2019 WBA Yearbook
This is the annual publication from the Wymbolwood Beach Association. Wymbolwood Beach is on the shores of Nottawasaga Beach, in Simcoe County, Ontario. The Residents List is not included in this web version.
This is the annual publication from the Wymbolwood Beach Association.
Wymbolwood Beach is on the shores of Nottawasaga Beach, in Simcoe County, Ontario.
The Residents List is not included in this web version.
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$15<br />
Wymbolwood <strong>2019</strong>
For All Of Your Real Estate Needs Call . . .<br />
Peggy Worthen, MBA<br />
Broker<br />
Phone: 705-361-3613<br />
Web: peggyworthen.com<br />
Email: peggy@peggyworthen.com<br />
Office: 326 Balm Beach Rd West<br />
RE/MAX Georgian Bay Realty Ltd.*, Brokerage<br />
*Independently Owned and Operated
Wymbolwood Beach Association<br />
Contents<br />
Summer Calendar<br />
Past Executives<br />
Officers, Directors and Volunteers<br />
Membership / Association Information<br />
Community Information<br />
Editor’s Corner<br />
President’s Message<br />
AGM Minutes<br />
Financial Report<br />
Tiny Info Sheet<br />
Residents List<br />
Wymbolwood Map<br />
From the Archives<br />
Wymbolwood Games Winners<br />
Member Contributions<br />
List of Advertisers<br />
4
Wymbolwood Beach Association<br />
July <strong>2019</strong><br />
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday<br />
1 2<br />
3 4 5 6 7<br />
<strong>WBA</strong> Camp<br />
Starts<br />
8 9 10 11 12 13 <br />
Regatta (9:45<br />
a.m.)<br />
14<br />
Regatta Rain<br />
Date (9:45 a.m)<br />
15 16 17 18 19 20 21<br />
22 23 24 25 26 27 28<br />
29 30 31<br />
<strong>WBA</strong> Activity Camp runs from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm Starting July 2nd to August 16th<br />
at Gordon Tufts Memorial Park<br />
5
Wymbolwood Beach Association<br />
August <strong>2019</strong><br />
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday<br />
1 2 3<br />
Corn Roast<br />
(5:45 p.m.)<br />
Corn Roast<br />
Rain Date<br />
(5:45 p.m.)<br />
4<br />
5 6 7 8 9 10<br />
11<br />
Field Day (9:45<br />
a.m.)<br />
Field Day Rain<br />
Date (9:45 pm)<br />
12 13 14 15 16<br />
17 18<br />
Last day of<br />
Activity Camp<br />
19 20 21 22 23 24 25<br />
26 27 28 29 30 31<br />
<strong>WBA</strong> Activity Camp runs from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm Starting July 2nd to August 16th<br />
at Gordon Tufts Memorial Park<br />
6
PRESIDENT<br />
SECRETARY / TREASURER<br />
1949 - 50 Pit Dudley Karl Kern<br />
1950 - 51 Paul Lowes Harold Smith<br />
1951 - 52 Gordon Tufts Neil MacDonald<br />
Past Executives<br />
1952 - 53 Gordon Tufts Lloyd Heide / Ed Morse<br />
1954 - 55 Gord Middleton Ed Morse<br />
1955 - 57 Ron Robinson William Dean<br />
1957 - 58 Ron Robinson Gordon Tufts<br />
1958 - 59 Ed Morse Gordon Tufts<br />
1959 - 60 Warren Coulter Gordon Tufts<br />
1960 - 61 Alvin Rosenberg Gordon Tufts<br />
1961 - 62 John McEwen Gordon Tufts / Tony Rooney<br />
1962 - 63 Andy McDermott Ed Williams<br />
1963 - 64 Andy McDermott Harris Bulmer / Tony Rooney<br />
1964 - 65 Everett Fleming Ed Williams / Dan Harvey<br />
1965 - 66 Everett Fleming Dan Harvey<br />
1966 - 69 Jack Drummond Dan Harvey<br />
1969 - 71 Ron Smith Dan Harvey<br />
1971 - 74 Steve Lowes Dan Harvey<br />
1974 - 76 Harold Johnson John Houston<br />
1976 - 78 Merv Jessop John Houston<br />
1978 - 81 Bill Pashby John Houston<br />
1981 - 84 John Houston Dave Fortier<br />
1984 - 87 Stu Eccles Sr. Dan Harvey<br />
1987 - 91 Roger Heise Gordon Clancy<br />
1991 - 92 Walter Bulas Gordon Clancy<br />
1992 - 94 Walter Bulas Stu Eccles Sr.<br />
1994 - 97 Bill Simpson Dave Haliburton<br />
1997 - 98 Bill Simpson Yvonne Kirby<br />
1998 - 99 Bill Simpson Bill Snider / Doug Jessop<br />
1999 - 01 Yvonne Kirby Bill Snider / Doug Jessop<br />
2001 - 02 Yvonne Kirby Dubois Bill Snider / Monica Simpson<br />
2002 - 04 Bill Simpson Monica Simpson / Linda Winter<br />
2005 - 08 Dave Holwell Bruce Conron / Linda Winter<br />
2008 - 09 Blair Fleming Bruce Conron / Patricia Dorman<br />
2009 - 2011 Kevin Murdoch Bruce Conron / Patricia Dorman<br />
2011 - 2015 Richard Merritt Joan Bailey<br />
2015 - Steve Himel Patricia Dorman
Directors & Volunteers<br />
DIRECTORS/<br />
EXEC.<br />
POSITION COTTAGE COTTAGE<br />
PHONE<br />
HOME<br />
PHONE<br />
E-MAIL<br />
Anne Campbell Advertising 766 361-1796 519-885-0372 Anne.campbell@hpha.ca<br />
Dave Sparrow Advertising 766 361-1796 361-1796<br />
Brian Bradstreet<br />
FOTTSA<br />
representative<br />
488 361-3711 416 463-6624 bbradstreet@hwic.ca<br />
Jeff Fredericks <strong>Yearbook</strong> 764 361-1810 647-963-6957 Jeff.fredericks@rogers.com<br />
Eric From Regatta 796 361-2324 416-809-2099 ejfrom@gmail.com<br />
Tricia Bell-<br />
Champion<br />
Photo Editor 660 361-3545 tricia.bell@me.com<br />
Pat Dorman Secretary 748 361-1178 905-271-5543 patriciadorman@yahoo.ca<br />
Jessica<br />
Koturbash<br />
Youth Activities 580 361-1301 jessicarubybent@gmail.com<br />
Kathryn From Treasurer 796 361-2324 416-728-2266 kathrynfrom@gmail.com<br />
Lynn Short Phragmites Removal 696 518-0125 647-273-5966 Lynn.short@rogers.com<br />
Don Ludlow Field Day 800 518-0200<br />
416-653-5881<br />
don.ludlow@me.com<br />
Sue & Dean<br />
Morrison<br />
Corn Roast 756<br />
sue.morrison66@gmail.com<br />
Murray Conron Website Manager 778 416-427-6317 murray.conron@bell.net<br />
Sandy Haliburton Membership 730 361-1805 905-884-3081 sandra.haliburton@yrdsb.ca<br />
Steve Himel<br />
President /<br />
Wymbolwood Games<br />
718 416-654-8877 stevehimel@me.com<br />
Paul Rosenberg Vice President 566 361-3257 rospau@gmail.com<br />
BENEFITS OF MEMBERSHIP<br />
Whether you’re a year round resident or seasonal cottager, the Wymbolwood Beach Association provides various services to<br />
you. We have many social activities, communicate township information and assist with the security of your cottage through<br />
the Neighbourhood Watch program.<br />
All Members Receive:<br />
One copy of the annual yearbook<br />
Spring update letter and regular email updates (as necessary)<br />
Access to all <strong>WBA</strong> activities<br />
Voting privileges at the AGM<br />
Updates regarding FoTTSA and other Township information<br />
Contact information available to Neighbourhood Watch Coordinator and<br />
OPP as required<br />
Listing of contact information in yearbook<br />
Access to <strong>WBA</strong> website www.wymbolwood.ca<br />
8
MISSION STATEMENT<br />
Our Vision<br />
To keep Wymbolwood Beach the place where we want to be<br />
Our Mission<br />
To promote our sense of community<br />
To represent the interest of our membership<br />
To secure our heritage and influence our future<br />
We will promote our sense of community by:<br />
Communicating with our members including the yearbook, bulletin board, annual survey, President’s letters and the annual<br />
general meeting<br />
Providing forums for people to meet<br />
Increasing membership within traditional boundaries to sustain the Association through the annual membership drive and the<br />
welcoming committee, (President, Past President and other designates)<br />
Involving a broad cross section of members as volunteers<br />
Acting as a point of contact for local business, other organizations and government<br />
Providing social events, (List of events) and,<br />
Providing the tennis courts, summer youth program and our park<br />
We will represent the interest of our membership by:<br />
Collecting and disseminating information to members on social, political, environmental and safety matters<br />
Providing a Neighbourhood Watch Program<br />
Annual Survey of members<br />
Newsletters<br />
Telephone campaigns<br />
Acting cohesively, getting involved and being informed<br />
We will secure our heritage and influence our future by:<br />
Keeping the traditions alive<br />
‘Leaf from the Past’ feature in the yearbook<br />
Highlights and reporting of events in the yearbook (Designated photographer at all events)<br />
Maintaining our park<br />
GENERAL INFORMATION<br />
Membership:<br />
Full Annual Family Membership - $50<br />
Associate Membership - $30<br />
Tennis Membership - $30 (includes 2 tags)<br />
Additional <strong>Yearbook</strong>s ($15 each as available)<br />
Day Camp donation*<br />
Membership dues and/ or Changes of Name & Address can be mailed to:<br />
Wymbolwood Beach Association<br />
C/o Kathryn From<br />
37 Woodlawn Ave. East<br />
Toronto, ON M4T 1B9<br />
In Memorium & New Additions:<br />
Please do not hesitate to make Directors aware of those we should be remembering and those we are welcoming.<br />
<strong>Yearbook</strong> Contributions:<br />
Let us know if you would like anything added to the yearbook. This is your yearbook -- please contribute<br />
Please send photos and articles to:<br />
Jeff Fredericks<br />
367 Armadale Ave<br />
Toronto, ON M6S 3X7<br />
jeff.Fredericks@rogers.com<br />
*In an effort to maintain the Annual Family Membership fee at $50 we ask those families who benefit from the youth activities<br />
summer camp to consider a donation to assist in the funding of this program.<br />
9
Community Information<br />
<strong>2019</strong> Season<br />
Box Office: 705-549-5555<br />
Starting July 11th Lafontaine Park<br />
10
Editor’s Corner<br />
By Jeff Fredericks<br />
I’ve been a wind<br />
enthusiast since I<br />
discovered the thrill of<br />
windsurfing at age 14. By<br />
the time I was in my 20s, I<br />
had accumulated so<br />
much gear that I had to<br />
create a special storage<br />
section in the cottage<br />
basement. In 1999, I<br />
traded in my windsurfer<br />
for a kiteboard and have<br />
been hooked ever since.<br />
Of course, these days I’m<br />
not alone. On any given windy day there are at least a dozen others kiters<br />
chasing the wind out on the bay.<br />
Last year I discovered a new thrill — sailing! Stu Eccles Jr. generously gifted me<br />
his old Laser. With some tips from my experienced cousins (Kathryn and Eric<br />
From) I got out on the bay and was soon bombing back and forth along the<br />
shoreline. I even took my kids out with me (something you can’t do with a kiteboard)<br />
and enjoyed some great chats as we peacefully cruised among the<br />
waves.<br />
Our yearbook is chock-full of great things to discover at Wymbolwood. Hope<br />
you enjoy it and are inspired to try something new this summer!<br />
See you on the beach!<br />
11
President’s Message<br />
By Steve Himel<br />
Not too long ago, though it may seem inconceivable to<br />
those under 20, we were not plugged in 24 hours a day.<br />
There was no internet, there was no mobile phone, there<br />
was no social media. In those days when you came home<br />
from work and the family dinner was over, there were two<br />
choices really; a book or TV. Today, if those choices aren’t<br />
your jam, there is a black hole of click-bait to take you<br />
from sleep to sleep, but back then you might convince<br />
your family to play a game of cards, take your dog on a long walk, or stand out front<br />
watering your plants or maybe just mooch around the neighbourhood hoping to find<br />
someone in the same state. That is how communities used to work. Maybe you didn’t like<br />
all your neighbours, but you knew them and you shared a common place. You knew who<br />
the troublemakers were and who would lend you a cup of milk. And, when it mattered,<br />
you looked out for one another and were there to help when called on.<br />
With today’s technology we spend a lot of time looking inward, diving into our own<br />
spaces, whether real or virtual. If you took a walk around the neighbourhood, it is pretty<br />
unlikely that you’d find someone in the same state today. But that wasn’t the case when<br />
these cottages on Wymbolwood were built, or when this beach association was started.<br />
Back then people brought their community sensibilities up to the beach with them. They<br />
walked the beach looking for someone to chat with, they planned events and built a<br />
community.<br />
That community is still thriving more than 75 years from its beginning. But the more we look<br />
inward, the more we risk its demise. We all choose to come to the beach to get away<br />
from the city, to get way from work and to get away from the constant demands on our<br />
time. And maybe for some that also includes getting away from other people, but<br />
without our community we lose something important. As I’ve done in previous letters, I’m<br />
asking everybody on the beach to think a little bit about getting involved, even if it’s just<br />
saying saying hello to someone passing on the beach.<br />
We have a few great events each summer - the beach games and the corn roast are<br />
two great examples, and we are hoping to add more. Participation is important, and so is<br />
volunteering. Please have a look at the dates in the beach calendar and put them in<br />
your own. If you have an idea for an event, or you feel like helping out, please contact<br />
me or one of the other directors to get involved.<br />
Wishing you the best of summers<br />
12
AGM Minutes<br />
The Wymbolwood Beach Association<br />
Minutes of the 71st Annual General Meeting of Members<br />
10:00 A.M. Saturday May 19, 2018<br />
Wyevale United Church<br />
1. Call to Order<br />
Steve Himel, president, acted as chairperson and Pat Dorman,<br />
director acted as secretary. The meeting was called to order at 10:09<br />
am. Directors Present: Anne Campbell, Murray Conron, Pat Dorman,<br />
Jeff Fredericks, Kathryn From, Sandy Haliburton, Steve Himel, Lynn<br />
Short. Steve Himel declared a quorum.<br />
2. Adoption of the Agenda<br />
The chair called for a motion to adopt the agenda as presented.<br />
MOTION: Vim Kochar<br />
SECONDED: Dale Recchia CARRIED.<br />
3. Minutes of 2017 AGM<br />
The chair called for a motion to accept the minutes of the 2017 AGM<br />
as printed in the 2018 <strong>Yearbook</strong>. MOTION: Tom Dorman SECONDED:<br />
David McIntosh CARRIED.<br />
4. 2017 Annual Financial Statements and review of 2018 Interim<br />
Financial Report<br />
Kathryn From asked that the membership review the 2017 Final<br />
Financial Statements as printed in the 2018 yearbook. She reported<br />
that 2018 membership revenues are on track with a 58% return to<br />
date. Advertising revenues are down slightly at this point in 2018 and<br />
many thanks to Dave Sparrow for his continued hard work and<br />
dedication to this project<br />
5. Appointment of Accountants<br />
The chair called for a motion to reappoint S+C Partners LLP as<br />
accountants for the Association for 2018. MOTION: Corbin Hendrich<br />
SECONDED: Jane Pashby<br />
13
6. Committee Reports:<br />
i) <strong>Yearbook</strong> – Jeff Fredericks thanked all of the people involved in the<br />
yearbook publication including the guest writer, the proof readers and<br />
everyone who submitted photos and articles. He reminded everyone to<br />
continue sending their submissions this year. He also encouraged the<br />
membership to support our local advertisers as the revenue contributes<br />
significantly to our publication costs. Jeff thanked Dave Sparrow and Anne<br />
Campbell for the incredible work they do securing advertisers. Most of the<br />
yearbook material is reflected on our website, wymbolwood.ca.<br />
ii) Youth Activities Program – The youth activity program will be offered<br />
again this summer from July 3 to August 17. The counsellors have not been<br />
hired yet but the program supervisor, Sylvia Faiella is diligently working on it.<br />
iii) Membership – There has been a 55% return in 2018 membership dues to<br />
date. Thank you to all of the volunteers who will be helping to canvas and<br />
deliver yearbooks on the long May weekend.<br />
iv) Tennis – Carl Flaman, tennis property coordinator advised that there is<br />
some additional tree maintenance/removal required around the courts<br />
after the winter. There are also some cracks in the court surface which<br />
need to be addressed. 2018 tennis tags will be delivered this weekend.<br />
v) Corn Roast – Many thanks to Sue and Dean Morrison who volunteered<br />
to coordinate the corn roast on the long weekend (August 4). It will be<br />
held on the beach in front of Mel and Elaine Snider’s cottage at 664 TBRS.<br />
We encourage volunteers to sign up to help out at the event.<br />
vi) FoTTSA – It was reported that FoTTSA’s main focus and interest for 2018 is<br />
the upcoming provincial election in June and Municipal election in<br />
November<br />
vii) Environment – Lynn Short reported that she has received support from<br />
the township to continue her study on Phragmites. She has had very<br />
encouraging results from the properties that have been cleared repeatedly<br />
and she has had several new cottagers sign up. She is very thankful to the<br />
students and the residents for all of the work that has been done over the<br />
past years at Wymbolwood. Bill Pashby thanked Lynn for putting<br />
Wymbolwood Beach on the map for environmental stewardship. Lynn has<br />
offered to provide photos of Invasive Species to watch for in the <strong>2019</strong><br />
<strong>Yearbook</strong>.<br />
viii) Tennis Tournament – Paul Rosenberg reported that the 2018 tennis<br />
tournament will be held on July 28 and encourages all <strong>WBA</strong> members to<br />
join in the casual fun.<br />
ix) Wymbolwood Games (Regatta and Field Day) – The regatta will be held<br />
on July 14 at the regular site, on the beach in front of the old White Surf<br />
property which is now being generously continued by the McIntosh Family.<br />
Just a reminder however that there is no parking on site and members are<br />
encouraged to arrive by foot or by bicycle. Field day will be held on<br />
August 11 and Steve Himel reported that at this point we have no one to<br />
coordinate the event.<br />
14
8. Retirement and Nomination of Directors<br />
Steve Medwecky will be retiring as a board member. We will certainly<br />
miss Steve and we thank him for all of his dedication and friendship to<br />
the <strong>WBA</strong>. There are now two vacant spots on the board and Steve Himel<br />
encouraged the membership to consider getting involved.<br />
9. New Business<br />
The membership was reminded of the Roast Beef Supper being held at<br />
Wyevale United Church on July 7 with two seatings at 5:00 PM and 6:30<br />
PM.<br />
Anne Campbell announced the critical need for a new person to work<br />
with and eventually take over from Dave Sparrow on the advertising<br />
sales. She offered that it would be helpful for the candidate to live in the<br />
area since it involves midweek, fall and winter solicitation.<br />
A huge thank you was extended to Murray Conron and Bruce Conron<br />
for their diligence in executing the spring membership mailing each year.<br />
The Family Membership trophy was presented to Lynn and Robert<br />
McBride for their OUTSTANDING beach stewardship and ongoing<br />
dedication to the Wymbolwood Community. They have both been<br />
involved in the <strong>WBA</strong> for many years and have worked diligently to help<br />
make our beach a better place for all Wymbolwood Cottagers and<br />
Residents.<br />
Steve Himel reminded the membership that the directorship is always<br />
looking for new board members and volunteers and encouraged<br />
people to get involved.<br />
FINALLY, A MINUTE OF SILENCE WAS OBSERVED FOR THOSE <strong>WBA</strong> MEMBERS<br />
THAT HAVE PASSED AWAY IN THE LAST YEAR.<br />
10. Adjournment<br />
The chair called for a motion to adjourn the meeting at 11:04 AM.<br />
MOTION: Trish Champion SECONDED: Tom Dorman<br />
15
Financials
Tiny Info Sheet<br />
20
Tiny Info Sheet<br />
Tiny Municipal Departments<br />
Building 705-526-5965<br />
By-law Department 705-526-4136<br />
CAO/Clerk/Mayor & Council 705-526-4136 ect 229<br />
Fire & Emergency Service<br />
705-322-1161 (non-emergency<br />
contact)<br />
Public Works 705-526-4202<br />
Recreation Department 705-526-4204 ext 230<br />
Septic 705-527-0119<br />
Tax Department 705-526-4204 ext 230<br />
Waste Collection 705-735-6901 or 1-800-263-3199<br />
Members and Mayor of Council<br />
George Cornell, Mayor 705-526-4204<br />
Steffen Walma, Deputy Mayor 705-526-4204<br />
Cindy Hastings, Councillor 705-526-4204<br />
Richard Hinton, Councillor 705-526-4204<br />
Gibb Wishart, Councillor 705-526-4204<br />
Doug Luker Chief Admin Officer 705-526-4204 ext 224<br />
Sue Walton, Director Legislative<br />
Services<br />
705-526-4204 ext 225<br />
Laura Russel, Sr Admin Coordinatior 705-526-4204 ext 229<br />
20
Wymbolwood Map<br />
27
From the Archives<br />
<strong>WBA</strong> Board of Directors Meeting circa 1956<br />
<strong>WBA</strong> Social Committee suggests ‘Sing Song’<br />
If the Hi-Neighbour Party, Dance and Masquerade weren’t enough, the 1956 <strong>WBA</strong><br />
Social Committee suggested “we try again” to host a Sing Song! Sounds like they<br />
knew how to have fun in the 1950’s!<br />
28
<strong>WBA</strong> Online<br />
Our website www.wymbolwood.ca has been up and running since 2006.<br />
Besides being a place where you will find the Beach AssociaIon news and<br />
mail out noIces, survey and order forms, the site posts arIcles and links to<br />
local news, weather, events and a+racIons, beach and environmental<br />
concerns, real estate, and some history of Tiny. We post any item<br />
newsworthy to Beach residents and visitors. The Wymbolwood <strong>Yearbook</strong>s are<br />
online for viewing here as well.<br />
Our site gets an average six visitors per day. The more <strong>WBA</strong> members<br />
contribute, the more appealing and rewarding will be your visits to the<br />
website. To that end, all Beach residents are encouraged to send in new<br />
photos from our rega+as, field days and corn roast events. Share your<br />
co+age experience in photos and narraIves.<br />
More recently, we introduced a Community BulleIn secIon where you may<br />
post noIces or reply to them. For example, you may wish to post a Help<br />
Wanted ad for summer help in maintaining the co+age lot or conversely<br />
adverIse your services to others. You may upload some of the material<br />
yourself or more usually email this material to the a+enIon of the<br />
webmaster, Murray Conron at: murray.conron@bell.net<br />
It is with sincere regret that we report the death of:<br />
Robert Fisher 430 TBRS<br />
James M. Collett (March 2018) 546 TBRS<br />
Joan Stapleton 596<br />
John Carson 607/609 TBRS<br />
Colin Campbell (Sparrow) 766 TBRS<br />
Fred Henning 792 TBRS<br />
Standing members of the Wymbolwood Beach Association<br />
29
11<br />
Regatta & Field Day 2018<br />
Winners<br />
1st 2nd 3rd<br />
Jr. Girls Josephine Thompson Alice Sniderfield Kathryn Champion<br />
Jr. Boys<br />
Liam Fredericks/Cameron<br />
Champion<br />
Tie for first<br />
Noah Cooper<br />
Sr. Girls Cameron From Megan Fredericks Milana Faeilla<br />
Sr. Boys Simon Henderson Leo From Eric Kraner<br />
Wymbolwood Mile<br />
Junior (Under 10) Male winner - Liam Fredericks 6:11 Female Winner - Alice Robertson 6:52<br />
Senior (10 - 13) Male Winner - Nicholas Faiella 7:23 Female Winner - Cameron From 6:11<br />
Adult 14+ Male Winner Ian Henderson 4:57 Female winner Lucy Grosvenor 6:20<br />
Course Record - 4:04 held by Jeff Conron (2017)
Wymbolwood Activities Camp<br />
Youth Activities Co-coordinator<br />
Camp Champs!<br />
Last year we had another successful camp where children<br />
kept busy playing games, creating crafts and meeting new<br />
friends. A long <strong>WBA</strong> tradition, the camp offers kids (and<br />
their parents) a break from beach activities. This year we<br />
welcome Jessica Koturbash as our new head of Youth<br />
Activities. Jessica’s in-laws have been at Wymbolwood<br />
since the 1960s and she’s enjoyed coming here for the last<br />
14 years. Jessica and her husband Rob have a young<br />
family and she’s excited to help run the camp and meet<br />
new people. We’d also like to thank Sylvia Faiella for her<br />
hard work and dedication leading the way over the last few<br />
years.<br />
About the Camp<br />
The <strong>WBA</strong> Activities Camp is a no-charge, drop-in spot<br />
for children between the ages of 3 to 11. It is open<br />
exclusively to all <strong>WBA</strong> members and their guests, and<br />
runs from July 2 -August 16 M-F from 10 am -12 pm.<br />
Lead by an experienced Activity Leaders who is also<br />
first aid certified and assisted by a junior counsellor,<br />
the camp has everything for your child except for hats,<br />
sunscreen, and snacks. For more information, please<br />
feel free to contact any <strong>WBA</strong> director. Please note,<br />
there are no washroom facilities at the park.<br />
31
The Butterfly Effect<br />
By Tricia Bell-Champion<br />
They have the longest<br />
migration in the insect world,<br />
travelling 5000 kms on tissue<br />
paper-like wings to winter in<br />
the forests of Mexico.<br />
Monarch Butterflies seem so<br />
unassuming - yet their story is<br />
amazing!<br />
Monarchs seem to just flit<br />
and float with no direction<br />
but they actually play an<br />
important role in our<br />
ecosystem. They pollinate<br />
the fruits and vegetables<br />
that we eat - as well as the<br />
beautiful flowers we grow.<br />
A Monarch Butterfly spreads its wings<br />
Sadly, Monarch Butterflies are in trouble. “They’re not endangered; they’re at risk…<br />
unless changes are made,” says Heather Gorman Manager of Education and Public<br />
Programming at the Niagara Falls Butterfly Conservatory. The last 2 decades saw a<br />
90% crash in this species population. The leading causes are climate change,<br />
pesticides, herbicides, deforestation in Mexico and the decline of milkweed.<br />
“Thankfully pesticides have been banned in Canada for the sake of our pollinators.<br />
And a concerted effort to plant and seed milkweed has been made; despite some<br />
people not liking it.” says Gorman<br />
Milkweed is toxic to grazing animals, but it’s crucial for Monarchs. It’s where they lay<br />
their eggs and it’s the ONLY thing a monarch caterpillar eats and they have a<br />
voracious appetite! They can consume an entire milkweed leaf in less than 5 minutes<br />
and they’ll increase 3000 times their original size in just a 10 day period. Wymbolwood<br />
could soon become an all you can eat buffet! As of last year; milkweed began<br />
popping up more frequently along our roads and in the parks.
The kids summer camp even had the rare privilege of witnessing a caterpillar transform<br />
into a chrysalis right in front of them. “I was so excited to see this. I just wish I could have<br />
seen him turn into a butterfly as well,” said Kathryn. Her brother Cameron thought, “it was<br />
awesome and really cool. It made me want to learn more about them.”<br />
Monarchs can be seen more often and helped with local participation. Try planting a<br />
butterfly friendly garden. Steve and Leanne from Springwater Garden Center suggest<br />
adding a butterfly bush or perennials such as Bee Balm or Echinacea. “We always find<br />
chrysalis attached to our Echinacea plants,” says Leanne.<br />
So next time you see one of these delicate but mighty creatures in one of their various<br />
forms - take a moment, observe their world, appreciate it and more importantly - help<br />
care for it.<br />
FUN FACTS:<br />
It takes approximately 15<br />
minutes for a caterpillar<br />
to transform into a<br />
chrysalis. (It takes me<br />
longer to do my hair!)<br />
Monarchs travel about a<br />
160 kms a day. It takes<br />
them about 2 months to<br />
complete their journey to<br />
Mexico.<br />
MONARCH LIFESPAN<br />
egg 4 - 6 days<br />
caterpillar 10 - 12 days<br />
chrystalist 10 - 12 days<br />
butterfly 2 - 6 weeks<br />
The Monarch Butterflies that are born in the late summer are an exception to this rule.<br />
They live 6-7 months to make the journey to Mexico.<br />
38
STAND UP PADDLING<br />
By Tricia Bell-Champion<br />
Paddleboarding is a sport that is growing in leaps<br />
and bounds along Wymbolwood Beach. You can<br />
spot people calming gliding along the surface<br />
alone, others with kids and dogs as passengers.<br />
Some are out racing or fighting the waves. What is<br />
it that draws people to this water sport?<br />
“There are no engines, no gas, it’s 100% natural,”<br />
That’s one of the reasons Brent Ackland loves the<br />
sport of Stand Up Paddleboarding or SUP. His<br />
experience is vast. From boarding in California<br />
and Florida with dolphins, sharks, manta rays,<br />
turtles, barracuda and manatee to sliding across<br />
the waters of Georgian Bay at sunset, hosting<br />
moonlight tours, or winter adventures in Canada.<br />
Serenity on Wymbolwood<br />
Brent is a PaddleFit Certification Coach, owner of Northern SUP, and the Obi-Wan Kenobi of<br />
Standup Paddleboarding in Simcoe County.<br />
“Initially people do it to get exercise, be outdoors and get out on the water. The unstable<br />
surface of the water makes you use a bunch of different muscles - this is to counteract the<br />
instability. It turns into a full body exercise. You can burn 800 - 1000 calories an hour if using<br />
the correct paddling technique.” Ackland shares.<br />
Mark Kraner a frequent visitor to Wymbolwood says, “I remember the first time I tried to get<br />
on a paddle board. I burnt a lot of calories - but that was from falling off and getting back<br />
on, and falling off and getting back on and…well you get the idea. It took a while to get<br />
the hang of it.”<br />
Brent recommends, “if you’re interested in paddleboarding, go to a reputable place, take<br />
a lesson, learn the proper technique, see if you like it and take moment to talk to the<br />
instructors or the owners of the shop. Make sure you get the best equipment for you.”<br />
35
He then makes an analogy. “It’s like<br />
hockey. If someone puts skates on<br />
your feet, a stick in your hand and<br />
puts you on the ice, that doesn’t<br />
mean you’re playing hockey.”<br />
There’s lots to know, starting with the<br />
board. There are different types, for<br />
example, a touring board versus a<br />
surf SUP. They’re used in a<br />
completely different way and often<br />
in different conditions. A single<br />
paddle stroke on a touring board<br />
will allow you to glide the equivalent<br />
Ackland leading a social tour in Barrie<br />
distance as 4 paddle strokes on a surf SUP. So touring boards are specially designed to allow<br />
you to see as much as you can with the least amount of effort.<br />
“You can use the boards for all sorts of things,” explains Brent. “Whatever suits you - racing,<br />
touring, surfing, white water, fishing, yoga or suntanning!”<br />
When asked about his passion for this sport he answered, “I love the social aspect. We do<br />
social paddles every Wednesday night and we get between 20 - 40 people. The age range<br />
is wide, from 20 to 70 year olds. I’ve always loved being on the water and experiencing new<br />
things on the water. With paddleboarding “I find it very spiritual, mentally calming. It feels like<br />
you’re walking on water. If I have a bad day I paddle for a half hour and it makes a<br />
difference.”<br />
Paddling along Wymbolwood can give you a unique perspective. Give it a try. Watch the<br />
fish swim beneath your board, find underwater treasure, check out the personal touches<br />
people add to their beach and cottage, get some exercise, have a zen moment, or my<br />
favourite…hide from my kids!<br />
39
MGCC Celebrates100 yrs<br />
By Liam Scott (guest writer)<br />
It isn’t often that a golf course is<br />
as important to a community’s<br />
history as Midland Golf and<br />
Country Club.<br />
The first nine holes of the MGCC<br />
were built in 1919 by business<br />
magnate James Playfair, who<br />
served as the sole member of the<br />
club’s board and personally<br />
decided all membership. His<br />
entrepreneurship in the lumber,<br />
grain, and manufacturing<br />
industries helped establish<br />
Midland, Ontario and the<br />
surrounding area.<br />
Photo: simcoe.com<br />
“He was a very community minded individual,” says Ian Kirkpatrick, General<br />
Manager for the last 10 years. “What he did was great for the area.”<br />
The club has seen significant changes since then, including the addition of nine<br />
more holes in 1967, but that sense of community is still present today as the club<br />
gears up to celebrate its 100th anniversary this summer with tournaments, food and<br />
drink specials, and special events.<br />
Present<br />
“We want to elevate the community” says Ian. “People should be proud to have<br />
the golf club here.”<br />
Indeed they should. Midland Golf and Country Club has invested a lot of money<br />
into improving the course and amenities over the past century.<br />
39
The course was originally designed by Nicol Thompson, older brother of legendary<br />
golf course designer Stanley Thompson. They later brought in Doug Carrick, a student<br />
of Thompson designed courses, to plan long-term improvements to the course. Today<br />
they have become the premiere golf experience in the region.<br />
Ian says they make a deliberate<br />
effort to be a part of the<br />
community by doing larger<br />
events.<br />
“(The events) are geared toward<br />
supporting the local area,” he<br />
says. “Which is different from a lot<br />
of other clubs.”<br />
Anniversary party<br />
The Midland Golf and Country<br />
Club has planned a 100th<br />
anniversary celebration worthy of<br />
its legacy in Midland.<br />
Courtesy MGCC<br />
“The club was officially opened on May 31st, 1919. So MGCC is kicking the summer off<br />
with a birthday bash golf tournament. All are welcome to join for the golf, and stay for<br />
the barbeque lunch. Plus, wear your best classic golf apparel to for a chance to win<br />
the best-dressed contest!<br />
41
Then, starting August 3rd, there will be a whole week of special fun commemorating<br />
the club’s centennial. Each day will have its own different events. It kicks off with a<br />
hickory tournament, then a night of celebration at Bing’s Rock the Green Party.<br />
Tuesday has a helicopter ball drop on the green, which will raise funds for the local<br />
hospital. And then there’s a few<br />
days of play with Golf Day,<br />
Midland vs Penetang, MGCC<br />
invitational, and League Day,<br />
ending with the Playfair 100-Hole<br />
Challenge!<br />
Finally, get ready for the<br />
Centennial Wrap-Up party on<br />
August 10th, with live music and<br />
drinks.<br />
“We make sure the community<br />
loves this golf club,” says Ian.<br />
“Whatever they need, we’ll bend<br />
over backward for them.”<br />
Courtesy MGCC<br />
41
The Wymbolwood Nature Preserve<br />
By Robert McBride (Director WNPL)<br />
In 1979, there was a draft plan<br />
of a subdivision created by the<br />
owner of a block of land of<br />
approximately 147 acres bound<br />
by Tiny Beaches Road South on<br />
the west, Durie Street on the<br />
north, Skylark Road on the east<br />
and the mostly unopened 6th<br />
Concession on the south. A<br />
group of concerned cottagers<br />
who owned Wymbolwood<br />
beachfront properties, studied<br />
the development plan. They<br />
Removing hazardous trees<br />
concluded that the proposed<br />
development of the property<br />
comprising an additional 250 homes could create serious environmental problems.<br />
The property is a significant lowland mixed forest that helps to mitigate flooding by<br />
providing the avenue for drainage of a large “provincially significant” wetland<br />
extending several kilometers further north. It hosts a high-quality forest providing<br />
valuable habitat for some threatened bird species and other species at risk.<br />
In 1984, after several meetings, the land owner was persuaded to sell the property<br />
rather than continue to try to advance the plan of a subdivision. Over 30<br />
cottagers provided the funds required to purchase the property. In order to take<br />
title of the land, they formed a private company known as Wymbolwood Nature<br />
Preserve Limited (WNPL). The goals of the company were, and remain, to preserve<br />
the natural environment of the lands and enhance its role in flood mitigation.<br />
Over the next 10 years, trails were blazed and bridges constructed in order to<br />
make the property fully accessible.<br />
39
It is stipulated in WNPL’s articles of incorporation that to own a share in the company,<br />
a Shareholder must also be the owner of land located within 3 kilometers of the<br />
property. Over time, some shares have changed hands and new shares have been<br />
issued so that there are now 36 Shareholders, each owning one share.<br />
WNPL holds an annual meeting of Shareholders on the Saturday morning of every<br />
Thanksgiving weekend. Tom Dorman currently serves as the company’s president with<br />
other officers and directors being: Bill Pashby, Mel Snider, David Haliburton and Robert<br />
McBride. Every year each of the 36 shareholders pays a fee to fund the cost of taxes,<br />
insurance, professional fees and property maintenance.<br />
The property is a ‘Managed Forest’. Every 10 years, a qualified professional forester<br />
surveys the land and prepares<br />
a detailed and comprehensive<br />
management plan which<br />
includes recommendations for<br />
maintenance. Every fall,<br />
Shareholders and their families<br />
do comprehensive trail and<br />
stream maintenance in<br />
accordance with the<br />
recommendation of the<br />
management plan to enhance<br />
safety, flood protection and<br />
enjoyment of the forest. The<br />
Shareholders are also vigilant<br />
and take mitigative action<br />
against the encroachment<br />
An early spring walk<br />
onto the property of invasive<br />
plant species such as Garlic Mustard and Phragmites.<br />
40
The Huronia Land Conservancy is a charitable organization committed to preserve,<br />
protect and restore the significant natural and cultural lands of North Simcoe County.<br />
They approached WNPL and requested permission to conduct a breeding bird survey<br />
on the property. The survey was completed during the summer of 2015. The findings<br />
were very significant. There were 28 bird species found on the property, of which, one<br />
is a “species at risk” -- the Wood Thrush -- which is considered to be threatened with<br />
extinction. Also, the Ovenbird, a small wood warbler, is very sensitive to forest<br />
fragmentation. Its presence is indicative of the property being a healthy forest. The<br />
property has several species of trees including White Pine, Red Pine, Eastern Hemlock,<br />
Red Oak, Sugar Maple, Red Maple and White Cedar representing good biodiversity.<br />
The Shareholders were delighted to receive<br />
confirmation that the great diversity of animal<br />
and plant species in the property are<br />
indicators of good habitat quality.<br />
The Wymbolwood Nature Preserve is private<br />
property and the Shareholders have<br />
determined that the priority is to preserve its<br />
valuable natural habitat and environmental<br />
qualities. Trails have been established for the<br />
passive enjoyment of the Shareholders, their<br />
families and guests for hiking, cross-country<br />
skiing and snowshoeing. In order to limit<br />
vandalism, littering and disturbance of the flora and fauna, “No Trespassing” signs are<br />
posted near the trail entrances. The use of motorized vehicles (all-terrain vehicles,<br />
snowmobiles or motorcycles) is not allowed within the property.<br />
In <strong>2019</strong>, WNPL will mark its 35th year noting that the precious environmental features<br />
of the property are as healthy as they were when the company first acquired the<br />
land. The Shareholders are pleased with this accomplishment and remain firmly<br />
committed to the company’s goals.<br />
41
<strong>WBA</strong> WATER SAMPLE UPDATE<br />
By Bruce Conron<br />
Last year was another of FoTTSA’s biennial<br />
water sampling summers, which began in<br />
2002. Entailing a small fee per sample,<br />
<strong>WBA</strong> has participated in this program for<br />
most of those years. For nine consecutive<br />
weeks, beginning July 3rd, and ending<br />
August 27th, our volunteers committed to<br />
wade out to chest level prior to 10 AM, off<br />
the shore at Durie Street. That access is<br />
roughly mid-point between the north and<br />
south end.<br />
Wymbolwood Beach Water Makes the Grade<br />
After dutifully filling out a form for location<br />
code WYM 1 (observing ambient conditions at that hour) and methodically<br />
plunging their 250 mL bottle to the full extension of their forearm, they deposited<br />
both into a cooler behind Jane Pashby’s cottage. From there the sample was<br />
picked up by a courier from the Tiny Township Water Department, and the entire<br />
once-a-weekly survey from eighteen beaches and seventy-five sample zones<br />
delivered to the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit’s Aquatic and Environmental<br />
Lab on Horseshoe Valley Road.<br />
How did Wymbolwood measure up over the summer months? Reassuringly well.<br />
Effective 2018, an Escherichia coli (a subgroup of fecal coliform) or E. coli bacterial<br />
count of 200 per 100 mL of water is a warrant for the authorities to flag or post a<br />
cautionary swim notice. Consistent with the Wymbolwood analyses of prior years,<br />
WYM 1’s counts were either less than 10 or 10 week-after-week per 100 mL. A count<br />
of less than 10 is the lowest threshold the Simcoe county public health unit measures.<br />
The only exception occurred on August 7 with a count of 50. This jump was<br />
apparently caused by significant wave action or ‘run up’ during the day that<br />
exposed E. coli otherwise embedded in the sand several metres off the shoreline in<br />
what the scientists call the swash zone.<br />
35
At the June 23rd orientation for beach reps, Judith pointed out that these counts<br />
are admittedly only snapshots at one particular place at one particular time –<br />
normally on a Monday. Nevertheless, globally they give us a sense of how<br />
biologically safe, referring to E. coli, the Federation beaches are for our recreation<br />
year after year, and how confident we can feel that even our youngest members<br />
are cavorting in some of Georgian Bay’s sweetest waters.<br />
A more in-depth coverage of the water sampling program is available online in<br />
the January <strong>2019</strong> FoTTSA Flash. It includes a complete archive of water sampling<br />
results over the years up to 2018 and a comprehensive bibliography of research<br />
findings on the nature and occurrence of E.coli on our beach.<br />
Photo courtesy of Julia Aronov<br />
35
Georgian Bay — A Biography<br />
By Bruce Conron<br />
Georgian Bay: Discovering A Unique North<br />
American Ecosystem, Nick Eyles, editor.<br />
Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 2017, 275 pages,<br />
hardcover, 31 cm x 24 cm.<br />
The Georgian Bay Land Trust (GBLT), sponsors of<br />
this publication, set out in 2011 to publish not just<br />
another coffee table book about the bay but<br />
rather one that would, in the words of the editor,<br />
systematically describe the ecology, geology<br />
and landscapes, the aquatic and terrestrial<br />
ecosystems, organisms, and the history of human<br />
occupancy – everything that makes the<br />
Georgian Bay story unique. Thanks to the high<br />
calibre of contributed chapters by eleven<br />
authors who are experts in their particular subject and the profusion of wonderful<br />
photographs, maps, diagrams, and art throughout, roughly a half-and-half proportion of the<br />
contents, the GBLT produced a very attractive amalgam of picture book and authoritative<br />
reference six years later.<br />
The only drawback I would bring to the book designer’s attention is that the typeface<br />
used for the pictorial captions is quite miniscule, eye-strain inducing, and on several of the<br />
maps and tables the words are borderline illegible without a magnifying glass.<br />
The initial chapters, written by University of Toronto geology professor Eyles, delve into the<br />
physical foundations of Georgian Bay, the prehistoric geology and limnology that began<br />
two billion years ago. He then describes the effects of a repetition of ice ages (estimates are<br />
about 50) that last occurred about 12,000 years ago, and the phenomenon of rising and<br />
falling water levels since the times of glacial Lake Algonquin. The bay as we know it was<br />
established about 4,000 years ago, diminished to approximately half the extent of Lake<br />
Algonquin. A bit of trivia now: the waters of Nottawasaga Bay are completely renewed<br />
every eight years, a period referred to as “residence time,” thanks to the anti-clockwise gyre<br />
or wind-driven current, barely perceptible, that exits Lake Huron through the door at<br />
Tobermory, moves down along the Bruce Peninsula, turning about-face in front of us, and<br />
then carries on up toward Killarney, deflected east and south again by prevailing NW winds<br />
funnelling through the North Channel. The fourth chapter, devoted to those “ups and<br />
downs,” a subject of perennial concern and contention for shoreline residents, is of some<br />
relevance to our dynamic beach.<br />
35
Eyles concludes with the following point:<br />
“Healthy ecosystems depend on natural change [author’s emphasis]. Water levels<br />
fluctuate very rapidly in Georgian Bay on varying timescales; times of low level are quickly<br />
followed by high levels and vice versa; indeed, a wealth of studies reveal that rapid almost<br />
tide-like variation from season to season, day to day, and sometimes hour to hour, is a key<br />
to healthy lakeshore ecosystems. Great Lakes coastal wetlands are diverse, highly dynamic<br />
and have evolved over thousands of years against a background of frequent changes in<br />
lake level. Ecosystem variability and resilience are known to be much reduced along the<br />
shorelines of those lakes (Lake Ontario) where water levels are regulated. …These lakes<br />
contain 20% of the world’s surface freshwater. It is shocking how little we yet know of their<br />
history and their future. Going forward, conservation efforts must address both the waters<br />
and land of Georgian Bay.”<br />
Overall, the book reflects, and which is its major strength in my opinion, his passion for<br />
popularizing the life and times of the Precambrian Shield of metamorphic rocks (the<br />
eastern shores of the 30,000 Islands) and their neighbour on the opposite shore, the steeply<br />
vertical limestone sedimentation of the<br />
escarpment, the Bruce Peninsula. For<br />
the most part, Eyles’s mastery of earth<br />
science makes it all explicable and<br />
fascinating. In these chapters the lay<br />
reader will encounter and<br />
comprehend terms like Grenville<br />
orogeny, tectonic plates, glacial<br />
rebound, strandline, erratics,<br />
epilimnion, and seiches, and that’s just<br />
for starters. After reading his chapter<br />
on the rise and fall and rise again of<br />
the bay since the last Ice Age, you will<br />
have a longer view on the “Stop the<br />
Drop” movement of the past few<br />
years.<br />
Another theme naturally running<br />
through the book is conservation, the<br />
reason motivating the Georgian Bay<br />
Photo: Richard Culverwell<br />
Land Trust after all. Both coasts along thousands of kilometres have been designated by<br />
UNESCO as World Biosphere Reserves earlier this century. national parks, governmentassisted<br />
conservation reserves and privately sponsored land trusts.<br />
40
But as many of the contributing authors point out, such a category does not preclude<br />
human development now and in the years to come, compromising sensitive biodiversity.<br />
Indeed, a pie chart in the concluding chapter on how we are doing nurturing the bay’s<br />
unique ecology, by Bill Lougheed, executive director of the GBLT, indicates that slightly over<br />
one-quarter of the bay’s shores and adjacent wetlands are protected by provincial and<br />
national parks, government-assisted conservation reserves and privately sponsored land<br />
trusts.<br />
Other chapters are devoted to indigenous mammals, birds, reptilian and aquatic life, the<br />
hunting and gathering activities of Paleo-Indians living here as the last ice cap receded, the<br />
rise and fall of lumbering and fishing over the past 160 years, the Ontario governmentendorsed<br />
chimera in the 1860s and 70s of farming colonization in a chapter (another one<br />
by the geologist/editor) aptly titled “Where Rocks Rule,”. Another chapter focuses on the<br />
evolution of Collingwood’s economy, then one beautifully illustrated by works from the<br />
artists since the era of the Group of Seven who have been inspired by the bay to create in<br />
a variety of media.<br />
Concerning the demise of commercial fishing within less than ninety years of its start-up,<br />
due largely to mismanaged regulation and partly to invasive predatory marine life, Eyles<br />
has this to say. “There are lessons here for the future as urban development moves north<br />
into Georgian Bay environments that were extensively altered by nineteenth century<br />
logging, but which have recovered sufficiently to now be regarded as being ‘quasi<br />
natural.’ This recovery has been aided by the strongly seasonal nature of tourism and<br />
recreation; the Bay has been protected to a large degree by its long winter and extensive<br />
ice cover.”<br />
Lougheed poses future challenges in the form of questions: are the right ‘wilderness’ areas<br />
being protected, in sufficient extent and in sufficient numbers, how well do we understand<br />
the interaction of aquatic and terrestrial species, “how resilient are the bay’s ecosystems to<br />
incremental development year upon year as its reputation as a place of solitude becomes<br />
known world-wide?” Scientific knowledge about all this needs to be more available to<br />
those who make policy. Too often the latter is reactive. Private initiatives like the Georgian<br />
Bay Land Trust are moving proactively to secure through donation those “areas at risk”<br />
along the shore and among the islands. These eastern shore properties in trust are being<br />
saved for access and benign recreation (there are no fences or gates, only notices) by the<br />
public at large. In this way, they will be educating themselves and being made more<br />
aware, made more in awe, of the uniqueness of Georgian Bay. For more information about<br />
the GBLT, go to www.gblt.org.<br />
40
Regatta<br />
Beach Blast<br />
Wymbolwood’s unsung heroes – sand rakers and beach flatteners – braved a crisp dawn to prep for<br />
the 2018 Wymbolwood Regatta in front of the Mcintosh cottage (532 TBRS). Their efforts paid off<br />
as our finest summer athletes showed their speed in the running races, 3-legged races,<br />
wheelbarrow races and more.<br />
The first annual floatie race was a big hit with the kids and will be returning this year by popular<br />
demand. The boys and girls showed great endurance with the hula-hoop contest and the parents<br />
joined them for the shoe fling event and the egg toss. And in the grand finale – the tug of war – the<br />
South triumphed over the North in a hard-fought battle. Special thanks again to David McIntosh<br />
and family for letting us use their beachfront. Participants wishing to park along the road are<br />
encouraged to secure Day Permits available at the Town Office. This year’s event is July 13th at<br />
9:45 a.m. and the rain date is the following day, same time. <br />
See you there! 42
Regatta<br />
North vs South Games<br />
Great weather and happy participants made the 2018 Regatta a great success.<br />
43
Field Day<br />
& Wymbolwood Mile<br />
Field of Dreams!<br />
The Field Day event brought out Wymbolwood’s most competitive athletes and<br />
featured the popular potato sack race and several running race. Highlights include<br />
an epic leg standing contest and a hotly contested ball toss event. Of course the<br />
summer wouldn’t be complete without the annual Wymbolwood Mile.. Young runners<br />
pushed their limits and registered some impressive times. Mark August 10th in your<br />
calendar for this year’s event. Activities at 9:45 a.m. The rain date takes place the<br />
following day, same time.<br />
44
Field Day<br />
A solid effort from young and old at the 2018 Field Day event.<br />
45
Corn Roast<br />
A little more butter please!<br />
45
Corn Roast<br />
The annual Corn Roast brought out great crowds and featured excellent corn and<br />
the popular sandcastle contest. Special thanks to the Morrison family and their team<br />
of volunteers for making the event a huge success.<br />
45
Family Spotlight<br />
By Michelle D’Aoust<br />
Meet the D’Aousts (420 TBRS)<br />
Every cottage that lines the shores of Wymbolwood Beach has a story to tell. For some recently<br />
built cottages, the story has just begun. For others, the story adds a new chapter with every<br />
passing year. And for a few cottages, like my parent’s, the story has come to an end.<br />
Our 62 year old cottage at the north end of Wymbolwood Beach was sold three years ago. It has<br />
since been replaced with a new one, but special memories of our summer home will always remain.<br />
The story begins with my father Neil who was born and raised in a farmhouse at the top of the hill<br />
on Concession 8. Although later a successful city business man, his heart was always in the<br />
D’Aoust’s Bay area. In the early 1950’s, he purchased two waterfront lots for $1,000 alongside the<br />
four lots his sister Margaret (Daoust) Kearns had bought in the 1930’s.<br />
The family cottage was built in 1955, a labour of love for my father and mother. A simple three<br />
bedroom building at the outset, the cottage seemed to undergo annual additions and renovations<br />
to keep pace with the needs of a growing family of five children. In the 1970’s, a second story was<br />
added along with a ‘modern’ kitchen. As well, dad built an asphalt tennis court on the double lot<br />
along with a garage and a sun porch.<br />
46
Family Spotlight<br />
I now realize how lucky I was to spend every summer at the cottage. From an early age, my<br />
parents instilled in their children a strong work ethic and a pragmatic approach to life. Although<br />
busy with a myriad of small projects, my father always took the time to tend a large vegetable<br />
garden near his birthplace and as kids, we’d pick as many quarts of strawberries as possible and<br />
sell them road side to help defray the cost of gas for our motor boat. Our most loyal customers<br />
were the Scott/<br />
Angus family.<br />
They loved our<br />
strawberries as<br />
much as we<br />
loved Ellen<br />
Scott’s butter<br />
tarts.<br />
My revenue<br />
source increased<br />
substantially<br />
when I began to<br />
work at the local<br />
Brookside<br />
Village store on<br />
Ossossane<br />
Beach for $2.15 an hour while my brothers worked odd jobs painting cottages. As well, back in<br />
the 60’s and 70’s, the adjacent beach at Ossossane was public and Monday mornings would see<br />
my brothers out collecting errant pop bottles worth 2 cents each.<br />
As a kid, I can also remember mornings at the Wymbolwood Beach Camp overseen by Dale<br />
Ritchie, the most organized mom on the planet. Afternoons were usually spent on the beach<br />
although some days, we would sneak into the White Surf Lodge to play ping pong or run through<br />
the sand dunes behind the White Surf and discover the occasional turtle.<br />
46
In the 60’s, we had a black and white TV with CKVR in Barrie the only station we could pick up. I’ll<br />
never forget the night when Neil Armstrong walked on the moon(July 1969); I think we had the<br />
whole neighbourhood over that evening to watch the event.<br />
The arrival of the “party line” phone in the 70’s was quite a novelty and we were often surprised<br />
and entertained to hear an on-going conversation when we picked up the phone.<br />
Our teenage years morphed into Midland Drive-In nights and the iconic Barrel Works dance at<br />
Balm Beach with the Bowen and Simon families. The Barrel Works staff were always willing to<br />
accept any homemade ID for all of us under 18 years of age.<br />
In looking back, it was my<br />
father’s dream to create a<br />
safe and comfortable<br />
summer home for his family,<br />
a dream that he<br />
successfully realized long<br />
before his untimely passing<br />
in 1989.<br />
Our family cottage was<br />
always for place for family<br />
gatherings like birthdays<br />
and wedding receptions, a<br />
place for good food and<br />
lively card games, a place<br />
for the laughter of children<br />
and grandchildren, a place<br />
for my mother to enjoy in her declining years and now, a wonderful place to remember. <br />
Though gone, the family cottage will never be forgotten because, where once stood an asphalt<br />
tennis court, I’ve built my own cottage, a cottage that is writing its own story in the shadow of my<br />
father’s dream.<br />
46
Family Spotlight<br />
By Liam Scott (Guest writer)<br />
Meet the Robinsons (602 TBRS)<br />
Like many Wymbolwood residents, Dale Robinson has a deep connection to the area. From<br />
summer day camp to the baseball park, her childhood is overflowing with warm memories of<br />
her family enjoying all that Wymbolwood provides its community. The only difference for her is<br />
that her parents are the reason Wymbolwood provides those things at all.<br />
Ron & Emily<br />
Her parents, Ron and Emily Robinson, built their cottage in Wymbolwood in the 1940s.<br />
“It was safe here, and a great place to play,” remembers Dale.<br />
Dale and her siblings, Brent, Coral, and Heather, grew up spending summers at the family<br />
cottage, and the Robinsons developed a deep connection to the area. Then one day, the<br />
township decided it wanted to develop part of the beach. The Robinsons wouldn’t have it.<br />
When the Town sent trucks full of gravel, Ron and Emily led community members in digging<br />
trenches around the territory. They proceeded to lay down in front of the trucks, refusing to let<br />
them pass. After the township caved, Ron and a few other community members decided to<br />
start an organization to look out for the needs of Wymbolwood cottagers.
.<br />
Emily got to work, and within<br />
a few years the <strong>WBA</strong> field<br />
day and regatta were big<br />
hits with the community. She<br />
took on community tasks like<br />
recruiting counsellors for the<br />
new day camp, and<br />
collecting donations to buy<br />
the ballpark, while Ron<br />
donated a tennis court to the<br />
community.<br />
Dale<br />
“Their legacy is really important because some of the activities (field day and regatta) have<br />
continued today,” says Dale.<br />
Now in her 70s, Dale has carried on that legacy, remaining an active presence in the<br />
community and has even served as Director of the <strong>WBA</strong> for 20 years. She has spent that time<br />
continuing to organize the events her mother started and protecting beaches and road being<br />
paved over with gravel.<br />
She and her siblings also made memories with their own children, making sure to get together<br />
at the cottage every summer.<br />
“When I think about it now I realize how much it meant,” she says. “It’s been my favourite<br />
place to be for my whole life.”<br />
Present<br />
These days, Dale lives in Wymbolwood year-round, with her sister Coral’s cottage right next<br />
door. While Brent passed away three years ago, Heather still comes to visit, as do all their<br />
children’s families. While she’s less active in the community, she worries for the future of<br />
Wymbolwood and worries what would come if it were opened to the public.<br />
“They aren’t as protective of the beach as they need to be,” she says. “Tourists don’t care for<br />
the beach.”<br />
She says the area’s native plants, and local charm, are best left in the care of those who know<br />
it well and have helped it become what it is.<br />
“Anyone who grew up here knows what it means"<br />
48
Garbage Crusaders<br />
By Liam Scott (Guest Writer)<br />
Last summer, two vigilant<br />
Wymbolwood cottagers noticed<br />
something: garbage. Their beloved<br />
beach and lake were covered in it.<br />
Luckily, they leapt to the rescue for<br />
their community.<br />
These heroes are Liam, 10, and<br />
Cameron, 12. And they think other<br />
residents could stand to learn from<br />
their deeds.<br />
Cameron says her and Liam went for<br />
a swim at their beach the night after<br />
a big storm, when they noticed<br />
something in the water.<br />
“There was garbage in the water everywhere,” she says. “It was in my hair.”<br />
And it was a lot. “Too much for just a few people littering,” says Liam.<br />
Far more than the usual beach party leftovers, the entire area was strewn with debris that<br />
had blown in from neighbouring cottages. So the cousins ran home for garbage bags and<br />
got to work picking it up.<br />
The cousins’ efforts are important because plastic can have a devastating effect beyond<br />
just the beach.<br />
An estimated 10,000 tonnes of plastic enters the great lakes every year. And instead of<br />
floating to the surface in patches, like in the ocean, garbage gets swept up in currents<br />
and flows onto our beaches.<br />
The Alliance for the Great Lakes picked up 16 tonnes of plastic during their 2017 beach<br />
cleanups, while 31 kilograms of plastic bottles, food wrappers, toys, straws and cigarette<br />
butts were found floating on the Don River in Toronto last July. These plastics eventually<br />
break down into very small particles and enter our drinking water.<br />
32
When it was all done, Liam and Cameron had four big bags full of plastic straws and<br />
utensils, broken plastic toys, and even small fish caught up in grocery bags.<br />
Liam and Cameron say their neighbours were excited to see them get to work. While<br />
taking in their haul, the cousins ran into a group of beachgoers with their own garbage in<br />
tow.<br />
The group gave Liam and Cameron the garbage they were carrying, and said they’d<br />
spread the word around the community.<br />
“They were like, ‘wow, that’s great you’re doing this,’” says Liam.<br />
Speaking of spreading the word, Liam and Cameron have a few tips for Wymbolwooders<br />
this upcoming summer:<br />
1) Close your trash can<br />
“If you think there’s gonna be a storm, make sure your garbage can is closed,” says Liam.<br />
This will stop the garbage from blowing out of the can and littering the neighbourhood.<br />
2) Pick up your stuff<br />
“You can use the stuff you’re using, but don’t leave it on the beach,” says Cameron. She<br />
suggests taking the extra time to look around for other people’s garbage as well before<br />
leaving.<br />
3) Butt out<br />
“Don’t smoke cigarettes,” recommends Cameron. This eliminates one of the worst culprits<br />
for beach litter, but is also wise advice for any beachgoer’s lifestyle.<br />
4) Spread the word<br />
“Inform your friends and parents that they can prevent littering,” says Cameron. A group<br />
effort is really needed to keep Wymbolwood pristine. If everyone follows these tips, it will<br />
make a difference.<br />
32
Wymbolwood Moments<br />
A sample of the many Wymbolwood moments caught on film. Keep ‘em<br />
coming.<br />
Photos courtesy of David Henderson, Anne Campbell & Tricia Bell-Champion 50
Wymbolwood Moments<br />
Tweens, teens and in-betweens enjoy all the Beach has to offer.<br />
Photos courtesy of Caroline Nadeau & Tricia Bell-Champion<br />
51
Wymbolwood Moments<br />
Beautiful sunsets say it all! Photos: David Henderson, Louise Sparrow, and Steve<br />
Himel<br />
52
Wymbolwood Moments<br />
Stretching out the day. Photos Elaine Snider, Julia Aronov and Tricia Bell-<br />
Champion.<br />
52
Wymbolwood Moments<br />
Nature caught on film. Photos courtesy of Julia Aronov.<br />
52
Got a Fish Tale?<br />
We’d love to hear from<br />
you!<br />
Send us your favourite<br />
Wymbolwood story. Could be an<br />
early childhood memory, recent<br />
experience or summer adventure.<br />
We’d also welcome tips and<br />
advice on things to do away from<br />
the beach. Got a favourite<br />
restaurant or place to shop in<br />
town? Discovered a hidden gem<br />
worth sharing or maybe a great<br />
day trip? Let us know!<br />
Dr. Lynn From teaches her son Eric how to reel in a<br />
big one.<br />
As a general guideline, try to keep your stories 500 words or less. Be sure to include<br />
photos and contact information. The submission deadline for next year’s book is April<br />
1st, 2020. Photos should be sent in a high resolution format. Please use a file transfer<br />
service such as DropBox or WeTransfer when sending five or more photos.<br />
Submissions: Send your submission to Jeff.fredericks@rogers.com<br />
32
Tennis Tournament<br />
Paul Rosenberg<br />
Annual Wymbolwood Tennis Tournament<br />
The 2018 <strong>WBA</strong> Tennis Tournament was held on Sunday, July 29th.<br />
Four doubles teams competed. As you can see, it was a casual event.<br />
Pictured are the winners (on the right) Jack Strong and Bob Byrick with<br />
the runners-up David and Paul Rosenberg on the left .<br />
A good time was had by all.<br />
If you’re interested in continuing this tradition please contact me at<br />
rospau@gmail.com or phone (705)361-3257.<br />
53
From our beginning<br />
in 1990 we, at<br />
Midland Toyota, set<br />
out to provide the<br />
best vehicles, the<br />
best value and the<br />
best service -<br />
anywhere!<br />
Our motto " We<br />
really do care!" is<br />
not just a<br />
catchphrase but a<br />
belief that is at the<br />
core of everything<br />
we do for our<br />
customers and our<br />
team.<br />
<br />
Now, more than 25<br />
years later, Midland<br />
Toyota has grown<br />
to become known for excellence in service and sales in Midland, Penetanguishene and<br />
the surrounding area. Many members of our team have been with us from the<br />
beginning and know our customers so well they treat them like family. We all live locally<br />
and are involved in schools, sports teams, service clubs and recreation throughout the<br />
area. <br />
<br />
We are heavily invested in our community as well. Right from the beginning Midland<br />
Toyota has believed in the "Shop Midland" culture. It's our aim to use local trades as<br />
well as local goods and services with the long term view that the relationships we build<br />
will be of value to the community. Still today, we have relationships that have lasted<br />
more than 25 years from local businesses that helped us build our store to our first<br />
customers that purchased vehicles from us.<br />
<br />
From our owner Jim Koch on down we are collectively committed to ensuring you have<br />
the best purchase or service experience possible. After all, you have invested your<br />
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abilities.<br />
Remember - We Really Do Care!<br />
Come visit us anytime in-store on King St in Midland, online at midlandtoyota.ca. or<br />
call: 705-527-6640
• New<br />
• Used<br />
• Sales<br />
• Parts<br />
• Service<br />
• Detailing / Cleaning<br />
806 King St., Midland, ON L4R 0B8<br />
(705) 527-6640 | 877 527-6640
List of Advertisers<br />
53
List of Advertisers<br />
53
Wymbolwood<br />
<strong>2019</strong><br />
<strong>2019</strong> Key Dates<br />
AGM - May 18<br />
<strong>WBA</strong> Activities Camp - July 2 to August 16<br />
Regatta - July 13<br />
Corn Roast - August 3<br />
Field Day — August 10