2023 FALL NEWSLETTER
It’s hard to believe but another summer has come and gone. It didn’t seem like a typical Ipperwash season. Rain, Rain, Flooding and Mosquitoes are what I remember.
To be fair, I’m sure we all had some pretty nice days with friends and family
The Canada Day parade was fantastic as always, the bins got filled up on Dumpster Day and we had a huge turnout for the Last Sunset celebration on the beach.
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
We had over 70 members attend this year’s meeting. Invited guests who attended were Dave Bowen and Putz Stybosh from the West Ipperwash Property Owners Association (WIPOA), Mayor Doug Cook and Councillor Lorie Scott.
A big thank you to Michele Ferri, our outgoing President, for all of the hard work over the last six years. She spent countless hours working on issues with her goal of improving life for all of the residents of Ipperwash.
If you weren’t at the meeting here are Michelle’s final remarks to the members.
Michele summarized the initiatives undertaken by the Executive this year.
“Dear Ipperwash Community.
I’m so pleased to be here today to share our accomplishments. We have stayed the course and followed our constitutional mandate. Nautical terms seem to be
appropriate as we are here by beautiful Lake Huron and our home, Ipperwash. For some of us, it is a summer home and for many a full-time home. Ipperwash is what brings us all here together this morning. Our sunsets are one of the top 10 best in the world according to National Geographic. The ecosystem here is extraordinary, biodiversity with 800 vascular plants and over 300 bird species. Our land mass was created over the past 6,000 years with sand dune formation. To give you an idea of how rare this is, Ontario Parks say these rare dunes make up less than 0.5 percent of our province’s land. I have met many of you. I think
we can all agree Ipperwash is a special place. A place worthy of protection and to be treasured.
Your Executive has been listening to your concerns and our goal has been to be proactive and a voice for our community. We have reached out to our Municipality, meeting several times with Mayor Doug Cook, Lorie Scott our Councillor, and Steve McAuley, the Chief Administrative Officer. Concerns were expressed about safety that have been addressed.
We now have a crosswalk on East Parkway Drive, an increase in No Parking signs, with the amount of the fine to keep our roads free of obstruction and a place for pedestrians to walk.
There is a walkway on Ipperwash Road to Highway 21, and we have been promised a walkway on Army Camp Road, with increased lighting in the budget.
The Municipality hired more Bylaw Officers to enforce parking violations and address noise complaints.
There is a plan in place for beautification on West Ipperwash Road at Arbor Acres.
Through the grant program, we were able to purchase and have installed permanent park benches and garbage receptacles, bringing pride to our community.
We thank the Municipality for their support and listening to us. We have a good working relationship with them. The Executive will continue to meet with the Municipality and advocate for the Ipperwash Community, even if that means rocking the boat occasionally.
The Ontario Provincial Police have been invaluable. They have met with us and have shown openness and are eager to learn about our community. They have advocated on your behalf to Infrastructure Ontario. We have seen an increase in their presence and support on our suggestions in keeping our community safe. They have responded several times on our request to remove overnight campers.
Contact has been made regularly to Infrastructure Ontario requesting an increase in infrastructure for the Ministry lands, and regular maintenance. There is now daily garbage pickup and cleaning the port-a-potties. We have requested signage regarding no camping, and rules in these areas.
Our provincial representative, Monte McNaughton has been contacted on a regular basis. Minister McNaughton has been copied on our requests to Infrastructure Ontario in regards to the Ministry lands. I spoke with Monte’s administrative assistant, Michelle Dwyer, this week. She assured me that our concerns are being heard and documented. A tentative meeting has been set up for the Fall.
We have reached out to our neighbours at Kettle and Stony Point First Nation. We supported the Pow Wow by purchasing 20 tickets and offering them to our members through a draw.
We have developed a relationship with the West Ipperwash Property Owners Association. Jim Maguire and I attended their annual general meeting. There is a willingness to communicate and share common concerns in working together to ensure Ipperwash is a safe community.
Our membership has been increasing over the past few years with over 150 members, giving our organization a stronger voice and shows solidarity.
As members of CICA, you are also members of FOCA, the Federation of Ontario Cottagers Associations. This is a provincial body of 250,000 property owners that offer a collective voice on property issues to the province. They provide newsletters and information on environmental concerns. There is a link on the
CICA website for you to get this information.
CICA continues to support community events and make waves, like Dumpster Day and Trash 2 Treasure day; the Canada Day Walk, which attracted over 150 participants and a large number of people who came out to watch. The Last Sunset of Summer, and our Christmas dinner are coming up. We would appreciate any members volunteering at these events. We have our Wednesday Grab and Gab.
Thank you to John and Pamela Kidd for heading up the Trash 2 Treasure sale and for maintaining our gateway signs that welcome visitors to Ipperwash. To Yolanda and Kevin Levy for hosting the Dumpster Day, and to the Turner family for coordinating the Canada Day Walk.
Thank you to our businesses who support our community: the Ipperwash Beach Club for donating free ice cream at the Canada Day Walk, and Mark Lindsay at Driftwood Treasures for hosting.
All these events and volunteers richly endowed our community. Nobody can tell me that what we do isn’t valuable.
Information had been shared to our members through our website, newsletters and Facebook sites.
Your Executive has been available and has listened.
I want to thank the previous Executive members for their commitment and wisdom in building a strong foundation. We are here today because of you.
To run a tight ship, you need all hands on deck.
- Thank you Paul Montgomery, for taking the time to learn the ropes, to do research, offer new ideas and help us look at things in a new way and for getting us our new CICA banners. Your passion for Ipperwash is contagious.
- To Mike Arnold, who follows what is happening on Municipal Council and offers his knowledge and history of Ipperwash. He has reached out to community members for information. Your support is invaluable.
- To Ian Macdonald, who writes our newsletters and has been a Liaison with Infrastructure Ontario. You have a way with word. You have been an advocate for your community.
- Maureen Harvey has been involved with communication and membership. She shows commitment and pays attention to detail. I attribute our increase in membership to her work.
- Sandra Marshall took on the job of Secretary and has been exceptional. Her love of the environment is shared with other and she keeps our connections to the St. Clair Region Conservation Authority. Wednesday Grab and Gab has been successful in bringing community members together to keeper beach clean. We often get thanked by visitors.
- Jim Maguire would say, “If your ship doesn’t come in, swim out to it.” He has kept our books, lobbied the Municipality for clean street, applied successfully for grants for benches and garbage receptacle, attended meetings with the Municipality administrators, OPP and our Municipal representatives.
I’m so proud to have been part of this Executive and their accomplishment. They have volunteered countless hour. They have shown perseverance, integrity and commitment. They have stayed the course.
I have great confidence in this new Executive. Any team member can steer a ship in calm waters. We are fortunate to have this Executive who will get you through the rough waters.
I would like to thank the membership for your support and coming out today. Your presence shows a commitment to your community. We will stay the course.
In closing I’d like to share with you what I learned from my Dad who was a Merchant Marine.
He was a man who chose to live his life giving back to his community with hope and optimism for today, and future generations. “I wish you fair winds following calm seas.””
Are you aware that as a member of CICA you are also a member of FOCA?
FOCA is an invaluable resource for lakefront community associations.
Today, FOCA members are more than 525 lake and road associations across the province, and the permanent and seasonal residents they represent.
Click here to go to their website:
Click here to sign up for their monthly e-alerts:
https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/FRsmNYJ/FOCAelertSignup
HOW TO CLOSE YOUR COTTAGE FOR THE SEASON
Summer is… dare we say it… coming to an end. As we come to terms with trading in our swimsuits for fall jackets, we also need to start thinking about properly closing the cottage for the season. We’ve outlined our top tips below for getting your cottage winter-ready.
1. Spend one afternoon inspecting everything. Take a walk around the property and assess any damage that might have happened to things like the roof, chimney, the foundation, or eaves troughs. Doing this a little earlier on will allow you to fix anything before closing (which means not having to deal with it in the spring). Be mindful of any small spaces or cracks were little critters could get into – you won’t want to have to clean up after them in the spring.
2. Fireplace. If you have a fireplace, have it inspected and cleaned out at the end of the season and close the damper vent.
3. Unplug major appliances as needed. Things like the fridge, freezer, microwave, washing machine, dryer, etc. We say as needed because, while it saves you time, shutting off all power at the fuse board might not be the best option. Some things like the sump pump should remain on to prevent any flooding.
4. Adjust the heating as necessary. Some people prefer to turn the heat off completely, but turning it down to 10 degrees or so will help prevent frozen (and bursting) pipes. If you have gas heating however, make sure that’s shut off before you leave.
5. Shut off the main water supply and drain all the pipes before you go. To double check, turn on a faucet to make sure no water comes out, and you’re good to go.
6. Pump out your septic system. The general rule is to do this every 3-5 years, so if it’s around that time for your cottage, now (early fall) is the best time to do it.
7. Be mindful of liquids that will stay in storage over the winter as some might not be able to handle extreme cold. For example, paint stored in the garage might have to be brought inside, while gas for the boat can stay in the boathouse!
8. Clean and unplug your BBQ from the propane tank. This one is pretty self-explanatory – just disconnect the propane tank and store it in the shed or garage.
9. Take photos of everything! Just in case any damage happens to the property during the winter, you’ll have photos to show your insurer, making the process smoother if there’s a claim.
10. Get creative and make a dinner using all of the “lasts” of food in your fridge or pantry. This way, you won’t have to take them all home. If you are unplugging the fridge, leaving the door open slightly will help prevent mildew build-up.
11. Lastly, check that everything is locked. Everything from bunkies, garages, boathouses, sheds, and the actual cottage. Try and make sure expensive stuff like your boat(s), paddle boards, kayaks, lawn equipment, and so on, are out-of-sight.
After you’ve done all of these steps, it’s important to check up on the property throughout the winter and check for any ice buildup on the roof, etc. If you can’t make the trip, ask a neighbour who’s up there during the colder months to check for ice or clear any snow. Some cottage communities will also hire a shared maintenance service that you can join in on!
Your cottage is home to some of the best memories with family and friends, so make sure it’s protected. Most insurance companies can list your cottage on your home policy as a secondary property, but you can also purchase separate insurance for it. Properly insuring your cottage and maintaining it during the winter months will help the longevity of your weekend home so you can keep the good times comin’!
LOCAL IMPROVEMENT INITIATIVES
Lambton Shores is working on a beautification project at the corner of Victoria Street and West Ipperwash Road.
The project to install new and improved signage at all of the Crown properties at the beach has been delayed and we are hoping for installation by next Spring.
We have no progress to inform you of in regards to the installation of street lights on Army Camp Road.
UPCOMING EVENTS
CICA Christmas Party-Wednesday, December 6, IBC,
BECOME A MEMBER OF CICA
As a member of this dynamic organization you are provided with information and updates on the community.
We meet with local officials to voice your concerns.
We provide opportunities for members to become involved in community events, support ecological endeavors and pursue property-owner matters that affect our members.
Your voice matters and with strength in numbers we can be a proactive organization to meet the concerns of our community.
Click the following link to join!