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Redstone Lake Cottagers Association

Protecting Your Lake

Bitter, Burdock, Coleman, Little Redstone, Pelaw and Redstone

From the Board

Welcome to spring...
  • Congratulations to our own Barb LeVasseur who has been named to the Federation of Ontario Cottagers' Associations (FOCA) Board of Directors at their Spring AGM.   
  • Healthy Shorelines program
    • Gerry Oxford has been busy.  Have look at the material he has consolidated and the upcoming local plant seminars and sales.
  • Private Buoy program
    • We'd like to thank Mike Johnson for offering to manage the program. The signs and markers will be ready for deployment early summer...
  • Volunteers - needed
    • We still need someone to co-ordinate the setup and hosting of our Annual General Meeting (July 13, 2019).  
  • Update from John Smith our Ward 4 Councillor
  • Membership update

Richard Luger
President

Naturals Shorelines – the whys, hows, whens and wheres


Thinking about naturalizing your shoreline? A natural shoreline improves the quality of lake water, helps keep algae and aquatic plants in check, and improves the habitat for the wildlife who live in or near the lake. But what are the advantages to you of your piece of shoreline being natural?
  • the root systems protect your shore from erosion without the use of retaining walls
  • you can cut back on work (no more need to mow, plant, weed, rebuild walls) and cost (natural shorelines require no maintenance or fertilizers)
  • with nature as your gardener, your shoreline will be a thing of beauty!
There is plenty of information to help you begin naturalizing. This article from Cottage Life is a good start. And you can find a list of resources for all stages of planning and implementation on the RLCA website.
 
Spring 2019
Here are 3 plant sales and a workshop happening in Haliburton County this spring, where you can get plans and plants to kick-start the process. 
  1. Friends of Ecological and Environmental Learning (FEEL) is hosting its annual online Haliburton Native Plant Sale.  The sale includes native plants for your whole property – trees, shrubs, perennials, or bundles of plants, including a Shoreline Bundle.  You order your plants online before April 14th, and pick them up at the Haliburton Beer Store from 10am-2pm on May 12. All sales go toward supporting FEEL’s work. 
  2. Abbey Gardens is offering a Shoreline Workshop on the whys and hows of naturalizing on April 13th, from 1-3pm ($15 per person, register online here). In addition, they are holding their annual sale of plant kits, differentiated by soil type and sunlight. Kits are $225 each, and if the idea of 44 plants is daunting, why not share one with one or more neighbors?  Kits can be ordered online or at Abbey Gardens up to May 10, for pickup on the May long weekend, where you can also get tips on planting. 
  3. And finally, Haliburton Master Gardnerer is hosting their annual plant sale at 10am on June 1 in Head Lake park (they advise arriving at 9 to check out the offerings, since they usually sell out). Many of their plants would work for your shore, and they are considering devoting a section this year to shoreline plants. 

Private Buoy Program
 

Hazard, No Wake, Channel and Swimming buoys

Mike Johnson has volunteered to take on the management of our Private Buoy program, Thanks Mike and welcome aboard.  We'd like to thank our current Buoy Stewards and welcome aboard the volunteers.

Last year we put out 10 18 liter yellow Hazard markers.
  • 3 around up around the Klondike boat launch - Gordon Neuser has taken ownership for those
  • 3 around Little Redstone and the channel (that one will be relocated) - Ted Rule is managing those
  • 2 around the exit of Piccadilly Bay - Bob Lehman
  • 1 near the Redkenn boat launch and 1 more on the other side of Big Island - Rob Chausse.
We'll be relocating a few of the hazard buoys and replacing them with Channel and/or No Wake markers.
  • Channel markers will be placed between Little and Big Redstone to guide boaters between the narrows
  • No Wake markers are targeted for
    • at the boat launch and thru to Pelaw Lake,
    • Entrance to the narrows from Little to Big Redstone,
    • Klondike Boat launch
  • Swimming markers are targeted for the North Shore of Big Red
  • We also have 4 new No Wake signs for the Boat Launches at
    • Redstone Lake - 1201 Klondike Road.
    • Redstone Lake - 1246 Redstone Lake Road,
    • Little Redstone Lake - 1990 Redkenn Road,
    • Bitter Lake - 1189 Bitter Lake Road
From the desk of John Smith, Councillor, Ward 4

Dysart Council Report - March 2019
As always I appreciate the opportunity to stay in touch with residents of Ward 4 and update you on activities and plans that are most likely to impact you.

As Chair of Dysart’s Environment and Climate Change Committee much of my focus is on topics which are or could impact our environment.  We have been made aware that Hydro One is proposing to use a herbicide known as “Garlon” to help it control vegetation under power lines in some areas of Dysart.  Possible issues related to the use of this product were discussed at the March Committee meeting and as a result staff will be reporting back on options available to both the municipality and local residents in this regard.  I will share that news just as soon as possible.

We have also been discussing possible actions to reduce the amount of single use water bottles in our community.  Although recycling waste is better than having it go into our landfills, the financial cost to Dysart of hauling large containers of recycled materials is substantial.  Single use water bottles contribute considerable volume to our recycling bins.  We have already eliminated single use plastic water bottles from Dysart’s municipal office and are looking at actions that might make it easier for people to reduce their need for plastic water bottles.

In the coming weeks Council will be looking at new regulations which could impact the use of fireworks in Dysart.  Right now a noise bylaw prohibits setting off fireworks after 11 pm.  While they can be entertaining we do know that some fireworks pollute our air and water with heavy metals and toxins that are not naturally there.  During summer months there is also the obvious fire risk.  The reality is that the use of fireworks has grown substantially in recent years, especially around our lakes.  New technologies such as laser and LED lights are opening up alternatives to traditional fireworks.

Mayor Roberts has scheduled a “goals and objectives” session for Council to take place in early May.  This is an opportunity for Councillors to align around a common set of goals both for immediate attention and for focus over the next three years or more.  Any suggestions you would like me to consider for this session would be welcome.

I appreciate feedback and comments regarding any of these topics or others of concern to you.  Please feel free to contact me by email at jsmith@dysartetal.ca or by telephone at 705-754-9844 or 647-393-5528.
 
John Smith, Councillor Ward 4 
 
Our volunteer list continues to grow.

We are also looking for support for the following 
  • 2019 RLCA Annual General Meeting (July 13, 2019) Coordinator.  Steve Danko who has been at the helm for the last number of years is moving on.  The role requires co-ordinating the speakers, hall (which has been booked) preparation, and organizing refreshments.  Commitment is about 10 hours over 3-4 weeks leading up to the AGM.
  • If you like exercise, our annual membership drive is coming up late May, early June.  Great opportunity to meet your neighbors, commitment is about 2-3 hours.
eMail us at membership@redstonelake.com  if you have a few hours to spare.

Have some great shots around our lakes? Share them on Instagram with hashtag #rlcahaliburton or on our Redstone Lake Cottagers Association Facebook page! 


Our Fiscal Year has Changed
it's now
January 1 to December 31
Annual Membership Fees
are now due as of January 1st

Annual fee $30
Save $10 with a 3 yr. membership $80
Easy payment - eTransfer or PayPal to treasurer@redstonelake.com
Please visit our website   and be sure to fill out the Membership Registration form and submit online with your payment. 

Your membership fee is greatly appreciated and as you can see in this eBlast update, is being put toward various important and worthwhile projects.

Membership Stats:  

  • 2017 - 266
  • 2018 - 291 
  • 2019 - 223
  • 2020 -   94
  • 2021 -   17
The introduction of this eBlast lets you know personally if you are owing this year's membership fee or if you have already paid up.

Membership Drive May-June 2019:
  • I'm still looking for Volunteers in many areas of the lakes!  We plan to deliver 600 packages  this year to reach all occupied properties on our 6 lakes but we will need your help!  If you didn't receive a Membership Drive Package at your cottage door last year that was because we didn't have a volunteer to deliver in your area.  Please consider if you can spare the time to drop off 10 or 20 bags to your neighbours.  You can tell me how many you are prepared to deliver.
  • If you can spare an hour or 2 to deliver in your cottage area during late May or early June please drop me a note at membership@redstonelake.com  

Donna Luger
Membership Coordinator
 

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Redstone Lake Cottagers Association
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Copyright © 2019 Redstone Lake Cottagers Association, All rights reserved.


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