In this Issue

• President’s message
• Virtual holiday cookie exchange
• Roundtable on lake health
• Near North enviro-education symposium 2020
• Food bank donations
• Winter outdoor fun
• Support our local restaurants
• Happy Holidays!

President’s Message

Virtual holiday cookie exchange

What better year to start a virtual holiday cookie exchange!  Send in your favourite family holiday baking recipes and we’ll post them on our website for other members to try.  Don’t forget to include a photo of your yummy treats.  Recipes may be sent to info@lakebernard.ca. Happy baking!

Roundtable on lake health

In August, the LBPOA created a “Round Table” with representatives from:

• Village of Sundridge
• Township of Strong
• North Bay Mattawa Conservation Authority
• Near North Enviro-Education Centre
• Almaguin Highlands Chamber of Commerce
• LBPOA

This dedicated group has been meeting monthly to discuss lake health initiatives. There has been great collaboration amongst the members with a common goal: a healthy lake! Our first action will be healthy septic systems. We’ll be starting off 2021 with a survey in late winter followed by a couple of interesting and informative webinars in the Spring. Over the summer, we’ll be offering even more opportunities to talk about poop with some fun events! If you have any suggestions for this group, questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to the LBPOA reps: Lake Steward Alan Burt, President Sherrie Berdusco or Board Advisor Doug Cuthbert.

Near North enviro-education symposium 2020

This symposium happened in November, and presentation videos are available online at: https://www.nneec.ca/environmental-health.

Food bank donations

Food banks are always in need of donations and this year more than most. If you wish, you may make a monetary donation to the Sundridge Food Bank by mailing a cheque to:

Sundridge Food Bank
P.O.Box 355
Sundridge, Ontario
P0A 1Z0

If you are in the area, monetary and non-perishable donations may be made in person every Wednesday between 11am and 2pm at the Sundridge Food Bank located in the Community Living Building, 78 Ontario Street. Your generosity is appreciated.

Winter outdoor fun

While there are some COVID restrictions in place, there are still many opportunities for outdoor fun this winter in the Almaguin Highlands.

Arrowhead Provincial Park is open for winter activities this season, including cross-country skiing, skating and snowshoeing; the opening date of trails is dependent on weather. Some activities are not available due to COVID, including the tubing hill, skijoring, and communal fire.  Note that the park can be busy on the weekends, so it may be best to plan a weekday trip to avoid crowds.  For more information, Ontario Parks has published some very helpful information relevant to visiting Arrowhead this winter during COVID: https://www.ontarioparks.com/parksblog/tips-for-checking-arrowhead-off-of-your-bucket-list/.

Algonquin Park will be open for many winter activities, including cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, wildlife watching, skating, snowmobiling, and ice fishing. More information on visiting Algonquin in the winter can be found here: https://www.algonquinpark.on.ca/visit/general_park_info/winter-in-algonquin-park.php.

Many other activities are available in the area as well, including ice fishing, snowmobiling, and downhill skiing.

Support our local restaurants

This has been a challenging year for local businesses, so if you are interested in supporting restaurants in Sundridge, we have collected the hours that each restaurant is open for takeout below.  We recommend you call to verify COVID protocols and operating hours, particularly over the holidays when hours may change.

• Bernards Bistro on the Lake – 93 Main Street – 705-707-3030
  Open Fri-Tues 10AM-8PM
• Blue Roof – 10419 Hwy 124 – 705-384-7300
  Open Tues-Sat 7:30AM-2PM
• Caswell Resort – 77 Main Street – 705-384-7600
  Open Wed-Sat 11AM-1PM, 4PM-7PM
• Double Decker Char Broil Takeout – 10397 Hwy 124 – 705-384-5977
  Open Mon-Sat 11AM-5:30PM
• Foodland – 10 John Street – 705-384-5378
  Open Mon-Sat 8AM-9PM, Sun 8AM-8PM
• Michaels on Main – 92 Main Street – 705-384-5447
  Open Wed-Sat 11:30AM-8PM
• Red Brick Cafe – 10340 Hwy 124 – 705-384-2739
  Open Mon-Fri 6AM-1PM, Sat 7AM-12PM
• Sebastian’s Meats and Delicatessen – 91 Main Street – 705-384-7431
  Open Tues-Sat 9AM-5PM
• Steirerhut Schnitzel House – 10356 Hwy 124 – 705-384-1417
  Open Sat-Sun 12-7PM (in-room dining only)
• Village Bins – 91 Main Street – 705-384-7025
  Open Tues-Sat 9AM-5PM

Happy Holidays!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from your LBPOA Board of Directors!