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The “shoe fits” for farrier Monica Wolf
Peter Wood
Flying Jewels & Flower Kissers:
Hummingbirds
Cindy Cartwright
Champlain in Huronia
David M. Dupuis
Summer 2015
Issue# 109
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GEORGIAN BAY TODAY Summer 2015
www.georgianbaytodaynews.com
You need to know about the predator on
the loose in Georgian Bay
Georgian Bay Today
Issue 109,
Summer 2015
Publisher
Bird Room Press
Manager/Editors
Peter Wood & Sherry Giddings
[email protected]
[email protected]
Contributors
Cathy Cooper
Aurora
Olivia Hill
Muskoka
Steven Duff
Parry Sound
Gary Cerantola
Wasaga Beach
Gary Scott Breithrupt
Parry Sound
Kate Harries
Elmvale
Anne Lewis
Six Mile Lake Conservation Club
Monika Lukacena - Russo
Olea Health Wasaga Beach
Kim Newby
Wyevale
David M Dupuis
Tiny Township
Cindy Cartwright
Ontario Hummingbird Project
Kristian Puhvel
Friends of Killarney Park
David Sweetnam
Georgian Bay Forever
Patrice Dutil
Ryerson University
Pat Edwards
Township of Georgian Bay
Penny Barr
Cartoonist - Scarobrough Bluffs
Production
Web site administrator
Colin Wood
Assembly Editor
Andrew Smellie
Smellie’s Copy & Print Shop Bracebridge
Printing
McLaren Press Graphics Gravenhurst
ISSN 0849-5696
BN 121730009 RT0001
July 2015
Volunteers tackle a stand of invasive phragmites near Collingwood
By David Sweetnam
A menacing, tenacious predator is
on the loose in Georgian Bay and it
is using biological warfare that could
potentially kill millions. It is on the
move up our coastline easily crossing
bare rock or water in search of its
next victims. It is hoping to be here
for the long-term and it has dug into
positions ten feet deep in some places.
Phragmites is a tall reed that can
grow to 5m (18 feet). You have no
doubt seen it in the ditches and
growing through the asphalt on the
roads and highways that have become a major route for its explosive
spread over the past 40 years, but it
has been with us in North America
for over a century. It spreads through
seeds and shoots both above (stolons)
and below the ground (rhizomes).
Stolons can grow over 4 cm per
day…yes, per day. You can almost
watch them grow. And they travel
across rock or water as these invasive
predators seek new territory.
The rhizomes form tangles subterranean networks that can penetrate the earth down to ten feet.
These store the sun’s abundant energy as sugars produced by the
plants that spring to life each year releasing toxic chemicals into the soil
that cause native plants to poison
themselves.
exist by using several different satellite mounted instruments and by examining different wavelengths of
light. And what we have seen is an
amazing first.
Satellite images showed that as
water levels dropped, the wetlands in
the southern part of Georgian Bay
started to disappear. In fact, there
was a ten percent loss of wetland
coverage. In the northern part of
Georgian Bay wetland coverage actually started to increase as water
levels declined. Overall, Georgian
Bay wetlands declined by 3.8 percent.
Government forecasts of climate
patterns over the Great Lakes indicate that lower water levels are more
likely in the future than higher water
levels. If the pattern revealed so far
persists, we need to do everything we
can to protect our remaining coastal
wetlands to ensure that habitat for
fish, migrating birds and all of the
other ecosystem participants is still
available. And phragmites is trying
to destroy them.
Georgian Bay ecosystems have
been decimated by 183 successive invasions such as
sea lamprey, Zebra and
Quagga mussels, Eurasian
water milfoil and spiny
water flea. Our coastal wetBut something besides the sun is lands are now threatened
looking down on this invasion from by phragmites. But we can
above. ‘EOS’ (Earth Observing Satel- fight back. Georgian Bay
lites) is keeping a watchful eye on our Forever,
Environment
wetlands in a project with NASA, Canada, the Ontario MinGeorgian Bay Forever, the Ontario istry of the Environment
Ministry of Natural Resources and and Climate Change, the
Forests and the Great Lakes St. Nottawasaga Valley ConLawrence Cities Initiative. Satellite servation Authority and
images taken over the past 28 years numerous
community
give us a picture of the wetlands at groups from Collingwood
historic high levels (1986) and his- to the French River are
toric low levels (2013). In effect, we passionately engaged in
can see the shoreline changes and de- taking back our coastline
termine what types of ground cover this summer.
Georgian Bay Forever and our
volunteers and partners are mapping
as many stands of phragmites as we
can find, and making work-plans to
remove this toxic weed as soon as we
find it in order to halt its spread and
protect our remaining wetlands.
Since no-chemicals are approved for
over water application in Ontario, we
have developed a non-chemical
method for safe and effective phragmites removal, building on research
from Parks Canada, the Ontario Invasive Plant Council and many experts working in the field. If you
would like to protect the ecosystem
in your area, please contact us [email protected] and volunteer to lead or be part of a team in
your area. We have resources and
training available. Help us protect
your water.
Editors’ note: this article is a follow
-up to ‘Relentless invasive species threatens Georgian Bay wetlands’ by David
Sweetnam. Georgian Bay Today, Fall
2014 issue # 106
www.georgianbaytodaynews.com
GEORGIAN BAY TODAY Summer 2015 3
Farrier: lifestyle and livelihood for Monica Wolf
and enrolled in an introductory
horseshoeing course in Oklahoma –
horse country, cowboy country. At
the time there were only two women
compared to eighteen men in the program but she was undeterred and as
she likes to say “the shoe fit perfectly”
and she has never looked back. Today,
the enrollment in shoeing courses is
filled fifty percent by women.
Encouraged by the introductory
course, Monica decided to become a
full-time farrier and took the complete program. There is much to
know. The course includes the study
of anatomy, locomotion and mechanics. “What you do at the base of the
hoof affects everything, the leg, the
shoulder and the back.” A farrier determines a proper fit, assesses potential lameness issues and determines
remedial features where necessary.
Monica Wolf working with her horse Pearl
“You have to love horses to work with them every day”
By Peter Wood
When Monica Wolf says that she
is a farrier, she is most often met with
puzzled responses such as, “Oh, so
you are a furrier” or “So, you drive
ferries.” With measured patience and
clarity derived from repetition and
practice, she clarifies, “No, I do not
make fur coats, I shoe horses.” To be
fair, this is a unique, perhaps obscure
profession, but it is a highly skilled
and important one and a dream come
true for Monica.
A ‘farrier’ is popularly confused
with ‘blacksmith’. In the old days a
‘smithy’ made wrought and steel iron
products including horseshoes on a
coal - fired forge using anvil and
hammer. Today, horseshoes are mass-
produced by machines leaving the
shoeing to the farrier and metal objects such as railings, furniture, tools
and sculpture to the blacksmith. In
other words, farrier is a specific aspect of metal work.
Becoming a farrier was not a likely
career for Monica. She was after all,
a city girl entering a male - dominated rural trade. She was born and
raised in Etobicoke Ontario, a suburb
of Toronto. Horses for her were
“love at first sight as soon as I knew
what they were.” She took riding lessons as a child and had the opportunity to ride at summer camp and she
was on her way. At age twenty-five,
she acted on her passion for horses
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169 Crooked Bay Road
Six Mile Lake
PO Box 156, Port Severn ON L0K 1S0
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Mercury Certified Service
Mercury Parts
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Service to all Makes
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Gasoline,
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Phone 705-756-2681 www.wawautosa.ca
Today Monica lives on nine acres
of scenic farmland with her family:
two sons Taylor and Ryan, two
horses, one donkey and three dogs. It
is an idyllic setting in the Blue
Mountains with a spectacular view
that affords her the special combination of ideal lifestyle and a fulfilling
livelihood, practicing her craft. Her
clients are private horse owners and
amateur competitors. They keep her
busy five days a week from April to
the end of September – from snow
melt to snow fly. It is demanding
work but it turns out that being a
woman of slight stature is actually a
benefit. “It s all about angles” she
says, “lower to the ground means less
bending.”
There are of course challenges.
Monica needs to stay fit and healthy
to do this work; it is a physically demanding job. Fatigue and pulled
muscles can become problems for a
farrier. It is not, contrary to popular
belief, dangerous. In fact she has been
kicked only once by a horse in her
twenty - two years of shoeing.
For Monica, being a farrier is truly
a labour of love. “You have to love
horses to work with them everyday.”
This work gives her independence;
she is involved with the animal and is
doing something positive. It may not
be glamorous “how can it be when
you are dirty, covered in horse poo
and mud every day?” she asks, but it
is fulfilling a passion, something that
is rarely found in a job description.
Monica and her business partner
Roy are also owners of the quaint
Ravenna Country Store. It is a landmark destination for cyclists, canoeists and other tourists in the Blue
Mountain area and a meeting place
for locals. They serve healthy sandwiches, soups, homemade breads,
gifts and more. It is an essential stop
on a scenic tour of the Beaver Valley.
According to Roy, it was Monica’s
‘big idea ‘ to buy the store, which
they did, six years ago. If you look
closely in the store you will find a
painting of a woman shoeing a horse
The artists name is unknown but it
depicts Monica at work and as Roy
points out, “Its not for sale, that’s a
keeper.”
Original painting depicting Monica at
work, donated by the artist, hangs in
the Ravenna Country Store
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A plethora of wrecks
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GEORGIAN BAY TODAY Summer 2015
Picture OA Acc. 12026-100
4
Arguably Georgian Bay's greatest shipwreck mystery is the wreck of the Paddle-steamer Waubuno, lost with all hands on an ill-advised passage from Collingwood to Parry Sound in November 1879. The vessel left Collingwood early on the morning of November 22nd in the face of
an epic winter stormand was last sighted by the light-keeper at Christian Island before she disappeared into the murk. When she was four
days overdue, search parties went looking for any evidence of a wreck and none was located until the following spring, when a Native found
her overturned hull near what is now called Wreck Island. No bodies were ever recovered and the circumstances of the Waubuno's wreck is
left largely to conjecture. One of her anchors was recovered and is now on display in Waubuno Park in Parry Sound
By Steven Duff
There is something magnetic,
something like the force that draws a
moth to a candle where shipwrecks
are concerned. Witness, for example,
the tremendous artistic (and financial) success of the movie Titanic,
one of several to explore that particular tragedy. And you could fill a
large book-case with shipwreck
books with no difficulty. It is a fascination that verges beyond the unexplainable; we can only speculate that
it is because hearing about such
things makes us think “there but for
the grace of God go I.”
Shipwrecks are certainly a fact of
Georgian Bay. Parry Sound has the
Waubuno, one of whose anchors
adorns Waubuno Park and whose
other remains lie down at Wreck Island. And there was the Asia, celebrated in a glass portrait at the West
Parry Sound District Museum. So,
if one lives in Parry Sound, an area
already rich in history, shipwrecks
are seldom far from the conversation.
Such was the experience of Parry
Sound resident Eric McIntyre. Like
so many of us, Eric is a transplant, a
refugee from big-city life, who has
found the Peaceable Kingdom in
Parry Sound. Unlike those who have
retired here, Eric is here for professional reasons as a (retired) biologist
for the Ontario Ministry of Natural
Resources. Eric and water have always gone naturally together. A native of London, Ontario, Eric has
always enjoyed being either on or in
the water, swimming, snorkeling, or
scuba-diving; in the case of the latter,
for those who are goal-oriented,
scuba-diving and wrecks are a natural fit.
While biology is Eric’s prime interest as well as past livelihood, history is a very active passion. “I’ve
always had a keen interest in history,”
he says, “and, wherever I landed up,
I’d be interested in the story of the
community. Take lumbering, for example. The local waterways here
were the big transportation artery
for timber, so I got interested in that.
And then there was the influence of
John Macfie and the late Dave
Thomas…to me, they are the Godfathers of logging history.”
Logging connects with so many
other factors, or, as Eric likes to put
it, “It’s like a plate of spaghetti. The
lumber trade connects with the railways, with supporting trades, with
machinery and technology, with
shipping, and, well, that’s where the
shipwrecks come in.”
Of course, Georgian Bay is a
prime place for shipwrecks. These
really can be dangerous waters, as
anyone who has flown over it at low
altitudes can attest. Cottagers and
sailors alike know to keep a close eye
on the weather, as it can change with
uncommon rapidity. And there is the
matter of keeping off the rocks.
Local marinas do a thriving trade in
repairing propellers during boating
season.
tion.
“And, here in Parry Sound, history
is still so close to us. Things have
come and gone – Depot Harbour, for
example – but they are recent
enough that we have photographs
and some old movies to make it all
more immediate. And there’s stuff
you can touch, so that 1863, the year
Parry Sound was founded, doesn’t really seem all that long ago.
those who worked and toiled, often at
considerable risk, on the early
steamships didn’t know it at the time,
but they were really the ‘worker bees’
building a nation.
“And because of the primitive machinery of those ships, plus oftenvague navigation charts, plus the lack
of aids to navigation we now have,
plus the nature of the Great Lakes
themselves, all of this adds up to
“Interestingly, the presence of the what you could call a ‘perfect storm’,
cottage community does a lot for this, a recipe for shipwrecks. And in the
too. It leads to spontaneous events Great Lakes, it is estimated that there
that in turn lead to story-telling that are over six thousand wrecks.” A
traces its way back to history.”
sobering statistic indeed, even in this
age of radar and GPS.
Finding wrecks is relatively easy
in these times of low water. The
“To visit a shipwreck is akin to viswriter, for example, has a life-long fa- iting the grave of great-grandparmiliarity with the wreck of the ents you never knew; there is still a
Metamora off Turning Island at visceral thread that connects you to
Pointe-au-Baril; during the past few their past and those threads weave a
summers, more has been visible than wonderful tapestry of who we are.”
at almost any time in living memory.
The area adjacent to Parry Sound
Eric’s scuba-diving days are now has some good pickings as far as
past, but there is much to reward the wrecks are concerned. For divers, an
snorkeler. In any event, Eric prefers assortment of the following offers a
snorkeling because it is so much sim- historical adventure: an unidentified
pler than scuba-diving and serves his sailing vessel north-west of Oak Isneed very neatly, since the best land; the steamer George H. Jones
wrecks are located in twenty or fewer (burned 1917); the steamer Northfeet of water. So there is no need for wind (sunk 1926); the Ophir (burned
any expensive equipment or on- 1919); and the pretty little paddlegoing matters such as having air steamer Ella Ross (burned 1912).
tanks filled. “Besides,” observes Eric, Other notable wrecks include the
“I find the wet suit, hood, respirator, Emma and the Seattle; for a fuller inand all that stuff almost claustropho- ventory, details , and/or to arrange
bic. Snorkeling, to me, is a much an outing of your own, a visit to the
freer feeling, besides which it’s less Diver’s Nook in Parry Sound is your
stuff I have to load up my boat with.” go-to place.
Eric makes no pretense at being a
shipwreck scholar or marine archaeologist, as in what he explores, all the
primary research has long since been
done. But the lure of the stories is
irresistible. “We all love stories,” he
says. “We read books, we go to the
movies, we watch television. And
“The waterways,” continues Eric, Steven Duff is a Parry Sound writer
history is a gold-mine of stories, “were what nurtured the early devel- and visual artist. He has authored
which are amazing because they are opment of Ontario, or Canada West seven novels including his 2014
true. Oftentimes truth outdoes fic- as it was before Confederation. And 'Rime of the Moderne Mariner'.
Turtles at a crossroad
GEORGIAN BAY TODAY Summer 2015 5
www.georgianbaytodaynews.com
By Anne Lewis
Photo: Anne Lewis
Blandings turtle: Happiness is saving this face from extinction
During the summer, many turtles
cross roads in search of mates, food
and nest sites.This is risky for turtles
as they are too slow to get out of the
way of moving vehicles, their vision
is binocular, they only see straight
ahead…..looking before crossing the
road is not an option…. Watch for
turtles on the roads from May to October. When safe, help a turtle across
the road in the same direction it’s
moving. I often find that just stamping my feet behind the turtle and
making loud noises gets them moving….and motorists slow down or
stop to watch., a chance to educate
them about turtles on the roads.Turtles are at risk at every stage of their
life for eggs, meat, pets or shells.
levels of hunting, road mortality,
habitat loss. Unlike extirpated, endangered and threatened species, the
Endangered Species Act does not
protect species of special concern
from being killed, harmed or captured, nor does the Act protect their
habitat.
The Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) allows recreational
hunting of snapping turtles. A recreational fishing licence is required to
catch and kill snapping turtles in Ontario for personal consumption. In
February 2012, a petition prepared
by Ontario nature clubs with 11,000
signatures was presented to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario asking
the provincial government to end the
recreational hunt of snapping turtles.
In June 2012, MNR instead decided
to amend the hunting regulaIn Ontario, all native turtle species
are protected from hunting except tion under the Fish and Wildlife
the snapping turtle, which is classi- Conservation Act to require annual
fied as a species of special concern. reporting of the recreational hunt of
A species is of special concern “if it snapping turtles as a step in collectlives in the wild in Ontario, is not en- ing information and supporting fumanagement
decisions.
dangered or threatened, but may be- ture
Individuals
who
kill
or
capture
one
come threatened or endangered
because of a combination of biolog- or more snapping turtles are now reical characteristics and identified quired to submit annual hunting inthreats.” Threats to the snapping tur- formation to MNR by January 14 of
tles’ survival include unsustainable each year through submission of a
questionnaire. For the 2012 calendar
year, the ministry received reports
from just four people who killed a
total of 13 snapping turtles in the
province. Due to their late maturity
and the low survival rate of their
young, even a small reduction in
adult snapping turtles can dramatically reduce a local population.
How then can the hunting of this
species be allowed to continue……
ask your MNR…find out when the
review will take place and speak out
for an ancient species that is on the
road to extinction.
Anne Lewis is the President of
the Six Mile Lake Conservationists
Club, Township of Georgian Bay.
Photo: Anne Lewis
Snapping turtles, one of nine species
in Ontario (eight are at risk) can live
over one hundred years
Beavers, baffles and our wetlands
By Anne Lewis
came up and the road crew cycle
started again with new people. The
bed spring was installed and it
crushed the baffle. The inexpensive
solution does require adjusting or reI have had many a battle with placing the pipe, usually within 2-3
Georgian Bay Township over a local years. Sometimes you just feel like
wetland with several species at risk you are beating your head against a
inhabitants and that has a road with brick wall! The baffler pipe does
a culvert running through it. The work and is working in other areas…
culvert is constantly plugged by the and so the battle to keep this wetland
resident beaver causing the water and protect its’ at risk inhabitants
level to flood the road. The answer continues.
to this problem usually is to install a
gizmo that looks like a bed spring.
Beaver don’t like to hear running
water so they plug the hole, in this
case the bed spring... The water level
backs up…Then the cycle of sending
Photo: Anne Lewis
out the work crew starts again. They
There are many faces in your wetland to see. Many of them will not survive
unplug it with a backhoe etc and rewithout the awareness of how important their habitat is to them and us
Simple beaver baffle placed in
install it. We did a cost analysis and
dams and road culvert
In Ontario, wetlands provide habi- continue to work to reverse wetland proved that the number of men and
tat for at least fifty plant and animal loss through restoration and negoti- equipment x the number of trips to
species. By the early 1980s, about ation with local governments. You the culvert was not cost effective.
One spring while explaining my
68% of southern wetlands had been can help, speak to your municipalconcern to the crew I became quite
destroyed. These rates of loss are ity/councilors and question their use
After several site meetings, I con- animated and was doing a lot of arm
among the highest recorded any- of wetlands. Ask about the use of vinced the Township of Georgian waving…several people going by
where on Earth.
beaver baffles in culverts to keep Bay to install a simple baffle ( pvc that I knew just waved back at me.
water levels consistent instead of re- pipe) in the culvert…it worked! For They now know it is about saving
Groups of volunteer naturalists moving beaver and dams. Ask about three years! Then the water level this wetland.
the cost of maintaining these culverts vs a pipe that extends at least
25 feet on either side of the culvert
and leaving it alone.
6
GEORGIAN BAY TODAY Summer 2015
www.georgianbaytodaynews.com
Peace with nature
The wealth of the nation is its air,
water, soil, forests, minerals, rivers, lakes,
oceans, scenic beauty, wildlife habitats
and biodiversity… that’s all there is.
That’s the whole economy. That’s where
all the economic activity and jobs come
from. (Gaylord Nelson, founder of
Earth Day)
Nowhere is this more apparent
than around Georgian Bay, a microcosm of our country, of the world.
The stewardship of the natural
environment is shrouded in political
overtones but it is not essentially a
partisan issue; it is a human issue, a
quality of life issue. The Georgian
Bay community, for the most part,
understands the importance of protecting our precious natural environment. It is after all, nature that draws
us all to the Bay: the fresh air, the
clean water, the beaches, the forests,
the flora and fauna. Nature affords us
our lifestyle but it also sustains our
economy. A healthy economy depends on a healthy environment for
sustainability. It would not be an exaggeration to say that the environment IS the economy.
energy. The World Bank reported
that between 2010 and 2014 Canadians were burning 14.7 metric tonnes
per capita per year (bottom 15 ranking). Costa Rica on the other hand
will be the first and only carbon neutral country on earth by 2021. They
are the most environmentally progressive nation on this earth and
they have a message for the rest of
he world. We may have more ‘stuff ’
than them but are we happier or
healthier?
Costa Rica is a Central American
country smaller than Nova Scotia
with a potent international voice
about the natural environment. By
1940, 75% of Costa Rica had been de
- forested. By 1983, 50 000 hectares
of land were being de-forested every
year and only 26% of the country
was forested. Today, the annual deforestation rate is zero and the forest
covers 52% of the country. Their
goal is to reach 70% and they are
likely to achieve it. The national system of protected land now protects
30% of the country. They have the
greatest biodiversity on earth supporting some 500 000 species. There
are over 900 species of birds. They
How we treat our environment is have more species of butterflies than
the most pressing issue of our day. Africa. They have a high standard of
For Native Peoples it has always been living, high growth rates, economic
such. In their teachings, when we stability, and a continuous growth
make decisions about our world, we over decades in GDP, low crime rates
need to consider the seven genera- and a literacy rate of 95%. Yale and
tions that preceded us and the next Columbia’s Environmental Performseven generations after us. From past ance Index recently ranked Costa
generations we receive the teachings Rica fifth ‘Greenest Country in the
and future generations are dependent World’.
on us to ensure the health of the
planet on their behalf.
How did they achieve this? It is a
combination of ethics, environmenAs Canadians we are generally talism and effective policy making. It
pleased with our lifestyle and with began in 1949 when they made an
good reason, after all we are rated ethical decision to abolish the army.
5th in the world in a 2015 world hap- They have a deep commitment to
piness poll conducted by Gallup that peace. The money saved from milimeasures life expectancy, social sup- tary expense has been redirected to
port, corruption, generosity, and the environment, particularly to
freedom to make life choices. This global warming. To this end they
rating does not include any indica- have developed an energy system
tion of how we are treating the envi- based on renewable energy. The
ronment. That rating rests with the Costa Rican Electricity Institute reNew Economics Foundation “Happy ports that so far in 2015, 100% of
Planet Index” which measures three electricity use has been from renewthings: life satisfaction, life ex- able energy sources – not one watt
pectancy and ecological footprint re- from fossil fuels. Over 90% of their
quired to sustain those lives. The annual energy is produced by hydrohappiest country on earth in this electric power the remainder from
case, is Costa Rica, the world leader wind, solar, biomass and geothermal
in conservation. (Canada ranks 65th. sources.
out of 155 countries by comparison).
An important step in the greening
Long gone are the days when we of Costa Rica came in 1994 when
in the north can point an accusatory they amended their constitution to
finger to the south and blame tropical enshrine the RIGHT of every percountries for the depletion of the son to live in a healthy and ecologiozone layer and species loss. Canadi- cally balanced environment. This
ans are currently amongst the worst principle led to a series of policies
per capita green house gas polluters that have greatly improved the wellon earth. The World Resource Insti- being of their environment and the
tute report of 2010 rated Canada 7th health and happiness of their people.
worst in the world on carbon dioxide They recognize that a healthy econemissions from the consumption of omy cannot exist long term without
a healthy environment. Ninety-five
countries have written this human
right into their constitution – we are
not among them.
In 2007 they created the Pax
Natura initiative. It means ‘peace
with nature’ and it established an ethical base for environmentalism and
formalized ecology as an important
aspect of their philosophy of life. As
a result they have become the only
country to meet all five criterion for
sustainability and are ranked #1 in
the Environmental Performance
Index.
ness and, after all, drives the economy. This belief is ‘rather than’ our
insistence on economic growth. The
Costa Ricans have not bought into
status climbing and conspicuous consumption characteristic of western
developed countries.
Certainly these projects, initiatives, laws, taxes, and ideas are not all
transferrable to a country like
Canada, nor would we want to implement all of these (who wants tax?).
We have many distinctions such as
a diverse economy as opposed to one
dependent on international eco The benefits and virtues of a car- tourism but there are some similaribon tax are being debated in Canada. ties, especially around Georgian Bay.
These taxes are gradually becoming We treasure our natural environment
a reality in Canada amid much con- equally and protect it well. Life in
troversy about effectiveness and sus- Georgian Bay is about nature, about
picion about the destination of tax simpler living, close to nature and
money. British Columbia, Quebec and like Costa Rica, nature enriches our
Alberta have already implemented a lifestyle and fuels our economy. We
tax with Ontario to follow. In Costa are blessed with a vast natural enviRica, the tax is a self-financing sys- ronment rich in forests, fresh water,
tem of fees imposed primarily on fos- arable land and flora and fauna. Nasil fuels that help support payments ture is our culture and our economy.
to farmers and landowners for preserving private forestland. They
Development and tourism are two
channel fuel taxes and energy fees to major pressures on our environment
pay for nature reserve management around the Bay and they are worth
and environmental services like clean thinking about, worth planning for.
air, fresh water and biodiversity pro- Cottages, marinas, resorts and houstection. The tax in Costa Rica is not ing developments are accompanied
only improving the health of their by roads and utility supplies. These
people but is also a tool to reverse in turn lead to habitat alteration and
poverty. They have a Payment for declining water quality. Exploitation
Environmental Services plan that and commercialism are not sustainredirects carbon tax money to able because we are taking out more
landowners and businesses that than we put back in to nature. It is an
demonstrate sustainability. Last year outdated model to view the natural
alone they paid out $230 million and landscape as a backdrop to our imcreated 18 000 jobs.
portant human activities like recreation and business. If we shift our
Today Costa Ricans pride them- view to humans as part of nature
selves on a “Pura Vida’ approach to rather than as separate users of nalife. It means ‘pure living’ and it is ture then it becomes obvious that
much more than a ubiquitous degradation of the environment is
tourism slogan – it is a way of life. It irrational.
is based on a belief that enjoying life
is to live a good life. The goal is unWe are fortunate at Georgian Bay
complicated and peaceful living. Pro- to have several organizations that
tecting nature is part of the good life. contribute to and educate us about
It sustains health, maintains happi- our environment: Georgian Bay For-
www.georgianbaytodaynews.com
Peace with nature - continued
ever, Georgian Bay Land Trust,
Georgian Bay Biosphere Reserve and
the Eastern Georgian Bay Stewardship Council are among the most
prominent. They are pointing us in
the right direction and there is a lot
of goodness there but rampant development, improper development
and over development persists.
It may be time to look to Costa
Rica for advice. They reward sustainability. They plan for sustainability.
They have realized that there is an
opportunity to develop the economy
and preserve nature. These two concepts are not mutually exclusive. Like
the Cost Ricans we need to support
policies that are derived from ethical
GEORGIAN BAY TODAY Summer 2015 7
standards based on sustainability;
after all we have seven generations to
consider. Surely there is some token
of wisdom that we can glean from
them about the environment, about
life. They are living proof that we
can do better in our treatment of the
planet while growing our economy
and improving our quality of life. We
share a dream with them. They are
creating a new development mode. It
is a new narrative of human progress
based on morality of person living at
peace with one another and with nature.
Council Update: Taxes and spending from the public purse
By Pat Edwards
Summer is upon us and with it
comes the final 2014 property tax bill
which reflects both phased in MPAC
valuation increases and 2014 tax increases imposed by the Township,
the District and the Province. Many
will ask the question: what are we
getting for the serious amount of
property tax paid here in cottage
country? In my case, I am frequently
reminded that the $50 tax bill in
1970 has grown to over $9,000. Your
tax bill is a combination of the
Township, which is responsible for
approximately 27%, the District 46%
and the school board via the Province
that is responsible for 27%.
The Georgian Bay Township
Council has noted that the number
of full time employees has grown
faster than any relevant measure of
economic activity. The Township
portion of your tax bill is approximately 27% of the total bill. While
Council has attempted to control
costs, spending continues to increase
at a pace greater than the number of
residences.
One significant project under consideration is the Honey Harbor redevelopment project, which would
see a new wharf built along the
south shore of the Delawana property. The arguments put forward for
this $5 million project are that there
is a need for both washrooms and a
visitor Centre for those wishing to
visit the National Park on Beausoleil
Island. Furthermore, there is a theory that many day visitors to the
Park will stay over in Honey Harbour after their visit.
I have the following concerns
with this project:
• Since 2010, Parks Canada has
had a Visitor Centre and washrooms in their business plans, so,
why should the Township be doing
what Parks Canada has committed
to provide?
• The operation of the Visitor
Centre and washrooms would have
a projected annual cost of $100200K, which would be fully funded
by the taxpayers of the Township.
• There are very few overnight
accommodation spots in Honey
Harbour and there seems to be little demand for this service.
• The new wharf will be of limited use to the main economic engine – the cottagers- since it is
unlikely that any will walk to the
Bakery, Towne Centre or Liquor
store from the new wharf when the
existing dockage in Church Bay is
much closer.
• Also, since Picnic Island has gas,
food and other provisions, I can
think of no reason to dock at the
new wharf.
As you may have concluded, I am
opposed to this project that will only
benefit the contractors and possibly
a few small businesses with no significant benefit to the taxpayers. I am
however, only one vote and the only
other Councillor voicing opposition
is Peter Cooper.
Lastly, Honey Harbour does need
help. This plan, however, in my opinion, isn’t providing any help! Thus, if
you have any opinions with respect
to your taxes and this project, please
let all members of Council know
your point of view.
At this point, the Township has
committed $500,000 to this project Pat Edwards
with the hope/expectation that sen- Councillor Coastal Ward North
ior levels of Government will step
up to the plate with the $4.5 million PS. Have a great summer!
difference. The Township annual
budget is less than $5million, such
that the Township has committed
10% of its annual budget for the capital cost and will have a permanent
increase in costs of 2-4% per year for
operating costs.
“Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under
trees on a summer's day, listening to the murmur of the water,
or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a
waste of time.”
John Lubbock, British statesman, 1834 - 1913
8
GEORGIAN BAY TODAY Summer 2015
www.georgianbaytodaynews.com
Ruby-throated Hummingbirds
Photo by Mike McEvoy
Male Ruby-throated Hummingbird displaying red 'gorget' shows why they are referred to as 'flying jewels'
By Cindy Cartwright
Flying jewels, flower-kissers, sun
dazzlers, a rainbow (a group of
hummingbirds) – the fanciful names
given to hummingbirds clearly reflect the amazing iridescence of one
of the most remarkable and wellknown birds in Ontario. With over
330 species, the hummingbird family
is the second largest in the world
and is only found in the Western
Hemisphere. Bird watchers throughout the world have to come to North
or South America if they want to see
these beautiful birds.
Who hasn’t watched a hummingbird in flight and marveled at their
acrobatics? What other bird can
hover, fly backward, and go from
‘zero to 60’ so quickly? A few weeks
ago on Pelee Island a hummingbird
paced alongside a car travelling at 45
km/h for several kilometres. Then
incredibly, it turned directly into the
gale force winds (40-50 km/h) and
flew out over Lake Erie with apparent ease. The ferry was cancelled all
that day due to high winds and
waves, spray shot up into the air and
across the road along the shore, flags
flew straight out like they were
starched rigid on their flagpoles,
small branches snapped off and
large trees swayed in the wind yet,
the miniscule hummingbird simply
changed course and flew right into
it.
A hummingbird’s wings trace a
figure-8 pattern through the air. ders we’ll discover if they ever make
This motion gives them lift when the geo-transmitters small enough for
wing is moving both forward and hummingbirds!
backward, allowing the high maneuverability that holds us in such awe.
Many people mistake the male’s
U-shaped dive as a breeding display
There has been quite a stir in the but it is actually an act of aggression
news in recent months about the clearly warning other birds, mamlong distance flight of the Blackpoll mals and even humans that ‘this
Warbler travelling more than 2,200 space belongs to me’. When a male
km across the Atlantic from North wants to show off to a female, he
America to Puerto Rico each fall – a switches to the side-to-side shuttle
truly amazing feat for a small bird. that allows him to flash his brilliant
Even more remarkable is the annual ruby gorget (throat) feathers to enmigration of the Ruby-throated tice her to choose him as a mate.
Hummingbird which travels 5,0008,000 km from its wintering
The male hummingbird is the
grounds in Mexico and Central deadbeat dad of the bird world.
America to its’ Canadian breeding Once he has mated, he returns to his
grounds, which range from northern perch and continues to defend his
British Columbia all the way out to territory, not contributing toward
Newfoundland, and back again every nesting or raising the young humyear.
mers. The female selects her own
territory away from the antics of the
The diminutive Ruby-throated male, builds the nest, incubates the
Hummingbird, capable of flying 800 eggs, and feeds the young unassisted.
km non-stop across the Gulf of Once they have fledged, they learn
Mexico is a mere 7.5 cm in length how to drink nectar and catch innot including the bill, has a wing sects by watching their mother.
span of just over 11 cm, and weighs Hummingbirds get their energy
between 2.5 and 3.5 gm., the equiva- from the nectar in flowers and feedlent of an old penny. By comparison, ers, and their protein from the inthe body of the Blackpoll Warbler is sects they eat.
13 cm long. It has a wingspan of 23
cm and averages 13 gm. This warAs with most species, human acbler is twice the size of the Ruby- tivities are the biggest threat to
throat and 4 times heavier – a much hummingbirds. In the rush to have
larger bird when you stop to think perfect flowers and insect free yards,
about it. Imagine what other won- hummingbirds are being poisoned
with pesticides and herbicides.
Hummingbird nests cannot be
built without spider webs. The female uses spider silk to bind the soft
fluff that forms the nest and fastening the bits of bark, lichen and twigs
that camouflage the outside to match
the nest tree. Without spider webs to
hold the nests together and secure it
to a branch, hummingbirds cannot
breed successfully. Spraying for spiders drives hummingbirds away.
Good habitat includes trees to nest
and shelter in, pesticide free nectar
and water, insects and spiders.
Identifying Hummingbirds
Extremely fast and mobile, it can
be hard to get a good look as they zip
past. Hummingbirds do not need
feeders with perches. The perches
are there for our benefit. The best
chance of accurately identifying a
hummingbird is to look at it carefully when perched on a feeder.
The male Ruby-throated Hummingbird is easily recognized by its
green back and shining red gorget
feathers when they are reflecting
light. But the feathers of a male’s
gorget are actually black and curved
slightly to catch and flash back a specific wavelength of light. This is
why the male gorget of each species
appears to be a different colour.
When the sun is not hitting the
www.georgianbaytodaynews.com
GEORGIAN BAY TODAY Summer 2015 9
throat at the right angle it appears
black, often leading people to believe
they are looking at a Black-chinned
Hummingbird, the Ruby-throat’s
closest relative. If a hummingbird’s
throat appears completely black, try
moving to view it at a different
angle.
Female Ruby-throated Hummingbirds are slightly larger with a
plain white throat and belly causing
some people to mistake them for a
separate species. It can be very difficult to tell them from other female
hummingbird species.
There is an oft-repeated myth
that the Ruby-throat is the only
hummingbird found east of the Mississippi. Quite often, people don’t
even take the time to look closely at
hummingbirds because they believe
it has to be a Ruby-throated. Although the Ruby-throat is the most
common and the only species proven
to breed in eastern Canada, we know
Photo by Mike McEvoy
there are others. The Rufous Hummingbird is the second most com- Female Ruby-throated Hummingbird identified by all white front. Females build the tiny nest, incubate the eggs and
feed the young
mon hummingbird in Ontario. A few
are reported every year and we don’t is closest to the natural sugar con- Ontario’s Hummingbirds. Over the every bird heard or seen in a 5-10
know how many are actually present centration found in the flowers that years, more and more people have minute period) away from feeders
hummingbirds prefer. Hot, warm or become involved in the project and due to their tiny size and mach-speed
but not observed or identified.
cold water can be used as long as the questions are slowly being answered. flight. Their voices are high pitched
Banding research has shown that and difficult to hear at a distance and
Other species that have been doc- sugar is completely dissolved and
hummingbirds
return to the same they do not call except when they
doesn’t
settle
to
the
bottom
of
the
umented in Ontario so far include
Anna’s Hummingbird (Moon River container. Many people prefer to use place, even using the exact same are fighting over a territory. Many
(2007), Cottom (2010), and Thunder boiled water simply because it makes perch every summer for years. Quite people never see one during the
a few Ruby-throats have been breeding season except at a feeder.
Bay (2013). Black-chinned, Broad- it easier for the sugar to dissolve.
Food colouring should not be banded as adult birds and recaptured
billed, and Green Violet-ear brings
added
to hummingbird nectar. The year after year in the same yard,
the total to six identified species so
far. Who knows what will turn up nectar in flowers is clear and it is be- some up to 7 years later. Since there
Cindy Cartwright is the founder
next with more people looking. lieved that food colouring or other was no way to know exactly how old
and
coordinator of the Ontario
the
hummer
was
when
it
was
origiadditives
will
harm
hummingbirds.
Allen’s, Calliope, White-eared,
Green Breasted Mango, and Brown sugar contains iron, which nally banded, their age is docu- Hummingbird Project, started in
Berylline have all been sighted in can kill hummingbirds. Honey mented as “at least 8 years old”. 2005 to understand the life cycle of
surrounding American states. People causes a fungus to grow on their While most books say that male Ontario’s Hummingbirds. She is the
who love hummingbirds are encour- tongues that clogs the narrow hummingbirds only live 2-3 years lead researcher of Hummingbirds
aged to pick up a good field guide grooves that collect the nectar as the and females 3-5 years, these esti- Canada, which she initiated in 2010
and learn the identification points hummingbird laps it up. And sugar mates are likely too low. As more re- to encourage individuals and organthat separate the Ruby-throated substitutes lack the calories and/or search on breeding birds is izations to provide education and
type of sugar that hummingbirds conducted and more hummers are conduct research on hummingbirds
from other hummingbird species.
recaptured year after year, the aver- across Canada. Everyone who loves
need for energy.
hummingbirds is invited to particiage lifespan will increase.
Attracting Hummingbirds
pate. More information is available at
The Ontario Hummingbird
There isn’t much information www.ontariohummingbirds.ca or by
Project
The best mixture to use in a humavailable about the actual density of following Hummingbirds Canada or
mingbird feeder is water and plain
The Ontario Hummingbird Proj- hummingbirds because they are so the Ontario Hummingbird Project
white table sugar in a 4:1 ratio – one
part sugar to four parts water. This ect was initiated in 2005 with a goal difficult to census. They are often on Facebook.
of understanding the life cycle of missed on point counts (counting
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Excerpts from ‘Samuel de Champlain
and Huronia’
www.georgianbaytodaynews.com
GEORGIAN BAY TODAY Summer 2015
cuse. It was a formidable fortress and
would need an excellent plan of attack. After being discovered by the
Iroquois, failed attacks and the absence of the Susquehanna reinforcements, the Northern tribes retreated
home with two chiefs and Champlain
himself wounded. Champlain would
endure the humiliation and pain of
being carried on the back of a Huron
warrior and then have the chiefs not
allow him to return to Quebec.
“This… upset me greatly,” Champlain would write later. “… moreover,
I was very badly equipped for spending the winter with them, or otherwise I should not have minded… I
had to remind myself to be patient.
But some days later, I perceived that
their plan was to detain me with my
comrades in their country, both for
their own safety and out of fear of
their enemies.”
“We advanced to attack this village, having our cavalier carried by 200 of the strongest men, who planted it about a
pike’s length in front of the village, and I ordered three arquebusiers to mount upon it, where they were well protected from the arrows and stones which might be shot or thrown at them. Meanwhile, the enemy did not on that account cease to shoot a great many arrows which did not miss their mark, and they threw a quantity of stones over
their palisades.” (Volume III, p. 71)
By David M. Dupuis
On Saturday, August 1st, 2015,
Penetanguishene, and Simcoe County
will commemorate 400 years, to the
day, of Samuel de Champlain landing
on the Penetanguishene Peninsula.
With each passing year, new light is
shed on his arrival, his accomplishments and in the end, his legacy. His
mark on the country was as undeniable then as it is today.
In the spring of 1615, after having one of his best Atlantic crossings
ever, Champlain found himself at the
Lachine rapids. A few weeks later he
promised the Wendat, Algonquin and
northern tribes to help them against
the ever - marauding Iroquois from
the south of Lake Ontario. He
planned to go to Huronia and help
galvanize a great force to strike the
Iroquois in their territory.
After fetching supplies in Quebec,
Champlain and his Wendat guides
embarked on an exhausting threeweek trip up the Ottawa River, across
central Ontario where he encountered many other First Nations and
bade them friendship. Down the
north shore of Georgian Bay, they
paddled furiously until they reached
Huronia! Upon touching the shoreline, his Huron paddlers let out yells
of joy which brought streams of villagers from Toanche running to the
shoreline yelling, “Ho! Ho! Ho!”
“… we reached the country of
the Attigouautan, (Huron Bear
Tribe) and came on the first of August (1615) to a village called
Atouacha (Toanche). Here we find a
great change in the country, this part
being very fine, mostly cleared, with
many hills and several streams which
make it an agreeable district. It
seemed to me very pleasant in contrast to such a bad country as that
through which we had just come.”
arrived in Huronia a few days before
him. They were pleased to see each
other. Champlain would explore the
region but return to Caragouha a few
weeks later, when LeCaron celebrated the First Mass in Ontario on
August 12th, 1615.
On August 17th, Champlain, Etienne Brûlé, interpreter Thomas
Godefroy and his twelve Frenchmen
and their weapons, arrived at Cahiagué, the main village of the Huron
Champlain saw how diverse, Rock Tribe or Arendarhonon as they
unique, friendly, cultured and surpris- called themselves. Here the chiefs
ingly populous these Huron or Wen- and warriors were assembling. After
dat were. He was shocked by the sending a delegation, which included
fields of corn, squash and beans Brulé, to enlist the help of the
around Toanche, their vastness cov- Susquehanna, who lived near the Iroering dozens of acres and all just quois, the main war party was ready
about ready for picking. Corn was es- to head out, much to Champlain’s repecially abundant, more than was lief.
needed and the excess obviously
grown for trading. It was explained
After more warriors arrived from
to him that all of the Huron villages the north, the main war party finally
were arranged in this way.
left and hop-skipped along the eastern shore of Lake Ontario. With
During the next few days, Cham- great skill, the natives hid their caplain enacted his primary motive; to noes amongst the trees, brush and
elicit enthusiasm and warriors weeds deep in the forest. It was now
needed for the offensive against the into the first few days of October.
Iroquois. He visited Camaron, The cold of fall was coming, the
Touaguainchain and Ossasané to the colour of the leaves turning.
south and then visited the large
triple-palisaded village of Caragouha
By October 10th, they were
near present-day Lafontaine. Here he within sight of the Iroquois strongmet up with Père Joseph LeCaron hold on the shores of Lake
and his twelve Frenchmen, who had Onondaga, near present day Syra-
After a visit with the Nipissing nation, Champlain returned to
find trouble between the Huron and
the Algonquin who were wintering
beside Cahiagué. The Huron had
given Algonquin chief Iroquet an
Iroquois prisoner to torture and kill.
Iroquet took a liking to the boy and
was soon treating him like a son. The
Huron were insulted and enraged.
The Huron-Wendat surrounded the
small Algonkian compound and attacked. Iroquet was wounded and his
lodgings ransacked and leveled.
Greatly outnumbered, the Huron demanded payment of 50 wampum
belts, axes, kettles and two female
prisoners. Despite this, distrust continued to simmer and Champlain was
finally asked to intervene and come
up with a solution by two Huron representatives of Cahiagué.
To maintain his semblance of
neutrality, Champlain sent his interpreter Thomas Godefroy to collect
the facts. He then called for a meeting
of the elders from both sides, a
wounded Iroquet and Atironta
amongst them. Champlain laid out
the facts carefully to them, being
wise to publicly recognize the validity of both party’s grievances and actions. Then he explained slowly and
clearly but with a voice of command
and authority: “You have both dealt
with each other in your actions that
are unworthy of reasonable men…
more rather of brute beasts, “ he observed. “The best course of action for
all… is to make peace… and remain
friends!” After a long moment of
hesitation, both sides looked at him,
then at each other and finally nodded.
A pipe was passed around. Peace was
thankfully restored.
www.georgianbaytodaynews.com
Champlain took advantage of
this winter to heal and “to study their
country, their manners, customs,
modes of life, the form of their assemblies and other things.” He marveled at their intellect and abilities in
hunting, agriculture and trade. He
was even more astounded at the
strength, stamina and endurance of
the average Huron, whom he described as “far superior of any European!” “The men are well
proportioned, big and well-shaped as
are the women and girls who are
pleasing and pretty both in figures,
faces and complexion. Some of the
women are very powerful and of extraordinary height,” he would write.
“All of these people are of a cheerful
disposition.”
Though he did not agree with
some of their ways and their mostly
“eye for an eye” law, he had great respect for the Huron, Algonkian,
Montagnais, Mik’maq and other
First Nations. He knew that he relied
on them and in so many ways they
needed each other, which was why he
had agreed to help them in the first
place.
GEORGIAN BAY TODAY Summer 2015 11
villages that cemented his understanding of the people.
Throughout that fateful winter,
Champlain compiled a detailed account of his travels and his meeting
of the many native groups and chiefs
Champlain spent Christmas and on his journey. He made drawings of
New Year’s Day at Cahiagué, and the Wendat hunt and the failed Irothen travelled to Caragouha on Jan- quois battle and wrote about the
uary 5th, 1616 where he reconnected Huron and their country. Finally, on
with the Récollets Père Joseph Le May 22, 1616, Champlain left HuroCaron. They spoke at length together nia. Forty days later at the Saintabout the Huron-Wendat and the fu- Louis rapids, he encountered Gravé
ture of the missions and what would Du Pont, who thought he was dead.
be needed. On January 15th, Cham- Champlain again promised his First
plain set off with the Récollets to Nation’s friends that he planned to
visit the Tobacco Nation (to the build a “Habitation” at the Saintsouth of Nottawasaga Bay), then the Louis rapids. They in turn pledged to
Cheveux-Relevés (Ottawas) (to the come and live near there.
south of Georgian Bay), calling at
their villages and inviting all the naThough he returned to Canada
tives to come to Québec for trade and often, as he grew older he never
friendship. He also accompanied again ventured into the wilds. He
LeCaron on his visits to the Huron would die much revered at his HabiDavid Michael Dupuis was born
and raised in Penetanguishene, Ont.
A psychiatric nurse for 35 years, he
had a keen interest in writing, drawing and history.
Inspired by a small booklet about
Peggy's Cove in Nova Scotia by
artist William de Garthe, Dupuis
self-published his first similar book,
“Welcome to the Place of the White
Rolling Sands” in 1989, for which he
did his own 86 ink drawings.
He wrote the national best-selling
hockey biography, “Sawchuk: The
Troubles and Triumphs of the
World’s Greatest Goalie”, by Stoddart Publishing. He next joined with
local aboriginal artist Del Taylor in
2000 and co-authored a book about
the
Giant's
Tomb
called,
“Kitchi'uwa'ne’: A Legend”. In 2012,
he co-authored a hockey biography
with L. Waxy Gregoire titled “Heart
of the Blackhawks: The Pierre Pilote Story”, published by ECW
Press.
tation in Québec 19 years later, on
December 25th, 1635, well into his
60s.
All indications are that Champlain
was well respected by the First Nation’s peoples with whom he had contact. Fact is, that when the Iroquois
attacked the Huron for a final time in
1649, the survivors retreated to the
safety and vicinity of Quebec, near
the French, whom they trusted.
Champlain had a great impact on
the history of the country, Ontario
and Huronia where he spent a winter.
It is this fact and the First Nations
who welcomed him that we are commemorating this summer at Penetanguishene, the “Place of the White
Rolling Sands.”
He chaired the Rendezvous
Champlain Penetanguishene 2015
Committee and presently chairs the
Penetanguishene Sports Hall of
Fame, both for which his volunteer
efforts have been recognized both
provincially and regionally.
Dupuis has two grown children,
Tanis and Jordan, and lives with his
companion Susan at Toanché, Ont.,
where Champlain purportedly
landed.
Historic Celebrations in Penetanguishene
By Cathy Cooper
This summer marks the 400th anniversary of Samuel de Champlain’s
historic visit to ‘Huronia’. And Penetang is the place to be if you want to
gain a full appreciation of this piece
of history.
Champlain, the Governor of New
France, heard about the beautiful
shores of Georgian Bay from the
Huron Indians who travelled to New
France (Quebec) to trade their furs.
To satisfy his curiosity, Champlain
travelled along the northern trade
routes between New France and
what is now Ontario; routes that took
him across northern Ontario, down
the French River onto Georgian Bay,
along the beautiful eastern shores of
Georgian Bay, ending his voyage at
Huronia, now known as Penetanguishene and Midland. He wanted to
see the area first-hand, but got more
than he bargained for. During an expedition from his base in Huronia,
Champlain was involved in a skirmish with the Iroquois Indians, and
was shot in the knee with arrows.
This forced him to spend a brutal
winter in Huronia.
From July 31st to August 2nd of
this year, the town of Penetang will
hold parades, concerts, fireworks, a
re-enactment of Champlain’s historic
landing and a dedication of the
brand new ‘Rotary Park’. This 48
acre waterfront legacy park, located
on existing municipal lands, cost
$7,400,000 and contains trails, statues of memorable historic figures, 3
retention ponds, a boardwalk around
the shoreline, a giant replica of
Champlain’s Astrolabe and much
more. The park will be fronted by a
new town square which will form the
entrance to the park and will revitalize the heart of this small town on
the shores of Georgian Bay. It will
honour and celebrate the town’s
unique
native
North
American/Francophone/English
origins. Invited dignitaries include
Federal Cabinet Minister, the Hon.
Tony Clement, Ontario Premier,
Kathleen Wynne and MPP, Norm
Miller.
This project has been years in
the making and echoes past milestone Champlain anniversaries, but
this promises to the largest one ever,
and the one that will leave the
biggest legacy. With a new town
square in downtown Penetang and
the potential for increased tourism
created by Rotary Park, Penetang has
secured its future as a ‘must see’
tourist town. Between Midland and
Penetang, visitors can see Ste. Marie
among the Huron, the Martyr’s
Shrine, the Huronia Museum, Discovery Harbour, and now Rotary
Park. The Huronia area is chocked
full of tourist attractions.
The design for Rotary Park was
selected from multiple submissions
created by students of the Architecture Program at the University of
Guelph. Funding partners include
the Federal and Provincial governments and Simcoe District. The
story that the park will tell is a microcosm of Canada itself; replete
with Native American tribes, French
and English settlers and the brave Jesuit priests who settled among the
natives. It is a story of many cultures
working and living together.
Other Champlain celebrations are
happening around Georgian Bay and
northern Ontario as well, although
none will be as grand as those in
Penetang. The Georgian Bay Association has encouraged cottage communities along the eastern shores of
Georgian Bay to hold their own
Champlain celebrations. For example, the community of Cognashene
will hold a ceremony to rededicate an
existing rock cairn with plaque
which memorializes Champlain’s
Georgian Bay exploits.
So, get out there this summer and
take advantage of these fantastic celebrations! Georgian Bay Today invites you, our readers, to send in your
pictures and comments on the events
that you attend and we will share
them with those who were unable to
be there.
Cathy Cooper: Eye On The Bay
12
GEORGIAN BAY TODAY Summer 2015
Gary’s Georgian Bay Gallery
www.georgianbaytodaynews.com
Gary Scott Breithrupt is a TV cameraman, a photographer and fourth generation Georgian Bay cottager. He has been coming to Honey Harbour
for 59 years: since he was one month old and has never missed a summer. He searches Honey Harbour and Twelve Mile Bay for his imagery from
his boat or from his remote control helicopters. He promotes respect for trees, water and wildlife through his camera lens.
KILLARNEY, NORTH CHANNEL & MANITOULIN
Cottage
Farm
Resort
Recreation
Retirement
24 Water Street, Little Current, ON
(800) 368-6855 or (705) 368-2271
FAX: (705) 368-1096
web: www.manitoulinproperty.com
email: [email protected]
www.georgianbaytodaynews.com
GEORGIAN BAY TODAY Summer 2015 13
A wee gem for young canoeists
By Steven Duff
classic, was made into a movie, and is
still available in finer bookstores.
Now it has a little brother, Paddle to
the Stars, a true Georgian Bay collaboration between artist/writer Dianne
Feaver of Collingwood and artist/illustrator Edith Fullerton of Parry
Sound.
Readers of a certain age will remember an exquisite book called
Paddle to the Sea; it has become a
The story is aimed at very young
readers and would be an ideal vehicle
for getting children to read on their
own. On each left page is a line of poetry that takes the reader on a dreamlike fantasy journey into space in a
canoe, the sort of fantasy this reader
had as a child at Pointe-au-Baril,
drifting in a canoe and staring at the
stars, wondering where space ended
– it had to end somewhere and yet it
couldn’t. But there was a curious
magnetic pull toward the heavens
and this is both the strength and
charm of Paddle to the Stars.
This is not a tale of flash-bang
super-heroes or grand spectacles.
Rather, it is a tranquil little tale, fun
even for seniors, who find a tranquility in it, rather like listening to Gregorian chant.
Where applicable, Ms. Fullerton’s
illustrations are pure Georgian Bay,
and overall, they have a dreamy, almost impressionist quality. Paddle to
the Stars is essential to a cottage or
cruiser library where there are small
people with discriminating parental
guidance. Currently, the book is
available at Parry Sound Books in –
surprise! – Parry Sound and may
soon be in Collingwood as well. Alternatively, it may be ordered by email at [email protected]. Take
it from me – regardless of age, you’ll
love this!
Georgian Bay Artist Profile: Heather Collins
By Karen Mealing
Heather was born in Montreal.
Passionate about art from an early
age, she drew and painted her way
through primary and high school,
eventually attending Sir George
Williams (Concordia) and the Ontario College of Art.
Lafontaine, oil on canvas 40” x 40 "
“I love to paint and being outdoors. Plein air painting satisfies
both passions,” says Tiny Township
artist Heather Collins. “Painting a
scene live, in the open air, is exhilarating. I am often in a swoon as I
watch a sky with racing clouds, patterns of colour and the dramatic play
of light and shadow in a pond or on
a field of grain. Painting the landscape of Tiny Township and Georgian Bay has become an obsession
and capturing the essence of what
has moved me is the challenge I set
for myself.”
Classical & Jazz
Concerts | Cruises | Films
After graduation, Heather worked
for a year in the art department at the
Ontario Science Centre before becoming a freelance artist. Based in
Toronto, she raised two children
with her designer husband and illustrated more than eighty books in a
long, successful career. Heather’s
award-winning
work has been
published around
the world in both
English and foreign language
editions and the
original drawings from many
of her books are
now a permanent part of the
Osborne Collection of Early
July 18th - August 9th, 2015
Parry Sound, ON
Canadian Brass
Elmer Iseler Singers
Cecilia String Quartet
André LaPlante
Moshe Hammer
Russell Braun
New Zealand String Quartet
Leslie Fagan
The Cellar Singers
National Academy Orchestra
of Canada
Toronto All-Star Big Band
Martin Beaver
Penderecki String Quartet
Dave Young
The Four Seasons Harp Quartet
festivalofthesound.ca | 705-746-2410
an Ontario government agency
un organisme du gouvernement de l’Ontario
Children’s Books.
Paint Georgian Bay’ with Heather
Collins at Quest, August 10 to 14.
For information, call 705.526.2787.
Karen Mealing is the Director of
Quest Art School and Gallery, a charitable organization, located in the Midland Cultural Centre, 333 King St.,
Midland. Quest is volunteer driven and
supports the local art scene with exhibitions, programmes and events.
Heather Collins in her home studio in Tiny Township
14
GEORGIAN BAY TODAY Summer 2015
www.georgianbaytodaynews.com
Energy and balance through Yoga - on the beach!
Yoga postures are more than
physical poses; they work on the
mind and spirit, and promote increased awareness, vitality and inner
peace. As various parts of the body
open up and come under your control, there is often a corresponding
"opening up" of the personality, as
well as a heightened awareness.
Yoga on the longest freshwater beach in the world
By Monika Lukacena-Russo
Yoga, as commonly practiced in
the west, is an ancient system of postures and breathing exercises that
can benefit body and mind, bringing
the body energy and balance. Yoga
compliments all other forms of exercise by working in a subtle way on
stretching, toning and strengthening
the muscles, joints, spine and the entire skeletal system. Yoga can work
on the internal organs, glands and
nerves as well, keeping all systems in
radiant health.
Some of the benefits that can be
enjoyed through the various yoga
practices are strengthening, lengthening and toning of the muscles; improved flexibility and balance;
improved stamina and endurance;
better blood circulation; enhanced digestion and elimination of toxins;
balancing of hormones and emotions; and help with depression, anxiety and sleep. The breathing
exercises revitalize the body and help
to control and relax the mind. This
form of relaxation can help lower
cortisol levels in the body, which in
turn can help decrease abdominal fat.
Yoga can leave you feeling calm
and refreshed, providing you with
clarity, mental power and concentration. Olea Health Naturopathic Clinic
offers Sunrise and Sunset yoga in
Wasaga Beach starting in July.
Classes are for all levels. This is a
great way to unwind and enjoy the
amazing beach.
Monika Lukacena - Russo BSc.
ND is a Naturopathic Doctor operating the Olea Health Naturopathic
Clinic
Yoga postures work on mind and
spirit
Meaford knitters, spinners and weavers
Meaford knitters were part of the Homefront exhibition at the
Tom Thomson Gallery in Meaford
Meaford Knitting Group occasionally meets, and knits, on the beach in
Meaford. Front Row, Left to Right Sandy Barker, Sharon Fitzjames, Nicki Prevost. The back row is Gail Anderson, Wilma Hoogendoorn
The Meaford Knitting Group
group consists of about fifteen knitters who meet upstairs in the
have even been known on occasion to
knit on the beach in Meaford!
Every Olympic year, they challenge themselves to meet the
Meaford Library every Thursday at Olympic motto of Faster, Stronger,
2 pm. The library promotes and Higher, in terms of their knitting.
hosts the knitting group. They have Individuals choose a project that will
enjoyed many years of Thurs- challenge their knitting skills. They
day afternoons, sharing yarn, are not allowed to begin prior to the
patterns, road trips, laughter Opening Ceremonies and - to be
and each other's company. They granted the knitting 'medal' - must
This is our entrance with plenty of
free parking on Fourth Street, Our
associates will welcome you inside!
Midland Tim-Br Mart
200 Third Street, Midland, Ont. L4R 3R9
705-526-2264, toll free: 1-800-265-2211
fax: 526-5801
web site: midlandtimbrmart.on.ca
complete their project by the end of
the closing ceremonies.
In 2014, the group was invited to
participate in the Homefront exhibition at the Tom Thomson Gallery in
Owen Sound. Each artist focused on
the knitting done on the home front
for the soldiers overseas. There were
99 pairs of socks on display, knit by
knitters from every corner of the
Grey Bruce region. Many were knit
by the Meaford Knitters.
The group’s skills are not restricted to knitting. Some of the
knitters are also spinners and some
spin, knit and weave. There is
tremendous talent in the group. As
long term member Brenda Harris
says “there’s lots of knitting and
yarning going on there.” These are
definitely not your Grandma's knitters.
Any knitter - new, experienced or
in-between is welcome to join our
group.
GEORGIAN BAY TODAY Summer 2015 15
www.georgianbaytodaynews.com
The view from my perch: Springwater Park
By Tori Cress
On Monday April 1st, 2013, the
Springwater Park gates were locked
and began its’ first day as a non-operational park, after more than
eighty-five years of day-use open to
everyone. The new status began on
the first day of a new fiscal year, after
the Ministry of Natural Resources
(MNR) announced in the fall of
2012, that they would be closing
Springwater Park due to operational
losses and costly upgrading needed.
This is also the day a concerned
group of Indigenous women began a
long occupation and named their occupation camp, Camp Nibi.
All of the animals that were re-located have been reported as loving
their new homes. Although you could
no longer drive into Springwater
Park, it remained open to those who
chose to park outside the gates and
walk into the non-operational
grounds. Many have continued to use
the park this way despite lack of facilities and picnic tables. People continued to comes in droves to use the
park with their families, spending
time together on the many trails running throughout the park.
made. With potential plans for an
Anishinaabe Education Centre that
would bring Native culture, history
and language to all park visitors,
many of us are honoured to see this
knowledge shared respectfully by
local Indigenous stewards of the
land. I see this as a huge step forward
for all people. We are using the land,
knowledge and wisdom passed down
in our traditional ways, the way our
ancestors intended us to, in our modern times.
again. A place where my earliest
memories in Springwater Park are of
the joyful times of reunion I spent
with my family. I look forward to my
children having similar memories
with their young ones in a place of
beauty forever protected from developers. They can learn why that is so
important for their futures too.
We all have a responsibility to ensure clean lands and waters for the
next seven generations to come.
Many blessings to you all for your
It has been a long and often tu- role in protecting this treasured park.
Others come to the many cere- multuous ride on the road to ‘Save I look forward to seeing you around
monies and teachings that are an- Springwater Park’, but I am thrilled in Springwater Nibi Park this sumThere were many residents, local nounced monthly by Elizabeth Brass to see a light ahead that will be a mer.
to the park, including the First Na- Elson at Camp Nibi. Springwater solid agreement to ensure an open
tions citizens whose common con- Park is still accessible for day-use to and welcoming day-use park once
cern was the future of this protected those who love all that the four sea193-acres and the well-being of the sons have to offer in the Park. Snowanimals housed there. Individuals shoeing, cross-country skiing, bird
and groups like Camp Nibi, Friends watching are all free in the park right
of Springwater Park and Springwa- now. Soon we will all be able to go
ter Park Citizens’ Coalition agreed into the park to watch spring and all
that this park is an asset and its im- its’ beauty and gifts it brings when
portance to the immediate and sur- life begins to bloom once more.
rounding communities is profoundly
deep. Not all who were working to
Beausoleil First Nation is still in
protect the park always agreed on negotiations with the province and
what the future of Springwater Park the MNR to continue a day use park
should look like, but that never named Springwater Nibi Park. Alstopped anyone from speaking up though no deal has been reached yet,
and rallying to ‘Save Springwater it has been reported that everyone is
Park’.
pleased with the progress being
Tori Cress is an Anishinaabe mother of two, from Beausoleil First
Nation on Christian Island, Ontario Canada. She lives in Muskoka on
Wahta Mohawk Territory, in the heart of cottage country in Ontario.
Tori works parttime for Idle No More in an administrative role and
spends much of the rest of her time volunteering for Idle No More and
Defenders of the Land. Tori is a selftaught bead crafter and relies partially on her skill as a bead artist as a source of income. She is also
learning seamstress skills from her mother and together they sew
shirts, vests and skirts that others use during Traditional Ceremonies.
Behind this cheery “storefront” . . . Boat or drive to the central Bay’s best marine store
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The Honey Harbour Boat Club’s Marina backs up cheery dockside fill-ups
Curt Sallows appears in
with this adjacent, parts-loaded marine chandlery. Manager Curtis
sledding gear to remind the
Sallows reminds all, that winter storage is available for up to 30 ft. boats,
neighbourhood that the
& a skilled shop team on site for all types of work all winter, buffing &
club’s well-equipped
waxing, engine repowers, fibreglass, & any mechanical boat repairs,
maintenance shop and
snowmobile maintenance & repair. He specially invites you & your
secure indoor storage areas
family to drop in, year-round, by boat, car or snowsled to have a look at
are ready to handle more
the Club’s neat & complete facilities.
snowmobiles winter and
PLUS WE STOCK AND SELL EVINRUDE E-TEC
summer!
OUTBOARD MOTORS.
Our full service marina is immediately south of Mermaid Island, nearest to the main
channel, at 2709 Honey Harbour Road, Box 38 P0E 1E0
756-2411
Fax 756-1126
[email protected]
16
The answer lies on the soil
GEORGIAN BAY TODAY Summer 2015
By Kate Harries: Return of the Native
The United Nations has designated 2015 as the International Year
of Soils. As I read through the materials on the UN website, one stunning fact jumped out; one tablespoon
of soil contains more living organisms – 7 billion – than there are people on the planet.
It has been known for some time
that mycorrhizal fungi growing on
roots perform a vital function in converting nutrients to make them available to plants. J. I. Rodale, an early
proponent of sustainable agriculture,
noted in 1945 that it had been
thought plants were “infected” by the
white strands of fungi observed on
Bacteria, fungi, algae, protozoa their roots until what was then
and nematodes are among the abun- “modern” research uncovered the
dant and invisible life forms in the symbiotic relationship.
soil. They consume plant litter and
each other and produce nutrients,
In 2001, two soil ecologists at the
they extract nutrients like nitrogen University of Guelph took our unand carbon from the air, and they derstanding of these below-ground
break down pesticides and pollutants. interactions a step further when they
Some cause disease in plants, others reported that a fungus living on the
control it. (Some soil-borne diseases roots of the Eastern White Pine was
affect humans, which is why you killing springtails and that they had
must keep cuts or punctures clean been able to show that the trees conand protected, and boost your tained significant amounts of nitrotetanus shot regularly.)
gen derived directly from the
springtails. The findings came as a
Other soil organisms are surprise, because the scientists had
arthropods, which include insects like hypothesized that the springtails
springtails, beetles, and ants; crus- might be having an adverse effect on
taceans like sowbugs; arachnids like the trees as they generally consume
spiders and mites; myriapods, such as fungi. Instead it turned out the trees
centipedes and millipedes; and scor- were using the fungi to prey upon the
pions. They shred organic matter, insects. “It was as shocking as putaerate and mix the soil, and regulate ting a pizza in front of a person and
populations. There are thousands of having the pizza eat the person inspecies of arthropods in our soil.
stead of vice versa,” one of the researchers told Science News.
And then there are earthworms.
We all know earthworms, and I will
Not surprisingly, given the comjust note than they are not native to plexity of the relationships, soil
Canada (except for one species in micro-organisms occupy specific
Quebec), and in the forest, where de- niches – at the surface, a few centimecomposition is driven by fungi, earth- tres down, or deeper still - that we
worms are an invasive alien that is disrupt at our peril. The most obvidisrupting lifecycles, most notori- ous way we do this is by digging or
ously those of ground-nesting birds tilling. Why do we do it? Because it
like the Hermit Thrush and the works, in the short run. Turning the
Ovenbird. But earthworms are soil flushes it with oxygen, spurring
tremendous drivers of fertility and a microbial population explosion and
on farms and in most gardens; their a massive release of nutrients – unpresence is to be encouraged.
fortunately far more than plants can
These myriads of organisms build use, so much of it leaches away - but
the structure of the soil, clumping as the crop responds to the bounty
soil particles together so nutrients with increased production, it seems
are retained and also creating spaces that all is well.
between the particles to allow water
and oxygen to penetrate. Most imPayback comes in a few years,
portant, they create communities when the soil’s resources of humus
that work together and keep each and minerals are used up and the orother in balance. These communities ganism populations crash. The natuinclude plants, and we are now learn- ral process of renewal, with the slow
ing more about how plants are active breakdown of organic matter, has
players in the soil environment.
been disrupted. Tilling or digging
also dismantles the soil structure and
turns up endless weed seeds that
need further work or chemical applications. The preferred solution generally is to apply chemical fertilizers
to replace the leached nutrients as
quickly as possible, and chemical pesticides to attack the disease organisms that flourish when the
biodiversity of the soil is destroyed.
Let us avert our eyes from this dismal prospect and consider humus.
(No, not hummus, that’s the chickpea
dip.) Humus, pronounced hyoumus, is
a relatively stable form of carbon
produced when organic matter
breaks down. It’s critical to soil
health and can persist for hundreds
of years if protected by aggregates
of soil particles. But if the soil is broken up by you-know-who, the humus
will decompose, release CO2 to the
atmosphere and be exhausted in a
decade or so. Your mission as a gardener and steward of your outdoor
space is to make and preserve humus.
Step 1 is mulch. Mulching is also
Step 2 and 3. In fact, mulch is everything. Don’t plant anything without
it! It preserves moisture and moderates temperature, and as it breaks
down, it feeds the organisms and
thus your plants. It discourages
weeds, and is a slow form of composting, favoured by permaculturalists, who actually frown on “hot”
composting methods.
An explanation: The traditional
compost heap is put together quickly
with layers of different material
(grass clippings, kitchen waste, manure, sawdust, straw) to achieve the
ideal 30:1 carbon-to-nitrogen ratio.
The micro-organisms multiply, give
off heat, break down the organics,
and if the heap’s outer layers are
turned in when the heat starts to
subside, the process reactivates to ensure full decomposition. In summer,
a well-tended pile can be turned into
compost in less than a month
Here’s Toby Hemenway, author of
Gaia’s Garden, A Guide to HomeScale Permaculture (2007 – Chelsea
Green), on why he doesn’t think
compost piles are the best way to
raise micro-herds of soil organisms.
www.georgianbaytodaynews.com
“Whenever I turn or move my compost pile, I know I’m murdering millions of these wonderful helpers,
smashing their homes, bludgeoning
them and their children with my
spading fork, desiccating all those
who end up on the outer layer of the
pile.” Aieeee!
So Hemenway prefers to minimize
disruption to the ecological succession that takes place in the soil. He
likes cool composting piles, and he
likes sheet mulching even better – a
layer of newspaper or cardboard
topped with organic material like
straw, leaves, ground bark, woodchips, up to a foot deep. A foot of
mulch is intense, but everyone should
be able to build their mulch layer to
three inches or so, and their soil will
benefit.
A thought. Many of our native bee species (that we need for pollination) are ground-nesters and
require bare soil. And butterflies like
mud puddles, and barn swallows and
other birds use mud for nest building.
So don’t go all out. Think diversity
of habitat. Keep some patches free of
mulch and vegetation – in the sun,
for the bees, and in the damp, for mud
lovers.
Kate Harries owns Return of the
Native, a native plant nursery at 1186
Flos Rd 10 East near Elmvale Ontario
L0L 1P0. Open Friday and Saturday 1
– 5 pm. or call ahead 705 322 2545
This article is condensed from a threepart series on the website www.returnofthenative.ca