May 21 2020

Margi Colquhoun

Hi Everyone

We hope this letter continues to find you healthy!  It has been quite easy to stay home during the time of Covid 19, since the weather felt more like late winter than May until this week. I am in the city on the holiday Monday reminding myself that the trees and flowers need the rain.

The LCLCA Executive held a meeting on May 7^th. The minutes can be found on the website by clicking here.

Breaking News:

Annual General Meeting

As you probably expected, the AGM is cancelled this year due to Covid 19.  We will communicate with you via emails and the website.

The decision regarding the regatta and corn roast are delayed until mid-June.

Travel to Cottage

There is a good you tube video FOCA Cottages in the FOCA Update forwarded to you a few days ago which addresses trips to cottages in our area. Please listen to it. An important thing we can do to respect the townspeople is to order online or by phone and use curbside pick-up. The Apsley stores are all set up for curbside service.

It is preferred that cottagers self-quarantine for 14 days at their properties when they return to the lake. Please take the supplies from your home in order to comply.  The people in Apsley do welcome our business and are ready for us, but the province continues to ask that we exercise caution and respect.

Governance:

New Executive for LCLCA

As you know Syd Bowcott stepped down and we thank him for all of his years as secretary.  Roger van Katwijk, has stepped down as Vice President but continues to lead the Corn Roast. We are very fortunate to have three new volunteers to serve on the executive this year.

• Vickie Hartog is going to become Communications/Secretary
• Henry Decock will serve as Vice President (formerly Member at Large)
• Breanne Wells will become a the Member-at-Large
• James Boyd will remain a Member-at-Large and  support Corn Roast

THANKS TO OUR EXECUTIVE MEMBERS THAT ARE LEAVING US AND JOINING US!!!

We will provide more info about our new executive members in the next newsletter.

Area Directors

We normally confirm Area Directors name at the AGM.  Please let us know (email president@looncalllake.ca)  whether you are willing to continue for the upcoming year!

This is our current list:

Lots	Fire Route	Name
1 to 7 & XO’s 1 to 4	55 & 56	Bill McRae
8 to 18	55	Helen Yielding
19 to 27	55	JP Pawliw
28 to 39	58F	Margaret Adkins
40 to 52	58F	Sue and Ross Murray
53 to 64	58G &  58D	Leslie or Neil Guyatt
65 to 68 & Island	57 & Island	Heather Thornton
69 to 77	57A	Reiner Stimming

Collection of Dues

The executive agreed to continue collecting Loon Call Cottagers Association dues for the coming year. Any excess funds in the future can be reimbursed to the members in other ways, such as free access to the corn roast.  Please send the $20.00 dues by e-transfer to Janice Manias (janicemanias@hotmail.com), in your comments please identify your cottage lot number. Alternatively, you can drop it off at Janice’s dock on the July 1^st weekend.

Communications:

Website

Vickie Hartog is monitoring the use of the updated Looncall Lake website. It is very exciting that traffic to the website increased from 3 or 4 to between 45 and 50 views immediately after the announced launch in the last newsletter. Visitors can still send any corrections by using the Contact Us link on the site.

Notes about posting:

• Anything critical is displayed on the Notice Board
• External announcement are directed to links rather than paraphrasing
• If Road associations provide material using the Contact Us link it will be posted in the Latest News
• Pictures of activities on Loon Call are always welcome! See instructions in the Contact Us link
• You can subscribe to communications via the Subscribe link on the footer of the website. You can unsubscribe via any email you receive.

Welcome Book

The Executive considered printing the Welcome Book but determined that an online version was the initial vision and people who wish to print it are easily able to print from the website.

Taking Care of the Lake:

Water Testing

Jim Hartog will continue with the regular testing of the lake as in previous years. If he gets results from the Park and Township that can be shared they will be on the website and in the next newsletter.

Light Pollution

Light pollution – Cottagers are reminded that solar lights that are on all night create problems for wildlife and sometimes annoying to other cottagers. They affect our ability to see the night sky which is amazing to enjoy when we are at the cottage. We hope you will consider installing on/off switches for exterior lighting. Orange lights or caps over the lights are preferred. On our website and in the Shoreline Assessment there are questions and recommendations related to lighting.

Loons Nesting

Tips for taking Care of the Loons:

The loons are back and we would love to see them have chicks again! Their nests are easily flooded by waves created by boat wakes.

• Watch loons from at least 200 feet away. Get a powerful lens for your camera, use binoculars or a spotting scope, and never explore a loon nest site. Close encounters can be deadly for swimming and nesting loons.
• Avoid exploring or camping on islands before July 15 of each year. Loons prefer islands for nesting. Disturbance can cause a loon to abandon its nest.
• Dispose of household garbage at a collection site. Garbage draws raccoons, foxes, gulls, and eagles, which prey on loon eggs. Trash can also ensnare wildlife, including loons.
• Be an ethical angler. Never fish or cast near loon nests or swimming loons, properly dispose of extra bait and trash, and pick up monofilament line.
• Keep dogs and cats away from loons and nests. Pets disturb nesting loons and can destroy loon eggs.
• Be a responsible boater. Never chase loons or run motorboats or personal watercraft over areas where loons have been seen (both bays!) Loons and loon chicks have died from being hit by boats and pro­pellers. Boat wakes and waves may also wash eggs off of nests.
• Practice and teach wildlife stewardship…always!

Gypsy Moths

We will be invaded by Gypsy Moths this year at Loon Call.  Even though some people have collected hundreds of egg masses (particularly Heather Thornton), at this stage if cottagers wish to minimize damage done by the voracious caterpillars you should wrap your trees in burlap with a fold to catch the caterpillars as they crawl up the tree.

There are several websites to help you see what you can do to protect your trees. Here is one: Canada Gypsy moths

Have a Happy and Safe Summer,

See you at the Cottage even if we can just wave,

Hugs from your Loon Call Lake Cottage Association Executive

April 13, 2020

Margi Colquhoun

The ice is out. The snow is gone. Birds are calling.Things are awakening at Loon Call Lake.

Since cottagers are beginning to think about cottages we thought it a good time to reconnect. We are in the 5^th week of “physical distancing” and restrictions imposed by the Covid 19 pandemic, and nothing is normal. Even the thought of going to the cottage is fraught – should we? shouldn’t we? are we allowed? Information changes regularly and we will attempt to keep you updated on the website.

Updated Website

This letter introduces you to our wonderful restructured website where current information is located and updated regularly.

A huge thanks to Vickie Hartog and her daughter Kathryn Hartog who revised the website! Our thanks also go to Erin Billinghurst and her dad Bruce, who started the website and continued it until recently

Our website: Loon Call Lake includes a link to a video by our Mayor Carolyn Amyotte regarding Covid-19 and visits to the cottage. Although our local mayor is encouraging, our premier and local and federal health officials suggest that cottagers stay home in order to reduce the potential for spread of Covid19 to local residents and to reduce the potential impact on cottage country healthcare resources.

I will be attending a FOCA webinar about cottage country considerations and COVID-19 on Tuesday April 14 and will post and send highlights after the webinar.

Loon Call Lake Welcome Book

You will note on the website that we have a new Welcome Book! It is going to be valuable for newcomers and oldtimers alike. Please have a look!

Again our thanks go to Vickie Hartog’s leadership in creating our new welcome book! A small group including Jim Hartog, Syd Bowcott, Henry DeCock and Margi, led by Vickie Hartog, developed this book late last summer

Welcome Book

FOCA Spring Meeting

You can read or even watch the presentations of the spring 2020 FOCA meeting I attended in March. FOCA Event Summary Spring 2020, invasive species presentation by Andrea Kirkwood and FOCA spring seminar site.

Planting Trees and Shrubs

At the 2019 AGM information was provided about the value of planting trees and shrubs on waterfront properties/shorelines.  If you are up to the cottage this spring and staying close to home rather than visiting with friends, please consider planting!!! Trees and shrubs are easily accessible and it is difficult to overemphasize their value.

The province of Quebec has legislated that there must be several metres of natural vegetation on shorelines. (not grass!)

This resource from the Ontario Government states that shorelines are protected by law. Ontario Natural Shorelines

Watersheds Canada provides resources natural shorelines

Loon Call Lake Cottage Executive

As you were told a couple of months ago, Syd Bowcott is finished his long term as secretary in May.  I asked for volunteers then and received none.

I urge anyone who is recently retired to consider offering their support to the Executive!  The association cannot function without volunteers and if it is your time, we would appreciate the help.

On behalf of your Executive, please stay well and we look forward to seeing you as soon as possible.