General

Saw this on the myccr site and I thought it was well worth sharing.
As a community we need to let other groups that are interested in the same things as us have the support from a larger family.
Jeff
This from poster terracebay on myccr.

Quote "Back in 2012, a big chunk of pristine Lake Superior land near Terrace Bay was put up for sale. It's a truly spectacular piece of property and it was the subject of a very slick marketing campaign - check out the video at http://vimeo.com/51242413.

A conservation group, the Thunder Bay Field Naturalists (TBFN), has now struck a deal to buy the most exciting section of the property. The club is purchasing 1200 acres of the mainland, plus 15 small islands just offshore. Total frontage on Lake Superior is 11 km, and it's all undeveloped, natural, and incredibly beautiful.

The deal is expected to close in mid-July and TBFN is now actively fund-raising. Take a look at their webpage for the Terrace Bay property at http://tbfn.net/terrace-bay. This is an expensive purchase and they could use some help! They're a charity and do provide tax receipts if you're inclined to donate." unquote
Link to myccr
http://www.myccr.com/phpbbforum/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=42845&p=394750#p39…
Link to Thunderbay Naturalists.
http://tbfn.net/terrace-bay

For the Canadian paddlers out there there has been some updates on the language/definitions on "Minor Waters" on the Transport Canda pages.
This is a change since the heartbleed bug closed the site.
http://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/marinesafety/tp-tp14838-3098.htm

The Q & A section has more clarifications . Question 11 is one.
http://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/programs-622.html

Quote"Question 11: How is navigation protected in non-scheduled navigable waters?
Answer: The public right of navigation, the right to use navigable waters as a highway, is protected in Canada irrespective of whether the navigable water is listed on the schedule to the NPA or not. Interferences with the public right of navigation in navigable waters not listed on the schedule to the NPA could be subject to court proceedings. Transport Canada will issue reference material to assist builders in addressing navigation-related impacts of their works."

Some of the clarification is the "vessel" must be able to fit in the turns of a meandering minor water.
Which is important to us who like to pond hop.
Some of you may like what you read on the private lakes section.
Just remember it may take a court case or two.....

For those of us who have followed this since 2008 we have been waiting for clarification for a long time.
Did they take our pictures and reports/letters to heart?
We may never know since we never received feed back.
But you always got to watch this stuff, you never know what may pop up.
Jeff

(sound of can opener opening can of worms... ;) )

With the PC's announced proposed cuts of 100,000 civil service jobs you know the parks have to be in the cross hairs.
Privatizing Prov. Parks ( ooooh that buzz word again) that and selling off of crown lands and heritage lands and unregulated parks to pay for "infrastructure" and to pay down the debt.
As with the Harper government the warning where there.
And many groups such as "friends of park" will be gaged by rules.
So get involved, ask tough questions demand answers.

One of the limbo moves they use at these question sessions is if they don't have an an answer they might say so, but they will say give my assistant your email and we will get back to you..... :(
And the second they do that, call them on it, saying answer now or publicize the response in 24 hrs to you and on their web site.
Tell them you know of this tactic and you want everyone to hear the answer.
So fight for your special places now or fight harder for less later.
I seen this play, and I don't like the ending.
Jeff

And just for fun:

Last summer I bought this canoe, a Mad River Flashback. Google those 3 words and you get a catalogue from 1986, I don't expect to ever encounter another example.

It has been set up for tandem, and was designed for racing slalom. Would anyone like to try it out with me? It has not been in the water yet.

Dear WCA Members;

We are in serious need of members of the paddling community to be more involved in issues that affect our rights and access to our canoe routes.

You do not necessarily have to be involved in the issue below. Getting involved also means help making paddle activities (sport or rec) much more visible by just being an entrant in a public activity.

Phil Cotton is our most knowledgeable person on jumping through the hoops of various Ontario regulations on maintaining/protecting and retaining access to our canoe routes on crown lands.

Some of you already know that Phil is the driving force behind the Wabakimi Project. http://www.wabakimi.org/project/
If you look at the few people that have been involved and the work they have done it is amazing what they have done for your paddling enjoyment. There are too few involved and they are being overwhelmed. Our conscience sometimes will not let us back away from another issue we may encounter even though we know we cannot do the job justice.

There is a special need for some help. Here is a quote from Phil's post on Myccr (Voyageur):

This is a call to all CCR members to help improve mapping of canoe routes in one of the most popular paddling areas of Ontario, i.e., the Spanish Forest. Please take the time to read this post and lend any assistance you may be able to offer.

Ontario's forests are divided into forest management units (FMU's) each of which is managed by a 10-year forest management plan (FMP). Each FMP includes a set of "values maps" on which important features that lie on the FMU landscape are depicted. These include canoe routes, portages, campsites and access points.

Each FMP is divided into two five-year "phases". Preparation for Phase II of the Spanish Forest 2010-2020 FMP is currently underway. Canoe route information is woefully lacking on the appropriate values maps.

The MNR maintains a website which shows all related documents related to FMP's. Follow these steps to access the values maps related to the Spanish FMP:

1. Access the MNR forestry website to locate a FMP such as the Spanish FMP.
http://www.efmp.lrc.gov.on.ca/eFMP/home.do?currentFmu=&language=en

2. Either choose Spanish Forest from the drop-down menu on the left or point and click on the map to select a particular FMP such as Spanish Forest. As you point and click on each FMP on the map, the name will appear.

3. Scroll down on the same screen and choose the most recent FMP for the Spanish Forest, i.e., "Spanish Forest Final Plan Phase I (2010-2020)". A new menu will appear listing the components of the FMP.

4. Choose "Maps" from the FMP menu.

5. Choose "Values" from the "Maps" menu.

6. Choose both the "Resources Uses" and the "Resource-based Tourism" values maps. Put them up on your computer screen side-by-side by adjusting the size of each window. These are .pdf files with adjustable magnifications. Set the magnifications to the same setting, i.e., 100%.

NOTE: The "Resource Uses" values map shows all recreational trails (i.e., snowmobile, hiking, canoe routes, etc.) as a solid green line; the "Resource-based Tourism" values map shows canoe routes as a separate, red, dashed line. It is this latter values map that needs improvement in its depiction of canoe routes and portages.

If you have any information about canoe routes that lie on (or adjacent to) the Spanish Forest, please contact me (Voyageur). I really need your help!
pjcotton@tbaytel.net

Or you can follow the link to the thread in myCCR http://www.myccr.com/phpbbforum/viewtopic.php?f=107&t=42560

Jeff McColl
Conservation Chair

 WCA friends, George Luste and I require about dozen more volunteers to help with the Symposium, mostly to do heavy. lifting of tables and chairs as we shiffle things around between breaks and meals in the cafeteria. Also, helping set up book tables, collect meal tickets, etc.

Need asap, contact Aleks by phone (416-433-8413)or email (aleks.gusev@gmail.com)

 Most of the 2014 Presenters are confirmed. To view the list and book your spot, visit WCS website.

Reminder that volunteers are required to help manage the event. If anyone is able/interested to host out-of-town presenter, please call Aleks 416 433 8413

Jan Bignell and Bob's family in the UK would like to thank all those members who have shown caring and support at Bob's passing, and especially to Al Jacobs and Rob Butler for their contributions to the Nastawgan and the Fall meeting. It has been very comforting to know that Bob was so well respected and his company appreciated
by so many fellow canoeists and outdoor enthusiasts. Thank you all so much.

In this issue:

Lower Back River, 2005 by Allan Jacobs
Inaugural George Luste Lecture at CCM 27th October, John Lentz "Five Decades of Wilderness Paddling: People and Places"
Sprit Sailing by Craig Macdonald
Pathogens by Dan Perry
Boundary Waters Canoe Camping by Cliff Jacobson, review by Toni Harting
The Decline Of Wilderness Tripping In The Modern Age by Dawne Robinson
Saving Jack by William Cormode
Mosquitos by Rob Buchanan
Emptying the Bags by Greg Went
Food for Paddlers by Barb Young
2014 Wilderness Canoe Symposium