As we say goodbye to summer 2021, I feel like a squirrel storing my memories like nuts to get me through to the next season. I just hope I can find them when I need them. I hope to remember how glorious it felt to swim in our unusually warm lake, to enjoy peaceful kayaking around Deep bay, to watch the hummingbirds perform their acrobatics at

the feeder, to dance in a summer rain shower and to watch every sunset and night sky for its unique, spectacular beauty.

There were also less than welcome discoveries this summer. I have never seen so many spider webs, the gypsy moth caterpillars were everywhere and the tree pollen seemed heavier than usual. On the other hand, the black flies were not as bad, the ants did not take over and the mice stayed outside so, overall, I consider 2021 to have been a good year.

The past 2 summers have seen more people spending time at their cottages, many of them permanent residents, and with that came changes to the lake. Top of mind are water quality, boat safety and waste management, which is particularly difficult for water access cottagers who rely on the garbage bins at the marinas. The KLRA is responding to these topics with feedback from our member surveys and we are conducting our own water quality research to provide valuable input to the Town of Gravenhurst and the District of Muskoka. Please read all the updates from the committees in this issue.

We also had some fun events this season and we hope to have many more next summer. I would like to take this opportunity to thank President Marg Taylor for all her hard work on behalf of our members. Her two year term bore the brunt of the pandemic and I look forward to working with her as Past President and with all of our Board of Directors as we navigate the future of our beautiful lake. Let’s do all we can to keep it clean, safe and healthy for generations to come.

Have a Happy Fall Season,

April Drane

President

KLRA

Parting Shot

from the outgoing President

My two year term as President of Kahshe Lake Ratepayers Association (KLRA) ended on July11th. The past two years have been quite challenging at times due to Covid 19 and the issues with boaters, renters, garbage and the the large number of people using Nagaya Beach.

Your Board of Directors and Sub-Committees worked very hard this past winter, spring and summer to help reduce some concerns. The work continues.

I will remain on the board actively participating in board meetings, KLRA activities, liaising with the Town of Gravenhurst and District of Muskoka as needed.

I’d like to welcome April Drane as the new President of the Association and Michele Phillippe as Vice-President. I wish them well with their new rôles and responsibilities.

Margaret Taylor
Past President of KLRA

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Board Members

and Support Team

Kahshe Lake 5K Charity Run

Saturday August 21, 2021

This event was organized by Megan Davies, a 20 year old student who has been cottaging on Kahshe her whole life, and wanted to give something back to the lake she loves.

145 participants, young and old, started out from the South Kahshe Lake Road dock heading for the finish at Nagaya Beach where several vendors and a raffle table were set up. The vendors were The Kahshe Boutique, Skoka Swim, Cottage Bound and Cottage Springs. In addition, Firehouse 343 generously set up a hydration station on route and distributed free beverages.

Although this was not, strictly speaking, a race, Ryan Metcalf was the first past the post!

Music was provided by DJ Scott Dunlop who entertained participants and residents alike well into the afternoon, while Domino Pizza provided free pizza to all the participants and volunteers.

The money raised from sponsorships, almost $1600, and the raffle which brought in over $600, made the event a huge success with $2200 being donated to the KLRA and to Gravenhurst Against Poverty (GAP).

The KLRA applauds the efforts of Organiser, Megan Davies, in fostering a community spirit on Kahshe and thanks her for the generous donation of $1100. Our appreciation also to Domino Pizza, to Scott Dunlop, to Firehall 343 and to all the volunteers who helped out: Cameron Davies, Kim Davies, Leslie Pinard, Paisley Pinard, Riley and Darcy Halbert, Will Vincent, Sandra Moad, Carol Cordery and Jason Jongen from Firehouse 343.

Since I was unable to participate this year because of an injury to my knee, I really hope that this event will be repeated next year and give me a chance to be part of this great community event. Ed.

Photos by

Paisley Pinard

The Garbage Situation Update

For the fall and winter of 2021/2022 garbage collection and or bin service will remain as in the previous year. Bob Reyburn and I continue to meet with the District regarding Waste Management and future collection plans when the bins are removed. Please stay tuned for more information in the January Krier.

Margaret Taylor

2021 Kermit Long Kids’ Fishing Derby

by Erin Swirla and Luke Miller

Saturday July 24^th 2021 8:00am-4:00pm

Ages 16 & Under

We had a great day at the annual Kermit Long Fishing Derby today. A total of 103 entries were logged from 40 children out there fishing. Prizes were awarded to the top 3 entries for each category, $10, $7, & $5 as well as a gift pack. All participants and those who fished with no luck received a loot bag with lures and candy (who doesn’t love candy? 😀).

A shout out to the Long family – Ken, Karen, Daryl, Bryan, Jen and Peggy – you were greatly missed this year; happy we could do our part in keeping Kermit’s Derby alive. To all of our American friends, we hope to see you all soon.

Thank you for the support of the KLRA and to our volunteer, Sebastian Lajouie, who was at the dock all day eagerly measuring fish and logging entries. In addition, we were fortunate to have tremendous support from our Kahshe community – both new and old!

And a very special thank you to everyone below who made personal donations:

Matt & Jen Gregory, Ray & Maureen Gregory, Bob & Linda Moores, Matt Sullivan, Terry & Jerry Holden, Sandy Cutting, Brian Banman (who is the new owner of Kermit’s Cottage!), Ryan & Melissa Swirla, Randy & Christina Eldridge and Luke and Erin Miller (Swirla).

We, Luke and Erin, and Matt Gregory (who refuses to have his picture taken) wish to thank all the donors for their renewed interest in this event. The support from each family does not go unnoticed. We look forward to seeing everyone again in 2022!

Erin and Luke

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Don't throw away your wood ash!

by Eric Daly

Your wood ash can help the forests and lakes, especially Kahshe.

We have good news on Kahshe Lake. Water quality is pretty well back to where it used to be before acid rain ..... except for calcium. Many mineral nutrients were depleted from lake water, but as soon as Canada and the US started working towards ending acid rain, the environment, and especially water quality recovered fairly quickly ..… except for calcium. Calcium in a lake is needed to help crayfish, water bugs, clams and other things to form the hardness in their bodies.

Calcium gets into the water in a complicated process, primarily very slowly from water as it runs though a forest. The best way to help in this process is for you to use the wood ash from your outside fire pit, if you have one, or from your wood burning stove, to feed your trees. The ash is loaded with all the nutrients, including calcium, that a forest floor can use to help the trees and plants grow.

There is a wood ash collection process that distributes wood ash to hard pressed forests to the north east of here. I give half of my wood ash to that collection process (via bins at the Ryde Co-op) and mix the other half with wood chips that I generate from chipping up leftover branches on our property.

I then spread the mixture around our trees which are looking materially better for these efforts. I had a few maples that were hard pressed and losing their leaves early in the season, but they are now looking much healthier.

The bonus in doing this is that throw away wood ash is now in the forest and the nutrients will eventually wend their way into Kahshe, thereby improving calcium levels and helping to improve the lives of living creatures, especially crayfish, water bugs and clams.

It’s easy to do. Give it a try.

Eric Daly

1041 Sam Cook Road

Lake Steward's Report

Summer 2021

Lake Health Update

It’s been a very busy spring and summer for lake health investigations, and although not all have wrapped up for the year, some substantial findings have been generated and are briefly described below. These include the preliminary results from the Conservation Committee’s Near-Shore Sampling Program, the Benthic Invertebrate Assessment project and an update on the appearance of jelly-like beads in the water that have been seen and felt by most swimmers over the past few weeks.

Near-Shore Sampling Program

Both Kahshe and Bass Lakes have now been classed as 'Vulnerable' by the District Municipality of Muskoka (DMM) under the Muskoka Official Plan and this will be considered in the review of development proposals starting in 2021. Bass Lake is considered vulnerable because of a total phosphorus level greater than 20 parts per billion (ppb) and Kahshe because of the confirmed harmful algal bloom (HAB) in November 2020.

The DMM plans to initiate ‘Causation Studies’ on 10 lakes with confirmed blooms in 2020 and the two lakes with total phosphorus levels exceeding 20 ppb. However, because of budget limitations, only five of these Causation Studies will be undertaken commencing in 2021, with the others being delayed until the completion of the first five. Bass Lake’s Causation Study has commenced this year, which means that the study of Kahshe Lake will be delayed by at least a year and likely longer, as the Kahshe HAB was small compared to other impacted lakes. More information from DMM on the Bass Lake study has been posted on the KLRA web site under ‘News’ - see it via this link: https://kahshelake.ca/PubNews

As there are no industrial or farm land sources along the shores of Kahshe Lake, almost all of the sources of algal friendly nutrients are related to recreational development activity, with the three most significant being:

Effluent leakage from septic tank and bed systems;
Leaching of nutrients from fertilized lawns (commercial product and geese feces); and,
Run-off of soil and its nutrients due to shoreline disturbance/vegetation removal.

As all of our water quality monitoring is conducted in deep, mid-lake locations, these historical data provide an excellent base upon which to evaluate long term trends in lake water chemistry; however, they may not be providing us with a representative measure of water chemistry and nutrient loading in the shoreline areas, particularly in the most heavily developed areas of Kahshe. Our concern regarding shoreline contributions is exacerbated by the fact that the Town of Gravenhurst’s Septic Re-Inspection Program has not taken place since 2009 for water access properties and since 2013 for road access properties.

Based on the foregoing concern, the KLRA’s Conservation Committee developed a pilot Near-Shore Water Sampling Program to explore and characterize water chemistry and to examine how water chemistry close to the shore changes as the season progresses. This temporal aspect to the study is considered important, as the mid-lake sampling is conducted only in May. The Near-Shore program commenced in May this year and will involve additional sampling in mid-July and late September. In order to keep costs as low as possible, it was focussed on the most heavily developed areas of the lake along Oak Road and the north shore and is being carried out by Conservation Committee volunteers. The findings will be reported to the KLRA Board and shared with the Town of Gravenhurst and the DMM to ensure that they are captured later when the DMM carries out its Causation Study on Kahshe Lake. A more comprehensive summary of the program has been posted on the KLRA web site per the link below: https://kahshelake.ca/resources/Documents/Lake%20Steward/2021/Vulnerabe%20Lake%20Status%20Update%202021-05-21%20v1.pdf

The second of three planned water sampling events was conducted on July 29, 2021. This included the sampling of a total of 12 of the 20 near-shore sampling sites that had been set up and sampled on May 19, 2021. In order to keep costs in line with KLRA resources and to evaluate temporal changes in water quality over the season, the second and third (September) sampling was limited to the sites with the highest nutrient and fecal coliform concentrations in May.

Brief Outline of Findings to Date

May 19 Sampling Event

Detectable, but low levels of fecal coliform (E.coli) were found in 10 of the 20 near-shore sampling sites, with the two highest (4 CFU/100mL) being found at Nagaya Beach and at the mouth of the Kahshe River (Site 17) and the second highest (3 CFU/100mL) near Wigwam Lodge;
These levels are well below both the single sample maximum Recreational Water Quality concentration of 400 CFU/100mL but would fail the Ontario Drinking Water Standard of Not Detectable.
In the case of total phosphorus, the highest levels were found at the east end of the lake, and are likely associated with water flow into Kahshe from Bass Lake. However, the average total phosphorus concentration for the near-shore sites for the entire lake was 9.3 µg/L, a level comparable to the DMM’s long term mid-lake average of 10 µg/L.
Although we won’t be able to compare our mid-lake findings to those from DMM or MECP until they are reported in April 2022, the average total phosphorous for the mid-lake samples we collected was 6.0 µg/L. It appears, therefore, as if our analysis of the water for total phosphorus is slightly under detecting this nutrient. This is not unexpected, as the analysis of the DMM and MECP samples is conducted using the laboratory digestion tubes provided by the MECP’s Dorset laboratory, thereby eliminating any phosphorus loss due to the use of a field collection bottle. Unfortunately, no other lab in Ontario allows the use of their lab digestion tubes. However, ALS did agree to send our samples for total phosphorus to their Edmonton laboratory, as they could achieve a detection limit closer to the detection level achieved by the MECP’s Dorset laboratory.
The analysis for compounds of nitrogen, which would be associated with both septic and lawn fertilization were highest near Nagaya Beach, Grey Owl and a site located at the south end of Grant Bay.
None of the metals were of concern, but they may prove useful later when I examine nutrient-metal ratios and compare them to similar ratios from the mid-lake samples.

July 29 Sampling Event

Levels of fecal coliform (E.coli) detected in the July sampling of near-shore water were generally higher than in May, with the most pronounced increases at the sites shown below:

KL-9 15 CFU/100mL (Nagaya beach)
KL-15 11 CFU/100mL (Share a Shore)
KL-1640 CFU/100mL (just east of Share a Shore)
KL-1718 CFM/100mL (mouth of Kahshe River)

As reported in May, these levels are well below both the single sample maximum Recreational Water Quality concentration of 400 CFU/100mL but would fail the Ontario Drinking Water Standard of Not Detectable.It also is important to note that at the site with the highest total phosphorus and E.coli count, a visible algal growth was observed while collecting the water sample.
In the case of total phosphorus, the July sampling results for the 12 near-shore sites averaged 15.8 µg/L, which is almost twice the May average and well above the May mid-lake levels of total phosphorus.
As in May, the total phosphorus levels were generally higher in the east end of the lake and at KL-16, the average of the two duplicates was 36.3 µg/L, well above the levels found in Bass Lake, suggesting a localized source of both fecal coliform and total phosphorus.
Total nitrogen levels at the sites with major lawn areas extending down to the water’s edge also were noticeably elevated in the July sampling, and these included KL-11 (Grey Owl), KL-15 (Share a Shore), KL-16 (east of Share a Shore) and KL-17 (mouth of Kahshe River).
Of particular note is the fact that normal levels of total phosphorus and other algal friendly nutrients were found in both May and July at the site where the HAB was detected in 2020.

Preliminary Conclusions

Although the data from the first two sampling events have not yet been thoroughly analyzed to explore and possibly differentiate among the major source contributions (i.e. septic effluent, lawn fertilizer, soil erosion, wildlife), it is apparent that the results to date for the KLRA-sponsored near-shore sampling project have identified a number of shoreline locations with elevated levels of algal friendly nutrients which clearly exceed the historical nutrient levels from the deep, mid-lake sampling programs of the DMM and MECP.

Benthic Invertebrate Assessment

This program is operated by the DMM with volunteer assistance from Lake Associations. It involves the collection of lake bottom mud/sediment from the near-shore area (riparian zone) at established sites by the DMM’s biomonitoring technician and the counting and identification of the benthic (bottom dwelling) macro invertebrates (living critters) with the assistance of citizen volunteers. The richness and diversity of these benthos provide an indication of the health of the riparian and the littoral zone (shallow water nearest to dry land) and this is important, as these two zones are likely to be the first impacted by snowmelt, runoff, sedimentation and other shoreline sources.

This year’s bug counting took place on August 25^th and the volunteers included Dave Barker, Toby Fletcher, Laurie Turner, Barb and Brian Riley, Clare and Judy Henderson, Nancy McLean and Lily Sahli. It was a hot one, but we got the job done in under two hours. Many thanks to all my helpers and to the DMM’s biomonitoring technician Jess Lario (pictured collecting the sample from Birch Island).

I have the benthic analysis results back from Jess and everything looks good, but there isn’t enough space here for any detail. They will be fully written up in the next Lake Steward Report.

Jess taking the samples

⬋ ⬇︎ Energetic bug counters ⬆︎

Jelly-Like Beads in the Water

As reported on the KLRA ‘News’ portal, there has been a very noticeable increase in the population of Holopedium glacialis found in the waters of Kahshe Lake over the past few weeks. I’ve gathered some information about these little critters below.

What are they?

These and other zooplankton like Daphnia sp. are a type of water flea that are naturally found in inland lakes of Ontario. They are from 1.5 to 2.2 mm in size; however, because they are surrounded by a pea-sized gelatinous mantle comprised of one or more acid muco-polysaccharides, they are actually around 5mm in diameter. There are both males and females, with the female producing resting eggs that are fertilized by males. The female then carries its developing young in a brood pouch within the jelly-like coating. They can also reproduce asexually, and typically undergo a diurnal migration each day, rising to the surface near sunset and returning to deeper waters during the daylight hours. As part of their life cycle, they leave their protective mantle and as a result, these globs can then be blown in towards shore, where they float near the surface.

I’ve included a picture of several of them taken off the end of our dock near Denne’s marina using a kitchen sieve and placed on a white lined paper. Also included is a picture I found on-line showing their entire body structure.

What role do they play in the aquatic food web?

While they are consumed by fish and other larger aquatic organisms, the gelatinous mantle increases their size, offering them considerable protection from predation by other organisms. They are also much less nutritious than the Daphnia they are replacing, and as such, their growing dominance is a concern for fish and other species further up the food chain.

Why are they increasing in numbers?

The main reason for the increase in the population is related to gradual changes in the chemistry of lake water. As calcium levels in lakes of the Canadian shield gradually decrease (because most of the calcium in soils was leached out due to acid precipitation impacts in the 1970s, 80s and 90s), species like Daphnia which have significant requirements for calcium and phosphorus are losing out to Holopedium glacialis which require only about 1/10^th the amount of calcium. I’ve been reporting on this in my Lake Steward reports for several years in the discussion of calcium, but I had never actually seen them in the water, as the gelatinous blobs are just too clear to notice. However, as a result of their recent population increase in late August, they were definitely noticed by swimmers.

Other reasons cited in some research in 2014 as possibly contributing to the population shift from Daphnia to Holopedium are listed below:

In some lakes, predation of Daphnia by the invasive spiny water flea has been increasing, resulting in greater opportunities for Holopedium to thrive. However, studies have shown that while this may be involved, many lakes have seen increases in Holopedium in the absence of the spiny water flea. The Conservation Committee carried out an invasive aquatic species study in 2017 and 2019 and did not find any spiny water fleas in Kahshe, so this is an unlikely driver of the shift to Holopedium in Kahshe.
Daphnia is also under pressure from predation by other zooplankton as a result of anatomical changes in their defense mechanisms triggered by reduced calcium availability.

So, to summarize, while the gradual increase in the population of Holopedium is well documented, I have found no research that would explain the very rapid increase in the population this year.

Are they harmful?

I have found no evidence in my review of the Holopedium literature to indicate any negative impact on human health via dermal contact or limited oral exposure via recreational use of lake water. However, the absence of any reports of this nature may reflect on my search capabilities and limited expertise in human health.

As the 2014 study findings on the jellification of north temperate lakes across eastern North America have clearly demonstrated the increasing abundance of Holopedium, this signals a shift in ecological states and this is likely to reduce vertical energy and nutrient transport in lake food webs. This is a complex and interactive process, and is likely linked to or associated with other long term changes in aquatic ecosystems that are being driven by a changing climate and its impact on water temperature, increasing ice-free conditions, oxygen depletion in lake-bottom waters and increases in dissolved organic carbon. One of the more significant undesirable consequences could be the increased sensitivity of our lake to algal growth, as Daphnia are herbivores – i.e. algae consuming, while Holopedium are omnivores and not as reliant on algal growth for survival.

Another possible impact is that these gelatinous organisms may impede the withdrawal of water for residential use by plugging in-lake pumping systems. There’s no evidence of this happening, but it certainly can’t be ruled out.

Is there anything we can do to stop the increase?

Unfortunately, I’ve not found any reports on the potential to change or even modify the long-term trend of increasing populations of Holopedium and decreasing numbers of the more desirable Daphnia. A significant change in this trend would necessitate increasing lake water levels of calcium, and this is just not feasible. However, note the article by Eric Daly on wood ash, as this is an approach that could help restore calcium levels over the long term. In the meantime, I’ll continue to monitor calcium levels and these findings will be incorporated in my Lake Steward reports.

Ron Pearson

Kahshe and Bass Lake Steward

Rock Marker Report

Marnie Cryderman

New Permanent Rock Markers: Four new permanent lighted towers will soon be installed on the lake. They are assembled, (thank-you Allison and Tyler) and once the bases are built, they will be installed.

Thank-you to the volunteers around the lake who installed the white spherical rock markers at the beginning of the season: Ron, Jim, John, Keith, Chris, Rob, and Fritz. Your help is much appreciated!

The Rock Marker Tender Notice deadline date for removing the columnar, lighted, floating rock markers has been extended to September 30^th. Please see the notice below:

Rock Marker Tender Notice

Subject: Quotation for removal and installation of floating, lighted columnar rock marker towers.

Email tenders are invited for:

The removal of KLRA lighted columnar towers from various locations in Kahshe Lake, after Thanksgiving weekend 2021. Removal will include the columnar tower (approximately 25lbs.) as well as block anchors, up to three per tower (approximately 25 lbs per block).
Indoor, heated storage of the columnar towers or outdoor/unheated storage requiring the removal of solar lights and storage of lights indoors to prevent freezing of the batteries.
Prepare towers for placement in Kahshe Lake before Victoria Day / May 24^th 2022. (Ensure lights are installed and working.)
Install towers in Kahshe Lake, in the same locations where they were removed in October 2021 before Victoria Day weekend.
It is anticipated that 6 to 8 columnar towers will need to be removed in October 2021, as some current towers will be replaced by permanent lighthouses over the 2021 season.

Evidence of insurance coverage will be required.

Please email your tender to: KLrockmarkers@gmail.com

Deadline: September 30^th 2021

The Quest

The Kahshe/Canada Canoe/Kayak Quest 2021

by Keith Price

This year's Quest proved to be somewhat more challenging than I anticipated, but it was satisfying to know that all those who participated had a very positive experience, even those who found only half the signs that were scattered from Grants Bay all the way into Bass Lake. Nobody managed to find all 50 signs, although several teams came close with 49 and 48 signs found, and some teams were very astute in making up missing words correctly. There were 9 Adult teams and 5 Youth (16 and under) teams involving a total of 66 competitors, 10 adult supervisors and 2 canine security personnel.

Despite not having all the words for the sentence, many contestants came very close to recreating the sentence perfectly, but the version I liked best came from the Quixotic Questers who paddled from Grant's Bay to Bass Lake on the last day of the Quest and found only 11 of the words. Their sentence: "Before Covid, if you were a great teacher like Keith, you would need to spend time in the summer visiting all these places." I must admit I'm biased!

The most difficult sign to find (only one team spotted it) was the one on the stern of Bailey's Barge -- Santa's Village, the only local location.

Results

Adult Teams

First Place (90%)

The High Park Paddlers

Tracy Cameron, Brian Cluett, David Robinson, Alexa Cluett and Krista Cluett

Second Place (84%)

Paddle Pals

Sarah Pegg, Charline R. and Cathy L.

Third Place (83%)

The Nora Lane Nerds

Shawn Corbett, Nancy Corbett, Alison Corbett, Lily Corbett (1), Joanne Watson, Scott Watson, Alex Machacek and Allie Davella

Also-paddleds with less than 83% in alphabetical order:

1,000,000 vacations

Kip Watson, Spencer Radford, Norm McLaughlin, Emmett McLaughlin (8), Rory McLaughlin (3) and Ryan Lepik

Bonnieview Canoe

Jenny Ford, James Thornton, Toby Fletcher and Laurie Turner

Prospect Point People

Dave Collins, Rose Afonso, George Collins, Erin Collins, Liam Collins, Sarah Collins, Margaret Collins, A.J.Collins, Arvo Luik, Marion Luik and Victoria Luik

Four Wonder Women

(and one in training)

Connie Radford, Ashley Myers, Anne McAllister, Doreen Sowinski and Arianna Radford-Mutch (10)

Team Chouchaug

Andrew Taylor, Ann Marie Taylor, Stephanie Taylor and Philip Kiteley

Team Maingrila

Teresa Main, Brian Main, Cathy Yanyk and Robin Dick

No picture available.

Youth Teams

(16 and Under)

First Place (84%)

Team Iley

Noah Iley(13), Madeleine Iley(10) and Olivia Iley(10)

Transportation Crew: Nadine Iley, Matt Iley, Jonathan Schlenker

Second Place (81%)

Little Red Boat

Mia Caputo(11), Sebastian Caputo(11) and Chloe Caputo(9)

Hazardous water navigator: Daniel Dalziel

Occasional supervisor: Michael Caputo

Third Place (80%)

The Dream Team

Emma Dalziel(13), Alexis Dalziel(15), Ashley Wayland(14) and Lauren Wayland(16)

No picture available.

Also-paddleds with less than 80% in alphabetical order:

Monyx

Kara Penner(7), Christopher Penner(7) with Onyx, Maya Penner(9) with Miley

Transportation and Catering: Paige Penner, Joyce Frank, Siobhan Frank

Canine Security: Onyx & Miley

The Quixotic Questers

Jasmine Benum(16), Phoebe Benum(16) and Christian Benum(7)

Navigators: Peter Benum, Kathleen Benum

Answers

The 25 locations

in the order of visiting from west to east

And the sentence!

Quotes from the Questers

Thank you for doing this, this summer. It was a super fun summer activity!!

Alexis Dalziel (15) (The Dream Team)

We just wanted to say again how this was so much fun and we are already looking forward to next year’s Quest !

Emma Dalziel (13) (The Dream Team)

Thanks so much for all of the hard work you put into this! It was a fun way to spend cruising around the lake! And thanks for the “homework”. It kept the kids busy for hours! We have met some really nice people along the way in our sign finding adventures!

Homework supervisor Nadine Iley (Team Iley)

Just a note of appreciation to let you know how much we enjoyed The Quest this year. Although we were unable to get to the farthest reaches of the lake, it was a great motivator to get us out and paddling. Also, it provided a wonderful opportunity to make new Kahshe friends. We can always find common topics to start a conversation - the weather, the lake level, etc. - but this year, we had a chance to hail those on shore to ask about The Quest. A great way to connect with some of our Kahshe neighbours.

We look forward to The Quest, 2022!

Laurie Turner (Bonnieview Canoe)

Yes, we are an adult team although some members are questionable at times.

All in all we enjoyed the two afternoons looking for signs. Thanks!

Teresa Main (Maingrila)

We would like to say thank you for organizing this event, it was truly enjoyed and the challenge was appreciated! Thank you!

Sarah Pegg (The Paddle Pals)

We definitely had fun doing it and thank you again for your efforts in organizing the event! It gave us that extra motivation to get out and paddle the lake!

Peter Benum (The Quixotic Questers)

We were late starting the quest but have really enjoyed the experience. We loved the adventure & fun of this activity. Thank you so much for organizing this unique event.

Connie Radford (Four Wonder Women)

This was an excellent learning experience. Mapping, math, learning about places in Canada, and using technology to test their answers.

Homework supervisor Sandra Caputo (The Little Red Boat)

The kids had great fun participating, especially since it meant they got to spend time with their Aunt Bonnie (Siobhan), “Glamour Jo“ (Grandmother Joyce) and myself. Lol! It was a great activity, especially with all of the restrictions this year. Thank you again for organizing!

Homework supervisor Paige Penner (Team Monyx)

What a great adventure the "Quest" was. We thoroughly enjoyed it!!!

Joanne Watson (Nora Street Nerd)

Mom, it’s more rustic than I remember it. Did you pay a lot for the “lake view” room?

Tony (Miller), son of sign host, Ruth Miller

And a big"Thank you" to all the Sign Hosts.

It couldn't have happened without you.

** These 13 people were completely unknown to me before the Quest. In most cases, I approached them as they were relaxing on their dock, explained what I was doing and asked if they would take one of the signs. They all agreed without hesitation. What a fantastic community we have here on Kahshe! Thank you to all of you. Keith Price

Next year's Quest

Given the success of the Kahshe/Canada Canoe/Kayak Quest 2021, there will definitely be another Quest next year. It will almost certainly be geared to what3words, an app that enables locations all over the world to be pinpointed to within a 3 metre square. Every single 3 metre square on the planet has been assigned a unique combination of three words. The what3words app can be used in conjunction with Google maps to navigate to any location, is used by Emergency Services around the world, and could be a lifesaver for someone who gets lost or injured in the wilderness while out hiking, snowmobiling, X-country skiing, etc.

For the Quest I will be selecting locations on and around Kahshe and Bass Lakes at which clues will be left. I will then communicate the 3 word combinations to enable Questers to find the clues. You will obviously need to get the app, which is free, and be familiar with how it works. I look forward to even more participants next year.

Keith Price

Quest Organiser

In Memoriam

Andrew Carswell, AFC, CD

1923 - 2021

Squadron Leader Andrew “Andy” Carswell, AFC, CD, passed away peacefully in his sleep on July 25^th, 2021 at Sunnybrook Veterans Centre in Toronto. Andy was born in Bishop, California to Morrison and Dorothea (Fosdick) Carswell as his father, an electrical engineer, was working on the Hoover Dam.

Andy was a lifetime cottager at Kahshe Lake. His mother’s family, the Fosdicks, spent their vacations at John Benzinger’s farm and later built their own cottage near the Benzinger farmhouse. Andy returned to Balmy Beach in Toronto with his family in the 1930s. His mother’s aunt, Ally Close, had bought the Benzinger farm in 1932 so he came to Kahshe Lake as a young child. His father bought the farm in the 1940s and it has been in the Carswell family ever since.

Andy joined the RCAF during WW2 in 1941 on his 18^th birthday and became a Lancaster bomber pilot. He was shot down in 1943 and was a POW in Germany, escaping twice and once making it to Stettin on the Baltic before he was recaptured. He wrote a book “Over the Wire” about his wartime experiences which was published by Wiley in 2012. After his liberation in 1945 he spent the summer with his brother Jim, a wartime Artillery Officer, at the family farm on Kahshe Lake.

He married Dot McCreadie in 1947 and rejoined the RCAF as a pilot soon afterwards. He was awarded an Air Force Cross by Queen Elizabeth in 1958 for his flying skill and bravery during several rescues in British Columbia.

He retired from the RCAF in 1970 and became a Transport Canada aviation safety officer until his second retirement in 1988. He bought his mother’s cottage in 1965 and cottaged at Kahshe Lake until a few years ago. He is survived by his wife Dorothy and his children Anne, Jim, John and Tim. His daughter Marg passed away in 2018.

We are saddened to learn of the death last week of Yvonne Phillippe, a long time Oak Road cottager. Our thoughts and prayers are with her family and friends at this time. An In Memoriam article will appear in the January Krier.

Gladys Mary Mable Laverty (née Irwin)

1919 - 2021

Gladys Irwin was born on June 29 1919 and grew up on the family farm near Kleinburg, Ontario.

Gladys’s love affair with Kahshe Lake started when she was six and came to Kahshe to visit John and Berta Wilkie, her uncle and aunt, on the east side of the channel going into Houseys Rapid Bay.

On June 20 1942 she married Allan Laverty and they spent their honeymoon at the Wilkie cottage. They lived on a potato farm near Honeywwod, Ontario.

In 1956 Allan and Gladys and their 5 children bought and built a cottage in Houseys Rapids Bay which they named “The 7L’s”. Their oldest child, Glenn, and his family still cottage there. Gladys started journaling everyday she spent at her beloved lake, referring to Kahshe as she would refer to a very close friend.

Gladys and Allan loved entertaining their many friends and nieces and nephews at the lake. Some of the cottagers across the lake thought that they ran a children’s camp; but no.....just friends and family.

In 1972, along with 3 other couples, they purchased a place across the bay which they named “Point 4 Estates”. They renovated and winterized their place and moved up from Nobleton in 1975.

Allan and Gladys were avid snowmobilers. Even after Allan passed away, Gladys was often found taking her grandchildren “out for a run”. She snowmobiled with her friends, Elaine Duncan and Flo and Jo Hrabi, until she was in her 84th year.

Gladys’s love for Kahshe was inherited by all her children four of whom still having places on the lake.

Gladys passed away on February 25 2021 in her 102nd year.

2021 Photo Contest Results

The contest is over and the judging is done thanks to Bruce Gibson and Toby Fletcher, who did a terrific job selecting winners from the 108 entries from 42 photographers in four categories. All photos are on the web site and the winners have their own page and should have received their prizes by now.

The judges were disappointed that there were NO entries in the Kids Eye View category. This is an important section since the pictures reflect what our kids are interested in and are looking at. In the past we have had several photos taken by kids 12 and under. You can check them out in past years' photos.

NEW next year -- a video category will be introduced. Watch for more details in the January and May Kriers and on the web.

The Winners

Kelly Hagan

1st - Wildlife

Jesse Mirlocca

1st - Kids on Kahshe

Nancy Cronin

1st - Landscape

Kerry Gale

1st - Life on Kahshe

Linette Mori

2nd - Wildlife

Kelly Hagan

3rd - Wildlife

Karen Kading

2nd - Landscape

Fritz Vatter

3rd - Landscape

Jessica Bellivaro-Tedford

2nd - Kids on Kahshe

Stephen Houlden

3rd Kids on Kahshe

Matt Bradley

2nd - Life on Kahshe

Jesse Mirlocca

3rd - Life on Kahshe

Editorial

This has been another Covid summer, but a somewhat less challenging one than last year when we were still unvaccinated and unfamiliar with the demands of a pandemic. We still held a virtual AGM, but with less apprehension than the first time, we still did not run the Picnic or the Regatta, but the second Quest and the 5K Run went some way towards making up for it, and, judging by the way people reacted when I stopped by their docks to chat, everyone seemed somewhat less uncomfortable with the whole Covid thing than they did last year. Despite the fact that there is a 4th wave and potentially more beyond that, there seems to be a light at the end of the tunnel, and we can all hope for a return to normal, or, perhaps, a new normal, by next summer.

Meanwhile I hope you all have an enjoyable fall and a safe winter.

Keith Price

Editor