September 2022 Newsletter
Included in this issue:
Renter’s Guide for Cottage Owners
Podcast: The Power of Wetlands: For the love of swamps and for the sake of cities
Honey Bees
Trees - By Doris Villemaire
The Municipal Election, October 24, 2022 - By Angela Benoliel
Renter’s Guide for Cottage Owners
Do you rent your cottage? Do you have a Renter’s Guide? Here are some things that we ask that you consider adding to your Renter’s Guide:
Fire permit: Are you supplying a seasonal permit or are the renter’s expected to purchase one for the duration of their stay. Remind them that there is no daytime burning, and to check the current fire rating, and where to find that information
No fireworks are allowed in the Town of Kearney
What to do with garbage and recycling; Kearney requires clear plastic bags for garbage (consider supplying these), what to recycle, the cost to dispose of garbage at the transfer sites, and the location of the transfer sites.
Remind them that bathing / shampooing humans or pets in the lake, even with bio-degradable soap is damaging to water quality
Remind them that noise amplifies as it travels over water. Incessantly barking dogs, music, loud talking and screaming add to noise pollution & negatively impact your neighbour’s enjoyment of their property. The Town of Kearney does have Noise Bylaws.
Cottage Life has a series of podcasts. In Episode 7, Michelle Kelly, Editor of Cottage Life magazine, sits down with the executive director of the Federation of Ontario Cottagers’ Associations to chat about solutions to problem renters and what cottage owners who rent out their properties can do to keep their neighbours happy.
Did you know?
Even if a soap or shampoo is biodegradable, it is not safe to put that soap directly into the water. All soaps / shampoos, whether biodegradable or not, affects lake chemistry in a detrimental fashion. It can also have a negative impact on fish and other aquatic organisms. Please don’t bathe in the lake; keep our water clean.
The Power of Wetlands: For the love of swamps and for the sake of cities
There is an excellent podcast that aired on CBC on August 21, 2022 that is all about wetlands. It is worth a listen! Check it out here.
Honey Bees
World Honey Bee Day is celebrated annually on the 3rd Saturday in August; this year it was August 20.
There is a lot to love about bees. They are crucial to growing many of our favourite and most healthy foods as they move pollen from plant to plant, pollinating more than a hundred fruits and vegetables including strawberries, potatoes and apples. Unfortunately, many bee species are under threat as a result of changes in land use, pesticides, intensive agriculture and climate change, but there are steps you can take to help them thrive.
Plant a garden of any size. Not only does a yard full of native flowers look beautiful, it’s an open buffet for bees who feed on nectar and pollen. Planting native flowers that bloom year-round ensures that bees have a constant food source. If you don’t have room for a full garden, even a bed of flowers on a windowsill can sustain bees. Be sure you’re planting without pesticides or chemicals, which can poison bees.
Keep the mowing to a minimum. A neatly kept lawn is nice, but letting it grow a bit long invites bees to visit dandelions, clovers and other weeds that sprout.
Make a bee bath. Like any living thing, bees need water. Leaving out a small amount of water for bees helps them survive sweltering summers. All you need is a small, shallow container with an object for the bees to land on while they drink, and the bees can carry drops of water back to feed their colonies.
Avoid using pesticides. Bees and other animal pollinators pollinate about 35% of the foods we eat. Pesticides are one of the primary drivers of the declining bee population.
Don’t call pest control if you see a swarm. Bee swarms are a sign that hives are healthy. When a colony has too many bees, the hive will split in half, and the other half will travel to find a new home. Bees aren’t aggressive during the swarm, which usually dissipates within an hour. If you must move the swarm, call a beekeeper- most will be happy to come safely move the swarm.
Honey bees do sting, but only if they perceive a threat: damage to their hive or being swatted at. Since they seek sweet nectar, sugary drinks and sweets will attract honey bees when flowers are not blooming yet. So, keep your beverages covered. If a honey bee comes close, either hold still or move slowly away. The honey bee will fly along to the next sweet thing as long as it doesn’t feel threatened.
Did you know?
There are 20,000 different species of bees all around the world?
Trees
By Doris Villemaire
Trees are my love! They are peaceful and always faithful to me and everyone; they share all kinds of possibilities. We are so fortunate here to live in a heaven of trees. In our area, coniferous trees include: the majestic white pine, red pine. and eastern hemlock. Some species that grow in the boreal forest also grow in Muskoka/Parry Sound. Those include white spruce, black spruce, jack pine, white birch and aspen, (sometimes called poplar) Trees native to Muskoka are red maple, eastern hemlock, black spruce tamarack, balsam fir and willow.
The most common tree in Ontario is the black spruce but it is mainly found in the boreal forest. Our region is actually a transitional zone between the northern coniferous forests and the southern deciduous forests.
The white pine (so majestic) can grow up to 40 feet (approximately). It is an evergreen with needles about 10 centimetres that grow in sets of five needles. Their cones are between 8 to 20 centimetres with the bark a dark grayish brown in colour.
Can you imagine a life without trees? I cannot! So, get out there, look up and enjoy. It's magic out there!
The Municipal Election
By Angela Benoliel
Save the date! October 24, 2022, is Election Day! This election is a mail in vote (only).
On September 1, 2022, this intrepid reporter spoke to Brenda Fraser, CAO at the Town of Kearney. According to Ms. Fraser, voting packages will be mailed by the Town of Kearney on September 26. If you are travelling and do not receive your voter’s package prior to your travel, then the Town office can issue you a voter’s package and there will be a ballet box at the Town office to deposit your ballot.
Visit the Town of Kearney’s election page, which includes a list of candidates
All Candidates Meeting: September 27, 2022 7:00 PM.
DJ’s @ The Kearney Legion. 58 Park Road, Kearney.
What issues do you feel are important? Let us know at: newsletter.kwef@gmail.com