The Bruce Shrine Club has thanked IVDAARA members by letter, for our donations of aluminum pop cans. Close to 200,000 cans have been crushed and recycled in order to raise funds for the Canadian Shrine Hospital for Children in Montreal. Pop cans are collected at the Davidson Pop Can Depot at #505129 Grey Road 1, and then transported to Port Elgin. Take a look at the letter, and please keep donating your pop cans for a very worthy cause!
Announcing the Grey Bruce Veterinary Emergency Health Team (GBVET), created to address the fact that our region does not currently have an emergency veterinary facility for after-hours care.
What to do in case of an emergency with your pet:
1) Call your pet or animal hospital (List of participating veterinary hospitals below)
2) If closed, you will be directed to call a 1-800 number which will connect you to the answering service for the GBVET and they will put you in touch with the veterinarian on call.
3) The veterinarian on call will direct you on which hospital to go to with your pet, and what to expect.
4) You will be expected to reimburse the emergency veterinarian for services rendered at the time of your visit – just like you would have in your own hospital.
What happens after the emergency:
1) Medical records regarding your pet’s emergency visit will be sent to your veterinary hospital so that they are aware of what has taken place and can document it in your pet’s file.
2) Should your pet need hospitalization, your veterinary hospital will be prepared to receive your pet as soon as transport to their hospital is medically appropriate.
Participating Veterinary Hospitals:
Grey Bruce Pet Hospital (905 7th St East, Owen Sound)
North Heritage Animal Hospital (285 10th St West, Owen Sound)
Owen Sound Veterinary Clinic (102743 Grey County Rd 18, RR4 Owen Sound)
Port Elgin Veterinary Clinic (Hwy 21 and C.A.W. Rd South, RR1 Port Elgin)
Sauble Beach Pet Hospital (516 Sauble Falls Pkwy, Sauble Beach)
Southampton Pet Hospital (370 Railway St, Southampton)
Sunset Strip Veterinary Clinic (202421 Hwy 21, RR5 Owen Sound)
Wiarton Animal Hospital (10177 Hwy 6, Wiarton)
Mosquitoes are a nuisance and even worse can transmit West Nile Virus and other infections. There are about 70 different species of mosquitoes in Canada. They all hatch their eggs in water and feed on blood. At least the females feed on blood. Male mosquitoes rely on flower nectar and sweets of nature. Female mosquitoes not only feed on various sugars for energy, but also require the nutrition of blood for the development of their eggs. The blood provides the protein required to produce her eggs. Without these intakes of blood via bites, the females would have trouble reproducing. Also of note is that the females can live from two weeks up to a month while the male mosquito lives about a week and they do not travel very far during their short lifetime.
It is very important to remove any areas of standing or stagnant water to control the breeding of mosquitoes on your property. Any stagnant water left around for 3 days or more is a prime breeding area for mosquitoes. You can reduce the mosquito population around your property by eliminating these breeding places. You can then enjoy your outdoor time more and avoid some of those itchy bug bites. Check your property today! Get rid of all things that can catch or hold water such as: pots, cans, old tires, containers and such. Refresh the water in your bird baths regularly. For pond owners, use a pump, to keep the water circulating and fresh. Close all septic openings including tanks, clean-out plugs, and inspection hatches. Do not leave water standing in children’s wading pools and toys, flower pots and watering cans.
Also, to cut down on mosquito bites wear loose light coloured long sleeved tops and pants, wear socks and closed toe shoes, use repellents, and avoid worst mosquito times at dawn and dusk.
Now, another way to repel mosquitoes is to grow certain herbs in containers on your patio or balcony where you sit.
A Container Herb Garden can be fun and useful when cooking and it can also assist in repelling mosquitoes if you include some of the following herbs:
Basil, Lemon Balm, Lavender, Lemon Thyme, Rosemary, Citronella and Peppermint.
You may also use flowering plants such as Marigold and Geranium to discourage mosquitoes and bugs near your barbeque or sitting area.
For tips on Container Herb Gardens see the Canadian Gardening website:
http://www.canadiangardening.com/how-to/gardening-resources/6-container-grown-herb-gardens/a/56400
Check out these six herb recipes from Container Gardens at the above website:
– Cocktail Herb Infusion, Fresh & Fruity Garnish, Tea Time Combo, Comfort Food Blend, Perfect Pesto Pot and Classic Provencal Mix.
There you go! Six great herb recipe ideas from Container Herb Gardens, so get growing and start cooking. (Made you forget all about those pesky mosquitoes, eh?)
Happy Herb Container Gardening and Happy Cooking with Herbs!
Friends of the Kemble Heritage Hills worked diligently over the past 2 1/2 years to try to convince Georgian Bluffs Council to reopen these seasonal hill roads so that all residents and visitors could again enjoy their natural vistas. Unfortunately our quest came to an end when Council in February voted to change these historic roads into multi-use trails for ATVs, walkers, runners, horseback, snowmobile, etc. No cars.
A consultant hired by the municipality had estimated the cost to completely reconstruct the Heritage Hill roads (classified as Class 6 roads by the Province) at an absurd amount and it was this figure that was widely reported by Council and in the media. Even though we had the support from road expert Harold Sutherland that he could and would safely repair both hills for just $25,000, when we brought Mr. Sutherland’s offer forward, Council then claimed liability/insurance was the issue. What they have failed to recognize, or note, is that there is and will always be liability issues with trails just as there are with all roads. Suicide Hill and Dodd’s W Hill are no different than any roads in Georgian Bluffs with respect to liability.
So, despite a petition with 600+ signatures, support from many local businesses and organizations, many letters, phone calls and emails, Council has decided to ignore all that and change the roads into multi-use trails against the wishes of the community. And, they made that decision without any quote on cost to repair them to a multi-use trail standard. A sad day for democracy.
Marie Simpson
Submitted by:
Wally & Carol Ewaskiw
Our family has cottaged at Big Bay for over forty years. During this time, throughout the summer, it was a family ritual to visit the Big Bay dock — travelling by boat, canoe, and kayak and even by foot, to the dock. Our children loved to swim, jump off the dock, and skip stones. Now, many years later, our grandchildren are continuing the family tradition and love their trips to the dock
In the summer of 2012, during a trip to the Port Elgin Beach and Marina, we noticed that life preservers, (with written emergency instructions), were posted all around the beach and boat docking areas. This brought to our attention that the Big Bay dock/pier and beach area did not have any type of life-saving devices available. The beach and dock at Big Bay are busy throughout the summer with swimmers, fishing boats, small and large pleasure boats, kayaks, canoes etc. Given the ever increasing number of ‘water related’ activities in that area we felt it was essential that life-preservers are a ‘must’ to ensure help is available in the event of an emergency
Shortly, after our visit to Port Elgin, I spoke to IVDAARA Board Member, Judy Belbeck, regarding the possibility of the Association having life preservers installed at the Big Bay dock/pier. Judy readily agreed to take my written request to an Association Board Meeting. The Board, in turn, took our request to the Township of Georgian Bluffs, and the Township agreed to install a life preserver.
That life preserver was installed in time for the July 1, 2013 holiday weekend. However, the life preserver was put up at the beach area, which was great for the swimmers, but as the end of the dock is some distance away, that life preserver would not serve the activities taking place at the very end of the dock.
At the IVDAARA Annual meeting in July of 2013, I thanked the Board for taking our request to the Township. As well, I also extended a thank you to the Township Representative, for their quick response to our request; but at the same time, I stated that an additional life preserver was necessary to cover all areas. Following that meeting, we sent a written request, to the Mayor and Members of Georgian Bluffs Council requesting the installation of an additional life preserver.
In July 2014 the second life preserver was installed.
The beach and Big Bay dock/pier is now a safer place for all water activities.
Introduction
In 2009 the Townships of Georgian Bluffs and Chatsworth announced their plans to build a biodigester with the purpose of processing septic waste, producing electricity as part of the project and at the same time ending the questionable practice of spreading untreated septic waste on farmland. The Ministry of the Environment (MOE) had promised to do their part by providing legislation eliminating spreading of waste on farmland, but this legislation was never enacted. As a result the biodigester has been operating with too little septic input. For that reason, as well as various other unfortunate situations, the biodigester – although an excellent idea by itself – has been running at a loss. The townships are attempting to improve the financial situation somewhat by enacting a by-law that would compel residents to have their septic haulers take your septic waste to the bio-digester, at extra cost to the residents.
The following article, written by Edith Galloway, IVDAARA President, provides an overview of the history of the project as well as a discussion of various aspects of this project. This report also received input from residents of Georgian Bluffs living in the vicinity of the biodigester. Thank you to the Johnson, Lemmen and Taylor families. In addition, thank you to Chatsworth resident Mr. Falk who provided analytical research and public awareness through letters to the Owen Sound SUn Times.
Please note that the next meeting of the Biodigester Joint Board (BJB) was expected to take place on Friday, November 22, but this date has been canceled. We will post new information here when it becomes available.
The Georgian Bluffs/Chatsworth Joint Biodigester project has ignored the taxpayers’ septic waste for the past three years. It opted instead to process waste from nearby municipalities, local industries and organics from a private company north of Toronto. Why is it now that our septage demands the attention of a township by-law, drawn up by a Kitchener-Waterloo law firm, which will legislate that our waste must be hauled to the biodigester with a tipping fee added to the pumping charge?
In 2001, the Ontario government announced legislation would phase out the spreading of septage and sewage sludge within five years. No legislation or regulations were forthcoming.
By 2007 it was clear that there would be no such legislation in Ontario. Instead, the direction taken by the province on this issue was to improve treatment, testing, classification of waste, approvals and monitoring so that the widespread practice of spreading bio-solids on agricultural fields could be continued.
This means that by the time Georgian Bluffs and Chatsworth commissioned the design of the biodigester in 2009, legislation to stop human septic waste being spread on agricultural fields was long gone from the horizon.
Press Release Owen Sound Sun Times: October 1, 2009
The press release of November 5, 2010 seemed to imply septic tank sludge from Georgian Bluffs residential septic tanks was being loaded into the biodigester. However, the minutes of that initial meeting indicate that a municipality in a nearby county paid $5 per cubic metre for disposal of sludge but the project (Georgian Bluffs and Chatsworth) paid the trucking cost of $12.40 per cubic metre.
MOE Septage Disposal Task Force meeting on June 28, 2011, was set up to look into untreated septage being spread on land. The Ministry of the Environment, it was reported, would not be banning the spreading of septage on fields as a provincial mandate. They will be looking to municipalities to come up with a plan of their own which will be supported by the province.
It is important to note, that although MOE ten years earlier discussed banning the spreading of septage on fields, it opted to develop stronger rules. As of November 2013, septic sludge from residential septic systems in Georgian Bluffs, Chatsworth and elsewhere in the province continues to be spread by haulers on fields under strictly monitored MOE issued permits!
At the public meeting held October 1, 2009, concern about the impact on the neighbourhood was responded to by officials stating very clearly, that this facility was only to be used by Georgian Bluffs and Chatsworth. The Biodigester’s mandate now seems to include waste from “elsewhere in the province “.
“The primary reason that the biodigester was constructed was to process the septic waste from residential, commercial, institutional and industrial properties in the Townships of Georgian Bluffs, Chatsworth and elsewhere in the Province but without the expected prohibition of the spreading of raw sewage waste on approved farmland, the quantities of septic waste have been significantly less than those used to develop the business plan for the financial sustainability of the biodigester facility.”
With a draft by-law in hand, a timetable and work plan was drawn up by township staff and the consulting engineer. The schedule showed that further testing of the Biodigester needed to be undertaken as the system had not been previously tested for the quantity of waste an enforced by-law would supply, even though it has been operating for almost three years.
A public meeting, posted with 21 days notice would be necessary with this by-law since a new ratepayer fee for service would be necessary to process septic waste at the Biodigester. The dates have passed in the revised timetable. Delays occurred due to the consulting engineer changing firms. Equipment has failed and the system has been down eight weeks as of the first week of November resulting in the inability to receive the sludge to conduct the test.
With costs escalating from the initial $2.5 million to over $4.0 million, funding became a story in itself. At start up, $1.67 million was provided by Federal/Provincial funds through Building Canada Fund and each municipality borrowed $1.2 million.
A proposal in 2013 for a three phase power expansion at a cost of $2,050,000 would bring the project cost up to $6,050,000 and increase Georgian Bluffs’ capital debt to $2,205,000.
Within six months of operation it was clear that more capital was required for on-site storage for the digestate. Cost proposals were considered in the range of $200,000 to $500,000. Problems have continued since then, each one contributing to the need for new/different facilities and equipment.
The Biodigester 2009 design shows an annual operating cost about $212,000 per year. According to the recent Audit Report by BDO, the operating costs for the first year (only 11 months of operation) were more than $450,000. The Audit Report shows operating costs of about $645,000 in 2012.
The Biodigester Joint Management Board (BJB) seems to think that the financial and operating problems will be solved if only the province will provide up to $2.5 million more to “increase the capacity of the system from 100 kilowatts to 340 kilowatts of power generation in order to increase the viability and operational costs of the facility”. (This is a quote from a draft letter to the Minister of the Environment that was tabled at the last BJB Meeting November 1, 2013).
According to Section 14(1) of the EPA, “… a person shall not discharge a contaminant or cause or permit the discharge of a contaminant into the natural environment, if the discharge causes or may cause an adverse effect”. A contaminant is defined as “any solid, liquid, gas, odour, heat, sound, vibration, radiation or combination of any of them resulting directly or indirectly from human activities that causes or may cause an adverse effect”.
Odour has been a constant concern both by the operator and engineer within the project and unfortunately by the neighbouring residents. Certain products, such as abattoir waste were avoided. Chapman’s waste was not only disruptive to the processing but also contributed to odour complaints.
In order to examine the record of complaints, a Freedom of Information request must be submitted to the Ministry of the Environment. The November 1 minutes indicate a report that various odour complaints have been received throughout the month of September 2013, both by the township and MOE. “All necessary documentation is being collected to ensure that all complaints/monitoring is being addressed in a timely manner to rectify this issue as soon as possible.”
One neighbor provided this item. “On the odour portion, I would suggest a reference to how bad it was for the neighbours in 2012. So bad that it drove people indoors on evenings and weekends. It was bad at one point this year and there was concern we would have a repeat but, and I can only speak for our location, it hasn’t been near as bad as last. I have a feeling the prevailing winds may have given us a bit of a break.”
This comment appeared in township correspondence: “And you know what really bothers me? Night after night when my family and neighbours suffered through that awful smell, no one from the township or Joint Committee once called to say we’re sorry”
While bio-energy power facilities may work in such single source waste operations as dairy and swine operations, there is a record of an extremely high risk associated with repair work in these types of facilities due to the confined spaces and the oxygen deficient atmospheres.
As this facility has been failing prematurely in several areas and requiring work in areas, which are considered, confined spaces, should this not be a serious concern?
Thereby the question was posed at the November 1, 2013 BJB Meeting. As there are no references at the Biodigester Joint Board to policies or procedures, required by law (the Occupational Health and Safety Act and O.Reg. 632/05 – Confined Space regulations) what policies and protection apparatus are in place for haulers in the dumping and cleanup of delivered septic waste? Are haulers not being placed in untenable positions in cleanup?
While the Biodigester experiment may have been undertaken in good faith with the best intentions, it is clear that the project over time has failed to meet any material benchmark, whether development timeline, operational efficacy or financial performance. Will further investment of time and money achieve what has become a very indefinable objective? Perhaps the proper course of action would be to wind down this initiative now.
On Monday, August 26, 2013, the Friends of the Hills presented arguments and a petition to the Transportation Committee of the Township of Georgian Bluffs. The event has been described in the online version of the Owen Sound Sun Times:
GEORGIAN BLUFFS – The Heritage Hills roads in Georgian Bluffs won’t be re-opening anytime soon, even with a 600-signature petition and some suggestions on where funding might be found to repair them.The Friends of Kemble Heritage Hills made a presentation to council’s transportation committee Monday, but came away with little more than a suggestion to keep working on it.“I didn’t get a real warm and fuzzy as a response,” said Friends chairwoman Marie Simpson. “Our next step, now that we’ve presented this, we’ll have a meeting and we’ll talk about our options, and how much farther we want to push it.”
For the full original article please go here. At the end of the article readers may vote in an on-line poll to express their opinion about reopening the Hills.
This article has been submitted by the Friends of Kemble Heritage Hills. The groupis NOT an IVDAARA committee but an ad-hoc committee and that the IVDAARA board has not had the opportunity to take a position on these issues.
“SAVE THE KEMBLE HERITAGE HILLS”
Attend the Municipality of Georgian Bluffs’ Transportation Committee meeting on Monday August 26th at 3 p.m. at the Municipal Building, locatedjust south of Springmount on the west side of Grey Road 18.
The Friends of Kemble Heritage Hills will be presenting a report to the Transportation Committee on the results of the petition that has been circulated throughout Georgian Bluffs over the past two months; and, provide an update on our research into government or private funding opportunities to help the municipality fund the repair/reopening of the W Hill and Suicide Hill.
Your presence will be a great help to our cause, so please consider attending …. we hope to see you there!
Original Article:
A group has been formed, called the Friends of Kemble Heritage Hills, to encourage the Municipality of Georgian Bluffs Council to restore and reopen W Hill (Dodd’s Hill) and Suicide Hill, both of which are presently closed and have been for several years. I’m a member of this group and we are conducting an awareness campaign to determine how many ratepayers want to see these hills reopened.
These hills are Canadiana at its very best. Both 150-year-old hills are a living testimony and symbol to our pioneering spirit in Kemble and North Keppel. The founder of the Kemble Women’s Institute, Clara Gardner, used both these hills in 1897 in her original membership drive when she hooked up her horse and buggy to visit other area women.
Georgian Bluff’s Official Plan states their commitment to “Preserve … significant heritage landscape.”
Two very important aspects of our awareness campaign are: getting as many signatures as we can on a petition of support so we can present that to the Council; and, phone calls and letters. Phone calls to the Mayor or Deputy Mayor to say you want the Hills open again or a letter to one of the local newspapers. We think it would be extremely helpful to have people with a personal history of the area and who are passionate about these Heritage Hills, to submit letters to the Editor of either the Owen Sound SunTimes or the Wiarton Echo. Do you have a personal story about one of these hills and would you be willing to write a short letter to the newspaper? If yes, we’d greatly appreciate it!
Please help us petition council to revamp, reopen and maintain our heritage hills so residents can once again drive them; and, experience history while enjoying beautiful scenery.
The Steering Committee of the Friends of Kemble Heritage Hills is composed of Keith Davidson, Pam Wilson, Bill Wilson, Ken Sly, Marie Simpson and Dianne Carlson.
Petitions are available to sign at the Kemble Post Office, the Big Bay Store, at Keith Davidson’s home – 505129 Grey Road 1, and at Marie Simpson and Ken Sly’s home – 505095 Grey Road 1.
Friends of the Kemble Heritage Hills will also have a booth at Keppel Croft Garden’s Art in the Garden on Saturday July 13th, so if you’re attending please stop by and sign our petition there.
Thank you and please pass the word!
The Grey County Transportation Master Plan (TMP) unveiled the revised Road Rationalization Criteria the first week of November. The point system that was usd in the original version has been simplified, so that actual points assigned cannot easily be compared. Although the 29.0 km from Oxenden to the Kemble Women’s Institute Lookout rated 2 points, it fell far short of the 6 points now needed as a county road classification.
The TMP indicated no county support for the Keppel Wiarton Airport. The 3.2 km from Wiarton to Oxenden rated 4 points resulting in the entire 32.2 km to be considered as future download to a lower standard, local (municipal) road. Road resurfacing by the county will still takeplace in 2014. Updates on the TMP will be posted from time to time on IVDAARA’s website.
The Island View Drive and Area Ratepayers’ Association has started a campaign to make residents of Grey Road 1 aware of the coming changes to their road. This will includes signs (as shown above), flyers and petitions.
Continue reading
After IVDAARA Director Judy Belbeck lobbied Georgian Bluffs Council to install a life ring at the Big Bay Dock, the Council’s Recreation Committee at their recent meeting decided to install such a ring in the near future. Murray Hackett, CAO, thanked Judy for bringing this to their attention. Judy had been made aware of the unsafe situation by one of our members.
The above award winning photo of the Big Bay Dock was shot by local potter and photographer Steve Irvine. It was published in the Jan/Feb 2012 edition of Canadian Geographic Magazine, and it’s being featured in one of Canadian Geographic’s calendars for 2014.
Meet your IVDAARA directors at a “booth” at Art in the Garden, the annual arts fair at Keppelcroft Gardens, to be held Saturday July 13, 2013, We will attempt to answer any questions you might have, including about hot topics such as the proposes downloading of Grey Road 1 to the township, water level issues, etc. For listings of this and many other events, see our events page.
Local visual artist and writer Allen Smutylo will present the keynote speech at IVDAARA’s Annual General Meeting, on Sauturday July 20, 2013, at 9 am at the Kemble United Church. Allen’s recently published book, “The Memory of Water”, is a collection of ten short stories, all personal memoirs of Allen’s adventurous travels to the High Arctic, Maui and varenasi, and – to stay closer to home – Tobermory in the sixties and Owen Sound’s Sydenham River.
From Allen’s website:
Allen Smutylo has lectured extensively from his experiences throughout the world. His many ventures include the Arctic region (20 sea kayak and backpacking expeditions) and the Himalayas (visiting and traveling with the iconic Tibetan Buddhist nomads, over a 9 year period). The unique point of view given by Smutylo, the artist, the writer and the adventurer provides for an inspiring, informative and captivating presentation. In the Arctic, Smutylo has had numerous first-hand encounters with whales, polar bears, muskoxen, rogue walruses, exploding icebergs and ferocious waters. Central to his interest, includes the celebration of human creativity as evident in the life of the Inuit and pre-Inuit people, who, in the harshest of environments developed and adapted unique technologies to survive. At its core, Smutylo probes a crucial and contemporary issue – that of the modern world’s relationship to a fragile and severe environment and to the human life and wildlife that calls it home.
In the Himalaya, Smutylo was fortunate enough to encounter and become friends with a number of nomad tribes that roam its high elevations. In the region of Ladakh, on the border of Tibet, at 15,000′, these hardy Tibetan Buddhists, with their horses, yaks, sheep and goats have maintained a vibrant culture, essentially unchanged for centuries. Smutylo is one of very few North Americans to have written and portrayed these illusive and fiercely independent people. This presentation captures the taste, smells, sights and textures of a way of life that is hard to believe still exists.
Grey County’s Transportation Master Plan, tabled at the County Council meetings of April 2 and 4, 2013, proposes to download a large number of County roads to the municipalities. In the IVDAARA area this will severely affect the stretch of Grey Road 1 where the majority of our members have their properties, from the Kemble Women’s Institute Lookout to the Wiarton-Keppel Airport, or in fact the entire Island View Drive section of GR1. The full consultant produced plan, which can be downloaded here, uses a point system to rate each road. The report does not tell us how many points the IVD section received, but it clearly shows that it does not meet the criteria to be maintained as County road.
Existing Grey County Roads (left picture) and Proposed Situation (right picture)
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