Spiel

Signs may be needed at new dock Sept. 2, 2009 Heather Kendall / www.barrysbaythisweek.com The new dock at the Round Lake boat launch at Round Lake Centre is creating a few headaches for Killaloe, Hagarty and Richards Township council. Councillor Ernie Cybulski reported to his fellow councillors that people are fishing from the dock while swimmers are in the water. Councillor Carl Kuehl then brought up the issue of people diving into the shallow water from the dock and wondered if signs, indicating “no diving” and “no fishing,” should be mounted at the site. Councillor Kathy Marion said there were “No Fishing” signs at the single-lane Tramore bridge, but they have had no effect. “At times you can hardly get across the bridge with people fishing,” she said. Cybulski’s comment that bicyclists have also been spotted on the dock prompted Kuehl to jokingly respond, “No diving, no fishing, no bicycles, no people, no boats.” Cybulski said there is already a “Use at your own risk” sign in place, and Marion said most fishers would not “fire a fish hook into the water where swimmers are.” Kuehl said he would check to see what signage Madawaska Valley has at its Barry’s Bay boat launch. In other council news, Councillor Cybulski said some ratepayers have difficulty getting to the municipal office during office hours to pay their tax bills; he wondered if a mail slot could be installed. CAO/Clerk Lorna Hudder told council many ratepayers pay their taxes online, at banks or by mail. Kuehl wondered where it could be placed, since the building holds more than the municipal offices. Security was another issue, as was the cost to install a slot. Councillor Isabel O’Reilly announced that the late Father Archie Afelskie left $5,000 to the Killaloe Public Library in his will. Cybulski suggested a plaque be put up acknowledging the generous donation; the proposal will be brought up at the September meeting of the library board. Pat MacMunn attended last week’s council meeting to determine what decision had been made about waste management. She said she missed the public discussion (held on Aug. 8) and had heard several rumours. Councillors Debbie Peplinskie and Cybulski assured her that nothing would be decided until all the information gleaned from questionnaires was compiled and presented to the public at a meeting in October. “By then we will have an overview of what the people want,” said Cybulski. MacMunn said one of the rumours going around was the provincial government had decreed the waste site null and void. Cybulski assured her this was not the case. “We have three years left at the Killaloe site – that’s why we need a long-term plan,” said Cybulski. “We don’t want to get into an emergency situation.” Also attending last week’s council meeting was Darren Knowles. He said he’d purchased cable assets of Vic Communications from the bank, but is now unable to get into the building on Water Street because the locks have been changed. This means he can’t solve customer complaints. Peplinskie said the municipality had just received correspondence from its solicitor, but council had not had time to study it. Since the next regular meeting is Sept. 1, Knowles agreed to return at that time for council’s decision on the matter.

Angler fined for lying about licence August 29, 2009 Fishing without a licence and lying about it has cost a Paris man $1,700 in fines. James Hammond was fined $200 for fishing without a licence, $1,000 for making a false statement and $500 for displaying a void (altered) licence. The court heard that on June 6, 2009 a conservation officer checked three men fishing from a boat on Jack’s Lake near Apsley. When asked to produce fishing licences, only one man had his licence. The other men stated they had fishing licences but were not carrying them. When warned of the seriousness of making false statements, one of the men admitted he did not have a licence and was issued a ticket. Hammond insisted he had a licence and was given time to provide a copy of it to the officer. The officer subsequently received a copy which showed it had been purchased on June 2, four days prior to being checked. Investigation revealed the licence had actually been purchased on June 12 and altered. Justice of the Peace Peter Hiscox heard the case in the Ontario Court of Justice, Peterborough, on August 13, 2009. To report a natural resource violation, call 1-877-TIPS-MNR (847-7667) toll-free any time.

Blue-green algae still in Callander Bay Friday, September 04, 2009 Kate Adams / BayToday.ca North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit News Release The North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit reminds resident and visitors to the municipality of Callander that the blue-green algae bloom continues in Callander Bay. “The algae bloom is expanding and we want to remind residents and visitors not to swim in the water or use your private drinking water system to treat the water,” said Peter Jekel, Director of Environmental Health. “Callander’s municipal water treatment process will remove blue-green algae and the toxins; however, home treatment devices will not destroy the toxins.” Residents around Callander Bay and any visitors to the area are advised by the Health Unit to take the following precautions during this extended bloom and continue for three weeks after the bloom has disappeared: · Avoid swimming and other water sport activities that could increase the risk of algae material and toxins contacting your skin or being swallowed. · Avoid using water from Callander Bay for pets. · Owners of private water systems should avoid using the water from Callander Bay for drinking, cooking and bathing. Use an alternate source of water for these purposes. · NOTE: Boiling the water or using home water treatment devices will NOT destroy the toxins. The Municipality of Callander is cooperating fully with the Ministry of the Environment and the Health Unit and the operator of Callander’s water treatment plant continues to take appropriate steps to keep the municipal water supply safe. There is always the risk that toxins could be produced by the blue-green algae, although it may not show the presence of toxins. These toxins may stay in the water for up to three weeks after the algae bloom has disappeared. More information about Blue-Green Algae can be found at www.healthunit.biz in the HOT TOPICS box. The Health Unit will provide further information as it becomes available. ****** FACTS ON BLUE-GREEN ALGAE What is it? Blue-green algae, known as ‘pond scum’, are primitive microscopic bacteria that live in fresh water. They are usually hard to see, but during hot weather, they can rapidly grow to form a large mass, called a bloom. Why is an algae bloom a problem? Toxins can irritate the skin and, if ingested, cause diarrhea and vomiting. At high enough levels, the toxins may cause liver and nervous system damage. Where is it found? Blue-green algae thrive in warm, shallow, undisturbed water that receives a lot of sunlight and is rich in phosphorus and nitrogen. Animal and human waste and fertilizers contain phosphorus and nitrogen. What causes it? Blue-green algae blooms are most often the result of agricultural runoff, lawn fertilizers and improperly located septic systems. These cause increased amounts phosphorus and nitrogen to enter lakes and streams that provide nutrients. What to do: If you see what you think is an algae bloom, take the precautions below and call the Ministry of Environment Spills Action Centre at 1-800-268-6060. · Avoid using the water for drinking, bathing, or showering. · Do not allow children, pets, or livestock to swim in the water or drink the water. · If skin contact does occur, wash with soap and water or rinse thoroughly with clean water to remove algae. · Do not boil the water because boiling it may release more toxins into the water. · Don’t cook with the water because food may absorb toxins from the water during cooking. · Do not treat the water with a disinfectant like bleach. This may break open algae cells and release toxins into the water. · Be cautious about eating fish caught in water where blue-green algae blooms occur. Do not eat the liver, kidneys, or other organs of fish caught in the water. · Do not rely on water jug filtration systems, as they do not protect against the toxins. Related Story

St. Lawrence Seaway fosters a plague of sea life August 31st, 2009 Kari Lydersen / The Washington Post The St. Lawrence Seaway opened in 1959 to great fanfare. The system of canals connecting the Atlantic Ocean and the five Great Lakes cut a lucrative international trade route through the heartland and gave the United States a refuge and staging ground for ships and submarines in case of war with the Soviet Union. No one expected the seaway to become the key player in a different war, the invasion of non-native aquatic species into the Great Lakes, which has dramatically altered ecosystems and costs hundreds of millions of dollars a year. About a third of the 186 invasive species in the Great Lakes are thought to have entered on oceangoing ships in the ballast water they take on for stabilization when carrying little or no cargo. Zebra and quagga mussels from the Black Sea clog intake structures for municipal water systems and power plants. The mussels also gobble plankton so voraciously that little is left for other organisms. Round gobies and other invasive fish beat out native fish for food supplies, harming the lucrative commercial and sport fishing industries. Ballast is even blamed for the emergence of viral hemorrhagic septicemia, often called “fish ebola,” resulting in large fish kills in the past several years. And as infected pleasure boats are hauled to other lakes or species swim and float into tributaries, or even the Mississippi River, invasive species that came in with the ballast are spreading throughout the United States. Large quagga and zebra mussel colonies have been found in California and Nevada and are threatening to spread through California’s many miles of municipal water pipes. “The seaway turned the Great Lakes into a North American beachhead for invasives from other continents,” said Jeff Alexander, author of the book “Pandora’s Locks: The Opening of the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway.” “There’s no telling how much more damage these critters will cause and how much more money they’ll cost us.” There are no federal standards for ballast treatment, although the Environmental Protection Agency and the Coast Guard are working on requirements that should reduce the amount of live organisms in ballast water. Since 1993, ships have been required to exchange their ballast in the Atlantic before entering the Seaway, replacing water from whatever port they had last visited with high-seas water containing little life. But until 2008, U.S.-bound ships loaded with cargo and hence containing no ballast were exempt from any regulations. These ships are called NOBOBs, for No Ballast on Board. But their “empty” ballast tanks contain many tons of muddy slop teeming with bacteria, small marine organisms, eggs and larva. NOBOBs typically unload their cargo — often steel — in Great Lakes ports like Detroit and Cleveland, suck water into their ballast tanks, then head to other Great Lakes ports — Duluth, Toledo or Milwaukee — to load up on grain and dump their ballast, now mixed with the biologically rich mud. Since last year, NOBOBs have been required to “swish and spit,” or wash their tanks out with salt water, before entering the Seaway. This is aimed at killing most invasive organisms that could survive in the Great Lakes, since the species of concern generally come from brackish European estuaries and their cells burst when immersed in ocean saltwater. The practice appears to have been effective, as no new invasive species have been reported in the Great Lakes since the “bloody red shrimp” made its 2006 debut, according to David Reid, a research scientist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Nonetheless, scientists and legislators say the ballast water and mud that remain in tanks must be treated to avoid future invasive species or contamination by pathogens such as cholera, E. coli and cryptosporidium, which also can lurk in tanks. “Mother Nature always throws a variant at you,” Reid said. “There are organisms that can survive salt exposure and survive in the Great Lakes. Having well-documented functional treatment systems that do kill as many of the organisms in ballast as physically possible is a better idea than just relying on ballast exchange or salinity exposure with flushing.” In 2004, the International Maritime Organization, part of the United Nations, drafted a treaty mandating that dumped ballast water contain no more than 10 live organisms larger than 50 micrometers (about the width of a hair) per cubic meter of water. Pushing for stricter standards, the United States did not ratify the treaty, though it is the basis of permit requirements being considered by the EPA. The Coast Guard issued long-awaited ballast regulations last week that basically mimic the International Maritime Organization’s standards for five years and then become more stringent. The proposed regulations, open for a 90-day public comment period, are less ambitious than what environmentalists and many legislators say are needed to prevent more ballast-borne invasives. For several years, Congress has considered legislation to set national ballast standards. The House passed a bill in 2008 that was supported by environmental and shipping interests, but the Senate did not pass it, partly because of fears raised by Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) that the bill could preempt states’ rights to regulate ballast. With no federal action on ballast, states have been setting their own limits. Steve Fisher, executive director of the American Great Lakes Ports Association, called different regulations in each state a “nightmare scenario.” He said current technology cannot meet New York’s standards, which are 100 times stronger than the IMO treaty, and he expects that the state will have to close ports or relax its rules. Jim Tierney, assistant commissioner for water resources at the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, disagreed. “It’s not that hard to kill things,” he said. “You can heat them up, crush them, pressurize them, put a chemical on them. We think this is a problem that can be solved in a very economical fashion.” Environmental groups have called for a moratorium on St. Lawrence Seaway shipping or even closing the seaway altogether. Oceangoing vessels account for only about 5 percent of Great Lakes shipping, and studies by Grand Valley State University economists found that shifting that cargo to trains and trucks would cost only about $55 million per year and actually result in 1,300 net jobs gained. “There’s no doubt it was an engineering marvel, but economically it’s been an underachiever and an environmental disaster for the Great Lakes,” said Alexander, the author. “The science shows if we did close the seaway, it would protect the lakes and wouldn’t hurt us much economically. But the shipping industry should be given a chance to prove itself. Let’s set a standard and give them a chance to meet it. If they can’t meet it, it’s time to stop letting these ships in.”

Huge chinook salmon are heading up the Ganny, local creeks September 4th, 2009 Terry Curtis / Northumberland Today I can smell it in the air and feel it in the cool evening temperatures. Autumn is fast approaching, and for anglers that means the start of the best fishing of the year. The season is open for all species of fish and you know the fish will be putting on the feed bag pretty soon in anticipation of the long winter ahead. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves! We’ve still got the annual “fall turnover” to deal with and it’s just starting on the Kawartha Lakes. Need evidence? Just take a peek at the colour of the water in Rice Lake this week. With the cooler air temperatures the water temperature is also dropping and the water is starting to get that murky green tinge to it and will eventually turn to a slimy, putrid-looking green colour. As this change in the water takes place you can bet the fish will take a while to adjust to it and the bite will drop of dramatically until temperatures stabilize. A lot of anglers hate this time of year, but I love it! Most days I have the lake to myself because most bass and walleye chasers get frustrated by the lull in action, but it just makes me want to spend more time on the water. Can’t tell you why this week, but I’ll give you the scoop next week. Hey, a little suspense doesn’t hurt, and besides, I’ve got a hot Tip for anyone looking for for some exciting fishing action that doesn’t involve walleye, bass or even boats: the salmon run is on! Huge chinook salmon are running up the local creeks and the Ganaraska River right now and for anyone who has never caught one of these monster fish, now is the time. The run just started this past Monday and numbers of fish will increase in the next two weeks or so. How big are these salmon? Expect to hook into many fish in the 30-pound range and hang on! That’s right 30 pounds — or more! A few years ago I hosted a TV show called The Ultimate Angler and we spent part of a day filming on the Ganaraska River right in the heart of Port Hope. The action was hot and heavy and I was tuckered out by the time we left after only a few hours of chasing fish I tied into up and down the river. Actually, the fishing was so good we had enough footage in the first hour or so of the day, but the fishing was so hot the producer and camera man couldn’t resist and joined me for some unbelievable fishing themselves! They were like two little kids in a candy store, laughing and teasing each other about missed hook sets and who landed the largest chinook. Will I be on the Ganny this week? Count on it!

I've been on this ride before, makes me dizzy!

We have a feature "report a post", use it if you feel you are being harassed. Responding in the manner that you did will fast track you to purgatory, guaranteed!

I have a 2006 Lund 1700 Explorer with a 75 tiller. It's essentially the same boat you are currently looking at. I am very pleased with this boat, handles exceptionally (ask ChrisK) and is no more difficult to handle than my old 25 tiller. The sport track does have a downrigger mounting bracket that allows me to place the riggers anywhere along the gunnel with no drilling required. I'm not sure why the newer model has no outlet for the bow mount electric? Mine was prewired fore and aft for electric motors. My only regret, not getting the 1800 with a 90 tiller.

I too am saddened to hear this Sam. I hope you find your new ventures both fulfilling and rewarding.

Actually they are. The terms have not changed since this board's inception.

Great report Ron. I'm glad to see it you had a good time without me. Hopefully things will be better for me next year as well Dan and we'll have a reunion of sorts.

Hysterical, funniest thing I've read in a while.

TANK!

Belated Bud, I'll give you the year older part.

You guys are killing me.

Indian tribe loses claim it made to Lake Erie fishing rights August 19, 2009 JIM PROVANCE / BLADE COLUMBUS BUREAU CHIEF / toledoblade.com COLUMBUS - The Ottawa Tribe's attempt to reclaim unfettered commercial fishing rights on Lake Erie based on treaties more than 200 years old have been dealt a mortal blow by a federal appeals court. A three-judge panel of the Cincinnati-based 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously ruled Tuesday that the tribe failed to demonstrate it had retained fishing rights over the years as it repeatedly ceded territory to an expanding United States and was gradually forced west to Kansas and then Oklahoma. "This is a deceptively straightforward case," wrote Circuit Judge Alan E. Norris. "There are numerous treaties at issue here, but essentially, under the Treaty of Greenville (of 1795), the United States acquired Indian lands south of the treaty's east-west line and relinquished its claims to the Indian lands north of the line. "By the remaining treaties at issue here, the Ottawas and other Indian tribes ceded that land to the United States in piecemeal fashion," he wrote. The decision upholds a ruling last year by U.S. District Court Judge Jack Zouhary in Toledo. The Ottawa Tribe maintained that, while it may have surrendered land and eventually left what is now Ohio altogether, it never ceded its rights to hunt and fish Lake Erie and other areas of Ohio without regulation and restriction by the state Department of Natural Resources. The tribe did not appeal the denial of its hunting rights, but did appeal Judge Zouhary's ruling denying it fishing rights. The 6th Circuit, however, found that the Treaty of Greenville dealt not with fishing rights but with occupancy of land that was later abandoned by the tribe. The tribe has the option of seeking a further appeal with the U.S. Supreme Court. The case does not deal with the Ottawa Tribe's broader claims to ownership of North Bass Island, a claim it planned to make after resolving the fishing case. The tribe contends that the 677-acre, largely undeveloped North Bass, also known as the Isle of St. George, was actually on the British side of the U.S.-Canadian border and was, therefore, unaffected when the Treaty of Fort Industry was signed with the United States in 1805. In that treaty, the Ottawa, Chippewa, Wyandot, and other tribes relinquished their lands to the United States, continuing a process that would force them out of the region entirely three decades later. Much of the island is owned by the Department of Natural Resources, which plans to preserve it as a largely undeveloped park. The tribe, however, had plans for a fishing village, walleye hatchery, marinas, hotels, condominiums, and tax-free shops. The Ohio Attorney General's office had contended that all of this was a bid to bring Indian casino gambling to the state.

Stellar! Congratualtions Tony.

Neat project Bernie. Reminds of the rentals that we used to use on Lake Kipawa. When caught in the rain I used to bury myself up under the bow and let my friend drive back to camp. Question: Do you you plan on removing the fibreglass?

I know I could have been happy in my youth spending my summers like that instead of partying and chasing women. Hell I may do it in my retirement someday.

Some things are better left unsaid.

I happen to be a member there as are many of my friends including one of the owners. Want to try and get your other foot in your mouth! Talk about narrow minded. You know it is easy to sit behind the keyboard and take shots at people you never met, well at least you think you never met.

Sounds kinky.

I'm saddened to hear of you fathers passing Albert, my sincerest condolenes to you and your family.

Here, let me open the wound so you can get the salt in deeper. Sorry for taking this off track MTBF.

Is this the same part time job you have now Mike.