LOW Area News - Winter 2017 by wakemarketing

Volume 47

Number 5

Winter 2017

Private Island, our file 4274 – in Poplar Bay, Lake of the Woods

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cabincountry.com 138 Main St S, Kenora, Ontario

In this Issue…

President’s Message

Editor’s Message

Notes from your Executive Director

Members’ Page

Members Need-to-know Renew your membership today What’s happening on your lake What’s in a Name? Q&A with MP Bob Nault Changes Coming to Local Land Use and OMB

News & Notes Highway 17 Twinning Start Remains Elusive Seasonal Residents to Share in Hydro Relief Lifesavers: a Summer Tradition Kenora Undertaking Community Energy Plan OMB Decision: Minaki-on-the-River Winter Solstice by Danielle Gauld

Basin News Updates on Basin Activities Lake of the Woods Sustainability Foundation Acid Spill into Rainy River Winter Vehicle Loss by Ray Boivin

Environment Valuing our Forests Red Pine Ridge Road by Ross Parke

Cottage How-To Green Building at IISD-ELA Block the Glazing Breath of Winter Home Water Treatment Systems Notes from Razberry Lane by Anita & Henry Rasmussen

Invasive Species What the Phrag? Purple Loosestrife Control Cover Photo: Katherine Olson

Wildlife & Wilderness Canada Jays

LOWDKids! The Christmas Quinizee Merry and Bright: Winter Reading The Back Porch

75 76

Real Estate Listings Cottage Services Classifieds

Advertisers’ Directory

Winter Excursions with Dr. Beatty by Lori Nelson

Beautiful Inside & Out Kenora’s Quality Builder

807 407 9983 | blackfoxconstruction.com

President’s Message Nancy Salmijarvi, LOWDPOA President

As I look out my window enjoying the fall colours I can’t help but think how fortunate we are to live in this beautiful part of the world. My last message of 2017 has been tough to write. The hurricane devastation throughout the Caribbean and the southern U.S., earthquakes in Mexico plus the recent horrific mass shooting in Las Vegas, should give us all pause to appreciate what we have in our little piece of paradise. Membership renewal packages went out in early October and we’ve already seen a significant number of renewals come in. Many of you are choosing to renew online and to date we’ve had a few hundred members use this option! You may also have noticed that we’ve introduced a Virtual Membership plan in addition to our familiar Full Membership plan. Both plans offer all the member benefits, programs, resources and five issues of Lake of the Woods Area News you are accustomed to. What is new is the choice you now have in deciding how you receive your magazines. While the Full Membership plan includes printed issues of the Area News mailed to you plus online access to digital editions, the Virtual Membership plan includes digital editions only of those same issues available to download or read online. Several of our members have already chosen this format as they prefer to read the magazine online. The choice is yours! By the time you read this I expect there may be a bit of snow on the ground with many people getting into full holiday mode. However, thoughts of lake life are never too far from our minds, often carrying into our choice of holidays gifts. I know that amongst our family and friends the gifts we exchange typically include something for the cottage, boat, fishing, swimming etc., and so begins our countdown of days to spring 2018. When you are making your gift choices, don't forget to include a gift membership to LOWDPOA as one of the options on your list. Gift membership information is found on page 15 or online at lowdpoa.com Also in this issue (page 13) you’ll find a name change survey that I’d like to ask everyone to take a few minutes to complete. Since last spring your board and staff have spent a lot of time contemplating a possible name change that is more reflective of our changing issues and demographics. It’s your association so please take a few minutes to help us move into the future.

I’d also like to remind everyone about our new Member’s Page in the magazine. If you have an interesting story, idea or concern to share, we’d love to hear from you and to publish it in Area News. This fall we embarked on a new way of conducting our board meetings. Home base for our board members is now almost equally divided between Winnipeg and Kenora, and the travel costs to attend meetings were getting prohibitive. So, with the help of technology we are now conducting meetings in two locations (Winnipeg and Kenora), connected virtually, complete with video capability, several times a year. This is yet another change in the way the association does business, but it is easier for board members and much more fiscally responsible allowing us to reallocate the funds to our numerous summer programs. Speaking of summer programs, this past summer was one of the busiest for the association with lots of activities for members of all ages including some fun events for our LOWDkids. Next year's events are in the early planning stages, and it’s shaping up to be another stellar year. Everything kicks off at the Cottage Show and AGM in May and while it may seem early, plans are well underway. Mark your calendar now for May 7, 2018 and we’ll see you there. A trip to the lake over the winter can be a special experience. If you're one of the many people that enjoy winter lake life I hope you include this magazine in your reading material package. Pour your favorite warm beverage and curl up by the fire to enjoy this issue of the Lake of the Woods Area News. Wishing everyone a safe, happy holiday season and a healthy and prosperous New Year!

Editor’s Message

Teika Newton, Area News Editor It is hard to believe it’s already time to close the books on another year of Lake of the Woods Area News. The rich and full summer of 2017—which held on valiantly until late October—has finally given way to a sudden and ferocious early winter on the northern shores and Lake of the Woods. As winter begins to set in, I begin the annual rituals of donning cozy slippers and sipping too much hot chocolate. It is time to reflect on the year that is nearly past, and to look ahead to the year that lies just beyond the near horizon. 2017 was a year of learning lessons, growing, improving and digging deeper to produce a magazine for LOWDPOA members; one that makes us all proud. In the past year we solidified relationships with many inspiring, regular writers who helped us develop recurring columns on priority issues for the association: watershed stewardship, ‘green’ building, climate change, invasive species, local foods and gardening culture, and lake history to name a few. Watch for these and more—including regular updates on watershed science—to come in 2018.

As I absorb into drafts and feature stories, I have been transported into the lives of so many brilliantly charismatic LOWDPOA families. It feels like a special gift to be granted these insights into your lives, and it’s an honour to get the chance to know so many of you and to hear and help share your stories. Over the coming year, we will be focusing on bringing forward even more of the rich histories of our lake families, and I encourage all of you to keep sharing with us your family stories as these are the stuff that builds our lake community. On behalf of our Fifth Hammer family, I’d like to wish all of you a happy and healthy winter and a safe start to the New Year. And now, don those cozy slippers of yours, curl up with that cup of comforting hot cocoa and dive into the winter edition of the Area News!

On a personal level, this year the Area News has provided me with welcome opportunities to re-establish structure, focus, and a peaceable, human pace to what has otherwise been a fairly chaotic year. Five times this past year, I’ve delved deep into the quiet reprieve of living life at the lake, refocusing on the issues that are close to home and closest to my heart and spirit. I treasure the time I’ve spent with you and your families, here in the pages of the magazine.

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: 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: December 29, 2017

Executive Director's Note Diane Schwartz-Williams

Fall reflections The oaks and poplars in my yard, covered in green leaves not so many weeks ago, have given up their leaves to the winds and rain and are now surrounded by carpets of crunchy golden leaves—a sight and sound that announces the arrival of my favourite season. While it is easy to find beauty and much to enjoy in every season—yes, even winter—there is something about the dramatic seasonal transition of fall that I find relaxing, reflective and energizing. Each year as we tidy up our yard, put the gardens to rest and tuck the summer toys away, I find myself looking back at what we accomplished. As I take stock, I feel a sense of relief that it is done for another year with no more weeds to pull or grass to cut, yet feeling charged with the energy that comes with already thinking and planning for all the things to repeat and improve upon for next year. Those sentiments are mirrored in my role as your Executive Director. The past eleven months have been busy with many firsts for Linda and me as we explored and navigated our new roles with the association. Drawing on the resources, strength and creditability of the association’s solid foundation, we were able to build on the success of familiar programs while changing things up a little. All this was done with great support from the directors, volunteers and members of LOWDPOA. ‘Busy’ hardly begins to describe the spring prep and summer programs and activities that kept us on the run. LakeSmart, Matiowski’s Farmers Market, battling purple loosestrife with beetle releases, ELA tours, travel around the area and more—very busy, but most rewarding and a lot of fun. The September long weekend marked the official end of our summer programs. While we took a little time to step back, breathe a sigh of relief and relax, energy was building as we simultaneously put ideas and plans into motion for next year. The September long weekend was particularly significant for Linda this year as she and Keith Nelson were married on September 2. We wish Linda and Keith much happiness and, selfishly, are happy to note that they are both long-term residents of Kenora with no desire to live anywhere else. You will notice however that Linda’s name has changed and you will now receive emails or hear voicemails from Linda Nelson. By now you should have received your 2018 membership renewal package, but please let us know if you haven’t. You will notice that not only have we made a few changes to the renewal form we have introduced a Virtual Membership that we are pretty excited about. Nancy has referred to it in her letter and you will find more information about it elsewhere in this issue of the Area News.

This year we took full advantage of our database and included all your Photo by Tom Thomson profile information from the database on your renewal form. We are hoping that you will correct anything you see there that is not current and fill in anything that is blank. The more we know about our members the better equipped we are to represent you and to deliver the programs and activities best suited to our membership. We are looking forward to receiving your vote and comments in response to our name change survey. You can participate in this survey online at lowdpoa.com/cpages/survey or in written form using the survey included in this issue of the magazine. There is a limited time to participate as it will remain open only until Monday, December 4, 2017. Your feedback on this is important, and your Board of Directors and staff really want to hear from you. Barely through fall with winter on the horizon, yet I am already excited about what we have planned for next year not to mention a ton of maybe-we-can-do ideas hanging about in the wings. I am thinking ahead to spring and our annual Cottage Show and AGM on Monday, May 7, 2108 at the Victoria Inn in Winnipeg. Planning has already begun, and we even have a few exhibitors signed up. We are looking to repeat and improve on last year’s success and look forward to seeing you there to help welcome spring and jump start summer. Watch for updates in upcoming issues of the Area News. In the meantime, on behalf of Linda, I wish you a healthy, happy and safe holiday season and new year; it is time to sign off here for 2018. Whatever “winter wonderland” means to you—whether it be warm and cozy, hot and sunny, cold and invigorating—enjoy!

L.O.W. AREA NEWS

WINTER 2017

Members' Page Wood Furnace: First Step submitted by Alan Crossin, retired insurance underwriter and broker There is much interesting information on wood burning in the article with that title by Anita and Henry Rasmussen in the Fall 2017 issue of Area News, but a very important step in the process of selecting a wood burning unit has been omitted. Before proceeding with the purchase and installation of any wood burning stove and/or chimney it is essential that you check with your broker to determine what your insurance company's requirements are. Insurance companies look with suspicion on wood burning appliances and will have questions about the type of unit you are considering, its safety labels, clearances to nearby wood frame walls etc. You may be asked to submit photos of the completed installation and have an inspection done by a WETT qualified contractor. Readers of Area News need to know that there may be obstacles en route to the romantic scene of "sitting comfortably by our wood burners on cold winter nights" as depicted by the Rasmussens.

Addendum to Woodburning Article: Area News Issue: Fall 2017 by Henry & Anita Rasmussen “Wood Burning: A Thing of the Past or a Viable Option?” dealt solely with the aesthetics of heating with wood. It did not address the steps necessary to the installation of a wood burning unit. When adding any heating unit to one’s home, be it gas, electric or wood, common sense would dictate strict adherence to local codes. But as the saying goes, common sense not being that common, and in the interests of safety, we would like to add this information to the article in question. When installing a wood burner in any residence or cottage, a certified, licensed heating contractor, an expert on the rules and codes in your locality, is your best resource. For your personal knowledge, we suggest the following sources for detailed, up-to-date information on the regulations regarding certified wood burners, chimneys and flues, proper clearances, insurance and the necessary inspections in your locality: 1. WETT (Wood Energy Technology Transfer) for pre-inspections and advice—wettinc.ca; 2. CCME (Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment) for any concern as to environmental impact—ccme.ca; 3. Your local City or Municipal body, for local specifications; 4. Your insurance broker, for possible changes to your policy. Having covered all the bases regarding safety regulations, codes, insurance and legal issues, you will be free to enjoy the comfort of a wood burning stove with assurance and peace of mind.

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 Nelson (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

WINTER 2017

Members' Page A Conversation with Jack Manson As we were getting set to put together this issue of the Area News, member Jack Manson sent us a lovely note that set off a series of communications between Jack, Diane Schwartz-Williams, and me. We discovered many points of shared history between all of our families, leaving us warmed by the remarkable interconnections we share, and inspired to dig deeper into these shared stories. Here, we offer a condensed version of our correspondence—in part, we hope, as a teaser for bigger stories to follow in 2018.

Just finished reading the fall edition of Area News. The articles get more interesting with each issue. Keep up the good work. I liked the history of the Cameron house and any history of the area, and also the article on tree frogs. I have a bias on area history having spent my early years in Kenora, attending Central School and my great-grandparents were the Villeneuves who the road is named after and who built a brick home on the Winnipeg River— bricks they made in a homemade kiln. Kiln is gone but home remains. Would Diane Schwartz-Williams be related to a Daphne Schwartz who grew up on River St.? If so Daphne and I were kids who lived on that street, about 75 years ago. - Jack That’s wonderful that you’re a Villeneuve descendant! I spent many, many, many hours with Geoff and Billie Villeneuve when I was a little kid (I’m now 42). Geoff was like a second dad to my dad (now 72), and we were at their house all the time so my dad and Geoff could peruse junk piles, talk shop, and tinker on antique equipment. My parents are still close with many of Geoff’s relatives, including his daughter Linda, and there are lots of family connections there. You know, if you have a good archive of the family history, their family would be an amazing one to profile in the magazine… - Teika

How small is the world of connections between people! Forget six degrees of separation; sometimes it is two or three. Daphne in fact was my aunt - married to my dad’s brother and my uncle Art Schwartz, sadly both gone. I have some great childhood memories of visiting Art and Daphne when they lived in Keewatin during Art’s years of practicing dentistry in Kenora several decades ago. They never lost their love and connection to Lake of the Woods, and after moving to Winnipeg, then Ottawa and back to Winnipeg, they maintained summer residency here as cottagers, then as houseboaters for a period and then again as cottagers on Coney Island. Their connection to this beautiful part of the world continues with their children and grandchildren. Jack, Teika is on the mark with her suggestion about including your family story in the Area News. It is a timely suggestion in that for the Lake of the Woods District Property Owners Association and our Area News magazine, 2018 is going to be a year of celebrating multiple decades of family histories, memories and traditions shared by so many. If we add all those decades together we have centuries to talk about. This is something I would definitely like to follow up on with you and Teika. -Diane Amazing. [Geoff’s daughter] Linda, (never met her) would be my third cousin. Geoff was my mother's first cousin. I am 85 years of age. The last time I saw Geoff he had built an aeroplane and said he could fly it—was going to fly to our Lake of Two Mountains but never did. Unfortunately I don't have much of the family history to make a good story. I do know that Geoff’s mother and dad expired in a fire when their home burned down and my great uncle Pete was the engineer on the Argyle. He used to get us on the Argyle free charge to go to Coney Island. - Jack Funny, just this weekend my dad was recounting stories to me about Geoff’s plane! He did, in fact, fly it… but terrified himself by nearly clipping the treetops and decided to sell the machine off promptly after its inaugural—and only—flight. My dad said that the problem was that Geoff had had difficulty in sourcing the pontoon floats for it, and the only set he was able to acquire came from an auction in Saskatchewan and the floats were too big for the plane. Geoff dismantled these large floats and downsized them a bit, but they still were not quite the right size for his small, custom-built plane. When he attempted take-off for the first time, the oversized pontoons created more drag than he’d expected, I guess, and he very nearly didn’t clear the treeline on lift-off. Still, the plane worked just fine and was a successful project. My dad’s fondest memories with Geoff involved his various boats—they both shared a great love of steam engines, steam boats, etc. Geoff’s daughters both lived next door to him and Billie’s son, Harold Jefferies, lived across the lane from Geoff and Billie. Harold was a very well respected, very knowledgeable captain on Lake of the Woods. As for the Argyle connection—my dad’s job as a teenager was working as Captain Claude Cossey’s assistant on board the Argyle II! - Teika

New for 2018: Register as a Full Member or a Virtual Member PRINTED MAGAZINE

DIGITAL MAGAZINE

Something Amazing Happens When You’re a

Beetles released on Purple Loosestrife

Lake of the Woods District

Property Owner’s Association

Member

2017 LakeSmart team

As a member, you have access to a wealth of information about our region, lake living, healthy shorelines, water levels, highway twinning, hydro, taxation, forestry and more—delivered to you via our website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, e-News bulletins and of course 5 issues of our Lake of the Woods Area News now available in both print and digital versions. » Questions or concerns about something happening in our area?

» Looking for information on a topic not covered in our Area News magazine or on www.lowdpoa.com?

Launching the LakeSmart boat

» Ideas, information or suggestions you think we should know about? » Interested in knowing more about the programs we deliver that are made possibly only through your membership support and generous contributions to our Environment Fund? Just let us know!

Fall 2017 issue of Area News

Spreading the message

10,000 seedlings planted annually

Netting at IISD-ELA

Metal waste collection day

LOGIN to our on-line community where you’re just a few clicks away from additional services and members only benefits. Contact Linda at 807-468-8715, 1-888-265-9784, or linda@lowdpoa.com to find out more. lowdpoa.com

@lowdpoaLakeTime

@lowdpoa

2017 Cottage Show

L.O.W. AREA NEWS

WINTER 2017

Members - Need to Know 5 great issues of our Lake of the Woods Area News lined up for you in 2018. Make sure you don’t miss a single issue.

Renew your membership for 2018 with the Lake of the Woods District Property Owners Association today. LOWDPOA members are the foundation and strength of our association. We thank you for your past support, and look forward to working with you and on your behalf in 2018. Last year we introduced our new website and database, giving you access to a number of online features and tools. Building on the positive response and recognizing the way some members wish to interact with LOWDPOA is changing, we are excited to introduce our new Virtual Membership plan, not replacing but in addition to the familiar Full Membership plan. Both offer all the member benefits, programs, resources and 5 issues of the Lake of the Woods Area News you are accustomed to. What is new is the choice you now have in deciding how you receive your magazines.

FULL MEMBERSHIP PLAN 5 printed issues of the Lake of the Woods Area News mailed to you annually plus online access to digital editions • Stay informed with info on topics important to you • eNews bulletins for news and info updates between magazine issues • Annual Cottage Show in Winnipeg (+ 80 exhibits) • Plant red pine seedlings at special member price • Free Metal Waste Collection Day • Summer programs and informative seminars • Staff & Directors ready to answer your questions

VIRTUAL MEMBERSHIP PLAN 5 digital editions of the Lake of the Woods Area News available to you annually to download or read online • Stay informed with info on topics important to you • eNews bulletins for news and info updates between magazine issues • Annual Cottage Show in Winnipeg (+ 80 exhibits) • Plant red pine seedlings at special member price • Free Metal Waste Collection Day • Summer programs and informative seminars • Staff & Directors ready to answer your questions

It’s amazing what we accomplish each year with your membership fees (see insert) and a well-managed operation. Having said that, for the first time in many years we are implementing a fee change with a small increase to our Full Membership at $50 and offering an alternative, with the Virtual Membership fee set at $42. This modest increase will help offset the gradual increase in costs so we can maintain our programs and member services. The choice of plans is yours when you renew, and we are here to answer any questions you may have. The Lake of the Woods District Property Owners Association has been focused on member concerns and issues for over 55 years, and continues to provide a strong, respected voice on your behalf. We have a place at the table with the Lake of the Woods Water Sustainability Foundation, the Lake of the Woods Control Board, forest harvest planning, all levels of governments, FOCA (Federation of Ontario Cottagers’ Associations), the International Joint Commission and other organizations that can impact our region. Already this year LOWDPOA has attended over 100 meetings representing your interests. Your directors, committees, special task forces and staff work hard to provide value to our members by being able to stay on top of the issues and topics that matter most to you. If you enjoy one—or maybe even several—of the countless beautiful locations and lakes throughout the watershed, whether you are a cottager, year round resident, camper, sailor, boater, vacationer or simply someone with a love for this area, you are a perfect fit for our Association’s diverse member family. Our common bond is a love of lake life and all it provides for our families and friends. With your continued support, the Lake of the Woods District Property Owners Association will remain the largest organization of its kind in Ontario and a powerful force in sustaining our watershed.

UPDATE ONLINE, BY EMAIL, OR MAIL

Do we have up-to-date information for your member profile? Here’s what we have now—please review, correct and fill in what is missing to help us better understand who our members are. This info will only be used by LOWDPOA and not shared.

EMAIL ____________________________________________ YES, email LOWDPOA eNews (updates between issues of Area News) YES, send my renewal notice by email YES, email LOWDKids in the Wild notices and events Please do not print my name in the membership listing in the June issue of Lake of the Woods Area News. Please tell us how you enjoy the Lake of the Woods area. Check all that apply: Owned my own property in the Lake of the Woods area for ________ years. Part owner of a shared/family property for ________ years. Not a property owner; enjoyed Lake of the Woods area for ______ years as a  camper  sailor  renter  other: ______________________ When are you at the lake?  Summer Only  Permanent  Part-time year round Your Age Range (check one):  under 21  21-30  31-40  41-60  61-70  over 70

2018 MEMBERSHIP

NEW

$50 $100

$ ________ $ ________

$42 $84

$ ________ $ ________

Seedlings (see right)

$ ________

Gift membership (see right)

$ ________

Donation Environment Fund Taxation Fund

$ ________ $ ________

I will not be renewing my membership because: ____________________________________________

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

LOWDPOA members planted 10,000 seedlings in 2017 and 300,000 since this program was launched. We’re looking to match 2017’s numbers with your help. 15 seedlings per bundle: # of bundles ____ @ $10 each

$ ________

 Pick-up location (Sat., May 19: 10 am - 12 pm): Clearwater Bay (Firehall) Kenora (The Blue Heron) Minaki (Minaki Marina) Laclu (PUFF Fire Hall) Sioux Narrows (SN Gov’t Dock) Storm Bay Rd. (Firehall)

(New: Pick-ups for Nestor Falls & Morson in Sioux Narrows)

GIFT MEMBERSHIP Full Membership ($50 ea.) Virtual Membership ($42 ea.) Address ____________________________________

Online: LOGIN to lowdpoa.com/cpages/renew By Cheque: Please make payable to LOWDPOA.  Mastercard

Name the lake or river (with bay or road if you wish) you would like included with your name in the membership listing (where you own property or where you frequently visit): ___________________________________________

Name ______________________________________

PAYMENT OPTIONS

 Visa

Please indicate the region in which you spend most of your time in the Lake of the Woods area: Clearwater Bay area Kenora area Minaki area Morson area Sioux Narrows-Nestor Falls area Other_________________________________

RED PINE SEEDLINGS

Full Membership (Magazine Mailed) One Year JAN - DEC 2018 Two Year JAN 2018- DEC 2019 Virtual Membership (Digital Magazine) One Year JAN - DEC 2018 Two Year JAN 2018- DEC 2019

Home Phone ____________________________ Cottage Phone ___________________________ Mobile Phone ___________________________

Amount $ ________(Cdn.)

Card # _____________________________________________ Expiry date (month/year) ___________/ ___________ CVC __ __ __ Name on card _____________________________________________

City ______________________ State/Prov. ______ Country _______________ Postal/Zip __________ Email ______________________________________ Phone _____________________________________ Please send recipient a gift card with message: _________________________________________ _________________________________________

NEW! If you renew online, you can set your membership to auto-renew. LOGIN to renew or call/email for details. Box 1160, Kenora, ON P9N 3X7 • Tel. (807) 468-8715 • Toll free 1-888-265-9784 linda@lowdpoa.com • www.lowdpoa.com • www.facebook.com/lowdpoa

L.O.W. AREA NEWS

WINTER 2017

12 Members - Need to Know

What’s happening on your lake? At the end of the summer we each tuck away new stories and special memories of times to remember at the lake. Although our individual storehouse may be full to bursting, it seems there is always room for more. While we continue to stockpile those memories, often what makes them come alive time and time again is revisiting them with others who share our love for this beautiful part of the world and all that lake life entails. Your memories may take on a whole new life in 2018 if you are summer or year round resident in the Laclu or Morson areas. Plans are in place and stories already being collected to include in area history books. The Laclu Campers Association is celebrating its 100th Birthday in 2018 and their plans include publishing a coffee table book, Golden Memories of Laclu. The project coordinators are looking for memories, stories and details from as many folks as possible. For more information on this project or to learn how to submit your story, visit the Laclu Campers Association website laclucampersassociation.com or its Facebook page. Submissions are due by December 31, 2017.

In 2018 Morson residents and cottagers will celebrate the 90th anniversary of the Morson Township (before amalgamation into the Lake of the Woods Township). The Morson History Book committee is looking for stories and photos to include. Submissions are due by July 1, 2018 and can be sent to morsonbook@gmail.com. We are hoping that this page will grow to include activities and news from many associations in the area, perhaps even spilling over into a second page. Share your event notices, news and activities with us, and take advantage of the opportunity to extend your reach using this column in 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. Keep us informed, and we will help you keep others informed. Contact Diane Schwartz-Williams at 807-543-4287 or diane@lowdpoa.com.

How do you reach out to over 2000 area residents, cottagers and vacationers?

BECOME AN EXHIBITOR at the 2018 Lake of the Woods Cottage Show Monday, May 7, 2018 • 1:00 - 7:00 p.m.

» 100 exhibitors in 2017 and expecting more in 2018 » Up to 2000 visitors attend our show » Register online at lowdpoa.ca

Reserve your booth space today! Contact diane@lowdpoa.com or call (807) 543-4287

L.O.W. AREA NEWS

WINTER 2017

Members - Need to Know 13

What’s in Name?

It’s time to find out!

We have talked about a name change for several months and have written about it in the last two issues of the Lake of the Woods Area News. Now it is time to get down to business and find out what members of the Lake of the Woods District Property Owners think about a name change for our association. There may not be many questions on the survey, but they are perhaps amongst the most important ones we have asked you in quite some time. Please take just a few minutes to read on and then complete the survey.

Why consider changing the name

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 property owner centric, others including environmental issues, lake use concerns, IISD-ELA and highway twinning 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, based on your response at our recent annual meeting and subsequent discussions with owners, it is time to seriously consider a name change that embraces this inclusivity. Two ways to submit your survey: • Complete the form (right) and either mail it to us at LOWDPOA PO Box 1160, Kenora, ON P9N 3X7 or scan it and email to info@lowdpoa.com, or • Go to lowdpoa.com/cpages/survey and complete the survey on line. (You will not need to LOGIN to access the survey.) Eligibility to participate in survey: 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.

Survey validation: In order for your vote to count we will need your name, address, phone number, and (if possible) email on your submission so that we can confirm status of your membership and limit one vote per membership. Your personal information is confidential and will be used for purposes of validation only by LOWDPOA and will not be shared. Survey closing date: Survey responses will be accepted by mail, email or online beginning Tuesday, November 14 and must be received no later than 5:00 p.m. (Central Time), Monday, December 4 to be valid.

Survey

Your association is moving forward and would like to hear from you on a name that will 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. Name Options Please rank your preferred choices using numbers 1, 2, 3. _____ Lake of the Woods Area Stewardship Association _____ Lake of the Woods Watershed Association _____ Lake of the Woods and Area Association Name Suggestion(s): Do have a name you would like to suggest in addition (or instead of) those listed above? ___________________________________________________ Required for Validation: Member Name: _____________________________________ Address: ____________________________________________ Phone:_________________________ Email: _________________________________ Additional Comments: ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ If you have any questions or feedback 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

WINTER 2017

14 Members - Need to Know Your association is pleased to have the opportunity to sit down from time to time with Member of Parliament for the Kenora Riding, the Honourable Bob Nault. During his recent visit to Kenora in October we were able to meet and chat about a few issues we know are important to our members.

Q A Bob Nault &

with

Q So Bob, you were the MP for the Kenora riding for 16

years, during which you acted as Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development. You then retired in 2004. Why did you decide to get back into politics in 2015?

A Having grown up in Kenora and then acting as MP for

more than a decade I continued to pay close attention to what was happening in northwestern Ontario. I enjoyed having that time away from politics with my family, but my children grew up and I was eager to help push the north's agenda in Ottawa. We still have plenty of work to do, but I have been and will continue to work to keep the north moving forward.

Q One of the big pieces of your campaign was the twinning of the TransCanada. Can you give us an update on that?

This continues to be one of my biggest priorities. The good news is that we are working with all of the communities and First Nations who will be affected by the twinning. This project needs to be a partnership and we need to mean it when we come to the table and say we want to work together. This summer I spoke with Canada’s Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs, Carolyn Bennett, and she has agreed to establish a ministerial working group contingent on Ontario’s participation. Recently, the Ontario government released their 2017-2021 Northern Highways Program that revealed that the twinning would not be considered by the provincial government until after 2021. To me this is unacceptable. Furthermore, I am still waiting for a response from Ontario in regards to the Province’s participation in the Ministerial working group. I expressed my displeasure in an open letter to Premier Wynne. This file did not receive the mediation that it requires and deserves before being pushed to the back burner. Everyone understands that this has become a health and safety issue. Too many people die on that highway every year, and yet it's the major route that connects the country. We need to get the TransCanada twinned and I will continue to push for this project.

Q Of course many of our members either live year round or

enjoy summers in the Lake of the Woods area. That being said we're strongly invested in the health of the land and water in northwestern Ontario. Can you tell us about some of the investments that will help protect our environment.

As a lake dweller myself, I am also very interested in protecting our water. I was pleased to announce last summer that the Federal government was investing $1.7 million over two years in the IISD Experimental Lakes Area. This research facility is crucial to understanding the impacts that humans can have on the environment and helps the government make well studied policy decisions. I was able to visit the facility myself, and saw firsthand the dedicated community of scientists who care deeply about our lakes. The research done there is quite fascinating and I encourage anyone who hasn’t been before to take advantage of the facility’s open house, which they host every summer. Last summer, we also announced $5.5 million for the Plan of Study for the Lake of the Woods watershed. This announcement was a collaboration between the International Joint Commission, the Lake of the Woods Sustainability Foundation and Canada’s Department of Foreign Affairs, and the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change. In March of 2017, I attended the Watershed Forum in International Falls, Minnesota. Scientists from both sides of the border gathered to discuss various research projects and how they affect lake health. The forum was very eye-opening and will help determine what needs to be done to keep our lake healthy so future generations can enjoy what we have for decades.

Our conversation may not have been a long one, but the content was as interesting as it was important. We look forward to sitting down with Bob in the future to discuss these topics and more for upcoming issues of Lake of the Woods Area News.

L.O.W. AREA NEWS

WINTER 2017

Members - Need to Know 15 Call for Nominations 2018 LOWDPOA Board of Directors LOWDPOA is now accepting nominations for the 2018 board of directors. We are especially interested in candidates with experience in business, organization management, government affairs, accounting or environmental science. We also seek to maintain a broad geographic representation of our membership base. The primary qualification is a strong interest in the Lake of the Woods district along with a willingness to represent both the association, and the wide ranging interests of our membership. The Nominating Committee shall present its recommendations to the Board no later than thirty days prior to the date of the Annual General Meeting. Additional nominations for directors may be made by voting members, providing such nominees are voting members, are sponsored by at least ten voting members in writing, and contain the acceptance of the nomination in writing by the nominee. Such nominations must be submitted to the Executive Director of the Corporation at least twenty-one days (April 16, 2018) prior to the Annual General Meeting (May 7, 2018). No nominations for directors shall be accepted from the floor of any meeting of members.

LOOKING FOR YOUR MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL PACKAGE? If you haven’t received it yet, contact Linda to have your renewal package sent out or check pages 8-10 for everything you need to know about membership renewal. info@lowdpoa.com 807-468-8715 | 1-888-265-9784

PREREQUISITES • Nominee must be a 2018 member in good standing of the Lake of the Woods District Property Owners Association. • Nominee must accept the nomination • Name, e-mail address and telephone number of the nominee must be provided. • Nominee must provide a brief written outline detailing areas of expertise, property location and areas of specific interest. Please contact Robert Bulman, Past President and Chair of the Nominating Committee, bulman@lowdpoa.com or in care of: LOWDPOA Attn: Nominating Committee PO Box 1160 Kenora, Ontario P9N 3X7

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

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Contact Diane Schwartz-Williams for more information: diane@lowdpoa.com / (807) 543-4287. You can also order by mail. See page 10 for details, or contact info@lowdpoa.com or (807) 468-8715.

L.O.W. AREA NEWS

WINTER 2017

16 Members - Need to Know Changes Coming to Local Land Use Planning and the At the end of August Lake of the Woods District Property Owners Association (LOWDPOA) added its voice to that of the Federation on Ontario Cottagers Associations (FOCA), fully supporting FOCA’s submission and providing additional comments on Bill 139 (Schedule 3), the proposed Building Better Communities and Conserving Watershed Act, 2017: Amendments to the Planning Act. “We would respectfully suggest that there is yet one more significant issue at hand requiring attention and careful consideration. The documents made available for review and comment make little reference, if any, to the process, planned changes or impact in unincorporated or unorganized territories. It leaves us wondering what the Province’s plan is for the process and making planning decisions for unorganized/unincorporated areas in conjunction with the proposed changes. Any reference in the Planning Act (Section 7) as to the role of Planning Boards/authorities in making decisions has no application in unorganized/unincorporated areas in our case, as planning authorities do not exist there. Accordingly, there is no official plan for these areas. Dependent on the nature of the decision, as we understand it, such decisions presently fall to the Ministry of Municipal Affairs (MMA) or the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry and in some cases directly to the Minister responsible for MMA. Will this change under the proposed new legislation? Given the somewhat unique nature of unorganized/unincorporated areas and the significant number of LOWDPOA members potentaily affected (very conservatively estimated at 33%), we are curious and most interested in exactly how the proposed Tribunal would work in such areas. Further, we would appreciate the opportunity to be included in discussion of same.” While we appreciate the opportunity to submit comments at this time, we regret that we missed out on the opportunity to participate at an earlier date, likely with more comprehensive input, at one of the town halls held in 2016. We do pride ourselves on staying informed and connected as an organization, but were completely unaware of the town halls.” To ensure that the Ministry understood the relevance of this legislation to our association our submission noted that LOWDPOA has more than 3,100 individual and family memberships representing cottagers, waterfront property owners, year-round residents, seasonal vacationers and concerned citizens. We further explained that LOWDPOA’s members include singles, couples and extended family groups living in the Lake of the Woods watershed area, both in municipal and unincorporated areas, extending from Morson at the south end of Lake of the Woods to the Minaki area on the Winnipeg River and from the Manitoba border east to the Longbow Lake/Dogtooth Lake area (covering an area of approximately 5,500 square kilometers).

As a provincial voice for waterfront property owners, the Federation of Ontario Cottagers’ Associations (FOCA) encourages our members to better understand and become involved in local planning issues. Planning decisions made at the municipal and provincial level can have a significant impact to you and your waterfront community. So it was of great interest when the Province of Ontario introduced Bill 139, the proposed Building Better Communities and Conserving Watersheds Act, 2017: Amendments to the Planning Act in May of 2017. In particular, the bill included a review and update of the role of the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB), and we welcomed an update to this part of the planning process in Ontario. If passed, the proposed reforms would transform the land use planning appeals system by: • Giving municipalities greater control over local planning, resulting in fewer decisions appealed • Creating the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal to replace the Ontario Municipal Board • Improving the hearing process at the Tribunal • Establishing the Local Planning Appeal Support Centre (more info, below) to provide legal and planning support to Ontarians who want to participate in proceedings before the Tribunal • Limiting the Tribunal’s ability to overturn municipal decisions that adhere to municipal official plans, provincial plans, and the Provincial Policy Statement • Sheltering major planning decisions from appeal We believe the hearing process will be improved by requiring the Tribunal to hold a case management conference in major land use planning appeals, where opportunities for settlement, including the possibility of mediation, would be discussed. Reducing the length and depth of hearings, by establishing timelines for hearings and pre-hearing processes in major land use planning appeals at the Tribunal, will include: • Requiring submissions be given to the Tribunal at least 30 days before the mandatory case management conference • Limiting the time for presentation at oral hearings Importantly, the jurisdiction of the new Tribunal will be limited to whether or not a municipal decision was inconsistent or did not conform with provincial/local plans when dealing with appeals of planning documents. If the Tribunal finds that a municipal decision was not consistent, or did not conform with local or provincial policies, the matter will be returned to the municipality to make a new decision.

L.O.W. AREA NEWS

WINTER 2017

Members - Need to Know 17 Ontario Municipal Board The current OMB process often put citizens and community voices at a disadvantage as they lacked the expertise and the resources to fully participate in OMB appeals. The new Act would establish an important new resource, an independent 'Local Planning Appeal Support Centre' which will: • Provide Ontarians with general information on land use planning

Proposed Hearing Process

Appeal of municipal decision on official plan/zoning (i.e. conformity/consistency appeals).

Appeal to Tribunal

• Record of municipal decision is received by the tribunal. • Notice of appeal and mandatory case conference.

• Offer guidance to residents on the appeal and hearing process at the Tribunal • Provide legal and planning advice at different stages of the appeal process It will also provide new tools for Ontarians, including: • A new website for the Tribunal would make it easier for the public to access information in different formats, such as videos • Public posting of Tribunal decisions, including plain language executive summaries FOCA commends the addition of the Local Planning Appeal Support Centre as part of Bill 139. FOCA has encouraged the Province to provide adequate support to enable the Support Centre to be a valuable resource to our members. In summary, FOCA understands the proposed changes will give local municipal councils more authority in regards to local planning decisions, which we agree is important for local democracy. We are, however, aware that rural municipal councils often lack the resources and capacity to undertake significant planning processes and in some cases the OMB provided citizens with the ability to hold a council to account for their planning decisions. With the changes in the ability to appeal some planning decisions municipal councils will have greater authority. As such, we recommend that the Province provide all rural municipalities with the needed resources and capacity to follow a rigorous procedure to develop their Official Plan (OP) and that the Province ensures all municipalities across Ontario have a current Official Plan that incorporates good planning practices and includes a thorough public consultation process. A final consideration: since there are a significant number of seasonal residents in many rural Ontario municipalities, it is important to provide adequate opportunities to have them included in the development and review of OPs. Planning consultation must include options that allow for participating remotely, beyond just open houses or meetings that are locally held and advertised. Again, FOCA applauds the government for their work to improve the planning process in Ontario. FOCA will continue to encourage our members to become involved in their local planning process and their municipal elections. FOCA is the Federation of Ontario Cottagers’ Associations, an incorporated non-profit organization that represents over 500 waterfront property owners’ groups, with over 50,000 member families. For over 50 years, FOCA has spoken on behalf of, and supported, Ontario’s 250,000 waterfront property owners. As a member of LOWDPOA, you are also a member of FOCA!

Mandatory Case Conference

• Discuss opportunities for settlement, including mediation. • Identify, define and/or narrow issues.

Mediation

• May be on all or some issues.

Hearing (as required) • Test: whether municipal decision is consistent/ conforms with provincial/ local plans. • Time limit for parties to make argument to be set out in regulation. • No examination or cross examination of witnesses.

Decision

• Tribunal determines whether the municipal decision is consistent/conforms with provincial/local plans.

Yes

Does not conform / is inconsistent.

Conforms / is consistent.

Sent back to municipality for reconsideration.

Tribunal upholds municipal decision.

Municipal Planning Review

• 90 days for applications (hold public meeting, issue new decision). • If no appeal, decision in effect. • If appealed proceed to Tribunal for final resolution.

L.O.W. AREA NEWS

WINTER 2017

18 Members - Need to Know OFAH INVADING SPECIES AWARENESS PROGRAM SUMMER EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

SUMMER EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

POSITION: Environmental Stewardship Technicians (2)

POSITION: Invasive Species Community Outreach Liaison (1)

LOCATION: Kenora, Ontario

DURATION: June 18 - August 25, 2018

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

DESCRIPTION: LakeSmart is an environmental outreach program managed by LOWDPOA during summer (2018). LakeSmart assists the Association delivery on its environmental education mandate and to raise the profile of LOWDPOA.

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

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

Applicants must be full-time students, under 30 years of age and returning to school full-time in September 2018 as per the requirements of Canada’s Summer Jobs Program. Must have access to a vehicle for the position. Please forward a resume and cover letter for either position(s) by April 6, 2018.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES: • Liaison with community groups and resource professionals to assist in the development of invading species awareness initiatives • Attend and provide support to community events, such as fishing derbies or community fairs • Conduct presentations to various community organizations • Coordinate community groups in stewardship/monitoring activities • Develop educational materials on invasive species/contribute articles to local newspapers/newsletters. EDUCATION AND QUALIFICATIONS: Enrolled in post secondary education in biology, environmental science or a related resource management program. REQUIRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE: • Knowledge of invasive species affecting local environments • Plant, fish and invertebrate identification skills • Knowledge and skills relating to monitoring local waters and natural areas for invasive species • Experience networking with resource professionals/agencies and engaging volunteers/public in invading species awareness and stewardship projects • Excellent written and oral communication skills, including experience conveying information to the public (e.g. presentations to community/contributing articles to newspapers/newsletters) • Familiar with computer and database management skills (MS Office, MS Outlook, Internet) • Knowledge of the principles of field work, such as accurate data recording, use of technical equipment, record keeping • Able to work flexible hours and perform occasional field work • Strong organizational skills and the ability to work effectively with minimal supervision • Valid G driver’s license • Pleasure Craft Operators Card & valid police reference check

Mail to: Diane Schwartz-Williams, Lake of the Woods District Property Owners Association PO Box 1160, Kenora, ON P9N 3X7 E-mail: diane@lowdpoa.com

L.O.W. AREA NEWS

WINTER 2017

Members - Need to Know 19

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L.O.W. AREA NEWS

WINTER 2017

20 News & Notes Highway 17 Twinning Start Remains Elusive Plans to four-lane Highway 17 between the Manitoba border and Kenora, remain just that—plans.

completed by 2013. However the project became stalled in 2011 over issues raised by First Nations along the route.

After a brief exchange of public statements in August and September by the area’s federal and provincial parliamentary representatives and responses from government officials, travellers looking for some measure of relief from traffic pressures along the TransCanada Highway through northwestern Ontario are no further ahead than they have been for the past decade.

Since then little progress has been made, with the province pushing forward the date for actual construction on several occasions, most recently in its 2017 Northern Highway fiveyear construction planning document. Having pledged last year to have the work completed by 2020, the project is now listed for completion “beyond 2021”.

Plans to begin twinning of the current two-lane highway were first announced in 2009 with a commitment of $50 million in funding from each level of government. Initial route design and planning moved ahead quickly with a timeline to have the first 15 km of the 45 km route

The revised timeline prompted a public outburst from federal member Bob Nault, who termed the delay “disappointing and disturbing”. Nault said he had been in discussion with the First Nations involved and government officials and believed all were on side. “To have this new timeline revealed without consultation or notification is simply unacceptable,” said Nault.

Your association is staying on top of this Immediately following notification of yet another delay in the twinning of the highway, we contacted the Province to voice our interest and concern and to request detailed information on the process and timing for the public consultations announced by the Ontario Minister of Northern Development and Mines, Michael Gravelle. We asked to be notified in advance of all sessions of time, location and process for making submissions so that we could pass this information on to our members with sufficient leadtime to increase the likelihood of your involvement and perhaps attendance. We did receive a response advising, “further public information sessions associated with design and route planning work have not yet been scheduled.” While we would have preferred to have seen a firm date set, we are encouraged to know that “Lake of the Woods District Property Owners Association is a stakeholder in the consultation process”. Our contact information is currently included on the Province’s consultation distribution list and the association will be notified in advance of open house sessions as they are scheduled.

CONCRETE PUMPING & CRANE SERVICES

Provincial member Sarah Campbell also weighed in, questioning the government’s commitment to the project and chastising it for failing to deliver on a pledge of regular updates made last year. In the oral question period September 20, she posed a statement directly to the premier: “Residents in Kenora–Rainy River were shocked last month when they learned that the longdelayed twinning of Highway 17 has been delayed yet again. Instead of being completed by 2020, the completion date is now 2021 and beyond, meaning that we really have no idea when this crucial project will be finished.” The government responded to both area politicians that consultations on the project are ongoing and that the province remains committed to the project. However, no details on when work would begin or the reason for the delays, were offered.

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L.O.W. AREA NEWS

WINTER 2017

News & Notes 21 Seasonal Residents to Share in Hydro Relief For year-round residents of the region served by Hydro One the province’s promised hydro bill relief has meant monthly reductions of up to 50 per cent. Seasonal residents however, who received only part of the promised savings, continue to pay substantially more for their electricity in comparison.That will be changing in the years to come. During a visit to the area September 14 and 15, Ontario Minister of Energy Glenn Thibeault acknowledged the government is aware of the difference in rate support that has emerged between seasonal and year-round residents served by Hydro One as a result of Ontario’s Fair Hydro Act. One of the changes to electricity billing and rate structures going forward will be the elimination of Hydro One’s seasonal class and the merging of those customers with the utility’s current residential classes. When that will occur depends on the Ontario Energy Board, but when it does happen, said Thibeault, those customers will be included in distribution cost savings currently limited to year-round residents. This will put Hydro One seasonal customers on an equal footing with seasonal customers served by other utilities to which the province’s Rural and Remote Rate protection plan was extended this year. Those utilities have only a single residential class, allowing all customers to benefit from the provincial distribution cost subsidy. For Hydro One seasonal class customers, the future savings will be substantial. Under current rate formulas, a seasonal customer using 500 kWh of electricity (a realistic average for that class based on annual consumption) is charged $128.83 according to the Ontario Energy Board’s rate calculator, compared to $94.59 for a year-round, R2 low density class customer. The key difference in the total bill is the local delivery charge—$79.22 for a seasonal customer, $46.60 for a year-round customer. As power consumption rises, those using electric heat for example, so does the bill difference. At 3,000 kWh a month a seasonal customer would pay $572.66 including $285.75 in delivery charges, compared to a year-round customer at $374.96, with a subsidized delivery charge of $97.45. Of greater concern for those monitoring Hydro One’s charges, are projections for future fully fixed monthly distribution charge. Hydro One rate proposals dealing with the move to all fixed rates and the elimination of the seasonal class have projected distribution rates out to 2024. Those projections include a year-round R2 Class fully fixed monthly charge in the $140 range before rate subsidies. If the 155,000 member seasonal class is discontinued without providing rate subsidies, approximately 80,000 seasonal customers being moved to the R2 class would be exposed to that full cost, compared to the typical average of $80 paid now.

Hydro Bill Reductions by the Numbers EFFECTIVE JULY 2017

Cost of electricity: now 8.2 cents kWh based on average use patterns, was 10.9 cents. Taxes: 8% PST share of 13% HST dropped via a credit. Fees: 0.3 cents/kWh in regulatory/rate subsidy program fees dropped from bills. Distribution Charges (for Hydro One R2 class customers): a new maximum monthly charge of $36.43 plus a line loss charge (approx. 0.8 per kWh) and grid transmission charges (approx. 1.2 cents/kWh) for total volume charges of about 2 cents/kWh. Prior to the Fair Hydro Act, Hydro One R2 class distribution charges (effective Jan 2017) consisted of a monthly charge of $23.93 and various volume charges totalling 5.34 cents/kWh. For Seasonal Class customers, distribution charges remain unchanged at $38.08 monthly plus volume charges of 7.97 cents per kWh. Tree removal over a cottage Hydro line.

L.O.W. AREA NEWS

WINTER 2017

22 News & Notes

Lifesavers: A Summer Tradition August 12, 2017. It was a beautiful summer evening on Lake of the Woods. On the outside deck of the Royal Lake of the Woods Yacht Club, guests mingled and sampled appetizers and signature cocktails as local jazz band ‘Standard Time’ entertained. It was the beginning of another record setting evening at the 12th Annual Lifesavers Dinner and Auction and by nights end, $335,000 was raised for your hospital.

We couldn’t do what we do for your hospital at the lake “ without Lifesavers and the support the event inspires year after year. You have truly impacted the quality of patient care available to your community and your community is eternally grateful! Thank you!” ~ Jess Rheault, Executive Director, LWDHF The evening was hosted by event Chair, Catherine Konantz and led by Master of Ceremonies, Don Konantz. Guest speaker, Dr. Sean Moore, Chief of Emergency Medicine at Lake of the Woods District Hospital, recounted real life stories from the ER and the impact Lifesavers has had on providing much needed equipment to the hospital. Once inside, 146 seasonal and local residents were treated to a delectable five-course meal prepared by RLWYC Chef Rob while being entertained by auctioneer Bob Kozminski and Lighthouse family speaker Rod Senft. Dr. Colin Foster and his daughter Caitlin brought many to tears with their heartfelt thank you to Dr. Moore and LWDH’s dedicated staff for all they did to save his life. The Lifesavers event is a summer tradition on Lake of the Woods with many thanks to Kozminski and Nicki Douglas, the founders that continue to inspire this annual event. Their vision continues to thrive through dynamic chair Konantz along with her dedicated committee of Douglas, Foster, Lisa Paterson, Lisa Heimbecker, Karen Dunlop and

Cindy Behrsin. Thank you to the staff at RLWYC for an amazing night, along with our ‘whistle raffle’ kids for a job well done. Without volunteers leading the charge, LWDHF would not be in a position to help your hospital at the level it does. This is also made possible thanks to our loyal sponsors, donors, and title sponsor Scotiabank. There are so many people and businesses to thank we have dedicated a page on our website. Lifesavers Dinner and Auction has become LWDHF’s largest fundraising event and this past year the accounted for 50 per cent of the funds transferred to the hospital for medical equipment. Funds raised from this year’s Lifesavers event will allow the purchase of a MALDI-TOF-Microbiology system—brand new technology for the lab—as well as patient beds, Neopuff resuscitation for infant warmers, and a Bladder scanner for the ER. The remaining funds are designated to the CT Scan renewal project. You are making a difference. You are helping to save lives. Thank you! Planning has already begun for Lifesavers 2018 and we need your help. If you would like to be a part of the planning committee or join others that have already made a commitment to support next summer’s event, please contact LWDHF or reach out to any one of our 2017 committee members. See you next summer!

Thank you very much to the Kenora and Lake community “ along with all of our volunteers and generous donors and supporters for setting yet another fundraising record at this highly successful event. The spirit of generosity and giving surrounding the Lifesaver dinner is extraordinary and allows us to provide quality healthcare in our community.” ~ Catherine Konantz, Lifesavers 2017 Chair

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Seasons change, markets change, brokers change—but our premium service remains constant. Our brokerage continues to provide more than 40 years of recreational real estate experience from the same lake front location we have occupied for 20 years. We remain at your service through all four seasons, providing diligent assistance to cottage owners and buyers in the Lake of the Woods vacation area—which we provide respectfully as lifetime cottagers ourselves. Whom you choose to represent your best interests is important. Call us when you desire premium results. Fabulous Private Island 25+ Acres + Beach

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L.O.W. AREA NEWS

WINTER 2017

24 News & Notes

City of Kenora Undertaking Community Energy Planning Process The City of Kenora is undertaking a Community Energy Planning (CEP) process over the next two years to address long-term energy demands, energy efficiency and greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals within the City of Kenora. In May 2017, the municipality conducted a preliminary workshop as a part of Canada’s Great Lakes Climate Change Adaptation Project, an ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability (www.icleicanada.org) project supported by the Ontario Ministry of Environment and Climate Change under the Canada-Ontario Agreement Respecting the Great Lakes. The workshop focused on assessing community vulnerability and risk, and to develop an understanding of community perceptions around climate change impacts. The City of Kenora is one of 16 communities in Ontario that took part in these workshops over the spring and summer. In September, a more focused introductory session for stakeholders (local industry, commercial and institutional energy users, and local and regional energy policy analysts, members of the business community, and LOWDPOA) kicked off the formal CEP process. The City has hired VIP Energy Services, Inc., a consultancy out of Guelph, ON, to assist with this project. VIP Energy’s project manager, Steven Schmidt, described the process in this way: "A Community Energy Plan (CEP) is a comprehensive long-term plan to improve energy efficiency, reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions developed within the context of the built environment, land use planning, growth planning, and generation and

transmission infrastructure. Kenora is creating a CEP to build the community’s energy resilience in light of future risks, align with provincial, national and international climate policy directives and foster opportunities for cost-savings and environmental sustainability. The CEP will provide a path forward to help achieve these targets but also curtail rising energy costs and help develop the local ‘green’ economy. It will additionally act as a catalyst to expand retrofit practices across Kenora and promote community engagement to create a more comprehensive understanding of energy to include land-use planning, transportation, water and waste diversion." The City’s project will follow three phases over the coming two years. Phase one involves stakeholder engagement and will include opportunities for public input through one or more community open houses this fall and winter. Phase two involves data collection: doing a baseline energy study, producing a baseline energy map, and doing strategic energy audits as necessary. Phase three, unfolding in 2018, is the CEP creation stage, resulting in a finalized plan that will be shared with the public and CEP stakeholders when completed. For more information on the CEP process, contact Adam Smith, Special Projects and Research Officer with the City of Kenora at (807) 467-2192 or asmith@kenora.ca.

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L.O.W. AREA NEWS

WINTER 2017

News & Notes 25 Energy East Pipeline Conversion Project Cancelled

PLT Reform: Review Continues

TransCanada, the company promoting the Energy East gas-to-oil conversion project that would have affected two of the existing Canadian Mainline natural gas transmission pipelines in the Lake of the Woods area, announced on October 5, 2017 its plans to cancel the project. Also cancelled was the Eastern Mainline project, a proposal to construct a new natural gas pipeline in southern Ontario to service customers in northeastern Ontario and Quebec whose natural gas supply would have been reduced when Energy East went into service.

The government review of the Provincial Land Tax (PLT) was first announced in 2013 with the stated intent to address concerns of northerners in increasing tax fairness and reducing inequities in how services are paid for in the north. Information on the process and changes made in 2015 and 2016 can be accessed online at fin.gov.on.ca: land tax reform. While there is no update online beyond November 2016, the review process continued into 2017 including recent consultations with municipalities and Local Service Boards. With an announcement expected late fall, we can only provide a limited update at this time.

TransCanada President and Chief Executive Officer Russ Girling issued a public statement that can be viewed on the company’s website (transcanada.com: termination energy east). It read in part: "After careful review of changed circumstances, we will be informing the National Energy Board that we will no longer be proceeding with our Energy East and Eastern Mainline applications. TransCanada will also notify Quebec’s Ministère du Developpement durable, de l’Environnement, et Lutte contre les changements climatiques that it is withdrawing the Energy East project from the environmental review process."

The province is looking at a 2018 target for residential rates inside the School Board of $250/$100,000 for assessed value. The rate for residential properties outside the School Board is under discussion with serious consideration being given to bringing this rate closer to the ‘inside’ rate. Consultations have also included discussion on how to tax industrial and commercial properties in a manner consistent with a business located in a municipality. Improving communication between the province and Local Service Boards has been noted as a priority, and MPAC is looking at ways they can improve the way in which they provide information at tax time.

Our thanks to LOWDPOA directors and staff who closely monitored the project over the past years, including its potential impacts, both positive and negative.

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L.O.W. AREA NEWS

WINTER 2017

26 News & Notes OMB Decision: Minaki-on-the-River Over the years one of LOWDPOA's priorities has been to monitor land use management and development throughout the Lake of the Woods District.

development Case # PL160402. It should be noted that several issues were cited in the decision, and can be viewed in the full decision document.

The proposed ‘Minaki-on-the-River’ project on the former site of the old Minaki Lodge in the unorganized territory of Minaki has raised a number of issues both positive and negative: economic growth, jobs and tourism dollars, vs increased density both on land and the Winnipeg River, potentially precedent setting approval of condominiums in unorganized territory and concerns over the safety and effectiveness of the plan for waste management/sewage.

[16] After hearing 11 days of evidence and argument, it is clear to the Board that the crux of the Appellants’ case however focuses on public health and safety, together with that of the environment. The redevelopment is dependent on the proposed resurrection of the dormant, private STP (sewage treatment plant) which serviced the Lodge and remains on site to deal with all of the solid waste to be generated by the proposed redevelopment of the lands.

The Minister of Municipal Affairs granted draft approval of the proposed plans condominium for Minaki on the River in April 2016. Subsequently, a group of concerned individuals and the Minaki Cottagers Association appealed that decision to the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB). This appeal resulted in a 10-day public hearing held in Kenora this past summer.

[27] The pivotal issue before the Board is therefore the determination of whether development dependent on private communal STP is consistent with the PPS (Provincial Policy Statement), and, if so, whether the evacuation condition reasonably addresses the matters and criteria under ss. 2 and 51(24) of the Planning Act which speak to the adequate provision of waste management systems, the suitability of the lands for the purpose for which it is being subdivided, whether the proposed subdivision is in the public interest, and the adequacy of municipal services.

Recognized as a participant at the OMB hearing, LOWDPOA did not take a position of opposition or support of the development. LOWDPOA looked more broadly than at specific issues, and voiced the association’s over-riding concern is that all environmental issues be addressed, that all rules and processes currently in place be adhered to and that the proposed Minaki development adheres to today’s environmental standards/regulations. Although the proposed Minaki development was the focus of the hearing, LOWDPOA recognized that the outcome has the potential for environmental impact both in and beyond the immediate Minaki area. (A portion of LOWDPOA’s participant statement was published in the fall issue of Area News, and the full statement is available upon request at info@lowdpoa.com.) The Ontario Municipal Board decision granting the appeal and overturning the original approval by the Ministry of Municipal Affairs was delivered to all parties on October 18, 2017 after reviewing all the issues and related presentations submitted by all parties at the hearing. The final decision document is lengthy with 47 key points detailing the decision and the basis upon which it was made. We have included a few key excerpts below from the decision document regarding Minaki on the River proposed

[45] The Board therefore finds in the absence of appropriate public oversight as a back stop to ensure public safety and health and that of the environment, the proposed private communal STP is not consistent with s. 1.6.6.3 of the PPS, and approval of the draft plans of condominium as such, do not represent good planning and are not in the public interest. [46] The proposal and conditions of draft approval fail to satisfy the criteria of s. 51(24) of the Planning Act. [47] The Board orders that the appeals are allowed and the proposed plans of condominium are not approved. For further details on the recent Ontario Municipal Board decision and related documentation go to elto.gov.on.ca: PL16402 or contact LOWDPOA at 807-543-42987 or info@lowdpoa.com.

High speed internet upgrades planned for Northwestern Ontario Announcements of high-speed internet upgrades in eleven northern and northwest Ontario communities were made in early October. As welcome as these announcements were, even more exciting are the reports we have heard that this is only the beginning with plans in place to provide fast,

reliable internet connections to a number of communities and areas. We do not have a listing of communities at this time, but as we receive any updates we will be sure to share them on our website and Facebook page.

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L.O.W. AREA NEWS

WINTER 2017

WinterSolstice Every year for the last two decades, I have travelled to Lake of the Woods for the holiday season. I stay at least a week, and sometimes two or more. I have never missed a year.

by Danielle Gauld

There are a lot of reasons why the pull to return to the place where I grew up is still so strong for me. My parents and most of my extended family live in Kenora. Several of my closest friends and their children do too. I love the visits, the gatherings, the food and festivity.

I also love the deer scattered on snowy streets, almost as though they were put there as decorations; or the sight of a big antlered buck curled up like a cat, sleeping in the back yard on Christmas morning. I love the magic of thousands of ice candles lit in memory of loved ones at the Festival of Lights at the Lake of the Woods Cemetery and walking the candlelit labyrinth in the basement of Knox United Church.

I love the ways that Kenora captures the spirit of the season. Arriving from Winnipeg, the first thing I see in Kenora is the giant light-strewn tree set up in the middle of Main Street, always there to welcome me home.

On their own, these are probably enough reasons to return each year, but there is also another very compelling one: in my bones, there still lives the need to experience a sense of winter, even after all these years of living away.

Despite having access to the shopping opportunities of a big city, I always save some of my gift buying for Kenora. I start by going to Ho Joe's Coffee to pick up an “Argyle” tea to drink while I browse the unique local stores. In the early 1900s, my great grandfather drove the beautiful wooden boat it's named after, ferrying passengers between different communities in the area with my grandmother on his lap. The combination of family nostalgia with mint tea and chocolate steamed milk is perfection on a cold day.

Ice candles at Lake of the Woods Cemetery, in Kenora an annual December 24 tradition.

Don't get me wrong. I don't really miss months upon months of bitter cold, but living in a place like northwestern Ontario makes us intimately connected to the seasons. Their rhythm is not something you can ignore in a place with such short brilliant summers and long icy winters. That is not to say that Vancouver, where I live now, doesn't have its own seasonality. I love a West Coast spring, with its almost astonishing generosity of magnolia and cherry blossoms. However, days upon days of grey sleeting rain in December does not a happy holiday season make, at least not for me.

Winter sunlight filters through the sugar dusting of snow that gently glitters through the air.

Colourful winter birds at our feeder include downy and hairy woodpeckers.

L.O.W. AREA NEWS

WINTER 2017

I need a Lake of the Woods winter. Every year, after celebrating the holidays in town, our family packs up and heads out to camp. My dad goes out first, shoveling out a pathway and lighting the fire. The rest of us come out a few hours later, when the ice crystals on the windows have started to melt. Here is where I can truly feel the core of what this season is about. It is something I think we forget in hectic December. A time that would have once been very restful has instead become one of the busiest of the year. Many of our holiday traditions find their roots somewhere along the way in the winter solstice. The solstice is the longest night of the year, which is also the tipping point towards the lengthening of days and the return of the light. Across many cultures, celebrations around this time take much of their symbolism from the qualities of the solstice. And I think that the way the land embodies those qualities is what draws me back to the snowy wilds of the boreal forest year after year. Firstly, there is the light. The stunning winter light, best experienced in the woods, filtering through the sugar dusting of snow that glitters gently through the air. It is as though, with the hours of daylight so short, the sun makes up for it in dazzlement. It is also like a promise: that the light is always there, even in the darkest times. Secondly, there is the quiet; the silence so complete at moments that it presses on your eardrums. The hush makes any sounds so crisp and clear that they fill your attention completely—footsteps in the snow, the creak of trees, the fluttering wingbeats of colourful winter birds as they visit the feeder.

in a day and age of constant distractions. It is well worth the price of no running water and the frigid trips to the outhouse (the trick is a ring of styrofoam on the seat that makes it toasty to sit on). And most importantly, there is the dark. Living in a big city means that it is never truly dark, and I believe that there is a cost to this. We need the dark, especially at this time of year. On some nights, we bundle up and go down to the ice late at night, feeling the crack and boom of it beneath us, vast and rumbling. On others, I wait until after everyone else has gone to bed, turn off all the lights and sit in the glow of the woodstove. After a while, I wrap myself in a blanket and step outside to look at the stars, their sharp clarity piercing and bright in a way that only happens at midwinter.

In these moments, I can feel my smallness. It is humbling and somehow comforting at the same time. We are part of something so much larger than ourselves: the earth turning, the cycles of the world. Later, I curl up in the wideness of those long cold nights and feel myself let go in a way I rarely do at other times. All my worries slip away. I feel like a seed germinating in the soil, cozy in the dark. A new season of growth and expansion is on its way, as hard as that may be to believe when it is 40 degrees below. But not yet. And so, we rest.

Then, of course, there is the different kind of quiet that is no internet or phone signal; what a strange luxury this is

Lake of the Woods solstice sunset.

Danielle at solstice at Lake of the Woods.

Deer that ornament our Kenora yard at Christmas.

L.O.W. AREA NEWS

WINTER 2017

30 Basin News

The past year was a very busy one in the Rainy - Lake of the Woods watershed. This special “Basin News” section includes a description of the many groups that collaborate to address various aspects of watershed care in our area, as well as news updates on special projects and issues of concern.

Working Groups in the Basin Lake of the Woods Water Sustainability Foundation lowwsf.com The foundation is, of course, familiar to all LOWDPOA members for its long-standing affiliation with LOWDPOA and its regular information column in the pages of this magazine. Foundation executive director Todd Sellers and watershed coordinator, Kelli Saunders, have long been tireless advocates for evidence-based stewardship of our basin. Todd and Kelli, along with the foundation’s dedicated and tenacious Board of Directors, ensure the organization leads on taking scientific research through the development of evidence-based policy for watershed management and protection. The foundation is one of the most crucial glues that binds together the work being done by so many groups in the basin, and you can find them at the table of many of the entities, projects, and groups described below.

International Joint Commission / International Rainy-Lake of the Woods Watershed Board ijc.org/en_/RLWWB Also familiar to LOWDPOA members will be the International Joint Commission (IJC) and its regional watershed board, the International Rainy-Lake of the Woods Watershed Board (IRLWWB). The IJC is guided by the Boundary Waters Treaty, signed by Canada and the United States in 1909. The treaty provides general principles, rather than detailed prescriptions, for preventing and resolving disputes over waters shared between the two countries and for settling other transboundary issues. The specific application of these principles is decided on a case-by-case basis. The IJC has two main responsibilities: regulating shared water uses and investigating transboundary issues and recommending solutions. The IJC's recommendations and decisions take into account the needs of a wide range of

water uses, including drinking water, commercial shipping, hydroelectric power generation, agriculture, industry, fishing, recreational boating and shoreline property. In our area, the Rainy-Namakan lakes boundary waters, Rainy River, and Lake of the Woods constitute the main transboundary waterways, and they are overseen by the IRLWWB. The Board was created in January 2013, from an amalgamation of the International Rainy Lake Board of Control and the International Rainy River Water Pollution Board, with added water quality responsibilities for the broader Rainy-Lake of the Woods watershed. The Board was formed to assist with binational coordination of water quality efforts for the entire transboundary watershed and to ensure compliance with the Commission’s Order on the regulation of water levels on Rainy Lake and the Namakan Reservoir. The IRLWWB is advised by two civil society advisory groups, the Community Advisory Group (CAG), and the Industry Advisory Group (IAG). These groups include, respectively, members of the public from communities, as well as business and industrial stakeholders around the basin who act as the eyes and ears of the watershed. The CAG and IAG members provide the IRLWWB and IJC with timely and relevant information and updates about any issues of concern, priority strategies or projects, and opportunities for pubic engagement affecting watershed quality and water levels. The IRLWWB also has three working committees, the Aquatic Ecosystem Health Committee (AEHC), the Water Levels Committee (WLC), and the Engagement Committee (EC). The AEHC assists the Board with respect to water quality and ecosystem health tracking, reporting, objectives and analytics, and other activities related to water quality or ecosystem health as assigned by the Board or the IJC. The WLC has a duty to ensure compliance with the Orders of the International Joint Commission (IJC) for the operation of the dams on the Rainy River and outlets of Namakan Lake. The Engagement Committee coordinates outreach activities and prepares documents and materials to assist Board members inengaging individuals and organizations within the basin. All three committees include Board members, members of the Community and Industry Advisory Groups to the Board, IJC staff and other watershed experts.

L.O.W. AREA NEWS

WINTER 2017

Basin News 31

International Watersheds Initiative ijc.org/en_/IWI

International Multi-Agency Arrangement (IMA) lowwsf.com/our-work/international-coordination

The International Watersheds Initiative (IWI)—a mechanism for funding on-the-ground projects in the basin—is run through the IJC. It is an approach to resolving transboundary water issues grounded on the belief that local communities, given appropriate assistance, are best placed to achieve solutions. This approach operates on an ecosystem focus, recognizing that ecosystems function as whole entities and should be managed as such, rather than being bound by traditional political boundaries.

The IMA is the engine for research and management collaboration in the basin. It is an international arrangement for cooperation on research and management, among eight government agencies, the Lake of the Woods Water Sustainability Foundation and one American Tribe. It is the implementation mechanism for both research and management components of a sustainability plan for our lake.

In order to make this approach into a reality, International Joint Commission (IJC) boards in watersheds along the Canada-U.S. border carry out IWI projects to help manage resources, promote communication, and conduct scientific studies. In the 17 years since its inception, IWI has helped inform, engage, and provide tools for decision makers at all levels to better address a broad range of contentious water-related issues along the border.

• Inter-agency data sharing and laboratory proficiency comparisons

Since inception in 2009, IMA has evolved into a powerhouse for collaborative research and management. It is a key technical resource to the IJC watershed board and to the IJC team working on the Lake of the Woods basin water quality study plans. Key achievements of the IMA include: • A hydrologic model for the watershed • A historical nutrient budget for Lake of the Woods • A lake thermal modeling study to assess climatic impacts on algae • Studies of phosphorus release from the lake sediments • Funding of a critical measurement gauge in international waters The IMA played a crucial role in developing the Lake of the Woods Basin Water Quality Plan of Study, providing technical advice to the IJC study team. The IMA is expected to be heavily involved in executing the studies and in implementing any remedial and management actions that follow.

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L.O.W. AREA NEWS

WINTER 2017

32 Basin News

Updates on 2017 Basin Activities IJC Climate Adaptation Working Group As part of its ongoing International Watersheds Initiative, the International Joint Commission (IJC) held a workshop in April 2016 at which its board identified the need for a framework that would help them prepare for climate change. Over the past year, the Climate Adaptation Working Group (CAWG), comprised of members from each of the IJC’s watershed boards, has been meeting regularly to develop an adaptive management framework for tackling climate change issues. The framework has three elements: a planning guidance method, a shared information and resources pool, and IJC-led assistance in establishing adaptive management for climate action within each watershed. The planning guidance method is a tool or process that involves four steps: organizing board-level climate change objectives and do a preliminary scan for data and data gaps; analyzing actions boards might take toward realization of their stated objectives; acting on those actions; and updating the priority objectives and action approaches. A pilot test of the framework’s full process is currently underway with the St. Croix Watershed Board, while the CAWG is also beginning to pool data across boards that will allow them to collaborate on developing climate adaptation strategies to serve the entire Canada-USA transboundary area.

Rule Curve Review Wrap-Up One of the mandated functions of the IRLWWB, as noted above, is to ensure compliance with the Commission’s Order on the regulation of water levels on Rainy Lake and the Namakan Reservoir. The Rainy River basin straddles the international border west of Lake Superior. The outlets of the two main lakes of the basin, Rainy and Namakan, have been controlled by dams

for more than 100 years. Since 1949, Canada and the United States, through the IJC, have jointly established formal rules for regulating water levels and flows for the two lakes. The current rules have been in place since 2000. At that time, the IJC stated it would review those rules in 15 years, taking into account the most recent scientific information about the effects of water levels and flows in the system. In the fall of 2015, the IJC established a Rule Curve Study Board, charging it “to evaluate options for regulating levels and flows in the Rainy-Namakan Lakes system in order to benefit affected interests and the system as a whole in a manner that conforms to the requirements of the Treaty.” In the Rainy-Namakan Lakes system, these interests include: protecting shoreline properties and communities from flooding and erosion; ensuring sufficient water levels for hydroelectricity generation; protecting the rich and complex natural environment of the basin; protecting shoreline cultural and archeological sites and resources from erosion; maintaining seasonal water levels to allow for boating and other recreational uses and associated tourism; and protecting water quality. On June 30, 2017, the International Rainy and Namakan Lakes Rule Curves Study Board submitted its final report, entitled Managing Water Levels and Flows in the Rainy River Basin, to the International Joint Commission. The Study Board recommended slight modifications to the 2000 Rule Curve that allow for reduced winter drawdown and methods to mitigate spring flood damage on Rainy Lake. The Study Board’s final report can be accessed at ijc.org/en_/RNLRCSB.

Project WET Project WET 2.0 (cwra.org/en/project-wet) is a fun, hands-on, inquiry learning based, water education program for formal and non-formal educators of Kindergarten to Grade 12 students. It is designed to supplement the existing provincial and territorial curricula and is suitable for both indoor and outdoor settings. The program offers both a curriculum and activities guide, and professional development certification workshops for educators.

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The Project WET curriculum guide compliments the existing Ontario curriculum, and allows for locally relevant content to be incorporated into lesson plans and activities wherever appropriate. Plans are in development through the IRLWWB to see a similar Project WET toolkit and curriculum guide created to align with the Minnesota state curriculum, too, drawing on local content to allow educators in communities around the basin to teach local water resources information to students in grades K-12.

L.O.W. AREA NEWS

WINTER 2017

Basin News 33

Mining Activities Mining is a hot-button activity that has been tracked by the IRLWWB, its Community Advisory Group (CAG), and groups like Save the Boundary Waters (savetheboundarywaters.org) for the past several years. As expressed in a letter from the IRLWWB to the IJC in 2014, “There is concern over the potential for increased mining activity within the Lake of the Woods drainage basin to contaminate boundary waters if not properly assessed and managed.” In this letter, the Board raised to the Commission’s attention the threats posed to the watershed from numerous mining projects that were either proposed or underway in the basin, and described the environmental regulatory processes applicable to these mining activities under both Canadian and US legislation. The letter closes with the following recommendation to the IJC Commissioners: “As Canadian and American processes call for consideration of cumulative effects and transboundary effects, but do not provide details on how binational coordination of these processes will be accomplished, it is recommended the Commissioners request of Governments an explanation of how this will be accomplished in the Lake of the Woods basin.” While no significant progress has been made on the issue of binational coordination of environmental impact assessment related to mining in the transboundary watershed, since that time, mining proposals have continued to concern these groups. The project that has garnered the most attention in the basin is a proposal for sulfide-ore copper and nickel mining in northeastern Minnesota, near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, a 1.1 million acre wilderness area shared across northeastern Minnesota and northwestern Ontario. The Boundary Waters comprise the headwaters of the RainyLake of the Woods system, and therefore any potential contamination of these waterways could ultimately impact downstream waters, including Rainy Lake, Rainy River, and Lake of the Woods.

Map of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, the headwaters of the Rainy-Lake of the Woods watershed. Source: canoeing.com

Map of federal lands proposed for withdrawl from future mining activity in the Rainy River basin. Source: savetheboundarywaters.org

In the summer, IRLWWB board member Charlene Mason shared with the Board news of a major announcement that the US Forest Service, in cooperation with the Bureau of Land Management, is proposing to withdraw a significant portion of federal (not state or private) LLP land from mining. Over the summer, the parties were receiving comments BARRISTERS & SOLICITORS in preparation for developing an Environmental Impact Statement about the withdrawal. The EIS will take two years to complete. The proposal is to withdraw the lands from mining for 20 years, as has Rod W. W. Shewchuk - Bruce A. J. Ormiston - Bernd M. Richardt been done already for areas around the Tyler E. Johnson - Kirsi H. Ralko - Joshua O.J. Szajewski Grand Canyon National Park. AN 214 Main Street South, Kenora ON Tel: (807) 468-5559 - Fax: (807) 468-5504 - info@kenoralaw.com

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L.O.W. AREA NEWS

WINTER 2017

34 Basin News

Photo: Don Carswell

Lake of the Woods Water Sustainability Foundation 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. International water quality objectives & targets for phosphorus—let’s get going! 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.

Minnesota will release draft phosphorus reduction targets for public consultation likely in early spring 2018, 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” in 2008 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.

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 U.S. 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.

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ECCC science on Lake of the Woods: update

On August 14, 2017 Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) scientists and staff hosted a day long public information session in Kenora. The event showcased the science underway to better understand the issue of toxic and nuisance algae in the Lake of the Woods and what actions are needed to ensure a healthy lake now and into the future.

The information session provided an opportunity for concerned citizens to ask questions and to provide local knowledge and advice to those leading ECCC’s science and policy programs. Also included in the event was information from partner agencies such as the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and the Ontario Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change. Minnesota is nearing completion of its multi-year research on Lake of the Woods and is expected to release reduction targets for Minnesota sources of phosphorus soon—the primary nutrient that stimulates algae blooms. Ontario’s program is focused on monitoring several of the larger rivers and streams flowing into the lake to develop estimates of the amount of phosphorus from these sources.

Veronique Hiriart-Baer, ECCC, discusses Lake of the Woods science projects with Art McKenzie LOWWSF Director (photo: ECCC)

A series of poster displays were presented, summarizing the research projects underway. If you would like to read the posters displayed at the event, you can access them on the foundation's website at lowwsf.com. The ECCC program is focused on the Canadian portion of the Lake. The goal is to identify the sources and amounts of nutrients from Canadian sources and to determine how much of a reduction would be necessary to reduce the problem of algae blooms. ECCC’s approach is to use a combination of research, monitoring and modelling in collaboration with other agencies, organizations and researchers in Canada and the United States.

A summary overview of Environment and Climate Change Canada’s Lake of the Woods Program.

We appreciate ECCC’s efforts in putting together the session and more importantly to everyone who came out to learn more about the work that is happening right off our docks. We will work with ECCC to hold more events in the future to keep everyone informed and to ensure that there are opportunities for the public to provide input as the research progresses. We will be developing a series of short articles in the coming months to highlight the different components of the research. If you have any questions or comments please send an email to ec.lacdesbois-lakeofthewoods.ec@canada.ca and feel free to carbon copy foundation Executive Director, Todd Sellers at tsellers@lowwsf.com.

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36 Basin News

The 2018 Watershed Forum— A sneak peak

The 2018 Rainy-Lake of the Woods Watershed Forum will take place March 7-8, 2018 in International Falls, Minnesota. Hosted annually by the foundation, the forum has grown into a major focal point event for our lake and watershed, attended by upwards of 160 researchers, resource managers, policy makers and the public, all sharing the common interest in working to ensure the future ecological integrity of the waters of the Rainy-Lake of the Woods Basin. Plans for the 2018 forum program include sessions on: • Nutrients & algae: research aimed at developing nutrient reduction targets to combat algae blooms on Lake of the Woods, including the first “mid term” look at preliminary results from Environment Canada’s $5.5 million science plan and a progress report on Minnesota’s nutrient study that will set reduction targets for Minnesota sources of phosphorus inputs to Lake of the Woods • Climate change: rolling up the extensive body of research into climate change impacts on Lake of the Woods and surrounding waters. • New tools and techniques: advances in monitoring and data management and visualization. • Fisheries: highlighting major work to summarize the status of fisheries in Lake of the Woods, Rainy River, Rainy Lake and upstream boundary waters.

The IJC Rainy-Lake of the Woods Watershed Board issued its second annual report on water quality and aquatic ecosystem health, covering the period of 2015-2016. The report’s primary focus is on phosphorus conditions and loading to the Lake of the Woods and Rainy River as priority issues of current concern. In addition, the report covers other indicators of aquatic ecosystem health including information where available for many of the boundary water lakes upstream of the Rainy River. Highlights of the report include: • Nutrients and algae remain a concern for Lake of the Woods. The U.S. portion of the lake continues to be impaired, with total phosphorus and algae concentrations above Minnesota’s criteria. Throughout the main body of the lake, average total phosphorus concentrations exceed Ontario’s Interim Provincial Water Quality Objective for avoiding nuisance concentrations of algae.

MODIS satellite image of Lake of the Woods algae blooms, September 27, 2017

With science now underway by Canada and nearing completion by Minnesota—we are also considering a special session focusing on moving from research to action—for now let’s just call it “Science, OK Now What?”. The forum has become a hub for many stakeholders. It is now the annual meeting place for many groups working on water quality and ecology in the basin. As in past years, many other groups will be holding meetings and workshops in and around our forum program, including the IJC RainyLake of the Woods Watershed Board and its committees, the International Multi-Agency Arrangement, Minnesota’s TMDL Technical Advisory Committee and several subject-specific collaborative research groups. Registration for the forum will open in early January at the foundation’s website. For more information on the 2018 Rainy-Lake of the Woods Watershed Forum, or to see proceedings of previous forums, please visit the foundation’s website at lowwsf.com.

IJC Watershed Board report on aquatic ecosystem health

• Major tributaries to Rainy River frequently exceed the IJC Alert Level for phosphorus, indicating potential concerns about nutrient loading to Lake of the Woods from the watershed. • Fish populations are generally in a good state in the basin, although there are concerns in some areas of over exploitation. • Invasive species are a significant concern, with high potential for new introductions and spread of existing invaders. Invasive spiny water flea and rusty crayfish have spread throughout most waterbodies in the watershed. Zebra mussels are present in a few headwaters lakes but do not appear to have spread. • A coordinated core monitoring program is needed to support a binational, systematic approach to long term monitoring, assessment and adaptive management

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You Can Help

Our watershed coordinator

Rainy-Namakan Lakes Rule Curve Review Wrap-up From 2015-2017, the foundation’s Watershed Coordinator, Kelli Saunders, served as Study Manager for the Rainy-Namakan Lakes Rule Curves Study Board, a Board appointed by the International Joint Commission (IJC) to review water regulation on Rainy Lake and the Namakan Chain of Lakes. The Study Board issued its report to the IJC in June and the IJC held public hearings in August on the 11 recommendations in the report aimed at reducing flooding risk and improving ecological benefits. The IJC is currently considering input from the public hearings and is expected to make decisions about the recommendations for water level management for the RainyNamakan lakes system later this fall. Visit participateijc.org/rainy-namakan-lakes-rule-curves for more information.

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. 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.

Binational stewardship projects

The foundation, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and Koochiching Soil and Water Conservation District have committed to another two-year partnership to continue to broaden binational stewardship and integrate the efforts of the many groups working on watershed activities at local, state/provincial and bi-national levels of organization. The focus of this work will be three-fold: • Assessing community capacity to understand the barriers to implementing restoration and protection projects through personal interviews • Providing networking and watershed education opportunities such as a binational lake association meeting, more community-led drain stenciling projects and recruiting new volunteers in the provincial and state citizen water quality monitoring programs • Showcasing Minnesota’s Watershed Restoration and Protection projects and local success stories through a variety of media including the watershed website rainylakeofthewoods.org Since 2012, this partnership has strengthened communication across the border and has heightened awareness of watershed issues and watershed successes binationally. AN

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38 Basin News

Acid Spill into Rainy River at International Falls In late July, the Area News team was apprised of a two to three thousand gallon sulfuric acid spill that occurred late in the evening of July 19, 2017 at the Packaging Corporation of America Boise Paper

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency reported that subsequent tests by the Department of Natural Resources and the Soil and Water Conservation District revealed that although some acid did spill into the river, pH levels were normal and no dead fish were found between the paper mill site and a sampling point 30 miles downstream of the plant. The Rainy River is the main tributary to the Lake of the Woods, flowing from boundary water lakes on the CanadaUS border, into Lake of the Woods at Rainy River, ON. More information can be found at: kbjr6.com/story/35966836/ boise-paper-up-and-running-again-following-spill

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42 On The Ice

WINTER VEH Each year the Kenora Area Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change is notified of incidents where vehicles have been lost through the ice or inadvertently driven into Lake of the Woods and other lakes in the Kenora and Rainy River districts. While vehicles are lost into lakes and rivers throughout the year this article will focus on winter activities. Note this is not an article about ice safety. Information regarding ice safety is available from the Ontario Provincial Police or the Canadian Red Cross. Vehicles lost through the ice range in size from snow machines, ATVs and small cars, up to large truck and trailer combinations and heavy construction equipment. The mishaps not only happen on or near established ice roads but wherever a winter traveler is willing to take their vehicle in order to access that new fishing spot or get into that isolated cabin. Vehicles are lost by people who are new to the lake and by people who have lived and worked in the area all their lives. Fortunately, it seems that most mishaps occur when a vehicle gets stuck in slush and then slowly sinks through the ice giving the occupants time to get out of the vehicle. In other cases the vehicle will plunge to the bottom putting the occupants at extreme risk. ‘Know before you go’ is important advice. When vehicles are lost through the ice it is required that the incident be reported to the authorities. Generally, the first report is given to the Ontario Provincial Police who may initiate an emergency response if required. The second report should be to the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change. Ontario’s Environmental Protection Act requires that individuals and responsible persons report spills and other events that may adversely affect the environment. Often the

Ministry receives reports of lost vehicles from the police, but vehicle owners should not assume that the police are reporting on their behalf. Incidents where vehicles are lost into lakes and rivers must be reported to the Ministry’s Spills Action Centre at 1-800-268-6060. Fortunately, when a vehicle is lost through the ice, it does not release operating fluids (fuel, oil, coolant, etc.) in a large blast. Rather, fluids are released as the vehicle “burps” over time as the liquids are replaced by water. I saw this first hand after receiving a report of a vehicle that went through the ice in the Clytie Bay area. The roof rack of the vehicle was above water so we were able to tie onto it with a boat. The water around the vehicle was clear and normal in appearance. When we touched the vehicle with the bow of our boat a sheen of oil was released in what appeared to be a “burp”. This is why it is important that vehicles are removed from the water as soon as possible. When the Ministry receives a report of a vehicle lost through the ice, our first task is to contact the owner of the vehicle. It is then explained to the owner that they have a responsibility to ensure that the vehicle is recovered.

Truck and trailer through the ice.

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On The Ice 43

EHICLE LOSS by Ray Boivin

After gathering some information from the owner, the Ministry will issue a Provincial Officer’s Order. A Provincial Officer’s Order for the recovery of a sunk vehicle is based on Ontario’s Environmental Protection Act which allows an Environmental Officer to write a preventative measures order to prevent or reduce the risk of the discharge of a contaminant into the natural environment. This is a common tool used by Environmental Officers to fulfill the Ministry’s mandate to encourage healthier communities and economic prosperity through the protection of Ontario’s air, land and water. The first item in the order will be the requirement that the location of the vehicle loss site be pinpointed with GPS coordinates. This is to ensure that the vehicle can be found during the open water season as the lake looks very different when the ice is off. The second item on the order will be a requirement that the vehicle be recovered. Generally we stipulate that this must be done by June 30.

In most cases, recovery of sunken vehicles through the ice is extremely difficult or impossible. Recovery during the ice free season is usually done by sending a diver down to put a float in the vehicle and towing it to the nearest landing. Vehicles are also recovered by hooking the vehicle with a remote operated submarine, hoisting it to the surface and lifting it onto a barge, hooking the vehicle by fishing for it and dragging it to land, or, in winter, sending a diver into the hole to hook onto the vehicle and using a large helicopter to pull the vehicle out of the water. Finally, the order will require that recovered vehicles be taken to a site on the mainland for recycling. Disposal or abandonment of vehicles is not allowed on islands, whether privately owned or not, nor on crown land. The June 30 recovery deadline is to allow for late season ice and for the reasonable distribution of limited recovery resources. It has been suggested that the date should be May 31 but some years the ice is not off until just before the

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L.O.W. AREA NEWS

WINTER 2017

44 On The Ice

Victoria Day weekend so compliance with an order may not be possible. Also, there are a limited number of companies in the Kenora area who do this type of work so they must be given time to marshal resources.

Submerged vehicle on Lake of the Woods in December 2014.

In some cases it will be stated that recovery of the vehicle is impossible or unsafe. I have never accepted this at face value but have asked for a professional opinion from a recovery company. Most vehicles can be recovered, but I have been involved in situations where the vehicle was not recovered due to it being lost, possibly due to current or poor loss site identification in the winter. Also, some extremely heavy industrial vehicles cannot be recovered due to their weight and depth into mud. In both cases, failure to recover must be justified by a professional who will provide an assessment indicating that the vehicle is lost or a heavy vehicle could not be recovered without unreasonable expense and effort.

In rare instances, individuals will not comply with the requirements of a Provincial Officer’s Order. In these cases, the non-compliance will be referred to the Ministry’s Investigations and Enforcement Branch. This branch will investigate the non-compliance and charges may be laid under the Environmental Protection Act. The noncompliance will then be brought to court where a fine may be levied and a court order issued for the recovery of the vehicle. Fines under the Environmental Protection Act can be quite severe with a starting point of $5,000 for individuals or $25,000 for corporations. In essence, most people want to do the right thing. When a vehicle is lost through the ice, the most logical reaction is to take steps to recover it. We often hear that there are many vehicles on the bottom of Lake of the Woods and that they become fish habitat after a few years. Even so, the loss of fuel into the water and the littering of the lake bed with sunken vehicles is not a natural process and may contribute to the degradation of our beautiful lakes. Modern practice is to manage your waste and sewage so it doesn’t get into the lake; an extension of this, in the event that your vehicle is lost through the ice, is to arrange for its recovery. This starts with reporting to the police and the Spills Action Centre and ends with the successful removal of the vehicle from the water. AN Ray Boivin, Senior Environmental Officer, Ministry of Environment & Climate Change, retired this past summer. He provided us this article as one of his final tasks on the job. Happy retirement, Ray!

BUILDING DREAM S

L.O.W. AREA NEWS

WINTER 2017

46 Environment

Valuing our Forests (AND WOOD PRODUCTS) by Rob Keen, CEO, Forests Ontario

As landowners and cottagers we inherently recognize that our forests provide us with a diverse range of values—ecological, economic and social. While many of these benefits are fairly straightforward and easily identified, others can be much more complex and are often overlooked. As both a forester and a cottager, I am constantly exposed to the number of ways that our forests support our quality of life. As the CEO of a notfor-profit organization committed to sustaining healthy forests, I believe it is imperative that all of the benefits we derive from our natural resources are fully understood and properly valued in order to ensure that we continue to manage our forests in a responsible manner so that we can continue to derive these values over the long-term. As I have come to learn, healthy forests support healthy communities and healthy populations. Last year, Forests Ontario, working in collaboration with other like-minded organizations, launched It Takes A Forest (ITAF), a public awareness initiative designed to provide Ontarians with fact-based information regarding our forests, forestry practices, and wood products. Our intention is to promote informed dialogue that in turn supports good decisions. With this in mind, I would like to explore some the ways that forests, and wood products, enrich our lives. It should come as no surprise that our forests provide us with a number direct and indirect economic benefits. These include employment, community economic stability, and tax revenues to all levels of government—municipal, provincial and federal. Our forests also provide us with a myriad of products that we rely on in our everyday lives, sometimes without even knowing it. In addition to lumber and paper, wood and wood compounds are used to make bath towels, nail polish, toothpaste, LCD screens (computers and televisions), ping pong balls and even car doors. On the employment front, Ontario’s forest sector supports over 170,000 jobs and contributes to the economic well-being of 260 communities across the province. The sector generates $13 billion in revenue, pays over $2 billion in direct wages and salaries, and provides a significant source of government tax dollars and royalties on an annual basis. At a local level, the wood product manufacturing contributes almost $11 million annually to the City of Kenora’s economy and is recognized as one of the largest private sector employers. Locally, forestry provides a foundation for economic prosperity through year round employment and by helping to sustain vital infrastructure such as roads, schools and hospitals.

Photo: Don Carswell

L.O.W. AREA NEWS

WINTER 2017

Environment 47 From an ecological perspective, our forests also provide us with countless environmental goods and services. They remove pollutants from our air and provide us with the oxygen we breathe. They provide flood control and help moderate water levels. They purify our water. Forests help stabilize our soil and prevent soil erosion, and they provide habitat for wide range of wildlife species. Forests also take carbon, a major greenhouse gas, out of the atmosphere and store it in woody biomass for the lifespan of the individual trees and beyond in wood products. From a social standpoint, our forests support a suite of opportunities including hiking, camping, snowmobiling, hunting, and fishing. Exposure to nature, including forests, is also becoming increasingly linked to a variety of health benefits including lower levels of stress, reduced asthma rates, decreased levels of obesity, fewer instances of cardiovascular disease and a reduction in attention deficit disorders.

help them adapt to changing temperatures associated with climate change. Planting locally adapted, native stock as part of our afforestation and regeneration efforts and monitoring newly established trees to assess their survival and growth in the face of a changing climatic conditions will be instrumental in maintaining healthy ecosystems. Forest management can also help create habitat conditions, such as browse, for a wide range of wildlife including moose. In addition, many environmental benefits associated with forests extend to wood products. As an example, wood products can play a critical role in our fight against climate change. The rationale behind this is relatively straightforward:

Trees store carbon in their woody biomass as they grow. As trees are converted to wood

While the importance of these ecological and social services may seem obvious, they are not always easy to quantify. Without a greater understanding of the true value of these services, there is a growing concern that they will be treated as an externality—a variable that cannot be accounted for— and as such be undervalued.

products, such as the two-by-fours used in

In response to this concern, various organizations and governments have committed to internalizing these ecological benefits, or more specifically, assigning them a monetary value. While this is a relatively young and emerging discipline, various case studies exist. For example, a 2017 report produced by the TD Bank Group and the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) assigned an average value of $26,382 per hectare per year to the ecological services provided by various NCC properties, representing each of Canada’s forest regions, across the country. In a more locally relevant context, they estimated that a property located in the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence forests of Quebec, the same forest type found to the south of Kenora, provided an economic value of $19,405 annually per hectare when considering services related to the removal of atmospheric pollution, carbon storage, flood control, and water treatment, with over 95 per cent of the benefit attributed to carbon storage.

be locked up for decades or even centuries.

At a municipal level the importance of internalizing these benefits and incorporating them into infrastructure planning is also being recognized. In 2015 the Town of Gibsons, British Columbia outlined its motivation and approach for assessing a monetary value to local ecological features such as aquifers, creeks, and woodlands in its Towards An Eco-Asset Strategy In The Town Of Gibsons report. The strategy recognizes that by making moderate investments to monitor and maintain these elements, the town can reduce the number of, or outright avoid the need for, engineered assets such as water reservoirs and water purification plants at a fraction of the cost, all while meeting community needs and expectations for services. With all of this in mind, it is important to recognize that ecological and economic values are complimentary— contrary to many assertions that one must be sacrificed to achieve the other. Actively managing our forests can

cottages and docks, the majority of the carbon stored in the tree is retained in the products. Depending on the product, this carbon can As new trees are planted they take additional carbon out of the atmosphere as they continue to grow creating a larger carbon sink. In jurisdictions such as Ontario, establishing new trees after harvesting on public lands is mandatory by law. While research continues on the best way to maximize the carbon benefits associated with forestry and wood products, this concept is well established at the provincial, national and international level. As early as 2007 the International Panel on Climate Change of the United Nations recognized that “In the long term, a sustainable forest management strategy aimed at maintaining or increasing forest carbon stocks, while producing an annual yield of timber, fibre or energy from the forest, will generate the largest sustained mitigation benefit.” In addition to carbon storage benefits, wood has also been found to have a clear environmental advantage over other products, such as concrete and steel. Studies have found that wood uses less energy in production, produces less air contaminants, and results in less water pollution. A 20-year lifecycle analysis commissioned by the Canadian Wood Council on a 2,400 square foot residence found that, when comparing alternative material designs, a wood framed structure outperformed steel or concrete-based designs across a range of environmental measures. Respectively, steel and concrete based designs embodied 26 and 57

L.O.W. AREA NEWS

WINTER 2017

48 Environment per cent more energy, emitted 34 and 81 per cent more greenhouse gases, released 24 and 47 per cent more air pollution, discharged four and 3.5 times more water pollution, and produced eight and 23 per cent more solid wastes than the comparable wood framed home. Embodied energy accounts for the energy associated with extraction, processing, on-site construction, and maintenance and repair activities for the time period in question, in this case two decades. It is recognized that all building materials have their place and provide value, it is simply a case of understanding the impacts of our decisions.

The next time you are sitting on your dock or porch, take a moment to recognize that by building with wood you are doing the environment a favour. Naturally, underscoring all of the values we receive from our forests is the need to ensure that they are being well managed. On this note, Ontario has a reason to be proud. Several national and international studies have recognized Ontario as a global leader in forest management, crediting us with

some of the most stringent and comprehensive regulations in the world. These studies can be found on the ITAF website at ittakesaforest.ca. Ontario is also a forerunner in the field of forest certification. Certification is a process where independent experts make sure that the forests are being used and harvested wisely in a sustainable manner. Even though Ontario has only two per cent of the world’s forests, we have seven per cent of the world’s certified forests. When it comes to sustainable forest management we are punching above our weight. Recognizing the role that forests, and forest products, play in our lives is critical to the long-term health of both the resource and ourselves. By properly understanding and valuing these resources we can ensure that we continue to manage them in the most sustainable manner possible and that we are able to enjoy all of the benefits they provide for generations. After all, It Takes a Forest to ensure a healthy society and economy. I invite you to join the conversation, follow us on Facebook and Twitter (@ittakesaforest). AN

Rob Keen is the CEO of Forests Ontario, a registered charity and non-profit organization. Its goal is to create healthy forests for healthy communities by providing tree planting and maintenance programs, delivering forest education programs, and engaging the community in learning more about the benefits of forests.

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The History of the

Red Pine Ridge Road by Ross Parke

Every road has a history. Red Pine Ridge Road runs off the Trans-Canada Highway just east of the Ontario truck weigh station near the Manitoba border. The construction of the Red Pine Ridge Road started in 1972 and is approximately five kilometres from the Trans-Canada highway to the end of Woodchuck Bay. This road services roughly 29 cottages on Granite Lake and the north side of Woodchuck Bay. E.W. Stringham from Granite Lake was the person instrumental in starting this road project. He wrote a letter to the cottage owners on both lakes with his idea of building a road to their cottages. After a number of letters and meetings, interested cottage owners selected to form a road board association but then, unexpectedly, Mr. Stringham decided to move home to England. However, the road board and the plans had been set into motion. I was the secretary—treasurer and had the dubious job of collecting the down payments necessary to start construction. The down payment for each cottage owner was $1,000 and we had great success collecting over $15,000. This was a good sum of money in those days. The contract to build this road was given to Devlin Timber and they gave us a quote of $3,000 to $4,000 per mile. Our next step was walking through the five kilometres of bush trying to find

51 a suitable route. This turned out to be a larger task then we had anticipated. The terrain over the three miles included marshy areas, a number of little lakes, and rugged rocky cliffs. We eventually worked out a reasonable route and tagged the trees for removal. I remember the day I waited on the old Trans-Canada highway, just off the main highway, for the Devlin crew to arrive. Up rolled a big front-end loader and the crew was one person, his last name, Poulin. He had spent most of his life in the bush and was a master behind the controls of that huge loader. He streamlined our path, cutting many corners and finding easier routes over the rugged terrain. This in turn saved us money. As well as contributing to the main Pine Ridge Road, each cottage owner was responsible for his own access road from the main road. It wasn’t always easy to convince every cottage owner to commit to such an expense. The $15,000 we had raised was enough to rough out the road and we used it in this condition for two years. But in order for the government to take over the upgrading and yearly maintenance of the road through road taxes, we had to improve the main road to their specifications. This was done by assessing every cottage owner approximately $125 a year. Eventually we had enough money to bring the road up to government specifications and the government would kick in $2.00 for every $1.00 we invested. We were finally on our way. The government now meets with us once a year to find out what work needs to be done and we contribute to the road yearly. The road continues to improve and is now open year round.

Larry Eiler took over the job of secretary-treasurer many years ago and has done and continues to do a great job. Two other board members, Glover Anderson and Ben Cummuskey put in a great deal of work and time into this project. Cummuskey eventually sold his Granite Lake restaurant and became a permanent resident at the end of the road on Woodchuck Bay. He was responsible for renaming the road from Granchuck Road to Red Pine Ridge Road. Thank goodness. Granchuck—a cross between Granite and Woodchuck—is not an attractive name in my opinion. I wonder how many cottage owners who drive this road today know where to find the section of the road was the late Ben Cummuskey’s reason for naming it, Red Pine Ridge? Watch for that ridge the next time you drive the road. On a personal note, I felt the construction of this road back in 1972 was very important and was the reason I got so involved in the project. I was young in 1955 when I bought my land and built a cottage, and rowing a boat from the Rockeries and later travelling to the cottage in our 16-foot boat with a 5-hp Viking didn’t seem so bad. Boats obviously got bigger and more powerful, but a road would make life much easier. In fact, the road not only simplified travel, it also made possible power and telephone lines and of course the inevitable increase in land value. E.W. Stringham would be pleased if he could see the road he envisioned 45 years ago. AN

Photo: Don Carswell

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WINTER 2017

52 Cottage How-To The Experimental Lakes Area (ELA), now operated by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), is a world-renowned science station encompassing 58 freshwater lakes. Being located so close by, many Kenora residents are familiar with the important research it has performed since the late 1960s—research that has influenced public policy both in Canada and around the world. What is less well-known, however, is the ELA's ongoing efforts to “green” and modernize its own facilities in order to bring them in line with its overarching mission of environmental sustainability.

Green Buildings at the IISD-ELA by Beth Turner Any remotely situated site, having no access to utilities such as hydro and natural gas, faces unique challenges, and the IISD-ELA is no exception. The facility has had to rely heavily on diesel generators, which can be noisy and inefficient, and produce copious amounts of greenhouse gases. When I visited the station in early September, Roger Mollot, Operations Manager, explained that in order to increase the efficiency of these generators, a clever system was set up to capture their excess heat. The recovered heat is then transferred into the hydronic in-floor loops of the large wood/maintenance shop, putting energy that would have otherwise been wasted to good use. While it's good to make the most of current fossil fuel usage, an effective green building plan must also focus on reducing consumption. As such, the installation of things like LED lighting and motion-detector hallway lights in some of the ELA's buildings has helped to lower the facility's energy requirements. Moreover, when some of the torn-down residential cabins needed to be replaced, a great deal of care was taken to design more efficient, sustainable buildings. With a plan from architect and University of Manitoba professor Herbert Enns—who has been researching the use of pre-fab architecture for remote areas—two new cabins were constructed by Conquest Manufacturing in Altona, Manitoba. The construction took place inside the factory, and the buildings were then delivered in two or three parts, depending on the size of the cabin. The onsite work time was a fraction of what it would have been with a traditional build.

1148 sq. ft. cabin (Photo: Conquest Manufacturing)

In chatting with Mark Lyng, IISD Special Projects Manager, he emphasized the benefits of building in an environmentally controlled setting. For example, Conquest is able to insulate the buildings from the outside in, which is more precise and thorough than the traditional inside-out method, resulting in greater exterior envelope efficiency. In addition, there are no weather-related delays, and he notes that, “all building materials stay dry throughout the entire process, preventing the early onset of mould.”

Delivery of the new cabins (Photo: Conquest Manufacturing)

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Cottage How-To 53 The walls of the cabins, insulated with eco-friendly Roxul mineral-wool batts, are a staggered-stud construction, which reduces thermal bridging. The buildings' flat roofs (with their impressive R-50 insulation value, thanks to spray foam) lend a modern aesthetic and create an additional outdoor living area—a rooftop deck—within the existing footprint. Conquest also used spray foam to create a proper air-barrier seal around electrical boxes and ceiling light fixtures, a critical element of green building that is often overlooked. Triple-paned fiberglass windows (low-E, argon filled) from Winnipeg-based Duxton Windows, complete the cabins' efficient envelopes. Compared to the original, drafty cabins, these features make the buildings particularly comfortable to live in, requiring far less heat in the colder months, and staying cool without air conditioning in the summer. In each one, heat is provided by a small, energy efficient wood-stove, and a high efficiency propane boiler connected to in-floor tubing and smart thermostats. A nearby ground-mounted solar array, connected to sealed, no-emissions batteries (which can be Solar Panels at the IISD-ELA

stored inside the homes) supplies the majority of the cabins' electricity requirements, with the diesel system being used only as a backup. As an added high-tech bonus, these mechanical systems can be monitored and controlled remotely. Careful thought was also given to future planning. Constructed on a pier foundation (with a wellinsulated floor), the cabins could eventually be moved, if necessary, with very little disturbance to the original site. Many of the materials could be recycled, such as the corrugated metal siding, or re-used, such as the birch panels employed in lieu of drywall. These material choices, combined with highly efficient floorplans, create a calming, minimalistic look that is well suited to the serenity of the surrounding forest. This effect is further enhanced by window-walls that permit plenty of natural light, and open up onto decks, creating a more seamless indoor-outdoor space flow.

While the two new cabins on their own are very impressive, Mark Lyng is confident that they are only a starting point in the “greening” of the ELA's facilities. More PV solar arrays can be installed along the same cut-line, and battery storage technology—which he views as the biggest barrier right now—is improving every day. In the long-term, we all need to switch over to renewables entirely. However, Mark believes that a shorter-term goal of powering the facility with 50% renewable energy is fully achievable, especially with new funding partnerships. ELA's transition could also prove to be very useful as a learning tool for other diesel-dependent remote communities. And, of course, the pre-fab cabins themselves are an excellent illustration for new home and cottage builders looking for a simpler process, without sacrificing energy efficiency or aesthetics. AN

Indooor-outdoor space in the 767 sq.ft. cabin

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54 Cottage How-To “He comes, he comes, the Frost Spirit comes! And the quiet lake shall feel The torpid touch of his glazing breath…”

by John Greenleaf Whittier

Block the

Glazing Breath of Winter by Elsie Neufeld

The Frost Spirit’s “glazing breath” infiltrates our cottages and homes through gaps and cracks around our windows, driving up our energy costs and sending a chill up our spines when we sit close by. Replacing leaky windows with new energy-efficient models is an option, but sometimes at a cost that the payback doesn’t warrant or, if you have a vintage or historic cottage or home, changing the windows would ruin the aesthetic value of the building. That doesn’t mean you have to live with that ten to 25 per cent of your heating costs going out the window. There are options—quite a few of them, actually—that can be as effective as replacing windows. Caulking, weatherstripping, storm windows and window coverings can all help cut energy costs. Before deciding on which of these options work best for you, check your windows to discover which are leaking and where. There are several ways of finding those hot spots of air infiltration. Start with your house sealed up as much as possible, preferably on a windy day. Low-tech tests use a lit candle or a burning stick of incense. Move it around the windows and watch for the

flame dancing or the smoke whirling actively. You will then know the location of your leaks. A higher tech method is to use an infrared thermometer, which you can borrow from a friend or purchased at a hardware store. These detect the temperature of your window surfaces and joints, quickly revealing the leaks. Check your doors and electrical outlets at the same time. They, too, can be air leak culprits. The most efficient and thorough way of finding leaks is to have a professional conduct an energy audit using a blower door. It will cost about $300, but will give information about your energy consumption and how to reduce it. It might also qualify you for federal or provincial grants to offset energy efficiency upgrades. See Ontario’s Home Energy Conservation Incentive Program for details on provincial programs in Ontario to help offset the costs of energy efficiency upgrades: ohecip.ca/en. Once you have found where the leaks are, the first option is to seal the windows with caulking and weatherstripping. According to the Offices of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Resources in the U.S., caulking a window will take one to two hours to complete, cost between $3 and $30, and result in ten to 20 per cent energy savings—well worth the effort. Caulking and weatherstripping are considered easy projects for do-it-yourselfers. YouTube has a multitude of videos to help you do the job from operating a caulking gun for the first time to applying the caulking.

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Cottage How-To 55 Caulking needs to be done inside and outside. Ensure you have the appropriate interior or exterior caulking. Also, caulk the interior of your window before the exterior so moist air is not trapped in the wall.

weeping holes, drilled into the corners to allow airflow and to drain away any water. Of course, unless your primary window is properly sealed inside, this leaking air will pass into the house.

A major source of air leakage is the gap around the window structure between the window sash and the framed window opening. To seal that area, spray in a non- or low-expanding foam insulation. This is mostly easily done when installing new windows. For existing windows in a finished building, you might want to seek professional help.

Interior storm windows use plastic film, polycarbonate sheets or glass set in a wood, vinyl or metal frame and is set into the interior frame of the window. They have several advantages over external storm windows: easier to remove and install, less maintenance because they are not exposed to weather, more effective because they seal to the primary window, and they also don’t detract from the outside appearance of the house.

Two kinds of weatherstripping are typically used on windows: V-type weatherstripping for sliding surfaces and self-adhesive compression or foam weatherstripping for butting surfaces. Ensure the window latches are tight so the window is firmly snugged up against the weatherstripping. If you want to seal the window during the winter, but be able to operate the window in the summer, temporary caulking and weatherstripping can be used. These products can be cut to the length needed and pushed into gaps. These pieces are simply pulled out when they are no longer needed. Remember, sealing air leaks around your windows will also improve the efficiency of summer cooling.

Storm windows

Storm windows come in a large variety, from the shrinkwrap plastic film to custom made low-e coated glass. They can be installed inside or outside, and be framed in wood, vinyl or aluminum. According to Natural Resources Canada, single-glazed windows lose ten to 20 times as much heat compared to an equal area of properly insulated wall. Storm windows will reduce that heat loss by almost half. If you have double hung windows, external storm windows are the appropriate choice, while with awning or casement windows internal storms will work the best. Exterior storm windows come as one solid window that is installed in the fall and removed in the spring, or permanent triple- or double-track storm windows, which have a glass pane for winter and a screen for summer. One concern with exterior storm windows is the build up of condensation between the primary window and the storm window as warm humid interior air leaks into the space. The resulting condensation will damage the window. To protect from this, thoroughly seal the window’s interior side and allow some leakage around the storm window. Some storm windows have holes, called

Interior storm windows set into the primary window frame tightly, preventing the air leaking through the primary window from passing into the room. Some storm windows have a compression weatherstripping around the edge of the frame to hold the window in place and seal around the storm window. Another uses magnetism to attach the storm window to the primary window. The most inexpensive type of interior storm window is the plastic film. The kits include a two-way adhesive and sheets of the film. This is a one-time use product, but it serves the purpose, reducing leaks and saving money. When considering interior storm windows, think about your window coverings. The storm windows might interfere with the curtains or blinds, requiring some modifications. Speaking of window coverings, they can also be used to energy efficient affect. Window quilts and insulated cellular shades are good for insulating and winter comfort. They even block drafts. On the negative-side, condensate tends to build up on the glass behind them. With all these options—caulking, weatherstripping, storm windows, and window coverings—you can easily fend off the Frost Spirit’s glazing breath from sneaking in through your windows. AN

“He comes, he comes, the Frost Spirit comes! Let us meet him as we may, And (with the sealing of window edges) turn His evil power away…” With apologies to Mr. Whittier

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56 Cottage How-To

Home Water Treatment Systems: The quality and taste of bottled water—without the bottle North Americans love bottled water. According to the Beverage Marketing Corporation, bottled water has surpassed carbonated soft drinks to become the largest beverage category by volume in the United States, and almost one third of Canadian households actually drink bottled water at home. Many consumers reach for bottled water because they believe that it’s a healthier and/or tastier alternative to the water from their tap. Dig a little deeper, however, and you’ll discover that that may not actually be the case. With the right home treatment system, your tap water can be just as safe and taste just as good as bottled water, at a fraction of the price. And when it comes to the environmental costs, the choice is clear: home treatment wins hands down.

Create clean, better tasting tap water

Did you know that many popular brands of bottled water are simply municipal tap water that has gone through extra filtration and sterilization steps? So why bother with bottled when you can get the same quality—or better—right from your tap?

An ultraviolet (UV) disinfection system will inactivate harmful microorganisms in your water, even dangerous, hard-to-eradicate organisms like Cryptosporidium and Giardia. It’s the same technology that many bottled water companies use to sterilize their product. By combining UV disinfection with a carbon filter pretreatment system, you can get rid of unpleasant tastes and odours, including the chlorine smell and taste you find in municipal tap water. Carbon pretreatment can also remove pesticides, pharmaceuticals and a slew of other organic contaminants. And because this kind of system treats all the water entering your house, you’ll get the same high-quality water at every tap—and even your shower.

Save money and hassle

According to The Globe and Mail, bottled water costs between $0.15/litre to more than $2.50/litre. The average Canadian uses approximately two litres of water a day for drinking. If you’ve got four people in your household,

that’s eight litres a day, 365 days a year. Multiply that by a conservative estimate of $1.32 a litre, and you’re looking at nearly $4,000 a year on bottled water. At those prices, a home treatment system will pay for itself long before the year is up—and keep saving you money for years to come. It costs very little to run a water treatment system that incorporates UV disinfection with pre-treatment filtration. The electricity required is about the same amount it takes to run a 40-Watt light bulb, while replacing most UV lamps (done once a year) and carbon filters will set you back around $3 per week. You’ll also save on hassle. Forget about hoisting big bottles of water into your dispenser or schlepping 24-packs from the grocery store. You don’t need to worry about cleaning and sanitizing your water cooler either. And the maintenance is simple. All you’ll need to do is replace the carbon filter a few times a year, plus change the UV bulb annually and clean the quartz sleeve around it.

Avoid the bottled water eco-disaster

According to a recent Forbes article, globally, consumers purchase one million bottles of water every minute. Canadians alone buy close to 2.4 billion litres of bottled water a year, which averages out to approximately 64 litres per person. That’s a lot of bottles. Think of all the energy and resources that go into making those plastic bottles—and all the fuel that gets burned delivering them to your door. Altogether, the Pacific Institute estimates that America’s bottled water habit consumes up to 53 million barrels of oil annually. That’s enough to fuel more than three million cars for an entire year. And the environmental damage doesn’t end there. According to the Container Recycling Institute, nearly two out of every three beverage containers end up in landfills or incinerators, rather than being recycled. To find out what water treatment system is best for you to ditch the bottle and start drinking clean, great-tasting water straight from your tap, speak with your local water treatment specialist. AN

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WINTER 2017

58 Food & Drink

Notes From

Razberry Lane by Henry & Anita Rasmussen

Comfort Food & Hygge Definition of “hygge” (pronounced “hooga”): Cozy togetherness; the presence of soothing things; the art of creating intimacy. A feeling of home. The sky is uniformly grey and the wind has just plucked the last leaf from the big silver maple by the window. Fall is here with its promise of long, cold winter months ahead. Some of us are busily making plans to seek sunnier climes to await the return of spring. Others look back to a time when winter was not only a challenge but a time of fun, of sleigh rides, tobogganing and skating, of warm fires and delicious comfort food. Pantry shelves groaned under rows of preserved fruits, jams, jellies, relishes and pickles. Potatoes, carrots, turnips and onions slumbered in the root cellar. This was typical of autumn in rural Canada before the advent of modern

Trifles, one of winter’s finest comfort food desserts.

freezers and the convenience of super stores. Preparing for winter, though a lot of work, resulted in a sense of safety, warmth and wellbeing. The Danes call this culture of comfort hygge, adopted in the early 1800’s from a Norwegian word for “well-being”. It may originate from the Old Norse hygga which means “to comfort” and has since spread through much of northern Europe, not only Scandinavia. The Dutch call it gezelligheid, the Germans gemutlichkeit, the Swedes lagom. Canadians might use “hominess” to describe a state of shutting out the outside world. In essence, it comes into its own in those darkening days just before winter sets in. In Denmark, people light candles, not only in the dining room but all over the house and in the workplace. People gather in their homes with friends and relatives, ideally around a wood stove or fireplace. Sweaters, wool socks, scarves, cushions and blankets break out everywhere. Warmth, coziness, conversation and the preparation and eating of food all contribute to the feeling of wellbeing and happiness that constitutes hygge. What is comfort food? For many of us it is the stuff of memory, of childhood when we were warm, loved and secure. Though often simple, it has powerful connotations that linger throughout one’s life. Each Canadian has a unique version of what constitutes comfort food. At our

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WINTER 2017

Food & Drink 59 house, winter meals tend to centre around stews, soups and gravies that bubble and simmer on the back burner along with the smell of bread baking in the oven. Rice pudding and other saucy and custardy desserts are popular along with tea or coffee. The latter tend to migrate to the living room around the wood burner on dark chilly evenings. The Danes prefer cake and serve it on any pretext in every venue. Their famous open-faced sandwiches and pastries are not only beautiful to look at, but melt in your mouth. Danes believe food is best enjoyed in the company of friends and family, ideally small groups of up to four people. Leaving your tensions and worries behind and not monopolizing the conversation are essential to comfort, relaxation and balance. Soft pools of light rather than harsh overhead lights are preferred, hence the popularity of candles. Canadian winters are daunting and require a fair degree of preparation and planning to allow us to burrow in our cozy homes like hibernating bears. Unlike our ursine friends, we have the option of surrounding ourselves with comforts that can transform winter into a time of reflection, socializing and contentment. Sitting by the fire with a good book and a cup of tea while the wind blows snow against the windowpane is not a bad way to spend a winter evening. We might do well to incorporate a little more hygge in our lives. There is probably a good reason why Danes are consistently voted the happiest nation in the world year after year.

There is great comfort to be found in a homecooked pulled pork sandwich, or what we like to call, the hygge burger.

Cinnamon bun, anyone? AN

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60 Invasive Species What the

phrag?

by Hayley Anderson

Please excuse the risqué title, I don’t mean to offend. However, if you speak with anyone who deals with Phragmites (pronounced frag-my-tees) on a regular basis, their response is usually filled with some additional choice words. Phragmites australis subsp. australis (this subspecies is an important distinction) is an invasive perennial grass, introduced from Europe. It is the bane of ecologists, firefighters, and managers of natural areas in Canada and the U.S. In fact, in a study done in 2005 by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada it was determined to be the “worst” invasive plant in Canada. The good news is that we don’t have it on the shores of Lake of the Woods just yet. However, it is a short drive away, as there are some small populations currently being managed in Fort Frances, Winnipeg and Headingley. During the research for this article, I learned that there is a small population near Ingolf which was identified adjacent to the railway tracks in 2008. However, there is no further information about control or spread since that initial identification. Phragmites (also called European Common Reed) is a tall, perennial grass that grows in wetlands, wet ditches and lowlying areas. Despite preferring to grow in standing water, it can

survive long periods of drought. It is also tolerant of salt and environmental contaminants. European Common Reed was present in Canada for at least 100 years before it was recognized to be a different, more aggressive species than our native Phragmites grass, called Phragmites australis subsp. americanus, which is not invasive. Some places on the east coast called the invasive Phragmites Elephant Grass, because it was thought to have been brought by the trains carrying traveling circuses. There are records of Phragmites spreading from Nova Scotia in 1910, to the St. Lawrence River by the 1920s, and Lake St. Clair by the 1940s. Nowadays, if you travel on any of the major highways in Southern Ontario (i.e. the 401) the invasive Phragmites is the dominant species along the roadside.

Identifying Phragmites Phragmites grows in dense stands, which can contain as many as 200 stems in one square metre, and each stalk can reach heights of 15 feet (5 m). It spreads through seeds and through under- or over-ground roots (rhizomes or runners) which sprout new plants every 30 cm or so, and the roots can spread out up to five metres per year. The leaves are long, between 20 and 50 cm in length, and 2-3 cm wide. At the end of the summer, it produces seeds in a branched flower head called a panicle, which looks almost dark purple in colour. There can be as many as 2000 seeds per seed head. Showing the height of phragmites plants (credit James H. Miller, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org)

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Invasive Species 61 Comparing Native Phrag to Invasive

The stalks die every winter, but remain standing and dry out, which is of major concern for firefighters because they are highly combustible. Phragmites Rhizome (credit Ohio State Weed Lab, The Ohio State University, Bugwood.org)

It is not always easy to tell the difference between the native and invasive subspecies, but there are a few key characteristics that should help in identification. The native subspecies has a low stem density and the plants are much more spread out. In the spring and summer, the native species has a reddish tinge to the stem at the base and also along the stem when you tear off a leaf, whereas the invasive Phragmites has a stem and leaf base that is tan in colour.

Invasive Phragmites Beige Stem (credit Caleb Slemmons, National Ecological Observatory Network, Bugwood.org)

Native Phragmites Red Stem (credit Rob Routledge, Sault College, Bugwood.org)

Nevertheless, if you can’t definitively identify whether you’ve got native or invasive Phragmites, don’t hesitate to contact botanical experts at any government or university herbarium. Recently, there was a patch of suspect Phragmites at the corner of Jones Road and Highway 17 in Kenora that I investigated. I sent a specimen to a herbarium in Ottawa and was delighted to learn that it was the native subspecies. The native subspecies can also be seen growing in some areas just off the highway between Kenora and Winnipeg.

Ecological Consequences of Phragmites Invasive Phragmites thrives in disturbed soil, much more so than native species, which is why it is so often seen along roadsides. Its spread can often be pinpointed to the expansion of road ways, train tracks and development. Once it has established itself in those disturbed areas, it begins to infiltrate wetlands and other pristine spaces, pushing out native species by outcompeting them for space, nutrients and sunlight. Also, Phragmites is allelopathic, meaning that it produces chemical toxins from the roots that it leaches in to the soil. These chemicals prevent the growth of other species nearby, giving it a competitive advantage.

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62 Invasive Species Phragmites can quickly change the ecosystem and dominate the landscape, with what was once a thriving wetland quickly becoming a desolate and silent monoculture. Walking amongst Phragmites stands, there are no birds or nests. The rigid and dense stalks are too difficult for most species to nest in, and it is not eaten by our wildlife. Phragmites actually changes the structure of the wetland by dropping water levels—more plants means more water taken up in to the stalks. Phragmites is also slower to decompose than most species, resulting in the buildup of sediment between the dead, standing stalks at the base, which would normally wash away from faster decomposing plants. This sediment buildup changes the elevation of wetlands and can cause them to become drier, changing over time to become unsuitable for the species that used to live there. Phragmites is of special concern to the prairie provinces due to its habit of invading wet areas. The sloughs where duck and goose hunting is a cherished past-time are at risk of being overrun and permanently altered. Growing along roadsides, it typically results in additional maintenance costs as the tall and dense stalks can alter sightlines and cause safety concerns. When I worked as an invasive species technician, I heard stories of fires sweeping through dry Phragmites stalks, burning hotter and quicker than they would normally.

What to do if you find Phragmites If you find Phragmites on your property, the first task should be to identify it correctly to make sure that it is the invasive subspecies. Once it is confirmed, controlling it before it becomes well established is key. Most of the biomass of the plant is below ground in the roots, so control measures have to focus on exhausting that energy supply, and usually more than one measure is needed.

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In Ontario, Phragmites control efforts used to be done in a piecemeal fashion, depending on the appetite for a long-term control commitment and funding availability. The Ontario Phragmites Working Group has been formed to help provide a larger-scale, more coordinated effort. Visit their website at www.opwg.ca to learn about Phragmites identification, resources, prevention, management and control information and projects on the go.

Prevent the Spread! (Courtesy of invadingspecies.com, tweaked for our area.) • Learn how to identify invasive Phragmites and how to avoid accidentally spreading it through its root fragments and seeds. • Learn how to effectively manage Phragmites on your property and watch for new plants • Never buy or plant invasive Phragmites. It is still permitted for sale in the horticulture industry, and some people transplant it without realizing what it is. • When leaving an area containing invasive Phragmites, inspect, clean and remove mud, seeds and plant parts from clothing, pets, horses, vehicles (including bicycles and ATVs), and equipment such as mowers and tools. • Do not compost invasive Phragmites in your backyard composter. Both seeds and rhizomes can survive and grow in compost, unless high enough temperatures are reached to kill the reproducing structures. • If you’ve seen invasive Phragmites or other invasive species, contact the Invading Species Hotline at 1-800-563-7711, or visit the EDDMapS Ontario website (eddmaps.org/ontario) to report a sighting. AN

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Invasive Species 63

Purple Loosestrife Control by Dave Schwartz

By now, you know the scoop on purple loosestrife. You know it’s an invasive species that threatens to severely damage local ecosystems, and you can recognize it. In fact, you just did. You spotted a patch of the invasive weed in your neighbourhood wetland. What now? It might be possible to dig out a few plants and destroy them, but anything more would require a Herculean effort due to the extensive root system. Herbicides are not allowed in wetlands where loosestrife invades. Fortunately, purple loosestrife infestations can be controlled by introducing the Neogalerucella beetle which feeds exclusively on purple loosestrife and can bring it under control. This method of biological control has been in use for a long time. It is so well proven that no permits are required for their use. The only permission required is that of the landowner. If the infestation is on your own property, you just hit the jackpot. All you have to do is contact Ontario Beetles (ontariobeetles.ca) and arrange for a shipment of beetle larvae at the right time of year. If you just won the lottery, the $1,200 price tag for a package of beetle larvae, shipping and consultation is no problem. Rather, since most of us didn’t just win the lottery, you will probably look for an organization to look after the funding. If you don’t own the property in question, getting the owner’s permission is unlikely to be a problem.

Above: First beetle release in marsh complete (L-R Reed Cupeiro, Diane Schwartz-Williams, Kylee Neniska, Linda Nelson) Below: Second beetle release by water on LakeSmart boat (Krista Robertson)

How it all comes together when the situation is more complex may be best described through the Kenora example. I (concerned citizen) had been monitoring an infestation in the marsh adjacent to Laurenson Creek that flows through Kenora. Scattered loosestrife plants had been there over 20 years but were now rapidly becoming the dominant species. Much of the affected property is owned by the City of Kenora so I made an appointment to present a deputation on behalf of the Laurenson Lake Property Owners to Kenora City Council. I gave a short backgrounder on purple loosestrife and the Kenora situation, requesting permission for a beetle release and potential funding support. Kenora City Council, in turn, verified the information I had provided and authorized the project without funding. Having not recently won the lottery, I was advised to approach the Lake of the Woods District Property Owners Association (LOWDPOA) to see if they had an interest in the project. They did. LOWDPOA took over, purchased beetles, involved the staff of their LakeSmart education program to conduct the initial release and a subsequent release which was funded by Federation of Ontario Cottagers’ Association (FOCA), another cottager association with an interest in invasive species control. The beetles are now dutifully munching away in the marsh and presumably will establish a local population which will, over a number of years, bring the invasive weed under permanent control, but will not eliminate it completely. Of course, purple loosestrife is not the only invasive species threatening our bit of paradise. It behooves all of us to be knowledgable and vigilant to catch these invaders at an early stage when chances are best to minimize the environmental harm. In protecting our environment, there really is no substitute for involved citizens. For any invasive species discovery it’s good idea to have it entered on a map of invasive species locations, You can do this by taking photos, getting the GPS coordinates and registering your discovery at eddmaps.org. EDD maps tracks the early detection of invasive species, making it a key component of control efforts. AN

L.O.W. AREA NEWS

WINTER 2017

64 Wildlife & Wilderness

Canada Jays

by Dave Schwartz

The Canada jay (Perisoreus canadensis) has recently been recommended as Canada’a national bird. Good choice! It resides in all 13 provinces and territories of Canada, from the spruce bogs at the northern limits of agriculture all the way north to the tree line. The cute, rugged Canada jay lives in northern or alpine forests year-round.

What’s in a name?

The bird is officially known as the gray jay, as it was dubbed by the American Association of Ornithologists in 1957, after perhaps 200 years of being the Canada jay. Although it does reside in Alaska and the alpine regions of the western United States, “Canada jay” seems a more appropriate name. In this article it will be the Canada jay. This bird is far too fascinating to be called “gray”, a common synonym for dull or boring. Besides, my spell checker keeps rejecting the American spelling of “grey”. Another common name for the Canada jay is whisky jack, an anglicized pronunciation of wesakechak, the name for the bird in the Algonquian languages. Wesakechak also refers to a mysterious and mischievous figure of unknown appearance in Cree legend, known for the tricks it plays on people. The bird’s history as “Wesakechak” likely goes back thousands of years. The whisky jack is the sole Canadian bird bearing a name of aboriginal derivation and has no connection with whiskey alcohol. Perhaps whisky jack is really the best name for the bird. Either way, it would be a shame if the names “Canada jay” and “whisky jack” were to disappear from the Canadian lexicon. Let’s fight to preserve the names.

Canada jays: charming and clever food preservers

Stop for lunch almost anywhere in the boreal forest and you are likely to have company. Canada jays will show up like new friends around a lottery winner and quickly start to charm your food right out of your hands. They quickly disappear with any tasty morsels that they can scrounge or sneak off with. Next thing you know, they are right back for seconds, then thirds. And so it goes until you finally leave or run out of food to share. The little moochers or thieves, whichever profession serves them best at the time, are stashing the food away for winter, or just for later if it happens to be winter already. It’s all part of a unique survival strategy. Highly curious and always scouting for food, Canada jays eat just about anything: berries, insects, spiders, worms, smaller birds and small mammals or amphibians, carrion, lichens, bird eggs and nestlings. They rapidly learn that human beings provide a wide variety of foods. Surprisingly, they do not eat the abundant conifer seeds that would seem an obvious choice in their boreal habitat. Food storage during the previous summer and fall is the secret of the Canada jay’s winter survival and ability to nest early. During summer and fall Canada jays hoard food in trees to sustain themselves through bleak winters, accumulating over a short season of food abundance all the food for the months of what might otherwise be an unsurvivable winter. Any surplus food is covered with sticky saliva and stuck in a hiding place in the trees. A Canada jay may make up to 1,000 caches a day in the long days of the far north—and the jay will remember them! They thwart thieves by covering up their food stores with a piece of bark or lichen and placing them randomly throughout their territory. Spreading the hidden food prevents huge losses of food to other Canada jays or animals. Spruce trees seem to be essential to support a Canada jay population, perhaps because the resinous nature of spruce tree bark may have a preservative effect on the birds’ stored food. Grey Jay stopping for lunch.

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Wildlife & Wilderness 65 Nesting and life cycle

The habit of storing food enables the Canada jay to stay in its home territory all year and successfully nest about two and a half months before most migratory birds return from winter vacation in the sunny south. Nesting by mid-March means that they may be incubating eggs in -30°C temperatures or feeding their young in a raging blizzard. Migratory birds tend to time their arrival so that their young will be born when food is most plentiful. By then, young whisky jacks have been schooled in the art of survival for over a month. Wherever it’s found, the Canada jay is a permanent resident. Mated pairs occupy territories of about 65 to 70 hectares (160-175 acres) and do not migrate, even for short distances. Their territory is often shared with a third jay, usually the dominant nestling that has driven away its former nest mates. Staying with its parents increases its own chance of survival but decreases the survival chances of the banished birds. Non-breeding Canada jays use their natal or adopted territories as a base from which to search for a new vacancy in the area’s breeding population. When they find one, they quickly move in and replace the former breeding bird. Mated pairs stay on the same territory until one of the pair dies. It is then quickly replaced by a bird from the local non-breeding population.

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66 Wildlife & Wilderness Canada Jay nests are under construction by some time in February. The nests are large and well insulated, with hundreds of caterpillar cocoons filling the spaces in a bulky platform of dead twigs. Near the centre are fine twigs and strips of bark, along with lichens such as old man’s beard. The cup itself is lined with hundreds of grouse feathers or a similar amount of hair or fur. The cup is just large enough to contain two to five eggs (but most often three), and the body of the female. The nest is almost always on the south side of the tree, within a metre of the branch tips, and very often on the north side of a break in the forest. This gives the nest and the incubating female some warmth from direct sunlight. The female incubates the eggs for 18 days after the last egg has been laid. All the eggs hatch within a few hours of each other. At first, the male brings all the food for the female and the nestlings. Chicks are born nearly naked but after a week, or so, they are big enough and well enough feathered to be left while the female goes on foraging trips with the male. The parents gather as much food as they can hold and then sneak quietly back to the nest to feed the young. By carrying large loads of food the adults minimize flights to the nest. They must keep the nest location a secret from red squirrels as these are a common and dangerous nest

predator in Canada jay habitat. The adults also prevent any non-breeding Canada Jay on their territory from going to the nest. Once the young birds can fly and have left the nest, red squirrels are no longer a significant threat and feeding visits may become a noisy affair in which the non-breeding bird is allowed to assist. Young jays leave the nest at 23 days of age when they are well feathered and can fly quite well. At this time they are sooty grey in colour and will continue to look like a different species until they have moulted and become identical in appearance to the adults by mid-August. For their first two weeks out of the nest, they spend most of the time sleeping in the thick foliage of conifers waiting until their parents bring food. At six weeks, they accompany the adults through the forest but still continue to beg for food. The parents then feed them less and less, and by seven weeks, the young can feed themselves. Soon after that, the young birds battle fiercely among themselves until one expels its former nest-mates from the parents’ territory. The dominant juvenile, usually a male, will accompany its parents through its first year. The ejected birds, mostly females, try to find nesting pairs that have failed in nesting. The survival of these ejected birds is extremely low.

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Wildlife & Wilderness 67 Threats to Canada jays

Canada jays typically live a long time for a small bird, possibly because they stay in one place and don’t face the perils of a long migration. The average lifespan is about eight years with some living to the ripe old age of 15 or 16. Long northern winters appear to be no problem for the Canada jay. Despite the rigours of winter, most deaths of territory-owning Canada Jays happen in summer, likely because of hawks that have returned from migration. The Canada jay has a rich vocal repertoire that helps with protection from predators. Pairs or family groups moving through the forest emit frequent, soft notes to keep track of each other. Mobbing of terrestrial predators is accompanied by harsh chatter. Aerial predators are betrayed by whistles. For social interactions, they sing a long melody of soft notes and clicks. This may help members of a mated pair to synchronize their sexual cycles. Canada jays can also give excellent imitations of predators (especially hawks and crows). Most Canada jay habitat seems to be secure for the foreseeable future. With rare exceptions, the forests they occupy by will never be converted to agricultural uses or urban landscapes. Habitat losses from forest fires and logging are not a long term problem. Within decades the affected areas are usually reforested and repopulated by Canada Jays.

Humans may, however, pose a real threat to the future of Canada jays through anthropogenic climate change, as warming temperatures may make food storage more problematic. Evidence shows that southern populations are declining due to increasing food spoilage caused by warmer temperatures. From 1980 to 2005, the number of territories occupied by Canada jays in Algonquin Park fell drastically. Warmer than average autumns resulted in poorer than average production of young the following spring. It would be tragic to lose this wonderful bird from the southern part where we get to enjoy it the most. As I mentioned at the beginning of this article, there was recently some effort put forth to designate the Canada jay as our national bird. Designating a national bird in Canada requires an act of Parliament, and the idea didn’t fly. The Canada jay won’t be our national bird after all. No bird will be. We’re not going to have one, at least not yet. We already have a national animal, the beaver. We could re-designate it as the national mammal, thus leaving room for a national bird. But then what? A national reptile? National spider, anyone? Insect? Good riddles for policy wonks, perhaps. AN

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Corbett family youngsters in a winter quinzee fort.

Every family has one—a Christmas tradition. When my daughters, nieces and nephews were young, we would build a quinzee in our backyard or their grandparents’ at Christmas. For the rest of the holidays, the quinzee became their playhouse, fort or rabbit’s warren depending on their imaginations. As they grew older this practice fell by the wayside, but now that my daughters have their own children we’ve revived

the

the tradition. I’ve also noticed my nieces and nephews have begun their own quinzee tradition.

Christmas Quinzee by Barry Corbett

Quinzee building is a fun way to spend a winter weekend with the family. The knowledge gained by the kids can be used later in life for winter camping or emergency shelter. An Athabaskan word for snow shelter or cave, the quinzee was used by Indigenous people living in the northern Prairie provinces, B.C. and the Mackenzie Valley stretching up to Alaska. Unlike the igloo built by Inuit as a seasonal structure, the quinzee was considered a temporary structure used when traveling or in emergencies. Interestingly, there is a Finnish version called the lumintalo which is a little more elaborate than our home grown product.

The exterior of the quinzee makes for a good seating area to enjoy the outdoors on a lovely winter day.

A quinzee is much easier to build than an igloo. Simply put, it is the hollowing out of a snow pile, whereas an igloo requires cutting snow blocks and piling them in a circular fashion resembling a dome. A quinzee can be constructed with any type of dry snow, while an igloo requires hard packed snow that must be cut and fashioned.

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You can build the quinzee yourself but it’s more fun with others, particularly a gang of energetic kids. Little skill is required, all you need is snow, elbow grease, simple tools (a couple of shovels and buckets) and outerwear to keep you dry. Whether you are building it for fun, winter camping or survival the principles are the same. A quinzee can be built in a couple of hours or a couple of days, depending on its ultimate use and the enthusiasm of the crew. Often, with young children it’s a good idea to stretch the project over two days and make sure you mix in a lot of hot chocolate and cookie breaks to keep the crew motivated. On the other hand if you are planning on sleeping in it, there’s no time to waste. First, select a flat site ideally with plenty of snow nearby. The typical quinzee is approximately 1.5-2.0 metres high with a 3-4 metres diameter base. Of course if you want more room, just make the base wider. An easy way to make sure it’s wide enough is to have the largest person lie on the ground and add a couple of feet beyond his or her head and feet. Then pace out a circle using this as a rough diameter. Or you could always use a tape measure.

eling Small people can help with the shov zee. quin a build to ired requ

The key to a successful quinzee is disturbing the snow and initiating the sintering process. Relax—don’t panic, this isn’t a chemistry lesson and it is incredibly easy to accomplish. Different temperatures occur between the layers of snow. When you disturb the snow by mixing the layers with differing temperatures, this causes the snow crystals to bond to each other giving the structure strength. This bonding is called sintering. Starting this process is as easy as scooping snow in your shovel and either flipping it over or tossing it into the air. Personally I’m an air “tosser”. Begin by using the snow within the circle and then pile on nearby snow until you have a dome shaped structure about 1.5 to 2.0 metres high. This is where having a crew of helpers, even little ones, speeds up the process. The more shovels the better. Your greatest challenge will be having the kids throw the snow on the “pile” and not at each other! Some people recommend patting down the structure with your shovel as you go along. I really haven’t noticed any difference doing this, but I do occasionally pat the sides and top to help shape the dome. Either way patting won’t do any harm! Once you achieved the desired height, it’s time for a well deserved break. Depending on the air temperature, it can take between 90 minutes to a couple of hours for the sintering or hardening process to be complete. The colder the air, the faster the hardening. This is a great time for a hot chocolate break and a chance to warm up and dry off the crew. If the little ones are still keen you could start hollowing out the structure after it’s hardened, but if you see some drooping eyes or the beginning of a rebellion wait until the next day. Remember this is supposed to be fun! On the other hand if you are planning on sleeping in the quinzee take of advantage of this down time to collect dry wood and start your fire. It’s crucial to keep warm and dry until phase two—the excavation.

After sintering, it’s time to carve out the interior of the quinzee. This is a task that even very small people can undertake.

Your first decision will be where to place the entrance. Ideally put the door out of the wind and if there is a slight downward slope place it on this side. Keep the entrance as small as possible, just large enough to crawl through and pass snow out. You can always make the entrance larger later but it’s much more difficult to make it smaller. Before you start excavating, make sure whoever goes inside has a jacket with a hood and snow pants. You and the kids might be able to shake off snow in the face, but there’s nothing that dampens (literally) the spirits and enthusiasm more than snow down the neck.

from The finished quinzee looks modest ter win of rs hou ides prov the exterior but fun for kids!

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Ultimately your goal is to hollow the inside into a dome shape with 30 to 35 cm (12 to 14 inch) thick walls. Be careful not to trim too much off the walls and ceiling or they will collapse! Knowing when to stop digging can be tricky, but here’s a handy tip to prevent this: insert a dozen or more sticks 30 to 35 cm into the outside of the structure. Start at the top and work down in a circular fashion. As you are trimming the inside walls the moment you see the tip of a stick you know you have gone far enough.

Quinzee construction details, from Boy's Life magazine: boyslife.org

Initially begin with a big snow shovel, but once you’ve cleared enough area to crawl inside, switch over to a smaller child’s or survival shovel. Flip the shovel over and “shave” snow from the walls and ceiling with an upward arching motion creating the desired dome shape. Have a helper or two stationed outside the entrance clearing the snow away as you push it out. They can make small walls on each side of the entrance which will act as wind breaks. When you have enough room inside, invite a helper in. He or she can push out snow or fill up a buckets passing them out to the others. It’s good to keep everyone engaged. Once satisfied the ceiling and walls are thin enough, carefully make breathing holes in the ceiling. Push a stick through the ceiling and “rim” out a hole until it is about the size of your fist. Two or three breathing holes are essential if you decide to sleep in the quinzee. Now scrape out a couple of “shelves” in the walls to hold candles. If the quinzee is just to serve as a play house or fort, I remove most of the snow from the floor and put down a tarp and blankets to keep the kids warm and dry. If you want to incorporate a little winter ecology tell kids they are about to enter the subnivean zone. Subnivean comes from Latin “sub” (under) and “nives” (snow) and refers to the zone in and under the snowpack. Many small animals such as mice, voles, shrews and lemmings take advantage of the insulating qualities of snow and also the protection this zone provides from predators. Once snow reaches a depth of 15 cm (6 inches) the temperature in the subnivean zone remains at 0°C (32°F). In the spring, when snow melts to the final inch or so, the twisting tunnels made by these small mammals can be seen from above. Have the kids choose what “subnivean” creature they want to be! While they’re building their “nest” in the quinzee

bring in their winter “stores” of snacks and hot chocolate. As soon as it is dark, light up the candles. The quinzee will glow and the inside will be comfortably warm. If your intent is to use the quinzee for winter camping, there are a couple schools of thought on how you prepare the base or floor. Some people advise leaving about a foot or more of snow on the floor. The excess snow is shaped into sleeping platforms and a trench is cut in the middle of the floor to channel out cold air. Others recommend removing all the snow and piling evergreen boughs on the floor to sleep on. To be honest, I’ve never had much luck in building the snow platforms. They always collapse when I lay on them. Like a true Canadian, I’ve compromised and incorporated both techniques. I leave a layer of snow on the floor but I also add evergreen boughs creating elevated sleeping platforms. The key is making your sleeping platform higher than the entrance. This way you are sleeping in the warmer part of the quinzee as opposed to ground level where the cold air sinks and collects. Having two or three air vents in the ceiling and upper walls are critical. During the night as you sleep your body heat and breath will condense on the walls and ceiling creating a thin crust of ice. This makes the snow airtight and if the entrance is totally sealed there is a chance of carbon dioxide poisoning. Don’t worry: a couple of vent holes, along with leaving the entrance slightly open, will provide more than enough fresh air for safety. To ensure a comfortable sleep you will require a warm sleeping bag. If you use evergreen boughs I would recommend covering them with a tarp to keep the sap off your bag and clothing. If you elect to sleep directly on the snow, remember your body heat will melt your snow bed resulting in a very wet uncomfortable night. To keep warm and dry, sleep on a Thermarest (inflatable mattress) and ideally put your sleeping bag in a water proof bivouac cover. Before turning in, place a pack in front of the entrance to keep drafts out but don’t block it entirely. Keep a small shovel in the quinzee just in case there is a snow storm which could block the entrance. I’ve never had this happen but it would make digging out much easier. I like to put my boot liners and socks in my bag to keep them warm for the next morning. Make sure you have a supply of wood ready for the morning. It’s much nicer to have a warm fire greet you in the morning as opposed to looking for wood while you are cold and tired. If it’s you’re first time winter camping, and particularly if you decide to take the kids along, consider camping in the back yard for the first adventure. If your roommates get cold feet (literally) you can always retreat back to the house. My last piece of sage advice for winter campers: resist the temptation to finish that last cup of tea. There’s nothing worse than crawling out of your warm cocoon to answer the call of nature in the middle of the night. On the other hand, if you’re old enough to be a grandparent, you’re getting up anyway; finish your tea and enjoy the night sky! AN

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MERRY AND BRIGHT Picture Books to Call in Winter Cheer

Erika Olson,

, Children s librarian, Kenora Public Library

Throughout most of my childhood and early adulthood, the annual ritual of listening to Alan Maitland reading A Christmas Carol started in September. This may seem a bit excessive, but back in the days when there was neither Netflix nor smartphones to entertain and divert, our family prepared for the long cold months ahead with such small rituals of comfort. This season, we are entering the perfect time for kids and their grown-ups to get cozy with some good picture books. I’ve put together a list of top library picks and personal favourites for the season ahead.

Bedtime , books for a winter s night Once upon a Northern Night by Jean Pendziwol This lyrical lullaby feels like it could have been written specifically for a Lake of the Woods audience. With its gentle descriptions of the nocturnal activities of northern animals, this would be a perfect bedtime read-aloud for kids who feel anxious about wild creatures or the outdoors at night – a mouse eats from under the bird feeder; snowshoe hares play tag; a great grey owl leaves a feathery imprint in the snow. Isabelle Arsenault’s pencil, watercolour and mixed media illustrations are a perfect complement to the poetic text. I think we should all have this book read to us at bedtime to help us put things in perspective, and to remind us how lucky we are to live in such a beautiful place.

Over and Under the Snow by Kate Messner Author-artist pair Messner and Christopher Silas Neal are masters at revealing the hidden secrets of the natural world. Readers may be familiar with their other works

Over and Under the Pond and Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt. This particular book has a very mild story arc – there is not much drama; rather, its magic is in the detailed exploration of what is going on around us all the time in nature. A child and her father go on a winter ski through the forest, and the mother meets them along the way for a bonfire picnic. As they traverse the landscape, the reader’s attention is drawn to the above and below-ground activity of various creatures. This puts me in mind of how my parents would take us on winter excursions in the most extreme conditions and we went along with it because there were treats. As well, I don’t think we really had a choice. One page shows the child losing her balance as she skis too quickly down a hill (unlike in real life, no snarl of family dogs cavorts over her floundering body). In place of such prospective drama, we find a pensive narrative about slowing down and noticing things. The descriptions are rich and sensory and are written in straightforward, accessible language. The text is poetic but not abstract. There is a glossary of winter creatures at the end of the book, which provides great biology information for curious kids. Science; outdoors; bonfire treats – this book is probably how my parents thought of our outdoor adventures together.

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is the text. What I especially love about this book is that it features contemporary Ojibwe girls and their connection to their family, their home, nature, and eternity. It is an affirming illustration of the bond between these sisters and those they love. It is a joyful, calming, soulful read for a winter’s night. The Tomten and the Fox by Astrid Lindgren In my household, we treasure these Scandinavian folktale treasures. On a bitingly cold night on a farm in the middle of a northern forest, a hungry fox harbours criminal intent borne of desperate hunger. Will he pay an unwelcome visit to chickens dozing in their barn? Working unseen by humans, the Tomten (a gnome-like farm protector) ensures that everyone’s needs are met in a peaceful way. I like to think that this is the cradle from which the adult Nordic Noir genre was sprung, with its bleak landscapes, dark overtones, and morally complex situations. Maybe not. But let’s be real, we could all use some Tomten magic in our lives – so put out a bowl of porridge on Christmas Eve to welcome these helpers. If you are a fan of gnome culture, you may also want to check out Rien Poortvliet’s A Gnome’s Christmas.

Waiting for Winter by Sebastian Meschenmoser Author-artist Meschenmoser presents a quirky, sophisticated book that is rich in visual comedy. The story concerns a group of animal friends who are eagerly awaiting something they have never actually seen – snow. They have only the description to go on, “white and wet and cold and soft,” and they come to strange conclusions about found objects that they assume must be snow. The illustrations are skillful gestural drawing with spare bits of colour for emphasis. This book is very stylish, and I like it for its subtle, off-beat humour. If you enjoy this, you may also want to check out Mr. Squirrel and the Moon which involves some cheese-centred comic misunderstanding.

SkySisters by Jan Bourdeau Waboose This is a peaceful, gently spiritual book that celebrates the relationship between two sisters as they experience SkySpirits (northern lights) on a winter’s night. The story and the soft pointillist illustrations are sensory rich, as

Rhyming winter books The Gruffalo’s Child & Stick Man by Julia Donaldson I adore all of the books created by the Donaldson and Axel Scheffler team. My winter picks are The Gruffalo’s Child, which is a general-purpose winter story and Stick Man, which has a Christmas-time slant. I love that these books not only rhyme, but rhyme well – the lines roll right off the tongue. The illustrations are whimsical, expressive and clever. The slitty-eyed snake in The Gruffalo’s Child is all parents who have been woken from much-needed sleep by a child with spurious demands.

If It’s Snowy and You Know It, Clap Your Paws! by Kim Norman For those in search of a fun, sing-songy winter read-aloud, I recommend this work by Norman and Liza Woodruff. This book is light, innocent, and charming, without being too sweet. The illustrations are colourful and happy, and each of the animal characters has a little story that plays out visually over the course of the book. Also, I really do appreciate that the wildlife depicted is appropriate to the north – a puffin, not a penguin. I might be a stickler, but I think it’s important for kids to learn to tell the poles of the Earth apart. My favourite scene shows the animals gathering for a bonfire while the mountain goat eats a marshmallow bag.

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This has actually happened with the goats at my house, so this is a case of art reflecting life – for us, anyway. Cajole a slightly crabby family member into reading it to kids, and then watch as their mood is dissolved by the unabashed cuteness.

Books for Christmas The Jolly Christmas Postman by Allen and Janet Ahlberg If I were looking for a book to gift to a child this holiday season, this would be the one. Similar to The Jolly Postman (or Other People’s Letters) and The Jolly Pocket Postman, the storyline follows a postman as he travels through the storybook countryside delivering letters to various fairy-tale characters. The magic of this book is that there are actual envelopes with letters and messages that you can take out to play with or peruse – puzzles, advertisements, invitations, mazes, etc. This book is a favourite of many of the kids who come to the library.

Merry Christmas, Squirrels by Nancy Rose Nancy Rose has created a holiday sequel to The Secret Life of Squirrels. I love miniatures and miniature landscapes, and what I find really intriguing about these books is that the author creates tiny open-air dioramas on her deck and then entices squirrels in to be photographed. The squirrel books are straightforward and sequential, so they are a good choice for kids who are getting into the groove of reading and who do best with linear storytelling. This book may inspire you to play with dollhouse furniture.

Can You See What I See – Night Before Christmas by Walter Wick (and team) This book proves that I really am shallow enough to judge a book by its shiny, shiny red cover. Each two-page spread features lavish dioramas and abstract found-object collages

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LOWDKids! 73

inspired by Clement C. Moore’s classic poem, A Visit from St. Nicholas. Do yourself a favour by donning your best reading specs and employing good lighting to aid your search, because finding the hidden objects listed on each page is actually fairly difficult. A cautionary note: don’t be pressured into trying to “read” this in its entirety as a bedtime story because you will be up all night and Santa Claus will not be able to visit. If you like this Walter Wick creation, you will also enjoy Can You See What I See – Once Upon a Time, which features absolutely gorgeous fairy tale-inspired compositions (and also has a shiny cover).

Ella Bella Ballerina and The Nutcracker by James Mayhew Is there an aspiring young dancer in your life? Mayhew’s Ella Bella books present classical ballets in a storybook format, and they are sure to inspire. These books do the grand jeté right off the library shelf – they are nearly always signed out. The tall format, tasteful colour palette and graceful illustrations combine to make these books visually enchanting. They aren’t overly saccharine, and they are extremely pretty. I imagine these books being read aloud by someone with an elegant Parisian accent.

Other recommended reads: • An Otis Christmas by Loren Long - Otis, the helpful tractor performs a Christmas farm rescue. • Maple and Willow’s Christmas by Loren Long allergies inspire a non-traditional festive solution to two sisters’ Christmas tree problems. • Jan Brett’s Christmas Treasury by Jan Brett - fantastically detailed illustrations accompany folklore-inspired stories.

L.O.W. AREA NEWS

WINTER 2017

74 Phil Burke

The Back Porch The Christmas Parade Bookend Issue Everyone in the little northern community of White Polar Bay was preparing for the annual Christmas Parade, including the town council who voted to hold a regular meeting around a table set on a flatbed pulled by a frontend loader. As usual, the parade would be an evening event because everyone knows the floats look so much merrier at night under a blanket of colourful, twinkling lights, with a backdrop of fresh snow and recorded seasonal music. The tail end of the parade always boasted the Santa Claus float and herein lay the problem. At an organizing meeting Emily Eaves-Bartemus asked that since Santa’s position was a solid tradition perhaps the first float should aid Santa in setting the tone for the season and its magical, soul-stirring effect on all residents of White Polar Bay. “The Santa float and the lead float would be like bookends.” The Daily Sentinel, the town newspaper, sensing the possiblity of a scrum, swooped in like a raptor. “WHO SHALL LEAD?” the headlines screamed. Overheard at Lil’s Restaurant was a cross-section of opinions. “Obviously, the first float should be the town council. After all we are born leaders.” “No, it has to be the Business Owners Committee. No businesses, no town.” “It should be the Summer Residents Association.” “The Youth Hockey League should lead.” “No, the Nature Protection League should have that spot. No nature, no reindeer.” And on it went. The issue heated rapidly. At last a town meeting was called and strict behavioural guidelines were established for what became known as The Bookends Issue. Father Sam Goldstein who usually chaired such events was passed over because his church had entered the contest. Instead, the job went to Mary Boswick, the town librarian, who was infamous for running a ‘tight ship’ and had never entered a float in the Christmas Parade. Each speaker would have up to five minutes, no cursing would be allowed, and there could be no selfserving promotions or specific references to individuals. The sergeant-at-arms was O.P.P. Constable Justin Atkey appointed by Mary Boswick because not only did he reek of civility but he was young, tall and looked very dashing in his freshly pressed uniform. The meeting began with Emily Eaves-Bartemus restating her suggestion regarding the Bookend Effect. Heads nodded in silent agreement.

The first speaker, Fire Chief Gilbert James, was ruled out of order after two minutes for using the phrase ‘damned stupid’ in reference to the parade committee for not choosing the lead float by a lottery draw. Old Guy Young, an inveterate curser, lasted only three sentences before he threw in a four-letter word that pinked the ears of everyone present. Five speakers in total were expelled for shamelessly promoting their interests. The meeting was heading into its second hour and it was only thanks to Mary’s skills and Constable Atkey’s presence that it hadn’t deteriorated into a full-blown riot. It was then that Mary noticed four-yearold Marnie Mandamin crying in the front row between her mother and older brother. Mary used her gavel to call order and Constable Atkey stood. She asked the little girl to come forth and tell the people why she was crying. Marnie wiped her tears and whispered into the microphone. “I’m crying because I’m sad because I don’t like it when people fight. Mommy always says that Christmas time is supposed to be happy and friendly.” A silence descended on the gathering like a cloak. Participants smiled sheepishly at one another and whispered in agreement and wonder at the wisdom of this child. Two minutes passed before Mary Boswick took the microphone, stared silently over the hushed crowd and said, “I move that the first float position in the parade be awarded to Toddlers Nook Daycare Centre in honour of Marnie. All in favour, say aye.” The response was deafening. That year White Polar Bay hosted a spectacle that raised the bar a few notches for memorable parades. And just as surely as snowflakes tumbled through the crisp night air, the old man with the white beard and red suit ended the parade while the lead position was stocked with lively elves, toys, animals and angels from Marnie’s daycare. As the parade proceeded Marnie, dressed like an teddy bear, waved from her float and shouted to her brother who was in the second float, “Ha, ha! I get to ride in the front and you don’t.” Fortunately because of all the excitement, nobody heard her. Merry Christmas! AN

L.O.W. AREA NEWS

WINTER 2017

Real Estate Listings 75

Winnipeg River

1.17 acre lot with 310’ of frontage. Sand beach. 1,140 sq/ft cottage, 2 bedrooms and 1 bathroom. 12’x20’ guest cabin, 10’x10’ bunkhouse. Winter access via ice road.

Winnipeg River

Quality construction and well-maintained grounds. 3-bedroom, 2-bathroom year-round home. Plenty of room to park your vehicles and store your boat(s) too.

Winnipeg River, Minaki

1,664 square feet, 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms.

$539,000 + HST

Greg Kirby, Century 21 Reynard Real Estate 807-547-5555 / kenoracottagecountry.com

$324,000

$495,500

807-467-2323 / lakeofthewoods.net

807-468-3541 / cabincountry.com

Locke Bay, Winnipeg River

Kilvert Lake

448 East Melick Rd, Black Sturgeon

$625,000

$649,000

$695,000

Duncan Carmichael Real Estate Brokerage

Low taxes. 3,200 sq/ft over 2 levels, walkout basement, 5 bedrooms and 3 baths. 28’x28' heated garage, waterfront deck, screen room and a dock with lift system.

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

Cabin Country Realty

Unique wilderness acreage with lake front on both Kilvert and Gale Lakes. Cabin built in 2003, explore over 35 acres of property. Maps and videos online.

Northwoods Realty

807-226-1024 / northwoodsrealtyltd.com

Recently reassessed--reduced property taxes! 4+ bed, 3 bath year round home/cottage, full walkout lower level, 2 stall garage, 1200 ft. of frontage & 4.35 acres with the possibility to sever.

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

Storm Bay Road, LOTW

Poplar Bay Island, LOTW

$699,000

$1,150,000

$1,450,000

4-bedroom, 2-bathroom, 1,664 sq. ft. year-round cottage with a 26x36 garage and additional storage building. Also a good dock and dock shed at the water's edge.

Cabin Country Realty

807-468-3541 / cabincountry.com

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.

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

7.1-acre island has a main cottage with 3 bedrooms, 2 baths and a 2-bedroom guest cottage. There is also bunkie near the boathouse, and two slips in the boathouse with electric lifts.

Cabin Country Realty

807-468-3541 / cabincountry.com

L.O.W. AREA NEWS

WINTER 2017

76 Cottage Services Outdoor Beauty. Indoor Comfort. T H RE E S E AS ON ROOM S • SCRE E N RO O M S • PO LYC A RBO N ATE RO OF S

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L.O.W. AREA NEWS

Classifieds 77

Classified ads are a free service for LOWDPOA members.

All classified ads are posted online at lowdpoa.com. Note that they are posted within a couple days of submission and not subject to magazine deadlines.

How to Submit Classifieds Email: diane@lowdpoa.com Mail: LOWDPOA, Box 1160, Kenora, ON P9N 3X7 Next submission deadline: January 15, 2018 Please try to keep your listing to 35 words or less.

For Rent Road access lakefront cottage on Lake of the Woods, near Kenora (south McKenzie Portage Rd). Cottage is fully modern: septic system/washer/dryer/dishwasher etc. Two bdrms, screened porch. Only two weeks left available for 2018 summer: Aug 10 - Aug 17, and Aug 17 - Aug 24. $825/wk. For details and pictures, contact lowcottage@hotmail.com. Lakefront island cottage at Brule Point, sand beach, dual docking facilities (with plugs), fully equipped and full service hydro/water, 3 bedrooms; ideal for families and in great fishing area. Cottage is boat access only, 16 miles from Kenora. Weekly rental (or longer); $1160 per week. Contact Donna Bell taketwo@taketwoinc.com or 204-736-4555. 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 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 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 Lakefront 3 bdrm cottage 30 mins from Kenora, a short drive off Trans-Canada Hwy. On beautiful, quiet lake with lots of bays and clear clean water. Perfect for swimming, kayaking, fishing, 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

WINTER 2017

Current classified ads will be pulled December 31, 2017 in alignment with our membership year, and must be resubmitted in order to run online and in 2018 Area News.

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 Island Lakefront Cottage on Lake of the Woods, south end Keewatin channel near Kenora, 5 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, open concept living-dining-kitchen, 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 204-2292219. 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.

Miscellaneous for Sale NEW! Overhead garage door, any colour, any size or style (insulated) with opener and installation. Won at recent Winnipeg Home Show. I can not use the "Door Prize" as I live in a condominium. Replacing or building a new garage at the lake or in the city? For a Great "Door-Deal" contact Peter Z. 204-257-5097 or peterzaj@ mymts.net Shore Master Cantilever Boat Lift 1600 lb. capacity; 8’ wide x 10’ long. Fully reconditioned; looks like new. Available in LacLu. $2500 OBO. Call 807-543-2853 or email jdwill@kmts.ca Assorted items 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

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. Footpedal 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

Personal watercraft lift. Aluminum construction, complete re-furbish.Lift 1200 lbs.$750.00.In Kenora. Contact maryschwartz@hotmail.com

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

Want to Buy

Miscellaneous

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

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

Want to buy a "Shorestation" or similar vertical boatlift - 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

Lake of the Woods Historical Society Special Events at Mather Walls House. Sunday, December 10, 2017: Victorian Christmas Tea (2:00 – 4:00 p.m.)

L.O.W. AREA NEWS

WINTER 2017

78 Advertisers’ Directory Accommodation 62 Nature’s Inn Highway 17 West, Keewatin 807-547-2888 naturesinn.ca

Building Materials 22 McMunn & Yates 1666 Highway 17 W, Keewatin 807-547-3366 59 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 44 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 45 DTL Carpentry 204-979-4055 dtlcarpentry.ca 25 Oakwood Roofing 1350B Highway 17 East, Kenora 807-467-8824 oakwoodroofing.com 76 Postech Screw Piles 57-075 Symington Rd E, Winnipeg 1-855-4-PILING manitobascrewpiles.ca 11 REMR Roofing 2053 Highway 17 East, Kenora 807-548-2811 remrroofing.com

20 Solid Construction Kenora 807-466-1111 solidconstruction.ca

Docks 49 Docks & Lifts Ltd. 1940 Highway 17 East, Kenora 807-547-4444 docksandlifts.ca

Electrical 76 Bob’s Electric 225 Main Street North, Kenora 807-468-5915 rbrignall@yahoo.ca

Environment 38 Forests Ontario 1-877-646-1193 forestsontario.ca

Equipment Sales & Rentals 76 Best Way Rentals 1906 Sixth Street North, Kenora 807-548-4131

Financial Planning 27 The Darcy Zaporzan Wealth Management Group of RBC Dominion Securities Inc. 3100-201 Portage Avenue, Winnipeg 204-982-2635 dzwmg.com 39 Richardson GMP Limited 1 Lombard Place, Winnipeg 204-943-5263 richardsongmp.com

Fireplaces 79 Flame & Comfort 318 Logan Avenue, Winnipeg 204-943-5263 flameandcomfort.com

Home & Cottage Maintenance 24 Bell’s Septic 807-468-7251 bellskenora.com

76 Denver’s Window Cleaning Services 30 Deerfield Trail, Steinbach 204-320-1935 denverswindowcleaning.com 76 Keystone Security Solutions 1221 Highway 17 W, Keewatin 807-468-7878 keystonelock.ca 24 Lake of the Woods Septic Barge 807-464-3468 septicbarge.com 76 Penta Protective Coatings 39 Merit Crescent, West St. Paul 204-992-2603 penta.ca 32 TF Leisure Marketing 204-261-5359 tfleisuremarketing@shaw.ca

Home Furnishings 61 Image One 1060 Railway Street, Kenora 807-468-3641 imageonedesigns.com

Insurance 76 Garriock Insurance 390 York Avenue, Winnipeg 800-773-7157 garriock.ca 67 The Standard Insurance Brokers 319 Second Street South, Kenora 807-468-3333 thestandardonline.com

Legal 66 Booth Dennehy LLP, Raymond Oakes 387 Broadway Avenue, Winnipeg 204-957-1717 boothdennehy.com 37 Hook Seller Lundin LLP 203-301 First Avenue South, Kenora 807-468-9831 hsllawyers.com 33 Shewchuk, Ormiston, Richardt & Johnson LLP 214 Main Street South, Kenora 807-468-5559 kenoralaw.com

L.O.W. AREA NEWS

WINTER 2017

Advertisers’ Directory 79 Marine Back Woodlake Marine Cover 1956 Highway 17 West, Kenora 807-468-2628 woodlakemarine.com

Professional Services 43 People First HR Services Winnipeg peoplefirsthr.com 204-940-3900

Real Estate Inside Cabin Country Realty Cover 138 Main Street South, Kenora 807-468-3541 cabincountry.com 23 Duncan Carmichael Real Estate 625 Lakeview Drive, Kenora 807-467-2323 lakeofthewoods.net

65 Greg Kirby, Century 21 Reynard Real Estate 807-547-5555 century21.ca/greg.kirby 31 Northwoods Realty 5701A Highway 71, Sioux Narrows 807-226-1024 northwoodsrealtyltd.com 76 Shelley Torrie Home & Cottage Realty 721 Beach Road, Kenora 807-547-4020 kenora-realestate.com

Recreation 37 Snow Much Fun Winnipeg 204-269-4357 snowmuchfun.com

Stuff to Buy & Eat 41 Bearheart Kids Boutique 40 HAF Art Studio & Gallery 41 Ho Joe Coffee & Eatery 40 Lake of the Woods Brewing Company 40 McTaggarts 41 Tangled Tree Framing & Gifts 41 The Hardwear Company 40 The Seasons Shop

Water Treatment 57 Wolframe’s World of Water 710 Lakeview Drive, Kenora 807-468-4338

Sunrooms 76 Suncoast Enclosures 1106 Buchanan Boulevard, Winnipeg 204-292-2173 suncoastenclosures.com

Powerful Performance and Natural Beauty NEO 2.5 offers elegant, modern lines and a practical tall profile design with a larger firebox and higher heat output. With no-stoop loading, a large glass door, and simplified air control, the NEO 2.5 is a practical wood stove with Pacific Energy’s clean-burning technology that reduces emissions while maximizing burn length and fuel efficiency. Installation is simplified with leveling legs for uneven surfaces.

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L.O.W. AREA NEWS

WINTER 2017

80 History

Winter Excursions with Dr. Beatty

by Lori Nelson

It was seven o’clock in the morning. The horses were groomed and fed and their felt chest protectors fastened. The cutter was packed with supplies and Dr. Beatty was dressed for the winter weather in felt boots and fur coat, hat and gauntlets. A rifle was at hand and a coal oil lantern was lit and placed under the robes at the feet of the doctor. All this was done in preparation for the 10-14 day trip the doctor would be taking to the lumber camps around Lake of the Woods.

company men cut six- to eight-foot spruce or pine trees and “planted” them in holes cut in the ice. These markers were placed about 150 to 300 feet apart. As well, holes were cut in the ice to water the horses.

Winter was logging season on the lake. Once the timber cruisers had done their work and the foreman had selected the site for the camp in late fall, men were set to various tasks to set up camp. Sleeping and eating quarters, a blacksmith shop, stables, an office and other necessary buildings were constructed as a temporary home for the bush workers. And then the real work of logging began.

"There would be a bag of oats, horse blankets, harness, robes, a 30/30 Winchester, coal oil lantern, ropes and axe to be packed…There were medicines and bandages, pills, cough mixture by the gallon, instruments, splints, etc… The rifle was loaded and kept under the robe to keep warm and ready, as wolves in those days often travelled in packs of 25 or more. On several occasions Dad and Dr. Baker had to do a lot of shooting but never picked up the dead ones as they were not worth a dime.”

With arduous manual labour, sharp saws and axes, heavy loads, close living quarters, and less than sanitary conditions, maintaining the health and wellness of the crew was always a challenge. The Keewatin Lumber Company contracted with the doctors of Keewatin to make regular visits to the camps to offer their medical services. Dr. W.J. Beatty was one of those doctors. He had arrived in the area in 1897 after completing his medical training at the University of Toronto. Three years later he had established the Keewatin Hospital.

While this is not Dr. Beatty’s cutter, it is a similar rig to the one in which he would have made his lake trips to the lumber camps on Lake of the Woods. (Photo: Lake of the Woods Museum)

The camps, many of them in Whitefish Bay, could be accessed only by travelling over the frozen lake. Trails were kept clear for the most part by the tote teams that brought supplies from town to the camps. To ensure that the trails could be followed even when obscured by the snow,

For many years, Dr. Beatty’s young son Frank was responsible for loading all the supplies into the cutter, a task that was done the day before the early morning departure. He recounted the packing:

Wolves weren’t the only danger on these trips. On the wide open expanses of the lake, like the Big Traverse, the wind chill factor was significant and reportedly the temperatures ranged from -30° to -50° Celcius. Blizzards were not uncommon and they often kept the doctor camp-bound. Ice conditions also presented challenges particularly when one ventured from the bushed trail. On one occasion, Dr. Beatty decided to take a shortcut avoiding the extended trail that looped out on a big stretch. Because he was in a cutter, much lighter than the big tote teams, he felt confident that he could make the shortcut safely. He didn’t. Into the water went Dr. Beatty in his fur coat and hat, with his horse Tom, and his cutter loaded with supplies. Miraculously, he managed to extricate himself, his horse, his cutter and some of his load from the icy waters. Each time the doctor arrived in camp, the men were told that after dinner he would be in the bunkhouse. That’s where they needed to be if they wanted to see him. Medicine was distributed as necessary. Injuries were attended to, and although one would expect that these were incurred mostly on the job, occasionally one’s injuries were the result of the various competitive activities the men devised to keep themselves entertained when not working— things like axe-throwing, wrestling matches or fist fights, or barrel- or horse-lifting contests. Not a run-of-the-mill practice of medicine, nor a conventional commute, but all in the line of a doctor’s work on Lake of the Woods in the heyday of the area’s lumber camps. AN

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