Summer 2023 Newsletter
Hello from Roy,
I hope everyone is enjoying the summer months at Buckshot Lake. We have had some very hot weather, along with rain to keep things green. With the first part of the summer being a little drier, we all remember the forest fire, which was so close to our lake. Fortunately the winds cooperated to keep it from reaching Buckshot Lake; and we can thank the MNRF & local firefighters for their extraordinary efforts toward stopping the spread of the fire. Remember, enjoy your camp fires, but ensure that you have a bucket of water nearby, and do not leave them unattended.
We had our Annual General Meeting on July 29th with guests from North Frontenac (Mayor Lichty) and Addington Highlands (Reeve Hogg). Along with the Mayor, Eric Kohoen (North Frontenac Fire Chief) and Jackie Leach (Fire Prevention Officer) also presented door prizes. The minutes for the AGM are below for those who did not attend. Membership is a concern and was discussed at the AGM. Please read my section below on membership.
I would also like to thank Arthur Mcgregor and Jim Bacon for their years of service to the BLA board. Jim in particular who has been part of the board for 14 years. Also I would like to welcome Mary Ann Ward as our new director.
Enjoy the rest of the summer. I am looking forward to my favourite season, fall.
Newsletter at a glance
● AGM
● Membership
● Photo Contest
● NFLAA Update
● Your board members
AGM
Minutes Below (Leslie Hoyt)
Buckshot Lake Association AGM
July 29, 2023
Directors Present
Roy Huetl
Jim Bacon
Vikram Joshi
Arthur McGregor
Leslie Hoyt
Not in Attendance
Paul Asselin
Peter Lorenz
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Arthur McGregor opened with “Ode to Buckshot Lake”
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Gerry Litchy, Mayor of North Frontenac
-Tax rate going up in North Frontenac by 2.98%
-A lot was learned from the Centennial Lake wildfire experience
-Weed cutting on the side of the road has doubled in price
-306 cell towers are being built, the majority being Rogers
-Bell is currently surveying for high speed fibre in the area
-Milfoil is an invasive species found in area lakes
-North Frontenac has a bylaw in place to deal with noise. Residents should register complaints about a specific address on the NF website. If several are received by-law officers out of Kingston will respond
-Short term rentals are a big issue; NF is working on a by-law but extremely difficult
-Mandatory septic system inspections are another huge issue that has counsel currently divided
Questions for the Mayor
From Valerie: Is logging near the boat launch for development? Answer: No just for salvage
From Arthur McGregor: He wondered about the difficulty with short term rentals. Answer: very expensive to enforce and because they are so lucrative the owners launch legal challenges. He also asked about fireworks which was later answered by the Fire Chief.
From Greg Spottiswood: What about side road clean up from the Derecho? He thought the piles of debris are a fire hazard. Answer: the county got money but it’s all been used and there is no more coming. Roy said people could clean up their properties and take the brush to the dump for free. There was a suggestion that people volunteer to help clean up the debris on municipal lands.
Somebody asked about the issue of parking at the boat launch. Roy mentioned that the BLA had posted two no parking signs. The mayor mentioned they were working on (considering?) a by-law but how to enforce it?
Henry Hogg, Reeve of Addington Highlands
Reeve Hogg commented that they share many of the issues with NF. He mentioned that the cell towers would not be activated until 2026 at the earliest. He said AH has put together a “renter kit” to help deal with some of the short term rental issues.
Questions
Ed Rohr asked about the ambulance in Denbeigh. Reeve Hogg said they only have a single shift from 7:00am-7:00pm, seven days a week.
Bob Haynes asked about a rumour of another wind test station. The Reeve said there were no signed contracts with AH and Roy said NF was not aware of any.
North Frontenac Fire Chief Eric Korhonen
He spoke about the importance of listening only to reliable sources such as the NF fire department website, the township and the O.P.P when it comes to wildfires and not to social media.
He mentioned the impossibility of the tanker trucks getting up some cottage lanes.
He said the best homeowners could do to limit fires is to have smoke detectors and CO2 detectors and check them monthly, to keep vegetation 10 metres from your home and to have roof sprinklers. He also spoke about the importance of covering a stove fire to put it out.
Jackie Leach, fire prevention officer, also reiterated the importance of checking smoke detectors, adding to check for blocked tubes and vents, and CO2 detectors. She also mentioned moving your fire extinguishers monthly to make sure the dry compound does not settle. She spoke about getting out of the house if you hear an alarm and to have an escape plan in place.
Questions
There was a question about the placement of fire extinguishers. Answer: In the kitchen, near the BBQ (but not close to the heat source) and near exits.
Bob Haynes asked about how to extinguish a fire caused by a lithium battery and the fire chief said he would look into it.
There was a question about putting an extinguisher on a tree by the campfire. The fire chief said sure but not too close and take it in in the cold weather. A hose nearby is also a good idea.
Ed Rohr asked how the fire department would let us know about an evacuation. The fire chief said it would go up on their website but if it was an emergency they would go door to door. Ed then asked about people with mobility issues. The fire chief said you could register your address with them if you have a vulnerable person.
A question was asked if extinguishers were rechargeable. They are but only up to ten years.
The fire chief also spoke about fireworks. They are federally regulated. If a municipal fire ban is on then NO fireworks. If a Restricted Fire Zone is put on by the province then the municipality won’t put a fire ban on and fireworks are permitted.
NF posts the fire rating daily on their website.
Director Elections
Two directors are retiring, Jim Bacon who has served for 14 years, and Arthur McGregor.
Mary Ann Ward was nominated by Roy Huetl and seconded by Arthur McGregor.
Membership
Membership is around 30 (at the time of the AGM meeting).. The annual cost is $30.00. Not all members have paid fees. We need at least 70 members to pay to break even
Membership to NFLAA and our insurance costs have increased
It was agreed that just the fact that the BLA puts out the shoal markers is worth the $30. Not to mention maintaining the boat launch.
It was also brought up that governments will not respond to individual concerns, only to a lake association.
It was agreed that a membership drive, going door to door, talking to neighbours about the benefits of paying fees and joining the BLA was essential. Ed Rohr thought printing out and distributing the “Benefits to joining the BLA” flyer would be helpful to those canvassing.
Treasurer's Report
The BLA is currently spending $426.06 more than revenue generated last year. There is a bit of a reserve.
If membership numbers continue to be low we will have no operating funds in 4 years.
Greg Spottiswood asked if the fees were tax deductible but the answer was no because the BLA is not a registered charity.
Lake Steward Report
Russ Brown provided a summary of our water quality report. As in the past years we continue to show good numbers with no invasive species entering our system at the time of gathering samples.
NFLAA
Roy mentioned that the big concerns here are mandatory septic tank inspections, short term rentals, cell towers and floating homes which the province has banned.
Other Questions
Joan Johnson wondered if the Car-Mill hall and playground could be used for a social gathering.
MEMBERSHIP
At the time of writing of this newsletter, we have 57 paid members for the 2023/2024 membership year. As always membership is key to a successful Lake Association. We had just over 70 members last year; we would like to see this increase. As the treasurer's report indicated we are heading into a deficit. Our expenditures are larger than our revenue generated. Last year after revenues and expenditures we were $426.06 in the red. If we forecast the next 4 years with the same membership numbers and with the same expenditures, we will be out of operational funds. We have seen our buoy maintenance increase over the years, and our insurance continues to be a large expense, which is due to increase over the years. The BLA is asking for your help. Please ensure that your membership is up-to-date, and nudge neighbours who are not members today to please consider joining the Lake association. There are many ways in which you can submit payment, such as directly paying on our website. It only takes a couple of minutes.
If you have received this newsletter, it means you are a member currently, or have been one in the past. We would like feedback from property owners who have discontinued their membership to know why. The BLA is so important to this lake and surrounding area. We as a group are much more effective, when it comes to advocacy for a variety of concerns. Also being part of the BLA gives us direct links to the NFLAA and FOCA, which are important advocacy groups in the province.
PHOTO CONTEST
The photo contest has always been a popular activity here on Buckshot and we will continue the tradition for 2023. Thanks to Donna Crome and Russ Brown for continuing to manage this initiative. Over the years, we have had some extraordinary photos submitted. I know it has been very difficult to pick the winners, yet everyone enjoys viewing the submissions on our website too. As always, we will announce the winners both in our fall newsletter and on our website along with all of the pictures submitted.
https://www.buckshotlakeassociation.com/photo-contest
NFLAA UPDATE
The next meeting is August 19th, 2023.
Key agenda items include
● Septic Inspections
● Liability Insurance
● Lake Carrying Capacity
● Financial Update
● Short Term Rentals
YOUR BLA EXECUTIVE MEMBERS:
● Roy Huetl - President
● Russ Brown - Past President
● Paul Asselin - Treasurer
● Leslie Hoyt - Secretary
● Vikram Joshi - Web Support
● Peter Lorenz - Director
● Mary Ann Ward - Director