The Birch Islander birchisland@gmail.com; www.birchisland.info

Annual Canoe Race  

October, 2023 

Happy Thanksgiving  

The annual canoe race was held on Labour Day  weekend. Special thanks to Johanne and  Brett Pollock for continuing to host this  fantastic event. There were approximately  30 participants and over 20 boats  

participated. Everyone was well fed thanks to  Brett Pollack the BBQer! No one left without  an award.  

If you haven’t participated in this event yet  or in a while, mark it in your calendar for  September 1^st, 2024.  

Annual General Meeting (AGM) 

The Annual General Meeting was held on  August 6^th, 2023. Reports were provided by  the various committee members. BIRPOA  finances are in good shape, trails and library  continue to operate effectively. Ry Weisiger  was honoured by the membership for his  contribution to the Island. Membership  approved the naming of the Main Trail to Ry  Way. Past members were Vipool Desai and Val  Fullard were also recognized. Please see the  minutes for more information on the AGM. 

The following are your 2024 Executives and  

Volunteers.  

 Kit Wojcik – Volunteer  

John Feltmate – Volunteer 

Chris Wagner – Volunteer 

Dave Perfetti – Volunteer 

Rory Gooderham – Past President 

Mary Rockburn – Secretary and Treasurer Vice President – Wendy Nuttall 

President – Rob Jackett 

Other Positions 

Library – Bob Cavenagh

Secretary: Vacent

Wildlife – Vacant 

Trails – Rob Jackett 

Markers 

At the AGM it was decided that proper  markers needed to be located on the North  Side of the Island where dangerous rocks are  located. Mary Rockburn and Sean Rockburn  installed them on October 4^th. Many thanks  for this added safety measure. 

birchisland@gmail.com; www.birchisland.info 

Closing October 14-15 

The last weekend for cottagers is October  14-15. Sand Lake Marine asks that all  boaters make arrangements with them and  have your boats ready to be taken out for  winterized not later than the afternoon of  the 15^th. A reminder to make sure you pay for  any additional parking that you used for the  season.  

Membership Contributions 

Annual contributions remain at $50.00. Your  contributions help BIRPOA do the things that  help build our community. Our goal is to have  

every cottage owner contribute to these  costs. If you haven’t already done so please  send your contributions to the following. e-transfer anytime – send to  

birchisland@gmail.com. Code word is cottage. Financial Update – From Mary Rockburn Dues collected from 32 cottagers. Present  Balance-$3764.50 

Fall Expenses- 

$322.05 FOCA renewal  

$73.55 Supplies 

$130.00 AGM picnic 

$120.00 Canoe Race Picnic 

$331.07 Safety Buoy Supplies 

Update on Trails – Rob Jackett Trails have been reopened through the  eastern part of the island. Trail parallel to  the meadow (Johnny’s way) find the Vauxall and head east, connects back to the meadow.  Side trail behind cottage 8,9,10,12 parts 157  and 160 (Deer run trail). Try them out. 

The initiative on the Trail Lands Rights of  Way continues. We hope to have the transfer  completed by year end.  

Library – Bob Cavenagh 

The Birch Island Branch Library. (It was  originally surrounded by a branch before  Hydro had its way.) 

Lots of contributed books, puzzles, games,  cd/dvd roms. Maintained by volunteers, but  everyone is welcome to lend a hand. We love  to receive good books–but NO tired  leftovers that should go elsewhere. And  ‘Library Plaza’ is a nice place to meet or to  take a break while walking the trails. Want to help? Reshelve! Full size books and  big paperbacks only go on the back wall,  alphabetized by 1. Author’s LAST name, 2.  FIRST name, then 3. Titles alphabetically.  Smaller paperbacks only go in the smaller  shelves provided on the right-hand wall.  Children’s books on the front wall, along with  some specialty items. PUZZLES: on top only,  never in bookshelves. CD/DVDs: two shelves  among paperbacks ONLY. 

Volunteers will close it just  after Thanksgiving and it will open again in  the spring.  

Priorities for 2024 

• Transfer of trail lands  

• Update by-laws to be ONCA compliant 

•    Fill vacant volunteer positions  

• Finalize official Library use with the  Weisigers and Cavenaghs

• Opening welcome event 

• Change AGM to a more timely online form

On Behalf of your Board of Directors and Volunteers, Rob Jackett

Hello Birch Islanders,

The annual BIRPOA general meeting (AGM) and a picnic/reunion will take place on August 6 at 11 am at cottage 96. All Birch Islanders (and guests) are welcome. Do come, and bring chairs. Burgers and dogs, soft drinks and water, etc. are provided and you need bring nothing–but if you want to show off a hot recipe, feel free to do so….

Docking will be tight at #96, so walk if you can, or ferry folks to the cottage and dock elsewhere. See below.

June 21 is the first day of Summer. Our last image was from December, of a maple leaf using solar energy to melt lake ice. Today’s ‘header’ is rather different.

With all the recent talk about AI (artificial intelligence) I thought it might be fun to try something new. I took a picture of Sand Lake–a panorama–from our dock, then used a new feature in Photoshop called GENERATIVE FILL to type the names of objects to add to the scene. Totally fictitious, but kind of fun. I hope you are amused!

Bob Cavenagh, Birch Island web jockey….

A Winter Newsletter by President Rory Gooderham

birchisland@gmail.com; www.birchisland.info 

December 10^th, 2022 

Another Beautiful Season 

Greetings to all BIRPOA Members and Birch Islanders: 

As the cold temperatures and snow sets in and our boats, lawnchairs and umbrellas are  safely stowed away, it might be a good time start thinking about how we did in 2022 and  what to look forward to next year.  

Members of the executive Board of Directors and committees elected at the AGM at the  end of July are posted on our website. Amendments to BIRPOA’s Constitution/By-Laws  were adopted at the AGM and this allows for up to nine (9) directors and as many  volunteers as are willing to contribute. The amendments were brought forward with the  intent to include as many Islanders as possible. BIRPOA renews itself annually and we are always looking for new people. 

If you are interested in contributing to things such as: organizing social events,  maintaining our trails; helping with our website and library, please get into touch.  

Communication is another priority. How to keep in touch with everyone. Facebook seems  to be most appropriate at this time and there will be more on this soon. 

Some of what happened in 2022 

First, Notes of thanks 

In the spirit of the season, we would like to note our appreciation to Sherry & Dave for  hosting the Annual Picnic/AGM again in 2022 and to Johanne & Brett for organizing the  47^th annual canoe race. Thanks also to the directors and volunteers both past and present  for their contributions. A special note of thanks to our past president, Bob Cavenagh for  his leadership and steady hand on the till over the past three years while we all tried to  figure out what to do during a pandemic. 

Spongy Moth Infestation Averted 

Due to natural causes and the aerial spaying this spring, the return of those insidious  spongy moth caterpillars (formerly called gypsy moths) was not a problem in 2022. Birch  Island has a long history with these pests going back to the mid- 80’s. There have been  infestations roughly every 10 years but by most accounts the 2021 infestation was the  worst. Annual monitoring will help prevent the return of a major infestation. More on this  in the spring.

birchisland@gmail.com; www.birchisland.info 

July Fireworks Spectacular 

Fireworks presented by our friends at Sand Lake Marine were marvellous this year. Folks  at the marina would like our encouragement and contributions to keep it going. Would it be  good to include an event for Islanders to celebrate our national holidays in July? 

Hydro Easement Maintenance 

Late in the summer, forestry crews came through the hydro easement to trim branches  and cut dead trees that could damage the lines. This is welcome maintenance but there  seemed to be little or no notice. At least one islander had problems with what was done  and after some effort contacting Bell/Hydro, a crew was dispatched to fix. 

Membership – How are we doing? 

There were 36 members recorded as present at the end of July AGM. Paid memberships  for 2022 were 34. 

The modest annual fee of $50.00 helps BIRPOA to maintain the inland trails, purchase  liability insurance, pay for membership to FOCA the Federation of Ontario Cottage  Associations, manage our website, contribute to various events and other activities. 

Membership contributions can be made by e-transfer anytime – send an email to  birchisland@gmail.com. It’s not too late to contribute is you haven’t so far. 

Members & Islanders Directory 

The annual directory including the names, phone numbers and addresses was distributed at  the AGM. Information in the directory is an important benefit not only to let you know  who your neighbours are but also to have contacts for assistance or to check on your  property when you are not there. The directory is for the private use of BIRPOA  Members and Birch Island residents. We would like o make the directory available to all  Islanders early next spring. If, for any reason, you do not want your information included,  please contact us at birchisland@gmail.com.  

Volunteers 

Participation in the various working groups and committees is greatly appreciated. We  would like to tap into the knowledge, experience and expertise of our members. If you are  a techie, planner, gardener, forester, carpenter, labourer, newsletter writer, baker &  candlestick maker, we can use you.

Our Website:- www.birchisland.info 

Regular Updates and expansion of our website content to include items from the old site  along with new content and information is a high priority. If you have ideas on  items/resources you would like to see, please get in touch. We are looking for one or  more web savvy individuals to help keep our website dynamic and interesting. If you  might be interested, please contact Bob Cavenagh: cavenaghr@gmail.com 

Trail Maintenance 

If not for the efforts of many islanders over the years, our trails would have become an  impassable tangle of trees and branches long ago. Special thanks to our Trail Boss, Ry  Weisiger, for all the work he has done over the years. Ry needs your help to keep the  trails clear and safe. Taking care of the section of the trail outside your property is good  place to start. Reporting down trees and other hazards is also greatly appreciated.  

A note about Interior Lands 

Please note that the interior lands are all privately owned by Islanders with one or two  exceptions. Removal of trees/firewood, soil, rocks or other materials cannot be done  without the permission of the property owner. Names of interior property owners will be  included in the next directory. Please send an email to birchisland@gmail.com for more  information. 

The Branch Library 

Our treasured library owned and operated on behalf of all Islanders by Bob, Susan, Ry and  Kathleen. Many thanks to those who have helped sort books and keeping things in order. A  trip to the Library on a pleasant day is wonderful destination and great way to see the  island interior. 

More Social Events? 

The annual canoe/kayak race around the island is back. It’s fun and can be done at your  own pace. Competitive only if you want to be competitive. The annual general meeting is  becoming an annual picnic.  

Do we want to add more events to the summer calendar. These events are a great way to  make new friends, have a bite to eat and find out what’s going on around the island.  Perhaps an event on Canada Day to celebrate our national holidays before the fireworks at  Sand Lake Marine. 

The initiative on the Trail Lands Rights of Way  

Access to the trails, perhaps our main raison d’etre, should not be taken for granted.  Having properly defined legal access to the trails attached to your property is a valuable  asset. A first group of property owners partially secured their rights a few years ago.  There is more to do and a second and hopefully final attempt is being organized. A  separate mailing with more information will be going out next Spring. 

Parks Canada Rideau Waterway, Township of Rideau Lakes, Provincial and Federal  Governments 

A small group was formed to help monitor the various levels of government and ministries that can have a direct impact on our rights and enjoyment of our properties on Birch  Island. Monitoring, participating and providing feedback on the development of such  things as the Rideau Canal Management Plan, the Rideau Lakes Lake Association Committee  (RLLAC) are things this group can keep watch on. Please get in touch, if you would like to  participate. 

We Want to Hear from You 

The strength of any organization is based on its members. The Birch Island association has been in existence for 50 years and counting. What we can do for our members is  important going forward. A virtual late winter meeting is being planned. We would like to talk about what we are doing and hear from you about what you would like to see from your  Lake Association.  

That’s all for now. 

On Behalf of your Board of Directors and Volunteers, 

Rory Gooderham 

MEGA kudos to Dave and Sherry for their magnificent site preparation and hosting of our 2022 Reunion/AGM!

It was a great success this year, with burgers and hot dogs being served up by Rob Jackett, with salads, cookies, cakes, and Kit’s bountiful and popular shortcake!

We congratulate Rory Gooderham on his election to the Presidency for the coming year, and to Rob Jackett for his election to/acceptance of, the Presidential cycle of three years.

Thanks also are due to all those whose continued involvement and engagement keeps our association humming!

The membership has made the following decisions at the AGM

At this year’s AGM we made a commitment to approach and press both the Township and the Rideau Authority to take some sort of action to remediate issues with Sand Lake septic systems (including those on Birch Island) that are dumping raw or partly processed sewage into the lake that provides drinking water for many of us.

Rory and Rob have undertaken constitutional/organizational changes to bring us into compliance with Ontario’s new Not-for-profit Corporations Act (NOCA) which is required by 2024.

We have added a new section to the website: Birch Merch! (see the menu bar) Yes, now you can get custom-designed t-shirts and mugs to represent our beautiful island!