Welcome to the McKellar Lakes Home and
Cottage Association.
Another great
McKellar Fall Fair behind us for this year. The weather was perfect!
Congrats to all the organizers and exhibitors. Well done!
Next important
public meeting date - September 30, 2009, 7 PM at the Township Community Centre.
Check here
for details from the Township Website.
Check the Township Website for all the latest information: Interim
Control Bylaw Land Use Study - See Township Website for Details
Development in
McKellar. Over the past year or so, there's been quite a battle brewing
over a fractional ownership development on Manitouwabing Lake. Recently
however, Council declared a development moratorium on all of McKellar
Township to create a new official plan - and a method of dealing with the
fractional ownership application. So ... that affects McKellar Lake and
Grey Owl Lake too! And, all taxpayers in McKellar Township will pay a
special levy in 2009 ($125 per property) to cover the cost of the new official
plan and the legal costs associated with the Manitouwabing development - as it's
headed for the OMB. Here's a some links to recent articles in the
local papers ... we'll have to keep an eye on this. (too many articles to
keep posting here - click into the Local
News button above for the North Star and Beacon Star online).
Article: February 4, 2009:
McKellar resident wants to
eliminate mail-in voting.
Article: January 9, 2009:
McKellar to set up Lake
study committee
Article: December 5, 2008 -
McKellar resident takes
gripe to Ombusdsman
Article: December 3, 2008 -
Cost of McKellar's battles
escalate.
Fire guts recently
renovated McKellar home. Fire destroyed a home on McKellar Lake Road
on January 19th. The owners were not home at the time and are safe, but
have had to relocate temporarily to Parry Sound. The former cottage was
completely destroyed.
URGENT NOTICE
REGARDING CONTINUING OPERATIONS OF THE COTTAGE ASSOCIATION.
The Association needs the new ideas and energy that new volunteers can bring
forward to assume the positions of President, Secretary, and possibly Treasurer. If you have ever considered offering some of your time
and leadership, administration or organizational skills
- now is the time. Your Association needs you! Please email
info@mckellarlakes.net if you would consider taking on a leadership role in
our Association. Without new volunteers, a motion will have to be
presented an upcoming Association meeting to close down the McKellar Lakes Home
and Cottage Association. Notice provided on 30th day of March, 2008.
Over the years, this Association has contributed to our community in numerous
ways. This Association is active in water testing, communications and
maintaining our membership in FOCA. Just a couple of years ago, this Association worked
closely and successfully with the Township Council to address the low water
level issue facing McKellar Lake. Without the intervention of the
Association, we would all be facing dock and shoreline issues (see
Low Water Levels).
Did you know when
the name of Grey Owl Lake was officially changed from Little McKellar Lake?
The date is more recent than many would think. It was August 27, 1985.
Thanks to Peter Hopkins for investigating the history behind the name change.
With the
four-lane development of Highway 400, our area is now becoming a more popular
cottage destination. With that comes larger cottages, cottage rebuilds and
bigger boats and all of the issues that come with a more popular, more developed
lake. We're not the first lake in the province to become more popular, and
we won't be the last. Working together, we have always, and will continue to share the
lakes and the beautiful lands around them through courtesy, dialogue and consideration for
others. We can and must avoid finger-pointing to select groups or
individuals as we cannot stop the building of
new cottages, the rebuilding of older cottages or the operation of boats within current regulations.
In response to
several inquiries, the Cottage Association declares that it has not engaged in
the the pursuit of speed limits on McKellar Lake or Grey Owl Lake. Federal
and Provincial boating regulations govern these waters.
(See Boating Safety). New speed limit
signs recently posted near the north end of McKellar Lake are private signs
posted by private citizens and are not endorsed by the McKellar Lakes Home and
Cottage Association.
Boat traffic is
getting heavier on the lake, and some of the boats are getting bigger and
bigger. It's a good idea for those tubing, water skiing and wake boarding
to avoid the narrow channels and stick to the bigger bays. It's both a
courtesy for those with docks and boats and a safety issue for children
swimming in the water along the narrower channels. See
Boating Safety for more information.
Good news on the
restored water level for McKellar Lake! The Ministry of Transportation completed
work in November 2005 to address the low water levels in McKellar Lake following
bridge reconstruction along Highway 124. The repairs appear to have done
the job, and water levels are now back to more of a 'normal' level. Thanks again to everyone who worked with the Township and the Ministry of
Transportation to address the low water levels. It's a good
example of why we need a cottage association, and the impact that we can have
when we work together with the Township to address a community issue.
The Township has
received a number of complaints about dogs running loose and becoming a problem
for neighbours, walkers, and other people with dogs. The Township is
asking everyone keep their dogs under care and control at all times.
Do you have a copy of McKellar Memories? It's a great
present for everyone who loves the McKellar area. It is available again
in a limited edition second printing.
To purchase a copy, drop into
the McKellar Public Library.
There are some
issues that FOCA (The Federation of Ontario Cottage Associations) are trying to
deal with. Some may affect you, some may not. If you're interested,
please visit the FOCA website.
Have you seen any bears
around the area? If you see one, please call the Ministry of Natural
Resources Bear Wise Hotline at 1-800-514-BEAR (2327). They want to keep track of where bears are being
seen and how often, but here's a few tips about when to call the hotline:
