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Why do Developers Control Southern Georgian Bay? “We want to be good custodians of this pretty special place,” says Edward Burtynsky (“Documenting the Human Epoch,” Winter 2022). Yet, in the same issue of On The Bay, I read about the sale of the Talisman lands in Grey Highlands and how “the municipality has failed to comply with certain provisions of the Municipal Act and its own policy concerning the sale of surplus lands.” It’s alleged that the council went ahead with the conditional sale, without even waiting to hear the results of a consultation study it had commissioned to obtain the citizens’ views for the future of the Beaver Valley. Indeed, developers appear to be in control of what happens in Southern Georgian Bay, and the citizens’ views don’t seem to matter. Similarly, in Thornbury, a town known for its character and charm, a developer has been terrorizing the waterfront community by proposing a high-density infill development adjacent to the harbour. In addition to being completely out of character with the longestablished neighbourhood, it would result in the destruction of over 1,100 mature trees. Citizens’ efforts to express their serious concerns have fallen on deaf ears. However, as Edward Burtynsky says, we live in one of the most naturally beautiful places on earth. It’s worth protecting, but how do we do this when municipalities are ignoring their own bylaws in support of developers?

The Escarpment: a good place for new development?

Christina Eaton Long-term resident

How’s This for a “Quick Response”? I am appalled at the proliferation of QR codes everywhere, and now even in the pages of On The Bay magazine. Are these things not forcing people to spend even more waking hours on their phones? How can anyone go out and enjoy our area and the energy there, when they are being forced more and more onto phones? Whoever is selling these QR codes is pushing really hard—they are sprouting up like the addictive, bad weeds that they are. Get rid of these nuisances and get control over your time!

Editor’s Note Letters to the editor have long been recognized as a venue for ideas and opinions as part of healthy public debate. Letters are also an opportunity for readers to provide journalists and publishers with feedback. Often, environmental issues are among the top concerns of residents from several community groups actively participating in ongoing planning and political processes around Southern Georgian Bay. Please consider that letters are often short and have narrow perspectives on complex issues. We encourage you to do your own research. Letters can also do more than lay a critical eye on issues. Words of encouragement or inspiration that recognize the good work of citizens are always welcome. Thank you to everyone who submitted letters. We reserve the right to edit for style, content and space considerations. Please send your letter to readermail@onthebaymagazine.com.

Photo: Roger Klein

Gloria Thompson Wasaga Beach Christine Huy

Thank you for your feedback, Gloria. QR codes are a great subject to talk about. The digital squiggles are nothing new but they really caught on during the pandemic for everything from restaurant menus to government surveillance systems on our personal activities (which we find very creepy). That being said, it’s obvious that you noticed that OTB has been incorporating QR codes as a footnote to some of our articles. In doing so, we’ve discovered that people actually use them, to learn more about a subject or to find specific references. We think that’s a good thing because the internet has become vast. Cool stuff can be hard to track down. We also believe that knowledge is power. We promise not to use them frivolously.—Editor A Light Read With a Heavy Impact I normally have a really good time reading On The Bay. But this time I’m angry, angry indeed, that your article about cruises (“Welcome Back Aboard,” Spring 2022), never mentioned that these boats are not at all sustainable. Judy Ross should have included this in her article. She only wrote positive things about these boats and never spoke about pollution. That’s not fair. You should recognize that these cruise ships are absolutely not a recommended way to travel if you want to protect the earth.

Cruise ships: a picture of eco-responsibility?

Thank you for your letter, Christine. You make a fair point. When it comes to travel, we often overlook the environmental impact of our adventures. Everything we do has some sort of effect on the planet, from driving our cars to the local park, to flying off to exotic locations around the world. It’s something to keep in mind while making travel plans. Perhaps we should ask more questions about the places we go? How sustainable is our favourite all-inclusive resort? Is there a benefit to the local population? Sustainability is a

massive subject with all kinds of grey areas. Some charter airlines have already figured out that they can reduce the per-person carbon footprint by adding more seats to an aircraft. As for the cruise ship industry, they appear to be working on it. For example, Carnival Cruise Line recently announced new sustainability goals for 2030, with aspirations for 2050, in the areas of “climate action; circular economy (waste reduction); sustainable tourism; health and well-being; diversity, equity and inclusion; and biodiversity and conservation.” While the timelines seem distant, at least it’s a start. Let’s keep the conversation going.—Editor

Take a Moment to Appreciate the Art I would like to express my pleasant surprise and enjoyment on discovering Jeff Wilson’s illustration published in accompaniment of Dianne Rinehart’s informative and timely article, “Priced Out,” in the Spring 2022 issue of On The Bay that I picked up at the Grey Highlands Home and Garden Show. There is a poignancy, almost eeriness, to his illustration that captured my attention even before the content of the article. The illustration well reflects the subject matter. Having been an aficionado of the artist ever since buying copies of his books The Avridge Farm Companion and PandemaniaPandemonia, I sincerely hope that you can continue to employ Wilson’s talents in future issues.

John Butler Maxwell

It’s a Little Known Fact That...You Got the Swan Wrong The images of the swans on the Spring 2022 cover are excellent but incorrectly identified. The upper bird is a trumpeter swan. This is evident from the shape and markings on the bill, which is black in both species but slightly longer in the trumpeter and described by National Geographic Complete Birds of North America as “with an orange stripe on the lower mandible along the cutting edge,” which is clearly visible in the image. The bill of the tundra swan, on the other hand, is described as having “a variable yellow patch at bill base extending forward from the eye; patch rarely absent. Yellowish stripe on the lower mandible cutting edge.” Also, in the image the upper bird is significantly larger than the lower bird, which is also the fact in life. Thank you for publishing such an excellent magazine. I have been a reader from day one and always look forward to the next issue.

Michael Young Thornbury

Tundra swans or trumpeter swans? Either way, they mate for life.

Photo: Mia Klein Third-Person Perspective Fisher Monahan is a 17-year-old writer, illustrator and naturalist. A resident of Glen Huron, Fisher grew up surrounded by wooded hills and open fields, which inspire his nature-based illustrated journal pages. In June of 2021, Fisher published his journal into a zine, The Sweetgrass Chronicles, that is now available on his website sweetgrasschronicles.com. He attends Stayner Collegiate Institute, and spends his days watching ants and drawing trees, chronicling his experiences in the Georgian Bay area. Thanks for sharing this illustration with us, Fisher. We really enjoy your style and sense of adventure. Follow your instincts and keep going—the truth is out there! We love submissions from local youth. To have your work featured here, please email us: readermail@ onthebaymagazine.com.

Thank you for your letter, Michael. We take our birds very seriously here at OTB and your comments sparked a flurry of research. It is true that the two species are very close in appearance and are often confused. We do know when and where the photo was taken and the context, which was in a large group of migrating tundra swans. Upon delving into the subject of ID a little deeper, we discovered that the yellow eye patch is not always clearly visible on all birds. We also looked into the possible hybridization between the two species and found that tundra and trumpeter swans occupy very different habitat niches and migrations, so it’s rare for the two species to mix genetically. One of the sweetest things about tundra swans (and many other bird species) is that they form lifelong bonds. The two swans on the cover appear to be in perfect sync with each other and, shall we say, to share a certain chemistry? We are confident the birds are indeed tundra swans. Please keep your eyes open for other cool bird species. It would be great to have an indigo bunting on the cover next year. —Editor