Hello Six Mile Lake Cottagers

As the autumn leaves begin to show, we are reminded that there aren’t that many weeks left before we put things away for the season and close the cottage. Here are a few reminders of what is still happening this season.

SMLRA OPA

On June 6^th we spoke at the township planning meeting regarding the SMLRA OPA proposal urging the planning council to intervene so the two associations (CA and RA) would negotiate a different outcome than the one proposed at that meeting.  On August 14^th, the township set aside $5000 and instructed their planning staff to hire a facilitator/negotiator. The township appointed Ms. Sarah Jacobs, a planning lawyer with experience on the OLT board. Two of our directors participated in two three and a half hour sessions. As a result, the RA has changed their original request for an OPA which would have completely eliminated reference to building size (GFA) in the official plan.  Their revised amendment affirms the principle of limiting cottage size in multiple ways to maintain the character of the lake, but leaves the definition of exact sizes to zoning regulations. The new amendment also defines a limit for minor variances to a maximum of 25% over the allowed size. This was a mutually acceptable compromise for wording in the SMLRA official plan amendment. We believe this is good news because the new proposal reduces ambiguity which causes confusion for those that are trying to rebuild and at the same time protects GFA standards from abuse and removal. The heavy lifting is yet to come when we work with the SMLRA to try to define a reasonable increase to GFA caps according to what was called for in the 2019 survey. However, we are encouraged by a new spirit of cooperation with them. Both parties look for guidance and support from the township so that public input can be properly attained.

We are waiting for planning staff to announce when this will come back before the council. Stay tuned for a more detailed report on this matter.

2023 Membership Drive

By now everyone who was a member last year should have received two email messages inviting you to set up your account and pay for your 2023 membership. There are still many who have not responded to this appeal and have not yet set up their accounts. This is an important step because you cannot register for the upcoming AGM unless you are a member. If after checking your spam folder, you still haven’t received or cannot find that email, please let Sarah McKinney know at membership@sixmilelake.net . Once your account is set up and you have paid for your membership, you will have the ability to:

• View and download invoices
• View any donations you’ve made
• Edit your contact information (i.e. mailing address and phone number)
• View your directory listing details
• Make your contact info public to other Members
• Register to participate in the AGM

As we rollout further, there’ll be other benefits exclusively available to SMLCA members. Your association dues fund the many good programs that make Six Mile Lake the awesome place it is. We thank Sarah McKinney for her tireless effort in getting this mammoth project off the ground.

SMLCA AGM

The SMLCA Annual General Meeting will be held on October 25^th, 2023 at 6:30 p.m. As in previous years, this meeting will be held on Zoom. You must be a current paid-up Member in order to register for the event.  If your membership has lapsed, you will be required to renew your membership in order to attend the meeting and to vote.

We have received three motions from our membership to be discussed and voted on at this meeting.

Motion # 1: “That the SMLCA agree to circulate comments and concerns to be provided by the “Pounder/Winterhalt Group” regarding any revised, new or resumed SMLRA application, as a component of the SMLCA’s own communication on this matter to all its members and all SML landowners, to help ensure there is a balanced and fair review of any proposed changes.”

Motion # 2: “That the SMLCA will urge its membership to again write or make an oral presentation to the Township Planning Council’s next Public Meeting on the SMLRA OPA application, amended OPA application or new OPA application to urge the Planning Council to refuse the application and to instead consider the SMLRA concerns through the 2024 comprehensive review of the Official Plan.”

Motion # 3: “That the Six Mile Lake Cottagers Association undertake a dialogue with boat racers on Six Mile Lake to explore ways to reduce the frequency and volume of engine noise arising from speed boats.”

Regardless of the position you may take regarding these issues it is important that you attend the meeting and have your voice heard.

To register:  https://smlca.wildapricot.org/event-5420151

If you have difficulty registering, please contact us at agm@sixmilelake.net

Reminder of Key Dates:

• October 11: Pre-registration closes for virtual AGM.
• Week of October 18: AGM packages are emailed to all Members who’ve pre-registered.
• October 25: Virtual AGM

Love Your Lake survey

We are in the finishing strokes of completing the Canadian Wildlife Federation’s and Watersheds Canada’s “Love Your Lake” program. In case you missed it, there was a survey sent out a few months ago and is available online at https://loveyourlake.ca/values-survey/ .

Please take the time to fill out the survey because it informs us of your special interests and concerns regarding the environment as it pertains to lake health.

SMLCA Photo Contest

In our last e-blast we launched the SML photo contest and in case you missed it we will repeat the message. The winning photo will be made into a puzzle. Who knows? With all of the photo talent on the lake, there may be more than one winner and several puzzles to enjoy at the lake next summer.

• Photos must be submitted by Dec 1, 2023 at photocontest@sixmilelake.net
• Photo must be submitted in jpeg format at the highest possible resolution, full size and not cropped
• All photos must be taken on Six Mile
• All photos must be original work, taken by the entrants
• Only 1 photo per cottage – send us your best one
• The winning photo(s) will be announced Feb 1, 2024
• Puzzles will need to be pre-ordered and prepaid, as we did with the Six Mile Lake book, by May 20, 2024. Placing orders, method of payment and prices to be announced.
• Puzzles will be available July 1^st. Pick up information to be determined.

Please note that:

• The photo must not infringe upon trademarks, copyright, moral rights, intellectual rights, or rights of privilege of any entity or person.
• No third party may own or control any materials the photo contains.
• By submitting a photo, you agree to allow editing of the image to include things such as SMLCA logo, title or minor changes, etc., if your photo is selected for publication.
• By submitting to the contest, entrants agree that photos submitted can be used by SMLCA for promotional purposes.
• All winning entries will be selected by a panel of judges whose decision will be final.
• Submissions will not be accepted once the deadline lapses.
• Any questions can be directed to Mary Boddy at mary.boddy@sixmilelake.net .
• Submit pictures to photocontest@sixmilelake.net. If you have submitted pictures already, please submit them again to make sure they get entered.

2022 Directories

If you were a member last year and still haven’t received your biannual directory, please contact Sarah McKinney at membership@sixmilelake.net to arrange to pick it up or to have it mailed to you.