Welcome Six Mile Lake cottagers
It was wonderful to enjoy what seemed like an early spring, although the ice went out and briefly came back again. However, many water access cottagers were able to enjoy Easter at the cottage, so there is something to be said about that. As usual, when opening the cottage and cleaning up, be extremely cautious when dealing with mouse droppings. To avoid potentially dangerous contamination, wear a mask and do not vacuum or vigorously sweep them up. Use antiseptic soap to clean all countertops and anywhere else mice could have found their way. Also, be careful when burning outside. Even though the forest floor is damp, there are many dry leaves on top that could easily catch fire and spread. See the note below regarding a new cost for fire permits. It is worthy of note that both our lake councillors (Graziano and Bochek) voted against the introduction of a $10 fee. While we are in support of the Council finding ways to increase revenue to mitigate tax increases, our board does not condone the introduction of this fee and we intend to make our concerns known to Council.
Six Mile Lake Photo Contest Puzzles
A reminder the Six Mile Lake puzzles need to be preordered and prepaid. On our website https://sixmilelake.net/news/
There are two collage puzzles and six single image puzzles to select from. You won’t want to miss out on this one-time opportunity. What a wonderful gift they would make for family and friends.
Love Your Lake Report
By now you should have received your Love Your Lake shoreline report via a link that was mailed to you in mid-March. It provides lots of useful information about how you can remediate your shoreline and help restore its natural beauty. Getting this survey done last year was a huge effort by the SMLCA and we are very proud to have completed it successfully. We’d like to thank the hard work of our volunteers, as well as the staff at Muskoka Watersheds. Rebecca Willison did a great job administering the project. Thomas Woods looked after the lion’s share of the surveying and Frank Boddy tirelessly coordinated things at our end to make sure everything went according to plan. Also big thanks to the retirees who helped out in September and October. This is just one of the many things we do and it was at no cost to you. Please remember this and if you haven’t already, invest in your lake by renewing your association membership.
At Council meetings from November to February, the following items were passed and will be in effect for 2024:
- Short Term Rental (STR) Bylaw: The Township has a new Short-Term Rental bylaw. If you rent your cottage through an online rental program like Airbnb, VRBO, or CottagesinCanada.com, you will need to register your property and pay a registration fee. This will be used to manage the registration program and provide services for residents to register complaints or comments. You can get more information on how to register here.
- Township Budget 2024 passed: At the end of December, Council passed the budget for 2024. Interim bills have been sent out for 50% of your 2023 property tax amount. The increase to residents for 2024 is approximately 6% (with District and Education budgets factored in). This will be reflected on your final tax bill.
- New $10 fee Burn Permits. The Township issues permits to allow residents to have open fires (campfires, bonfires, etc.) on their property. The fee is being introduced to help offset the cost of administering fire prevention services in the Township, and educate residents on the rules, safety issues, and fire ratings. Apply for your Burn Permit here.
- Getting hitched in the Township of Georgian Bay. In December, Council passed a bylaw allowing our Municipal Officials to carry out marriage ceremonies.
- Administrative Municipal Penalty System (AMPS) Bylaw passed: In February, Council introduced significant changes to the enforcement of bylaws. The AMPS process will allow the Township to provide a first level of adjudication of infractions and a second independent adjudication to resolve disputed infractions. Although fines for bylaw infractions are unchanged, AMPS will introduce fees for missed hearings and when independent adjudicators uphold prior township reviews.
The Six Mile Lake Directory
This year is a directory year, and we are currently finalizing the information on cottage locations and owners. Now is a good time to make sure your information is accurate. Take a moment to look at your 2022 directory and if you have any corrections or revisions, please let Sarah know at membership@sixmilelake.net
The Six Mile Lake Dam
In addition to work that has already begun on the White’s Falls Dam, construction will begin this summer on the smaller Six Mile Lake Dam at the bottom of Six Mile Lake Bay, under the same general contractor overseeing the White’s Falls project. Tenders are currently being solicited for subcontractors. It is anticipated that construction will begin in June and last 12 to 18 months. A coffer dam will be temporarily installed in front of the small blind dam to facilitate repairs. One of the first tasks was to remove trees in the construction zone before the arrival of migratory birds to avoid disturbing nests. There is also an existing beaver dam in the inlet that will be protected.
Additional information on the Floating Homes Issue
Parks Canada has put out a call for public feedback on new restrictions that would prevent floating accommodations from mooring overnight on Ontario’s Trent-Severn Waterway and Rideau Canal starting May 1.
This change is intended to give Parks Canada more control over the regulation of floating accommodations on its waterways. They assure boaters that other mooring provisions will remain the same. Waterfront property owners along the canals will still be able to moor their vessels adjacent to their properties and boaters will still be able to moor overnight at Ontario waterway lock stations and licensed marinas.
Floating accommodations are defined by Parks Canada as “a floating building, structure, or thing, or a combination of floating buildings, structures, or things, equipped or useable for overnight accommodation and not primarily designed to be used for navigation.” These have become a hot-button topic in Ontario over the last few years, especially in the Georgian Bay area.
To view the notice go to:
Our Association strongly supports Parks Canada’s Notice of Mooring Restrictions. In the meantime, Parks Canada is accepting public comments on its proposed mooring restrictions for floating accommodations until April 7, at the following link: trentsevern@pc.gc.ca .
We have two suggested amendments for your consideration:
1) Replace “may consider desirability for consistency with water regulated by the Province” with “will be consistent with waters regulated by the Province of Ontario.”
2) Add under Floating Accommodation at the end of each point:
a)“regardless of propulsion it is still a floating accommodation based on its primary purpose.”
b)“regardless of propulsion it is still a floating accommodation based on its primary purpose.”
We’ll see you soon at the lake!
2019 CWS Authorization.pdf