I had planned to address the topic of setting off fireworks every summer weekend over Maple Lake even before I saw the “Letter(s) of the Week” in the Haliburton County Voice.
These letters, written by local cottage country property owners were not only food for thought but were enlightening in their enumerations of all the ways uncontrolled personal use of fireworks in cottage country is a very bad thing.
To digress for a moment, prior to this year I, Canadian born, and raised in Connecticut from ages 6-18 by Canadians with frequent returns to my entire extended family in Canada, found the Canadians that I encountered in Canada to be…not like Americans. For starters, they confirmed the oft-repeated stereotype by being refreshingly polite–if more the “arm’s length”- formal kind of politeness.
But does this type of “politeness” extend so far for some Canadians who hold a decisive opinion about a matter such as the fireworks but chose to pretend the issue does not exist? And is it at it’s base due to fear!?! Is there a fear among Ontarians that they will be perceived as impolite to speak up when they feel a large wrong needs righting?
I don’t know. I really hope not.
I always had a sort of idealized notion of what a Canadian is/was. But growing up, I was always steered in the direction of not talking about things that might make other people uncomfortable–even if said thing needed to be addressed–so for better or worse, here goes.
About five years ago a neighbour on Maple Lake, a year-rounder I believe, began setting off fireworks every single weekend of the summer. (This is not a precise accounting. I simply know that no matter when I went to the Lake, from the last weekend in May when we opened through Labour Day when we close, it was and has been the case.)
I hoped it was a passing phase as the fireworks startled me and scared the daylights out of my dog–and they destroyed the peacefulness that used to be indigenous to our little lake which is dotted with year-round personal residences and cottages.
The setting off of fireworks phase has not passed, however. I’ve realized belatedly that it is not just a band of folks on Maple Lake that have gone ga-ga over something that I’ve always thought very American. To embrace the crassness of setting off fireworks whenever and wherever you please, for there can be no other way to describe their intrusiveness when they go off unexpectedly near your home, is to ignore the specialness of setting them off one or two nights a YEAR.
So to everyone who still insists that setting fireworks off every weekend of the summer is special–as well as your “right,” as someone who has grown up with the American traditions involving fireworks let me tell you: You are acting like a bunch of Americans.
You are Canada. You will never be the United States nor do you want to be, trust me on this. Let’s just cite one reason: preserving your national identity as Canadians. Both countries have much to laud but they are separate, distinct entities unique unto themselves.
Let me reiterate the very real ramifications of Uncontrolled Use of Fireworks on Maple Lake and other lakes in cottage county:
1. Fireworks increase the potential of fires
2. Noise pollution and the consequences (e.g. loons leaving, tourists leaving)
3. Toxicity to the air, water, and surrounding grounds***
*Let me expound a bit about the toxicity of fireworks. They get shot off mostly over the lakes. Unlike how it may appear, they do not just explode. The reality is that the exploded debris falls into the water, along with the chemical residue. Yes, this is bad for the ecosystem and even if you don’t really care about the ecosystem and shame on you if you don’t–you are poisoning your own water.
Whatever you dump on the ground near a lake seeps into the water table eventually and then it gets into your water–your swimming water and in the case of our cottage, our tap & shower water. This dovetails into #4…
4. Interfering with wildlife habitats.
First-hand story. Last year I spent about a month living on Maple Lake. Despite the rainy and seasonally cold weather of the summer of 2009 on Maple Lake, I could hear and sometimes see a pair of loons that have taken up residence on the Lake each summer for as long as I can recall. Their haunting calls are unmistakable and for me, comforting that some things don’t change (though I wouldn’t know if the specific pairs of loons changed–I would guess they’d have had to)–you can count on them. Or so I thought.
I’m soon heading up to Maple Lake and I’m going to try to find a second loon on our lake because instead of the minimum 2 that I’ve seen every year for as long as I can remember–I’ve only heard the sound of a single, solitary loon in 2010.
Did my neighbour and his regular weekend fireworks frenzy drive away one of Maple Lake’s loons and if so, are we going to lose the single remaining loon, too?
I’m not at all an expert about loons. I just know they bring me stolen moments of serenity. Loons are beautiful creatures to behold as they duck under the water and resurface 100 or more feet away in their elaborate “game” of try-to-find-me.
What I can say with confidence are the facts as I’ve observed them.
I have a neighbour across the way who every weekend of the summer at about 9:30 p.m. sets off about 20 minutes-worth of fireworks. He (I presume it’s a “he”) scares my older dog out of her senses. She quivers & shakes both during the noise assault and long after. The noise kills the atmosphere of peacefulness that Maple Lake always exuded. I’ve now read that this is a problem for other lakes in cottage country and the fallout (no pun) is remarkably similar to our own.
Naturally, the question of what have I done to try to solve this problem ? is a relevant one. I’ve worried and complained about it as I’m doing here for the first time but have I addressed this with the people setting off the fireworks? The answer is no, I have not. I was hoping the novelty would wear off but of course, it hasn’t or I wouldn’t be speaking up now. Now I do want to try and have courteous conversation with them but I cannot figure out where exactly they live. It is somewhere in here:
Area of Fireworks Activity on Maple Lake
Please click to enlarge.
As you can see by the named roads this is a densely populated area of Maple Lake and it’s going to take some sleuthing to find out “who” is shooting off fireworks on their property out over out lake every. single. weekend. Not to mention to do the sleuthing I’m going to need to either go to the site of the fireworks by canoe or trespass on “private property.”
Even here in the U.S. of A. in the great state of Illinois (absolutely no sarcasm–I love where I live) there are much stricter limits on the type of fireworks that can be bought legally. For us, it’s sparklers and poppers essentially but then, we do a very American thing. On and around Independence Day a/k/a The Fourth of July, towns and cities alike put on displays for everyone to enjoy. They have a distinct beginning and end, are controlled for safety and someone cleans up afterward. Not perfect but way more in-line with something I used to think was a standard Canadian trait: civility and respect for one another and the environment.
I do believe that both countries share in the desire to put a halt to unnecessary pollution of our precious natural surroundings. Surely banning unregulated use of fireworks in cottage country, Haliburton County specifically, is unquestionably a positive step that we, as stewards of this planet, should not hesitate to take.
Am I going to continue to be the “misdirected” polite Canadian and ignore what is being done to Maple Lake in the name of a (very) few people’s need to entertain themselves with exploding gunpowder? Nope. Can’t do it anymore. I love the Lake too much. And I’m not walking away. I’m digging in. (On a personal note, it was harder to attempt to do so this year as my youngest son was preparing for college and I was needed back here in Chicagoland.)
I’m willing to meet halfway in my suggestion for a remedy as is so often the end result of circumstances like this. If I made the law, I would allow use of fireworks on specific holidays like the July 1st Canada Day, Victoria Day on May 24 and quite possibly both the civic holiday on the 1st Monday in August and on Labour Day. The rest of the time I’d allow small “personal” fireworks like sparklers & poppers that will neither drive away our wildlife or our human residents and vacationers alike who would prefer to enjoy their evening without the punctuations of those that wish to emulate bombs exploding.
I’d love to hear any sincere comments, ideas or suggestions from you about on fireworks in Ontario’s cottage country so use the comment box or please drop me a line at maplelakeontario@gmail.com.
Hi there. Welcome to your summers-nearly-over weekend!
There will be a bit a of rain this weekend but not enough to ruin plans I would hope. Looking in-depth at Saturday:
Haliburton Highlands Short term forecast Saturday August 21
Total rain accumulation in the next 24 hours–from Saturday thru Sunday morning should only be 2-4 mm. Saturday morning will have light rain and a temp of 15°C. Afternoon will reach 21°C and be mainly cloudy and Saturday evening will be be cloudy and 19°C. Saturday overnight will have clouds and showers and a temperature of 16°C.
Long Term Forecast
Look for light rain on Sunday and a high of 68°F and up to 0.4 inches precipitation accumulation. The overnight low will be 61°F.
There will be very little rain overall this week.The temperatures during the day will run from 68 °F - 75°F and the overnight temps will vary from 54°F to 61°F so a very level-type of week-weather-wise, if not a bit on the cool side.
Aug 6, 2010
Haliburton, Ontario, Canada
Photos: 26
Buttermilk Falls, Stanhope Township, Haliburton Highlands
Buttermilk Falls, Stanhope Township, Haliburton Highlands
This is our last day at Maple Lake. We drove the 700 miles home–3 people, 2 cars, 2 dogs, the next day after nearly 2 weeks for the guys, 9 days for me. Buttermilk Falls was the absolute-best thing we did. We squeezed in a few other fun things, too. For my part I worked way too much. Not next time! Weather was much better this year though there was NO beach because Maple Lake was VERY high this summer (so far). Will see for myself when next I haunt the place. Boo!I hope to go over Labour Day week to another nearby spot, the “Five Points.” It’s on the map in the Picasa album that you click on. You enter at area “d” which is not much farther from our cottage than Buttermilk Falls. The actual 5 Points, are at what appears to be the south end of Little Hawk Lake, which is not very far north of Maple Lake. Yay! Double click for all the Buttermilk Falls info in the photo album.
Before I get to the weather thought I’d mention a fun excursion we took to a place that as far as I recollect I’d not ever visited. Buttermilk Falls is just a hop, skip and jump from us on Maple Lake–only Beech Lake separates yet connects us.
Buttermilk Falls: You Are Here
Beautiful Buttermilk Falls is a place to easily navigate both traditional and granite trails where the scenery seems to grow more breath-taking with each step along side it. There are several park benches along the way too so one can comfortably linger, admiring the beauty of another of the many gems of the Haliburton Highlands. Very glad we went. Will remember it as a peaceful place to visit especially when peace eludes me here at the cottage. It’s completely free as well. Now, the weather.
Short term weather - 8.6 & 8.7
It’s just past 8:30 p.m. and it is chilly. By overnight temperatures will plunge to 46 degrees F.
Waking up tomorrow will also be chilly at 54F degrees. By Saturday afternoon you can look forward to mainly sunny conditions and a high of 70F. Saturday evening will be mainly clear and about 60 degrees F.
The overnight low on Saturday will be 55F with variable clouds.
Long Term Weather Forecast 8.8 - 8.13
Expect isolated showers on Sunday with a high temp of 75F and an overnight low of 55F. There may be up to 0.7 inches of rain.
Monday, August 9 brings scattered showers and a high of 77F. The overnight low is expected to be a comfy 64F. There will be at most 0.1 inches of rain.
Tuesday will be mainly sunny with the week’s highest temperature –77F. The overnight low will be 63F. There’s no rain in the forecast.
Wednesday will be a near-repeat of Tuesday with a high of 75F and an overnight low of 63F. Again, no rain in the forecast.
Thursday will be sunny and 73F. The low overnight will be 64F and there may be up to 0.1 inch of precipitation.
Friday will be cloudy with showers. The high temp should be 75 F and the low overnight 61F. There may be up to 0.4 inch of precipitation.
You can find the Bug Report if you scroll down a bit.
Going to the Midnight Madness event in downtown Haliburton tonight Friday the 30th. There will be FREE entertainment, helium balloons, the famous Beef on a Bun (sponsored by the Dysart Firefighters), Dusk Dances in the Park, Live Entertainment, at the Bargain Shop and at Halco Plaza. I have not been to Midnight Madness for many years and I’m totally looking forward to some good times on Highland Street in Haliburton!
BTW, the weather is great, the lake is warm and there’s no better place to be!
Haliburton Highlands Genealogy Group 20th Anniversary Party
June 12 2010
Come and celebrate on Saturday, June 12th from 1:00-4:00 pm.
FREE admission to all!
Door prizes!
Genealogy booths
Refreshments
Opening Ceremony: 1:30 pm
Keynote speaker: 2.00 pm – Melody Richardson “Memoirs-Legacy Writing for Future Genealogists”
“Melody will explore with us the technique of memoir writing, a form of legacy writing for future genealogists in your families and communities.”
Visit Website
Place: Minden Hills Community Centre Minden
Contact: Linda Heeps Tel: 705 457-2064
Email: hhggroup@gmail.com
From the website:
*Haliburton County is located in Central Ontario Canada just to the southwest of Algonquin Park. The area was settled in the latter years of immigration (mid 1850s) when lands in Southern Ontario were all taken. Children of those settlers and new immigrants were led to believe that they might be able to establish farms in an area too rugged and rocky for that purpose but valuable mainly for lumber.
I knew about the lumber but until now hadn’t realized that people were told that the Highlands were good for farming!
I’ve blogged about some of the many resources and activities on this blog throughout what some people might think of as the Haliburton “off-season” but there really is no off season in Haliburton County any longer.
Since the area was settled, there has of course been “year-rounders”–those folks that took up permanent residence while the rest of us returned to our city or suburban lives. No so anymore.
There is a plethora of activities indoor and out throughout the year in Haliburton County–just skim back through my winter months posts to get an idea (though I documented but a small portion due to time constraints). The car racing on ice was an activity that really tickled my fancy having never seen such a thing but the creative and crafty goings on at the Rails End Galleryand The Art Hiveare two destinations that I could and would appreciate year-round.
But the fact is there is plenty of room for more business in Haliburton–and Haliburton has the resources to help businesses, especially smaller or start -up businesses take root. Both the year-rounders and the permanent residents can benefit by taking part in new and exciting endeavors or become patrons of new businesses that have found their way to Haliburton County. Here’s a short, informative, nicely-written article from the Haliburton CountyEcho on just how crucial efforts like this and others can be to the livelihood of Haliburton County.
Now for the details of the Haliburton Creative Business Incubator–a great opportunity for the many types of businesses in the creative business arena.
An announcement forwarded by the County of Haliburton, Department of Economic Development, Tourism & Marketing:
Four spaces will soon be available to emerging entrepreneurial businesses in the Haliburton Creative Business Incubator, located in one of Ontario’s most beautiful and vibrant locations. Renovations to the former Haliburton Public Library building are now underway and we anticipate that we will be ready for clients to move in by mid June.
* Information on our program
* Details of work spaces available and costs
* Steps for selection and the selection process
* Minimum qualifications for eligibility
* Evaluation criteria
* Application form
Get your applications in as soon as possible. Applications received by April 30th, 2010, will receive priority consideration. Successful Candidates will be contacted in early May and invited to come to Haliburton for a personal interview.
This is a wonderful opportunity for young businesses looking to establish in a location that offers a beautiful natural environment, a vibrant community and a “relaxed” business style.
Our low monthly costs include a dedicated space for each business, broadband services, access to training seminars and a mentoring program which will provide experienced business people to our clients as advisors. We will also assist clients in their search for suitable living space.
We invite you to do business with the world while enjoying the wonders of the Haliburton Highlands. Contact us right away for your ticket to a “business life with lifestyle”.
If you’re not a candidate for the Creative Business Incubator but know of a creative business that might be the right fit, please pass this news to them. It just might be one of the best recommendations you make.
Important Dates:
*
April 30th, 2010 for applications to receive priority consideration
*
Early May contact for successful candidates
*
Personal interviews in May
*
Facility availability mid to late June
Examples of Creative Businesses:
* Arts administration and education – development and curation, visual art appraisal.
* Architecture design and planning – commercial, residential, landscape architecture and landscape planning, environmental planner, land use planner, community and urban planner.
* Business service consultant – human resources, business management, research, marketing.
* Communications – advertising, public relations, media relations, publicist, promotions, fundraising, consultant, photo journalist.
* Craft – artisans working in: clay, fibre, glass, leather, metal, paper, wood, decorative painting, mixed media
* Culinary – work in the styling and presentation of food
* Cultural Heritage – restoration, conservation, preservation, research, presentation of artifacts, information and buildings of cultural and/or historical significance, archiving, archeology
* Dance – choreography design
* Design Arts – interior and kitchen design, landscape, graphic design, furniture design, fabric design, fashion design, jewelry design, pattern design.
* Illustration – commercial or medical illustrator.
* Information Technology – IT consultant, computer/informatics consultant, management information systems, geomatics.
* Writing, Editing and Publishing for the Performing Arts, Literature & Business – in any medium, including advertising, and technical writing.
* Media Arts – video, film, web, and multi-media development including animation, and illustration – Web and application programmer, computer game developer, computer programmer, e-business software, developer, interactive media developer, software developer/programmer
* Music – composing, performing, recording
* Photography – commercial, industrial, portrait or as a fine art, also framing and restoration.
* Research – in any area including, but not limited to business, the arts, culture and heritage
* Theatre – teaching, directing, producing, coaching
* Visual Art – those involved with painting, sculpture, drawing, or creation of visual art in any medium.
* Defies Description – is a combination of any disciplines above.
Mail Your Application To:
Haliburton Creative Business Incubator
P.O. Box 210
c/o Haliburton County Development Corporation
49 Maple Ave, Unit 4
Haliburton, ON. K0M 1S0
Or Contact: Mike Jaycock, Project Consultant
Email: hcbi@bell.net
Phone: (705) 754-9996
Blog: http://hcbi.wordpress.com
You can see from reading above that this spate of very warm weather shall continue throughout the Easter weekend to which we shall all shout “Yay!’
Here are the deets:
Weekend Weather April 2-3. 2010 - Haliburton Highlands
Tonight’s forecast is for mild temperatures around 64°F. Overnight Friday it will be mainly clear and a warm 55°F.
Saturday morning you’ll wake to clear skies with temperatures still quite pleasant at 55°F.
Saturday afternoon remains sunny with temperatures climbing to 73°F.
Saturday evening may bring scattered showers with a temperature decline to 55°F. The overnight low is forecast to be 39°F, which is needless to say, a heckuva drop!
Long Term Forecast April 4- 9, 2010 - Haliburton Highlands
Sunday, look for cloudy periods and a more seasonable high of 57°F. The low temp on Sunday night should be about 39°F.
There’s no precipitation in the forecast for either Sunday or Monday.
On Monday April 5, expect variable cloudiness a high of 59°F and an overnight low of 39°F.
On Tuesday expect some light rain with up to 0.5 inches accumulation. The high temperature will be 54°F and the low temp overnight will be 41°F.
For Wednesday, it will be cloudy and there will be showers. The high will be 57°F and the overnight low41°F. The precipitation accumulation should be about 0.25 in. The overnight low on Wednesday will be 41°F.
On Thursday April 6, expect a return to variable cloudiness with a seasonal high of 48°F. Overnight temperatures will be more typical for this time of year at 36°F. As the week draws to a close on Friday expect sunny skies but a comparatively low-temperature high of only 41°F. Overnight temperatures are expected to plunge to 15°F. There is no precipitation in the forecast for Thursday or Friday.
Have a great week! Enjoy the webcam shots from around Central Ontario taken today- April 2, 2010. There are some great examples of how drastically the warm weather has affected the shape of things in just one short week (scroll a couple of posts down to check against last week’s webshots)!
Four thousand-two hundred trees will be planted throughout Haliburton County through the partnership of Patient News Publishing with Haliburton Highlands Stewardship Council through the Council’s Tree Planting Program. Patient News Publishing…is committed to environmental stewardship in all facets of their business operations. In addition to their current use of 100% FSC certified paper, Patient News Publishing has made a further commitment to planting trees with HHSC. The Haliburton Highlands Stewardship Council, a community organization comprised of generous local volunteers, dedicate themselves throughout the year to promote and support responsible stewardship of natural resources in Haliburton County, and deliver programs such as the Tree Planting Program.
The Tree Planting Program is designed for Haliburton landowners who are interested in reforesting their properties, restoring or enhancing biodiversity, preventing shoreline erosion, or simply creating wildlife habitat in their woodlots and shorelines with trees native to Haliburton’s seed zone. Patient News Publishing, in a generous effort to contribute to the stewardship of Haliburton’s natural resources while offsetting their environmental costs, is – in addition to planting trees – subsidizing 50% of every landowner’s tree order!
If you would like more information, or would like to apply by the deadline of March 15th, please contact Tracey with the Stewardship Council at 705-286-5205 or or hhsc.intern@gmail.com or to download the application online visit www.ontariostewardship.org/haliburton.
The Dorset Recreation Centre has announced a new day for it’s FREE Moms & Tots Playgroup.
The Moms and Tots Playgroup is now meeting on Tuesdays from 10am to 12pm.
All infants, toddlers and preschool-aged children and their caregivers are welcome to to participate in this free weekly program.
Playgroup is a time for some fun and socializing with other kids & adults. Toys, books, crafts and more are provided free of charge by the Dorset Recreation Centre. The Moms and Tots Playgroup is self run so please bring your own beverages and snacks.
For more information, call Cheryl at 705-766-0874.
Dorset Recreation Centre
1051 Main Street, Box 99 Dorset
This is a non-sponsored post done as a community service for the Haliburton Highlands.
Special thanks to the fine folks who author the What’s Happening This Week! newsletter.
