Executive Director's Note

PATRICK PAULO

Somehow, September is here and the days are getting cooler. Despite the challenges of COVID-19, your Lake of the Woods District Stewardship Association was still able to get plenty of work done! As I sit back and look at the summer initiatives and programming, I reflect on how lucky we are to have such a great team.

Summertime has a significant focus on LOWDSA's environmental initiatives. Cassidy, LOWDSA's Environment Program Coordinator, stepped up in a big way that cannot be understated. Her efforts really took our LakeSmart programming to a whole new level as LOWDSA's staff, volunteers, and Board of Directors were hard at work and participating in summer events such as Seedling Day and Metal Waste Collection Day. Please be sure to read Cassidy’s EPC Note on page 17.

I would also like to give a shout-out to our LakeSmart team— Brie McCardle, Abbi Friesen, Seanna Cyncora, and Quinn Miller. All embodied LOWDSA's mission of serving the community by providing leadership, education, and communication on issues affecting the Lake of the Woods region. The effort and energy they put into sharing our message of living and playing green at the lake throughout the summer really shows and contributed to our success. Read more about the LakeSmart team's closing thoughts over the summer on page 7. Last but certainly not least, I want to thank Shelley Bujold. As LOWDSA's Membership Coordinator, Shelley has helped LOWDSA navigate through this second year of COVID-19. Her efforts have been phenomenal. To say that the spring and summer of 2021 were unpredictable and quite busy would be an understatement (to say the least!). But, whether it was greeting our members over the phone with a friendly voice or helping with LOWDSA's plans, her attitude really makes all the difference in what we do.

While much of the year and our work was done virtually, I was happy to welcome back our members from outside of Ontario who were able to return to their summer homes. I am reinvigorated now that it looks like Canada and the world are starting to take steps to return back to the way things used to be before all of our lives changed due to the pandemic.

Just as the change and transition between seasons occur, so does mindset. Gone are the days of looking ahead for an ambitious summer, and here are the days that we start looking toward the year's end. Fall is LOWDSA’s time to reflect on activities, wrap up the year and plan for next year. With so much underway and so much more to come, I'm looking forward to the winter for the first time in awhile!

Your comments, questions, and suggestions are encouraged. Please send us an email at info@lowdsa.com if you were able to attend one of our events and have suggestions for next year.

I hope everyone has a beautiful fall and enjoys this issue of Area News.

Patrick Paulo

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