Message from FMLA President
FMLA Update and Upcoming Events
To all Members,
I wanted to provide an update on our activities regarding Kawartha Conservation (KC) as well as the status of their Lake Management Plan/strategy (LMP). Your new Board is working hard on a number of initiatives and events some of which we are pleased to outline below.
Kawartha Conservation LMP Update I have now held discussions with Mayor Andy Letham and Councilor Gord Miller as well as with the new CAO of KC Mark Majchrowski. I am pleased to advise that KC has agreed, at least verbally, not pursue an expansion of their watershed mandate to include Four Mile Lake. From the City’s perspective it seems that their preference is for KC to complete the LMP review they were contracted to do and to sort through their upcoming operational review before looking toward any expansion of their mandate. Our concern that yet another regulatory authority on FML is unnecessary seems to have been heard.
On Saturday the 29th KC held an open house at the Burnt River Community Centre which was well attended. KC outlined their revised LMP which we are pleased to say now includes virtually all of the concerns raised by your Board as well as a number of our members. Of particular note is the revised plan clearly identifies the roles and responsibilities of KC, MNR, City and other stakeholders such as the FMLA. Implementation of the plan is currently not within the mandate of KC which presents an opportunity for FML.
At the meeting we asked KC to work with the FMLA to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that (1) confirms there will be no expansion of KC’s mandate and (2) puts the FMLA and its members into the driver’s seat to take the best elements out of the LMP (strategy) and put them into a meaningful implementation and execution plan including but not limited to things like educational materials for members on waterfront work, septic systems, weed management and the like. KC was supportive of the idea and we will be meeting next week to discuss the MOU. We will also raise with the City the opportunity to include them in the MOU as well.
We will keep you posted as to how this work progresses.
UPCOMING EVENTS / ACTIVITIES Mark your calendars as we have a couple of great events coming up;
First Annual Corn Roast: Please join us for a social event to celebrate the end of a great (well, except for the weather) season and hear what the association has been doing since the AGM. This is an opportunity to meet your neighbours and fellow association members. We also encourage you to bring your non-member neighbours.
Free hot dogs, hamburgs, corn. There will be games for young and old.
Date: Saturday, August 26th , 2017
Time: Noon to 3pm
Place: Hayter’s property, 101 Concession 6, lots of car parking space
[By water, look for the blue muskoka chairs on the end of the dock at the south end of the lake. Water is deep enough for boat docking.]
Hike the Altberg with Vic Orr: Meet at 10:00 am at the gravel parking lot on CKW Road 45 (between Norland and Kinmount). The property is on the south side of the road civic address marker 4164. Look for the sign at the entrance.
Vic Orr, a naturalist and longtime member of the FML community will guide us through one of the largest nature reserves in Ontario. The Altberg Wildlife Sanctuary Nature Reserve straddles the contact between Canadian Shield granite and Great Lakes-St. Lawrence limestone, and is part of the headwaters at the north end that feed FML.
For more information and to RSVP so we can plan;
Saul Chernos: 647-518-6397 / saulfourmile@bell.net
Book CD/DVD Exchange: Looking for a new book, or a new movie to watch, check out the exchange at the Meisner cottage.
Take a book, leave a book, exchange some DVD’s or CD’s… its free
66 Wilkinson Drive, south end off concession 6
Ron Osborne President Four Mile Lake Association
