Many thanks to all of our retiring Board Members who have demonstrated their caring for Georgian Bay through the generous contribution of their talent and energy to WCA.
Honouring Pam Wing
Pam Wing retired from the West Carling Association Board last November when she was elected as a Councillor for the Township of Carling. Born and raised in Parry Sound, Pam was a cottager in Carling until 2014 when she and her husband David moved to Snug Harbour permanently.
Pam served ably as the President of the West Carling Association from 2014 until last November, leading us though Covid and a merger with the North Sound Association. At the same time, Pam was juggling a busy role as the CEO of the Foundation of a large Toronto Hospital. As the story goes, at Pam’s first WCA Board meeting, when the call went around the table to see who would like to become President and everyone else had declined, she took up the challenge and jumped right in. We are grateful for the time and energy that Pam brought to the role. She tells us it was a great experience and, that she enjoyed her time as President and the opportunity to meet wonderful people and dedicated volunteers who care about Georgian Bay.
Tribute to Bruce Davidson
By Peter Pook
I had a chat with Bruce the other day about his pending retirement from the WCA Board and he commented, “Peter, you know your priorities and ambitions have changed a tad when you are thrilled at the prospect that your new pontoon boat, when lightly loaded, might just put you in danger of exceeding the 8 km. speed limit of the inner harbour.”
Bruce joined the WCA Board in 1998 at a time when breakfast meetings were held in Directors’ cottages on a voluntary basis. Environmental issues were pretty much at the top of the agenda, partly because of an amazing gal called Jean Niskannen who entertained the group with stories of how to control the white pine rust disease and encouraged the outlook for gypsy moth infestation. There wasn’t much discussion about Carling Council issues, taxation and the tourist pressures on infrastructure that trouble us today. Kayaks were for Eskimos (using the language of the day). The meetings would break up with somebody volunteering to have the next one at their place.
Bruce assumed the Presidency in 2002 and held it for 8 years before turning it over in favour of his good friend Jeremy Gawen in 2010. Bruce is reluctant to take credit for things accomplished during his tenure, but admits to being a strong supporter of the Franklin Island cleanup efforts and having WCA provide modest funds for the construction of ‘thunder boxes’. For several years Bruce was responsible for collecting water samples on a regular basis from locations in the area subject to heavy boat traffic. As a personal commitment he constructed several fox snake ‘nests’ on Snug Island in conjunction with the Biosphere Reserve as well as bass nests in surrounding waters. To this day he actively deconstructs fire pits emplaced on pristine granite and collects garbage whenever encountered.
He was a guiding sage to the WCA through his long commitment and will be very much missed.
Honouring Christina Caap
Christina has been a part of Carling since 1998 when she and her husband bought their property on Conservation Drive near the Pengally Bay Marina. She took a year to design their home based on the idea that it would be a meeting point for their two children – a son and a daughter. The house has worked well for Christina’s children and grandchildren who love Georgian Bay and are regular visitors, building many good memories. Her home is built for all seasons and although she and her husband spend most of the year in Carling, they take time to explore other countries and cultures.
Christina joined the West Carling Association in 2002 at the urging of one of her neighbours when she moved to live in Carling on a full-time basis. She was elected to the Board in 2007, ably representing the Richard’s Bay area just west of the Killbear Marina. Christina’s involvement in the West Carling Association has been mostly in membership and activities related to the environment and nature. This includes water testing, collecting rattlesnakes for Killbear Park research studies, information about pine rust to protect our pines and most recently gathering information on the Georgian Bay Biosphere Reserve’s project on Conservation Drive regarding turtle and snake research.
Christina says that her time with the group at the West Carling Association has been very enlightening and that she has learned a lot over the years from all the members.
Tribute to Murray Hogeboom
By Bill Bialkowski
Murray and his wife Susan bought their cottage near Dillon Cove in the late 1990’s. It is located on the Shebeshekong River slightly up from Dillon Cove Marina. It tends to be shallow there during low water and hard to bring a boat in. Murray solved this problem by buying a Sea-Doo, which he learned to maneuver like a pro. He and Susan had a great time exploring our beautiful area on their jetboat.
Murray, a professional accountant, volunteered his skills to become WCA’s Treasurer in 2012 and continued until 2023, when he retired from the WCA Board. He served on the WCA board table for many years and had a steady hand on the tiller of WCA’s finances until his retirement this year. Murray was a quiet presence on the Board but when he commented, his remarks were thoughtful. He will be missed by WCA.
Honouring Daryle Moffatt
Daryle Moffatt joined our Board in 2021 bringing expertise from his role as a Councillor in the Township of Seguin and experience on the Board of the Federation of the Ontario Cottagers’ Association. Daryle is a Chartered Professional Accountant with a practice specializing in assisting clients with tax compliance and finance functions. We have been fortunate in having his financial expertise and knowledge of municipal affairs. Daryle is also a member of the Coastal Protection Committee of the Georgian Bay Association. Many thanks to Daryle who stepped up to the role of Co-president last November.
Honouring Bruce Kelly
Bruce Kelly, joined our Board in 2020 and retired last November when he was elected as a Councillor in the Township of Carling. Bruce took on numerous roles and activities on our Board serving on the membership committee and, in the role of Board Secretary. He became increasingly interested in Carling Township politics during his WCA Board tenure while working on the review of Carling’s Official Plan in 2021.
Bruce was instrumental in the development and analysis of the WCA membership survey completed last year. Bruce’s love of Georgian Bay started with visits to his grandparents’ Carling cottage when he was growing up. He now resides in Carling full-time with his wife Jennifer.