E-NEWS FALL 2025

Fellow LJNA members and Lake Joseph Neighbours,

Hello! from my dock on a splendidly peaceful and warm October afternoon. I am writing with an update on our board’s many activities since the AGM in early August.  

It was great to meet so many members, old and new, and to hear your ideas at our AGM. Included below is a summary of the meeting, a link to our presentation, and a link to the video from Safe Quiet Lakes.

The AGM is an opportunity to thank the many volunteers for their efforts on behalf of the association. We are very lucky to have so many dedicated community members with a passion for our lake. Your ongoing support and engagement are helping to keep Lake Joe beautiful. 

I want to thank two in particular: long time board member, Harris Ord, who finished his term on the board at this year’s AGM. We will miss his knowledge and insights. And Ben Sainsbury who stepped off the board just after the AGM. Ben brought his love for Portage Lake to our meetings over the past year. 

I am happy to announce that Bruce Ballatyne has stepped forward to take on the role of Treasurer. Bruce and his wife Barb are both CAs and have been cottaging at the north end of the lake for 20 years. Barb has also volunteered to assist as needed. Thank you to both!

Pencil in October 24^th – noon and plan to attend our “Meet the Township” webinar. You will have the opportunity to learn more about township planning, waste management, water quality and invasive species management. Please see more details below including a link to submit your questions and priorities.

It is hard to believe another summer is wrapping up and we are already collecting ideas for next summer. Please be in touch with any feedback or questions. info@ljna.org.

In the meantime, very best wishes for a Happy Thanksgiving!

Warm regards,

Nancy Cohen, Chair

info@ljna.org

Update from the LJNA Board

LJNA’s “Meet the Township” webinar – October 24^th

The LJNA Board is pleased to announce that our planned "Meet the Township" Webinar has been arranged for Friday October 24 from 12-1 pm. We will also invite members of the North Lake Rosseau Association and the Little Lake Joseph Association to join us. Details of the login information will follow shortly. 

We are fortunate that several members of the leadership team at Seguin have agreed to be part of our Webinar including Taylor Elgie, Director of Planning, Forrest Pengra, Director of Strategic Initiatives and Preston Nielsen, Environment and Climate Programs Coordinator.

At a high level, the topics will be as follows:

1. Planning – process and who to contact to find out what’s permitted 
   
2. Waste management changes and opportunities
   
3. Water quality monitoring and reporting
   
4. Invasive species actions
   
5. Additional questions 
   

We want the Webinar to be informative and valuable for our members so we are seeking guidance on the topics that you would like to hear about. Please complete our brief survey HERE  by October 20^th.

If you prefer to email your ideas and questions, feel free to respond to this email.

LJNA Comments on Seguin’s Draft Official Plan

The Official Plan (OP) sets the land use policies for the township. These policies are then implemented in the Zoning Bylaw. The province requires municipalities to review them every 5 years. Several years ago, Seguin began a process to revise their OP. Before the work was finished it was put on hold while the province revised their framework. The process was re-launched this summer with the distribution of draft revisions. 

With the support of our planning consultant, Bob Lehman, we have been combing through the proposed changes. In general, we are pleased with the approach to clarify and strengthen the policy. 

We want to highlight two proposed changes:

• They are proposing to change the minimum lot size for new island lots from 120m to 90m. The LJNA does not support this change.
  
• Setbacks for new lots are proposed to be increased to 30m. We would like to understand the rationale for this change.
  

There is a more detailed discussion on these and other issues in our letter to the town. You can read it HERE. Seguin has posted documents on their website. If you want to discuss any of these recommendations or have other thoughts, please be in touch.

Other News

Update on Hamer Bay OLT Appeal:  Last summer, the LJNA and many neighbours submitted letters and made presentations objecting to a zoning application in Hamer Bay. In September 2024, this request was declined by Council and the owner appealed the decision to the OLT. The LJNA was accepted as a party to the hearing in support of Council’s decision.  We are pleased to report that, with the goodwill and support of several neighbours and the proponent, a compromise was reached and we have settled. 

Site Alteration – Concerns in Stanley Bay:  In early September, neighbours reported an unusual amount of site alteration at a construction site in Stanley Bay. They submitted photos to the Seguin bylaw office of extensive tree and shrub removal, the addition of fill and the construction of a stone wall within the 20 metre zone. Bylaw attended and issued a stop work order. We understand that the owner has now entered into a site plan agreement with the town which includes significant re-planting and security. 

Protecting the ribbon of natural shoreline is one of the most important things we can do to preserve our beautiful Lake Joe. In addition to preserving the view, it provides a buffer for wildlife and filters shoreline runoff. Seguin’s bylaw enforcement services webpage has details on the bylaws, how to report, and FAQ.  If you have a concern, please take photos and contact them for more information. They rely on the community for our help.

Recent Fire on Lake Joe:  Mid-morning on the Tuesday just after Labour Day, neighbours in Burnegie Bay were alarmed by unusual boat noises on the lake. Moments later the boat crashed onto the rocky shore and exploded into flames. Neighbours called 9-1-1 and the fireboat as well as police responded. The boat driver, who fell or jumped out of the speeding boat, was rescued from the lake by nearby fisherfolk. Thankfully, there were no serious injuries, either to the owner/driver or to anyone on the shore. And, although the boat landed quite high up on the shore, no flames caught nearby forested areas. Clean-up of the debris was done by a professional environmental remediation company and is almost complete.  

About two weeks after the fire, LJNA members and our local Councillors spoke with Sean Carroll, Seguin’s Fire Chief about what we can learn, what to communicate, and safety prep for members. Here are some notes:

1.    It is recommend that all cottagers have Fire Route (9-1-1) Number on their docks and boathouses in addition to the civic number at the road. This includes water access properties. Check out the article in our Summer Newsletter for more details (weblink HERE). Contact the Seguin Township office 705-732-4300 or email fire@seguin.ca. The fee is $15.

2.    Be as descriptive as possible when reporting to 9-1-1. What3words can be helpful if you are out on the lake. On land, know your 9-1-1 address and be ready to provide it and any other details of the emergency. A reminder to post LJNA’s Emergency sheet and at your cottage and your dock.

3.    Response time for this fire was 30 minutes. This was as fast as can be expected to a rural water access property in this area. The Fire Chief recommends that as many cottagers as possible own fire pumps and train their family and guests regularly on their use. They gave us some recommendations on what kind of pump to look for: portable, good pressure (if you are up a hill), easy to set-up, electric start, etc...

4.    Sprinkler attachments for your pump:  A good first line of defence for rural properties is sprinkler attachments for your pump. 2 links were shared in the conversation:  https://www.waspwildfire.com/homeowners 

and http://asroachfire.com/contact-us/.

More info at: https://www.seguin.ca/en/explore-play/fireservices.aspx.

As in most rural areas, the Seguin fire department relies on volunteers and is currently recruiting. We were very grateful for their response and professionalism.

The LJNA is looking into hosting a safety seminar in Spring 2026. Seguin Fire Services and other first responders will be invited to present. If you have ideas or would like to help organize, please be in touch. 

Recap - Annual General Meeting– Saturday Aug 2^nd

Once again, the boat showroom at GBM was full, with over 80 people in attendance plus 7 families by Zoom. This represents over 65 member families from North Lake Joe and Portage Lake.

The meeting opened with updates from our municipal Councillors, Terry Fellner and Greg Getty, and Mayor Ann MacDiarmid and questions from the floor.

This was followed by updates from the Board, including: 

• We continue our focus on developing more opportunities for members to get together. 
  
• Board plans for the upcoming year include: Webinar on Planning topics with Seguin planning, developing a welcome package for new neighbours, and continued focus on planning and water quality.
  
• An update of financials was presented and the motion to dispense with audit requirements was approved with no objections. 
  
• The slate of directors was elected unanimously.
  

Here’s the minutes from the meeting. The slides from the Board presentation are posted to our website.

There was lots of interest in the presentation by Safe Quiet Lake board member and Queen’s faculty member, Tim James on the impact of wakes and the implications of enhanced wake boats. You can find his presentation HERE. 

Thank you to everyone who took part of their long weekend Saturday to join in, to our set-up and clean-up volunteers and especially to Gordon Bay Marine and Maple Leaf Marinas for hosting us.

Each year, we get positive feedback from attendees but if there’s something you would like to see, or something we can improve, please be in touch now so we can incorporate it into our planning for next year.

Stay connected with LJNA activities and news:  

An important part of our mission is to connect the neighbours on Lake Joe North.

Last summer, we launched an Instagram account -@LakeJoeNorthAssociation  to share exciting initiatives, local events and LJNA activities. We also post lost and found.

Another way to stay connected is to subscribe to these newsletters. Members can add up to 4 emails addresses to their account (login HERE). Others can subscribe to our Enews at ljna/subscribe.

Seguin Township News

Seguin Township Waste Management review

Seguin Township hosted a public information session to explore the draft findings of their  Waste Management Review  in August. Several LJNA members attended including our Director Alex Magditsch. There were lots of questions and feedback. The video of the event is posted on Seguin’s consultation website. Or you can view it on the Seguin Township YouTube page.

Of Interest and Partner Updates

The LJNA relies on the work of many partner organizations. Here’s link to recent newsletters. There are several very interesting articles. 

FOCA’s September 2025 Enews

The Annual FOCA Magazine - Ontario Lake Stewards

This year's edition includes articles about youth engagement, cottage succession, insurance in a changing climate, salt pollution, biodiversity, source water protection, invasive species prevention and management, and more!

MLA's monthly edition of NewsBites - September 2025 

The Muskoka Watershed Council – September News

In the Community

Pumpkinfest returns to Rosseau – NEXT Saturday October 11th 10 am – 3pm. 

PumpkinFest is an annual celebration held in the Village of Rosseau on Thanksgiving Saturday. It is a free family event that runs from 10 am to 3 pm and draws thousands of people from the whole Muskoka area. It offers a host of free events and activities for the whole family. These activities include children's pumpkin painting, cupcake decorating, face painting, Bouncy Castles and games galore as well as music and entertainment; all free. There will be food and craft vendors to suit all and truly something for all ages.

You can find more information about the Pumpkin Fest and other Seguin events on their Facebook page.

MLA 13th Annual Food Drive – until October 24^th

The MLA is running the 13th annual food bank drive, this year in support of West Muskoka Food Bank.

Non-perishable food items can be donated at many convenient locations in Muskoka including Gordon Bay Marine and Muskoka Lakes Marine in Rosseau. More info on their website.

Rosseau Caring Community

The Rosseau Caring Community is a group of volunteers who have come together to support seniors in our area by connecting them with the community support services available, providing helping hands to assist with household and yard work chores, and to provide social activities, all of which promotes overall health and wellness for these amazing and resilient individuals who have been the backbone of our community for years. Recently they have partnered with West Parry Sound Community Support Services to offer monthly Lunch & Learns for seniors in the area at the Rosseau Community Hall for a cost of $15 each.  To learn more or to support their work, please contact Cheryl at rosseaucaringcommunity@gmail.com.

The E-News is published on a regular basis to keep Lake Joe residents and LJNA members 

informed of items of importance and interest to them. 

The Lake Joseph North Association (LJNA) represents the interests of shoreline residents on the Seguin section of Lake Joseph, including Portage Lake.