Bob Lake Association
Rogers Cell Tower Proposed for Bob Lake!
A public notice from Rogers Communications Inc for a proposed cell tower located at 1671 Claude Brown Road was published in this week’s Highlander (page 27). This part of the Eastern Ontario Regional Network (EORN) joint venture between Rogers and Federal/Provincial Government. Below is a copy of the notice as well two maps showing the relative location of 1671 Claude Brown on our lake. As per the notice: the public is invited to provide written comments by 5pm on April 27th, 2024 to the contact information shown below. Please include a return address.
Tower Installation Project (C8591 Bob Lake)
Rogers Communications Inc.
Eric Belchamber
Network Implementation
337 Autumnfi eld St.
Kanata, ON, K2M 0J6
Tel: (613) 220-5970
Email: eric.belchamber@rogers.com
Native Plant Sale
Here’s your chance to source some native plants for the cottage this year, and not only improve your property and the health of Bob Lake in the process, but also help fundraise for the annual Haliburton-Muskoka-Kawartha Children’s Water Festival! A Win-Win-Win!! Check out the online native plant sale brought to you by the Friends of Ecological and Environmental Learning (FEEL).
The Bob Lake History – Chapter 16
After a wee hiatus, the much anticipated release of Chapter 16 covering the south end development in Greg Pyke’s The Bob Lake History series is ready! Some really cool retro content, including the history on Bigbob Lodge and Beaver Bay Cottage Rentals businesses!!
Chapter 17 is going to be pictures only (everyone’s favourite part!!). Greg is looking for contributions, so if you have any photos you’d like posted then please email them to pyke8700@telus.net. They can be historical, beautiful lake scenes, action shots, or whatever. Just include a description and approximate location & time they were taken.
MNRF Proposed Fishing Changes
The MNRF is proposing significant changes to FMZ15 – the Fisheries Management Zone that includes Bob Lake. The most impactful change would be the elimination of winter ice fishing, with the current Lake Trout fishing season of January 1 to September 30 becoming the 3rd Saturday in May to Labour Day. A good summary of the proposed changes can be found on the Ontario Out of Doors website. The MNRF is seeking public input on these proposed changes through until November 28, 2022. Full details on the proposed changes and how to provide your feedback can be found on the MNRF’s Draft FMZ15 Management Plan website. The BLA encourages Bob Lake anglers to become familiar with the proposed changes and to provide their input to the MNRF during this open consultation period.
Notes on the proposed change:
- The draft MNRF FMZ15 Management Plan document s rather large (191 pages) and contains changes to a variety of fish specifies other than those found in Bob Lake. The most relevant information on Lake Trout can be found in section 4.2.2 on page 61 of the PDF document (page 41 from table of contents).
- Bob Lake falls into the “Small Natural Lakes (<500ha)” (we are 220 hectares) and “Small-bodied Populations” category, which replaces the current “slot size” restrictions (fish between 40-55cm must be released) with a minimum keep-size limit of 40cm (fish under 40cm must be released).
Election 2022
Election day is fast approaching, and this time we have a real opportunity to effect positive change and shape our next Minden Hills Council. Bob Lake property owners represent a significant portion of the voting population. Our 230+ lakefront properties should equate to over 400 potential voters (any owner on title can vote) – that’s more than 10% of the total number of people who voted in the 2018 election! We need to take advantage of that influence and VOTE!! Internet and telephone voting methods make voting super easy and available 24×7 from Oct 8 (advance voting start) through to Oct 24 (election day).
We’ve put together an Election 2022 webpage with all the information Bob Lakers should need to cast an informed vote. Please take some time to review this content and familiarize your self with the candidates. Most importantly – please VOTE!!
The Bob Lake History – Chapter 15
Another great chapter in Greg Pyke’s The Bob Lake History series – just in time before the summer ends! Check out Chapter 15 – dedicated to Bob Lake’s west side development. Some great stories and retro pics – enjoy!!
2022 AGM
Our 2022 Annual General Meeting was held last Wednesday June 29 using Zoom’s virtual meeting platform. Thank you to those members who joined us – your attendance was critical for making our AGM a success!
A copy of the material presented can be found on our website here and a recording of the meeting can be viewed here.
New Slow/No-Wake Buoy
The Bob Lake Safe Boating Committee is pleased to announce that we have a new Slow/No-Wake buoy now installed leading into Bob Creek bay. You can see the exact placement by looking at our updated Maps web page. Feel free to contact us using the form on our Safe Boating web page if you have any comments or questions.
The Bob Lake History – Chapter 14
It’s been a while since the last chapter in Greg Pyke’s The Bob Lake History series was released, but wait no longer – Chapter 14 is hot off the press!! This chapter features how the east side of our lake evolved, which now includes Trellis Trail and Fleming road associations. Enjoy!!
Hazard Buoys Deployed
Let the Bob Lake Safe Boating season begin with today’s launch of our hazard buoys! Refer to our Hazard Marking web page for more details and our Maps web page for exact locations. You can contact us using the form on our Safe Boating web page if you have any comments or questions.
TLB Needs Volunteers
The Land Between (TLB) is a Haliburton based charity organization that is dedicated to research and conservation across our treasured region. Mel Abberger, a volunteer and education coordinator with TLB (and “Turtle Technician”), reached out to the BLA asking if we could share a message with our members. They are ramping up for their busy season with several programs planned, all of which are in need of volunteers. This is a great opportunity for kids and adults alike who are looking for a meaningful way to give back to our community and the environment. If you or anyone in your family is interested, then please don’t hesitate to connect with Mel and the TLB. Below is Mel’s full email with all the details.
Hello there!
I hope this email finds you well. I am reaching out today on behalf of The Land Between Charity. We are a conservation non-profit organization that is working to protect and restore natural spaces and wildlife in Southern Ontario’s last intact wilderness. We run community science and education programs that give local residents opportunities to help protect wildlife populations and connect with nature in a meaningful way.
As spring approaches, The Land Between is getting ready for our busy season, and we need all the help we can get. We run a variety of community science programs where community members help us survey their areas for wildlife and contribute to keeping native Ontario wildlife populations safe. Our Turtle Guardians program works to protect Ontario’s native turtle populations, while other programs work with snakes, birds, and invasive plant species. Most of our programs run from approximately the middle of May to the end of September. Volunteers can participate at any age and from almost anywhere in the province.
Based on the work that your organization does in the community, we think that your members and/or volunteer network might be interested in getting involved with Community Science programs with The Land Between. Below please find brief descriptions of each of our programs.
Turtle Guardians Community Science Programs:
- Wetland Watchers – Survey wetlands to see what turtle species and other wildlife are using these ecosystems.
- Road Researchers – Monitor roads to help turtles cross safely and make sure that injured and nesting turtles get the care and help they need.
- Nest Sitters – Watch over nesting turtles and their nests to protect them from the threats of roads and predators.
- Crossing Guards – Help monitor a high road mortality “hotspot” by helping turtles cross the road safely and making sure injured and nesting turtles get the help they need.
The Land Between Community Science Programs:
- Phragmites Fighters – Help locate and remove stands of invasive Phragmites australis or European common reed to protect our native wildlife and ecosystems.
- Snake Supervisors – Survey for snakes in your backyard or around your area while you are out walking or biking.
- Nightjar Surveys – Listen and look for Nightjar birds along specific routes near you during their peak breeding and calling season.
- Backyard Whip-Poor-Will Challenge – Tell us if you can hear this heritage species from your property.
Volunteers can register for our programs using the link attached.
https://www.thelandbetween.ca/community-science-sign-up/
This link will take you to the Community Science registration page, where you can learn more about our programs, register to volunteer your time, and get updates about training workshops. You can register for multiple programs at once. Once you are registered, our staff will be in touch to help you register for a training workshop for your specific program.
We hope to get more people involved with local community science projects and connected with nature, and would appreciate it if you could send this email around to your members, volunteer networks, and anyone else that may be interested.
If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us. Thank you for your time, and have a great day!
Sincerely,
Mel Abberger
Volunteer and Education Co-ordinator | Turtle Technician
The Land Between | Turtle Guardians
citizensciencetlb@gmail.com
(705) 457-1222
Bob Lake Fishing Webpage
Checkout of our new Fishing webpage with all the important information you and family needs to be a responsible angler on Bob Lake. Feel free to leave a comment if you have any ideas for additional content or want to share your Bob Lake fishing tales!!
The Bob Lake History – Chapter 13
Goodbye January, and one month closer to cottage season!! To help you pass the time we’re releasing Chapter 13 in Greg Pyke’s The Bob Lake History series. This is a must-read chapter that you’re sure to enjoy – all about the fascinating development of our Bob Lake that started along the north shore.
Something else to look forward to – the CBC’s episode of Still Standing , that features the town of Minden and was filmed onsite back in September of 2020, is airing on Wednesday February 2nd at 8pm. Turn into CBC to watch it live, or watch it on CBC’s GEM.
The Bob Lake History – Chapter 12
Happy New Year!! What better way to welcome in 2022 then to checkout the newly released Chapter 12 in Greg Pyke’s The Bob Lake History series – the name of our lake and cottage associations.
The next four chapters deal specifically with Bob Lake cottagers and will only be as good as the information that Greg has. If you have any old papers, maps, or photos of your cottage, your family at the cottage, or your section of the lake then please send them in as soon as possible. Chapter 13 about the north end of Bob Lake comes out next month.
The Bob Lake History – Chapter 11
Announcing a very special treat as we put the wraps on 2021 – the release of Chapter 11 in Greg Pyke’s The Bob Lake History series – the all picture edition! Admit it – the pictures are your favourite part!! OK, there are few lengthy captions in here, but you’re going love taking a picture book ride from the years 1615 through 1970 – enjoy.
Bob Lake Association 