Page Key River Area Association ^ Spring Newsletter 2006

EXCHANGE

President's Report

Hello to All,

It's time to get everyone up on the news of the north. I realize that we are late with this newsletter, butall good things are worth the wait. It is in fact springtime, and each day seems to bea little longer, thesun a littlewarmer, and of course, for the cottagers and residences of The Key we can't wait to start ourengines, and get that first big lung full of clean northern air! Just take a minute and think about howgreat that will make you feel, now remember we are onlyabouta month away from the river meltdown.

Over the past year we have hadunusual issues with regard to ourarea. There has been much

discussion about the phone systemcoming. Killamey taxes, HWY#69location, water levels (near anddear to out hearts), the bouys,fishing and now the idea of windfarms, fish farms and marshlandsare the new hot topics. I think thatwe should always keep ourenvironmental issues front and

centre as without a healthy bay, allthe other fun stuff will become

hard to do! „ . , , .opring at the key m 1700 s

As we look forward to the 2006 season, lets remember that our voice can be heard on all issues if wepull together as a group, and let our opinions or concerns be united by our association. Every August wfehave our annual get together, and this is a great time to meet yourneighbors, so when you hit a rock orrun out ofgas, you'll recognize the person towing you down the river.

Have a great spring, be safe, and we'll see you in the harbour.

Best Regards,Bob McDonald

Key River Area Association Spring Newsletter 2006

The Powell Report

It was another great season for the Harbourites. The weather could not have been better. Hot and sunnyand not too much wind. Sorry Carol and Gavin and your windsurfing buddies but the majority won thisseason.

Diamond Key was lucky to have sufficient dockage for the near 100 friends who came bearmg weddingvWshes, great gifts and wonderful food to celebrate Edwin and Beckey's Jack and Jill party. And what aparty! We got to meet the Henvy Inlet Fosters, now there is one happy woman and a real hoot to bearound, drop in on them she brags of her great peanut butter sandwich and beer lunch (try to beat that!),some of the Cash Island crew, their boat was full to the top of family (what a wonderful group to meet)and the Aalto relatives from Sudbury. The harbour fnends as usual came in full force. It could not havebeen any better. The weather was just perfect, thank heavens! We all were outside in wonderful sunshineand listened to Dave Hurd's tribute song to the "new couple." Dave as you know had an encore and forparty people to listen to a melody instead of eating drinking or yapping, you know it truly had to begood. And it was. A real talented man who thinks the world of both Edwin and Becky. A trueentertainer! I can't tell you about just a few individuals or you would be insulted if I missed anyone ofyou so a sincere "thank you" to all who attended. Also a huge thank you to all the help in my kitchen. Iknow you all came not only to get a good look at Becky but to show Edwin that he is a great man andhis labour, love of our little comer of the bay, honesty, trustfulness is appreciated by all. You did it! I amalso so thankful Todd Lahti didn't let his puppy in the dining room. She could clean up in minutes. Agreat time by all and if not it must have been your ovm fault. Kidding of course.

The Gibson's have sold their most loved "Windreach Island". There is a couple that will really bemissed. I don't know who could ever do all the kind and time consuming jobs he has done over theyears. I hope the new Wright family treasure their piece of heaven as much.

The saddest news is Aune Ferriere passed away this December.It was most unexpected. There will no longer be her wonderfulhugs she loved to share as she greeted you and her wonderfulsense of humour. Aune loved the bay and her friends in thearea. No more teasing her ofrunning with the boys as she wentto town with Big John and Cecil. There will not be a littleblonde lady paddling her paddleboat around the islands. Sheused to dog sit for Dave and I and of course got the medal forthe best of the best dog sitters. She loved life. I hope she getslots of"looking down" at her loved horpe. She will truly bemissed. A real loss for our small comipunity.

Also, Dan Smith of Smith Marine died of a heart attack this January. He was a great mechanic with alove of the area as well. He always did his best to keep the Mercury owners happy. A huge loss to hisparents, family and friends.

Page 3 i^ey River Area Association ~ Spring Newsletter 2006

We are at our winter house and Dave is packing things up to make his long awaited trip to the Key. He'scalled Edwin to ensure good travel and has been packing things for days. I guess Wal-Mart isn't his'Hhing." AS IF ! He's ready to go. He misses his harbour winters for sure but he does like it here as welland is smart enough to know he needs a cook, cleaner and laundry person to keep his harbour winters asgreat as they were. We DRIVE by the bay every trip to town and lots of time he manages to make thecurve from staring at the water.

Our reservations are coming for 2006. It is time for spring planning to get into action. I know theharbour residents will be chomping at the bit to check on "ice out". We hope you all are '^wintering"well and hopefully planning lots of time at the Key. Let's hope the water level is up. I know Edwin hada long wait to get the gas boat onto shore with low water and north wind blowing making the level muchlower. I guess this is just another thing that makes our area to enticing and challenging at the same time.

By the way, it is most difficult to come up with lots of news from our little space and share it four timesa year with you all. So if news is repeated it's not because I'm aging and have lots of senior momentsbut because we all love the peace and quiet and "nothing going on."

So, Harbourites it won't be too long now until we get to be in our favourite location. Travel safely.Looking forward to seeing you all at the Key.

Maggie & DaveDiamond Key Resort

Water Levels and Our Walleye Fishery

The 2006 water level forecast, as supplied by the Canadian HydrographicService, indicates that at the time ofprinting of out newsletter the waterlevel in the Bay in 2006 will be close to what we saw in 2005; that is aMarch height of 175.93 metres above sea level and a July predicted heightof 176.22 metres above sea level. In terms of walleye fishery, it means thatwe should expect to see the same level of reproduction that we have beenseeing in the upper Key for the past several years. I'll report on that in thesummer newsletter. The long term health and size of walleye populationwill depend upon the height of water in the Bay. If GBA's Baird Reporthad not been commissioned then we might have found ourselves in a longterm continual downward spiral that we potentially could not resolve. As itstands, it wdll take several years before the International Joint Commissioncompletes its studies and initiates mitigative action.

On a related matter, the alewife population in Lake Huron has collapsed and there have been majorchanges to the lakes' food web structure over the past twenty years. I will be attending the Great LakesFishery Commission meetings this winter and report back information on what we can expect might bethe logical outcome.

Jerry Smitka

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Key River Area Association Spring Newsletter 2006

Water Levels Review

GBA Activity to Protect Georgian Bay Water Levels.

• IJC's Lake Superior Board of Control meeting July 12 (2005?) in Midland posted on IJC websitewww.ijc.org

• Baird Report funded by GBA Foundation confirms GBA's water levels committee findings: ongoingerosion and shoreline alterations at outflow of Lake Huron into St. Clair River is increasingconveyance capacity and is lowering Lake Michigan and Huron.

• The International Joint Commission has previously stated changes for Seaway navigation loweredMichigan-Huron levels by 40 cm; Baird determined it closer to 80 cm.

• Since the last Seaway dredging in 1970, erosion in the St. ClairRiver had lowered Michigan -Huron by 6.4 cm since 1970. -=2^211'

• The ongoing erosion is resulting in a daily diversion of 845 million

• The full report was paid for by GBA Foundation and is available attheir website www.georgianbay.ca

• GBA presented these fmdings to the IJC, Environment Canada, shippers and agencies on both sidesof the border. The IJC said this level of work is unheard of by such a small non-governmental group.

• The IJC announced in May (2005?) that as a result of the Baird fmdings, it is revising their UpperGreat Lakes Plan of Study to investigate the Michigan-Huron outflow and determine the bestmitigation methods. The draft document will be available in early August (2005?) and there will be apublic meeting.

• The Baird findings should change forever how government agencies monitor Michigan-Huron waterlevels.

Reprintedfrom the GBA website February 2006 by Jerry Smitka

Thank You Notes

The Lye Family sincerely thanks Gunlid Spiess for her generous donation to the GBA in the memory ofJessie Lyte.

Allen Lyte

Page 5 Key River Area Association ~ Spring Newsletter 2006

Wedding in tlie Harbour

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History Bites - Key Harbour

When the Moose Mountainmine first opened in early 1900,there was no rail link or proper harbour.Mackenzie and Mann, owners of theCanadian Northern Railway anticipated a highly profitableoperation in theorerefinin4business. In 1905, they secured exclusive shipping rights and began makingplans for theirharbour, whichwas to be situatedat the mouth ofthe KeyRiver. In the meantime, theMooseMountain minestockpiled all their ore until 1909, whenthe railway and harbour were finallyfinished.

The nearest site for a decent harbour was situated about 110 km (80 miles) south of the mine. Other thanthe harbour, Mackenzie and Mannhopedto establish a Canadian version of Pittsburgh, with refineries,and smelters thatwouldproduce greatquantities of steel. Withthis in mind, they applied for and

Page 6 Key River Area Association ~ Spring Newsletter 2006

received Grant #7, giving them no less than 111,217 acres or land. On May 8 1907, construction on theseven-mile spur line from the harbour to the junction was started. When it was finished on November 6ofthe same year, it was effectively linked to the Canadian Northern Ontario Railway.

The harbour along with all of its facilities was built in 1908. Unfortunately for Mackenzie and Mann,then* plans for a vast industrial centre died when they quickly learned the real facts on smelting iron. Ittook three tons ofcoal for every ton of iron processed. When they foimd out the closest coal field was inPittsburgh they realized the missing link in tiieir equation, and the plans for the smelter were scrapped.

Nonetheless the harbour commenced shipping ore pellets in 1909. Trains arrived from Sellwood anddumped the ore in a bin. The ore was then transferred to the docks, by way ofa large conveyor called anincline, which was then used to fill the ships.

In 1912, a sabotage plot was spoiled, but the associated fire caused damage to the loading docks andtrestle. They were promptlyrepaired and operationsresumedthe following spring. In almost no time,tragedy struck again. On Good Friday in the spring of 1913,a wind storm blew down the inclmethatwas situated above an ore storage building, and trimmed more than half the train shed off. Later that fall,a violent snow store gave early notice ofwinter. The vast amount of snow melted, but quickly frozeagain and the harbour was forced to close for the season.

In 1916, ore shipping wastransferred to DepotHarbour, the latterbeingbetterequipped to service largerships. ITieharbour closed for good in October 1920,althoughthe mine continuedproducingthroughoutNovember of that same year, transhipping throughDepot Harbour. All ore docksand ore facilities weregradually dismantled during the 1920*s and 30's.

^ The harbour rebounded from 1929-1938, when coal was shipped in for theCanadian National Railway(formerly the C.N.O.R.), fromits minein WestVirginia. A coal dockconstructed of sunplewoodpilings,measuring 1200feet longand the widthofthree trackswas added. For a short six weeks a yearbetweenJune and July,employees wouldoperate around the clock,with two 12hour shift rotations. Ittook 43 to 48 hours to unload a 7,000-tonper coal ship, one ship at the tune. There were no actualdwellings at KeyHarbour. Most people livedin rail cars that wereparkedat a siding.

Every summer, during Key Harbour's short brief, anywhere from 125,000 to 150,000 tonsof coal wouldbe unloaded andshipped to the Suez coalyards in Hanmer, north of Sudbury. Some coalwassoldto theTemiskaming & Northern Ontario Railway (now O.N.R.). After1938, the docks were abandoned andthe tracks weremainly usedbyjitney's, for bringing in cottagers andsending out frozen packed fishfrom Gauthier's fishery station, also located at Key Harbour.

Limited usage bytherailway resulted in lackof maintenance andthetracks became increasingly unsafe.Fear ofderailmentsforced the railway to officially abandonthe line in 1950. The rusting tracks werevalued at 50 to 60 thousand dollars and in 1960 the spur was torn up and sold for scrap. Other than theremains ofthe wharves and assorted debris, nothing remains ofthe original town site.

Research & story courtesy: Yvan CharbonneauUpdated: Febntary 10, 2006http://www.ghosttownpix.com/ontario/towns/keyharb.shtml

Page 7 Hey River Area Association Spring Newsletter 2006

Bell Service Improvement, Georgian Bay Area Information l^ife

GBA Arranges for 2"** Bell Briefing on Telephone Services for ^IBay Communities — September 2005

Twenty representatives of the GBA Member Association present in person or -by teleconference discussed with Bell's regulatory and operations personnel :their new revised plans for servicing new customers in our Bay communities.

In summary. Bell plans to provide un-served customers with basic telephoneservice using existing towers in all but McGregor Bay and Bay of Islandsareas. Internet service remains very slow at 14 Kb/ps. Concern was expressedby GBA associations for the unanswered challenge of erecting a 55ft. towers at > \some homes, in the existing tower service areas in the southern Bay, if theymust be anchored in soil, a scarce commodity on the Bay.

We also were shocked to learn that current radio customers were not eligible to apply for the newprogram - since they were regarded as served. No assistance was offered for any customers whocurrently rely on 12 mstead of 120 volt systems.

GBA and some municipalities will be quickly pursuing the alternate and more costly option of using cellphones for basic service and internet e-mail; we hope to meet with all three cell providers (BellMobility, Rogers, and Telus) to learn their interest in filling gaps in their Bay coverage areas and thecosts for basic and internet services; boating groups representing over 20,000 cruisers and sailboatsalong the Bay share this interest - since they like us, use cell phones for basic marine safetycommunications.

GBA is pleased to offer this communications resource for our members.

John E. Birnbaum, Executive Director, Georgian Bay Association(Adoptedfrom the GBA website www.georgianbay.ca by Jerry Smitka, February 2006)

Telephone Service for Georgian Bay Communities(Takenfrom: GBA Update, V0LI6, No.I, Spring 2006, p. 16, ED Notebook, by John Binbaum)

Bell's Service Improvement Program (SIP) failed to attract sufficient interest in our communities exceptfor the Key River; Bell's barring of"radio phone customers" from this subsidy program and therequirement for six feet of soil to support 55-foot antennae didn't help. But the GBA never gives up; sowe're now actively exploring enhanced cell phone service with Rogers and Bell Mobility. Expect morenews by the summer.

December (Well Actually March) 2005 - Treasurer's Report

The KRAA did well again in 2005. ^

We received significant contributions to our helipad funding from the Ontario Gov't again, andKillamey has paid for the new chains and anchors that were purchased for the Buoy upgrading.

Membership has stayed steady at 102members (see chart).

Members continue to make significantvoluntary donations. This is what continuesto allow the KRAA to undertake other

projects in the area.

KRAA Membership

• Members

S Donors

The revised fee structure for KRAA / GBA •••••members introduced lasthas pretty much ®kept the revenue to the GBA the same. We ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^have 60% of the members paying the $40 to , ^„ -be represented by GBA and they also receive the GBA update newsletter 3 times a year.

Your 2006 invoice is enclosed - in yellow!

This year, we had most members pay in advance of the AGM, which made the sign in processat the August meeting go very smoothly. Again this year, we welcome your early duespayment.

If anyone is interested in running the booksand membership list, please contact us andwe'll let you know what is involved(knowledge of quicken, access and around 2hours a month) and we'd be happy to trainyou. Email us at cispiess@.svmpatico.ca.

Thanks again, Carl Spiess, KRAA Treasurer.

Jennifer & Carl Updating the KRAA Financials....

KRAA Treasurer's Report for December 2005 Newsletter

31-Dec-03 31-Dec-04

BALANCE $ 10,286.74 $ 11,674.96

INFLOWS

Archives Donations $ 76.00 Archives Donations $ 104.00

Bank Interest $ 128.11 Bank Interest $ 103.56

Buoys Donations (Members) $ 375.00 Buoys Donations (Members) $ 488.00

Buoys Donations (Gov't) $ 2,622.18

Channel Improvements Donation $ 242.69 Channel ImprovementsDonation $ 292.00

Fish Improvement Donation $ 98.78 Fish Improvement Donation $ 172.40

Friends of KRAA Dues $ 35.00

GBA Special Donation Income $ 1,226.92 GBA Membership Dues $ 2,380.00

Helipad Donations Members $ 110.00 Helipad Donations Members $ 185.00

Helipad Donations (Gov't) $ 3,500.00 Helipad Donations (Gov't) $ 3,500.00

KRAA Membership Dues $ 3,341.00 KRAA Membership Dues $ 2,076.00

Newsletter Donations $ 162.00 Newsletter Donations $ 233.00

Other Donations $ 292.80 Other Donations $ 327.92

Prepaid Membership Dues KRAA $ 97.00

Water Quality Donation $ 160.00 Water Quality Donation $ 188.00

TOTAL INFLOWS $ 9,845.30 TOTAL INFLOWS $ 12,672.06

OUTFLOWS OUTFLOWS

Bank Charges $ 47.40 Bank Charges $ 76.88

Buoys Exp $ 1,125.49 Buoys Exp $ 3,264.18

GBA Annual Fees @$15 $ 1,665.00 GBA Annual Fees @$40 $ 2,400.00

GBA Additional Members Donations $ 1,301.92

Insurance (CGL) $ 1,906.20 Insurance (CGL) $ 1,906.20

Insurance (D&O) $ 383.40 Insurance (D&O) $ 378.00

Mail & Newsletter Exp $ 1,345.67 Mail & Newsletter Exp $ 1,319.31

Meeting Expenses $ 107.00 Meeting Expenses $ 180.25

Signs $ 575.00

TOTAL OUTFLOWS $ 8,457.08 TOTAL OUTFLOWS $ 9,524.82

OVERALL CHANGE $ 1,388.22 OVERALL CHANGE $ 3,147.24

BANK BALANCE $ 11,674.96 $ 14,822.20

31-Dec-04 31-Dec-05

Founded ISI6

2006 GBA MEETING SCHEDULECONFIRMED' INSERT DATES fN DAYTfMERS

Information: John Birnbaum, GBA Executive Director (416) 486-8600

December 20,2005

GBA Board Meetings(GBA Executive & Directors)6:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. ^Dinner 5:30pmFasken Martineau Dumoulin

TD Centre, TDTower, 42"^ Floor66 Wellington St. W., Toronto• Monday, February 13, 2006• Monday, March 27, 2006• Monday, May 8, 2006• Monday, June 12,2006• Monday, September 25,2006• Monday, November 20,2006

GBA Executive Meetings(GBA Executive & Project Leaders withreports for next Board Meeting)5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.Monitor Company100 SImcoe Street - 5"^ Floor• Wed., February 1,2006• Wed., March 8, 2006• Wed., April 26, 2006• Wed., May 31, 2006

(July &August as necessary)• Wed., September 13, 2006• Wed., November 8, 2006

GBA Presidents' Meeting(GBA Assoc. Presidents and One SeniorExecutive, GBA Executive)• Saturday, March 4, 2006

10:00 a.m. -1:00 p.m.George Kelk Corp, Toronto

GBA Conferences and Workshops(GBA Committee and Representativesfrom each Association)• GBA/MNR Annual Fisheries

Workshop(GBA Reps from Association FisheriesCommittees, MNR & DFO)9:00 a.m. - Saturday, April 22, 2006George Kelk Corp, Toronto

GBA's 89"* Annual General Meeting(Members of all GBA MemberAssociations, GBA Friends and Guests)• Wednesday, April 5th, 2006

Reception: 6:30 p.m.Meeting: 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.Leaside Gardens, Toronto

• GBA 15**^ Annual DelawanaConference

(Township of Georgian Bay)9:00 a.m. - Saturday, October 21st,2006

Inn at Christie's Mill, Port Sevem

Other Meetinas of Interest:

GBA/OPP Annual Liaison Meeting(Members of GBA Boating/SafetyCommittee, OPP Regional, Marine, andDetachment Commanders)• Tuesday, Feb 14*^, 2006

OPP Headquarters, Orillla

GBA Deer Horn Conference

(Township of The Archipelago)To Be Confirmed

(Township of The Archipelago)9:00 a.m. - A Saturday in Feb or Mar.2007

Black Creek Pioneer Village,Downsview

First Annual GBA Cleveland Briefing(Members of GBA Member Associationsand Guests in Ohio, Michigan &W. NY)• Saturday, April 1, 2006 NEW!

Kinetico Presentation Center,10845 Kinsman Road, Newbury, OhioVisit www.kinetico.com for mao

Contact: Harvey Mierke (216) 421 6295

19 Edgecombe Ave.Toronto, ON M5N2X1

February 3, 2006

Ms. Sarah O'Keefe

Policy AdviserStrategic Policy BranchMinistry of the Environment135 St. Clair Avenue West, 11th floorToronto, Ontario, M4V 1P5PHONE: (416) 212-4312 FAX; (416) 314-2976

Dear Ms. O'Keefe,

RE: EBR Registry Number: AA05E0001 Proposed Clean Water Act, 2005

The Georgian Bay Association is an umbrella organization representing 22 local associationsalong the east and north coasts and connected waterways. Our comments are on behalfofapproximately 17,000 residents along those coasts and waterways.

Living on the Precambrian Shield, virtually all of our residents draw on Great Lakes surface waterfor drinking purposes. They have no other choice as the water found by drilling down (at greatexpense) into the granite rock is centuries old and contains high levels of manganese and othermetals. At additional energy expense, this water then requires ongoing filtering

We are pleased to see legislation finally being put in place to address the concerns raised by theWalkerton disaster. And we are pleased to see that the Great Lakes are included in this muchneeded protection. However, we have the following comments and recommendations.

Stronger protection for the Great Lakes

We have three areas of concern in ensuring stronger protection for the Great Lakes:

> Need to Integrate with Existing Agreements to Assess Cumulative ImpactsWe are pleased that the Great Lakes are included in the proposed legislation but thereneeds to be greater integration with existing agreements like the Annex Agreement,Canada Ontario Agreement and the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement in order toaddress cumulative impacts.

The Great Lakes are a relatively finite resource and under the Annex Agreement and theBoundary Waters Treaty there are obligations to be able to assess cumulative impacts. This

needs to be spelled out clearly in the legislation and the resulting regulations. To simplysay that "targets" will be set is not satisfactory because it is too vague. The language in theBoundary Waters Treaty has to apply: i.e. no taking can significantly affect the levels andflows of groundwater or surface water.

> The Need for Better Science to Ensure Proper Investigation of Cumulative ImpactsThe complex hydrological analyses that are involved in assessing cumulative impacts of allwater takings is likely beyond the capability and interest of local areas. We believe that acentral depository agency - above the Source Protection Areas - is essential in order toassess cumulative impacts of all water takings. Such a central agency is necessary in orderto understand the hydrogeology of the groundwater supplies and to assess impact on netbasin supplies of the Great Lakes.

The GBA Foundation has carried out extensive research on water levels for Lakes

Michigan/Huron/Georgian Bay. Our full Baird Report is available on our websiteIn that docimient you will find an analysis of two different methods

to determine net basin supplies - the components method and the stage/discharge method.The Baird Report concludes that the components method produces much more accuratenumbers. We recommend that the Ministry ofEnvironment move to using thecomponents methods. We realize that this will take significant resources but we cannotallow the existing system (where virtually no Great Lakes water levels cimiulative impactassessment takes place) to continue. As an example, the consimiptive use of water by golfcourses continues to grow; yet they appear to be able to choose in an EnvironmentalAssessment whatever method they want to assess impact. The Ministry needs to establish astandardized method to assess impact on Great Lakes and tributary water level using thecomponents method to determine net basin supplies.

> The Need to Control Intrabasin Transfers

As you are aware the Annex Agreement between the 8 Great Lakes states and Ontario andQuebec was signed in December 2005. In that Agreement there is language that will allowintrabasin transfers. With the mainly finite resource of Great Lakes water levels alreadydeclining and in particular Lake Huron levels under additional serious threats, you need toquickly enact separate legislation to ban intrabasin transfers in the province ofOntario. Thecity of London is already diverting water, is looking to get more and other municipalitiesin that area are currently looking at Lake Huron as a source of water. The King City sewerpipeline is moving into the Georgian Bay watershed. All these municipalities currentlythink the Annex Agreement will allow that.

Recommendations

1. Begin to put together the science to be able to determine net basin supply using thecomponents methods.

2. Remove the wording for ^target" setting objectives and replace it with ^no significantimpact on levels and flows*'.

3. Establish a central repository for all water taking permits so that cumulative impactscan be assessed in a consistent manner.

4. Enact separate legislation banning intrabasin transfers in Ontario.

Protecting water in areas not covered by a Conservation Authority.

The same mandatory requirements for Source Protection must be put in place for areas withoutConservation Authorities. The majority ofresidents in northern Ontario draw surface water fordrinking purposes and the areas that already have municipal drinking water supplies have in placeexisting protection now through your Ministry. It is the areas outside of these facilities that nowneed help to implement Source Protection under the proposed Clean Water Act.

The challenges of obtaining safe drinking water off the Precambrian Shield are unique in theprovince and Source Protection areas need to be able to address those needs. To do that theMinistry needs to consult with local stakeholders to determine the best way to implement SourceProtection. As an example, an opportunity now exists for the east coast of Georgian Bay that hasbeen designated a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve. There are now representatives of the widerange of stakeholders including First Nations along the coast and inland waters that could beconsulted as to how to establish this. Local MNR and Health Unit offices could be consulted. One

thing is clear though - in order to address problems and cumulative impacts the entire east coasthas to be one Source Protection Area and the north coast another one from Key River to Sault St.Marie.

Recommendations

5. All of the areas not currently covered by Conservation Authorities are required toestablish Source Protection Areas with input from all stakeholders including FirstNations.

6. Since these areas lack any existing structures or programs there will need to beadditional resources made available to help them get started.

7. For the east and north coasts and inland waters of Georgian Bay that two SourceProtection Areas be established. One from Port Severn to Key River and one fromKey River to Sault St. Marie. We suggest the original mapping as attached be used.

Protection against threats to source water from septic systems

We appreciate the much needed strengthening of the Building Code under Section 103.(1) Subsection 1 (1) of the Building Code Act, 1992 to require septic system inspection and re-inspection.

The Township of The Archipelago on the east coast of Georgian Bay has taken a lead role in ourprovince in establishing septic system re-inspection programs, based on the extensive research intothe effectiveness of septic systems installed on granite Shield shorelines. That work has shownthat while septic systems do destroy bacteria, they do very little to reduce the leeching of harmfulnutrients into adjacent surface and groundwater supplies, hi fact, the Township has determinedthat the nutrients pass right through tile beds and then leech through cracks in the bedrock intosurrounding surface water. We now have 5 enclosed intensely developed bays on the east coast ofGeorgian Bay with clear evidence ofhigh levels of nutrient loading. All of the residents drawsurface water for drinking purposes and one of those bays has had outbreaks of toxic blue green

algae for four years in a row. They cannot use the water for any purpose since even heat does notdestroy the toxins.

The Clean Water Act needs to offer alternatives and much more effective technology such as highquality composting toilets and constructed wetlands to eliminate these harmful nutrients.

Recommendation

8. Where there is dense development adjacent to surface and groundwater supplies thatthe Building Code be amended and under the Clean Water Act alternativetechnologies to traditional septic bed systems for nutrient management be permitted.

Protection for water supplies adjacent to contaminated lands; sensitive orvulnerable areas specifically

We are pleased to see the new protections in place under the new wording for Section106. Paragraph 3.1 of subsection 34 (1) of the Planning Act These changes have been badlyneeded for a long time.

For Precambrian Shield areas the ability to "prohibit any use of land and the erecting, locating orusing of any class or classes of buildings or structures on land that contains a sensitive groimdwater feature or a sensitive surface water feature, or that is within an area identified as avulnerable area in a drinking water source protection plan that has taken effect under the CleanWater Act, 2005" will be very important as we move forward.

We know that the Clean Water Act, as proposed, will have the necessary teeth to enforce theregulations, including significant fines. The requirement that when there is a conflict between Actsor regulations that which provides the greatest protection will prevail is very helpful. We expectthat means that the Clean Water Act will prevail over the Nutrient Management Act where theClean Water Act provides stronger protection.

And finally there are two basic principles that need to be incorporated into the Clean Water Actincluding the regulations and they are the Precautionary Principle and strong conservationmeasures. Both these principles should be the guidelines under which any permit request has tomeet. The language in the Act and the regulations should include these principles.

9. Incorporate the Precautionary Principle and strong conservation measurerequirements in both the Clean Water Act and the regulations pertaining to the Act

Safeguarding the quality and quantity ofOntarians' drinking water and meeting the Walkerton^ Inquiry Recommendations is acomplex task. You are moving in the right direction and we hope

our recommendations can be incorporated.

Thank you.

Fohn PepperellPast President the Georgian Bay Association

contact: Mary Muter, VP, Chair, Environment Committee, GBA,Georgian Baykeeper for GBA Foundation (416 489-8101)

Cc Nicola Crawhall, Senior Policy Advisor, Ministry of the EnvironmentLaurie Scott, MPP Haliburton-Victoria-Brock; PC Party Environment CriticGord Miller, Ontario Environment Commissioner

® Ontario

Ministry of Ministere desNatural Resources Richesses naturelles

7 Bay StreetParry Sound, ON P2A1S4

Telephone: (705) 746-4201Facsimile: (705) 746-8828

September 9,2005

Mr. Bob McDonald

Key River Area Association,690 Robertson Cresent

Milton ON L9T 4V4

Dear Mr. McDonald,

Subject: Boathouses on Crown Lake Bed

I am writing to update you on the above noted subject as it may pertain to some members of your association.

As you may recall, m May 2000 the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) temporarily suspended the collection ofrents for boattibuse sites pending an MNR review of the practice to address concerns that the rental approach was notbeing implemented in a fair and equitable manner. The review has been completed and in reconmiending theresumption of rent collection, it recognized the need to reform the program in the following ways:

• Our Free Use ofCrown Land poligy was revised to better clarify the distinction between "free use" boatstorage facilities and boathouses containing living acconmiodation;

• The occupational authority, or tenure, to be issued for most boathouse sites will be standardized in the formof a Lease, which will provide a secure form of tenure for boathouse owners, and a more equitable rentalrate structure;

• Rental rates will be established using credible and current market value information;• The program will be implemented consistently throughout all of Ontario, not just in certain parts of the

province.

Our Free Use ofCrown Land policy, with respect to boathouses, is as follows:

'The following uses of Crown land do not require land use occupational authority or the payment of a fee or rent:

....single storey boathouses, provided they are used strictly for private recreational or commercial tourismnon-revenue producing purposes and are in compliance with the following:

a) are mutually considered to be a necessary adjunct to the use and enjoyment of the adjoiningupland property;

b) are located directly in front of the owner's/occupier's adjoining upland property (or ashoreline road allowance or Crown shoreline reserve abutting the upland property) and do notinterfere with a neighbor's use and enjoyment of their waterfront property;

c) have been approved or exempted by the Canadian Coast Guard under the Navigable WatersProtection Act, if applicable;

d) are in compliance with applicable permitting requirements;e) and are us^ only for the storage and docking ofboats and related equipment."

If a boathouse doesnotmeettheabovecriteria, forexample, it hasa secondstorey, contains livingaccommodationor is located remote from theowner'sprivately owned upland property, thenoccupational authority andthepaymentof an annualrent is required. The ownerof such a structureis realizingsignificantly more benefit from theu* use ofCrownland thanthe ownerof a moreconventional boathouse and, consistent withMNRstrategicdirection, the rentprovides a fair return to the people of Ontario for this exclusive use and occupation of Crown land.

Althoughannualrents that wouldhave been due during the May 1, 2000 to December31,2005 period willbewaived, we will resume the collection of rent for 2006.

Consistent with our Crown Land Rental policy, annual rents will be set at 6% of the market value of each site. Themarket value is based on the"per square foot" value of thesite,as determined by an accredited realestate appraiser,and the square footage of Crown lake bed occupied, as determined by a surveyprepared by an Ontario LandSurveyor.

Subject to satisfying site specific criteria, the option of purchasing these sites, at market value, will also be madeavailable.

Over the next few months MNR staff maybe inspecting boathousesites on your lake in order to updateour recordsand to determine whether or not they meet the "free use" criteria. Owners of boathouses that do not meet the criteriawill be individually contacted.

If youhaveany questions, please do nothesitate tocontact Bart Brown. A/Senior Lands Technician, at theParrySound District Office, telephone; 705-773-4267.

Yours truly.

Pat Walsh

A/Parry Sound Area SupervisorParry Sound Districtkb

BEAR WISE

3e Bear Wise! "Prepare and be aware

at your campsite

When enjoying Ontario'scampsites, lakes, forests and

^king trails, it's wise toremember that you're in thenatural habitat of black bears.

Bears have a keen sense of

smell, and are attracted bythe odour of human food

and garbage. To avoidconflicts with bears, prepare... and be aware.

In an immediate emergencycall your local police or 911.To report bear problems call:

1 866 514-2327(1 866 514-BEAR)

TTY 705 945-7641

For more information, visit^our website:

bears.mnr.gov.on.ca

What campers can do:

Ministry of Natural Resources

Reduce or eliminate odours from yourself, yourcamp, your clothes and your vehicleCook and store your food well away from yourtent site

Clean fish and store food remains away fromyour campsite

Burn food scraps and fat drippings thoroughlyin a fire

Never cook, eat or store food in your tent -this includes snacks

Store food so that bears cannot reach it - in thetrunk of your car or hanging at least 4 metres(13 feet) above the ground

Sleep in clothes other than those you havecooked in

Properly store and pack all garbageHandle and store pet food with as much careas you do your own