President’s Message Spring & Summer 2009
First I’d like to apologize for the timing of our 2 newsletters and combining them together.
This winter/spring your SCA Executive have stayed warm in front of our computers working on some projects. The Membership Directory, our new Corporate Memberships, along with some Wasauksing Wind Power information are at the forefront of my mind right now.
You will receive your membership directory in this mailing which has been reformatted by our Executive Member Wendy Spoerel. You should find the information more legible, accurate and generally easier to use. Thank you Wendy.
For the 2008 AGM we specifically approached our other local area marina’s asking if they’d like to donate to the SCA with mention and a business card size advertisement on the flyers. Well we got a great response and support and even silent auctioned a docking slip for 2009! With that in mind, we have created a Corporate Membership which will allow some more local businesses to support the SCA in varying degrees from advertising to Fun Day & AGM “Event Sponsorships”. Look for their advertisements in future printings and please thank/support those businesses for all of us when visiting them!
Ontario & Wind Farms are becoming
a well heard association of words. There is both controversy and
support for them and I’m sure the issue is so huge that it won’t
be remotely simple or satisfy all. There have been some developments
recently that could possibly affect our specific South Channel geographical
area. Specifically the Request For Proposal from a wind farm developer
for a Mega Watt development (mw defined as 50 – 100 turbines) on Parry
Island was not approved. The 5 that were approved have stayed
in Southern Ontario where many of us feel it is easier to transport
the power to larger centres (and get more votes?). There is still
an application for a Standard Offered Contract (SOS defined as 10 mw’s
or 8 – 10 towers max) for Parry Island. The developer (to the
best of my knowledge, please don’t quote me on any of this stuff)
has applied to group 4 of these SOS’s together on Parry Island, which
could still mean up to 40 maximum towers. From what I’ve heard,
the Ontario Government is no longer allowing the grouping of SOS’s
but that specific SOS had already been filed. The GBA do
work on this issue on “our” behalf and there is limited information
available at http://www.georgianbay.ca/
As at this writing I will be attending the Information Session held at the Parry Island Band Office which I hope will be a great source of information. I personally know the new Chief Shane Tabobondung and get a great feeling from him that any wind farm activity on Parry Island will be as thought out and planned for what is best for all. My hope of course is that I won’t negatively affect people in the South Channel.
I’d personally like to ask you for your continued support both in Membership and with thoughts of the getting involved in the future too. There are Membership Visits coming this year, we’d really like some help with (helping you) become better educated & prepared & “grouped” for Fire Prevention, wind farms could become a more direct issue with the SCA etc. With a little bit of work from everybody a lot gets done no matter the job! And HEY “YOUNGER” PEOPLE!! I’ve had the opportunity to learn so much and further myself, you should really consider it yourselves!
Well I think I’ve gabbed enough lol,
and I look forward to seeing you all this year at Fun Day or AGM which
are both already well beyond the planning stage!
Sincerely & Thank You,
Your SCA President
Ryan Tarrant