Andrew Vezina
The latest news from the Lake Bernard Property Owners’ Association.

In this Issue

President’s Message

Hello neighbours,

I hope this newsletter finds you well. I am writing this note just after our Family Day long weekend although in my household, with work from home and virtual school, it seems like everyday is family day! “Families are created in different ways, but are still in every way a family”. I hope you were able to see your families, maybe virtually, and that you feel a sense of community. During our our monthly board meetings I am regularly amazed how a love of a lake can draw us together. I feel lucky to meet and work with such talented people, people with whom I might not have had the chance to meet if it weren’t for Lake Bernard. It is a special place. I guess our friends around Lake Bernard are our “lake family”.

We hope you are enjoying our seasonal newsletters. A lot has been happening and we are excited to share it with you. We are as ever, maybe never more so, appreciative of the natural beauty Lake Bernard has to offer. We are continuing to work hard to ensure our lake is healthy and enjoyed for generations to come. Please see our septic initiatives below and join us for these events!  Please also note our new section, “Town Happenings” to learn about the news of Sundridge and the surrounding area. Finally, we are again pleased to include updates from the Phrag fight.

As always, feel free to contact us anytime if you have any suggestions or ideas.

Take care and wishing you good health.

Sherrie Berdusco
President
647-300-7732

Roundtable on Lake Health

As you may know, in August, the LBPOA established a Roundtable on Lake Health and invited representatives from the Village, the Township, the North Bay Mattawa Conservation Authority, the Near North Enviro-Education Centre and the Alamaguin HIghlands Chamber of Commerce. This Roundtable has been meeting monthly to discuss lake health. Our first initiative is SEPTICS.  Please see attached for a flyer about this topic.

Upcoming Septic Information Webinars

We have scheduled two webinars on the topic of septics for the spring.  See below for details.  Please contact us at info@lakebernard.ca if you have any questions.

1. The Poop Talk
Presenter: Rob Davis, President, EcoEthic
Date and time: Monday, April 26, 2021 from 7:00-8:00PM (edited)
Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/4194436722?pwd=N2phdHg1TFFTQ0hYNUxnaWJsazdlZz09
Meeting ID: 419 443 6722
Password: 705384

2. Everything You Wanted to Know about Septics (but were afraid to ask)
Presenter: Robin Allen, CBO-SS, Manager On-site Sewage System Program, North Bay-Mattawa Conservation Authority
Date and time: Tuesday, June 1, 2021 from 7:00-8:00PM (edited)
Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/4194436722?pwd=N2phdHg1TFFTQ0hYNUxnaWJsazdlZz09
Meeting ID: 419 443 6722
Password: 705384

More Lake Health Information

Rob Davis, a septic expert and host of our first webinar in March, shared a link that we think you might find interesting.  There’s a podcast called Planet Haliburton, hosted by Terry Moore. It investigates sustainable solutions to ecological issues and addresses many lake issues. They are all recorded so you can listen to them at your convenience. On a recent episode of Planet Haliburton they focused on the causes and implications of the increased incidence of blue-green algae blooms across Ontario. The podcast is called “Blue Green Algae: The Good, The Bad and the Ugly”.  The guest was Dr. Elizabeth Favot, who has just completed her doctoral thesis at Queens University on the long term environmental impact of blue green algae blooms on Ontario Lakes. 

All episodes can be streamed off the CanoeFM website at www.canoefm.com or downloaded from all major podcast platforms including Apple Podcasts, Google Play and Spotify. We hope you enjoy checking these out!

Town Happenings

Bell is proposing a 5G tower. Please click here to find out more information.

Or, check out new Sundridge website at www.sundridge.ca, then click Business and Development, then Current Applications.

Lake Bernard Phragmites Working Group Update

From Marilee Koenderink: Stay tuned for information about this seasons Phrag fight. If you have questions, need assistance or wish to volunteer email: marilee.koenderink@gmail.com.  Here is a link to the new 2020 Phragmites Best Management Practices:https://www.opwg.ca/resources/best-management-practices/.

Lake Health Tip – Stop the Winter Spread of Phragmites

The large phrag mass on the north west side of the lake is easy to see right beside the snowmobile trail. Please note that phrag seeds can be spread all over the lake by your machine/ATV’s and later this spring – by boats. Please avoid sledding, ATVing or boating though Phragmites stands. Thank you!

Ice-Out Contest

Guess the date the ice goes out on Lake Bernard, and you will be entered for a chance to win a summer gift basket and bragging rights.

Contest Rules:

  1. One entry per person. Contest open to current members of LBPOA and family members.
  2. Submit your entry by emailing your estimate for the 2021 ice out date, your name, and your property address on the lake; submissions can be sent to info@lakebernard.ca.
  3. Submissions must be received by midnight on March 31, 2021.
  4. Ice out date is defined as the date a boat can navigate from the dock at Lions Park to the Northridge Inn without needing to cross ice.
  5. If more than one entrant guesses the correct date, all correct entries will be entered in a random draw to determine the winner.
  6. If no one guesses the exact date, winners will be determined by closest to the date; e.g. if the date is April 15, and there are no entrants for April 15 we will move to +/- 1 day or April 14 & April 16.
  7. Winner will receive a summer gift basket from the LBPOA.

Lake Bernard in the News

Following our advocacy with Sundridge and Strong councils in recent months, a reporter from the North Bay Nipissing News reached out for an interview, and wrote a great article about the Lake Bernard community and our association.

Keep in the Loop

The LBPOA is busy serving our community and we have a lot of information to share.  To keep in the loop between newsletters, please:

1) Regularly visit our website.
2) Join our Facebook group.
3) Like our Facebook page.
This newsletter is a publication of the Lake Bernard Property Owners’ Association.
For more information, visit our website.