Roger Brooks was back in Kenora last week and Kenora Tourism is launching a re-branding (Destination Development) initiative. The outcome of this process will determine a narrowed identity for our community that we can market. (What do we want to be known for??)

This is a community driven initiative. Roger and his team have developed a community survey and the identity for our community will be determined directly from the survey input. From survey responses they will be developing a top 10 list and pick the best option based on feasibility.

Please take 5 minutes to complete the survey and ensure that your voice is heard!  The survey will be available on line until mid-January.

The survey can be found at: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/8N3H989 or on our portal at: http://www.kenora.ca/portal/index.aspx “Make Tourism Work for You”.

Please share with all your contacts/workplace and encourage as many people to complete the survey as possible!

Over the course of the past year, the International Joint Commission Taskforce spoke to more than 200 stakeholders throughout the Lake of the  Woods watershed and tabled their final report to the Canadian and US Commissioners July 2011. Their recommendations include the creation of a bi-national and interprovincial management model to sustain the health of the lakes and rivers in the watershed, including Lake of the Woods.

One of the key partners identified in the report is the Ontario Ministry of the Environment (MOE).

Since this report was made public, MOE eliminated the Lake of the Woods Coordinator; the single position in northwestern Ontario (Kenora) focused solely on the health and future sustainability of the Lake and the LOWDPOA watershed.

On behalf of our 4000 members, the Lake of the Woods District Property Owners Association (LOWDPOA) must register our serious concern related to the recent termination of the position and has begun reaching out to both local and provincial levels of government.

Although the local MOE office in Kenora remains committed to Lake of the Woods related initiatives, we believe the scope of work and the need for a watershed strategy requires a purposeful approach with a dedicated position. The government needs to hear our concerns!

We hope you will agree and add your voice our efforts by sending your letters or using the template we’ve provided here.

To help you better understand our position, we have also copied the letter sent by LOWDPOA to the Premier, the other Provincial candidates for Premier in the upcoming Ontario election, existing MPPs and election candidates  and bureaucrats within the Ministry of the Environment. Kenora City Council is also supporting these actions and we continue to reach out to additional municipalities and stakeholders within the LOW watershed.

Member Letter Template                                                                    LOWDPOA Letter for information

We suggest you mail your letters to:

• Premier Dalton McGuinty
  Office of the Minister
  Legislative Bldg
  Queen’s Park
  Toronto ON M7A1A1

Copying:

• The Honourable John Wilkinson
  Minister of the Environment
  77 Wellesley Street West
  11th Floor, Ferguson Block
  Toronto ON
  M7A 2T5

Many thanks to the volunteers and sponsors who made the project possible!

• Download a LakeSmart 2011 Success Story >>

The staff and board of Lake of the Woods District Property Owners Association are busy planning for the launch of a brand new initiative in the summer of 2011.

This environmental outreach project, initiated by our Environment Committee and supported by the Membership Committee, will involve two university students acting as our ambassadors while travelling the waters of Lake of the Woods visiting lakefront property owners. Their goal is to bring information and education on the importance of healthy shorelines, their direct impact on water quality and what we can do to help in our own ‘front yards’ .

“Water quality is a common concern for all our members in the watershed,” says Barry Baltessen, Chair of the LOWDPOA Environment Committee. “We hope this program will help us connect with members and the community, give us the opportunity to listen to any concerns they may have and maybe even help answer that recurring question of What can I do? ”.

Our new LakeSmart Program will assist the Association deliver on its environmental education mandate, and raise the overall profile of the LOWDPOA as a concerned steward of district water quality. Our goals are to engage members and non-members alike in one-on-one discussion focusing on healthy shorelines, our overall Living Green at the Lake initiative and the benefits of membership in LOWDPOA as part of our 2011 membership drive.

Because there is such a wide range of environmental topics to discuss, we chose to narrow the focus to one this summer; the importance of healthy shorelines and their function in the ecosystem. Clean water, the reduction of shoreline erosion and flooding, the provision of wildlife habitat and food sources are just a few of the results of preserving natural buffers between our lakes and land.

LakeSmart is strictly voluntary, non-commercial and non-regulatory so we hope you’ll feel comfortable welcoming our boat to your dock and engaging in the learning provided by our staff. The boat will be readily identifiable and the students in ‘uniform’, making sure folks recognize them and not feel invaded when a strange vessel stops by for a visit. If you’re not home or down by the water, we’ll simply leave an information package in the hopes you’ll join us independently and act on some of the suggestions provided. We’ll also be able to arrange an appointment if you’re interested, to be sure we don’t miss you.

We felt Healthy Shorelines was a topic that individuals could learn about, act on, and as a result have a direct impact on their own properties. Our staff can walk your shoreline and give you specific ideas on how you can make improvements – or congratulate you for a job well done.

In addition to their daily activities on Lake of the Woods, our student ambassadors will be available to visit other lakes in the district and will be happy to take part in the many special events throughout the watershed. Think of them when you’re planning your own cottage association annual meeting or summer bar-b-q.

We know that everyone wants to do their part, but the issues can sometimes seem so large and overwhelming, it’s hard to feel that we can make a difference as one family. We can, and we hope this education program will help you succeed.

LakeSmart 2011 Sponsors
We want to thank those sponsors who have jumped on board, making it possible for us to launch in late June. Woodlake Marine will be providing a fantastic boat package; Lund 1825 Rebel XL Sport with a Mercury 90hp 4st motor and the City of Kenora has offered dock and parking space at the newly constructed Discovery Centre on the west side of the City. KMTS will be supplying us with phones and airtime to help ensure the safety of the team and The Wharf Marine has sponsored the program by helping us cover fuel costs for the summer. The Lake of the Woods Water Sustainability Foundation and Dock on a Rock (an innovative dock building foundation) has also agreed to participate in the program.
We simply couldn’t do it without all this community and business support!

LOWDPOA is excited about this new project and the response to date from members, non-members, local agencies and businesses has been truly amazing. We hope this will be the first year of a successful, ongoing initiative so if we don’t get to your part of the lake this summer, you can be sure we’ll be there in the future.

By Anna Desellas – Scientist, Inland Lakes Monitoring
Ontario Ministry of the Environment

2010 Clarity Results »

In addition to nutrient (total phosphorus) concentrations, the Lake Partner Program provides water transparency information for over 500 lakes across Ontario with the help of volunteers. Water transparency is measured with a Secchi disc, which is a black and white disc that is inexpensive and simple to use. The disc is attached to a rope that is lowered slowly into the water column. The depth at which the pattern on the disc is no longer visible is considered to be the measure of water transparency. When measured at regular intervals over the ice-free season, and over the time span of several years, Secchi depth readings may reflect changes in water transparency over time.

In some lakes, such as Lake of the Woods, water transparency can be used as an indirect measure of how much algae are in the water. As increases in phosphorus concentrations stimulate algal growth, there is often a decrease in water transparency. In addition to algae, other factors may influence water transparency in lakes. For example, lake water transparency can be altered by natural water colour and/or turbidity, which is controlled by the amount of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and other suspended materials in the water. Water transparency can also be affected by rainstorms or invading species such as zebra mussels. It is for this reason that we also measure total phosphorus (TP) concentrations in addition to water transparency as part of the Lake Partner Program to evaluate the nutrient status of a lake.

Nonetheless, water transparency measurements can give us valuable information that would not otherwise be detected by measuring TP concentrations alone. When examining Secchi depth data for trends, it is important to remember that water transparency can vary naturally over time. In order to confidently track changes over time in water transparency, Secchi depth readings taken at regular intervals over the ice-free season and over a period of years are necessary. Thank you to all of the dedicated Lake Partner volunteers for their continued efforts in collecting this valuable water transparency and total phosphorus information.

Why Measure Water Clarity and Phosphorus?

In many lakes water clarity of an indirect measure of how much photoplankton (alage ) is in the water. Secchi disk measurements can detect changes in water clarity and may indicate that changes are occurring in the algal biomass of the lake. It is important to note that if your lake is coloured or “tea-stained” then the water clarity observations will not be indicative of the amount of algae that is in the lake.

Phosphorus in measured because it is the element that controls algae growth in the majority of Ontario’s lakes. Generally more phosphorus means more algal growth.

- total phosphorus water samples have a long shelf life if they are…

1. FILLED PROPERLY. The glass sample tubes should be filled with lake water to 0.5 cm above the etched line on the tube.

2. KEPT COLD. The lake water samples should be refrigerated (4 degrees Celsius) and stored upright until you are able to send them to us following a possible disruption in postal service.

Thank you very much for your ongoing effort and support.

Anna DeSellas, M.Sc.

Scientist, Inland Lakes Monitoring

Ontario Ministry of the Environment

Dorset Environmental Science Centre

1026 Bellwood Acres Road

Dorset, Ontario, P0A 1E0

Phone: 705.766.2150 Fax: 705-766-2254

Lake Partner Program: 1.800.470.8322 (toll free)

Web: www.ontario.ca/lakepartner

Visit DESC’s new website at www.desc.ca!

New requirements for boating safety and Pleasure Craft Licensing came out on May 12, 2010. As of November 1, 2010, to get your pleasure craft license, you must mail the following documents to the Pleasure Craft Processing Centre:

1. Completed application form
2. Proof of vessel ownership
3. Signed copy of valid piece of government issued identification

Applications are available online at www.boatingsafety.gc.ca, or for pick-up in person through your local Service Canada Centre. For Service Canada Centre locations, visit www.boatingsafety.gc.ca.

To learn more about pleasure craft licensing, visit Transport Canada’s Office or Boating Safety at www.boatingsafety.gc.ca or call the Boating Safety Info Line at 1-800-267-6687.