Grand Marais Property Owners Association News
OCTOBER 2007
Third Newsletter Distributed - Click here to download your own copy.JULY 2007
Destination Grand Marais - As reported last month on this site, the consulting firm Thomas, Hilderman and Frank was awarded $15,000.00 to draft a proposal for the redevelopment of Grand Marais. All residents, property owners and friends of Grand Marais are encouraged to attend a public presentation of this proposal scheduled for August 18, 2007 at 10 A.M. at the Grand Marais Recreation Centre.UPDATE: Here is the proposed redevelopment (6.69MB PDF):
Mirror #1 - MTS (will open in new window)
Mirror #2 - SHAW (will open in new window)
Mirror #3 - GMPOA (will open in new window)
COPP - A Sign Of The Times - You may have noticed a new sign as you enter Grand Marais, or on the sides of vehicles in the community, or even on the backs of volunteers. What are these signs all about? The Grand Marais Citizens On Patrol Program (COPP), that's what!!
 |
 |
 |
 |
The GMPOA is proud to announce the launch of The Grand Marais Citizens On Patrol Program (COPP); congratulations are extended to Linda Leonard for organizing this program on behalf of the GMPOA.
 |
 |
 |
 |
| (GMPOA members receive COPP training.) | |
A grant from the RM of St. Clements and support from Manitoba Public Insurance Corporation (MPIC or Autopac) made it possible for nineteen of our members to attend a two-hour training session on Saturday, June 16 at the Grand Marais Recreation Centre. Thanks to Riel Dion, the Manitoba Provincial COPP Coordinator from MPIC, who instructed us on how to observe and record information for use by police agencies. And more thanks to Corporal C. Friesen and Constable L. Clarkson of the Grand Marais RCMP detachment who were present to clarify concepts and answer questions.
 |
 |
| (Riel Dion instructing.) | (Corporal Friesen, Constable Clarkson and Riel Dion.) |
COPP volunteers are not wannabe police officers!! We are residents, seasonal and permanent, who share a concern for the safety of persons and property in Grand Marais. We are not here to control anyone's activities; we are simply an extra set of eyes and ears for local authorities. So if you see us around, give us a wave and a nod, or come and chat with us. If you share our concern, if you have time for a two or three-hour shift, or if you would like more information, contact Linda at 754-2774.
Attention Blue Bomber Fans
 |
The GMPOA will raffle off a CFL football, autographed by all of the Bombers, with a display case and four tickets to the September 29 home game against the Hamilton Tiger Cats at our Annual General Meeting on Saturday, September 1, 2007, 10:00 a.m. - noon. Special thanks are extended to GMPOA member Patricia Stacker, for donating these prizes. Proceeds from the raffle will go towards the design and construction of stairs and/or viewing platforms to replace the existing stairs leading to the Historic Fisherman's Pier at Grand Marais Boulevard and Lakeview Avenue. Tickets are available at local merchants and from volunteers for $2.50. Only 2000 tickets printed! You do not have to be in attendance at the AGM in order to win. Big thanks to Les Sutherland for printing our raffle tickets free of charge! For more information, contact Paul at 754-2774.
Second Newsletter Distributed - Big thanks to Lou Savoie who organized another small army of volunteers to deliver our second annual newsletter to every property in Grand Marais on the July long weekend. And big thanks to Les Sutherland for printing our newsletters free of charge! Click here to download your own copy.
JUNE 2007
Provincial Elections - The GMPOA extends congratulations to all candidates in the recent provincial election. Special congratulations are extended to Greg Dewar (NDP) on his re-election as MLA for the riding of Selkirk.RM of St. Clements Annual Cottage Association Presidents' Meeting - The RM of St. Clements hosted a meeting for all local cottage association presidents at the Grand Marais Recreation Centre in Grand Marais on Saturday, May 26. Information was presented on a number of issues such as:
- progress on construction of the East Beaches Fire and Rescue Centre - click here for more information about the centre
- plans by the RM of St. Clements to develop Grand Marais into a "destination" - provincial and federal governments have expressed verbal support for this initiative (more information about Destination Grand Marais below and much further below, in previous months)
- plans by the RM of St. Clements to beautify the transfer stations and increase some of their hours of operation
- plans by the RM of St. Clements to spend .5 million dollars on hard-surfacing roads in the municipality
- plans by the RM of St. Clements to open a second cell at the Libau Landfill (they have a license for eight cells)
- progress to date on the East Selkirk Water and Sewer Project - a 1.6 million dollar investment by the three levels of government
- appeals made by the RM to the province for support in repairing and maintaining provincial dikes like the Grand Marais Sand Spit
- appeals made by the RM to the province and to Manitoba Hydro for support in preventing shoreline erosion, mitigating the effects of shoreline erosion and repairing eroded shorelines along Lake Winnipeg
- plans by the RM to modify the mandate of Bylaw Enforcement Officers so they will be able to take action when they see infractions instead of waiting for a complaint in order to initiate action
- plans by the RM to enforce the bylaw concerning house number signs for 911 service - every property with a structure must have the numbers designated for that property, at least four inches in height, displayed in such a manner as to be clearly visible and legible from the highway
- the appointment of Bill Hildebrand to the position of Chief Administrative Officer
- plans by the RM to require a permit to use a trailer as a residence for up to 12 months while constructing a permanent house
- the RM's support for local COPP programs - up to $1000.00 for established programs
- bear safety - the stretch between Victoria Beach and Patricia Beach has the highest density of cottages in Manitoba and the largest number of bear-human conflicts - bird feeders, dirty BBQ's and improperly stored garbage attract bears and often lead to the destruction of the animal - attend a Bear Smart Seminar
- and more...
Shoreline Erosion - The Shoreline Technical Review Committee is here to help Manitobans address issues concerning shoreline erosion. The committee advises individual property owners, businesses, developers, governments, etc. concerning the appropriateness of projects designed to protect the shoreline from erosion or to mitigate the effects of erosion. The committee has two demonstration projects near Grand Marais, one at Halcyon Cove and another at Traverse Bay.
 |
 |
| (Waves damage stairs and cause the bank to slump in November 2006.) |
(More shoreline slumping caused by the same storm.) |
Please note that you must obtain approval from the Shoreline Technical Review Committee BEFORE undertaking any project on the shores of Lake Winnipeg. Applications for projects in grand Marais and Grand Beach should be made to the Selkirk and District Planning Board. (200 Eaton Avenue, Selkirk, Mb, R1A 0W6, PHONE 204-738-2264, FAX 204-482-3799).
You should consider using the committee's services if you are planning a project. Misguided projects can cause more damage than they prevent. And if your project does cause damage, you will be held financially liable for those damages!! As well, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans imposes fines of up to $100 000.00 for actions that cause harm to the lake or to its shores. There are many professionals who can help you design your project to meet code. Make use of their services.
 |
| (Shoreline trees downed to create a better view.) |
You can help prevent shoreline erosion in small ways too. DO NOT dump leaves, grass clippings, building materials and other refuse over the bank because you will prevent the growth of native species that stabilize the shoreline. AND DO NOT cut down native vegetation that stabilizes the shoreline! These and many other common practices contribute to the erosion of our shoreline.
For more information, click here.
Lake Winnipeg's Health - Have you witnessed a bloom of blue-green algae along the shores of Grand Beach? And have you noticed that these blooms are more frequent, longer lasting and more widespread than you remember? If you have, it should tell you something; the lake is ailing! Especially since, they aren't really algae. They are bacteria, cyanobacteria, and some of them produce toxins!!
What's causing the problem? You and me! The main problem is nutrient loading. Nutrient loading occurs when we increase the amount of nutrients going into the lake. This can be done in several ways that may never occur to us. Using cosmetic fertilizers, especially those with a high phosphorous content (the middle number), increases the amount of nutrients in run -off. Grey water and septic fields do likewise. Using laundry soap with phosphorous and using any dishwasher soap since they all contain phosphorous. Clear cutting to the water's edge; that allows nutrient rich run-off to enter the lake more easily. Once again, as with shoreline erosion, the problems are many and we can all do our part.
For more information, click here.
Destination Grand Marais - The consulting firm Thomas, Hilderman and Frank was awarded $15 000.00 to draft a proposal for the redevelopment of Grand Marais. All residents, property owners and friends of Grand Marais are encouraged to attend a public presentation of this proposal, tentatively scheduled for Saturday, July 14, 2007. Watch this site for more information!
MAY 2007
Provincial Elections - J. Meagher - Provincial elections take place Tuesday, May 22, 2007. The GMPOA strongly encourages all Manitoba citizens to vote. Candidates running in the riding of Selkirk are: incumbent Greg Dewar (NDP), Gordie Dehn (PC) and Karen Keppler (L).On election day, residents of Grand Marais can vote at the Grand Marais Recreation Centre 8:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. Advance polls in the riding of Selkirk, will be held from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. (noon to 6 p.m. on Sunday) in Grand Marais on Saturday, May 19, in Lockport on Wednesday, May 16 and in Selkirk Sunday, May 13 to Saturday, May 19. You can vote at any advance polling place in Manitoba. Be sure to bring government issued photo identification, such as a driver's licence, or two other documents such as your enumeration record. You can also apply for absentee voting if you are eligible to vote but you cannot make it to a voting place on election day or on advance voting days. Absentee voters should apply to the returning officer, Darlene Smith (1-866-586-3841), as early as possible. For the most up-to-date information, visit Elections Manitoba (http://www.electionsmanitoba.ca/) and follow the links.
Joint Information Meeting - J. Meagher - The RM's of St. Clements and Alexander will host a meeting at the Grand Marais Recreation Centre in Grand Marais on Saturday, May 26, 1 - 3 p.m. The GMPOA encourages all residents and property owners of St. Clements and of Alexander to attend this annual event. Reeves and councillors will present information concerning a number of issues, after which they will take your questions. If you have an issue, prepare your question in advance. Members of the GMPOA who are unable to attend the meeting can send their question(s) to gmpoa@mts.net.
Annual Membership Drive - J. Meagher - The GMPOA will hold its annual membership drive on Saturday and Sunday, August 4 - 5. Volunteers will visit every property in Grand Marais to deliver a newsletter and solicit members. If you would like to volunteer, contact Lou at 256-4765 or 754-2997.
At present, the GMPOA has 165 members; we hope to grow our membership and increase our influence. You can renew your existing membership by mailing a cheque to GMPOA, Membership Renewal, Box 29, Grand Marais, Manitoba, R0E 0T0. If you are interested in becoming a member of the GMPOA, you can download an application from this site and mail it and your cheque to GMPOA, New Membership, Box 29, Grand Marais, Manitoba, R0E 0T0. Fees are $10 for voting (property owner) or $5 for associate (non-voting) memberships. There is a restriction of one voting membership per property, but associate memberships are open to anyone who has an interest in the betterment of Grand Marais.
Every member is encouraged to submit his/her email address. Email costs nothing extra and allows us to get information to members in a timely fashion. We will not contact you often.
MARCH 2007
Catch 'Em If You Can - J. Meagher - On March 17, 2007, the GMPOA, along with the Grand Marais Recreation Association (GMRA) and the Sand Bar Motor Inn, co-sponsored The First Annual Big Swampy Ice Fishing Derby in Grand Marais. It wasn't perfect, but it was a great success, and we have learned from this first attempt at such an event. |
 |
 |
 |
 |
A cloudless day, temperatures around +5 degrees Celsius and absolutely no wind made for a perfect day on the ice of Lake Winnipeg. Over 150 people visited our site and anglers from Warren, Winnipeg, Selkirk, etc. bought 93 holes.
 |
 |
In all, there were 17 catches: two northern pike, four walleye, ten perch and one drink can! Nick Gorda earned $279.00 for the longest fish, a 51.5 cm northern pike. Second place earned Tony Sali $186.00 for a 42.5 cm northern pike and third place earned Terrell G. $93.00 for a 40 cm walleye. Numerous other prizes were awarded by random draw.
 |
 |
| (Nick Gorda - 1st Prize.) | (Tony Sali - 2nd Prize.) |
 |
 |
| (Terrell G. - 3rd Prize.) | (Mandy with her special catch!) |
Nine individuals entered a pot of chili in the bake off. Defending champion Nancy Long surrendered her crown to Paul Gray. The victory earned Paul $90.00! Many thanks to those who entered the competition, as their chili was later sold to raise money for the GMPOA and the GMRA.
 |
 |
| (Kitchen volunteers - Derek and Heidi.) | (Chili Judges - Bill, Sandy and Bill.) |
 | |
| (Matt measures a catch.) | |
Big thanks to Manitoba Conservation for seconding Matt Burke to the event. He measured the fish caught by anglers, he shared his knowledge of the fish and of the lake and he supervised the event in a most professional manner. Big thanks to all of those who volunteered to make this event a big success. You are too numerous to list, but it would not have been possible without you. Congratulations to the organizers as well: Jean MacDonald, Tyler Gray, Chris Jensen and myself, Jerry Meagher. (That felt weird; congratulating myself???)
JANUARY - FEBRUARY 2007
Slow Season - J. Meagher - The slow season is upon us in Grand Marais. However, your management committee is still plugging away for you:- Along with the Grand Marais Recreation Centre and the Sand Bar Motor Inn, we are sponsoring the first annual Big Swampy Ice Fishing Derby on March 17, 2007 (click here for more information). We need volunteers on the ice to help erect a temporary shelter, drill holes, sell tickets and serve food. Please contact Jerry at 754 -2746 if you would like to volunteer.
- We are in contact with The Manitoba Telephone System, investigating the possibility of having MTS bring high speed internet to our community. We also lent our support to the construction of a new tower to improve cellular service in the Grand Marais/Grand Beach area.
- We elected Roberta Dalman to replace retiring Treasurer Don Paulus. Thanks Don for all of your effort and guidance. Thanks Roberta for taking on this responsibility.
- The GMPOA will be represented at the next Destination Grand Marais meeting. Look here for updates on this exciting initiative.
- This website continues to be updated regularly. Anyone wishing to contribute can do so by clicking on the "Help" icon found on the left-hand side of this page.
Grand Marais Property Owners Association News Archives:
2006