KAPOA Spring Newsletter 2022

In this issue you’ll find important information about:

Welcome Back from KAPOA!
2022 Events Calendar – we’re planning to finally be back in person!
2022 Membership Drive – how to renew and the KAPOA value proposition
Poker Run 2022 – when, why you should donate and how
Volunteers Needed – now more than ever!
Invasive Species (Phragmites) Removal – call for volunteers
Annual Forestry Work Schedules – planned activities in our membership area in 2022/23
Useful Links

Welcome Back from KAPOA!

Happy spring! We are excited to be back to in-person events this summer, see our calendar of events below

It’s not been a slow winter for the KAPOA team. We’ve introduced the Kamaniskeg Area Property Owners’ Association (KAPOA) Facebook group this winter and we’re up to 129 members and growing – join us today to be kept updated on the latest information and events. In addition to our email bulletins, we’ve shared late breaking information for our membership through our new group on such topics as Hydro One Seasonal Rate changes, the Hastings Highlands Vegetative Buffer Bylaw, Spongy/LDD/Gypsy Moths, the Muskoka Wood Ash Recovery program, our KAPOA 2022 Poker Run, and so much more. Check it out!
We’ve recently issued our first survey to help KAPOA focus our limited resources on the initiatives and issues most important to you. If you haven’t yet completed it, here is the Membership Survey. If you complete it before Sat May 21, your name will be added in a draw to win 1 of 4 $25 gift certificates for local eateries. Please share the link with members of your family so we can gain insight from all generations enjoying the lake.
The 2022 Poker Run planning has been in full swing all winter, headed by Bruce Willmer. See below for event details and how to sign up for this very important cause.
Our team (Lynne, Vince, Colleen and Kerra) looks forward to meeting all of you on the lake, at our Poker Run, regatta and AGM, and about town. We’d love to hear what keeps bringing you back to this area year after year, what fresh ideas you have for KAPOA and how you could help to strengthen our member community.

2022 Events Calendar

We are back, baby! Mark your calendars for the following events, and keep an ear out for some new initiatives through our email and Facebook notices:

BAY DAYS May 21, 9am – 1pm Hwy 60 just west of Stedman’s store, Barry’s Bay

Learn about the KAPOA organization, renew your membership, register for the Poker Run, sign up for volunteer opportunities, all while browsing the Barry’s Bay sidewalk sales. Cool handouts for kids from the Toronto Zoo!

KAPOA Annual General Meeting (AGM) – Sat July 9, 9:30 – 11:30am at the Combermere Community Centre (1095 Farmer Road, Combermere)

Renew your 2022 KAPOA membership, meet the Executive, nominate and elect new directors, ask questions and obtain updates on a host of current topics, and review the 2021 financial statements. Guest speakers TBD, refreshments are provided.

POKER RUN 2022 – Sat July 23, 9am – 2pm, meet at the Barry’s Bay docks

Support St. Francis Valley Healthcare Foundation with a $200 donation and enter your boat (or participate virtually) to obtain your best poker hand from cards drawn at docks up and down our membership area.
Attend the complimentary luncheon at Hinterland Beach after the event to meet other participants, win prizes and thank our sponsors. See below for more details.

REGATTA 2022 – Sat July 30, 1-4pm (sailing starts 11am) at Hinterland Beach

Come out for family fun in the sun for a day of swim and canoe races for kids and adults of all ages, sand castle building & tug-of-war competitions. No registration is required.
For the sailing race, contact Bill Cahoon at bcahoon@rogers.com
Renew your KAPOA membership and enjoy hotdogs and drinks at prices not subject to consumer price indexing and current inflation!

2022 Membership Drive

Please don’t delay, renew your membership today! It’s the time of year to renew your $20 membership, or sign up for the very first time!
Membership Area Reps used to come to your door to collect your membership, and we’re keen to bring that back, but we need volunteers to make it happen. See volunteer opportunities below if you can help.
This low family membership cost gets you 2 annual newsletters addressing topics of interest and concern, email bulletins for more time sensitive alerts, community engagement through our events calendar, and reporting on a variety of monitoring programs, all of which encourages a positive social network that benefits the area, it’s inhabitants and the natural environment.
Payment is preferred by e-transfer to pay.kapoa@gmail.com (no password needed). Make sure to include your full name and cottage address in the comments if you’re renewing. If you’re new to us or renewing from many years back, please send us an email to kapoacares@gmail.com and provide your full name, cottage address and home address (if different) and we’ll watch for your payment by e-transfer.
Other options for renewal continue to include payment at KAPOA events or by mail to KAPOA, PO Box 297, Barry’s Bay ON K0J 1B0.

Poker Run 2022

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Poker Run on Kamaniskeg Lake and the Madawaska River system, and the first in person event since 2019 (virtual events have been held through the pandemic). The event was started in 2013 by David Wilson and other volunteers of KAPOA and has been supported from the beginning by our organizing partners the Valley Gazette and the St. Francis Valley Healthcare Foundation (the Foundation). The Poker Run raises funds for the purchase of crucial medical equipment required by the St. Francis Memorial Hospital which provides emergency services to residents, cottagers and visitors to the area numbering in excess of 10,000 people. With a growing population in the area, the demand for funding emergency equipment is a constant need, either to purchase new types of equipment using new technologies, or replacing older equipment. Purchasing this equipment is not covered by Provincial Government sources and becomes a local responsibility. Over the years it is likely that you have utilized the services provided by St. Francis Memorial Hospital and find comfort in knowing that this is available to us a short distance from many of our residences or cottages.

This year’s event has set a goal of raising $25,000 for the purchase of a new digital ventilator. This is a critical life-saving piece of equipment used for trauma patients, respiratory arrests, cardiac arrests, and critically ill patients. It is also used to stabilize patients for transfer to a tertiary care centre.

The Poker Run will be held on July 23rd starting at the Barry’s Bay boat launch at 9AM and finish at Hinterland Beach, and will be followed by a luncheon at the beach. Cost to enter a boat is $200 per boat, or, if you can’t make the date in person, you can enter a virtual boat and your poker hand will be drawn randomly for you by the organizers. If neither of these options are available to you, you can make a donation to the Poker Run and it will be pooled with monies raised towards achieving our community goal. Entry fees and donations are eligible for a tax receipt issued to each person by the Foundation.

For those who have never participated in a Poker Run, the event is not a race. It should be a relaxing ride around Kamaniskeg Lake, and along the river. You do not need a high speed boat, rather any boat is fine (although canoes and kayaks may be challenged to complete prior to the 1 pm luncheon time). It is the perfect way to see the area and meet others from the community, while raising funds for a great cause. Participants are expected to follow all the rules for safe boating to make this an enjoyable day for all and will be provided with maps of the dock locations and reviewed at the time of registration. There will be 7 docks, the last at Hinterland Beach, where your team Poker hand is turned in. Boats start at the boat launch and move from one dock to another in any order and at each dock draw a card. Once the cards are turned in to event organizers all entries are reviewed (virtual and in person) and the 3 best poker hands are eligible for prizes, 1st prize – $750; 2nd prize – $500; 3rd prize- $250.

This year’s event is being supported by our founding partners (The Valley Gazette and the Foundation), without whom we could not organize this. Also, new this year, several sponsors have stepped up to help offset the cost of hosting the event. Details can be found both on the Facebook Page and the KAPOA website.

Please consider entering before June 16th to be eligible for our early bird prizes. Entry forms and details can be found online at online registration form. Follow us on the Poker Run Facebook Page Poker Run 2022 Facebook or on KAPOA’s webpage https://www.kapoa.ca, for updates and developments, stayed tuned for more details.

Volunteers Needed

We can’t emphasize enough that we are in need of volunteers in a number of areas to keep KAPOA as a viable entity. “Many hands make light work”; with more Executive team members we can deliver on more of what is important to our membership. Please come out to the AGM on July 9 and consider putting up your hand to join the KAPOA team as we are anticipating a need to fill several vacant positions, or contact us directly through kapoacares@gmail.com. Here’s a sampling of what we need:

KAPOA Executive (Treasurer, Vice President, Membership Director, Event Chairs for existing and new events, Communications & Website Director, Youth Representation +++)
Membership Area Reps (we cover a large area, so we need representation upstream and downstream from Kamaniskeg Lake)
If you’re interested in helping for an afternoon or on a committee, we have lots of opportunities with the Regatta, Poker Run, and a variety of new events we’d love to undertake.
Please consider giving back to your community by volunteering with KAPOA, the benefits are a win for everyone!

Invasive Species (Phragmites) Removal

The Carson Trout Lepine and Greenan Lakes Association has requested KAPOA’s assistance to mitigate a small stand of invasive phragmites located on County Road 62 just south of the Ashgrove Inn.
They have been awarded a grant from the Federation of Ontario Cottagers Association (FOCA) through their Green Shovels Campaign (in coalition with Ducks Unlimited Canada, Invasive Species Centre, The Nature Conservancy of Canada, Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters, and Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre) to eliminate this patch of invasives as a pilot project before the seeds spread further throughout the Madawaska Valley.
Volunteers are needed for a few hours in the week of July 18 (dates TBC based on volunteer availability). Work will include cutting and spading, and tools will be provided. Here’s a link to an introductory video on phragmites which includes best ways to mechanically remove them: Controlling invasive phragmites australis – Nature Conservancy of Canada
Please contact Wendy Wolak at ctlglakes.ww@gmail.com with a copy to kapoacares@gmail.com if you are interested in participating along with Kerra and Lynne of the KAPOA Executive.
Phragmites is a prohibited plant in Ontario because it is an aggressive reed that spreads quickly by its seeds as well as it outcompetes with native species for water and nutrients. Its roots are toxic to surrounding plants such as bull rushes. It is considered the number one invasive plant in Ontario as it threatens our wetlands and our shoreline ecosystems throughout the Valley. It destroys habitats for ducks, frogs and species at risk such as turtles, and it costs the province and municipalities millions of dollars to mitigate. A current article by Robyn Miller has dubbed it “Murder of the Wetlands” in the neighbouring county of Lanark.

Annual Forestry Work Schedules

Be sure to keep up with the latest in planned harvesting and tending activities in your area on our website at Forestry – Kamaniskeg Area Property Owners Association. There you will find a description of how crown land forestry is planned and conducted by the 2 sustainable forest licensees in our area: Bancroft Minden Forest Company (BMFC) and Ottawa Valley Forest Inc. (OVF)

Useful Links

A selection of important considerations for KAPOA members:

Tips for Renters – KAPOA has prepared a list for you to share with your renters to ensure their safety, to keep your neighbours happy, and to ensure that you avoid penalties for short term bylaw infractions. https://www.kapoa.ca/tips-for-renters/
Oak Wilt – Meet the latest threat to Ontario’s forests, reported by CBC News, Dec 2021. https://www.kapoa.ca/oak-wilt/
Spongy (LDD, Gypsy) Moths – Information was provided in our bulletin of Nov 15 regarding aerial spray treatment for these destructive moths while in their caterpillar form. Some KAPOA members have made arrangements for such treatments through the Ontario Centre for Disease Control (https://www.ocfdc.com/). Members of our Facebook group were treated to some of the science behind nature’s destruction of the egg sacks in temperatures of -27C and colder. There had to be some upside to those cold winter nights, right?
Don’t Move Firewood – Due to the proliferation of so many invasive species and diseases, we remind you to not transport firewood between regulated areas Ontario – Don’t Move Firewood (https://www.dontmovefirewood.org/
Be #WakeAware – This campaign to educate boaters on the impacts of boat wakes is a joint initiative of the Muskoka Lakes Association, Safe Quiet Lakes and FOCA https://youtu.be/X3bYBPbP0qk
CPR in Action in 3D – FOCA has provided a link through its safety partners at Action First Aid, that explains the importance of CPR and tips for doing it right. This 3 minute animated video could make the difference in the life of someone you love https://youtu.be/DUaxt8OlT3o
Shipping Container Floating Homes & Rentals – FOCA has recently highlighted this emerging trend that is raising concerns for waterfront owners and those who enjoy Ontario’s waterways. Madawaska Valley Council recently discussed floating container homes, the variety of concerns that they raise (waste water management, lack of infrastructure to support these vessels, safety and noise, to name a few), and that NDMNRF had recently surveyed the municipality regarding their concern with this trend. Some municipalities are invoking bylaws before this becomes an issue for their waterways. Stay tuned. Land Use Planning – Overview | FOCA
Paddle Canada Safety Regulations for Stand Up Paddle Boards – Are you using a Stand Up Paddleboard? – Paddle Canada
Managed Forest Tax Incentive Program – for property owners with 4+ hectares of forested land, here’s an opportunity to reduce your property taxes while being a good steward of the land and its inhabitants Managed Forest Tax Incentive Program | ontario.ca
Changes to the Canadian Navigable Waters Act (2019) – for those looking for some interesting bedtime reading. The updated Act introduces a process to notify the public and help resolve conflicts about works on navigable waters that aren’t on the schedule. This process allows Canadians to have a say in projects that affect their right to travel on a waterway. To date, most permits are being sought for slalom courses and temporary docks, but in future this Act could consider floating rafts or other floating cottage toys that are anchored in the water as requiring a permit. For more information, refer to Canadian Navigable Waters Act (justice.gc.ca)
Avian Flu – https://www.birdscanada.org/help-respond-to-the-avian-influenza-outbreak-in-atlantic-canada/. Birds Canada provides recommendations to help stop the spread of avian flu transmitted at your bird feeder. Given an article in the CBC on May 10 indicates that even bald eagles and fox kits are succumbing to this current strain of flu, we should all be concerned and proactive. Not just chickens: In Ontario, bird flu has killed bald eagles, Canada geese — and juvenile red foxes | CBC News
The Land Between Charity – This non-profit organization works to protect and restore natural spaces and wildlife in Southern Ontario’s last intact wilderness. They run community science and education programs that provide local residents with opportunities to help protect wildlife populations and connect with nature in a meaningful way. The Turtle Guardians program works to protect Ontario’s native turtle populations, while other programs work with snakes, birds, and invasive plant species. Most programs run from mid May to the end of September. Volunteers can participate at any age and from almost anywhere in the province. To sign up and learn more about the programs run by The Land Between, go to Community Science Sign Up (thelandbetween.ca)