Hello Six Mile Lake cottagers
We are once again saddened to hear of a snowmobile fatality. There was a head-on collision on February 16th just east of the lake on the ice at Lost Channel. Details are scarce on the cause of this accident, however, according to the OPP, major contributing factors to snowmobile fatalities are speeding, alcohol, and driver ability. This serves as a reminder to exercise caution when snowmobiling because at high speeds things can quickly and easily go wrong.
Township Planning Update
On Feb 5th, representatives from the SMLCA and SMLRA, as well as councillors Graziano and Bochek met with our mayor and township planners Derek Witlib and Jeff Kratky, to discuss their intention to update and amend the Official Plan and Zoning By-law. Mr. Witlib assured us that Six Mile Lake will receive top priority in this robust process. They plan to hire a planning consultant this spring and will be gathering public input throughout the summer and fall in order to bring amendments before council in the spring of 2025. Both SML associations will assist with gathering input and providing updates to SML property owners. The official plan amendment that was passed by council on November 13th, 2023 has now been approved by the District of Muskoka and, barring appeals to the OLT, should be finalized soon.
Floating Accommodations Update
Floating accommodations are residences built on a floating platform, moored offshore (not connected to land-based sewage, electrical, water, etc.). You may have seen them on Little Lake and in Gloucester Pool. The local company that builds them in Port Severn was hoping to expand production. The marketing angle is: buy yourself a piece of cottage country for a fraction of the price of a cottage. In theory, you could tow one of these to a spot on your favourite lake, moor it, and stay for six months.
They are classified as vessels under the Canada Shipping Act (federal legislation). This means municipalities have no jurisdiction to regulate them, despite concerns about construction standards, navigation safety, sewage, and no taxes being paid.
For the last year one of our directors has been a volunteer on a working group (the Float Homes Not Vessels Coalition) seeking ways to regulate floating accommodations. Our Mayor and Council have been strongly behind this effort.
Most of the past year was spent trying to convince Transport Canada to no longer classify them as “vessels” and rather designate them as “float homes”. This included presenting petitions to the House of Commons, launching a letter-writing campaign to the Minister of Transport efforts – access to Information Request to Transport Canada which yielded 720 pages of documents, outreach to local MPs, and liaison with Parks Canada and the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry.
Transport Canada has not yet agreed to change the classification, but they are now referring to them as “floating accommodations”, to differentiate them from “float homes” such as those at Bluffer’s Park in Toronto. However, recently they have agreed to let the province and municipality set rules for the mooring and location of “floating accommodations.” The MNRF has now banned overnight mooring and Severn Township is in the process of banning them completely, whether they are floating out in the middle of a lake or attached to land, so, a solution may be in sight.
Six Mile Lake Photo Contest Winners 2024
The SMLCA is pleased to announce the winners of the Six Mile Lake Photo contest. Winning photos were chosen based on resolution, suitability for a puzzle, how the image reflects life on Six Mile, and artistry. Thank you to all those who participated.
First place winners are: Theresa Baird, Len Dunkley, Anne Lewis, Scott Mitchell, Denise Ridley, and Harold Toiviainen.
| Denise Ridley | Len Dunkley | Harold Toiviainen |
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| Anne Lewis | Scott Mitchell | Theresa Baird |
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Second place winners are: Steve Bennett, Micheal DeJong, Sue Godwin, Kathy House, Michelle Lindberg, Doug Osborne, Leea Puntanen, Alison Smits, and Rick Vidug.
First place photos will be available as single image puzzles. Second place photos will be made into a multi-image collage. Puzzles need to be pre-ordered and prepaid. To see all the images please visit our website here: https://sixmilelake.net/
The order form (containing payment information) can be downloaded here: https://sixmilelake.net/
Orders are due May 20, 2024 puzzles will be available starting July 1st. Pick up details to be announced.
The Six Mile Lake Directory
2024 is a directory year. Now is a good time to make sure your information in our directory is accurate. Take a moment and look at your 2022 directory and if you have any changes please let Sarah know at membership@sixmilelake.net
2023 SMLCA Membership Renewal
We have now successfully implemented our new membership management system called Wild Apricot. You therefore should have received an email urging you to renew your 2023 membership. If you haven’t, please regard this as a gentle reminder to do that soon. As a reminder, our membership year runs from June 1 to May 31 so you still have time to renew! Contact Sarah at membership@sixmilelake.net and she can help you get enrolled in the new system. We count on your support to enable us to plan spending for vital community events such as the regatta and the ice cream giveaway not to mention the many other things we do to enhance the community, safety and lake environment.
2019 CWS Authorization.pdf