Serving Lake Erie’s North Shore Friday October 11, 2013
INSIDE LETTERS Most of the people I have talked to, and most of your correspondents like the present look and feel of Port Stanley. STORY PAGE 2
Clarification regarding Selbourne Park in Port Stanley I would like to address the rumours surrounding Selbourne Park in Port STORY PAGE 2 Stanley.
Battle of the Thames reenactment On the 5th of October 2013, 200 years, to the day, after the original battle near 600 reenactors from Canada and the US relived the conflict.
IJC Lake Erie public meeting
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Andrew Hibbert PART 1 OF A 2 PART SERIES: The September 25th, International Joint Committee (IJC) meeting was held at the Port Stanley Arena. In attendance were members of the IJC committee including John Nevin and regional IJC Commissioner St. Thomas native Gordon Walker, a Toronto lawyer. Mr. Walker is one of three Canadian Commissioners and three American Commissioners. Public meetings were held in several U.S. and Canadian communities.
Port Stanley Report There has been much discussion amongst citizens of Port Stanley regarding the single set of traffic lights in the village. STORY PAGE 3
Port Burwell Report On Oct. 3, Dan McNeil and Deborah Fellows of the EMM were pleased to accept cheques totaling $10,000. STORY PAGE 4
Port Bruce Report The regular monthly meeting of the board of the Port Bruce Ratepayers Association was held on October 3rd. STORY PAGE 5
LOOK AHEAD Community Events
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Classifieds & Service Directory Page 7 Business Roladex
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The public meeting was a followup to another series of meetings a year ago that requested public input into strategies and solutions to deal with the problem of algae buildup in the western basin of Lake Erie. As reported in the Lake Erie Beacon the summer of 2011 saw the worst algae bloom ever recorded in the lake. A bloom that covered 5,000-squarekilometres in the western basin of Lake Erie between Toledo Ohio and Pelee Island. Blooms in the summers of 2012 and 2013 were not as severe but there is still great concern on both sides of the border regarding the problem.
Harmful algae blooms were common on western Lake Erie in the 1960s and 1970s. Through strong government action to curb the dumping of raw sewage into the lakes and a reduction of phosphates in laundry soap and regulations on the use of fertilizers the lakes, particularly Lake Erie, became much cleaner.
The September 25th, International Joint Committee (IJC) meeting was held at the Port Stanley Arena. This was one of several meetings in the region.
Before limits were imposed by governments the discharge of nitrates and soluble phosphates into natural waters led to problems with eutrophication, or the excessive and undesirable growth of living things in lakes and streams. With an increase in phosphates, algal blooms grew and produced toxins, killing fish and plants. These decaying plants and animals indirectly caused oxygen depletion at greater depths, through microbial breakdown of dead algal cells producing areas know as dead zones.
What caused the new increase in algae blooms?
The algal blooms include bluegreen algae, also known as cyanobacteria, which produce toxins that pose a health risk to people and animals when they are exposed to them in large quantities. After a lapse of nearly 20 years, of reasonable healthy lakes, algae blooms, caused by increased nutrient
loading, have been steadily increasing over the past decade. During the last ten years Lake Erie increasingly resembles the polluted lake known during 1960's through to the early 1980's.
The horrendous algae bloom in the summer of 2011 was caused by excessive amounts of rain in the spring that carried a huge loading of nutrients and phosphates into the lake. The IJC report also outlined several other causes. These include climate change with increase in summer temperatures and unusually heavy rainfalls. As noted in the report, current phosphorous loads to Lake Erie are largely from non-point sources. Runoff from agricultural sources such as fertilizer and animal waste are a major non-point source of phosphorous. There are "hotspots" that contribute a disproportionate share of Dissolved Reactive Phosphorous (DRP) that is more bio-available for supporting algal growth. READ PART 2 IN OCT. 25 EDITION
Kite surfing accident at Port Stanley OPP Report ELGIN COUNTY – Elgin OPP Marine Unit and the Central Elgin Fire Rescue Boat braved high winds and large waves Monday to rescue a kite surfer from the waters of Lake Erie. The incident occurred just after 2 pm on October 7, 2013 when a 23 year old Thames Centre, ON man who was kite surfing out in front of Main Beach in Port Stanley, encountered difficulties and was swept into the west side of the concrete break wall pier. The Joint Rescue Coordination Centre Trenton** was contacted and dispatched a rescue helicopter from Trenton as well as
notifying local police and emergency rescue agencies. As the incident unfolded the waves, which were very large, carried the man over the break wall and into the inner harbour, he was then pushed by the current out of the inner harbour and carried by the waves into the east break walls outer edge. The man managed to get himself onto the rocks of the east break walls outer edge when the OPP Marine Unit and Central Elgin Fire Rescue Boat arrived on scene. Rescue crews plucked him off the rocks and then transported him to emergency crews waiting on shore.
The kite surfer, who had been in the water for approximately 20 minutes, refused ambulance assistance. At the time of the incident winds were gusting up to 61km/h out of the South and waves were 2 – 2.5 m (810ft) in height and higher closer to shore. The water temperature was 19 º C (66ºF).
Editors Note: Kite Surfing Kite surfing is an increasingly popular sport on the lakes and Port Stanley is listed on extreme sport web sites like www.endlesssurf.ca and www.windfinder.com as a good spot for the sport. Continued On Page 7