Sharbot Lake Property Owners Association in 46th year of operations

Craig Bakay | Jul 31, 2019

The Sharbot Lake Property Owners Association is in its 46th year of operations, President Ken Waller said as he opened Saturday’s meeting at the Sharbot Lake Legion.

“We started in 1973,” he said. “And this has been one of our busiest years.”

Waller noted last September’s microburst that spread trees all over Shibley Road and Polar Bear Lane, the ongoing water testing program, four new loon nesting platforms (one of which loons actually nested on), as well as 33 entries in the annual photo contest.

Vice-president Guy McLeod gave an update on the new “data loggers” in operation to aid in the collection of information in and around the lake.

“The loggers collect the data and it gets downloaded to my computer,” he said. “One day, at nine feet down, it was 80 degrees.

Environmental issues coordinator Barbara Fradkin reported that the loon count this year is at 30, with 11 chicks, two of which were in the west basin.

“They (the loons) turned down all of our (nesting) platforms except for one,” she said.

Mayor Frances Smith addressed a number of Township issues on the minds of association members.

“We’re looking for fire department recruits,” she said. “Especially if they are under age 64 and available during the day.”

She noted that there are open houses Aug. 4, 14 and 21 regarding the revision of the Township Official Plan.

She said septic reinspection has already begun on Eagle Lake and Crow Lake.

“The cost is $100, payable to the Township,” she said.

On recycling, Smith said: “Used to be we got a reasonable price for it. Now we have to pay to get it hauled away.”

She urged residents to use the library, support the Farmers Market and go to the Parham Fair.

Firefighter Ryan Conboy gave a talk on the importance of smoke alarms and keeping them up to date.

He expressed disappointment at the “lack of compliance” evident during the department’s recent door-to-door campaign.

“The chief is seriously considering issuing some fines to get the message across,” he said, noting that’s law for every building to have smoke alarms on every floor. Carbon monoxide sensors are mandatory on each floor of any building that has a combustion system burning either fossil fuels or wood and if there is an attached garage.

The winners of the photo contest were: 1st — Helen VandeSande; 2nd — Bryan Hay; 3rd — Guy McLeod