Fall 2024 Newsletter
Hello from Roy,
I hope everyone had a fabulous summer and are now enjoying our fall season. This past week was some of the best weather I can remember in the month of September. The lake was still very inviting for a swim. I would like to apologize for not sending out a summer newsletter- life got really busy for our family these past few months.
The BLA had an eventful summer starting with our AGM and then our very successful social event in August. It was so nice to see everyone there. We had over 70 members and family attend. We will be planning another social event for next year. You can find more information below in the newsletter.
Our membership drive this year was also very successful, and I am pleased to announce that we surpassed our goal of 80 members.
Enjoy the rest of the autumn season and hopefully you are able to experience Buckshot Lake in the winter.
See you soon.
Newsletter at a glance
● Membership
● Photo Contest
● AGM
● BLA Social
● Your board members
Membership
The Buckshot Lake Association can only be successful if we are able to have a healthy membership. With increased costs affecting everything we do we decided that instead of raising membership fees we would set a goal of 80 members for the BLA. We started the campaign by sending out reminders and in July your executive board went door to door to raise awareness of the association. This was a great opportunity to meet neighbours and to receive feedback. I am happy to say we not only reached our goal but surpassed it. We now have: 85 members!!!
It is not too late for those who have not yet renewed their membership for this year.
Of course it is always good to strive for more, so I think we should set a goal of 90 for next year. Remember everyone can help by promoting to neighbours who are not yet members and letting them know how important it is to be part of the BLA.
Photo Contest
This year we had another successful photo contest. We had a total of 48 entries. Congratulations to the photo contest winners for this year. You are able to view the pictures on the website. A special thank you to Russ Brown and Anne Donaghy for organizing the contest.
Winners:
Young Photographer - Avnee Joshi
Landscape - Andrew Taylor
Nature Wildlife - Ed Rohr
Cottage Life - Mary Ann Ward
Thank you to everyone who participated in this year's contest.
AGM
This year's annual general meeting was held July 27th at Clar-Mill Hall in Plevna. It was well attended and we had 3 guest speakers: Mayor Gerry Lichty from North Frontenac, Reeve Henry Hogg from Addington Highlands, and President of the NFLAA, Bruce Moore.
Discussions were had regarding the closing of the post office in Ardoch. North Frontenac has been investigating the possibilities of where and how it can support a Post Office.
Cell coverage and broadband access generated many questions. Rogers continues to add more towers and Bell will be installing fiber on the poles over the next year.
Two concerns were discussed about the boat launch, and the use of the natural beach area in Pine Point Bay. The township has cleared the lane way into the boat launch and the shore line will be completed later this fall by members. There was a concern brought forward about people leaving garbage/debris at the beach in Pine Point Bay and not respecting that this area is for everyone to enjoy.
Bruce Moore discussed the role of the NFLAA. They are currently focusing on an AirBnb policy related to the environmental impact they can have, and lake carrying capacity.
Roy announced that Peter Lorenz has stepped down from the BLA board and thanked him for his efforts. If anyone is interested in being a board member please let him know.
Roy talked about the new Environmental Task Force developed through the Township of North Frontenac. This task force was a result of the comments made by stakeholders during the strategic planning process completed earlier this year. Roy mentioned that the number one concern from stakeholders was ensuring our environment stays pristine.
Russ Brown discussed the health of our lake and reviewed the data from the past years. Happy to say that our lake is as good as ever and has no signs of invasive species.
Paul Asselin presented our financial statements indicating we are in good standing. The financials were approved by the members.
Discussion about the upcoming social was very positive and members agreed that this is something they would like to see on an annual basis.
The meeting was adjourned at 11:30am
BLA Social
Our BLA Social BBQ was held August 10 and we had over 70 people in attendance. Members came by all modes of transportation- boat, car, atv, bike, by foot. Perhaps next year we will have someone fly in. The weather co-operated for us, and everyone enjoyed the BBQ food, snacks and even some games. It was really nice to see everyone there.
The BLA board would like to thank everyone for their attendance, our board and neighbour volunteers, and especially Mike and Mary Ann Ward for letting us use their property to host the event.
We will definitely be planning another social event for next year. If you have any ideas for the social event or would like to help out, please let us know.
Your BLA Executive Members:
● Roy Huetl President
● Russ Brown Past President
● Paul Asselin Treasurer
● Leslie Hoyt Secretary
● Vikram Joshi Web Admin
● Mary Ann Ward Membership Director