute boat ride south of Kenora. Approx 1.88 acres; 170 ft of frontage; low/medium profile, south facing.

The main north/south boat track is nearby and great walleye fishing in the area

$75k - $299k

$90,000

Greg Kirby, Re/Max First Choice Realty Ltd 807-466-8266 / gregkirby.ca

Shelley Torrie Home & Cottage Realty

$119,000

Carmichael Real Estate Inc.

807-547-4020 / kenora-realestate.com

807-466-2236 / lakeofthewoods.net

Little Sand Lake

161, 162, 163 Winnipeg Ave, Minaki

Sioux Narrows

3.68 acres waterfront lot with 174 ft. rock shoreline, low profile at water’s edge, sloping upland. Water access.

3.88 acre building lot with 377 feet of shoreline on Long Bay. Layout map on our website.

$140,000

Charming, history rich, private getaway in Minaki. 1667 sq. ft. of living space, 3 bedrooms, 1 bath, an eat-in kitchen and a spectacular 557 sq. ft. mass hall/great room with original hardwood floors.

807-466-8266 / gregkirby.ca

$169,900

Greg Kirby, Re/Max First Choice Realty Ltd

$179,900

Northwoods Realty

807-226-1024 / northwoodsrealtyltd.com

Re/Max NorthWest Realty

807-468-4573 / remaxnorthwestrealty.com

Cornerstone Fantastic location in downtown Kenora, Cornerstone Restaurant is known for its trendy atmosphere and patio overlooking the harbourfront. Well-known in Kenora, this restaurant is set for success.

$249,000

Re/Max NorthWest Realty

807-468-4573 / remaxnorthwestrealty.com

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Lot 4 Pulfords Island

Winnipeg River

Build your dream cottage here in the Yacht Club Stretch! Enjoy island living with the convenience of being close to downtown Kenora. Hydro is already on site and approved for a septic field.

30 acres with 2200 feet of shoreline! Water access on mainland (could have quad trail access).

Includes steel dock, 30-foot trailer with pull-out and a yurt offers secondary accommodations.

Multiple building sites available

$274,500

Century 21 Northern Choice Realty Ltd

$299,000

807-468-3747 / century21kenora.com

807-466-2236 / lakeofthewoods.net

Independently Owned & Operated – Brokerage

Services Lake of the Woods Area News Summer 2021

Carmichael Real Estate Inc.

Real Estate Listings

Sioux Narrows

LOTW Lodge – Island Retreat

Jacks Lake – Road Access

Four-bedroom cabin plus a guest cabin. Water access only, short distance from Sioux Narrows.

Video tour on our website.

$375,000

Located on a 35 acre island on Lake of the Woods just a short boat ride from the Nestor Falls Government Dock—six cabins ranging from a small studio style to a larger three bedroom, two full bath. Dock space for 20+ boats.

This rare find offers approx. 20+ acres, a road access year-round home, water access guest cabin, boat launch, amazing privacy and is situated in Unorganized Territory!

807-226-1024 / northwoodsrealtyltd.com

$650,000

Northwoods Realty

Re/Max NorthWest Realty

$675,000

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

807-468-4573 / remaxnorthwestrealty.com

100A Kelly Road, Black Sturgeon

Floating Lodges of Sioux Narrows

This spacious cottage is 3,500 +/- sq. ft., 5 bedroom, 3 Bath and large windows with plenty of natural light. On 2.27 acres of titled land with 214 ft of frontage. Road access.

Established business with an excellent customer base built over 40 years—an excellent reputation for customer service. Offered turnkey including 9 houseboats all with functional designs, a shop, laundry facilities, gas and propane tanks.

$745,000

Cabin Country Realty

807-468-3541 / cabincountry.com

$799,900

Re/Max NorthWest Realty

807-468-4573 / remaxnorthwestrealty.com

Lot 91 Poplar Bay Road, LOTW Enjoy privacy and seclusion with this 2,542 sq. ft. lakefront cottage with a lower level walkout, open concept living space and 5 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms.

$925,000

Cabin Country Realty

807-468-3541 / cabincountry.com

6 Eagle View Drive

LOTW – Sioux Narrows

Cedar Point Lodge, Eagle Lake

Enjoy views of Black Sturgeon lake from this spectacular handcrafted log cabin home!

Open concept living, custom kitchen, and full basement. Zone unorganized, low taxes.

This road access property is on a private 3+ acre peninsula, with 1000’+ of frontage, 2 cottages, 2 garages and pipe dock.

This picturesque lodge is nestled on Eagle Lake. Business, land, buildings and all chattels included. Visit cedarpointlodge.com and check out the operation. Road accessible.

$1,100,000

Century 21 Northern Choice Realty Ltd Independently Owned & Operated – Brokerage

807-468-3747 / century21kenora.com

$1,200,000

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

$3,450,000

Cabin Country Realty

807-468-3541 / cabincountry.com

Lake of the Woods District Stewardship Association Services

79

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Start dealing with a broker that will get to know YOU and advocate on your behalf.

Call us or visit us online to request a quote today.

319 Second Street South P: 807.468.3333

TF: 1.866.418.3672 info@standardinsurance.ca

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Classifieds

Classified ads are a free service for LOWDSA members.

How to Submit Classifieds

Email: patrick@lowdsa.com | Mail: LOWDSA, Box 1160, Kenora, ON P9N 3X7 Next submission deadline: August 10, 2021 Please try to keep your listing to 35 words or less.

FOR RENT Rustic lakefront cabin in Clearwater Bay, Zigzag island. 5 minutes from marina. 3 bedrooms, satellite, kayaks, great fishing, cell service, prefer retired or past cottage owners as there is a composting toilet. 1200$ per week. 300$ for boat. July booked. 204-688-7347.

Quiet Bay Cottage Rental. This boat access property is in a secluded bay on Lake of the Woods approximately 10 minutes from town. 2 bedrooms, suitable for 2 couples or a family of 4-5. No pets or smokers please. Own boat transportation required, boat rentals and taxis available in Kenora.

Furnished property includes large decks, sauna, and screen rooms. Contact Karla at karlatreadway@hotmail.com.

Lakefront cottage, Storm Bay Rd. Road access 2 bedroom cottage. Deck with beautiful view, patio table/chairs, private dock and great swimming. Full kitchen, TV, satellite, wifi. Many good dates left. $850/week. Call Bob 807-464-2056.

Lakefront, Clearwater Bay. S. exposure; road access; spacious docks. Lge great room, kitchen/dining with great lake view.

3 bdrm; master with ensuite. Full 2nd BR, shower & bath. Den -fireplace, sat.

TV, pullout sofa. Dishwasher, microwave, washer, dryer. Lge deck; BBQ. Minutes from liquor store,gas, groceries. 1-2 wk stays, June -Sept $4000/wk. dpeever@mymts.net Private Island Cottage for Rent. Private Island for Rent on Lake of the Woods.

Boat-in, 16 miles South of Kenora. Three bedroom cabin fully furnished can sleep 6 – 8 people. Quiet solar power, fully equipped kitchen, full bathroom facilities, living room with fireplace, BBQ, satellite TV and cell phone coverage. Cabin is non-smoking, great fishing nearby. A private vacation experience with all the comforts of home. Boat transportation and boat rentals available. 1-800-547-3474 or email for rates and availability— info@crowrock.com.

Island property on LOW. 20 minutes from town. 3 bdrm, sleeps 6-8, full bath, hydro, sat TV, lots of decks, docking, hot tub, diving board, paddle board, kayaks, lakeside fire pit. Transportation to & from the property incl. Optional boat available. $1500/wk. Shorter or longer stays available. Brad at 807-464-1190 or brad@kmts.ca Lakefront on Coney Island, LOW. Walking distance to Coney Island Beach & 5 min boat ride from Kenora. Rustic 2 bdrm. cottage plus guest house. Dock, multi-level decks, fire pit, & beach. Full service hydro & water. June-Sept $1,250/ week, 1-week min. Discounts for multiple weeks. 310coney@gmail.com LOW Storm Bay Rd 9. Large house with 9 bdrms, hot tub, multi level decks, granite kitchen, boathouse, sauna, WiFi, fireplace, washer & dryer, dishwasher. Kayak & boat are a possibility. $2500-$7000 weekly.

Discounts available in the fall. mail@markmcgregor.ch Island rental Storm Bay Rd. near the rollers. 2 log homes, new mattresses, 1

king, 1 king, a double and a single. 2 kayaks & a boat can be included. $200-$375 per night. kaitlyn.mcgregor@gmail.com Bulman Bay Cottage, LOTW. Near Yacht Club/Keewatin, 10 min down McKenzie Portage Rd. Lake front; large dock; great swimming. 4 bdrm; full bath; washer/ dryer; dishwasher; wood burning fireplace; sat. TV. Screened porch; lge deck; firepit. Recently renovated. Available Jan – Dec. Min. 2 week $3080/wk. hklapman@mwgapparel.com Lakefront Island Property Brule Point.

Boat access only,16 m. from Kenora. Sand beach, dual docking facilities (with plugs), fully equipped; hydro/water; 3 bdrms.

Ideal for families & fishing. Weekly rate (7 nights) $1195. Add individual nights $170/ night. Donna Bell 204-736-4555 or taketwo@taketwoinc.com Coney Island LOTW, W exposure. Open concept. 4 lge bdrms, 3 baths; separate master suite/bathrm/private deck. Full kitchen; all appliances, dishwasher, microwave, washer/dryer, lge island, dining area. Wood burning fireplace, sat TV. Screened porch, wrap around decks, outdoor shower, gas BBQ. Lge main dock; 2 floaters with deep water docking. 2 wk. min. bill.ralph@shaw.ca Lakefront on Trout Lake. 20km north of Kenora. 2 or 3 bdrm cabin available for rent weekends or weekly May-June.

Full kitchen & bathrm, TV/DVD, BBQ. Comes with canoe, kayaks & 12 ft. alum. boat. Deck off front of cabin; private deck at water’s edge; your own sand beach.

Spring fed lake with crystal clear water. troutlake596@gmail.com Lakefront Cottage on Lake of the Woods, near Kenora, road access. Includes 3 bedrooms, full kitchen, bath and laundry.

2 acres, private bay, sandy beach, floating dock and good fishing! Available June, July, August. $5,000/month. Text 204-951-5812.

LAND FOR SALE Private Sale. 2 New Road Access Lakefront Lots on Lake of the Woods - Pine Portage Bay area, access via Storm Bay Road. Each lot has 200 feet of frontage, 2.6 Acres and 2.42 Acres, West exposure, heavily treed, very private gated-road access, hydro and telephone on the lots, unrestricted deeded access, legal title to each lot. Contact e-mail: peterzaj@mymts.net.

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE Longbow Lake. Boat access, 800 sq.ft in a small sheltered bay on Longbow Lake, 16km east of Kenora. 1.92 acres with 276 ft lake front, 73 ft of sand beach, 3 outbuilding, 2 brms, screen porch, large windows lake facing. Insulation, shingles, vinyl siding and windows new in 2013. Solar installed 2017. 12V fridge, 2018. Propane stove.

Access to LOW via rollers at Bigstone Bay. $300,000. Contact: j4heppelle@shaw.ca or phone 204-885-3484.

Minaki Island Retreat. 4 BR, large wrap around screen porch, BBQ deck, upper deck off upstairs BR. Boathouse with spacious deck & swimming dock. S. half (1.12 acres) of island property, S, E, W ex-

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. posures. Wood burning stove/glass front, baseboard heat, shower, hydro, phone, sat.

TV, washer/dryer, composting toilet. 1975 sq. ft. 2 levels. Furnished, move in ready. 7 mins to Minaki marinas. Txt/call 651-2002217, 651-274-7278.

Brule Point area. Waterfront lot for sale.

Approved for septic, land owned to high water mark, hydro available, 300’ low profile frontage, great docking sites. Boat access in summer and ice road access in winter. Asking $172,000. No HST. For more information please call Brad 807-464-1190 or email brad@kmts.ca.

Andrew Bay, Pipestone Point, LOTW. 255 ft. frontage, 277 ft deep on west side, 319 ft deep on east side and 104 ft across the rear.

Lot nine. Sheltered Bay, well treed, gradual drop off. 20 minutes by boat from Kenora.

Asking $175,000. migizi.bonnie@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

WANT TO HIRE Part-time, general labourer for help around the cottage and land. Possibly 3 days a week. Location: Northern Harbour area at the end of Storm Bay Road. Contact e-mail: peterzaj@mymts.net.

Qualified persons to lift and level our cottage on Rush Bay in August 2021. For work description and details please contact Brian @ rushbay2@gmail.com.

FOR SALE: MISC. Free to Give Away! One WiFi Router Globe Surfer 3+ 3G GATEWAY. Contact allansmeall@shaw.ca or 204-452-8765.

ShoreStation PWC Boat Lift. 2017 Aluminum Vertical lift—1500 lb capacity—up to 5"6 feet deep. Purchased from Docks and Lifts. Excellent condition stored near Kenora. New Cost $5,000, asking $2,500.

Please contact siftonmelanie@gmail.com.

Z-Dock 15’x18’ floating dock. With integral small boat ramp $5000. 204-292-3970.

BOAT RAIL SYSTEM, Morson area.

Approx. 100 ft. long with carriage for 17’ to 20’ boat (more or less) complete with winch system powered by a solar panel with charging system not including battery. Asking $4750. jaslaw1@shaw.ca.

Boat trailer, for use on rails into the lake, built for boat up to 18 foot. Trailer has adjustable bunks with rubber rollers.

Solid wheels of trailer fit into or onto the rails. Winch which will be sold separately if desired has a switch with approx 10 ft. of cable. Price to be negotiated. 204-253-2145 or jrcousin@hotmail.com

WANT TO BUY Building lot. Retired couple looking for building lot on LOW contact Richard at kaletzke@mymts.net .

Microtouch Foot Pedal Control. To fit Minn Kota Power Drive bow-mount trolling motor. allansmeall@shaw.ca or 204-452-8765.

Pre-owned boat trailer. For 17 1/2' Lund aluminum boat with 50 hp tiller motor; prefer 13" tires although not mandatory.

Bunk or rollers. Contact 204-782-2808 or email jim.coldwell@mymts.net.

BOATS/MOTORS FOR SALE Antique PETERBOROUGH CEDAR STRIP Canoe, complete with floor boards. Perfect 'as-is' as a wall hanger or suitable for an easy restoration. Needs canvas. Located in Clearwater Bay. Email: jmblake74@gmail.com for pictures.

Asking $600.

1986 Invader 198 V6 205 Merc Cruiser.

Mooring Cover, Canopy & Boot, Garmin GPS, Hummingbird Depth/Fish Finder with internal GPS, ICOM Marine 2 Way Radio, Marine Communication Antenna.

Stored for 4 years. Trailer not safe for highway. $5,800 OBO. Photos & specs: sean@marketingcapitalinstitute.com or (204) 944-9944.

Vanguard Calais 17.5 ft bowrider. Full conv top and travel tarp, seats 8, 4.3 chevy inboard 4 barrel 208 HP with Newer Yamaha outdrive, stainless prop, fish finder,GPS and Yacht Club trailer with all new tires and new spare. Pictures available. rushbay2@gmail.com.

2008 Baylliner 175 Bow Rider. Blue and white, with a 3 ltr/135 hp motor and a 2008 galvanized trailer. Boat is very clean and in very good condition. Seats 8 people.

Asking $11,999. Call Luke 204-295-9309.

15 ft Albacore sailboat. Complete set of sails including main, jib, spinnaker and sail bag good shape. Custom built trailer included, needs lights rewired. Mast support for trailering. Asking $2500, call 204-489-6787 or brugin1@mymts.net 2012 Chaparral Xtreme 204 BoatSki/Wakeboard. Excellent condition, clean, new custom carpet fitted for the floor. Purchased from US, imported to Canada. 260HP, 20 ft, single I/O, 105hrs, JBL speakers & stereo. Includes Eagle trailer. Winterized every year. Currently in storage/wrapped. 431 335 4240 or email campbell9@me.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.

(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. Email burchwell@sympatico.ca for pictures or call 807-466-2578. $9,500 or best offer.

MISCELLANEOUS 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.

Lake of the Woods District Stewardship Association Services

81

Home & Cottage Services

A family business serving Lake of the Woods cottagers for over 30 years

Cottage & Marine Insurance Specialists Over thirty years of experience

Richard McKenzie, CAIB 204.410.1010 | richard@mckenzie.insure | mckenzie.insure

82

Services Lake of the Woods Area News Summer 2021

Bob’s

ElEctric

ELECTRICAL CONTRACTING

• new construction/renovations/cottages

Owned/Operated by

• lake Work ready 24/7

rick Brignall

• acP contractor ESa/Ecra #7008852 • call anytime for a FrEE EStiMatE

807.468.5915 rBrignall@yahOO.ca

Advertisers’ Directory BUILDING SUPPLIES 45 Lumber One 74 Manitou Forest Products 51 McMunn & Yates 40 Star Building Materials COMMUNITY ASSOCIATIONS 4 City of Kenora 60 Clearwater Bay Stewardship Inc 14 Government of Manitoba 30 Lake of the Woods District Hospital Foundation 20 Sioux Narrows Nestor Falls 64 Sioux Narrows Nestor Falls 80 Nuclear Free North CONTRACTORS 82 AK & Company 59 Alair Homes 23 Black Fox Construction 12 Conquest Manufacturing 41 Custom Woodworking Co. Inside Back Docks & Lifts 2 DTL Carpentry 50 Oakwood Roofing 68 REMR Roofing 33 Revco ELECTRICAL 82 Bob's Electric 62 Bowman Electric FINANCIAL SERVICES 8 RBC Darcy Zaporzan 54 Richardson Wealth HOME & COTTAGE FURNISHINGS 13 Faveris Wood Furniture 19 Image One Home & Cottage HOME & COTTAGE MAINTENANCE 82 807 Refrigeration & Mechanical 15 Clearwater Septic System 82 Denver's Window Cleaning 17 Hitchinge 36 Keystone Security 34 LOW Septic Barge / Bell's Septic 80 Mantario Chimney 82 Mason Plumbing & Heating 82 Penta Protective 75 Sunset Spray East 22 United Tree Service 70 Wolframe's World of Water INSURANCE 82 Richard McKenzie Insurance 80 Standard Insurance LEGAL 18 Hook Seller Lundin 40 PFK Lawyers MARINE 35 Big Lake Fibreglass 40 Grace Anne II 63 LOTW Docking 32 Reef Store / Devil's Gap MARINE & RECREATION Back Cover Woodlake Marine 75 WSL Sport & Leisure REAL ESTATE Inside Front Cabin Country Realty 6 Carmichael Real Estate 42 Century 21 Northern Choice Realty Ltd 47 Greg Kirby, ReMax 25 Northwoods Realty 31 Oneida Island Estates 16 & 65 RE/MAX NorthWest Realty Ltd 37 Shelley Torrie Home & Cottage Realty TRANSPORTATION 82 Winnipeg Moving

1 Willow Drive, Falcon Lake Emo 1666 Highway 17 W, Keewatin 16 Speers Road, Winnipeg

204-349-2294 807-482-2185 807-547-3366 204-233-8687

lumberone.ca manitouforest.com mcmunnandyates.com starbuilding.ca/winnipeg

1 Main St S, Kenora (807) 467-2000 30th Floor, 360 Main Street, Winnipeg manitoba.ca lwdhf.com snnf.ca

21 Sylvan Street W, Kenora Sioux Narrows Sioux Narrows P.O. Box 10307, Thunder Bay

807-468-9861

Highway 17 W, Keewatin 525 Academy Rd #4, Winnipeg 225 Main Street North, Kenora 3077 Road 6 NW, Altona Kenora 1940 Highway 17 East, Kenora Keewatin Highway 17 East, Kenroa 2053 Hwy 17 E, Kenora 950 5th Street West, Fort Frances

807-543-2493 (204) 813-7919 807-468-5915 866-300-0222 807-464-0007 807-547-4444 204-979-4055 807-467-8824 807-548-2811 807-274-7918

1025 Railway Street, Kenora Kenora

807-468-8813 807-467-1022

rbrignall@yahoo.ca bowmanelectric.com

3100-201 Portage Avenue, Winnipeg 1 Lombard Place, Winnipeg

204-982-2635 204-943-5263

dzwmg.com richardsongmp.com

625 Wall Street, Winnipeg 1060 Railway Street, Kenora

204-957-4940 807-468-3641

faveriswoodfurniture.com imageonehome.com

Keewatin

1221 Highway 17 W, Keewatin Kenora 308 Elmhurst Rd, Winnipeg West Hawk Lake 39 Merit Crescent, West St. Paul Kenora Kenora 712 Lakeview Drive, Kenora

807-219-9001 204-292-1526 204-320-1935 705-933-8439 807-468-7878 807-464-3468 204-881-0822 204-349-2672 204-992-2603 807-464-3104 807-464-3602 807-468-4338

denverswindowcleaning.com hitchinge.ca keystonelock.ca septicbarge.com mantariochimney.com masonplumbing.ca penta.ca sunsetsprayinc.com

57-99 Scurfield Boulevard, Winnipeg 319 Second Street South, Kenora

204-410-1010 807-468-3333

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Lake of the Woods District Stewardship Association Services

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History of the Vernon Nature Trails

BY LORI NELSON

The decisions we make are like stones dropped in a pond. Their ripples can impact generations to come. A series of aligned decisions can have even more far-reaching significance.

Such is the case for a tract of mainland on the western shores of Lake of the Woods, known as the Vernon property. Located about 11 kilometres from Kenora down the McKenzie Portage Road and overlooking Bulman Bay, this property is the site of some of the area’s most beautiful walking trails, set amidst a meeting of three diverse regions—Boreal Forest, St. Lawrence-Great Lakes, and Prairie Grassland.

Let’s look at those important decisions.

First decision. In 1893, a Crown Patent for the property was issued whereby the land was transferred from the Crown to a private owner. There are often conditions placed on a patent which stipulate land usage and/or rights that are retained by the Crown (e.g. mineral rights or timber rights). In this case, the patent specified that the land was for agricultural purposes and, as such, the timber rights were transferred to the landholder. The first and following owners did little clearance and so today, the property is graced with mature red and white pines and over 100 different plant species.

Second decision. The property went through a series of owners until it was purchased by Jack Vernon in 1959. Vernon had been living in Kenora for a number of years. He was the Kenora Golf and Country Club’s first golf pro and while he spent his summers in Kenora, he returned to his hometown in Warwickshire, England in the off-season. After acquiring the property he built a summer home there and for many years enjoyed living on an east-facing bluff with a beautiful sand beach below and a canopy of trees above.

Third decision. When Jack Vernon reached his early 70s, he started thinking about selling the property but he wanted an owner that would preserve its natural state. This led to discussions with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF). At that time, in 1974, the MNRF was interested because

the property could provide public access to the west side of the lake. Eventually an agreement was reached whereby the MNRF purchased the land but Jack Vernon was permitted to live there until his death. He passed away in April 1983.

For almost 20 years, between 1974 and 1993, there was little development on the property. Access became less important and in 1982 a decision was made to use the property for red pine seed collection. In addition, cross-country ski trails were developed, but for the most part, the property lay dormant, only enjoyed by a few who made use of the trails.

Fourth decision. In 1993-1994, Curt Sprague, a retired high school teacher, volunteered to manage a two-year plan that included a plant survey of the property, the development and/ or improvement of trails and the creation of curriculum-based school programming. Students with the Environmental Youth Corps were hired to do the work. The year following, the Sportsman’s Conservation Club of Kenora raised funds so that the trails could be further developed with the building of boardwalks over marshland, lookout platforms, and signage.

Fifth decision. Now, 25 years later, it is still primarily volunteers who keep the trails in good shape. Temporary trail signs will soon be replaced, thanks to a grant from the Kenora Hospitality Alliance, and Beaver Brae high school students are constructing trail map holders. MNR fire crews remove dangerous trees when they are available. In all, it’s a community effort to maintain this treasured place.

The sixth decision is yours. Take a drive or hop in your boat (there is a dock and a large beach for boat access) and enjoy the results of the wise decisions made about the Vernon property. The walking trails, each named after predominant features—Aspen, Fern, Burr Oak, Lookout, Pine, Marshland—vary in length, terrain and difficulty. Even a stroll down the access road leads through towering red pines, poplars, jack pines, balsam. You’ll be greeted by birdsong and chattering squirrels. And you’ll be forever grateful that this place has been preserved for all to enjoy. an

Title photo: A cathedral of stately red pines is just one of the many glorious sights to be enjoyed on a walk on the Vernon Trails. Photo: Patrice Nelson.

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History Lake of the Woods Area News Summer 2021