Volume 47
Number 4
Fall 2017
PROOF
SOLD - Lily Pad Bay, LOTW - $895,000
SOLD - Little Gordon Lake - $200,000
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great summer.
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SOLD
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SOLD
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138 Main St S, Kenora, Ontario
In this Issue… Volume 47
Number 4
Fall 2017
President’s Message Editor’s Message Members’ Page
4 6
3 8
Members – Need to Know Notes from your Executive Director LakeSmart – What a Summer We Had What’s in a Name? On Tour at IISD-ELA Metal Waste Piles Up
22
News & Notes Ontario Delivers on Hydro Savings Ontario Municipal Board hearing on proposed plan of condominium - Minaki-on-the-River New CT Scan at LOW Hospital Get the Net! By Heidi Hoart
30
26
Environment Lake of the Woods Sustainability Foundation Where Does our Waste Go?
38
Cottage How-To Energy Sources and Heating Equipment Creating a Front Yard Garden A Cautionary Tale about Lake Water Lines Boil Water Advisories Cottage Closing Tips Wood Burning By Anita & Henry Rasmussen
52
Invasive Species Hybrid Cattails Invasive Species and your Shoreline
56
Boating Keeping in Touch in Remote Areas
60
Cover Photo: Ihor Kor
Wildlife & Wilderness Creepy Crawlies The Annoying Friend Signing Praises from Above
64
LOWDKids! Bob the Tree Frog Storm Drain Stenciling
71 The Back Porch 72 Cottage Services 74 Classifieds 75 Real Estate Listings 76 Advertisers’ Directory 78 Arts & Culture
The Cameron House by Lori Nelson
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48
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President’s Message Nancy Salmijarvi, LOWDPOA President
Summer 2017. Where did it go? Weather wise, it wasn't the best with our typical summer weather waiting until late July to show up. Although it seemed short lived, I know we all made the most of it. Summer is a busy time for the LOWDPOA staff and this year seemed busier than ever. We were involved in so many projects and initiatives this summer that I’m not sure where to start. LakeSmart began its seventh year with a brand new team plus a brand new boat, and they covered a lot of territory in eight weeks. Reed, Kylee and Krista came on board with contagious enthusiasm that can only come with the excitement of young people taking on new challenges and feeling they are making a difference in the future of our lakes and rivers. In the first month they visited almost 400 lakefront properties, participated in area community events and accepted numerous invitations to provide our environmental message. The team also participated in two releases of beetles that will help control the spread of the invasive purple loosestrife plant. I’m happy to say that we were able to cover the costs of this important initiative with a grant from our friends at FOCA and by drawing from our Environment Fund which is generously sponsored by you, our members. A big thank you to Reed, Kylee and Krista for being excellent LOWDPOA ambassadors. Also a huge thanks to our generous sponsors that help make this program possible.
We took to the streets at the end of July, partnering with Lake of the Woods Water Sustainability Foundation, the City of Kenora and Riverview Industries, to get our LOWDkids involved in a storm drain stenciling and education project. You've probably seen the stencils on the streets by now with the message “A Healthy Lake Starts Here”. Even though it was one of the hottest days of the summer, about 45 kids attended the workshop and painting project. Local kids, summer residents and Youth Rangers from Fort Frances painted over 50 stencils alongside storm drains in Kenora and we added a few in Keewatin as well. We hope to paint more this fall. Our last big project of the season was the free Metal Waste Collection Day at Pye’s Landing. We collected over five tons of metal junk! Now that’s what I call a huge success. Thanks all around to everyone who showed up to help including friends of the board and staff, the Rotary Club of Kenora with their Splash Park Charity BBQ, Leanne, Carlton and Wally at Pye’s Landing, Dick Friesen from Sunset Recycling, and to everyone who dropped off their ‘collectibles’. This collection day continues to give folks an opportunity to clean up all the “junk” that accumulates on their properties and to help ensure it gets disposed of properly.
Our annual summer meeting was held at the Lake of the Woods Museum Annex and was well attended. Thanks to the Museum for hosting us and giving members complimentary entrance to the main museum after the meeting. We provided members with an update of our summer projects and then the good folks at IISD-ELA gave an interesting presentation and update on their work. There’s no question that our members are interested in what goes on at IISD Experimental Lakes area as we sold out two tours of this world class facility and added a third date to meet members’ demand.
All of those projects plus the regular work and meetings the association board and staff does on a daily basis… phew!
A brand new initiative and sponsorship also began in July with LOWDPOA partnering with Lake of the Woods Brewing Company. The “one 4 pack – one tree” program will provide up to 5,000 seedlings that will be planted in the district next spring. Student volunteers from Beaver Brae Secondary School and St. Thomas Aquinas High School will be doing the planting. While this is a new type of partnership for LOWDPOA, the opportunity to plant an additional 5,000 seedlings (beyond the 10,000 you, our members, plant each year) and to involve local youth seemed like a great fit for the association.
It’s always sad to see the end of summer, but fall can be a beautiful time at the lake. Pour your favorite beverage, choose a chair by the fire and enjoy this edition of the Area News!
A big thank you to Diane and Linda for their tireless efforts on our behalf both behind the scenes and in the numerous public events they attend, like the weekly Matiowski Farmers Market. Next month begins our membership renewal process – your renewal notices will arrive by mail – but remember you can renew online and we now offer the option of auto renewal when paying by credit card.
4
Editor’s Message
Teika Newton, Area News Editor We’ve reached that time of year again. The days are getting shorter; the air a little crisper at night. Most mornings we’re waking with heavy dew on the grass and the leaves are just starting to change colour. With the new school year commencing, our kids can swap fantastic stories with their friends about all the adventures and exploits of the summer: the bike trips, the swimming, the kayak explorations on remote lakes, and maybe some talk about all the wildlife that has coloured our summer this year. The summer of 2017 was definitely a season rich in wildlife and wilderness for my family, so it seems fitting that this issue of the magazine showcases several charismatic critters from demure and delicate brown thrashers, to the whimsical Bob the tree frog, to a whopper of a fish story from member Heidi Hoart. And while mosquitoes are still out in full force as I’m writing this, at least the season of tent caterpillars and black flies has wound down. You can read all about the marvels (or horrors, depending on your views) of forest tent caterpillars and their predatory flies in this issue, too.
And as always, we’re bringing you a spate of local and regional news stories from updates on the new Lake of the Woods Museum-affiliated Art Centre, to the latest on your electricity bills, this summer’s Ontario Municipal Board hearings on the proposed Minaki-On-The-River development, LOWDPOA’s activities to thwart invading purple loosestrife and to raise awareness about water stewardship through storm drain stenciling. It’s been a very rich and full summer for all of us on the Area News team, as we hope has been the case for all of you. Here’s to a successful wind down to the 2017 cottage season and a safe and productive autumn for all of you.
September is also, of course, the start of the season of harvest and winter preparation. In my garden, the tomatoes are ripening, the beans becoming plump, the pumpkins swelling, and potatoes plants are turning yellow, all meaning that I’ll have my work cut out for me in the next month. In this issue, we have articles for you that focus on typical fall tasks like gathering firewood, thinking about water lines and cottage closing routines.
The official publication of the Lake of the Woods District Property Owners Association.
PUBLISHED BY
Fifth Hammer Marketing Group P.O. Box 2, Kenora, ON P9N 3X1 Phone: (807) 407-7252 Publisher: Mike Greaves, mike@areanewsmagazine.ca Editor: Teika Newton, editor@areanewsmagazine.ca Art Director: Mike Newton, design@areanewsmagazine.ca Design & Layout: Andrea Wray, Shayla Smith Advertising: Mike Greaves ©2016 LOWDPOA. 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 LOWDPOA or Fifth Hammer Marketing Group.
DISTRIBUTION & MEMBERSHIP
Lake of the Woods Area News is published five times per year and is mailed to LOWDPOA members. To receive Area News visit lowdpoa.com and become a member today. Publication mail agreement #43107013. Printed in Canada.
WE’D LIKE TO HEAR FROM YOU
Help us continue making this magazine great. Send us your comments, suggestions, pictures and story ideas. editor@areanewsmagazine.ca Upcoming Editorial Deadlines: September 26, 2017 December 29, 2017
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6
L.O.W. AREA NEWS
FALL 2017
Members' Page Venerable persons getting in and out of small boats and canoes by Dyke Williams
As I age I am finding it harder and harder to get into and out of smaller boats, canoes, kayaks, etc. The thighs just can't lift me much more than a stair riser height (7.3"). I recently wrote about using a "Dude Bar" as an adaptive assist. Here is yet another gizmo I've put together that works really well. I got and installed (lag screws into the dock's wood) this swim ladder. I lashed two small plastic/rubber "bumpers" (aka "fenders") to the side of the ladder toward the canoe so the sharp ladder rungs and edges couldn't chew up the hull. The ladder has three steps and is a great general purpose swim ladder. By themselves, the 16" "U"-shaped upper
handholds helped getting in and out, but didn't give me enough vertical height to lift myself using upper body strength as well as those fading thigh muscles. So I also got a 36" high "hand rail" and lagged that onto the dock 22" away from the swim ladder - enough room to reach both and step between. I now have a lower and higher bar to grasp and pull up on, and early trials were a complete success. While this may not be the final arrangement, I thought I'd pass on the early info in case it helped. It sure did for me. FYI - both items came from Amazon.com.
More About Moccasin Flowers by William and Karin Thiessen
A member of the orchid family, uncommon and becoming increasingly threatened from habitat loss and harvesting. Do not pick or transplant these plants! Scientific Name: Cypripedium acaule Habitat: Wet areas, dry or moist woods, often under oak or pine trees. Range: See map, left. PLEASE NOTE: A coloured Province or State means this species occurs somewhere in that Province/State. The entire Province/State is coloured, regardless of where in that Province/ State it occurs.
FUN FACTS • ‘acaule’, part of the species name, is Latin for “stemless”, referring to the fact that the leaves are all at the base and not along the main stem of the plant • Moccasin flowers need a specific fungus in the genus Rhizoctonia to reproduce. Unlike most flower seeds, orchid seeds don’t have much food energy stored in them, so the moccasin flower relies on the threads of this soil fungus to break open the seed, attach to the budding plant, and feed it nutrients that the fungus harvests from the soil. When the orchid is fully grown, it will return the favour, allowing the fungus to acquire nutrients from its roots. • Moccasin flowers can live to be 20 years old!
Further to What the Watch Bears Saw.... Area News readers will recall that Dyke Van Etten Williams wrote last issue’s cover story, “What the Watch Bears Saw”, describing a devastating spring wildfire at Ham Lake some years ago. Shortly after that story went to press, Dyke forwarded a bulletin from the Quetico Superior Wilderness News about how regeneration is happening following the Ham Lake fire. Drawing on insights from scientists, local residents and outfitters, the article details how the
particular ecology, climate, and seasonal conditions at the time of the fire and during regeneration has led to the type of regrowth that is now happening, and the mix of plant and animal species now calling this new forest home. LOWDPOA members are encouraged to read more about this topic at http://queticosuperior.org/blog/ ten-years-ham-lake-fire-forest-regenerates.
L.O.W. AREA NEWS
FALL 2017
Members' Page We are always happy to include your emails and letters on this Members' Page. Sometimes, however, we hear about concerns or interesting info when we are talking to members at the Matiowski Farmers Market, during dock visits, at events or on the phone, as is the case with these two items that came to our attention this summer.
Missing the Kenora area phone book It is never a surprise when the subject of a Kenora area phonebook comes up in phone calls, emails, or conversations with members. It is clear that many people miss having an area phonebook, ‘like we used to have’, one which included listings for most of the properties in and around the Lake of the Woods and Minaki. That area phonebook was very handy for all our members, seasonal and year round residents alike, whether looking to make a personal call or to sourcing supplies and services from local businesses. A wish to have that convenience and resource reinstated is a common refrain we hear. With Bell’s purchase of KMTS over 5 years ago, the corporation assumed full control in making decisions on what type of directory would be produced and when/how it would be distributed. They chose to stop producing a Kenora area phonebook. Our understanding was that a regional phone book produced by Bell is available and will be mailed to you – one copy per year free – by calling Bell at 1-800-268-5637. Upon hearing from our members and taking a closer look, it is clearly not quite that simple. Which directory and when/how you get it appears to depend on a few different factors. We are going to look into this further, so watch our Facebook page, website and e-News for more information. The word on the street is that if you have a Kenora phone book from 2015 or earlier… hold onto it!
“Blue heron, which has been frequenting my bay on Channel Island.” Photo by: Gail Cabana-Coldwell, Camp Coldwell, Lake of the Woods
7
Spreading the word on stopping purple loosestrife The day after LOWDPOA and the LakeSmart team did the first of two biocontrolled beetle releases to combat the invasion of purple loosestrife on Laurenson Creek and Lake, we received a phone call from a very concerned Sioux Narrows-Nestor Falls resident and business owner. He had heard the media coverage about the release, and was looking for some help in addressing what he saw as an alarming potential to actually aid the spread of purple loosestrife. Dan called just before noon on a Friday and reported that there was ditching going on along both sides of the highway south of Sioux Narrows. His concern was that there was a substantial growth of purple loosestrife in the area being ditched, and he was aware that randomly dumping the ditched material or sharing for use as fill would allow the highly invasive purple loosestrife to establish more territory. We shared his concern and made a couple calls to find out who was in charge and what might be done to prevent unintentional aid to this invasive species. The timeline that followed was pretty tight and quite remarkable given that it was a Friday afternoon. • Friday, noon – call and email to Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) to find out who to talk to in order to alleviate the situation. • Friday, 2:00 p.m. – contact info received from MNRF and call made to Ministry of Transportation – Ontario (MTO); message left on voicemail. • Friday, 3:00 p.m. – call back from MTO and situation/concern explained; MTO advised they would contact the contractor doing the ditching and get back to us. • Friday, 4:00 p.m. – MTO called back again to advise that until the best course of action could be determined to mitigate the situation, ditching and removal of materials in that area would be stopped. • Monday, 10:00 a.m. – Resolution! Phone call from MTO to advise that the ditching material from the purple loosestrife area would not be dumped until after it was covered with clean black earth, ‘baked’ in the sun for a bit and only then dumped into an area not near water or wet ground, possibly into a graveled area. The response and action on the part of MNRF and MTO in particular was exceptional. Not only was it essentially immediate, it was the best mitigation we could hope for given the circumstances. Needless to say, Dan was happy and relieved on all counts. There could be no better testament to the importance LOWDPOA places on maintaining open and well used lines of communication with a number of Ministries (provincial and federal) than this. Whether it is to relay the concern of one LOWDPOA member or that of many members, get answers to questions, or access resource information, our good working relationship with Ministry representatives has proven repeatedly to be of great value to the association in broad terms as well as to individual members.
8
L.O.W. AREA NEWS
FALL 2017
Members - Need to Know Notes from your Executive Director Diane Schwartz-Williams Summer 2017 – what an exhilarating ride!
While a calendar notes summer as officially starting June 21, we know it actually starts earlier for many of our members. Whether it is ‘ice-out’, the May long weekend, frost-free water lines or something else that signals the start of lake-time, summer residency on the lake is well established by the end of May most years.
to be able step away from the flurry of rumours to participate on a conference call with the Regional Director of Navigational Photo by: Tom Thomson Programs/Canadian Coast Guard Programs. Although we were surprised to be the only ones on that particular call, we were happy to be able to get information direct from the source on several occasions and to be able to pass it on to our members as it became available through that official channel. It was definitely the most pressing issue on our agenda until most welcome news was released – announcing that no such removal would be happening.
Similarly, summer also starts well ahead of the summer solstice for Linda and me because we need to have plans and programs organized, if not in place, by the time you settle in. As you will see in pages to follow, we had a busy summer and there were more than a few details and logistics to get lined up in advance.
The second was attending all but one day of the Ontario Municipal Board hearing on the proposed plan of condominium in Minaki. This hearing ran for 11 long days in July, and is as important as it was lengthy given the potential for the outcome to be precedent setting.
Echoing Nancy’s words, I hardly know where to start. My mind is like a racetrack for a kaleidoscope of images that whirl by, admittedly in a bit of a blur. Activities were varied and numerous, including the Summer Meeting, touring the IISD Experimental Lakes Area, painting storm drains, releasing beetles into purple loosestrife, collecting over five tons of metal waste, working our booth at the Matiowski Farmers Market, participating in area community events, recruiting generous LakeSmart sponsors and of course LakeSmart dock visits. As different as each activity may have been, there were two consistent, common denominators – sharing information, ideas and actions related to protecting and preserving our watershed, and connecting with members to share information, hear their concerns and answer their questions.
When I look back on the third week of August, it is as if that solitary week encapsulated almost every aspect of my role as Executive Director and not just what I do, but what I love about my job. The pace was intense and the focus was all over the map. It was both productive and rewarding on many counts, always directly of benefit in some way to association members. So what does such a week include?
Did someone say ‘busy summer’? Let’s just call that an understatement, shall we. It was an extremely busy summer with energies going in many directions, but that is only the mechanics. The positive member and community response is what defines the summer for us, both reinforcing and rewarding the efforts of your association board and staff.
This summer also called for our involvement on two fronts that, although very important, thankfully do not occur annually. The first was when reports about the imminent removal of Coast Guard services on Lake of the Woods began circulating. The reports were both mixed and confusing, and we were fortunate
• Writing LOWDPOA editorial for the Area News; • Stopping by the Environment Canada and Lake of the Woods Water Sustainability Foundation open house in Kenora (on the long-term health of the Lake of the Woods, the research being done to address toxic and nuisance algae in Lake of the Woods and the action being taken); • Traveling to Minnesota to attend a meeting and provide input for the Community Advisory Group, reporting to the International Rainy - Lake of the Woods Watershed Board (IRLWWB), under the directive of the IJC;
LAKE OF THE WOODS DISTRICT PROPERTY OWNERS ASSOCIATION Executive Committee
Board Members
Staff
PRESIDENT Nancy Salmijarvi, Welcome Channel
Wayne Bruce, Pistol Lake Dave Christie, Granite Lake Anneke Gillis - Paddy Lake Jean Anne Hallas – Lily Pad Bay Lucas King - Woodchuck Bay Don Parfitt, Winnipeg River John Waterer, Clearwater Bay Bob Wilkes, Gunn Lake
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Diane Schwartz-Williams (807) 543-4287 diane@lowdpoa.com
Contact
ASST. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Linda Biggar (807) 468-8715 linda@lowdpoa.com
EMAIL info@lowdpoa.com FACEBOOK @lowdpoa TOLL-FREE 1-888-265-9784
VICE PRESIDENT Hardy Bock, Black Sturgeon TREASURER Christine Semenchuk, Storm Bay PAST PRESIDENT Robert Bulman, Tunnel Island
P.O. Box 1160 Kenora, ON P9N 3X7
PHONE (807) 468-8715
L.O.W. AREA NEWS
FALL 2017
Members - Need to Know • Networking with representatives of various ministries and like-minded organizations, members of the IRLWWB and IJC Commissioners;
plans for next summer and a much better understanding of issues of concern to members, some of them specific to the Morson area.
• Attending a public meeting of the International Rainy – Lake of the Woods Watershed Board
Your next and last issue of the Lake of the Woods Area News for 2017 will arrive mid November. By that time you will have received your membership renewal package, which will look a little different than what you are used to seeing. We have listened to members’ comments, done our own review and are going to change the membership package up a bit. The package will also include a member survey, and we are looking forward to hearing back from you either by mail or online, both on the survey and with your renewal.
• Back to Fort Frances to attend a public hearing on draft changes to the IJC’s Rainy and Namakan Lakes Rule Curves; • Visiting Morson for a meeting with over two dozen association members; • Back to Kenora to work with LakeSmart team for one last time; and • Regular calls and emails with members. The highlight of the week was definitely my meeting with our Morson members and friends, not to mention my first visit to the area. Where is Morson you might ask? If you find Nestor Falls on a map of Lake of the Woods and look directly west, you will find Morson on the shores of the lake. That same map will show you that the drive there is not so short or direct – almost four hours from Kenora by car. However, the meeting with Morson members at the Buena Vista Resort was both energizing and informative and definitely worth the trip through a beautiful part of northwestern Ontario. I departed having provided an update on association activities and plans, and in return was armed with questions to be answered, interesting ideas to explore, tentative
August is drawing to a close as I write this, and the first day of fall is likely upon you as you read it. While the end of summer with the first official day of fall is universal to all calendars, the closing date for ‘lake time’ varies according to personal preference and lifestyle. Whether for you that is the September long weekend, Thanksgiving, freeze-up or maybe even not at all, I hope your summer and lake time was a great one full of fun times, special moments and just kicking back at the lake with family and friends. Grab those last precious days at the lake, enjoy them and hold onto the memories of sun and fun at the lake to carry you through to next year!
9
L.O.W. AREA NEWS
SUMMER 2017
10 Members - Need to Know What a summer we had! Kylee Neniska, Krista Robertson & Reed Cupeiro Photos by: LOWDPOA staff and LakeSmart team
Over 500 dock stops on Lake of the Woods and five other lakes, nine Matiowski Farmers Markets, and talking 'Living Green at the Lake', healthy shorelines and invasive species to hundreds of people - it has been a busy summer for your 2017 LakeSmart team. July and August 2017 were very busy months for your LakeSmart team - Kylee Neniska, Reed Cupeiro and Krista Robertson. They made their way around many miles of shoreline on Lake of the Woods. You might have seen them in and around Route Bay, Channel L-R Kylee Neniska, Reed Cupeiro, Krista Island, Poplar Robertson; 2017 LakeSmart Team Bay, Storm Bay, Scotty Island, Middle Island, the Tangle, Ptarmigan Bay, Woodchuck Bay, Andrew Bay, Welcome Channel – and that’s just on Lake of the Woods. They also ventured further afield with visits to properties and docks on five other area lakes and Winnipeg River.
Gathering water sample using horizontal drag method
Water Sampling was an important task for the LakeSmart team and was carried out in partnership with Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters (OFAH). As they moved around the Lake of the Woods area, they collected a number of samples. Samples were collected from Black Sturgeon Lake, Longbow Lake, Engineer Lake, Winnetka Lake, Granite Lake as well as the multiple samples from different parts of Lake of the Woods.
JUNE 6: Kylee worked as the Invasive Species Awareness Outreach staff person, in addition to being part of the LakeSmart team. She had an early start to her summer when she traveled to Peterborough for two days of special training on invasive species, including their identification, impact and control, and tools for increasing public awareness. This training was delivered by the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters, the sponsoring organization that makes it possible for us to bring the Invasive Species Awareness Program to the Lake of the Woods area. JUNE 22: Kylee and Reed were on hand to help with the first of two biocontrolled beetle releases in an effort to slow and reduce, over the long term, the growth of this highly invasive plant. The release involved a slow trudge through a marshy area to reach to the target area. JULY 1: Canada Day market was the first public appearance by the LakeSmart team.
Beetle larvae on purple loosestrife stalks - ready for release
On duty at Matiowski Farmers Market booth
L.O.W. AREA NEWS
SUMMER 2017
Members - Need to Know JULY 20 & JULY 24: Visits to the Kenora Association for Community Living’s Kid Zone and Awesome Adventures Day Camp to talk about invasive species in the area (rusty crayfish and purple loosestrife), followed by an activity where each child created their own “STOP Invading Species” sign to help spread awareness in the community.
Launching LakeSmart boat for the summer
JULY 4: Perhaps the best day of the entire summer – launching the brand new LakeSmart boat for the summer on Lake of the Woods and the first of over 500 dock stops of the season. At each dock stop, a kit filled with a variety of ‘living green at the lake’ information and resources was reviewed with the resident(s), or left behind if no one was home. If someone was home, the topics covered in conversation varied from dock to dock… healthy shorelines, water quality, invasive species, beavers and bears, and countless others. Whatever direction the conversation took, there was a consistent, common theme – preserving and protecting our lakes and this beautiful part of the world we all love and enjoy so much. JULY 5: The first of eight Wednesdays that the LakeSmart team spent at the Matiowski Farmers Market with opportunities to talk to hundreds of people about protecting and preserving our lakes and the environment. It was like doing a multitude of dock talks all in one spot, minus the boat ride. JULY 6: Amazing and informative afternoon with Dyke Williams at his family’s place on Lake of the Woods. Dyke shared his extensive knowledge of the lake, the environment, and useful resources that available to us. LakeSmart (and LOWDPOA) appreciates the time Dyke dedicated to their training.
Dyke Williams leading the way along island trails
11
Creative young environmentalists
at work JULY 27, AUGUST 10, AUGUST 17: Kylee, Reed and Krista each accompanied LOWDPOA members and friends on tours of IISD Experimental Lakes Area. It was a first time visit for each member of the LakeSmart team, and they found their day at IISD-ELA was an amazing opportunity to experience the passion and dedicated work that the scientists and students are Hands-on netting to catch small fish or zooplankton at IISD-ELA doing there. They all came home overwhelmed with the scope and potential of all the work being done there, which focuses on average between 12 and 15 lakes, annually.
JULY 31 (MORNING): Storm drain stencil painting to spread awareness in the community to promote stewardship of our lakes and watershed. Krista, Reed and Kylee each led a team of youngsters as they painted stencils next to storm drains with the message “A Healthy Lake Starts Here” alongside an image of a fish, turtle or water fowl. This image is meant to remind people that everything that goes down the storm drain ultimately goes to the lake, and to encourage them to think about what harm might be going down the drains. A hot, but satisfying morning as 40 youngsters painted over 50 stencils.
Young stewards of the lake spread ‘healthy lake’ message
L.O.W. AREA NEWS
FALL 2017
12 Members - Need to Know JULY 31 (AFTERNOON): Talking healthy shorelines and LakeSmart with a group of young adults in the Youth Ranger program who traveled from Fort Frances and took part in the storm drain stencilling while they were here.
Thank you to our Sponsors:
AUGUST 2: A short, slow cruise down Laurenson Creek in the LakeSmart boat to the second release location for that special little beetle that lives to eat purple loosestrife. No need to trudge through marsh as Kylee, Krista and Reed were able to do this release from the boat. This particular beetle feeds almost exclusively on purple loosestrife during its entire life cycle and will not have effects on other native plants in the area. Ontario Beetles have been supplying these beetles to biologically control purple loosestrife for over 20 years and have done 400 successful releases to date. More information about Krista placing beetle larvae on this beetle can be found at purple loosestrife ontariobeetles.ca. AUGUST 5: LakeSmart team visits the Northern Ontario Sportfishing Centre in Sioux Narrows-Nester Falls to talk LakeSmart, living green at the lake and environmental awareness.
Morning races at Laclu Regatta
AUGUST 6: Kylee and Krista teamed up with Linda Biggar for the day at the Harbourfest Market; Reed and Diane Schwartz-Williams spent the morning and early afternoon at the Laclu Regatta. AUGUST 10: Reed talking “Clean, Drain & Dry” to fishing teams at the Kenora Bass International. AUGUST 12: 3rd Annual Free Metal Waste Collection Day at Pye’s Landing 2017. Krista, Kylee and Reed worked hard for several hours, helping unload boats, cars and trucks filled with all kinds of metal waste people dropped off.
Reed topping off 2nd trailer load
LOTW
SEPTIC BARGE
And to LOWDPOA members who supported us through their annual Environment Fund donations. You help make it happen!
Special thank you to OFAH for their support in delivering the Invasive Species Awareness Program to our members this summer.
L.O.W. AREA NEWS
FALL 2017
Members - Need to Know 13
L.O.W. AREA NEWS
FALL 2017
14 Members - Need to Know What's in a Name? At the 2017 Lake of the Woods District Property Owners Association Annual General Meeting, Robert Bulman (pictured below), past president and nominating chair for LOWDPOA, presented an idea regarding a name change for the association. Based on the straw poll vote at that meeting, approximately 97% of the 100 people in attendance supported the idea of changing the name. We then reached out to all LOWDPOA members with a transcript of the AGM presentation in the summer issue of Area News. Now it is time to survey all LOWDPOA members to determine the level of support for a name change.
The Lake of the Woods District Property Owners Association was established by cottage and property owners on Lake of the Woods and surrounding lakes and rivers. While the main constituency of the association is and always will be property owners, our vision and mission appeals to an audience that is much broader than that and includes children and grandchildren of property owners, individuals and families who simply love the Lake of the Woods area but don’t own property, boat owners, canoeists, campers, and so on. While there are issues such as hydro rates and taxation that are very property owner centric, others including environmental issues, lake use concerns, the Energy East Pipeline, and IISD-ELA are all important to this larger constituency. With the average age of our LOWDPOA membership sitting at about 65 years old, there are two or three generations of cottagers who are not yet “property owners” but who love the lake and want to preserve it for future generations. Although we have always welcomed these “non” property owners into this association our name does not suggest this. While there is history in the name and what the association has accomplished over the past 50 years, should we be considering a name that speaks to this larger constituency without diluting the work that the association does for property owners? Photo by: Tom Thomson
We need to hear from you. Do you support the idea of a name change or not? When you receive your membership renewal package mid to late October, it will include a survey form that we hope you will complete. The survey will ask whether or not you are in favour of a name change, and if your answer is ‘yes’ we will have a few name suggestions for you to consider. The survey will be open to members of the Lake of the Woods District Property Owners Association only, with one vote allowed per current membership. In order for your vote to count we will need your name, address and phone number on your submission so that we can confirm current status of membership and limit one vote per membership. There will be a closing date for member responses to the survey, and you will have the option of responding by mail, email or online within the specified survey period. For those of you who would like some extra time to think about this we have included what you will be asked in the survey here. Yes, I believe it is time for a name change to be more reflective of the families and individuals who share our vision and love of the Lake of the Woods area, with all its lakes and rivers.
OR
No, I feel we should stay the course and keep our existing name that we have carried for the past 50 years.
If you have any questions or thoughts on this you would like to share, please let us know. Your association staff and directors always like to hear from members and will do our best to answer any questions you have. Contact Diane Schwartz-Williams at info@lowdpoa.com or call 807-543-4287.
L.O.W. AREA NEWS
FALL 2017
Members - Need to Know 15 What’s happening on your lake? Black Sturgeon Lake Property Owners Association AGM, Laclu Regatta, Trout Lake Association AGM, Laclu Campers Association AGM, Minaki Cottagers Association Summer Cocktail Party and AGM, Tannis Lake Cottagers Annual Meeting, 5th Annual Black Sturgeon Sailing School... just a handful of the many events going on during a busy summer around the lakes in the area. These were only the ones that LOWDPOA board members and staff knew about and in some cases attended. We know there is a lot more going on in the district, and we would like to know more about your association, promote your activities and even to participate whenever possible. Share your event notices, news and activities with us, and take advantage of the opportunity to extend your reach using this column in the Lake of the Woods Area News or our e-News bulletins, website, Facebook page and even Twitter. We’d love to follow your association on Facebook and to share your posts. Don’t have a website or Facebook page? Just email your update and we will post them for you.
Laclu Campers Association host Regatta family fun on August long weekend at Laclu Landing
Laclu Campers Association
100TH BIRTHDAY BEING CELEBRATED IN 2018 Planning is well underway with the first event planned for early June. For more information or to get involved www.laclucampersassociation.com
Keep us informed, and we will help you keep others informed. It is as simple as contacting Diane SchwartzWilliams at 807-543-4287 or diane@lowdpoa.com
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L.O.W. AREA NEWS
FALL/WINTER FALL 2017 2017
16 Members - Need to Know
LOWDPOA members on tour at IISD-ELA take part in netting activity to catch small fish or zooplankton. Photo by: Krista Robertson
Research at IISD-ELA includes measurement of how long the sun shines daily. Photo by: Kylee Neniska
On Tour at IISD-ELA If you have not yet been on a tour of the IISD Experimental Lakes Area (IISD-ELA), it is worth considering for next summer. Just ask any of the seventy LOWDPOA members and friends who took part in our three tours this summer; you are sure to hear what a great experience it was. The day began with an 8:00 a.m. departure from Kenora. With foreknowledge of high temperatures and a somewhat bumpy
ride for part of the hour and a half drive, we opted for relative comfort and traveled on an air-conditioned bus. The day began with an overview of the history of IISD-ELA and Experimental Lakes Area science. From there, it was onwards to touring the facilities and visiting a few of the closest research lakes complete with discussions of standard water flow, quality and fish sampling. With still more to explore the groups toured the chemistry and fish labs, the Environment Canada metrological station and participated in a hands-on netting activity to collect small fish or zooplankton. Lunch at the beach provided the opportunity to kick back, relax and enjoy the beautiful surroundings before continuing on the tour. Of great interest to everyone was the visit to the ongoing whole-ecosystem experiment in which scientists have reduced water flowing into a lake to mimic drier conditions expected in the Canadian Boreal Shield due to climate change.
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We could not have asked for better hosts than the IISD-ELA staff who were both willing and proud to share a glimpse of all the great work that goes on at IISD Experimental Lakes Area. Around 3:30pm and after a very full day, it was time to board the bus for the ride back to Kenora. Everyone may have been wearier than when they set out in the morning, but that was mitigated by a better understanding and great appreciation for the importance of freshwater science for sustainable development and IISD-ELA’s influential role in freshwater research going on right in our backyard.
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L.O.W. AREA NEWS
FALL 2017
18 Members - Need to Know Metal Waste Piles Up 2015 – 2 TONS 2016 – 5 TONS 2017 – 5+ TONS The Lake of the Woods District Property Owners Association is often thought of as an organization focused primarily on efforts targeted to cottagers in the area. In recent years, that focus has expanded to include issues of concern to everyone who has a keen interest in the sustainability of this region and the lakes we love. Seasonal and permanent Dock crew residents, boaters, campers and visitors all have a stake in that goal, and LOWDPOA’s annual FREE Metal Waste Collection Day was launched in 2015 with that in mind. For the third year running our LOWDPOA directors, staff and volunteers were ready and waiting to help unload cars, trucks and boats. This year, our LakeSmart team joined in to help unload
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as people brought in that old bedspring, tin boat, burn barrel, washing machine – any metal waste they had been meaning to get off their property, dock or shoreline, out of the surrounding bush and, in some cases, even out of the water. Thanks to Carlton and Leanne’s willingness to share their docks and parking with us again, we returned to Pye’s Landing for a second year. Dick Friesen from Sunset Recycling was on hand with his container and trailers to hold all the metal waste dropped off - showing us again what a master of maximizing load capacity he is. We were happy to have the Rotary Club of Kenora back again as well with their Splash Park Charity BBQ. Not only we were able to make sure our hard workers had something to eat, it was an opportunity to help promote and support their great project.
You're invited!
10,000 lbs collected
The results speak for themselves: over two tons of material last year we’re collected in 2015, five tons in 2016 and over five tons&this year.
out to beat our record!
Metal of all kinds collected
L.O.W. AREA NEWS
FALL 2017
Members - Need to Know 19
Digital Editions FREE r ou with yPOA LOWD rship e memb
Read Area News wherever you are! Access this issue with LIVE WEBLINKS as well as all previous issues since 2016.
Visit lowdpoa.com
Can't log in? Contact LOWDPOA at (807) 468-8715.
Sign up for eNews Keep up to date on LOWDPOA news & events There’s always plenty going on with your association and sometimes getting updates and info out to you in a timely manner does not fit into our Area News publishing schedule. That’s where LOWDPOA’s eNews fills the gap. Our eNews is sent periodically (but not too often) and includes breaking news that may be time sensitive, important reminders, event updates, and useful links.
To sign up for eNews: • Email
linda@lowdpoa.com • Call 807-468-8715 • Login & update your online profile at lowdpoa.com
LOWDPOA website updates We are continually updating our website with great resources. Access links to resources such as Transport Canada - Boating Safety, Nature Conservancy of Canada, Rainy Lake of the Woods Watershed and much more. LOWDkids is back online. Visit lowdkids.ca for kid-friendly activities, resources and educational bits.
Login Online! We always enjoy your phone calls, emails and letters; and now our member online community gives you one more way to stay informed, up-to-date and: • access your member profile • renew your membership • register for events • order seedlings • purchase a gift membership • read Area News anywhere
Prefer to try it on your own? • • • •
Go to lowdpoa.com Click on login Enter your email and click on ‘forgot password’ Check your inbox and you’ll be on your way.
Contact us: • • • •
if your email address is not recognized if you're unsure about the process to ensure we have your current email address on file if you need assistance to get started
Linda Biggar linda@lowdpoa.com | 807-468-8715
L.O.W. AREA NEWS
FALL 2017
20 Members - Need to Know Partnership launched to plant 5,000 red pine seedlings in the Lake of the Woods area ... in addition to the 10,000 planted annually by LOWDPOA members
Lake of the Woods District Property Owners Association
+ + =
Lake of the Woods Brewing Company sponsorship Young student planters from local high schools 5,000 additional trees to be planted in 2018 by LOWDPOA
Lake of the Woods Brewing Company recently introduced its Papermaker Pilsner, named in recognition of the historic and economic impact of the former Kenora paper mill. Committed to contributing in a tangible way to the preservation of the area’s environment, the local brewery is sponsoring the purchase of 5000 seedlings from sales of Papermaker. “One 4 pack – one tree seemed like a natural fit; for every 4 pack of Papermaker Pilsner sold in the brewery retail store, we will plant a tree”, said Rob Dokuchie, BrewCo co-owner. The actual planting in May 2018 will be done with the help of Kenora area students from Beaver Brae Secondary School and St. Thomas Aquinas High School. This sponsorship initiative will allow the Lake of the Woods District Property Owners Association to significantly expand a longstanding program. LOWDPOA members plant approximately 10,000 seedlings annually, having planted over 300,000 seedlings since our seedling program began. Thanks to this new partnership with BrewCo and crews of student planters, we will see 15,000 seedlings planted in 2018. The partnership will extend beyond the purchase and planting of the seedlings, with plans in place for LOWDPOA to work with both schools this fall in the development of a related environmental education component.
SAVE THE DATE
Lake of the Woods Cottage Show Monday, May 7, 2018 • 1:00 - 7:00 p.m. Reserve your booth space early. Contact Diane at diane@lowdpoa.com or 807-543-4287
L.O.W. AREA NEWS
FALL 2017
News & Notes 21 News & Notes Share your passion L.O.W. AREA NEWS
21
FALL/WINTER 2017
for lake life
by joining LOWDPOA today! Membership is open to residents, cottagers and vacationers - anyone with an interest in this area’s environmental prosperity.
Stay informed with info on topics important to you: healthy shorelines, septic systems, water levels and more Lake of the Woods Area News magazine: 5 issues/year mailed to you and digital editions online
LOWDPOA - focused on member concerns for over 50 years:
eNews Bulletins for news and info between magazine issues Annual Cottage Show in Winnipeg; over 80 exhibitors Arrange a visit from our LakeSmart team
• Environmental impacts to water quality, fish and wildlife habitat • Property values & fair taxation • Land use & development • Supporting our vibrant communities
Plant red pine seedlings at a special member only price Free Metal Waste Collection Day Summer programs and informative seminars Staff and Directors ready to answer your questions
Join the more than 3 000 members of the Lake of the Woods District
Property Owners Association, the largest organization of its kind in Ontario, and a powerful force in sustaining our watershed
Add your voice to help preserve one of the most beautiful places on earth. (807) 468-8715
info@lowdpoa.com
lowdpoa.com
@lowdpoa
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L.O.W. AREA NEWS
FALL 2017
22 News & Notes Ontario delivers on hydro savings by Bob Stewart
It’s taken a year, but Ontario electrical consumers are now seeing significant savings on monthly hydro bills. The Ontario government first promised relief from the province’s soaring electrical costs in September 2016, and while several measures were enacted last fall and this spring, the big steps to trim bills took effect this summer. Overall the province had promised savings of 25 per cent on average, with those in rural and northern Ontario saving up to 50 per cent. A review of July 2017 bill totals, using the Ontario Energy Board’s rate calculator, and comparing costs from March 2016 to July 2017 shows monthly savings ranging from $35 to nearly $100 for an average residential level of consumption. For 800 kWh of power, a Hydro One R2 (low-density) customer paid $144.48 this July, compared to $211.52 last March. For a seasonal class customer, the $182.09 monthly charge compares to $229.65 last spring; while a Kenora Hydro customer paid $116.68, compared to $152.47. Bill reductions came several ways and at several times. The first step was to hold winter 2016-2017 consumption rates set last
For 800 kWh/monthly - OEB Rate calculator amounts Utility/Class
March 2016
July 2017
Reduction%
Kenora Hydro
$152.47
$116.68
23.5%
Hydro One R2
$211.52
$144.48
31.7%
Hydro One R1
$184.86
$144.38
21.9%
Seasonal
$229.65
$182.09
20.7%
November at summer 2016 levels. Then in January, the province began providing a credit on bills to cover off the provincial sales tax portion of the harmonized sales tax; and a long-standing support credit for permanent residents in Hydro One’s R2 class was increased to $60.50 per month from $31.50. Consumption rates have now been lowered by about 25 per cent. This summer’s time-of-use rates of 6.5 cents per kWh for off-peak times (weekends and overnight); 9.5 cents for midpeak and 13.2 cents for on-peak, and tiered rates for those still without time-of-use meters of 7.7 cents per kWh and 9.0 cents for consumption above 600 kWh a month are comparable to rates in place five years ago. As well, the costs for low income rate subsidy programs have been removed from electricity customer bills. Fair Hydro Act measures, enacted July 1, further trimmed bills for Hydro One medium- and low-density residential class customers and those served by seven other northern Ontario rural utilities by setting a maximum monthly cap of $36.43 for the local utility portion of total delivery charges.
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Going forward, increases, both in consumption and delivery rate charges, will be held to the rate of inflation for the next four years, while cost associated with changes to financing terms for major construction projects, including having the province cover interest costs, will be in place for the next 10 years. Costs for all these measures will come from the province’s general tax revenues with the treasury compensating utilities for lost revenue.
L.O.W. AREA NEWS
FALL 2017
News & Notes 23 Ontario Municipal Board hearing on proposed plan of condominium - Minaki-on-the-River During the last two weeks of July, the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) effectively ‘set up court’ in a Kenora hotel for a hearing on the proposed plan of condominium (Minaki on the River) approved by the Ministry of Municipal Affairs (MMA) early in 2016. This hearing process was initiated when the MMA’s decision was appealed by the Minaki Cottagers Association, on behalf of its members, and by Alex Rheault, on behalf of a group of year round Minaki residents. It should be noted that the provincial Planning Act grants the Ministry of Municipal Affairs the authority in unorganized territories such as Minaki since there is no formal (municipal or otherwise) structure to deal with such matters. In cases of disputes over land use planning issues when the parties involved are unable to resolve their differences the Ontario Municipal Board’s role, in simple term, is to provide the public forum for assembling the facts and ultimately to make a final decision. At the request of the Minaki Cottagers Association and its members, many of whom are also LOWDPOA members, LOWDPOA was asked to become involved. We subsequently attended an OMB pre-hearing meeting in November 2016 and asked for “participant status”. The OMB granted our request and our participant statement was submitted prior to the hearing and then presented in person at the hearing by Don Parfitt, LOWDPOA director and chair of our Government Affairs Committee. Our Government Affairs Committee deliberated at great length over the content of our participant statement, as did your board. In brief, our statement was neither “for” nor “against” the proposed development and asked the OMB to consider all issues raised by all parties in this matter based on their facts as presented at the hearing. Our submission pointed out LOWDPOA’s core values with emphasis on the environment, and by direct implication that of our members, and at the same time maintained the integrity of our association. Numerous witness statements, experts’ report, studies and testimony, and visual displays were presented by lawyers for the developer, Ministry of Municipal Affairs, Minaki Cottagers Association and Alex Rheault with each lawyer having the opportunity to cross examine all those who testified. An incredible amount of information was presented over the 11 long days of the hearing. The decision now lies in the hands of the OMB chairperson whom presided over the hearing. Since she has a significant amount of material to review, ponder and digest, when a decision will be rendered is totally in her hands.
Excerpt from LOWDPOA’s Participant Statement Looking more broadly than at specific issues, LOWDPOA’s over-riding concern is that all environmental issues are addressed and that all rules and processes currently in place are adhered to and that the development adheres to today’s environmental standards/regulations. Although the proposed Minaki development is the focus of the hearing, the outcome has the potential for environmental impact both in and beyond the immediate Minaki area. This speaks directly to LOWDPOA’s vision and defines who we are, our commitment to our members and what our members expect of the association Further, it is understood that the issue at hand is the proposed condominium development in Minaki and that it presents an anomaly given that is being proposed in an unincorporated area where no land use planning authority exists. Additionally, while it may be generally assumed that the Ontario building code and all applicable provincial regulations are adhered to, we question the extent of review and enforcement of these regulatory processes in any development within an unincorporated area. We might add that the significance of this hearing is not lost on the Lake of the Woods District Property Owners Association as we expect that the decisions made on OMB Case numbers PL 160402 and PL 160403 may set precedents, even if informally for future development proposals in Northern Ontario’s unincorporated/unorganized areas. Although we again acknowledge that the Ministry of Municipal Affairs has the authority in northern Ontario to make the final decision on this issue (Citizens’ Guide to Land-use Planning; Citizen’s Guide #7 - Northern Ontario), we are asking the Ontario Municipal Board, after listening to all concerns of all parties, to consider the impact this decision will have on any current and future development in unincorporated/unorganized territories.
WATCH FOR UPDATES ON OMB CHANGES TO COME. In May 2017, the Ontario government announced that it is proposing significant changes to the way land use planning decisions are made in Ontario. The government will introduce legislation that, if passed, will establish a new Local Planning Appeal Tribunal to replace the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB). In addition to providing comments on the proposed changes, your association will be working with the Federation of Ontario Cottagers’ Associations (FOCA) to stay on top of exactly what the legislation entails and what the resulting implications will be. Stay tuned.
L.O.W. AREA NEWS
FALL 2017
24 News & Notes New CT Scan at Lake of the Woods District Hospital is on the horizon The Lake of the Woods District Hospital Foundation is raising awareness and funds for the current 13-year old CT scan at Lake of the Woods District Hospital - an important piece of life-saving equipment that is now facing its end of life. With hopes for more time with the current scanner, technological changes mean that the manufacturer is no longer supporting this aging equipment, and replacement is the only option. With the help of early partnerships and funds raised toward the replacement cost to purchase a new CT scan, LWDHF has over $700,000 committed to date, with the goal of having the $1.2 million needed by the end of the year. You can help make that happen.
The new CT Scan will have improved capabilities including the following: • Paediatric scanning will now be available on site • Improved image quality of 160-slice (“slice” is the thickness of scan; current unit is 16-slice) • Improved diagnostic capabilities with enhanced detail in images
Bob and Colleen Martz (left and centre) pledged $100,000 in honour of their parents Robert and Jackie Bergman and Bernie and Rosemarie Martz. Pictured here with LWDHF’s Executive Director, Jess Rheault
had a dangerous blood clot in the lungs, one may have had a possible bleed in the head, another who had an abdominal condition that could have been potentially fatal; these are the kinds of things that we are looking at all the time.” Your support today will save lives. Your hospital needs your help. Please visit lwdhf.com or Facebook.com/lwdhf and watch the CT video to learn more about this important project and how it affects your community. For more information on this project and to find out how you can help, please contact Jess Rheault, at 807-468-9861 x 2419 or jrheault@lwdh.on.ca PARTNERS TO DATE
• Patients up to 650 lbs can be scanned (350 lbs is current max capacity)
Bob and Colleen Martz
$100,000
• Improved radiation dose
Physicians
$60,000
Boobie Nights/Century 21
$55,000
Hockey for Health 3 on 3
$45,000
Dr. Sean Moore, Chief of Emergency Medicine at LWDH was asked how it could affect patient care to be without a CT? “We couldn’t offer 21st century care. We just couldn’t do it without the CT Scanner. During regular maintenance, we have backup plans in place so that we don’t lose it for even an hour at a time-it is that essential in our day-to-day care, especially emergency care. Today we needed to do three potentially lifesaving scans and the shift isn’t even over yet! One may have
Copperfin Credit Union, Dufresne Furniture, Moncrief Construction Ltd., $50,000 Standard Insurance Jarnel Contracting
$40,000
Kenora Home Hardware
$20,000
Royal Canadian Legion Keewatin Br#13
$12,500
Kenora Catholic District School Board, Ontario Power Generation, Q104 $10,000 Kenora and Lake of the Woods Regional Community Foundation
$7,500
CIBC, BDO Dunwoody
$5,000
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We were out at Cheryl’s Snag,
loud voice that she uses when she is scolding the dog for bringing in mud on the white carpet, “I’m not getting close to that thing, Mom. Look at the teeth! You’re on your own. Don’t even ask, Mom. Don’t even ask.”
so named because Cheryl said, “I have a snag”. I said, “The ‘snag’ is swimming: reel!” The ‘snag’ was a fat, 21-inch walleye. Rebecca (Bec), my grown daughter, and I were together at this fishing hole. It was hot. I had jumped in the lake to cool down. The water was about 20 degrees so it did the trick and I was totally clear-headed as I made an excellent bass cast that bounced off a log. “Darn,” I said, “I’m snagged.”
Bec said, “Interesting. Snags don’t generally swim. You’re losing line. Reel!” So I reeled but the snag pulled line off faster than I could reel in. It was headed for deeper water.
BY
HEIDI HOART
Bec suggested we trade places and I should stand in the front of the boat and she would help by putting the motor in gear and follow the fish, since it was obvious I was about out of line. Good kid she is; and smart too. She’s an ocean fisher. They chase the big fish in the ocean. She knew how. So she kept about 20 or 30 feet off the fish and I reeled. Bec mentioned the value of greater than six pound test, a stout pole, and more than 70 feet of line on the reel but I had to concentrate on reeling so did not mention we were bass fishing in 10 feet of water when this all began. My hands began to ache. I remembered laughing when I told a friend who begged me to take over reeling in her big fish that you have to do it yourself. It’s the rules. So I did not ask. I just kept reeling. Sometime before dinner the fish was finally at the side of the boat. When Bec saw it she said, in a rather high-pitched loud voice, “Mom! Look at that thing. I’m not netting that thing. Look at the teeth!” I said, “get the net.” She did a great job. I don’t know how because the fish was way bigger than the net. And heavy. But she managed to scoop the fish into the boat. The interesting thing about this maneuver is that she managed to jump on top of the live well at the same time. Agile kid. She then declared in that same rather high-pitched,
27
I took the hook out of the fish. It was easy. A miracle it had not come out earlier. The fish did not flop about too badly. Thank you fish.
I put the metre stick – the fish stick I keep in the boat to be sure I only keep legal fish – next to the fish. Yes, a nice fish. A metre fish. I wanted my picture with the fish, but did not want to put further stress on it. It was important to me that the fish go back into the water quickly and swim away safely.
My helper was steadfastly, resolutely on top of the live well. Arthritis, tendonitis and all the rest of the itises have taken my thumbs, my grip, away so I was not sure how I would pick the fish up for a respectable picture. Using a scooping technique that left me a bit slimy and ended with a basic choke hold minus the thumbs, I managed to get the fish off the floor. Meanwhile Bec had somehow retrieved her camera and as soon as I managed to get the fish off the floor, click, click, click. Good enough. Not a picture I love but it tells the tale. I eased the fish back into the water. Would it swim away? Wow. Only a slight hesitation and it was gone. Yea! But wait! It seems to have all happened so fast, and I guess it did. Time flies with a big fish on. But, as the fish swam away I wanted to grab it and bring it back to get another close look at it and savor the moment a bit longer. I wanted a good picture. But, hey, really? Nah, it was all good. Then Bec caught a small bass. Smart girl she is. Small bass don’t require a trip to the top of the live well.
Bec’s version next page...
28
THE REEL STORY By Rebecca Hoart
Mom certainly has a way of making a monster, 40-inch, maneating fish look perfectly innocent! I was there. The minute I laid eyes on it, I thought there was a good possibility it would eat me if I tried to net it with a net two sizes too small and full of holes. This is what actually happened... It was a morning of possibilities. It was a sunny day. We followed our scientifically designed procedures for loading the boat, including a full bag of chips - not a half a bag, mind you. We pondered the map of the lake and decided to look for walleye. Any self-respecting fisherperson in our circle fishes for walleye. Period. So that is what we set about doing. Soon we were casting banks, fallen trees, and rocky, shallow bottoms where northern and bass live, but on our way to where the walleye live. We actually had no damn clue where the walleye were living. Two keepers were caught just the day before in eight feet of water and a lunker in 40 feet. I recognized the bay we pulled into: Cheryl’s Snag. There is a perfect sandy beach with a rocky point at this particular place where, apparently, someone named Cheryl caught a magnificent walleye. Okay then, this was walleye country. I had put aside my casting rod and dutifully put out
my Little Joe with a sun-dried minnow on the hook. Mom put down her big rod and pulled out her bass rig with sixpound test, Little Joe and a cute little spinning reel. We were trolling and casting along. Mom casts a Little Joe – like, really? No one casts a Little Joe. But Mom does. Mom took the motor out of gear. I asked, “Do you have it?” meaning, of course, the big walleye. She reels a bit, drag screaming back at her and says, “I’m snagged.” I said, “make sure, Mom. You have been known to catch living rocks.” Then, I swear, her snag was streaking in the direction of open lake, toward 75 feet of water. I knew her drag was set light. I knew that fish was headed for home. Then I saw her reel and there wasn’t much line left on it. I thought, she’s caught the trophy and we will never see it. This is unacceptable. Mom runs the boat. She does everything and manages to fish a little too. Now she is hooked up with the biggest walleye EVER and I am just sitting here.
29
Heidi, holding her northern pike after scooping it up out of the net. Photo: Rebecca Hoart
No I wasn’t! I saw the fish had pulled the boat off of the shore. I cleared the fighting area. Then I suggested, “Hey Mom, you want to come up front where you can pull your line where the fish goes? I’ll chase it down, if that is okay.” Mom hasn’t fished a lot in the ocean where you can hook up with a striking fish and have to pull all the lines and chase the fish with the boat. She said half-heartedly, “I don’t think that is necessary.” The next few seconds seemed like an hour, at least, before she said, “maybe that would be good.” Somehow, without losing the fish and Mom continually reeling that tiny reel that always seemed to be running out of line, she got in the front of the boat and I got in the back where I put the motor in gear and slowly went after this prize-winning walleye. We chased it out into the lake. Then we chased it back to the bay. We went in circles and to and fro. It started to come up. Mom was gaining line back. We just might see this fish, maybe. Then it was in view. I had the net in hand. This net is for bass and baby northern and eating-sized walleye. What we had here was a monster, big headed, toothy, great pike. I announced, “I am not netting that thing!” Mom stated rather matter-of-factly, “yes, you are.” I cringed, “Fine. But it is not really going in the boat, right?” Mom brought in the fish exactly so I could scoop it into the net and take my life in my hands. I could see the teeth. A lot of teeth. Big teeth.
I netted it. Remembering all the while the handle to the net comes off randomly and thinking the torn holes in the net would probably not matter because this fish was going to annihilate the thing anyway. As I scooped the fish into the net I made another announcement, “I will be getting out now.” Mom saw her trophy in the net. “Don’t be silly, girl child. This is a picture fish. You gotta take the picture.” The monster hit the deck and I found a safe place between the deck of the boat and the lake. My camera was not far off. I picked it up. We stared at the fish. We knew time was important or somebody would have to clean that monster. Mom took out the hook. The fish was quiet. I think it was resting after the tour it had shared with us. Somehow, someway, Mom managed to lift the fish. Click, click, click - the thing was photographed, placed back in the lake and swam away. Wow. I came down off the live well and congratulated Mom on a great catch. We laughed. It was absurd. Six pound test. Drag so light it should have spooled her in a minute. Were we professional fish getters or what? Maybe we should compete in fishing tournaments. No, no! We should have a TV show! Oh, we are such a great team. Then I caught the bass. A nice bass. It was fun. And easy. Then we caught walleye dinner. Found them. We could go home and swim in the lake and giggle about the great northern pike we actually landed and had a picture to prove it. AN
L.O.W. AREA NEWS
FALL 2017
30 Environment
Students in International Falls, Minnesota paint storm drains with the message “Dump No Waste: Drains to River”
Minister of Environment and Climate Change Canada, Katherine McKenna (centre) affirmed need to establish water quality objectives and targets for Lake of the Woods during meeting with Foundation Director Joan Richardson and Executive Director Todd Sellers
Put a plan in place; ensure there's enough science and management expertise; unite and coordinate actions binationally - communities, researchers, policy makers. That’s our vision. We’re getting close. Environment Minister affirms the need for action on Lake of the Woods
International water quality objectives and targets for phosphorus - let’s get going!
The Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Catherine McKenna, announced at the end of July a further investment $25.7 million targeted to restoration of the Lake Winnipeg Basin – of which Lake of the Woods is a major part. The funding will focus on actions to reduce nutrient pollution and on enhancing collaboration and engagement with all levels of government and local groups working to address water quality issues.
Development of a sustainability plan for Lake of the Woods is the major goal of the Lake of the Woods Water Sustainability Foundation. An international nutrient management strategy to reduce harmful algae blooms will be a key component of the plan.
With this announcement, Minister McKenna is singing from our foundation’s choir book. In a meeting with the foundation prior to the public announcement, Minister McKenna affirmed the need for Canada to move beyond the current science to action on Lake of the Woods. She agreed that Canada needs measurable outcomes for Lake of the Woods, including establishing water quality objectives and reduction targets for nutrients such as phosphorus like the State of Minnesota is doing. She also acknowledged the need for Canada to support and collaborate more closely with Minnesota and its efforts underway to protect and restore the water quality of Lake of the Woods.
This fall, Minnesota will release draft phosphorus reduction targets for public consultation, prior to implementation. This is the culmination of nearly $20 million invested by Minnesota in Lake of the Woods research aimed at determining what actions are needed to address Minnesota’s declaration of the Lake of the Woods as “impaired” and to restore the lake to meet Minnesota’s water quality standards. Science is now underway in Canada that should permit Canada to participate with similar efforts. We are encouraged that Minister McKenna acknowledges that her department’s science is not an end unto itself and that we need a commitment to do something with the science binationally to restore the waters of Lake of the Woods.
L.O.W. AREA NEWS
FALL 2017
Environment 31 We think that Canada could and should take some steps towards restorative action now. We are urging Canada to support Minnesota’s restoration efforts by accepting Minnesota’s science and nutrient reduction targets and adopting similar measures in the Canadian portion of the watershed on a provisional basis while the Canadian science is being completed. There is enough known about nutrients to get started, set provisional targets and adapt and adjust as further science is refined on the Canadian side of the border. Ultimately, the Canadian government should commit to a water quality agreement with the USA that establishes objectives, targets and allocations for phosphorus and processes to achieve them along with review and reporting requirements. We have a model for this already with Annex 4 (Nutrients) of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, most recently applied to Lake Erie. Lake of the Woods deserves no less.
Engaging youth and communities in efforts to protect our waters
In Kenora the message reads “A Healthy Lake Starts Here”. In International Falls and Fort Frances the message reads "Dump No Waste: Drains to River." Each has a picture of a fish or other wildlife that rely on good clean water. Storm drains along the waterfront in each community empty directly into the river or lake and so it is to recognize that what goes down the storm drain can impact local water quality and we need to keep things like soaps from car washing, fertilizers, oils, etc. out of these drains. This is a partnership project between the foundation and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency with local partners
This stencil in Kenora reminds us of the connection between storm drains and our lake
You Can Help Your continued help will ensure that we maintain the momentum for our lake. Sign up at the foundation’s website to show your support and receive our email updates. Please consider making a donation to the foundation.
This past spring and summer, communities in the watershed were part of a binational initiative to raise awareness of water quality and the impact of storm drains on local waterways. As part of the International Watershed Coordination Program offered by the Lake of the Woods Water Sustainability Foundation, roadways and sidewalks near storm drains in International Falls, MN, Fort Frances, ON and Kenora, ON were painted with messages that remind us all that only rain should go down the drain. Between the three communities, well over 150 storm drains were painted and approximately 150 children and teens took part in either making the stencils in their shop class or painting the stencils in their town. Informative door hangers were also given out to explain the project and spread the stewardship message. Prior to going out to paint the drain stencils, the children also learned about how watersheds work and potential pollution sources through use of an interactive 3D watershed model.
that have, to date, included the Town of Fort Frances, the cities of International Falls and Kenora, Lake of the Woods District Property Owners Association, Riverview Industries, Koochiching County, Koochiching Soil and Water Conservation District, Fort Frances High School and International Falls High School.
Canadian donors: www.lowwsf.com/donate/Canada American donors: www.lowwsf.com/donate/USA Your gift will help make sure that Lake of the Woods is a priority with governments, that research is completed and a sustainability plan is developed and implemented to restore and protect the water quality of Lake of the Woods.
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L.O.W. AREA NEWS
FALL 2017
32 Environment
Where Does Our Waste Go?
In the May/June 2016 issue of the Area News we ran a fairly comprehensive article detailing the services available at the Kenora Solid Waste Transfer Station. Over the past year, though, we continue to hear questions about how that facility operates, what happens to the waste collected, and whether Kenora really recycles the products it collects in those bins (answer: yes, except for glass). This month, we’re revisiting the topic via a photo tour.
Where is the Transfer Station?
The City of Kenora Transfer Station is located at 401 Mellick Avenue in Kenora.
Transfer Station Hours
Mon – Fri: 8:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. Saturday: 9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Sunday: 12:00 – 4:00 p.m. (8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. from May long weekend until September)
Scales at the entrance of the facility.
Loads are accepted until 15 minutes prior to closing time. Payment methods: cash, cheque, debit or credit card.
Waste for which there is a standard disposal fee Vehicles bringing solid waste to the facility are required to weigh in at the scale on the way in and the way out. Loads up to 250 kg cost a flat rate of $15.00. Loads over 250 kg are charged a standard tipping fee of $0.09 per kilogram. Our tour guides, Calisha Wilcott and Angelica Haney, outside the Kenora Transfer Facility scale and office building.
Household Trash
Household trash is collected in a big shed at the back of the Transfer Facility property until there is enough for a truckload to send it to the municipal landfill site on the Jones Road, north of Kenora.
Construction & Demolition Waste
Construction and demolition waste is collected in large bins at the back of the Transfer Facility property, across the lot from the garbage and recycling storage buildings. There are bins suitable for trucks with tipping boxes or stationary boxes. When a bin gets filled, it is trucked to the municipal landfill site for disposal. There is currently no salvage yard Kenora for construction and demolition waste.
Reuse Area
Household trash shed.
Near the recycle depot, the Transfer Facility does have a limited reuse area suitable for smaller household goods,
Construction and demolition waste unloading zone
and limited building materials (e.g. used sinks). Standard tipping fees apply to deposit materials here (just in case they don’t get claimed and have to be landfilled), but pick up is free.
Metal Waste
Metal waste incurs the standard tipping fee at the Kenora Transfer Facility but can be disposed of for free at Godbout Auto’s salvage yard, 2416 Hwy 17 East. Collected metals are transported at the end of each year to a city-owned waste yard on Ritchie Road. Each year the city tenders for a scrap metal contractor to remove all the metal waste..
L.O.W. AREA NEWS
FALL 2017
Environment 33 Other
Reuse area, adjacent to the recycle depot.
Brush & Tree Waste
Brush and tree waste can be disposed of near the back of the Transfer Facility lot, near the construction and demolition waste depot. While the standard tipping fee applies for disposal, the city chips this material and turns it into mulch. Mulch is free to the public at the entrance to the facility during the summer months. During the winter months, the mulch pile is replaced with sand, which is also free to pick up on an as-needed basis.
Free mulch is available at the entrance of the facility.
Standard tipping fees apply to dispose of bicycles and lawnmowers, but the City of Kenora has some unique partnerships to divert these items from landfill. Lawnmowers are stored behind the Transfer Facility scale and office building until a private contractor picks them up for repair or salvage. Bicycles are taken to Beaver Brae Secondary School, where teacher Mike Kraynyk runs a bicycle repair tech shop, teaching students all aspects of bike repair and maintenance. Bikes recovered through this program are donated back to the community through Triple P.L.A.Y., a charity that supports children’s access to extracurricular activities.
Lawnmowers stored behind the facility office building.
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L.O.W. AREA NEWS
FALL 2017
34 Environment Waste for which there is a special disposal fee Propane Tanks
Propane tanks cost $2 per tank (although if included in a load of other scaled waste, this fee is included in the load fee). Propane tanks are recovered by propane distributors.
Cooking Oil
Cooking oil costs $2.50 per 20 L for disposal, and it is collected by Rothsay, a company that operates a rendering plant in Brandon, MB. Products recovered at this facility are used for a variety of end purposes, including in dog food.
Propane tank storage area.
Comingle recyclables
Comingle – the term for mixed recyclables picked up at curbside – are also stored at the facility, separately from the sorted recyclables. Unlike the sorted recyclables which have a resale value, the city pays Cascades to send its comingle to them, where the comingle is hand-sorted by employees working on a conveyer belt sorting line. Of interest, people often assume that curbside comingled recycling is mixed with garbage and gets landfilled because the City of Kenora waste truck picks up both types of waste simultaneously. However, the truck is actually divided into separate compartments, one for garbage and one for recycling. Sorted recyclables are stored until being shipped away.
Tires
It costs $5 to $8.50 per tire, depending on size, to dispose of tires at the Transfer Station, but it is free to recycle rimless tires at Kal-Tire on Railway Street in Kenora. Tires are collected by a tire salvage company.
Waste for which disposal is free to residents
Sorted recyclables: cardboard, paper, cans, plastics
The recycle depot is always a busy place. Each of the green bins is labeled for collection of specific recyclables: clean cardboard, paper, cans and plastics and glass. Sorted recyclables collected here have good resale value and the City of Kenora sells loads of these sorted recyclables to Cascades, a materials recovery facility, in Winnipeg. Prior to shipping recyclables off to Winnipeg, they are stored in a large building at the back of the Transfer Facility, beside the garbage collection building.
The city’s garbage truck collects garbage and comingle is the same truck but in separate compartments.
Bags
Sorted recyclables unloading area.
Signs are posted at both ends of the recycle area to explain what items can and cannot be recycled.
There is a separate bin for plastic bags at the north end of the line of recycle bins. There is a giant sack inside the bag bin to collect and hold the bags that would otherwise tend to blow away easily. If you notice that bags are stuck in the neck of this bin, use the pole beside the bin to push the Bag bin for collecting loose bags further inside the plastic bags. sack inside. Bags are sent to Cascades, like other recyclables, but Cascades forwards them on to a recovery facility in Indiana where they are turned into a range of new products.
L.O.W. AREA NEWS
FALL 2017
Environment 35 Glass
The only recyclable that Kenora doesn’t recycle is glass. Glass recycling does exist, but the nearest recovery facility is in Hamilton, ON. As shipping is billed by weight as well as distance, it is very costly for Kenora to ship its glass for recycling. Glass is an inert, non-toxic substance so its inclusion in the landfill doesn’t have any particularly bad environmental impacts other than taking up valuable landfill volume. There are options for diverting some glass products like liquor, wine and beer bottles and signs are posted at the station to direct people to these alternate glass recovery depots.
Small battery and light bulb bins.
Car batteries have their own recycle bin.
Clear signage dictates what glass can and cannot be deposited in the bins.
Batteries & light bulbs
Small batteries, car batteries and light bulbs can be recycled near the the ticket booth by the recycle depot and in a separate bin behind the recycle depot. Batteries recycling is contracted out to a local private contractor.
Compost
There is a bright green compost bin, between the ticket booth and the recycle depot, for collecting leaves and small yard waste, for which disposal is fee-free. If you have a larger load of yard waste, there’s also a drop off depot further back at the Transfer Facility, along the road to the construction and demolition waste depot. Leaves and yard waste are composted in a special, provincially-permitted composting area located in one section of the municipal landfill site on the Jones Road, north of Kenora. The finished compost will eventually be used as soil and mulch material in city parks and flowerbeds.
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L.O.W. AREA NEWS
FALL 2017
36 Environment At present, the City of Kenora does not accept kitchen compost but this service may become available in the future as provincial waste disposal policies change.
Needles
Needles can also be disposed of through the hazardous waste program, but residents are encouraged to access the Northwestern Health Unit’s (NWHU) needle disposal program and to check in with the NWHU for training on safe handling of needles. The NWHU offers free training and needle recovery kits at their Cityview location, 210 First Street North, Kenora.
Household Hazardous Waste
Two composting areas: a bin for small portions of leaves and yard waste and an unloading area for larger loads.
Electronics Waste
Kenora generates an incredible amount of electronics waste (e-waste). Disposal is free and drop off is in an area behind the recycle depot. E-waste is delivered to Toronto, where Ontario Electronics Stewardship manages the deconstruction and salvaging of electronics materials.
A new, dedicated hazardous waste depot was added to the Transfer Facility in 2016. This large, white shed, just behind the recycle depot, near the electronics waste Dedicated hazardous waste shed. area, is open every Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. between the May long weekend and mid-September. Drop off is free, and the facility is equipped to take most hazardous goods. The facility cannot take PCB ballasts, ammunition, or flares. Pick up and disposal for most items is contracted to Miller Environmental Corporation. Cell phones and small batteries collected in the hazardous waste building are recycled through a service called Call2Recycle, based in Hamilton, ON. AN
City of Kenora Waste Transfer Facility E-waste area which collects televisions, computers, etc.
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L.O.W. AREA NEWS
FALL 2017
38 Cottage How-to Building Green: Energy Sources and Heating Equipment by Beth Turner One of the central themes of green building is to reduce the amount of energy needed to operate a home—by creating an efficient building envelope, for example, or by taking advantage of solar orientation. But even the most efficient homes will require some heat in our climate, and choosing the right energy source and mechanical system can be challenging and confusing for homeowners. Factors such as installation costs, utility prices, reliability, and environmental impact must all be considered in order to make a fully informed choice, and the best route is not always the intuitive one.
The fossil-fueled, forced-air furnace According to Statistics Canada, over three-quarters of homes in Ontario were using a forced-air furnace in 2015, most of which (68%) use natural gas. For this reason, many contractors and homebuilders view this set-up as the standard choice, and are hesitant to deviate from it. Disadvantages, however, include the potential for discomfort from circulating air. Some claim this leads occupants to set thermostats higher than they would need to with other systems such as radiant heat. And, of course, allergens and dust may be distributed via ductwork. Additionally, it can be difficult to find a properly sized furnace for a small, energy efficient home with a low heating load—HVAC installers unfamiliar with high-performance homes almost invariably recommend over-sized units. A major worry when installing new equipment fueled by natural gas, propane, or heating oil, is the risk inherent in relying on a carbon-intensive, non-renewable resource. Depletion of cheaply acquired conventional oil, and an increasing dependence on unconventional, expensive sources (such as oilsands and deep-water drilling), mean that price volatility may become the norm in coming decades. Moreover, international commitments to curb climate change, and increasing concern over the social and environmental issues related to oil and gas production and transportation (e.g., fracking, pipeline ruptures), are expediting the shift toward greener options. What makes sense with current oil prices (and current carbon-tax pricing) may not make sense ten or fifteen years from now.
Is all-electric a viable option? Many climate-conscious green builders are now designing all-electric homes equipped with solar photovoltaic (PV) panels. With Ontario's high electricity prices, some balk at the idea of electric heat, but the inclusion of solar PV can make running an electric home more affordable. Another exciting development is the use of heat pump technology, whether it's air-source (ductless mini-split heat pumps, for example), ground-source, or lake-source.
Simply put by Natural Resources Canada, “a heat pump is an electrical device that extracts heat from one place and transfers it to another,” making it far more efficient than a traditional electric resistance heater (such as baseboard). While it may seem strange, this works even when the temperature outside (or in the ground/water) is quite cold; heat can still be extracted, albeit with less efficiency as the temperature drops. Unlike large forced-air furnaces, this type of technology can be ideal for small homes that are very well insulated. The reversibility of the system may also enable summer cooling, eliminating the need for a separate air-conditioning unit. And, in keeping with the efficient all-electric theme, heat pump technology is now being employed in appliances like clothes dryers and hot water heaters, making them a more eco- and wallet-friendly choice than their gas and propanefired cousins. With air-source heat pumps in particular, their relative newness can make it difficult and expensive for new homebuilders to find contractors who are willing and able to install them. Despite their popularity in Europe, heat pump clothes dryers are still very foreign to most appliance dealers in North America as well. However, these devices do deserve strong consideration, even if it's only in terms of planning for potential future integration. In building our own home, we opted for a hydronic in-floor heating system that could someday integrate with a cold climate, air-towater heat pump, once these become more widely available and affordable.
How “green” is grid electricity? The new enthusiasm for all-electric homes is often met with criticism by those who worry about how their power is being generated. This is a valid concern—is using coal-fired electricity really any better than burning residential heating oil, for example? As the chart (next page) shows, from an emissions/climate change standpoint, hydroelectricity and nuclear power—two major components of Ontario's electricity mix—score quite well. That's not to say these energy sources don't entail other problems, such as aquatic ecosystem disruption, or nuclear waste disposal. But with many green builders considering climate change to be the most urgent and dire threat, emissions reduction is often viewed as a top priority. And it is ever-evolving—the recent phase-out of coal and a planned increase in renewables, for example, means that tomorrow's grid electricity mix could look significantly different than today's.
L.O.W. AREA NEWS
FALL 2017
Cottage How-to 39 Moreover, as distributed energy generation becomes more prevalent, some analysts expect the grid of the future will function more like an electricity storage and distribution system for clean, renewable electricity generated right at home.
Life cycle CO2 equivalent from selected electricity supply technologies Technology
Median (gCO2eq/kWh)
Coal
820
Gas – combined cycle
490
Solar PV – rooftop
41
Geothermal
38
Hydropower
24
Nuclear
12
Wind (onshore)
11
Source: 2014 IPCC, Global warming potential of selected energy sources
Designing for resilience and simplicity One final consideration in terms of energy sources and heating equipment is resilience in an increasingly unpredictable world. Sometimes this means building in redundancy—for example, installing a solar-powered or hand pump for a water well to keep the water flowing in a power outage. And sometimes redundancy is necessary. Ductless mini-split heat pumps, for example, are usually installed in conjunction with another heat source since they don't function well at very low winter temperatures. In terms of simplicity, an efficient wood burning stove can't be beat. Though labourintensive, it can provide affordable heat, and many stoves can also be used for cooking. Some claim that it is nearly carbon neutral. However, one of the biggest drawbacks is the detrimental effect on both indoor and outdoor air quality, even with sealed units. And they cannot be installed as the sole heating source to meet most building codes. But with relatively low upfront costs, wood stoves can be an excellent secondary heating appliance that can boost the resilience of a home.
Seek input from professionals These days, many new home builders are turning to experts who can provide impartial, evidence-based advice. Professional home energy consultants can examine each unique situation and perform the energy modeling and calculations needed to make an informed decision. For our own new build, we worked with a Winnipegbased prairieHOUSE Performance Inc. They were very helpful in calculating the cost difference between propane and electric heat (with the difference being negligible, we opted for the latter). But cost is not the only factor that should be considered. As president Gio Robson states:
“Although we often focus on payback or return on investment when making choices in high performance homes, not all choices and decisions are necessarily economics-based. Some homeowners might put more emphasis on decreasing their environmental footprint and greenhouse gas emissions, or using so-called 'green products'. Others might strive to build a more resilient house that can be comfortable during long power outages or extreme weather events. Others might be targeting exceptional levels of comfort and indoor air quality.”
As we might expect, a thoughtful examination of one's own priorities, combined with some careful calculations, is one of the best investments of all for any new home builder. AN
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SUMMER 2017
Jewel of the Lake
The Lake of the Woods and its seemingly endless islands and shorelines have provided livelihood, adventure and entertainment throughout the ages. From this unique and pristine natural beauty, upon one of her northern most islands, a structure of pride and perseverance has evolved. Herein stands the Royal Lake of the Woods Yacht Club, steeped in history and intrigue.
Credit: Lake of the Woods
Museum
In the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, the north shore of Lake of the Woods became one of the first cottage settlements in Canada. Boating activities were a mainstay of entertainment, and campers would partake in various excursions along what is now known as Rat Portage Bay and Safety Bay. One popular day long cruiser race that came of this was the trip to Galt Island, a Sunday favorite of cottagers, as Mr. Galt and his family would graciously host a picnic lunch at the island.
Credit: La ke
of the Woo
ds Museu
The races evolved and up to 6 separate classes or divisions were established based on the style and size of the boats, from 23’, 5 crew vessels down to 14’ dingies. A club developed and as an active social club, it hosted other activities like swimming, rowboat and gymkhana events. Yacht Club Island was purchased in 1908 and a clubhouse and docks were built shortly after to accommodate these growing commitments, incorporating in 1909 with over 150 members. Three committees were formed, including a sailing committee, a motor boat committee and a house committee. His Royal Highness and Princess Patricia visited the Yacht Club in 1914, where the suggestion that the title of “Royal” be applied for. But it wasn’t until after delays brought on by the Great War and other fallbacks, that Commodore G.F. Galt announced that the Duke of Connaught had extended the use of “Royal” to this prestigious club, in 1925. Ever since then, cottagers, locals and the like have participated in many activities around the club, as she continued to evolve and expand. The Royal Lake of the Woods Yacht Club, with her expansive white verandas, signature red roofed profile, terraced tennis courts and generous allotment of docking facilities, brings a sense of pride and prestige as a well know landmark on the lake and a jewel which will continue to inspire and grow for generations to come.
Built on Pride It takes perseverance to build something that lasts and stands the test of time. REMR Roofing has established itself as the sound choice in roofing specialists, coming from three generations of roofers committed to quality and service. What sets REMR apart is the sense of family that exists within its company. There is security in a strong sense of family just as there is in having a solid roof over your head. In both cases, the quality and integrity of that belief are integral to its strength and security. Each employee shares a sense of pride and belonging with their coworkers. This teamwork attitude is proof of the commitment that is responsible to putting their heart and soul into their work. Each member of the REMR team carries a sense of pride about the work they’ve done, and the work they are going to do, together. Much like the success from the teamwork of an experienced crew that works tightly together to race in a sailing regatta, the tight knit unit of REMR employees bring years of experience to the job, dedicated to doing the project right, every time. Specializing in lake work, REMR is fully equipped to provide the best services to those properties only accessible by boat. These qualities of workmanship and experience satisfy the expectations necessary to do the job, like the roofing of the Lake of the Woods Yacht Club, with its expansive, multi ridged and gabled roofline; each employee taking great pride, working safely and effectively and seeing to it that the job is done the best way possible. With over a thousand roofs under its belt, REMR assures that customers will appreciate the quality of their work, confident in the company’s commitment to excellence. Experience and teamwork come together to keep customers satisfied, with a solid roof over their heads, and a great company to stand behind their work. It’s REMR’s commitment to your job and its employees and the quality of their work that, like your roof, will stand the test of time. Articles written by: Kelley Morrell
m
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L.O.W. AREA NEWS
FALL 2017
42 Cottage How-to
front yard garden Creating a
Notes from Razberry Lane by Henry & Anita Rasmussen
Mixed hardy perennials greet passersby at the fence near the Rasmussens’ front sidewalk.
Consider the front lawn. To keep a lawn lush as well as a source of pride and satisfaction, you need water, fertilizer, herbicides, top-dressing, occasional seeding or patching, mowing and hours of unremitting labor. Your reward: a vast expanse of green grass, unbroken by any wayward weed or dandelion. People take inordinate pride in their lawn, regarding it as the showpiece of their property. They will spend the bulk of their leisure time cutting, trimming and raking it. Sadly, it is often a prized possession more admired than used. Many a proud lawn owner tends to flinch when small children or animals invade its perfect surface. The obsession with lawns dates from the fifties as suburbia grew and expanded into a North American phenomenon. Lawns became king as new home owners competed with their neighbors to create the perfect yard: an expanse of evenlycut, weed-free green velvet. Along with the dream came the necessary round of drudgery to keep it that way. A green lawn is really a small sample of a monoculture where the only crop grown is grass. Lawns do not welcome insect or animal life, and are often somewhat sterile. It is estimated that there are approximately 24 million acres of cultivated lawns in North America, not including parks, roadways, golf courses and cemeteries. This adds up to a lot of monoculture. For years we conformed to societal pressure and mowed with the best of them, until it occurred to us there had to be a better way to utilize that uninspiring patch of green leading up to the front door. The concept of a front yard garden seemed an intriguing alternative to grass with its necessary
Hydrangeas are a lovely, very hardy shrub for our area. Flowers can be white, pale green, blue, or pink.
forced labor. By eliminating grass entirely and replacing it with flowers, shrubs, perennials and herbs, the front yard could become a relatively labor-free zone, as well as esthetically pleasing. The idea first came to us some years ago in the course of frequent visits to Vancouver where front yard gardens are a tapestry of textures, shapes and color. We were fascinated. Vast expanses of green lawn seemed somewhat sterile in comparison, bereft of the variety of species that make a yard interesting and nature-friendly. True, west coast gardeners enjoy a more prolonged growing season than we do and our frigid winters are entirely foreign to them; consequently, the survival rate of their plantings is greater. However, we chose to regard these differences as a challenge rather than an impediment. It also occurred to us that dragging the mower up the hill from the backyard to the front every week was an effort in futility that would not be missed. The first and most challenging part of the front yard garden project was to strip the yard of its grass. This involved intensive labor with all hands to the task, some voluntary and some conscripted. Fortunately, our frontage is relatively small so that stage one was completed in a mere couple of days. It all took place on a July 1 weekend when lesser mortals were out on the lake fishing. It helped that we knew this to be a one-time operation never to be repeated. Once the sod had been stripped and hauled away, we spread a layer of good gardening soil and covered it with black landscaping material. The front yard garden was ready to be planted.
Pots of bright annual gerbera daisies brighten up a front yard garden featuring hardy hostas, cedar shrubs and other perennials.
The Rasmussens’ front yard garden is a beautiful mix of potted, bright annuals and hardy perennials including pink lilies, orange daylilies, hydrangeas, astilbe, a variety of hostas and more.
L.O.W. AREA NEWS
FALL 2017
Cottage How-to 43 Then came the exciting part, the “Garden Plan”, an essential component of any successful garden project. We drew up a sketch of what plants we wanted and where they should go. There were some restrictions to keep in mind, however. The first consideration was our location. In garden parlance we belong to ‘Zone 2 to 3’. In effect, this means that most of the gorgeous plants we drool over in gardening magazines thrive exclusively in the gardens of British Columbia and southern Ontario. Luckily, there are a goodly number of hardy shrubs and perennials up to the challenge of our northwestern Ontario winters. We wisely decided to focus on them. Another concern was our front yard’s northern exposure, a fact that relegated our dream of a rose garden to the trash heap. Finally, armed with a long, ambitious wish list and a copy of the “plan”, we set off to purchase the plants. We soon found that adjustments had to be made according to what was available from local nurseries. We learned to be flexible and to heed the advice of these experienced suppliers. The actual planting was the last and most enjoyable part of the project. Remember that black landscaping material? Its purpose was to eliminate weeding altogether, and it has proven its worth over the years.
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A sharp utility knife was used to cut an X through the fabric wherever we needed to dig a hole. Each plant was tucked into the soil and watered. By the end of the day the garden was done. Ten years have elapsed since we first envisioned blooms instead of grass. We can honestly say we’ve never regretted the decision. Hostas, tulips, delphiniums, lilies, hydrangeas and the other hardy perennials of that long-ago summer have returned to delight us season after season. One of our continuing joys is to step outside on any given spring, summer or fall morning to check on what is happening in the front yard. It is everchanging as the flowers and shrubs take turns budding, blooming and resting. Fat robins, bumble bees and butterflies pause to visit and rest a while. Even people walking by occasionally lean over the fence for an exchange of gardening lore. No one had ever stopped to chat about the grass. There is very little upkeep to our little front yard garden. Except for deadheading flowers and watering during dry spells, we play hide and seek daily to find the newspaper cleverly tossed under the bushes by our speed-demon paper person. Weeding is virtually nonexistent, and our lawn mower was able to take an early retirement. AN
L.O.W. AREA NEWS
FALL 2017
44 Cottage How-to A Cautionary Tale about Lake Water Lines by Elsie Neufeld
One February, I walked through my front door, returning from a winter vacation, to find two neighbours in my entryway, one holding a hair dryer. “You have a frozen water line.” A sharp bang on the cold room door a few feet away punctuated this statement. “You shouldn’t open that door for awhile; your pop cans have frozen,” said the other neighbour. Pop cans left on the cold room floor were freezing, expanding, exploding, flying through the air, ricocheting off walls and shelves, spewing the sugary contents everywhere. The disaster unfolding in my cold room didn’t register; those terrifying words ‘frozen water line’ blanked everything else out. My experience told me the hair dryer was not the tool for the job.
Water lines encased in insulation and big ‘O’ pipe are protected and the energy needed to run heat cable is reduced. Factory-made pipe insulation is also available for this purpose.
Cottage owners often tie boat fenders or empty plastic jugs to mark the end of a water line so they can easily locate submersible pumps and foot valves for maintenance and inspection.
When our water line froze, it needed a water line thawing machine, hauled water to run through the machine and to prime the pump, and a workforce of kind volunteers and sometimes high-priced experts. The work is wet in serious winter cold and focused in a cramped, below ground pump house 60 m (200 ft.) from the house – miserable work. You do not want to experience it, so read this cautionary tale and learn.
Bury your water line deep The first step to worry-free water lines is depth, below the frost line if you can. In this area, the frost depth is 2.2 metres (7 ft.) according to the Frost Penetration Chart for northern Ontario from the Ministry of Transportation Ontario. During prolonged cold spells or when there is less snow, frost can go deeper.
Two metres (6 ft.) was the conventional wisdom for water lines when we installed ours. Murray McDougall at Lake of the Wood Electric says depending on the situation it can be as shallow as three feet: “If there is no traffic on it, no people and no animals.” When traffic, vehicular or two- or four-legged, crosses a water line, it drives the frost deeper. Undisturbed snow insulates the ground. The rule of thumb is that snow’s insulating value is R-1 for 25 mm (1 inch) of snow. Compacted snow loses the insulating qualities and frost moves deeper into the ground. Even when the water line is an optimal depth, insulate the pipes using wrap around pipe insulation, or lay down sheets of insulation over the water line, or both. Foam pipe insulation will keep the heat in the water from moving out to the colder surrounding air or soil. Closed cell foam insulation boards over the water line will slow frost’s downward march. We had a weak point in our water line at the shore where it had to run over a boulder before entering the water. There was no way around it or to move it. Because of a miscalculation during construction, we didn’t have enough electricity to run heating cable. We piled insulation, mud and snow, even straw bales over it. That worked for all except the coldest years or when we did not use enough water. Those are times we learned the horror of thawing a frozen water line.
Keep the water flowing After one of our frozen line experiences, we started to use a garden watering timer to automatically run water at regular intervals. We installed the timer on a laundry sink tap and set it to run long enough to cycle the pressure tank a couple of times. Flowing water, being warmer than ice, melts any ice forming on the pipe walls. The water timer did the trick.
Install heating cable where you cannot bury the line deep enough When the line can’t be buried below the frost line or if a pathway or driveway crosses the water line, freeze protection cables, also called heating cables, will keep the water flowing. Common brand names include Heat-Line and Pyrotenax. These cables are installed inside the water line and are rated for use in potable water lines. Pyrotenax has been in our line for nearly 25 years without any problems. According to McDougall, this hassle-free operation is the norm.
L.O.W. AREA NEWS
FALL 2017
Cottage How-to 45 In the early days, Pyrotenax, which works using a constant temperature, occasionally melted empty water lines. That issue has since been resolved. Heating cables come as 110- or 220-volt systems and in whatever length is needed. These products come in standard and custom cut lengths. “The biggest issues happen when people take shortcuts,” he said. If you’re doing it yourself, follow instructions and best practices. Some people play a bit of Russian roulette waiting until a water line has frozen before turning their heating cable on. “They are taking chances,” McDougall said. The ice might burst the water line before they turn on the cable. Where water lines often pass over bare rock, utilidors or utility tunnels, made of pressure treated wood and insulated, protect water lines.
It is possible to turn off the heating cable provided some provision like an open drain allows the ice in the water line to expand freely to avoid bursting the line. The big concern for people is the electrical cost of running the cables. McDougall said adding a layer or two of pipe insulation on the lines can help minimize the power costs. Some put two or three layers. As mentioned earlier, Pyrotenax works off a constant temperature. If the water drops below a certain temperature, the cable heats up. Heat-Line is self-regulating cable. That means it senses where the water is coldest and supplies heat at those points. McDougall said that the cost advantage of either system depends on many factors. Every water line situation is unique. Even after many years of experience, inspection of the location of each new project helps determine what will work best.
Secure your water line to the bottom of the lake In the lake, the line still needs frost protection; the line needs to be weighted down to keep it below the ice. If the line goes through a marshy area, the decaying matter at the bottom will naturally insulate and heat the line. Some zip tie rebar to the line, but we used concrete blocks. McDougall considers these shortcuts. Rebar corrodes over time and concrete blocks will just disintegrate. He argues for Wally Weights, a lead weight covered with an extremely durable polymer coating and clamped onto the line using stainless steel bolts. The first few years we checked the water line in the lake each fall, even having local scuba divers inspect the deeper sections of the line, to ensure the weights were secure and no part of the line was floating. After a few years, complacency set in and we paid the price. A few years ago when the water stopped flowing to the house we assumed our water line froze. It was puzzling, though. It was the wrong time of the year, early
December; there was lots of water flow, a young family was in the house. We called in the high price help but they couldn’t get the water to flow. A temporary line was installed for the winter. In the spring, when the ice broke up, a section of our water line was found floating on the surface of the lake. After the ice had set in November, a weight failed, allowing the line to float up against the bottom of the ice. It froze.
Complete projects and avoid assumptions “I’m going to give it a try,” the hair dryer wielding neighbour said and set off to the crawl space. He was right. After a few minutes of gentle applied heat, the water flowed again. In my experience, the water line froze at the shoreline, not in the crawl space. My neighbour, not influenced by the previous experience, looked for another possible reason and was right. Left on my own, I would have pointed at a much bigger problem and suffered for it. This new issue came up because of work done in the previous months. The insulation around the line coming into the house was damaged and not repaired. When the outside temperature dropped, a draft came through the wall along the water line. It froze. In this case, the hair dryer was the right tool for the job. … And I had water to clean up the sticky mess in the cold room once the last of the frozen pop cans exploded late the next morning. Frozen water is a powerful thing. Don’t forget that. AN
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L.O.W. AREA NEWS
FALL 2017
46 Cottage How-to Boil Water Advisories
What causes them and how you can protect yourself Today, more than ever, people just like you are concerned about the quality of the water in their homes. With all the press about outbreaks of waterborne illnesses, boil water advisories, and water infrastructure issues, keeping your family’s water safe to drink is top of mind – and so it should be. The quality of your drinking water can change from day-today, season-to-season, whether you live in a large city, a small town, and especially on a farm or at a cottage. Contaminants can infiltrate lakes, wells, and aquifers, often through flooding events. Aging infrastructure can lead to an increased risk of contamination; if water can leak out of the pipes, contaminants can get in. And as a result, boil water advisories (BWAs) are becoming more and more common, all across North America.
How to boil water Sounds silly, right? Make sure you boil water in a rolling boil for a minimum of one minute and three minutes maximum. Also, don’t put the water through your coffee maker without boiling it first, as coffee makers rarely actually heat water to the boiling point. Don’t forget to boil drinking water for your pets, too. If you’ve already consumed the water, watch for signs of vomiting, diarrhea and any other stomach or intestinal upsets. These may take up to a week to develop. You may be fine, but watch for any symptoms and if they develop, get medical help.
Water disinfection options
What is a boil water advisory? Municipal water can be deemed perfectly safe when it leaves the water treatment plant. Nonetheless, BWAs almost always happen as a result of the unexpected, and many times a boil water advisory is issued 24 – 48 hours after contamination has actually occurred.
BWAs can be issued for a variety of different reasons, including: • Failure of disinfection equipment • High turbidity levels due to a malfunctioning filtration system • Water main breaks or scheduled maintenance • Detection of pathogenic organisms or pathogens (such as E. coli, Giardia, or Cryptosporidium) or viruses (such as Hepatitis A or Norwalk)
What you can do during a boil water advisory
There are many water treatment options, but not all are disinfection technologies. You can choose to use chemicals for disinfection, but they can be both dangerous to handle and potentially hazardous to the environment – and some waterborne illness-causing microbes are chlorine-resistant. Reverse osmosis and filters alone can improve taste, but they generally don’t remove a complete range of microbiological contaminants. Ultraviolet (UV) disinfection treats even chlorine-resistant microbes without the use of chemicals, but pre-treatment to remove minerals and sediment is often required for proper disinfection.
Keep on top of boil water advisories Alerts go to the media, institutions like schools and hospitals, restaurants, etc. Check with your province or city to see just how to get this information and/or sign-up for Google alerts http://www.google.com/alerts
It’s important to make sure your water is safe during a BWA, and you have several options: 1. Boil your water before using it for drinking or cooking. You’ll need to keep boiling all your water until the advisory has ended in your area. 2. Buy bottled water. That only addresses the problem for your drinking water, though. What about water for cooking, showering, brushing your teeth, etc. 3. Start disinfecting the water coming into your home so that every tap gives safe, treated water.
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FALL 2017
Cottage How-to 47 Cottage Closing Tips Cottages and summer homes are most vulnerable to thieves and subject to damage or vandalism in the off-season - from the week following Thanksgiving to the weeks prior to Victoria Day especially if the owners are not using them regularly in the fall, winter or spring. Our friends at the Federation of Ontario Cottagers’ Associations once again have some tips as you close or winterize your cottage.
End-of-season Tips • Secure your windows and doors. Close window curtains or blinds, and put up shutters to protect the interior from marauders (animal or human). • Leave no valuables at the cottage (electronics, tools, etc.) unless you’re prepared to lose them. If you leave anything behind (e.g. sporting goods) record any serial numbers and/or mark the valuables to deter thieves or aid in property recovery. • Remove all food, and anything that may attract animals. • Pack up and take home all alcohol. • Don’t leave firearms or weapons at the cottage. • If you are leaving vehicles, boats, ATVs or snow machines, make sure they’re winterized and secure. Leave nothing on trailers unless it is locked or disabled. • Designate a year-round contact or key-holder for: alarms, thefts, weather damage or animal problems. • Make a list of where everything is, make copies and keep them in different places. • If you have propane appliances, make sure they are properly shut down. • Drain all water pipes, water heaters and fixtures, to avoid freezing. • Defrost and unplug the refrigerator. • Make sure your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are working properly (replace if necessary) and ensure they have fresh batteries. • Place an open box of baking soda inside the refrigerator to keep odours away. • Scatter moth balls in the attic and anywhere small animals or bugs might gather. • Cover windows with shades for storm protection and theft prevention. • Check your property insurance to ensure the coverage you have in place is adequate and appropriate for your needs. • Organize snow removal if it will be required over the winter. • Know which police service covers your cottage area and set up a network of neighbours to help prevent and detect crime.
Electrical system tips: • Turn off individual breakers before flipping the main switch. This will help protect major appliances including your pump and water tank when you power up in the spring • If you have a fuse panel, unplug or switch off all appliances and electrical devices before switching off the main power.
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Wood Burning A Thing of the Past or a Viable Option? by Anita & Henry Rasmussen
Fire is arguably the most important component in human evolutionary history. Without the discovery and taming of this crucial element, humans might still be shivering in caves, gnawing on raw food. Lightning strikes and subsequent conflagrations likely led to its discovery and use. One can only imagine ancient peoples watching in amazement as fire swept through trees and grasslands surrounding them, leaving behind a blackened landscape. Burning wood became, and continued to be, the main source of heating and cooking for millennia. In countries with long winters such as ours, heating is of necessity a daily preoccupation, whether by means of natural gas, oil, electricity or wood. Wood burning is the focus today.
Modern engineering of safe, efficient wood burning stoves has gone a long way in dealing with pollution and safety concerns. New wood burning units consume the gasses that once escaped up the chimney, resulting in polluted air, creosote buildup and resultant chimney fires - the bane of wood burning The advent of modern technology has also altered the manner in which wood burners are lit. When lighting top down wood burning units, kindling is placed on top of the wood supply, creating the very hot environment necessary to the gasification process. As temperatures reach about 450 degrees F, most of the gasses are consumed. A note to non-believers: trust me, this method works. When using well-seasoned wood, the need for kindling is often eliminated altogether.
A modern freestanding wood burner.
The Scandinavian countries still consume wood in large amounts to this day where this ancient source of energy remains plentiful as a result of the wise and careful preservation of their national forests. Their annual wood consumption amounts to a mere 12% of the annual growth of their forests. By burning wood in an energy-efficient manner in modern wood burning stoves, Scandinavians are proving that wood is indeed a viable alternative for clean, sustainable home heating.
Attributes of heating with wood
Many appreciate the steady heat and comfort unique to wood burning. Radiant heat, the same type of heat as is supplied by the sun, feels natural and is responsible for that comfort. Still, for those skeptics who view wood burning as an anachronism best relegated to our pioneer past, let us consider the following attributes of this fuel source. First, burning with wood is neither difficult nor does it require exceptional effort. The three basic essentials are: a certified wood burner, a safe insulated chimney (both of which can last up to forty to fifty years or more), and a local source of fuel wood.
One of the most important benefits of a wood burner during extreme winter weather is the back-up factor. In the event of a catastrophe such as an ice storm or a prolonged power outage, it provides heat without need for electricity.
accessible forested area. With foresight and careful harvesting methods, forests could provide renewable fuel for years to come without touching the “capital” (or main forest), in economic parlance, as is done in Europe.
Selecting a wood burning unit
The benefits of wood burning go far beyond heating and cooking, though. Health and exercise must also be taken into There are pros and cons when account when users provide selecting a wood burning their own labor. There is an old unit. For instance, how does saying that wood provides heat a fireplace compare with three times: once when you a freestanding stove when cut and chop it; once when you comparing heat output and stack and carry it indoors; and efficiency? again when you burn it. There is more than a little bit of truth Traditional open fireplaces are to this. For people for whom mainly decorative, as most of the cutting and chopping one’s heat they generate goes straight own wood prevents them from up the chimney. Some of them adopting the use of wood heat, even make your home colder by a local winter’s wood supply, drawing heat out of the room. A nice supply of chopped, stacked, seasoned firewood, cut, chopped and delivered to Modern fireplaces with doors, sheltered from the elements andready for winter heating. your home is a viable option on the other hand, are a much that helps to create jobs in the better source of supplemental community by purchasing someone else’s labor. heat. Many modern wood stoves also sport glass doors, providing efficiency as well as the aesthetic experience of The cost factor is yet another consideration. When watching the flames. Choosing between units with glass or compared to the ever-escalating fees of hydro and opaque doors comes down to a matter of choice and ease gas companies, the cost of heating with wood is quite of installation. reasonable. Much of Canada lies within reach of an
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Types of firewood
An attractive modern wood burner with glass doors. Photo courtesy of Andrea and Brad Duncan.
People tend to have preconceived ideas about firewood and which types of trees are fit for the purpose. Trembling aspen, commonly known as poplar, is often the most reviled. Admittedly it rates lowest on the BTU (British Thermal Units) scale. However, pound for pound of cellulose, most trees are pretty well created equal. Poplar and spruce ignite very easily and are the lightest of woods when dried. Local jack pine and birch are popular, and throw great heat when well-seasoned. At least one year is a good general rule to follow when seasoning wood of any kind. Green wood tends to smolder, throwing little heat and creating deposits in the chimney, something to be carefully avoided when burning wood.
Northern Europe long ago pioneered a type of masonry wood burner commonly known as the tile stove. You can still spot these in old castles all over Europe. Its modern version is arguably the most efficient and attractive wood burning stove invented, though many Canadians may not have had the opportunity to observe one at work or experience its unique nature. Adding a tile stove as an add-on to one’s home is difficult and not recommended. Incorporating one in a new structure, however, is a great idea. Nearly every dwelling in modern Finland has a tile stove, the focal point of the home. The modern tile stoves we have seen are amazingly effective, using a minimum amount of fuel while radiating a steady stream of heat. Most units incorporate ovens for cooking and baking as well.
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An ancient masonry / tile stove.
The use of wood for heating and cooking is undergoing a popular revival among some Canadians of late. Manufacturers are producing cook stoves that combine beauty with efficiency along with a variety of free standing wood burners engineered for maximum safety. Though the prevalent mindset still regards wood burning as old-fashioned and a turning back of the march of progress, you will find more and more of us sitting comfortably by our wood burners on cold winter nights. When all around us other people’s gas and electric meters are spinning wildly, we bask in warmth and comfort, watching the rising flames change shape and color while dreaming of spring. AN
Many species of trees, including fir, spruce, pine, and poplar, provide fuel for wood heating.
L.O.W. AREA NEWS
FALL 2017
52 Invasive Species
HYBRID
Cattails by Hailey Anderson
Cattails swaying in the breeze with red-winged blackbirds perched on their stalks is often the first image that comes to mind when one thinks of a wetland. Their tall, waving grass-like leaves and peculiar sausage shaped flower heads (some folks call them corn-dog plants), commonly in dense growths, serve as a key identifier of wetland habitats. They are so common in our landscape that we may assume that they are all the same native species that provide essential wetland services. However, there is a clandestine invader that may be lurking in their midst. Cattails are freshwater, perennial aquatic plants which grow solely in wet areas. There are 30 species of cattails in the world and they are found extensively across the northern hemisphere. Some people may refer to them as bulrushes, but bulrushes are actually a different species altogether. Cattails are a successional species, meaning they have the ability to change the habitat they occupy. Their dense growth and penchant for water enables them to transform open water areas to wetlands. Over time, with the addition of sediment collected at the roots in their dense vegetation (this would typically wash away in a lake habitat), their presence can possibly even result in dry land. Just when you thought cattails were harmless, widespread and an important part of our ecosystem, an invasive gets thrown into the mix that takes an expert to identify. Narrowleaf cattail and the resulting hybrid it forms with our native broadleaf or common cattail are stealthy invaders that can out-compete our natives. Whether the change is through hybridization or outright takeover, the result is a much denser mat of stalks with different growth characteristics, eliminating habitat and species diversity where they grow.
Broadleaf Cattail Broadleaf Cattail is an herbaceous perennial plant, native to all of Canada and the United States (except for Hawaii). It provides habitat for species such as red-winged blackbirds, muskrats, herons, turtles and ducks. Muskrats burrow through cattail marshes, making trails through the dense vegetation. They use the plants as building material for their lodges or “push ups” as well as feeding platforms, which then provide nesting areas for ducks and loons. Blackbirds, bitterns, rails and marsh wrens are common nesters within established cattails. Cattail roots are edible for animals and humans alike. The roots have been said to contain more starch than potato and more protein than rice. Ducks and other birds eat the seeds and they are also used as feed for cattle and chickens in some areas of the world. In addition to a food source, cattails have served practical needs as well. Early settlers and First Nations people used the leaves for weaving items such as baskets, mats and chair seats while during the Second World War, the abundant fluffy cattail seeds were considered for use as filling in life jackets, baseballs and furniture cushions. Animals such as voles, mice, shrews and squirrels may gather the fluff from the seeds for nesting material.
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Invasive Species 53 Broadleaf cattail is usually between 90 and 270 cm tall. It has a thick, large (5 - 15 cm in length) single brown cigar-shaped spike of female flowers with a smaller light yellow or light brown pointed spike of male flowers directly above. There is no gap between female and male flowers in the broadleaf cattail, a key indicator for this species. It reproduces with the help from wind – with the pollen from the male flowers being blown down to pollinate the female flowers. After the male flowers are spent, the spiky bit usually falls off. The female flowers grow into tufted seeds are then dispersed in the wind or by animals to grow new plants nearby.
considered a nuisance species in agriculture by growing in drainage ditches, reducing the space available for water to drain away from farmers’ fields.
The leaves, usually six or more per plant, are large and often the same length or longer than the stem. As the name suggests, the leaves are broad (about 2.5 cm wide). With no stem to attach them to the plant stalk, the base of the leaf is wrapped around the bottom of the stalk. The stalk of the plant is thick and dense, and it produces large underwater or underground rhizomes (roots), enabling its spread of up to one metre per year. The stalks die back at the end of the growing season, but dead stalks may remain standing for two years or more.
Narrowleaf cattail also has a large single spike of female flowers, with a smaller light yellow or light brown pointed spike of male flowers. However, on the narrowleaf cattail there is a gap between the female and male spikes, with a space of up to three centimetres. This is one of the easier ways to tell the difference between the native broadleaf species and the invasive narrowleaf species.
Broadleaf cattail seems to favor shallower water areas than narrowleaf cattail, but narrowleaf is more prolific and takes over where the species meet. Interestingly enough, broadleaf cattail is considered an invasive species in the countries where it has been introduced outside of its natural range and is sometimes
Narrowleaf Cattail Typha angusitifolia or narrowleaf cattail is a very similar species to broadleaf. It is thought either to have been introduced from Europe to North America, or from the ocean coasts into the inland areas - the jury is still out. Either way, it is not believed to be native to our area.
The leaves on narrowleaf cattails are flat, very narrow (about 1.2 cm wide) and tall, the same height or taller than the stalk. It emerges earlier in the spring than broadleaf cattail and grows more quickly, giving it a competitive advantage to shade out other species, including the native cattail. It also has a higher tolerance of different environments and can tolerate higher levels of salinity.
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54 Invasive Species
Cattail seeds. Photo by: Rebekah D. Wallace, University of Georgia, Bugwood.org
Red winged blackbird perched on a cattail. Photo by: Terry L Spivey, Terry Spivey Photography, Bugwood.org
The issue with narrowleaf cattail for wildlife is that the stalks are too dense and do not provide the same quality of habitat. Also, while the seeds are eaten by our native species, they are not as nutritious. The narrowleaf cattail and the hybrid have been shown to displace large areas of wild rice on Rainy Lake, an economically and culturally important species.
Hybrid Cattail Typha x glauca, or the hybrid cattail, is a hybrid of broadleaf and narrowleaf cattail, and can then hybridize back again (i.e. a Typha x glauca and Typha angustifolia cross). As a result of hybridization the characteristics are often a mix of the parent species, making it very difficult to correctly identify whether a plant is a hybrid or pure parent species. Hybrid cattail should still have some sort of gap between the male and female flowers. It has been noted to have much more aggressive tendencies and an ability to survive in less ideal conditions than either of its parent plants. As a hybrid, its seeds are sterile, but it can reproduce through rhizomes at a very rapid pace.
Broadleaf cattail showing no gap between male and female flowers. Photo by: Ohio State Weed Lab, The Ohio State University, Bugwood.org
Cattails are renowned for their ability to remove salts, pollutants and nutrients from runoff and standing water. However, in a study done in an area invaded by hybrid cattail where none were previously present, it was discovered that the sediment changed to include 10 times more nutrients, indicating that the plants were not removing nutrients as effectively as the species that the hybrid cattail replaced. Because of the difficulty in identifying this plant, the how and why it has spread and its invasive tendencies are not yet fully understood. There are currently no control programs in place in Ontario for either the hybrid or narrowleaf cattail, and we do not have a clear picture of the full extent of their invasion. If you suspect that you may have the invasive variety on your property, measure the distance of the gap between the male flower spike and female flowers to confirm and then report your sighting to the Invading Species Awareness Program at eddmaps. org/ontario. There are no current reports in their system for hybrid or narrowleaf cattail in northern Ontario, although it has been studied and found to be present in the Rainy River area. AN
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FALL 2017
Invasive Species 55 Invasive Species and your Shoreline by FOCA
The Federation of Ontario Cottagers’ Associations (FOCA) has a new resource for LOWDPOA and its other member associations: A Shoreline Owner’s Guide to Invasive Species. FOCA is concerned about the potential negative impacts of invasive species on the quality of life at the waterfront. We have already seen impacts from forest pests like the emerald ash borer, aquatics like zebra mussels (now in Lake Winnipeg but not seen as a threat to Lake of the Woods) and plants such as purple loosestrife and Phragmites. There are a wide range of plants, animals, fungi, fish, invertebrates and diseases that, once established, can be extremely difficult and costly to control or eradicate, with ecological effects that are often irreversible. Invasive species can take over lakes, forested areas, grasslands and cottage gardens, permanently altering the landscape by squeezing out desirable species, compromising boating, swimming and fishing, and even affecting health and safety (e.g., giant hogweed, with sap that can cause severe skin burns or even temporary blindness – luckily not yet reported in the Lake of the Woods area). Did you know? Of all the Canadian provinces, Ontario has the highest number of invasive plant species (441). Quebec has 395, British Columbia has 368, and Nunavut has the least (16). Preventing invasive species from arriving and becoming established is critical in the fight. Early detection and response can increase the chance of eradication, and reduce the cost of control and management. Invasive species can grow and spread quickly, impacting biodiversity by outcompeting native species for space and resources.
Rusty crawfish sightings around Lake of the Woods (EDDMapS Ontario, July 2017)
You have a role to play in preventing the spread of invasive species. As a waterfront property owner, you are on the front line to protect your property and your lake. Here’s what you can do: • Learn which invasive species may be in your region, and how to identify them. Find images, species descriptions and sighting maps online at eddmaps.org/ontario. • Don’t be the reason for the spread! Human activity is the cause of most invasive species introductions. Be aware of “stowaways” on your boat or trailer, and remember to CLEAN, DRAIN & DRY all your gear before leaving one waterbody for another. Never release live bait, and don’t transport it between areas. • Keep your shoreline natural. Removing native plants from natural areas leaves the area bare and vulnerable to invasive species. A naturalized shoreline is generally considered the best approach to protecting the lake’s edge. Re-vegetate your property using native or non-invasive species of flowers, shrubs and trees. (Bonus: this will limit your maintenance work, and provide shelter to native wildlife.) • If you think you’ve seen an invasive species in your community or in the wild, please report it online at eddmaps.org/ontario, or contact the toll-free Invading Species Hotline at 1-800-563-7711.
Cover of FOCA’s new guide A Shoreline Owner’s Guide to Invasive Species
NOTE TO READER: While this article and guide contain important information for shoreline property owners, there is very useful and equally important information here for anyone who accesses or uses the lakes, rivers and shorelines.
Download your copy of FOCA’s A Shoreline Owner’s Guide to Invasive Species PDF at:
foca.on.ca >> News & Events >> Publications.
FOCA has been the province-wide voice of the waterfront for over 50 years. Members of LOWDPOA are also members of FOCA, and can access all the membership benefits! Visit: https://foca.on.ca/benefits/
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FALL 2017
56 Boating
Keeping in touch in remote areas by Marianne & Rod Nuttall
In the past, if you or someone close to you was in a remote area, away from busy traffic (for example boating, hunting, hiking, off-roading), there was no way to keep in touch. If the person out in the remote area experienced problems, was delayed or hurt, there was no easy way for them to let anyone know. And the person at home never knew if they were safe and on their way home - until they returned home – or did not return home. But now with modern technology there are so many ways to help you keep connected. The newest technology will allow you to send messages back home to say you are safe, (or conversely in trouble), that you are delayed due to bad weather or just that you caught the big one you were hoping for. You can get updates that bad weather is moving in. Additionally, someone at home can track your exact location on a computer at all times. One of the newest gadgets is a satellite messenger unit. We experienced the use of an inReach unit to keep in touch with friends who were on an ocean crossing. At any moment, with a quick link to the internet we could see exactly where our friends were, the time, boat speed, etc. It was also fun to get their messages that they just caught a large fish, that the weather was changing and so on. And since we were their emergency contact, if they got into trouble we had the necessary information to send them help. Check it out! Let’s start with the older and more common ones and then move to the latest and more comprehensive and exciting versions available.
CELL PHONES
Most people are familiar with cell phones and today most families will have at least one. In many areas they can be helpful in keeping in touch. But they do have shortcomings in remote areas. There is often limited or non-existent cell coverage in remote areas. Charging the batteries can also be a problem. If you are in an area with a weak cell signal be aware that your battery will likely run down very quickly as it tries to find a signal.
VHF RADIOS
VHF radio on a boat can be helpful in many areas where there are a lot of boaters who have them. They can have a long range in boats that have a strong antenna. On our sailboat we often can transmit and receive over 25 miles in any direction. If you are in an area where
there are boaters using VHF radios, often a nearby boater can be your best source of help out on the lake because they may be close by and can respond very quickly. If you do have a VHF radio, check to see if there are any lodges, marinas, or boat rental companies in your area that have a base station they use to monitor their business. Often they are monitoring all the time but may be on a different channel for their customers. Find out what that channel is so you can call in case of an emergency; they can often relay messages for you. Channel 25 on Lake of the Woods is a strong station that has been boosted for longer ranges.
WEATHER RADIOS
A weather radio will work in most areas and will give you a pre-recorded weather forecast for your local area. You can remain up to date on changing weather and forecasted storms. Weather radios can be a standalone unit or may be built into other radios like a VHF radio or walkie-talkie type radios, where you would need to look for a NOAA or WX button. In the Kenora area our weather channel is WX 3, but in other areas, just scroll through all the channels to find out if there is a forecast transmitting in your area.
GPS: GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM
GPS is the system of satellites that we use with the maps on our phones, in our cars, boats and portable units when we go hiking. The GPS unit sends a signal up to the satellites which the GPS uses to figure out our position on the planet. Today most GPS units will display your exact location on a map within the GPS unit - a big step in helping us avoid getting lost. They are fairly accurate but remember when you are using it out on the lake, GPS charts can be a bit off so you cannot count on them being accurate to within feet. You may notice in some tight areas that the GPS will show you driving your boat on shore when you really are not. Remember you still need paper charts and maps since your GPS unit may quit, too.
SATELLITE PHONES
Satellite phones connect to orbiting satellites and let you call any telephone, as long as dense vegetation or tall terrain features don’t block reception. They provide much better coverage than cell phones. While prohibitively expensive for most individuals ($1,000 or more for the phone before service fees), they nonetheless offer highly reliable, complete communication capabilities.
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The good news - these are available for rent in some areas. The 9.4-oz. Iridium 9555 ($1,099) lets you make voice calls and send text messages worldwide through annual or monthly subscription plans that range greatly in price, or by purchasing a prepaid SIM card with a specific number of minutes to be used within a specified period of time.
Newest technology: locator beacons, messengers and trackers The newer technology provides some pretty exciting communication options for both the person travelling in remote areas and for those that are back at home worrying about them. We are not experts on this technology but hopefully this article can provide you a start on what is available. We don’t guarantee the costs shown below. This technology is growing and improving at a rapid rate so do your research to find the best option for your situation. Costs are dropping and becoming quite reasonable, too. Before you buy, however, it’s important to understand the differences between true personal locator beacons, which have a single life-saving function, and satellite trackers and messengers, which are designed primarily for communication rather than emergencies.
PERSONAL LOCATOR BEACONS
Personal locator beacons (PLBs) are designed to do one thing: send out an alert when your life is in peril. PLBs are compact, lightweight, relatively affordable handheld devices that transmit an emergency message via satellite to a local rescue or firstresponder team. They are easy to use and their batteries don’t run down quickly. PLB owners are required to register their devices with NOAA, which then assigns you a 15-character Unique Identifying Number (UIN). Once a PLB is triggered, it transmits a personalized signal that allows responders to identify you and your location, to reach out to your designated emergency contact, and to alert the local search-andrescue agency, if appropriate. PLBs are considered the gold standard in reliability, accuracy, and the likelihood of effectively initiating a search and rescue. The size, weight, and cost of PLBs has dropped dramatically since they were first introduced to the public about a decade ago. The ACR ResQLink+ ($269), weighing just 5.4 ounces, sends a 5-watt signal directly to search-and-rescue teams using the U.S. government’s satellite network and pinpointing your location within 100 meters (about 328 feet). While it must be registered with NOAA, no subscription is required. Housed in a casing made of
impact-resistant plastic, it’s waterproof and buoyant. One set of lithium batteries will last six years from the manufacture date. It’s important to note that PLBs are intended only for life-threatening situations after all other options, including cell phone calls, have been exhausted. You can be fined by for misusing a PLB. However, these are simply SOS devices used to send an emergency message that provides only your location; they cannot communicate details of your situation because they lack messaging. Also, you get no confirmation that someone received your message and is sending help.
SATELLITE MESSENGERS (SPOT AND INREACH)
Handheld Satellite Messenger Devices share some of the functionality of PLBs, including an emergency SOS feature, but are fundamentally different. They are designed primarily as communication tools that allow you to send text messages. You can communicate with people at home to assure them all is fine. They also function as tracking devices, allowing those at home to monitor your location on the internet, providing peace of mind for friends and family. However, a required subscription service increases cost. You also have to make sure the person receiving your message knows when and how to respond to an emergency. The two big brand names are Spot GEN3 and InReach. SPOT GEN3 (4 ounces; $170) transmits simple, preprogrammed “I’m OK”-type missives that are one-way only; you cannot receive messages. InReach (7 ounces; $500 to $600) gives you the ability to both send and receive custom messages.
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After purchasing a satellite messenger, you must pay a subscription fee for it to work. For SPOT, that’s $150 per year. For InReach, options range from $144 to $600-plus annually, with the lower end limiting the number of messages you can send and receive. Some can be suspended when not used. Both SPOT and InReach include SOS functionality, allowing you to send an alert if you are in danger, but their half-watt signal is much weaker than that of a PLB. The signal is routed through a private, for-profit satellite network and response centre (Globalstar for SPOT, Iridium for InReach) and generally isn’t as reliable as that of a PLB. The more affordable SPOT GEN3 has an SOS button to transmit your GPS coordinates and the capability to send a preprogrammed “all OK” text or email with your GPS coordinates to up to 10 recipients. On the downside, it doesn’t always connect with a satellite in dense forest or steep terrain, and it cannot receive messages. (Tip: point the SPOT logo skyward for best reception.) The 7-oz. inReach SE ($500, not including subscription) provides two-way, 160-character text messaging and social-media posting using the worldwide Iridium satellite network. It has its own screen and can also be paired with a smartphone for the convenience of a larger touchscreen. Its USB-rechargeable lithium battery lasts about 100 hours (more than four days of continuous use). An SOS button with a lockout switch (to prevent accidental triggering) sends an
emergency message, but for a fee, you can also text back and forth with first responders. The InReach Explorer ($600) basically adds GPS navigation tools — such as creating and viewing routes, waypoints, a compass and data like your average speed and elevation — to the set of features present in the InReach SE. If you also want a GPS, this 6.7-oz. unit gives you two in one without the additional weight and bulk of a second device.
Keep the communication open Hopefully this bit of information can give you some ideas of how to keep communication open for anyone who is in a remote area. Your friends and family will be thankful that they can keep in touch and or you can access necessary information. AN
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L.O.W. AREA NEWS
FALL 2017
60 Wildlife & Wilderness Creepy Crawlies: Invasion of the Forest Tent Caterpillars by Hayley Anderson
Thinking about the forest tent caterpillars (or army worms as they are commonly referred to), the Addams Family theme song comes to mind: ”they’re creepy and they’re kooky, mysterious and spooky, they’re all together ooky”. Living in this region of the boreal forest, we all have tent caterpillar stories. The one that stands out with me is a grade six school trip to Camp Stephens. We were taking turns climbing a rock wall. Each hand hold was full of caterpillars that made a disgusting squish as we climbed, and each step we took when walking around the island made a crunching noise. Despite not being very squeamish, the pure number of them grossed me out to no end. An outbreak of tent caterpillars every 10 to 12 years is typical in our region. That year at Camp Stephens happened to be one of the worst outbreaks I can recall. Forest tent caterpillars are the larval stage of a moth (Malacosoma disstria), which is native to much of eastern North America. Forest tent caterpillar tents Despite being called a Photo by: Johnny N. Dell, bugwood.org tent caterpillar, they don’t actually make tents per se, but rather create a rectangularlooking enclosed web of silk in the crook of a tree where they congregate to molt once they are in their larval phase. The life cycle of the forest tent caterpillar begins with the male adult moths, which emerge from their cocoons in late July and fly off in search of females who emerge slightly later. The adult moths are light brown in colour, with two dark brown bands across their wings. The females are stocky, and the males are slender. Once the females emerge from their cocoons they mate immediately and lay their eggs the next day. The eggs are laid in one single mass containing between 150-200 eggs, and the female covers them with a shiny darkgrey foamy material called spumaline. This cover protects the eggs from predation and the weather, and you can often see these greyish egg masses over the fall and winter when there are no leaves on the trees. The adults do not feed, and die after a few days.
Forest tent caterpillar egg mass. Photo by: Gerald J. Lenhard, Louisiana State University, bugwood.org
The larvae hatch next spring, just when the leaves are beginning to appear on the trees. The larvae (caterpillars) are initially black with dark hair, and as they mature and molt they turn hairy and brownish with blue and orange stripes along their sides, with black backs with a white key shaped pattern. The larvae spend approximately six weeks feeding on tree leaves, leaving trails of silken thread behind wherever they travel. These threads help to stop them from falling out of the tree and are covered in pheromones that help them to congregate and find each other. By mid-July, the larvae are fully mature. They begin to migrate to build yellowish cocoons in protected places on the tree (between webbed leaves or in bark crevices), where they begin their transformation. This may also be the time when you see them crawling up the side of your house, looking for a protected location to pupate. After ten days in the cocoon, the adults emerge and the cycle begins again. While they are in their feeding (larval) stage, forest tent caterpillars can completely defoliate a tree and fully mature larvae will each eat an entire leaf in one sitting. Their food of choice is trembling aspen (poplar), but any deciduous tree is at risk; they will even feed on conifers if they run out of food. When they first emerge, the caterpillars group together and then migrate as a group to new food sources. This reduces predation and helps to regulate their body heat. The caterpillars rely on the environment to provide their bodies with heat, so if it is cold or when they are resting from feeding, they can group together to warm up. As they grow, they rely less on group thermoregulation and protection from predators, so they may branch out further from the main group to feed. Trees can usually recover from complete defoliation and grow new leaves in time for fall, unless there are other factors such as a disease or temperature extremes, which when combined with complete defoliation can lead to tree death. Depending on the length of the outbreak, most trees survive this defoliation process. Every 10 to 12 years, for two to three years at a time, the population of forest tent caterpillars increases to “outbreak” levels and defoliates hundreds of thousands of hectares of trees. After two to three years of outbreak populations, the population crashes due to a combination of predation, starvation, adverse weather conditions, and parasites and diseases that are transmitted especially when the caterpillars group together.
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Forest tent caterpillar, the larval stage of the moth, Malacosoma disstria.
Forest tent caterpillar and leaf damage. Photo by: Steven Katovich, USDA Forest Service, bugwood.org
In Ontario, as a part of the Ontario Forest Management Plans, the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry performs aerial or backpack spraying operations in some areas to reduce or eliminate populations of forest tent caterpillar. The spray is called BTK or Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki. It is a biological control agent made of a group of bacteria that is found naturally in the soil. When the Bacillus thuringiensis bacterium forms its reproduction spores, it produces a protein that is toxic only to lepidopterans (the order to which moths and butterflies belong). The strain of this bacterium called kurstaki is used specifically to control caterpillar pests. Once the forest tent caterpillars ingest BTK that has been sprayed on the leaves, the protein reacts with their alkaline gut and destroys their stomachs, they stop eating and die shortly thereafter. This treatment is also used against spruce budworm, another forest pest. Once the caterpillars die, they can be eaten by other species and the BTK doesn’t harm them. In fact, it is deemed safe for humans, fish and mammals. Spraying will only affect the adult caterpillars, and will not affect the next year’s population unless spraying is repeated. AN
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The aspen trees in this midsummer image have had all their leaves stripped by voracious forest tent caterpillars.
What to do about Forest Tent Caterpillars? If you are concerned about forest tent caterpillars on your trees, there are a few things you can do: • Look for the distinctive grey shiny egg masses in the winter and cut or prune the branch that they are on, then burn or dispose of it. • Brush the live caterpillars or cocoons off of your house or trees with a stiff broom or wash them off with a hose (avoid squishing them on the house because they can stain painted surfaces). • Hand pick caterpillars from trees and put them in a soapy water solution. • If your trees have been defoliated, keep them well watered and avoid fertilizing, which may stress them further.
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L.O.W. AREA NEWS
FALL 2017
62 Wildlife & Wilderness
The Annoying Friend by Barry Corbett
Buzz… smack… got another one! Beside me I heard the smacking of lips. One of our dogs was crunching on a fly snatched out of the air while the other dog frantically chased his tail trying to catch the fly tormenting his hind quarters. First it was the forest tent caterpillars, now we’re inundated with large flies with the most annoying habit of landing and making themselves at home on us. What’s next, a plague of locusts? Is it time to build an ark? Maybe my memory is short but I don’t remember these large sluggish flies in previous summers. Is it a coincidence this mystery fly suddenly appears with the outbreak of forest tent caterpillars and now, a few weeks later, both caterpillar and fly are nowhere to be seen? I started asking around and everyone agreed this was a bad summer for these strange flies but no one had a clue where they came from. A few conspiracy theorists thought they had been released by the “government” to control the forest tent caterpillars. Apparently the experiment went haywire and now we are suffering the consequences. I had never heard of this before, but let’s face it – conspiracy theories are in vogue right now.
The “friendly fly” will release its young onto a cocoon (as shown) with a developing tent caterpillar pupa inside.
fly, but it is larger and slower and belongs to an entirely different family, Sarcophagidae, collectively called the flesh flies. “Sarco” means flesh in Greek while “phage” refers to eating. With a name like that, one could imagine them as the insect version of the walking dead. Surprisingly, the family’s diet is quite eclectic. Some species can’t resist the lure of lapping up liquid oozing from rotting flesh, while others wile away their time happily snacking on manure piles – hey it’s a living. To be fair, there are some species with what we would consider more socially acceptable tastes, preferring to dine on sweet substances like sap or nectar. Interestingly, it is not the adult’s dietary preferences that are responsible for the family moniker. Instead that dubious honour falls to the culinary tastes of some of the “kids”. While the larvae or maggots of some species are content with burrowing in dung or rotting vegetation, many other species prefer munching on dead or living flesh. Before we become too judgemental about this family, remember they play an important role in ridding the land of nature’s dead and rotting corpses – a thankless but essential job.
Large flesh fly. Photo: iStock
I decided to do a little investigating on my own and like all seekers of knowledge I went to the great oracle, Google, looking for enlightenment. With a few clicks of the mouse, the mystery was solved. Our pesky visitor is called Sarcophaga aldrichi, unpleasantly bearing the common name of the large flesh fly. The adult is typically 6 to 10 mm in length, grayish in colour, with three black stripes on its thorax and a checkered abdomen with two enormous red eyes. It is quite striking - for a fly! At first glance it resembles the common house
To facilitate their offspring’s dietary needs, the female has an interesting reproductive strategy. Unlike other families of flies, the flesh fly is ovoviviparous meaning she does not deposit eggs but instead the larvae hatch inside the mother’s “uterus” and are held until a proper host is found. Females of most species deposit 20 to 40 larvae directly onto the host and a single female can produce over 300 squirming offspring in a season. Besides being helpful in cleaning up the environment, some species are occasionally used by forensic entomologists to pinpoint the time of death of a carcass. These are some of the flies you see in shows like CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. Different species
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Wildlife & Wilderness 63 of flesh flies prefer bodies in different states of decomposition and based on the larval stage found in a body, forensic entomologists can estimate when the host died.
number of friendly flies increase proportionally, taking advantage of a readily available food source for their young. But ultimately the flies will eat themselves literally out of house and home.
This brings us to our bothersome visitor, the large flesh fly, ironically referred to as the “friendly fly”. They earned this title from their annoying habit of landing on people. No one is sure why they do this, but perhaps they are seeking moisture or salt on our skin. Since they lack biting mouthparts and are not believed to transmit any human diseases, they are harmless to us. That said, they do have the galling habit of occasionally regurgitating or defecating where they land. No friend is perfect.
The good news is when you see or are bothered by lots of friendly flies it signals we are at the peak of the tent caterpillar cycle and an end to the outbreak is in sight. The following year, caterpillar numbers will greatly diminish from maggot predation, but of course this means lots of friendly fly pupae will emerge as adults. Fortunately this will only last for one more summer as the adults will have far fewer caterpillar cocoons to attack and impregnate with their larvae. During the lean years between forest tent caterpillar outbreaks the friendly fly will lower its feeding standards. Taking cues from relatives, it will introduce its demanding young to the pleasures of carrion and dung until the next caterpillar outbreak occurs.
But there is more to this fly than its sociable name implies. Unlike its other relatives that are content to clean up dead things, our friend leads a far more gruesome lifestyle. The friendly fly is a parasitoid. Parasitoids are organisms that spend part of their life attached to or within a single host organism resulting in the host’s ultimate death. In this case, the victim is an even more troublesome pest, the forest tent caterpillar. You may have noticed the friendly flies are most abundant in areas that have been infested with forest tent caterpillars for two or more years. While the tent caterpillars are chewing their way through the forest, the adult flesh flies are mating, setting the stage for a deadly confrontation. From mid-June to late June the forest tent caterpillars begin spinning their silky cocoons where they will pupate and develop into adult moths. Meanwhile the female fly carrying her precious cargo of hungry babies begins seeking out these silky nurseries. When discovered, she releases live maggots on the covering and the ravenous brood burrows through the silk cocoon slowly devouring the helpless moth pupa. Once they’ve had their fill, the maggots drop to the ground, transform into pupae, remaining dormant until the next summer when they emerge as adult flies. Sounds like the script for Alien. These two antagonists demonstrate the classic boom-bust predator-prey cycle. As tent caterpillar numbers increase the
Contrary to popular belief, the “government” did not introduce the friendly fly to combat forest tent caterpillar outbreaks. This urban legend has sprung up in numerous provinces and states throughout North America resulting in the large flesh fly being referred to as the “government fly”. The large flesh fly or friendly fly or government fly, however you want to name it, is native to North America. It is one of the most important natural predators of the forest tent caterpillar and can kill over 80 to 90 per cent of the developing moths. Based on the number of forest tent caterpillars and friendly flies I saw this summer, I’m guessing the caterpillars have peaked, and if our friends have done their job effectively we should have far less caterpillars next year. Unfortunately, their success means we will have to put up with our “touchy” friends’ offspring for another summer. Let’s be honest, even your best friend can have an irritating trait but we tend to overlook it because of all their other good qualities. Next year I’m going to refrain from swatting these “friends” and tell them to buzz off and get to work. Be patient; they will only last until July. AN
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64 Wildlife & Wilderness
Singing Praises from Above Story and photos by Dave Schwartz
One of nature’s most spectacular singers paid us a brief visit this spring. A brown thrasher sang its heart out from the treetops while posing obligingly for photos. We do our best to maintain a bird-friendly yard so we hoped it would find a mate and stay for the summer. The brown thrasher is a robin-sized bird in the family Mimidae (Latin for “mimic”) that also includes mockingbirds and catbirds. True to their name, these birds imitate a wide variety of birds and other sounds heard outdoors. Brown thrashers are exuberant singers with one of the largest repertoires of any North American songbird. They may sing more than 1,100 different song types and include imitations of other birds. Brown thrashers are abundant throughout the eastern and central United States, southern and central Canada, primarily east of the Rocky Mountains. The Lake of the Woods area is near the northern edge of their summer nesting range so their numbers are somewhat low here. That means excitement and enjoyment for us wing nuts and bird nerds when, during spring and early summer, males abandon their usual secretive ways to climb high and sing from exposed perches to proclaim their territory. They are easily recognizable by the large variety of beautiful songs with musical phrases repeated in pairs. The brown thrasher is a strong, but partial migrant. After the breeding season, birds from our area migrate the southern part of their range in Texas or northern Mexico, where some
members of the species reside all year. Although this bird is widespread and still common, it has declined in numbers in some areas due to loss of suitable habitat. On the other hand, fire suppression and tree planting have increased the number of trees and forested areas on the Great Plains and extended the range of many birds, including the brown thrasher. Ironically, this expansion of habitat areas for some forest birds is accompanied by a decline in habitat for grassland birds due to increasingly intensive agriculture. This, and other factors, has led to a massive population decline of grassland birds. Brown thrashers nest in thickets, forest edges, and overgrown clearings in deciduous forest, normally avoiding housing areas, probably because the manicured, pesticided nature of most yards doesn’t allow enough cover, food, or large enough areas for successful nesting. Both males and females help to build the nest, incubate the eggs and feed the young. Incubation takes less than two weeks and the chicks sometimes leave the nest fully feathered within nine days of hatching. Shrubby habitats are popular hideouts for nest predators, which may explain why the thrashers fledge so quickly for birds of their size. In defending their nests, brown thrashers are known to strike people and dogs hard enough to draw blood. True omnivores, brown thrashers eat beetles, worms, caterpillars, grasshoppers, wasps, bees, tree frogs, snakes,
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Wildlife & Wilderness 65 fruits, berries, seeds and nuts. They typically feed on the ground but they also forage in clusters of dead leaves on trees, eat fruit right off of berry bushes, glean seeds from weed stems and sometimes catch insects in the air. Birds enhance our lives by beautifying and adding interest to our surrounding environment but their biggest value is in the free environmental services they provide. They pollinate plants, control insects, spread seeds and nutrients and serve as barometers for the health of the environment. The Lake of the Woods area owes much of its beauty to birds and their fascinating behaviours. Each of us can play a role in their continued survival by supporting habitat protection throughout the entire range of our migratory and resident birds. We owe it to them. And to each other. AN
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66 Wildlife & Wilderness Please Do Not Feed Deer The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry reminds people not to feed deer this winter.
Reasons Not to Feed Deer • Using the wrong feed can result in digestive problems. People may inadvertently do more harm than good through improper feeding practices. • Feeding may encourage more deer in an area than the habitat can support. This can result in poor reproduction, smaller fawns, and higher winter mortality rates. • Deer-vehicle collisions may occur as deer cross roads to and from feeders. • Deer that come to feeders may lose their natural fear of humans and cause conflicts at other times of the year. • A concentration of deer around artificial feeders can tempt natural predators of deer such as wolves to change their natural habits and come closer to populated areas. • Concentrating deer in an area increases the risk of disease transmission among animals. Although chronic wasting disease has not been found in Ontario in wild animals, there are concerns that encouraging concentrations of deer increases the risk and speed of disease transmission.
Artificial Feeding • Deer are designed to store fat, reduce their metabolism and successfully process that fat in the winter while feeding on natural foods according to their daily needs. If deer become dependent on artificial feed, their metabolic rate increases and they require more food to survive. • When artificial feeding stops, deer can die from the stress.
QUICK FACT:
Deer change their behaviour in winter as the snow deepens, reducing their metabolic rate, moving into thicker forests and relying on established trails to move from cover to feeding areas.
John Myshrall, Kenora District, 807-468-2541 ontario.ca/natural-resources-news Disponible en français
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L.O.W. AREA NEWS
Fall 2017
68 LOWDKids!
lowdkids.ca
Bob The Tree Frog by Pat Keena
When I was first invited to see Bob’s house, I was not invited inside. I really wanted to – it’s a well appointed home with a sturdy roof and it has a lovely view of the lake. A sign by the door indicated that food would be served and, as it was almost noon and I was hungry….
Bob hangs out at his little house on the lake. Tree frogs will adapt skin color to their surroundings, appearing grey-brown when clinging to wood or light green when sitting on leaves.
But Bob is a tree frog. He would not have wanted me to enter his tiny home. Bob lives on the railing of the deck outside the cottage belonging to Scott and Janan Fileccia on Thompson Island, which is a 15-minute drive south of Kenora on Lake of the Woods. He has shared this property with the Fileccia family for years, returning to his little house each spring to participate in family events and to be photographed in all his froggy activities. Bob is likely the most photographed amphibian on the lake. He is a regular contributor to Janan’s Facebook page. Never one to shy away from a photo opportunity, Bob has been known to appear sitting on an open can of beer near the family fire pit, posing with Scott and Janan’s daughters on the deck, nose-tonose with one of the family dogs, or simply hanging out near the entrance to his little house perched on the railing. Bob’s home through the spring
Bob shows off his climbing skills as he enters his home, a converted birdhouse originally gifted to the Thompson Island owners over 20 years ago. A good way to identify a tree frog is from the yellow markings on his hind legs
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LOWDKids! 69
Janan Fileccia enjoys another sunny day at the cottage with Bob.
Fun Facts For Frogs Lake kids love frogs. Frogs are one of those fabulous creatures sharing our lake that city kids rarely get to see. Here are some fun facts for LOWDKids:
and summer months is a converted birdhouse that was originally gifted to the first owners of the Thompson Island property, Carol and Dave Fischer. Here is Carol Fischer’s description of how the saga began: “This story started years ago. We kept our BBQ covered on the deck... when we went to use it, we would remove the cover, and there was this little frog. We would remove him also, cook, put things back in order. But the next time we would cook, there he was again. We named him Bob. This went on for years, then one Christmas someone gave me this sweet birdhouse. We took it to camp, and Dave screwed it on to the railing, basically as a decoration - we really didn't expect birds - however we really were surprised when one morning we looked and sitting in the entry was Bob! This became officially the frog house, and after putting it in its special location probably twenty years ago, the ritual has never changed.” It is a ritual that the Fileccia family are happy to continue. One early spring, Janan was cleaning out one of the previous year’s flower pots on the deck, removing the residue of plants and dried earth. She turned around to pick up a container of new potting soil and when she looked back at the planter, there was Bob, covered in mud and clinging to the inside of the pot. “He must have chosen the mud in the planter for his hibernation,” says Janan. “Funny little guy!” The Fileccias’ ritual of caring for Bob has also maintained a connection between the two families who love the Thompson Island property. The original owners
and the new owners can thank Bob for providing one more connection to the lake. “We write to one another often, talking about the lake and what’s happening. Bob is often included in the message,” says Janan. When Janan and Scott took over the property, the written list of cottage operational details provided by the Fischers was thorough and complete, including details about where to find certain items, the subtleties of various pieces of machinery and what to do in the case of a power outage. But, there at the end of the list, was an item that the Fileccias were not expecting: “At the top of the stairs on the railing is a small bird house. Inside lives a tree frog called Bob. You will see him at the doorway from time to time. In winter we remove the bird house and take it to the tank room where he spends the winter. We put the birdhouse back in the spring.” “I thought, what is this? A tree frog?” laughs Janan about that first year in their cottage. “We put the little house up, and sure enough, he showed up.” Of course, the frog that shares cottage life with the Fileccias today is not the same frog that was loved by the Fischers. Frogs only live seven or eight years. But it’s nice to think that this little guy sunning himself on the deck of his home just might be a descendant of the original Bob the tree frog. The author would like to thank Pat Drew of Wildcat Island, for the inspiration for this story. Pat and Gerry Keena have a cottage on the northeast shore of Thompson Island on Lake of the Woods.
I am beautiful - You can tell a tree frog from other frogs and toads by the yellow shading on the inside of their hind legs and their suction cup toes. I am a master of disguise – Tree frogs change colour to blend in with their surroundings. They can change from lime green to dull grey in only 30 minutes! I am helpful – Frogs and toads eat lots of insects, like mosquitoes and flies. They also eat spiders. I can sing – One of the earliest signs of spring is the singing of frogs and toads. Listen carefully late at night or early in the morning and you will hear them sing their song of the woods. Their sound is like cardboard stuck in the spokes of a bicycle. Crac-rac-rac-crac My skin is important – Frogs can breathe and take in moisture through their skin, so it is important to have clean hands if you pick them up and try not to hold them for too long. I hatch from an egg – Frogs choose quiet ponds or sections of the lake where there is little water movement to lay their eggs, which turn into tadpoles and finally, baby frogs. This process takes about six to eight weeks. My life is short but sweet – Frogs live about seven or eight years. In that time, they will lay thousands of eggs, producing new frogs for you to watch and enjoy. I freeze in the winter – Tree frogs hibernate by basically “dying”. They freeze solid and stop all of their body functions. When the weather warms up they thaw out and wake up!
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Fall 2017
LOWDKids! 70 Arts & Culture 70
Learning about the watershed
lowdkids.ca
One down - 50 more to go
The thought of equipping 40 eager youngsters between the ages of six and 12 with a couple dozen tins of spray paint may sound a little scary, perhaps even crazy. However, that is exactly what we did on the last day of July, when we invited community youth to join LOWDKids in raising awareness about lake stewardship through a storm drain stenciling project. The event was so successful and so much fun (for them and for us) we plan to do it again. The morning began with a hands-on, interactive watershed activity led by Kelli Saunders, International Watershed Coordinator with the Lake of the Woods Water Sustainability Foundation. In a very visual way, she was able to show how our watershed can be protected or harmed by contaminants we use every day. Even the youngest of the group were able to grasp the concepts she demonstrated, and they were very clear on how a healthy lake starts at storm drains and why we need to be careful about what goes down them. For about two hours on one of the hottest days this summer, three groups of young street artists could be seen moving along Kenora’s green belt from Husky the Musky to the Whitecap Pavilion, along Main Street and south over towards the Bannister Centre, ending in the area around the Kenora Recreation Centre. Each group was easily recognized as they all wore bright safety vests, and some may have noticed them carrying an odd assortment of street cones, brooms, tins of spray paint and very large metal stencils.
Their mission: to paint stencils beside storm drains along the Kenora Harbourfront and beyond – each with a depiction of a fish, turtle or waterfowl and a message reading A Healthy Lake Starts Here.
And on to the next one
Their movement was broken periodically when they stopped by a storm drain to do the important task of spreading the message about keeping our lakes and watershed healthy, and that is when the real fun began. Everyone in the group had a task and they all had a few turns at each task – putting out the cones for safety, sweeping the area to clean it up, placing the stencil in just the right spot which required group discussion and consensus, and finally it was time to paint the stencil. Special care was always taken to lift the stencil without smearing the painting, and after all the cones, paint, and brooms were collected, it was off to find the next storm drain. Part way through the morning, the children were joined by a dozen teens who were visiting from Fort Frances as part of the Stewardship Youth RangerOgimaa Binesiiyog Program. 50 storm drain stencils later, it was time for the hot and tired youngsters to return to the Whitecap Pavilion, collect some door hangers explaining the storm drain project to distribute in their neighbourhoods, and to say good-bye to their new friends – but not before we got to thank them for their hard work with a special Rainy-Lake of the Woods Watershed Frisbee. Our guess is that trying out the frisbee was saved for another day or at least until they cooled off in the lake.
Acknowledgement:
This is a binational partnership project with organizations who all recognize the importance of promoting stewardship of the water quality in our shared watershed, including Lake of the Woods Water Sustainability Foundation, the City of Kenora, Riverview Industries, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and the Lake of the Woods District Property Owners Association.
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Arts & Culture 71
The Big Picture Campaign Submitted by: Lake of the Woods Museum A new art centre for Kenora – that’s the vision. A new art space deeply connected and rooted to the success of a well-established museum but free to strike out on its own remarkable path – that’s the dream. A strong cultural presence in Kenora that inspires and supports artists, encourages creativity, strengthens community bonds, builds identity, invigorates growth – that’s the Big Picture. Inspired by the generosity of longtime lake residents, Nicki and Bryce Douglas and their family who will be donating their collection of Lake of the Woods works by noted Canadian artist Walter J. Phillips, the art centre project is well under way. Following Kenora City Council’s nod of approval to move forward and since the project’s introduction to the local and lake communities in April, the project has gained momentum. Kenora architectural firm, Nelson Architecture, has been awarded the work for the design and their vision incorporates the repurposing of the heritage designated Museum Annex (originally built as the Land Titles office) for studio, programming and administrative space. A 5,100 square foot purpose-built addition, extending eastward from the annex, will house two galleries, public space and storage in a humidity- and temperaturecontrolled environment. This dynamic art space will not only house the nationally recognized collection of Phillips’ work but will also play host to local, regional, Indigenous and national exhibits. It will be a space that encourages creation, imagination, partnerships and community spirit through public and school programming and will provide a unique community gathering space. In June a Capital Cabinet was formed under the leadership of Susan Glass and Arni Thorsteinson, well-known and highly respected philanthropists and art supporters, and Lisa Moncrief whose career and volunteer work have centred on arts and culture for over 30 years. The Cabinet of the Big Picture Campaign
Architectural rending of the Arts Centre's new gallery-area interior. Credit: Nelson Architecture.
includes both lake and local residents who are seized with a vision of the art centre and who can passionately inspire others to see the incredible asset it would be to the city of Kenora. As of writing, donations and commitments of close to $1 million have been made towards the $2.5 million private sector goal. Museum Director Lori Nelson said, “This project started with a simple conversation between Bryce Douglas and myself a few years ago and it has now blossomed into an incredible legacy project, supported by local and summer residents. The positive feedback and palpable excitement about the art centre and all the possibilities it will present have assured us that we’re on the right track. We’re so grateful to those who, through their generous donations, are ensuring that Kenora will have an art centre.” Additional funding will be sought from both federal and provincial governments, specifically Canadian Heritage’s Cultural Spaces fund and the NOHFC’s Strategic Economic Infrastructure program. The City of Kenora will support operations. A public campaign will be launched in September to encourage wide public support and involvement in this valuable community project. If you would like more information about the art centre - the Big Picture Campaign - or if you wish to donate to the campaign, please contact Museum Director Lori Nelson at 807-467-2105 or lnelson@kmts.ca. AN
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72 Phil Burke
The Back Porch The Odyssey II Like many towns snuggled into the rugged northern shoreline of Lake of the Woods, White Polar Bay has a cruise ship that plies the water ferrying revelers, picnickers and sightseers. It is called Odyssey II, an interesting choice of names for two reasons: no two people spell it the same way and the ‘II’ raises a serious question. What on earth had happened to the Odyssey I? It was fine fodder for campfire tales. According to folklore, one of three calamities befell the luckless Odyssey I. The first is that lake pirates boarded her during a Presbyterian Church Choir Family Picnic in the early years of the last century, stranded the men and children on an uncharted island and partied with the womenfolk for ten days before releasing them and selling the ship. Far-fetched as this may sound, the second theory matches the first in incredulity. In the 1920s, a tornado swept out of Manitoba and fortunately skipped the town of White Polar Bay. However, it caught the Odyssey I as she was ferrying Canada Day revelers to Skinny Leg Island and lifted the huge ship into the air with all its occupants. The twister carried it hundreds of miles and dropped it into Lake Superior near Duluth. No one currently living in town was on the ship during that incident but Vera Mason remembers for a fact that her grandfather complained bitterly of having to pay full train fare for the return trip home. The third theory explaining the disappearance of the Odyssey I involved an outbreak of smallpox during a Liberal Party fundraising cruise. The vessel was packed to the gunnels with politicians and their campaign workers, including two ministers without portfolios from Ottawa, and a leadership hopeful from Quebec. The outbreak was diagnosed by Dr. Wilson Redder, a Conservative Party candidate, and the ship was quarantined somewhere down the lake for a month, after which time it was burned and its occupants declared cured. Rev. Pye’s grandmother, a cardcarrying Conservative, definitely recalls her aunt telling her that not one of those passengers was missed for the entire quarantine. It was nothing short of a miracle. While all three explanations are plausible, one fact is dead clear: if you have an Odyssey II, there had to be an Odyssey I. Meanwhile, the season for the Odyssey II was winding down. The tourists had just about all gone home and the only passengers on the boat were those hoping to cash in on some cheap post-season fares, or local groups who decided
to take advantage of fine autumn days and hold their annual meetings on the Odyssey II, the only craft on the water licensed to sell alcohol. Under the wise direction of Chief Gilbert James, the White Polar Bay Volunteer Fire Department was trained to handle all types of emergencies on land or water. In the early days, the department relied on an emergency bell to call the volunteers into action. Then Father Samuel Goldstein’s parishioners presented a bell to the church with a pitch identical to the fire bell. For months on end the call to mass resulted in volunteers rushing to the firehall. Needless to say the fire bell was retired and from there they graduated to an awkward phoning system. Finally technology advanced to the state where, for a mere two-hundred-dollars each, firefighters could have a voice pager. For ordering as many pagers as they did, the supplier threw in a handsome twoway radio for the chief’s use. This radio contributed to a most interesting chain of events. On a lovely, warm evening during the second week in October, Chief James received a radio message reporting that the Odyssey II was sinking but before he was told the location, the reception became so scrambled it was impossible to hear. Finally, an emergency! This was the opportunity the department had been waiting for. Ever since the chief and three of his officers returned from a water rescue seminar in Thunder Bay in August, they had been training their department and were now ready for anything. He paged the volunteers. Within half an hour the official White Polar Bay Volunteer Fire Department rescue boat was launched at the government dock. The chief—looking resplendent in his black fire coat and shiny white hat—directed Captain Bremky and four men into the boat. Almost speechless with excitement, Captain Bremky—looking resplendent in his black fire coat and shiny red hat—ordered the four hook-and-ladder men—looking resplendent in their black fire coats and shiny yellow hats—to
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Phil Burke 73 check the rescue gear: ropes, life jackets, first aid bag, pike pole for retrieving bodies, blankets and resuscitator. From the small crowd there was weeping and softly uttered prayers. Chief James stared across the lake and then speaking in his most solemn voice, he addressed the men in the boat. “Boys, this is why we are here. Head out to Skinny Leg Island and stay in touch.” The twenty-horse Johnson shot away from the dock and was soon out of sight.
hurried to the command post where he shouted into the Chief’s ear. Finally Chief James nodded, the co-pilot saluted a goodbye and returned to the helicopter that then lifted and flew off towards the hospital.
This was an emergency of the gravest concern and nothing like you would experience on tiny Lake Wissanotti (of Mariposa fame) with its greatest depth of six feet. By contrast, Lake of the Woods is a full-sized beauty that can rage like a wounded beast and does so on occasions. It is reported to be bottomless in at least a dozen locations and some local experts maintain that it is deeper than that. It has proven to be cruel and unforgiving. The town was understandably in a state of shock, and news of the ship’s sinking spread like wildfire. The crowd on the dock grew.
The Chief called for a bullhorn, demanded silence from the traumatized crowd and spoke. The genius of the man is legendary and nothing demonstrated this more than what he said next. “Citizens of White Polar Bay,” he began, dropping his voice an octave to underline the gravity of the situation. “You have just been part of an emergency mutual aid drill involving the sinking of the Odyssey II which has indeed sunk but did so in its winter docking facility behind Berman’s Boathouse where it settled to the bottom due to faulty caulking of the timbers. It has been a worthwhile experience for all of us and when the heads of the involved emergency organizations meet for a debriefing, we will release a report to the Daily Sentinel. Thank you for your participation and your fine acting skills that made this emergency drill so genuine.”
Twenty minutes later Chief’s radio crackled and although reception was poor, they heard an excited voice report that there was no sign of the Odyssey II. After a few moments of thought, the chief uttered these words into his two-way radio, “This is Chief Gilbert James. I am initiating mutual aid.” Within minutes, two O.P.P. boats hit the water, two E.M.S. ambulances sped to the docks, the local Lake Residents Search and Rescue Unit launched a team in kayaks, and the hospital pressed its helicopter into use.
The crowd stood in stunned silence then the hubbub began. “I knew all along it was a practice,” confessed Old Guy Young. “This was just like the airport drill in the 80’s.” Not to be outdone, a number of citizens confessed that they too had been ‘in on it’ from the beginning but were sworn to secrecy. In fact, it turns out that there were only three people of the hundred or more citizens that appeared on the government dock who had not been privy to the fact it was an emergency drill.
It was the air ambulance that first spotted the sunken ship, and radioed Chief Gil who unfortunately couldn't receive any more words than, “... Odyssey II located... definitely sunk... behind...” and then nothing but a scramble of static. Despite efforts at repeating the message, the pilot could not make himself understood and signaled through the window of the chopper that he was going to land on the dock. The members of the fire department pressed back the excited crowd as the helicopter gently set down amid flying dust, debris and whirling sprays of lake water. The co-pilot ducked under the rotating blades and
Three days later Chief James, carrying a smart, new, expensive two-way radio, presented the Daily Sentinel with a report of the debriefing. The summary comments praised the quick action of the chief, the ready involvement of the other organizations and the willing cooperation of the local citizens to assist in staging this mock event. Len Scriber concluded his commendatory editorial thusly: ‘It is difficult to adopt the role of a grief-stricken and panicked citizenry knowing full well that no such disaster actually exists.” AN
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L.O.W. AREA NEWS
Classified ads are a free service for LOWDPOA members.
How to Submit Classifieds Email: diane@lowdpoa.com Mail: LOWDPOA, Box 1160, Kenora, ON P9N 3X7 Next submission deadline: October 6, 2017 Please try to keep your listing to 35 words or less.
For Rent Lakefront Cottage on Lake of the Woods, near Kenora, road access. Includes 3 bedrooms, full kitchen, bath. 2 acres, private bay, sandy beach, floating dock and good fishing! Available June, July, August. $5,000/month. Call (204) 951-5812. Clearwater Bay Easy access mainland Clearwater Bay 4 season home. 3 bdrm, 2 bath, open concept living-dining-kitchen, screened porch. Amenities include full kitchen with dishwasher & microwave, washer/dryer, 2nd fridge, wifi, satellite TV. Southeast exposure, large decks overlooking the lake with barbeque & outdoor eating area. Single slip boathouse and docks with deep water. Minimum stay 2 weeks. Contact janellezaj@mymts.net Exceptional location on Coney Island minutes from Kenora/Keewatin. Large main dock with two floaters that provide deep-water docking and great swimming. Open concept with large kitchen island, all appliances, dishwasher, separate dining area, wood burning fireplace and satellite TV. Screened porch, large wrap around decks, outdoor shower and built-in gas barbecue. Minimum 2 week stay. Email inquiries to bill.ralph@shaw.ca Lakefront cottage on Lake of the Woods, near Kenora. Road access, 2 bdrm, fully modern. Available Aug 11-18. $800 per week. Information and pictures, contact lowcottage@hotmail.com Private Cottage in Bulman Bay, LOTW - minutes from the Yacht Club. Near Keewatin, 10 mins down McKenzie Portage Road. Lakefront with large dock and great swimming. 4 bdrm, full bath with washer and dryer, good sized kitchen with dishwasher, wood burning fireplace and satellite TV. Screened porch, large deck and firepit. Lots of parking. Recently renovated. Available January through December. Minimum 2 week stay. $2800/week. Email enquires to hklapman@mwgapparel.com Island Rental 4 miles west of Sioux Narrows. 2 bdrm cabin with loft, kitchen, chemical toilet & water heater. Sleeps 3-4 adults; 3 children. $1000/ wk; $3000/4 wks. Blueberries galore in July/August. 812-637-3366, mel@getreals.com 13 acre island for camping or houseboating. Sandy beach; middle of best walleye fishery. No facilities. Search ‘Craig Island Kenora Ontario’ on Google Earth. $500/wk. 812-637-3366, mel@getreals.com Lake front 3 bedroom cottage - 30 mins from Kenora a short drive off Trans-Canada Hwy. On a beautiful, quiet lake with lots of bays and clear clean water. Perfect for swimming, kayaking, canoeing, paddleboarding, fishing, boating, blueberry picking, hiking & biking. The cottage is great - comfy, very clean and well equipped with a GREAT newly renovated kitchen, 2 decks, floating dock. It will appeal to those who enjoy the outdoors and the joys of lake life. Road access. By the week or longer periods. Phone: (204) 941-0475 Email: LakeforU@mymts.net Island Lakefront Cottage on Lake of the Woods, south end Keewatin channel near Kenora, 5 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, open concept living-diningkitchen, full kitchen with dishwasher & microwave, washer/dryer, 2nd fridge and 2nd freezer, outside
decks overlooking lake, Satelite TV, wifi available. BBQ, SW exposure. 70ft. Dock, with a sunshade, inside fireplace, outside fire pit, sand beach, Kayaks, deep water. Min stay 2 weeks $2500 a week. Longer stays negotiable. Text or call 204-229-2219. LOW. Stormbay Rd 9 , large house with 9 bedrooms. Hot tub, huge multi-level decks, granite kitchen, boathouse, outdoor sauna ..loaded. $2500 -3800/ week. Great wifi, fireplace, free calls, washer/ dryer,dishwasher, kayaks & boat possible , Available now. mail@markmcgregor.ch PS: fall discounts Island rental. Stormbay Rd. near the rollers, 2 log houses, New mattresses, one king, two Queens, a double & a single. 2 kayaks. Boat can be included. kaitlyn.a.mcgregor@gmail.com v$200 -250/night
Want to Rent Looking to rent a 4 bedroom cottage with mainland access, west of Kenora. We require 2+ bathrooms. Dates are flexible. Would like either the month of Jul or Aug. brian@canadianfootwear.com, (204) 981-0277.
Real Estate for Sale Waterfront Condo Location...Location...Location. 2 bdrm, 1 bath, 1150 sq. ft. condo overlooking Kenora Bay. Open concept with living room, dining room and kitchen overlooking the lake. Includes boat slip, garage, guest parking all kitchen appliances, air conditioned plus other nice amenities. This unit is available for immediate occupancy. Asking $419,000. For more information contact maffleck@kmts.ca
Miscellaneous for Sale Shore Master Cantilever Boat Lift 2500 lb. capacity; 8’ wide x 10’ long. Fully reconditioned; looks like new. Available in LacLu. $3000 OBO. Call 807-543-2853 or email jdwill@kmts.ca Solar System prewired and assembled. Includes: outback equipment, sign wave inverter 2800 watts, charge control, mate, DC breaker box, meters, 6 solar panels 465 watts on frame, 6 batteries L16 and cables. $3200. Also available: 2400 watt inverter: $150. 12-volt DC 1/2HP motor for piston water pump: $175. 3500 watt generator: $200. 3000 watt Kohler propane generator with demand start. Runs at 1800 RPM, needs engine work. Call Dave 807-464-3759 or 219-365-4537 Personal watercraft lift. Aluminum construction, complete re-furbish.Lift 1200 lbs.$750.00.In Kenora. Contact maryschwartz@hotmail.com
Want to Buy Grandpa looking for small, light, (no leaks) boat able to be fitted for rowing granddaughter for fishing. Contact Paul McCrea. 604-736-1580 or wunday600@gmail.com Want to buy a "Shorestation" or similar vertical boat-lift - 6000 lb. capacity. Call 204-896-6141. Retired couple looking for building lot on Lake of the Woods. Contact Richard at kaletzke@mymts.net.
Want to Hire Cottage Cleaning Wanted. Looking for someone who is available to clean a cottage on Storm Bay Rd. It is a 2400 sq ft cottage with 4 beds and 2 baths. Would require cleaning every two weeks. If interested please email connie@priority.mb.ca
FALL 2017
Classifieds 75 Boats & Motors for Sale 16' 6" Sea-Touring Kayak: Highly recommended "Magellan" model from Dagger. Incredibly rugged, stable, large storage capacity and works for large or regular people. Glides over the water, not through it. Very speedy in all conditions with superb tracking. Foot-pedal rudder needed only in windy conditions. Comes with double-bladed paddle, padded seat with backrest and sprayskirt. Great beginner boat yet truly satisfying for the experienced. $900 cash. Email for photos. Dyke Williams auldbear@aol.com 1985 19.6 SeaRay 260 hp Mercury I/O, new out drive 2015, full tops + mooring cover. Everything runs well, no trailer on lift, in Kenora. Call Bryan 204-955-3780 1956 Lyman 19ft runabout, 100 H.P. gray marine inboard, original condition, kept in boathouse, runs great. $18,000. No trailer. For pictures contact Barb. (807) 466-2578 or burchwell@sympatico.ca 2005 – SX175 yellow/white Glastron Boat, inboard Volvo/Penta 4.3L with low hours. Includes fish finder, radio, cover, EZ Load trailer. Asking $11,000. Echo Bay. Call Fred: 807-733-3717 or 204-269-8756 TWO Mercury Racing Motors 1 - 1952 KG7 Super 10 - Hurricane 1 - 15 HP - Modified Current model 16 cu.in. c/w new factory racing lower unit and SS cleaver prop (never used). Phone Jim Geddes for info 204-599-2192 2000 Sea Ray 215 Express Cruiser in immaculate condition, 5.0L fuel injected, 240 hp Mercruiser, less than 450 hrs, trim tabs, depth finder, upgraded stereo, cuddy cab with toilet and sink. Sleeps 2 comfortably, pressurized water system, transom shower, integrated swim platform, full canvas, mooring cover and bimini top. Snap-in carpet, custom cooler, garage stored and professionally serviced. Custom Sea Ray tandem boat trailer included. Located on Storm Bay Road. Great value at $14,750! Call Robert at 250-858-3301 Pace Ship 16’ Sailboat. Fibreglass hull, teak wood trim with small storage cuddy. Great for family, lots of cockpit space, easy to sail and very stable in the water. Built in Mahone Bay, NS. Includes jib, main sail, retractable keel, tiller and all lines. Stored for 16 yrs in good condition. Echo Bay, LOW. donway@mymts.net, 760-733-3333 or 204-888-4698 2014 Hobie Bravo for sale. Mint condition. $4200.00 obo. For more info pls Text 204 999-7152 Email: chickpea55@shaw.ca 22 foot 1954 Chris Craft Sedan - The Athendune. Built in last year of production. Lovingly preserved, engine upgraded to 12V system. Family owned since new, recently serviced and painted. 807-468-3629
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. www.adogslife.ca or call 807-467-3647 Lake of the Woods Historical Society Special Events at Mather Walls House - Friday and Saturday, October 20 and 21, 2017 – Halloween Haunt (6:00 – 9:00 p.m.)
76
Real Estate Listings
Schnarr Lake
2+ acres of partially developed property. Docks, boardwalks, sun decks, screened gazebo. Road access.
$175,000 Greg Kirby, Century 21 Reynard Real Estate
Whitefish Bay, Lake of the Woods 4 bed, 2.5 bath. Road access cottage with 0.86 acres.
$279,000 Greg Kirby, Century 21 Reynard Real Estate 807-547-5555 / kenoracottagecountry.com
807-547-5555 / kenoracottagecountry.com
Winnipeg River
10.72 acres & 525 ft of rockey shoreline. 1032 s/f cottage with 4 bed, 1 bath & 192 s/f screened gazebo. Steel dock & beach area in quiet cove. Road is in construction; ready late 2017.
$315,000 *new price Duncan Carmichael Real Estate
Long Bay, LOTW
4 bed, 2 bath & a great view with south exposure. Sioux Narrows. Pictures, video & map available online.
$295,000 Northwoods Realty
807-226-1024 / northwoodsrealtyltd.com
Sandy Lake
This 3 bed, 2 bath cottage has a screened porch, garage, bunkhouse and solid dock. Come check out the new upgrades.
$369,000 Cabin Country Realty
807-468-3541 / cabincountry.com
807-467-2323 / lakeofthewoods.net
Lulu Lake
1220 s/f 3 bed, 2 bath bungalow with full walkout lower level. 100 ft. of frontage on Lulu Lake, 4 season sunroom, wrap around deck, hot tub, 24'x24' insulated & wired garage. Unorganized territory = lower taxes.
$385,000 ($305,228 USD) Shelley Torrie Home & Cottage Realty 807-547-4020 / kenora-realestate.com
Hilly Lake
Upgraded back split home/cottage. 4 bed, 3 bath, open concept living on a medium profile lot with easy access to water’s edge. $18,000 steel garage pkg included. 10 minutes from downtown.
$425,000 ($336,388 USD) Shelley Torrie Home & Cottage Realty 807-547-4020 / kenora-realestate.com
Schnarr Lake
2 bed, 2 bath. One owner lake home. 2,212 s/f, road access, 2.67 acres.
$515,000 Greg Kirby, Century 21 Reynard Real Estate 807-547-5555 / kenoracottagecountry.com
Snow Drive, Black Sturgeon
Approx. 2200 s/f 4 bed, 2 1/2 bath year round back split home/cottage with built-in 2 car garage & many upgrades. Approx. 1900 sq. ft. of decks & docks. Meticulously maintained.
$539,900 ($428,033 USD) Shelley Torrie Home & Cottage Realty 807-547-4020 / kenora-realestate.com
Real Estate Listings 77
Gun Club Island, LOTW
Historic cottage in a prime location. This property is private, close to town, & is outside of city taxes.
$549,000 Cabin Country Realty
807-468-3541 / cabincountry.com
Indian Lake, Near Blue Lake Provincial Park
3 bed, 2 ½bath home/cottage with separate selfcontained 2 bed guest cottage. 2 garage/workshops, boathouse with rail system, sand beach & much more!
$649,000 ($514,528 USD) Shelley Torrie Home & Cottage Realty
Worona Road, Black Sturgeon
Exclusive Ranch Style waterfront retreat offering 900’ of waterfrontage, panoramic views & miles & miles of waterways to explore/fish.
$775,000 ($614,420 USD) Shelley Torrie Home & Cottage Realty 807-547-4020 / kenora-realestate.com
807-547-4020 / kenora-realestate.com
North East Bay, LOTW
Year round home/cottage consists of 3 bed & 3 bath, a formal dining room with a beautiful sunroom off of the kitchen.
$769,000 Cabin Country Realty
807-468-3541 / cabincountry.com
Lilypad Bay, LOTW
Year round 5 bed, 4 bath cottage with large living room, floor-to-ceiling windows, family room, large kitchen, screen room & plentiful decks. Double stall boat port & double garage with sleeping accommodations.
$849,000 Duncan Carmichael Real Estate 807-467-2323 / lakeofthewoods.net
Woodchuk Bay, LOTW
5 bed, 2 bath cottage recently built with a boat port. West side of Lake of the Woods. Fantastic view down Clearwater Bay.
$1,250,000 Cabin Country Realty
807-468-3541 / cabincountry.com
Long Bay, LOTW
Year-round home sits on 12.3 acres and includes a marina, a boat launch, & 27 full service RV sites. Treat this as your quiet place or continue to run it commercially & have it pay for itself.
$1,800,000 Cabin Country Realty
807-468-3541 / cabincountry.com
Storm Bay Road, LOTW
Modern turnkey cottage with approx. 3,250 sq. ft. of quality finishing. 3 bed + loft, 2 bath, main floor laundry & attached double garage. Lower profile lot with extensive waterfront development.
$1,150,000 Duncan Carmichael Real Estate 807-467-2323 / lakeofthewoods.net
Kendall Inlet, LOTW
2 cottages, oversized garage, 4.2 acres with over 1,100' of low profile deep water frontage on Kendall Inlet East end of Clearwater Bay
$2,490,000 ($1,850,270 USD) Shelley Torrie Home & Cottage Realty 807-547-4020 / kenora-realestate.com
L.O.W. AREA NEWS
FALL 2017
78 Advertisers’ Directory Accommodation 36 Nature’s Inn Highway 17 West, Keewatin 807-547-2888 naturesinn.ca
Architecture 63 Boreal Architecture Studio 201 Main Street South, Kenora 807-468-1151 borealstudio.ca
Building Materials 35 Lumber One Building Supplies 1 Willow Drive, Falcon Lake 204-349-2294 lumberone.ca 73 McMunn & Yates 1666 Highway 17 W, Keewatin 807-547-3366 28 Star Building Materials 16 Speers Road, Winnipeg 204-233-8687 starbuilding.ca/winnipeg
Community & Philanthropy Inside 00 City of Kenora Back 1 Main Street South, Kenora Cover 807-467-2000 kenora.ca 65 Lake of the Woods District Hospital Foundation 21 Sylvan Street West, Kenora 807-468-9861 lwdhf.com
Contractors & Construction 2 Black Fox Construction Lot 19, Williams Road, Kenora 807-407-9983 blackfoxconstruction.com 26 DTL Carpentry 204-979-4055 dtlcarpentry.ca 46 Friesen Drillers Steinbach 204-326-2485 friesendrillers.com 24 Legacy Originals 431 Turenne Street, Winnipeg, 204-233-4219, legacyoriginals.com 22 Oakwood Roofing 1350B Highway 17 East, Kenora 807-467-8824 oakwoodroofing.com 74 Postech Screw Piles 57-075 Symington Rd E, Winnipeg 1-855-4-PILING manitobascrewpiles.ca 40-41 REMR Roofing 2053 Highway 17 East, Kenora 807-548-2811 remrroofing.com 61 Solid Construction Kenora 807-466-1111 solidconstruction.ca
Docks 25 Docks & Lifts Ltd. 1940 Highway 17 East, Kenora 807-547-4444 docksandlifts.ca
Electrical 74 Bob’s Electric 225 Main Street North, Kenora 807-468-5915 rbrignall@yahoo.ca 57 S&H Electric Contracting 70 Highway 641, Keewatin 807-221-9418 sandh.electrical@gmail.com
Energy 67 Raysolar 1870 Highway 17 East, Kenora 844-548-7297 raysolar.ca
Environment 67 Forests Ontario 1-877-646-1193 forestsontario.ca 9 IISD – Experimental Lakes Area issd.org/ela
Equipment Sales & Rentals 74 Best Way Rentals 1906 Sixth Street North, Kenora 807-548-4131
Financial Planning 74 Investors Group, Kimberley Pries 421 Second Street South, Kenora, 807-468-8844 investorsgroup.com 17 The Darcy Zaporzan Wealth Management Group of RBC Dominion Securities Inc. 3100-201 Portage Avenue, Winnipeg 204-982-2635 dzwmg.com 13 Richardson GMP Limited 1 Lombard Place, Winnipeg 204-943-5263 richardsongmp.com
Fireplaces 53 Flame & Comfort 318 Logan Avenue, Winnipeg 204-943-5263 flameandcomfort.com
L.O.W. AREA NEWS
FALL 2017
Advertisers’ Directory 79 Home & Cottage Maintenance 54 Bell’s Septic 807-468-7251 bellskenora.com 74 Denver’s Window Cleaning Services 30 Deerfield Trail, Steinbach 204-320-1935 denverswindowcleaning.com 74 Keystone Security Solutions 1221 Highway 17 W, Keewatin 807-468-7878 keystonelock.ca 54 Lake of the Woods Septic Barge 807-464-3468 septicbarge.com 65 Notre Dame Sandblasting & Painting 74 Grea Street East, Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes 204-871-7463 ndsandblasting.com 74 Penta Protective Coatings 39 Merit Crescent, West St. Paul 204-992-2603 penta.ca 39 United Tree Service Kenora 807-464-3602
Home Furnishings 16 Image One 1060 Railway Street, Kenora 807-468-3641 imageonedesigns.com 31 Verti-shade Harbourfront, Kenora 807-468-3980 verti-shade.com
Insurance 74 Garriock Insurance 390 York Avenue, Winnipeg 800-773-7157 garriock.ca
Real Estate Cabin Country Realty Inside Cover 138 Main Street South, Kenora
18 The Standard Insurance Brokers 319 Second Street South, Kenora 807-468-3333 thestandardonline.com
Legal 58 Booth Dennehy LLP, Raymond Oakes 387 Broadway Avenue, Winnipeg 204-957-1717 boothdennehy.com 33 Brown & Associates Law Office 71 Main Street South, Carman 204-745-2028 brownlawoffice.org 71 Hook Seller Lundin LLP 203-301 First Avenue South, Kenora 807-468-9831 hsllawyers.com 45 Shewchuk, Ormiston, Richardt & Johnson LLP 214 Main Street South, Kenora 807-468-5559 kenoralaw.com
Marine 59 Big Lake Fibreglass 349 Northern Harbour Road, Kenora 807-548-2628 biglakefibreglass.com 43 Enns Brothers 1095 Railway Street, Kenora 807-468-4077 ennspowersports.com Back Woodlake Marine Cover 1956 Highway 17 West, Kenora 807-468-2628 woodlakemarine.com
807-468-3541 cabincountry.com
5 Duncan Carmichael Real Estate 625 Lakeview Drive, Kenora 807-467-2323 lakeofthewoods.net 39 Greg Kirby, Century 21 Reynard Real Estate 807-547-5555 century21.ca/greg.kirby 49 Northwoods Realty 5701A Highway 71, Sioux Narrows 807-226-1024 northwoodsrealtyltd.com 15 Shelley Torrie Home & Cottage Realty 721 Beach Road, Kenora 807-547-4020 kenora-realestate.com
Sunrooms 50 Suncoast Enclosures 1106 Buchanan Boulevard, Winnipeg 204-292-2173 suncoastenclosures.com
Water Treatment 51 Wolframe’s World of Water 710 Lakeview Drive, Kenora 807-468-4338
L.O.W. AREA NEWS
FALL 2017
80 History
The Cameron House by Lori Nelson
Presiding over Cameron’s Point is a stately brick residence. Its command of the narrows between the mainland and Coney Island has made it a significant landmark for those who have entered or exited Kenora’s harbour via the eastern route. It’s known colloquially as “The Cameron House”, although it has been many years since the Cameron family owned the property and there were a number of prior owners who laid claim to the waterfront site, which originally extended both north and east. The property was deemed an ideal site for its first four owners who all ran sawmill operations. A waterfront location gave easy access to the booms of logs that were being brought in from the lumber camps down the lake. The three partners of the Ross, Hall and Brown sawmill purchased the land in 1890, operating there for three years before selling. The sawmill continued under the name of Cameron and Kennedy briefly before it was transferred to the Ontario and Western Lumber Company and then to Rat Portage Lumber Company whose sawmill was actually on the site of the present Kenora Recreation Centre and Safeway. These transactions all occurred within six years. In the following years, the large piece of land was parcelled out until William and Hattie Cameron purchased a significant portion in 1910. Originally a Nova Scotian, William Cameron moved to Rat Portage in his late teens to work on the Canadian Pacific Railway. His entrepreneurial spirit eventually led him into partnership with Max Heap in the business of Cameron and Heap Wholesale Grocers Co. The business was very successful, expanding to include outlets in Fort William, Dauphin, Regina, Prince Albert and Swift Current.
It was this success that enabled Cameron, when he and his wife Hattie were ready to build a home, to procure the services of noted architectural firm, Ross & MacFarlane of Montreal. The firm, which later became Ross & Macdonald, counted among its works the Chateau Laurier in Ottawa, the Fort Garry Hotel in Winnipeg and the Hotel Macdonald in Edmonton. For the Camerons, a home, befitting their stature in the community and the location they had chosen, was designed. A gracious, three-storey brick residence was perched atop the high point of the property with vistas to the west from the front entrance and to the south from the open-air terrace. The main floor included a reception room, dining and living rooms, a den and the kitchen and pantry. A grand staircase led to the second floor where five bedrooms, two washrooms and a screened porch off the northeast corner provided rest and respite. Quoted construction costs in 1912 were close to $13,000 for construction with an additional $2,200 for plumbing and heating. The 52,500 bricks used in its construction came from the Gowenlock Yard in Fort William. Early photographs of the Cameron home show beautiful grounds with gardens and a front yard lined with elm trees – a handsome lakeside estate. In the years following World War II, the estate was sold and was transferred a number of times until purchased by Henry Wolfe who undertook a subdivision development of the property in the mid-1960s. This resulted in two more homes being built on the original site – one to the north and one to the east. Subsequent owners of the house turned it from a single-family residence into apartments and its transition under the current owners, Judy and Will Major, continues. The Majors purchased the home in 2006 for Will’s law office. Recognizing the value of the heritage home, they sought heritage designation for it that was approved by Kenora City Council in 2008. Their sensitivity to its history and design has led them to do restoration work and be guided in the use they have made of the Cameron House. This landmark house and architectural showpiece is a tangible affirmation of the health and wealth of early Kenora. Its grand presence today is a reminder that our built heritage has stories to tell. AN
Cameron House, summer 2017. Photo by: Patrice Nelson
YEAR END
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