NO Ice is 100% safe

Following is an article from the Federation of Ontario Cottagers’ Associations about ice safety.

As always, WCA and FOCA encourage you to enjoy the winter weather, safely. Read onward for important safety information and additional tips.

Bubblers – what property owners need to know – an overview of important considerations, from our colleagues at Cade Associates Insurance Brokers.

On a related subject: while de-icers are intended to protect docks and boathouses from ice damage, improper use can actually create greater chance of ice damage. Read an overview on the subject, from a New Hampshire Lake Association (note: references are to American legislation about bubblers).

January 2021 – our colleagues at the OPP SAVE Team have some great snowmobile tips for safely enjoying the out-of-doors this winter. Click the links below to view each video:

Ice Safety video link

Thank you to the Safe Boating Council for this important video link: Ice Safety – How to perform a self-rescue

November 20, 2020 – How climate change is making winter ice more dangerous (Veronica Penney of the New York Times, as published in the Star Tribune) – this article quotes new research from FOCA’s colleague Dr. Sapna Sharma of York University.

Check out this post from our friends at CottageLink Rental Management, about ice safety reminders for those who may be newer to cottage country winters.

 

OLDER NEWS:

image: ice thickness guide

January 2017 – Ontario Provincial Police are circulating this graphic as a reminder to be wary of ice thickness:

February 2016 – read the OPP OFSC Joint News Release on unsafe ice conditions in Ontario (PDF; 2 pages)

January 2016 – read the OPP OFSC Joint News Release on snowmobile safety (PDF; 2 pages)

December 2014 – With notes from the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), and the Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs (OFSC) This time each year, snowmobilers are reminded that no ice can be considered 100 per cent safe to ride on with a snowmobile.

It is especially true this winter when ice is forming earlier than usual in many areas and may look safe, but is not yet thick or strong enough. This ice warning also applies during any prolonged period of thaw or rain, and late in the season after ice begins to deteriorate from milder temperatures.

OFSC Trail GuideTo avoid unnecessary risks, the OPP and OFSC recommend that snowmobilers stick to available, land-based, OFSC Prescribed Trails whenever possible. OFSC clubs provide many trails that avoid water crossings altogether and also provide many bridges and culverts to pass over known water crossings safely. For updates on OFSC trails, visit their website and consult their interactive map: http://ofsc.mapbase.ca/viewer/

If you do make the personal choice to take the risk of travelling on ice by snowmobile, wait until a marked stake line is in place and cross only when you can follow it directly from shore to shore, without stopping on the ice. While ice crossing is never a sure thing, snowmobilers can also reduce their risk by:

  • Checking ice thickness and quality before riding onto any frozen water
  • Understanding that ice conditions may vary from day to day, from hour to hour and from place to place
  • Never travelling on ice alone, at night or while impaired
  • Avoiding slushy ice, untracked ice, or ice near moving water or dock bubblers
  • Watching out for obstacles like rocks, stumps, docks, ice roads and fishing huts
  • Wearing a buoyant snowmobile suit and carrying ice picks

Photo of - MTO Update on the Highway 559 Rehabilitation Project 

MTO Update on the Highway 559 Rehabilitation Project 

The Township received correspondence from the Ministry of Transportation Ontario (MTO) addressing the status of the rehabilitation of Highway 559 and the planned additional remediation work scheduled for this summer.   View the "Update on the Hwy 559 Rehabilitation Project" Here

Photo of - Protect the Biosphere in our backyard

Protect the Biosphere in our backyard

Today is about celebrating this special place we call home. It’s about doing our part, and taking meaningful action to protect the Biosphere in our backyard. These actions have a ripple effect: better planet, better health, better future. Check out our conservation guides for even more ways you can help! Conservation Guides

Photo of - Warnings for 2024 Wildfire Season

Warnings for 2024 Wildfire Season

Dry Conditions Prompt Warnings for 2024 Wildfire Season in Canada Canada’s federal government is warning of the potential for another “catastrophic wildfire season”. In a press conference, the Canadian Emergency Preparedness Minister, Harjit Sajjan, said low snowpack levels and a forecast for warmer-than-average spring weather are combining to create high wildfire risk for much of the country. Southern Quebec, eastern Ontario and Western Canada were noted as particularly at risk. The map below shows the extent and severity of drought conditions across Canada as of March 31, 2024. So far April has brought snow and rain to Ontario which may temper some of the risk. Wildfire season typically runs from April 1 through October 31 annually. Read more about the 2024 wildfire predictions here. Get FireSmart materials and find out how you can mitigate your risk here.

Photo of - Georgian Bay Forever's H2O Symposium / Screening of All Too Clear

Georgian Bay Forever’s H2O Symposium / Screening of All Too Clear

We are pleased to invite you to RSVP for the H2O Symposium and private screening of the documentary film, All Too Clear. Watch the trailer here. Seating is limited, so RSVP today! May 11th, 2024 9am - 1pm The Royal Theatre 608 College St, Toronto, ON M6G 1B4, Canada Please RSVP Using The Access Code: GBF-RSVP RSVP HERE If you have any questions, please contact Amber at amber.gordon@gbf.org With support from two key donors, we helped fund the creation of All Too Clear, a documentary film that comprehensively explores the deep water structure and condition of Georgian Bay through state-of-the-art film-making techniques and scientific investigation. The filmmakers, director Zach Melnick and producer Yvonne Drebert, will be in attendance, as well as Georgian Bay Forever staff, and several of the scientific experts who contributed to the film. They will be participating in a panel discussion and Q&A from the audience.  
Photo of - Carling Clean-Up Day: April 13 at 8:30 - Noon

Carling Clean-Up Day: April 13 at 8:30 – Noon

Come out and help clear the trash from our roads. There will be a BBQ following the event at the Carling Community Centre. Please drop by the Township Office to pick up garbage bags, gloves and safety vests. When you are done collecting garbage, please leave the bags on the side of the road for township staff to collect. Thank you for helping us keep the Township clean! Click here for more information on Carling Clean-up Day

Photo of - Georgian Bay Has Lost One of its Greatest Friends – Wally King

Georgian Bay Has Lost One of its Greatest Friends – Wally King

It is with great sadness that we report that Wally King passed away peacefully on March 25 at the age of 90. Wally was a true and loyal friend to the preservation of the Georgian Bay environment and a tireless advocate for protecting our precious ecosystem. As a long-time director and president of the Sans Souci & Copperhead Association and GBA, Wally inspired countless people to go the extra mile to do what they could for the Bay. Among his most notable and enduring achievements were his roles in reviving the Georgian Bay Association, which had ceased operations in the 1970s, and building it back up prior to the formation of the Township of the Archipelago and the Georgian Bay Land Trust, all of which have gone from strength to strength over the years. In his many travels throughout the east and north shores of the Bay, he met with and influenced so many of us. We will miss you, Wally! Read more about Wally’s legacy here. VIEW PAST eUpdate ISSUES

Photo of - The Spring Edition of UPDATE Is Now Online

The Spring Edition of UPDATE Is Now Online

Did you miss the latest print edition of GBA UPDATE? Read the Spring Edition  

Photo of - Solar Eclipse Information

Solar Eclipse Information

On April 8, 2024 parts of Ontario will experience temporary darkness due to a Solar Eclipse. The eclipse is to start around 2:00 p.m. with a full eclipse approximately 3:20 p.m. The specific time and duration of the eclipse will depend on your location. Areas outside the path of totality will observe a partial solar eclipse. See the attached document for general information, travel tips and eye safety. View Solar Eclipse Safety Information Here

Photo of - Your Health Your Way

Your Health Your Way

JOIN US in raising the funds needed to bring tomorrow’s healthcare to West Parry Sound TODAY

I have an invitation for you. I am writing today to invite your association to join in our Annual Your Health Your Way (Formerly, PS Walk, Run, Pole). As a seasonal resident on Lake Rosseau for 59 years, our family came to the cottage for decades, never thinking twice about local hospital care. That all changed June 2015. My husband became gravely ill, and his survival meant rushing to the West Parry Sound Health Centre. While I had been a great supporter of the Foundation, my husband became a grateful patient through the medical attention he received in the ICU. Now, our family is keen to give back in any way we can. This year, for the third year, I am chairing this Annual Walk Event reimagined as Your Health, Your Way celebrating the Rehab program at the West Parry Sound Health Centre. I’m asking you to join me in this awesome community event by either signing up your association as a team and/or forwarding this notice to your members.

You can sign up at www.LoveOurHospital.com. Together we can raise the bar on fitness and celebrate healthy lifestyle choices while supporting local care where we all live, work and play. This year’s event is a hybrid model, for the month of May you can challenge yourself or your team to set your own goal to MOVE daily in your own way - all modes count for tracking: walking, running, biking, kayaking - Your choice, Your way! The goal is to move and track our kilometres daily while securing pledges along the way. Every day we move, we get healthier. Every pledge we gather, we can move closer to our goal of raising $150,000 to support the purchase of an upgraded Bone Mineral Density Unit. Join in the challenge throughout the month of May and strive to meet your fitness goals.

Then, mark your calendar to join us at one or all of four Community Walk Events across our region, starting at West Parry Sound Health Centre on May 1st, Rosseau Nursing Station on May 7th, Whitestone Nursing Station on May 17th, with the finale at Pointe au Baril Nursing Station on May 26th. The goal is to engage you, your family and friends to Move to forward as A Healthier Community. To learn more about how you can join us visit: LoveOurHospital.com

Sincerely, Brett

Brett Lagamba

2024 Chair, YOUR HEALTH, YOUR WAY – Move for a Healthy Community

Your Health Your Way
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