AGM, & Director's Reports

Please see the downloadable Financial Reports.

Your board continues to be very active in spite of the challenges of the past year. Actual expenditures, which reflect the varied nature of your board’s activities, are in line with approved budgeted amounts for the year.

Surplus funds are invested in two bank GIC’s of $18,291.67 and $20,873.21 which will mature December 2021 and November 2025 respectively. The GIC that matures in December 2021 earns 1.9% compounded annually. The second GIC is a 5 year variable rate GIC and interest is calculated on a simple annual basis starting at .5% in year 1 and gradually increasing each year to 1.25% in year 5. Interest is recognized on an accrual basis in these statements. The GIC interest is shared on a weighted average basis between the general fund and the Catherine Rathbun Environmental Fund.

The Catherine Rathbun Environmental fund grew by individual contributions of $445 ($1,470 in 2019) and allocated interest of $247 ($247 in 2019). Expenditures from this fund were for water quality testing in the amount of $1,305 ($1,305 in 2019) and was approved at the 2018 annual general meeting as required.

The remaining unrestricted surplus of $37,536 is available for the general purposes of the association.

• the Township is in the process of their Offical Plan Review. We are working with them on this to ensure that our needs are recognized. 
• new cottage numbering and naming of islands by Township are both continuing but happening slowly
• LWCA continues to receive and monitor development proposals
• next Municipal election is this October, 2022; we will reach out to the candidates to seek input from them
• we encourage members contact our elected officials asking them to provide interim report of what they’ve accomplished
• Hartsmere Rd - still waiting for conveyance from Ministry
• Emergency site at south end - still waiting for Municipality to pick a site

Communication to and from members continues to be an exciting challenge, with members accessing some forms of communication but not others (e.g. email but not Facebook). We endeavor to communicate across several platforms in order to satisfy all members. 

General questions and submissions (e.g., of ideas, photos) can always be directed to either our general email info@weslemkoon.com or to our LWCA Facebook page.

We continue to look for member contributions to our Instagram feed. This platform often works best when there is a group effort. (@LWCA_ontario)

Please ensure that you are receiving our communications through the following sources:

a) Communiques (via email)

b) Website and Blog (weslemkoon.com)

c) Facebook LWCA group

This is a private group. Posts include helpful information about boating & camping, photo contest particulars, general reminders about upcoming events, answers to members’ questions. Members post on this group for various reasons (e.g., to share cottage related stories, sell items, ask cottagers to claim something that has floated ashore)

d) LWCA Facebook Page

We have been posting information on environmental issues, safe boating, events and educational opportunities

e) Instagram (lwca_ontario)

Showcases photos of the lake and surrounds, with a focus on LWCA issues such as wildlife, conservation, weather

Membership numbers as of July 25, 2022

Members  214 (6 new)

Friends    18 (1 new) 

Total =                    232 (compared to 242 on Sept 30, 2021)

• Payment methods in order of popularity: PayPal > e-transfer > cheque
• Thanks to all who sent in contact information updates; database update is complete
• 30 memberships unrenewed to date (were members in 2021 and have not renewed for 2022); will follow up with all in September before finalizing cottage check list.

Please see the Water Quality Report in the Downloadable file section above. 

Courtesy Markers

• We continue to battle the weather when it comes to these markers. Numerous storms and ice floes have caused damaged to them but fortunately we have the right person on board who is quick to make repairs and replace lights that need replacing. We have also been methodically replacing the old-style floating markers with the newer white models which are bolted into the granite.
• We have a new contract with our flashy light tech up to and including the fall of 2027.
• Please keep in mind that these are not shoal markers nor aids to navigation, they are simply courtesy markers. Always use caution and be aware of your surroundings as there are still many rocks, stumps and deadheads that are not marked.
• As always, if someone notices a problem with a marker or if they notice one missing or floating loose, please contact us and we will do our best to make repairs as soon as possible.

Custodial Visits

• This past year there were no major reports of damage up to and including the spring cottage check.
• The last few years have posed problems for us. Weather has been an issue, changing ice patterns have affected us, and of course the health issues that we are all aware of. We have been fortunate that there has not been any major damage or vandalism in the area over the past couple of years, although I don't know that fortunate is the correct phrase as we should all be expecting safety at our Lake. 
• We are currently in the process of finding a new custodian to do the fall and spring visits. Steve Murray has been doing this work since 2017 and has decided to concentrate on his full-time job. I appreciate the effort he has put in and hope we find someone suitable to fill his sandals.

Forest Management Plan (FMP)

Lake Associations additional protection request from Forestry harvest turned down by MNRF. They were granted a 30 meter protection around trails recognized by the province

Good news, LWCA’s previously agreed to additional setbacks for the harvest blocks close to Weslemkoon, Heath/Mink, and Arnott/McKenzie lakes will be part of the 10 year FMP.   

Inspection of the MNRF approved FMP.  August 2021.  Final approval is delayed.  

However, we have verbal and written confirmation from the Lead Forester at MLFI (Margaret Hatton) and the Regional Director of the MNRF (Sharon Rew) that our agreement for additional setbacks for the harvest blocks that impact Weslemkoon, Mink, and McKenzie Lakes will be in the final FMP.

The first annual work schedule of the next FMP will not have any of the harvest blocks of concern in it.  

MLFI and MNRF will complete the viewscape analysis when the annual work schedule is slated for our harvest blocks of concern.

Thunder Box Project

This project is in progress. We hope to achieve the installation of a Thunder Box at the following sites by the summer of 2023:  

 1.       Mink Lake, big rock landing camp site…  Jon Keeble, built, 2022 installation

 2.       Mink Lake, island camp site

 3.       Little Long Lake

 4.       Canoe Lake

 5.       Green Lake site on North shore…  Perry Cornell, built and installed

 6.       Sundy Cove, by the cliffs

 7.  “Algonquin” Point (AKA Squaw Point)

 8.  Channel Island into Caverly’s landing…  Will Vegter, done, built and installed

 9.  Picnic island west of Rockwell island…  previously installed

10.  Buck Lake

11.  Little Wes

12.  Shiner Lake

Work in progress:

  Alan Thomas location TBD

  Glenn Thompson location TBD

We need your stories, photos, memories, poems and ideas. Please make sure to share notes of passings, births and big birthdays or anniversaries too!

Please send along to looncall.editor@gmail.com or get in touch through the website or social posts and it will make its way to me. Items need to be submitted by the end of December to give us time to put it all together.

Please encourage your children to send in their stories and photos from the summer.

The Loon Call is only as good as the content within it - let’s continue to make it fun, relevant and all about our Weslemkoon.

After an easy ice out this past spring, water levels have generally been within MNR targets so far this year. Levels were a bit low at the start of boating season and then a bit high in the late spring with all of the rain but have settled nicely for the summer so far.