What's new and needed: SLPOA's AGM

Julie Druker | Jul 22, 2015

At their annual general meeting on July 18 at St. James Major Catholic Church, which over 60 members attended, the executive of the Sharbot Lake Property Owners Association updated members on lake news and held their regular elections.

The current positions of president, vice president and secretary treasurer were all acclaimed respectively by Kevin Browne, and Ken and Joyce Waller. Rem Westland, environmental issues coordinator, announced that he will be stepping down after many years in the role, so the position remains vacant for now. Westland let interested members know that it does not require an expert to fill his shoes, just someone who has an interest in lake health.

The meeting included an update of the many projects that have been completed to date, some of which included the association’s expanded newsletter; participation in the Shoreline Naturalization Project through Watersheds Canada and the Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority; participation in the Love Your Lake program; ongoing invasive species testing; and involvement with the mandatory septic inspection program at the county and township levels.

Members are also continuing discussions with the township regarding access to the east basin.

The association has also begun to implement the use of EDD MapS Ontario, a web-based mapping system where invasive species and other lake issues can be mapped by members for early detection and rapid response. A new smart phone app allows property owners to submit their observations directly from the field to EDD MapS Ontario, which are then verified by experts in the field.

The association is currently looking into a number of new projects starting this year, one of which is a fish habitat project to enhance walleye spawning beds. Volunteers will be needed to identify areas for consideration; to accompany Watershed Canada staff to these areas for validation; and to work with staff to implement and complete the project. Saturday's meeting included three presentations. The first was by Emily Bacon, who outlined the Love Your Lake program, a free assessment and reporting program that encourages lake level action for healthier shore lines. The free program provides participants with shoreline assessments, individualized property reports and a lake level summary report as well as a list of voluntary actions and local resources that property owners can use to improve the health of their property.

Kendra Button of Watersheds Canada gave a presentation on The Natural Edge program, which strives to achieve a “ribbon of life” for shoreline properties. The program works with landowners to restore and naturalize shorelines with erosion problems and/or little shoreline vegetation. Staff assist property owners in designing and implementing shoreline planting of native shrubs and trees, which help provide shoreline stabilization, run off infiltration and a natural habitat for wildlife. The programs funds up to 75% of the costs involved. The final agenda item of the day was a presentation titled “Introduction to Pollinators for Cottagers” by Susan Chan, a pollination expert and project manager with Farms at Work, who spoke about the importance of bees, not just honey bees, but the 400 other species that pollinate so many seeds for our flowers and food.

Kevin Browne also announced winners of the SLPOA's annual photo contest who were 1st: Guy Mcleod; 2nd Gwen Dacosta, and 3rd Barb Wilson. Browne also thanked all of the volunteers members who help all year long measuring and tracking various types of lake information that help inform the association of the state of the lake.

Mayor Frances Smith, who also attended the meeting, thanked the association for their efforts in maintaining the health of one of Central Frontenac’s jewels, just one of the many lakes that are an integral part of what generates economic development and tourism in the region. For more information about joining the association or how to get involved, visit www.SLPOA.ca

nning photograph for the SLPOA's annual photo contest of 2015