By Peter Pook, WCA Director
Now that autumn is here, the West Carling Association (WCA) Board is back to brainstorming ideas that interest our members for the upcoming summer.
This summer, the “Paddle Around Franklin” fundraiser, organized by White Squall, was a great success with many participants. The funds raised will be used for installing and maintaining “thunder boxes” on key camping sites on Franklin Island.
In collaboration with Georgian Bay Forever’s eradication efforts, a group of volunteers successfully removed several phragmites infestations along Carling’s shores. This was made possible by Richard Wilson, one of our board members. The good news is that compared to other municipalities along Georgian Bay, they found very few infestation sites.
Even though it is likely that both events described above will be held again next summer, we are also interested in knowing what other activities would interest you and your family next summer. Your Board is keen to hear your suggestions.
A few ideas are suggested below, but we’d like to hear your thoughts before we settle on a final list.
Osprey Nesting Platforms:
Ospreys are coming back to Carling. Sand Bay’s nesting platforms and shoals at the north end of Franklin Island were built more than 25 years ago. They are still standing and are fully occupied. Hydro One helped erect 25-foot poles for those platforms, but those services are no longer being provided. Platforms have never been built at the southern end of Franklin or on other islands or shoals in the southern half of Carling Township. The Spruce Island Light Station has a nest on top of it and has had a returning pair of ospreys in it for several years.
Osprey nesting platforms must be more than 20 feet tall in an open and semi-remote area. Over time, the birds will keep adding to the nest. After several years of adding onto the nest, a fully developed osprey nest can be up to six feet in diameter and weigh more than 300 pounds. The WCA Board has allocated $400 for materials to build the first one. Volunteers are needed to help design and build it and, more importantly, to help raise it and secure it to withstand many years of use against gale-force winds. If you are interested in helping with this project, let the Board know, and we will include you in future update emails. Here are a few images of a typical nest and what might work on the Bay.
Restoring The Docks At The Pancakes:
For many years, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans built and maintained docks at the Pancakes and Regatta Bay on Franklin Island. A recently formed working group composed of representatives from the WCA, Carling Council and staff chose to look at the docks on the Pancakes first. Due to high water in 2020, the tops of the docks were ripped off, leaving only the cribs. Parks Canada is now in charge of such sites. Before approaching them or seeking donations and volunteers to rebuild the top, we asked local contractors to estimate materials and construction labour costs so we have a base to start with. We are considering several partnering options. We will call for assistance if we need volunteers to help transport materials or build.
Site Map of all Sunken Boats in Carling:
Are you interested in collaborating with others to create a comprehensive map that shows the exact location of all the sunken boats in Carling’s waters? If so, we’d love to hear your thoughts on how we can make this project a reality. Also, if such a map would be useful, please let us know, and we’ll do our best to make it happen.
A Map Showing The Names Of All The Islands, Shoals, Bays, Beaches, And Landmarks In Carling Waters:
No one map has all the known names of even just the islands. Would you be interested in such a map? Please help by supplying the names (official or colloquial) in your area. We will likely need members of the other ratepayers’ associations in Carling to help with this, and it would be an interesting collaborative project.
WCA Logo Merchandise:
Our WCA baseball and bucket caps were popular this summer. A large array of logo merchandise, such as t-shirts, tote bags and sweatshirts, can be ordered. Let us know what would interest you, and we can look at pre-ordering for next summer.
Social Events:
Unfortunately, we had to cancel our Chippewa boat trip in August due to high winds. We are considering adding it to the list of events for next year. If you have any suggestions for social events that you would like to plan or participate in, we would love to hear them.
Do you or your family members have special skills to offer the Board or fellow members? One Carling resident with extensive engineering skills recently provided Council with detailed information on assessing and choosing a new landfill site. What other interests or skills do you have? The WCA board welcomes your ideas and feedback. Please reach out to info@westcarling.com with any questions or comments.