Feature Article February 12, 2004
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Around the Lakes: Waldos back
I recall the childrens pictures that had a caption asking, Wheres Waldo? I feel like Waldo. My last article was in August. Much has happened since then, and Im overdue to report on those events.
Where have I been? During September and October I helped our newspaper report on the local elections. Jeff Green and Jule Brison published overviews of the candidates. I moderated six candidates nights, while other contributors highlighted the candidates views on various issues. By the end of October, the weather was turning cold and the leaves were off the trees. The geese and ducks were flying south. Thus we packed up and again returned to our winter home. The fallen leaves were awaiting my arrival. Then came the holiday season. Thats always a special time with family and friends.
In December, Peri McQuay, who lives at Foley Mountain, provided a beautiful description of the ice forming on Bobs Lake. She wrote, Last week I heard the forming ice booming on our Rideau Lake and headed over to Norris Bay to experience it there. I'm learning that the vocabulary is much more varied than it is on the Rideau. Could this be because the Rideau is a relatively large body, relatively unimpeded by islands? Anyhow, on that afternoon of calm skies and pale sun, Bobs Lake was whinnying and roaring as if there were caged beasts below the lid of glassy new ice. It sounded as if there might even be whales rushing from your bay to ours. I wonder whether you have ever experienced this strange and magical speaking that lasts such a short time.
Now its time for me to get back to work. Theres a lot to report on. For example, under the leadership of Leona Dombrowsky, the Ministry of the Environment has taken important steps to protect our watersheds. They temporarily stopped issuing certain types of water-taking permits while they review water availability and quality issues. They also issued a new permit to OMYA. It limits the amount of water the company would be allowed to take from the Tay River during the next few years. The ministry is developing policies that would require comprehensive analyses of conditions within watersheds as part of the water management process. Concurrently the Centre for Water and Environment at Queens University is starting a project to design a model to analyze water flow in watersheds. They plan to gather data throughout the Tay River watershed as part of their research. In January, representatives of lake associations in Tay Valley Township met to discuss common issues and share their experiences. One of the major concerns was the increasing number of break-ins at seasonal residences. At the same time, a dedicated group of people continues to work to establish a local organization that would serve environmental interests in Frontenac County. Finally, the Bedford Mining Alert is continuing its fight to protect our region from the impact of large-scale mining operations.
As you can see theres a lot going on. Ill report on all of these and other issues and activities in the coming weeks.
