Serving Lake Erie’s North Shore Friday August 28, 2015
INSIDE
The 161st Annual Shedden Fair
Letters Building the million dollar rock wall east of the harbour merely moved the erosion along the shore and ate away the lakeshore road. STORY PAGE 2
Port Stanley Cat Rescue-News Update Thank you again for your support over the year. STORY PAGE 2
Port Bruce Report September 12th from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. at the pavilion - all you can eat perch Fish Fry. STORY PAGE 2
Port Stanley Legion Poppy Open 2015 The Ojibwa is quietly, out of the limelight, attracting a steady stream of visitors this season. STORY PAGE 3
Port Burwell Report The Port Burwell Provincial Park hosts their annual raptor experience on September Saturdays, 12th, 19th, 26th. STORY PAGE 4
The Shedden Agricultural Society Fair has been continuously running since 1854 and is a member of the Ontario Association of Agricultural Societies. This past weekend’s fair was the 161st edition. To those of us from a more urban background it is a great way to see a little bit of what agriculture is all about. There was an antique show of tractors, plus new agricultural equipment on display. There were also displays of farm animals and crops. There was also a tractor pull and a demolition derby. The show took place at the Shedden Keystone Complex and there was a variety of country and other musical entertainment in the main Complex building.
Port Stanley Report Here is an update on the breakwater. The opening has now been set tentatively for September 5, 2015 at 11AM. STORY PAGE 5
First Nations & Ontario Sign Political Accord The Chiefs of Ontario and the Government of Ontario signed a historic Political Accord that will guide the relationship between First Nations and the province. STORY PAGE 8
LOOK AHEAD Community Events
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Classifieds & Service Directory Page 7 Business Roladex
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LEB Circulation The Lake Erie Beacon is delivered free of charge to over 6000 homes, apartments and businesses along the north shore of Lake Erie. In addition copies are available at selected locations in Rodney, West Lorne, Dutton, St.Thomas, Copenhagen and Port Stanley.
Fun for everyone at the Shedden Fair! The Demolition Derby was a big crowd pleaser. The fair also featured many other events including displays at the exhibitor's building, an outdoor country market, midway rides, games and much more.
Andrew Hibbert
toilet seat toss.
Saturday started with Breakfast at 8:00 am, an Outdoor Vendor Market at 9:00 a.m., the Elgin 4H Beef Show, Light Horse Show and Cattle Show. The afternoon featured a Parade, Baby The fair also featured many other Show, Pet Show, Car Show and events including displays at the exWoman’s Skillet Throw amongst many hibitor's building, and outdoor country other activities. market, midway rides, games, displays, Sunday also featured a wide variety and a baby show. Some of the other fun of attractions for visitors including events were a horse show and men's Breakfast, a pet show, the demolition
derby at 1:30 p.m., outdoor country market, midway rides, and an open mic Country Western music venue. Unfortunately I missed was the Men’s Toilet Seat Toss. The Rules included: 1. Open to all men. 2. Toilet seat to be provided by the fair. 3. Two throws per contestant-best of two. I once threw a whole toilet out the back door but it was one I was replacing with a new one! The demolition derby was a serious crowd pleaser which just about drew all the visitors from the rest of the fair. As noted in the rules of the event, demolition derbies are a hazardous and highrisk sport; therefore anyone with a health condition, i.e.: concussions, heart problems, etc. or who is pregnant should not compete. Continued On Page 3
Climate change may threaten one of Lake Erie’s most popular fish ment were 30 to 40 percent larger and their hatching success was between two- and four-fold better than the smaller eggs produced under warm, short winter conditions.
The Great Lakes Fishery Commission Research has suggested yellow perch grow more rapidly during the short winters resulting from climate change, but a new study shows warmer water temperatures can lead to the production of less hardy eggs and larvae that have trouble surviving these early stages of life in Lake Erie. The research also showed that yellow perch don’t adjust spawning to match earlier spring-like temperatures. This poses a problem if the hatchlings’ main food source, zooplankton, does make a temperaturebased adjustment because supplies may be low by the time larvae are ready to feed.
“If not enough food is available, the larvae will grow slowly and be vulnerable to predators like invasive white perch,” said Stuart Ludsin, principal investigator of the study and an associate professor of evolution, ecology and organismal biology at The Ohio State University. On average, eggs produced in long, cold winter conditions in a lab experi-
The survival problem could help explain why yellow perch numbers in Lake Erie have been low since 2003, and stand at only about half of the average fish population recorded during its heyday in the 1960s and ’70s. “There are a lot of factors that can help explain why yellow perch numbers are low in Lake Erie. The warmer winter temperature clearly is an important one,” said Ludsin, also co-director of Ohio State’s Aquatic Ecology Laboratory. “For management agencies, there Continued On Page 4