PaBIA's eBlast March 17, 2021

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Volume 13 No. 4

Greetings!

Happy St Patrick's Day - AND Happy Birthday to Nancy Rogers - our own PaBIA Director without whom PaBIA could not run smoothly!

The shamrocks are for all Canadians and non Canadians who are so hopeful for the summer! We know everyone's health is the top priority - so let's do our part and get vaccinated whenever each is able!

We are excited to think that perhaps in around 6 weeks, the ice will be dissipating...anticipating the summer to come!

In this eBlast:

PaBIA 10 New Markers To Be Installed Summer 2021
PaBIA's Community Liaison Letter to Contractors
Norm Miller's Private Members Bill, Bill 228 NEEDS YOU!
PaBIA Photo Contest Category WINNER - Libby Hunter
PaBIA's Marine Patrol 2021
Check out PaBIA's Updated 2021 Calendar
BAY NOTES - February 2021
GBLT - Landmark Speaker Series Sat March 20
Georgian Bay Biosphere Webinar Series March 24
Lake Michigan-Huron Water Levels - March 15, 2021

Of Interest

10 New Permanent Markers to be Installed During Summer!

Last fall PaBIA purchased ten (10) additional Coast Guard style marker buoys, bringing our total experimental marker buoys to fourteen (14); seven (7) red and seven (7) green. Jim Rogers and his Maps & Markers committee (Andy Blenkarn, Tom Cavers, Bill Culp, Erica Allen & Tom Lundy) are considering the locations for the ten (10) new marker buoys and we expect that these buoys will be installed in mid to late July. Updates will be communicated via future eBlasts.

A Letter From our PaBIA Community Liaison to all PaB Contractors

Tonia Blenkarn, PaBIA's Community Liaison, wrote this letter at the Board's urging to all the PaB contractors to be sure they were all aware of this upcoming and important change to the way docks are built.

At the most recent PaBIA Board Meeting, the Ward 3 Councillors, Earl Manners and Scott Sheard, updated the Board on the status of Norm Miller's private members Bill 228. PaBIA wanted to be sure that our local community was also up to date and so has asked me to reach out to all our Contractors. If I have missed anyone, it is not intentional, and I would appreciate it if you could pass along the information to them as well. As we are all in the process of preparing for Spring, we may have clients that are requesting dock rebuilds or repairs, and so should keep in mind these upcoming changes to legislation.

As you will note below, the bill has unanimously passed the 2nd reading and so has now been referred to committee. I do not know the timing of when the Bill is expected to become law.

We have all seen the destructive impacts of shoreline litter, and while this bill will have an impact on what we do, it will definitely have an improved outcome on our beloved Georgian Bay.

Here is an update from Norm Miller's office to our Township Council, which you may find informative. You might also find this link to the Georgian Bay Forever website helpful looking at encapsulated foam solutions.

Wishing you all a happy Spring!

Tonia Blenkarn

PaBIA Community Liason

PaBIA is very excited about this Bill that Norm Miller has brought forth. Normally Private Bills like this do not make it far in government - but this one has surpassed everyone's hope! That must mean that there is GREAT reason to think it will continue, but Norm Miller is asking for our help to secure the Bill's continuance to the final steps to make it law.

He needs our help! Please consider taking a moment to follow the steps he outlines below to move this bill forward. Thanks in advance!

Hello,

I am contacting you to give you an update on my Private Members Bill, Bill 228, the Keeping Polystyrene Out of Ontario’s Lakes and Rivers Act.

The letters from you and other people and organizations who care about our waters worked. I am pleased to tell you that Bill 228 has been called for a committee hearing, which is the next step towards it becoming law. A hearing allows the MPPs on the Committee to hear from Ontarians who would be impacted by the Bill, review the details of the Bill, and, if they wish, make amendments.

The hearing will be next Monday, March 22 and it will be held over Zoom. If you are able to, it would be very helpful if you could send a written submission or present to the Committee.

To do either, please visit https://www.ola.org/en/apply-committees and do the following:

Choose a Topic – click Yes, you know the bill title then choose Bill 228 from the drop-down menu
Click Next Page
Choose an application - Click Request to appear if you are willing to do that and then click Monday, March 22 when that comes up. If you are unable to appear you can click submit material only and send a written deputation.

Click Next Page

Add your information - Choose whether you are requesting to appear as an individual or as a representative of an organization and then fill in your contact information
Preview and Complete - Click Preview to review the information you have submitted and then click submit.

To submit a written comment, choose "submit material at step 2 and then you can type right into the form or you can upload a PDF, a Word document or a PowerPoint document. If you are submitting written comments and have a photo of dock foam pollution you can include in your document, that would be great. This is a situation where I really believe a photo is worth a thousand words.

The window to register to appear before the committee is short. To present to the committee you must register by 5 pm on Wednesday, March 17 while the deadline to submit written comments is Monday, March 22 at 7 pm.

Thank you for your support for Bill 228. I hope that we can work together to help reduce the amount of dock foam polluting our lakes, rivers and shorelines.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact my office at 416-325-1012 or email lesley.daw@pc.ola.org.

Thank you

Norman Miller, MPP

Parry Sound-Muskoka

Photo Contest Winner - Natural Wonder Category

Sunset Heaven

by Libby Hunter

In this photo is reflected all of my gratitude for having the good fortune to have had ancestors who, more than one hundred years ago, found themselves here and fell in love, not only with the land but with each other.

BAY NOTES -

Ward 3 Councillors

Here are the topics in the BAY NEWS that you may wish to read in-depth...which can be done by emailing Scott or Earl to request to be put on their direct mailing list.

Please sign up for Earl and Scott's eBlasts so you can be fully informed and read about these issues in depth. In general these topics were covered in their February 2021 Virtual Council Meeting.

Township Broadband Infrastructure Initiative

Recent headlines on the Starlink beta trial have garnered much attention in cottage country. The Broadband Committee is developing a document that outlines our guiding principles in ensuring consumer choice in our marketplace. We will be back to you next month with this document and exciting news as to our progress. However, we have provided a recap and status to date for your review.

• Current State

• Significant Milestones

Much has been accomplished to date:

Acquisition of surplus MNR tower in Parry Sound (Tower Hill),
Renamed the WPS SMART Tower in recognition of its critical role in broadband infrastructure for all of West Parry Sound District;
Utilized modernization funds from the Province to secure the following:
Add 100’ tower extension of pre-planned tower at Parry Sound Industrial Park (PSIP)
Connects to WPS SMART Tower;
This provides an interim ‘hop’ to connect to and serve the PaB service area.
Plan for tower build in PaB and currently in land acquisition review.

We have also engaged an economic development officer to do the hard work of defining our onshore and offshore marketplace for the lazy private sector.

• Catalyst for Broadband Infrastructure Build

• Planning & Development

Site Alteration By-law Review Land Use Study

A Comment ...

We refer you to our January Newsletter where we identified a proposed Site Alteration By-law and the Township’s Land Use Study initiative. For purposes of brevity, we will not repeat the strategic intent nor detail here in this newsletter.

However, we have received reports of voices within our community that criticize the site alteration by-law proposal as merely a ‘tax grab’ or an intent to prohibit development through increased development costs. Our position is that it is a tool to ensure appropriate development and recognize there is a cost to do so. Pointe au Baril Islanders’ Association (PaBIA) committee on development has asserted that view as well.

Rest assured that Council and your Councillors will continue to use consultation with the Community, per its commitment to Communication and Transparency, as a key ingredient in our recipe to balance development to the Environment.

LANDMARK Speaker Series

Our virtual LANDMARK Speaker Series returns for 2021 with monthly presentations from 10:00 - 11:00 AM on conservation and Georgian Bay topics. Mark your calendars with the dates below, and register to attend each session here.

Wingtips at our Fingertips:

Understanding the complex lives of migratory animals

with Stu Mackenzie, Director of Migration Ecology, Birds Canada

Saturday, March 20th, 10-11 am

How do scientists track bird migration, and what can it tell us about lifecycles, habitat use, and conservation needs?

Stu Mackenzie, Director of Migration Ecology at Birds Canada joins us next weekend to discuss his work with the Canadian Migration Monitoring Network and Motus Wildlife Tracking System. Don't miss this fascinating look into cutting-edge conservation science!

April 17th: Fish of Blackstone Lake with Andy Metelka
May 8th: Shipwreck Tales of Georgian Bay with Cris Kohl & Joan Forsberg

P.S. Did you miss any of last year's LANDMARK talks, or would you like to share them with others? Recordings of all past presentations are available to watch anytime on our website or YouTube channel.

Life in the Biosphere Webinar Series

The Georgian Bay Biosphere is pleased to launch the Life in the Biosphere Webinar Series! Along with our partners, we'll explore many different aspects of living in a UNESCO biosphere, from cultural teachings to gardening to invasive species and more!

Take part in the annual Native Plant Sale...: Native Plant FundRaiser

Webinars will continue to be scheduled throughout the year. Mark your calendars and bookmark these events here for the following events.

Gypsy Moth & Emerald Ash Borer: Understanding Local Forest Pests

Wednesday March 24, 2021 10:00 AM EST (Webinar)

Getting Your Garden Started

Thursday April 8, 2021 10:00 AM EST (Webinar)

Learning About Miiskiikenh – Turtles

Tuesday April 27, 2021 10:00 AM EST (Webinar)

Best for the Biosphere: Gardening with Native Plants

Thursday May 6th, 2021 10:00 AM EST (Webinar)

Lakes Michigan/Huron Water Levels March 15, 2021 To better read the charts, please click on the chart for the

Daily or Six Month Forecast Water level chart and the corresponding websites

Yearbook Update

With each eBlast, we will provide you a list of names for those who provided updated information. The details of all the changes since the Yearbook's came out in April is provided in a printable format for you to print out and insert into your own Yearbook copy! The next Update will be compiled once the new Yearbook is out in May!