The Kahshe Krier
Volume 15 Issue 1 January 2023
Photo: Glenn Osborn
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We are soon to be 100 years old! |
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That's right! The Kahshe Lake Ratepayers' Association began back in 1923 when 6 emterprising cottagers got together in Toronto to form an action group to push for
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* repairs to the dams, * the addition of Kilworthy as a scheduled railway stop during the holidays along with a summertime agent there, * the grading of the roads. * the maintaining of a high water level, * and other matters. Annual fees for membership were set at $2 ! The full story of the founding of the KLRA can be found in The Healing Waters of Kahshe, Volume 2 What will we be doing to celebrate this memorable milestone? Be sure to read the May Krier to find out. |
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Also... Happy 60th Birthday to The Housey's Rapids Picnic. What will organizers Shawn and Nancy Corbett come up with to make this an ultra-special day? |
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Happy New Year 2023 to everyone on Kahshe Lake! I am writing this update on a sunny -20 degrees January morning in Gravenhurst. If the temps go up to-3 this afternoon as forecasted, I will be out there cross country skiing and enjoying apres-ski mulled wine by the fire. As much as I enjoy winter in Muskoka, I long for warmer days on the Lake so here’s a quick round-up to keep you in the loop of what the KLRA will be doing in 2023. |
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First off, I would like to Congratulate our new Mayor Heidi Lorenz, Councillors Michelle Robinson Ward 4 and Randy Jorgensen Ward 3. The KLRA is looking forward to working with them over the next 4 years. We would also like to thank Terry Pilger and Steven Klinck for their contributions to our community over the past 4 years. District councillor Peter Johnston was the first to reach out with an update of what he will be doing to keep our members in the loop and his report is included in this issue of the Krier. We hope to include other local updates as a feature in our newsletter.
The big news in 2023 is that the KLRA will be celebrating its 100th Anniversary! The early history of the roots of this organization were recorded by Clare Henderson in the 2nd volume of the Healing Waters of Kahshe Lake. The article includes a first-hand account of the early years by Bill Edwards. Additional copies of the Healing Waters will be available to purchase this year. What better way to celebrate 100 years of life on Kahshe. If any of you have stories to tell or pictures to share, we encourage you to send them to Clare Henderson mailto:crhenderson@sympatico.ca. Clare maintains a blog with archives of additional stories and pictures of life on Kahshe. Perhaps we can encourage Clare to publish an updated 100th anniversary Volume 3 issue, so keep those stories coming. We may need volunteers to help Clare on this project, so let us know if you are interested in participating. We have so many people to thank for all their continued support as members, as volunteers for our committees, events and as members of our Board. The history of our lake association is rich and most families who have been here for generations have been joined by newbies (22 years for me ) who have also contributed their time and efforts with the same goal in mind: to preserve and respect the quality of life on our lake and to make lifelong friendships along the way. We will be celebrating around the lake this season so stay tuned for more info on events. This will also be a big year for the KLRA to make some upgrades to our website and social media with a goal to attract more members with improved ways for us to engage with you and our community. We would love to see everyone on Kahshe join our association as a cottage owner or as a Friend of Kahshe so keep renewing your memberships on our website. In other news, our Waste management committee, chaired by Marg Taylor is finalizing a new survey to find out how last summer’s Lakeside collection program was utilized by our community. We hope to take this info to our meeting with the District, with our goal of continuing to improve this vital service. Your comments will be included in our report so please watch for this survey coming soon. The long awaited results of the Bass Lake Causation study were presented by the District and our Lake Steward Ron Pearson participated with his extensive analysis of the results. Contact Ron for his insight and to learn more about water quality on our lakes. mailto:Ron.Pearson.Pics@gmail.com There are many local events happening around the lake and in Gravenhurst this winter. If you have an event to promote, please send info to either myselfmailto:aprilgadsbydrane@sympatico.ca or Keith Pricemailto:keithonkahshse@bell.net and we will make sure it is mentioned in the Krier, on our website and on social media. And finally, don’t forget to participate in the Gravenhurst Winter Carnival Friday Feb 17-Sunday Feb 19th (Family Day weekend). A great event to get out and enjoy this winter season! Cheers to celebrating in 2023! April Drane, KLRA President |
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The 60th Housey's Rapids Picnic |
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Not only is 2023 a big year for the KLRA but also for the Housey’s Rapids Picnic which, on July 16th, will be celebrating its 60th year of bringing the community together for fun, games, BBQ, and friendship.
Through the years we have enjoyed the company of many families that have attended each and every year and have welcomed many new families. We also have a great volunteer base that has contributed to our success and we welcome anyone wishing to join our team. The KLRA has sponsored this event for many years helping out with the funding of permits for Bass Lake Park, also the prizes and ribbons for the children. Over the years David Purdon of Muskoka Meats has been our supplier of sausages and wieners for the BBQ.
For this year, as well as races and games for the little ones, we will again have The Housey Rapids Amazing Race, the fun yet competitive Horseshoe Tournament for the coveted Cathy Dunphy Broken Horseshoe Trophy, the everybody-has-to-play Water Balloon Toss, the aggressive Tug of War, and the Keith Price special, The Bucket Brigade. During the event KLRA members will have the grill going and the day will wrap up with the world-famous Picnic Pick-Your-Own Prize Draw.
We are still working on some ideas for the 60th to make this year special and will have updates for the next Krier. If you have some thoughts you would like to share, or if you wish to join our team of volunteers please feel free to contact us a mailto:sncorbett001@gmail.com
Nancy and Shawn Corbett, Picnic Coordinators |
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Kahshe Quest 3 - 2022 The stories! Participants in Kahshe Quest 3 were invited to submit a short "quest" story using some of the words and distinctive features that were part of the Quest. The stories would be published in the Krier. Two teams submitted a total of 3 stories, two from The 1830 Questers and one from Team Iley, (who didn't actually participate in the Quest because they did not receive the emails about it). The 1830 Questers Youth entry is printed here as is Episode 1 of the Team Iley trilogy. The second 1830 Questers story will appear in the May Issue. Episodes 2 and 3 of the Team Iley story will appear in the May and September issues respectively. I hope you enjoy reading them as much as the teams did composing them and as I did reading them. Enjoy! |
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Is bored better than scared? by Arianna Radford-Mutch (11 years old) [The 1830 Questers]
One day a girl decided to go for a walk because she was bored. It was a warm summer evening, birds were singing in the trees and bunnies were hopping on the grass. On this walk of hers, she came across a narrow, hidden trail. It was getting dark so she ran home and lit up a torch, and quickly ran back to the trail. The more she walked the scarier and darker it got. The further she walked it looked very secret. When she finally got to the end there was a gate which she was able to open with ease. It was then that she noticed a BIG castle. |
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The castle looked wonder-ful but there was a guardian. The guardian was a dragon! But then she heard a damsel in distress. The dragon looked at her with the most evil expression. The dragon did not know that she was just visiting.
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“Go away” said the dragon. “No way” said the girl. She ran to a bridge that went over a dam. As she walked over the bridge she saw a fallen tree. Also there was a big river and in the middle of the huge river there was a lighthouse. The girl giggled when she suddenly saw a small statue of a lady who wasn’t wearing any clothes. Next she found a dungeon. Some parts of the dungeon had restrictions. Talk about scary places! She was starting to get tired and cold. She wished for a quilt to keep her warm. She decided it was time to go home. The girl never wanted to go on another adventure like this one. She was so happy to make it home safely. So happy to see her mom, dad and sister. And that girl was me.
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The Kahshe Prophecy
by Noah (14), Madeleine (11) and Olivia (11) Iley with a little help from Matt and Nadine [Team Iley] Part 1 |
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Once upon a time there was a damsel who lived in a beautiful castle built right next to a dam near the south end of a beautiful body of water named Kahshe Lake. When the young damsel, whose name was Matilda, looked out of the window she could see a large rocky cliff, and sometimes she would daydream about the fun she might have by jumping off the cliff into the beautiful waters of Kahshe Lake even though she was terribly afraid of heights.
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One wonderful summer day, Matilda made up her mind that she would conquer her fears and hike over to the cliff and finally jump off. As she headed out through the side gate of her castle, she came upon a hidden trail and decided to follow it. As she wandered along the trail, she passed through a thick forest with many tall pine trees - when all of a sudden, she fell into a trap and tumbled through a small hole into a dark dungeon far below the forest floor.
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When she landed, and dusted herself off, she realized she was okay but sat there puzzled about how she hadn’t seen the trap! It had been fully covered with many sticks and a layer of leaves. She looked around and wondered what purpose this dungeon could serve. The walls were made of large rock mostly covered in moss and vines. It was like an underground cavern that someone had turned into a prison-like dungeon - but why was this dungeon here?
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She was stuck, with no one to help her! Looking around, the only things she could see were some narrow pieces of wood, 7 or 8 nails, and a very rusty screwdriver. “How am I going to get out of here?” she thought to herself.
Over on the far side of the cavern, she saw a group of low rocks on which she went and sat for what seemed like a very long time. She sat thinking and thinking on how to get out. It was hard to see inside this dungeon because very little sunlight was getting through the thick trees above the opening to the cavern. Eventually she had the idea of making a torch out of one of the pieces of wood because she really needed to see what she was doing. She was beginning to become distressed. However once the lantern was lit, she saw a patch of thick bladed grass and she had an idea!
What is Matilda’s idea? And will it work? Read the next thrilling episode of The Kahshe Prophecy in the May Krier. |
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And now to Kahshe Quest 4 - 2023
The Challenge: To find 40 different locations (distinctive features and posters) on and around Kahshe and Bass Lakes over a 2 month period.
How?
By cruising the channels, bays and inlets of the two lakes with spyglass in hand and, in some cases, a cell phone too*.
When?
Instructions will be sent to all KLRA members sometime in June.
Who? All Kahshe Lake residents and visitors may participate in one of two Divisions: Adult (17 and older) and Youth (16 and under). Prizes: There will be 3 prizes in each Division: Kahshe Boutique vouchers for $25, $15 and $10 valid forever! In addition, there will be another voluntary writing component which will be rewarded by publication in the Krier.
How to enter: Simply email me at mailto:keithonkahshe@bell.net with the name of your team, the names of the team members (and ages if a Youth team, 16 and under) and contact info for your team.
* Why a cell phone........you might ask? Some of you will have guessed already. At some of the distinctive features you will be asked to get as close as possible (without endangering yourselves) and give me a What3Words address. Don't worry that your answer might be different from someone else's. There will be several correct possibilities since each address covers only 3 square metres, so the team in the boat tied to yours could have a completely different correct answer! So long as I can tell that you were close to the feature, your answer will be accepted. Remember that the What3Words app is completely free and very easy to use.
Keith Price, Quest Organizer
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Board Members
President April Drane Vice-President Michele Phillippe Past President Margaret Taylor Secretary Marlene Clune Treasurer Greig Holder Boating Safety Committee Chair Rick Glatt
COM-Committee Chair Cathy Dunphy
Conservation Committee Chair Bob Reyburn
FOCA Rep Sandra Moad
Nagaya Beach Committee Chair Alison Smithers-RyanNewsletter Editor Keith Price Rock Marker Committee Chair Marnie Cryderman Water Access Committee Chair Henry Kowalewski Members-at-Large: Jocelyne DeRomana Steve Wild
Non-Board Member Support Team
Kahshe Boutique Manager Leslie Pinard Lake Steward Ron Pearson Social Media (FB, Instagram, Twitter) Paisley Pinard Webmaster Clare Henderson To contact any of these people, please email us at mailto:info@kahshelake.ca
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Photo Contest 2022-2023Since there were very few entries for the 2022 contest, these entries will be considered as entries in the 2022-2023 Contest. All photos taken since July 2021 are eligible.
Remember there are 5 categories:
Kahshe Nature - Landscape
Kahshe Nature - Wild Life: Fauna and Flora
Life on Kahshe
Kids on Kahshe (pictures of kids)
Kid's Eye View (pictures BY kids 12 and under)
Each entrant can submit up to 3 photos. (One each in 3 different categories), all in one category or any 1-2 combination).
To submit photos, attach them in jpeg format to an e-mail and send them to mailto:photocontest@kahshelake.ca . Include the full name of the photographer, his or her age if 12 or under, and a telephone number for notification of special prizes. Clearly state the category of each photo.
Note: Photos not in jpeg format will be disqualified.
To see the full contest rules click Rules.
The 2022 Photo Contest did not receive very many submissions, but you can still send your best three jpegs to us at mailto:photocontest@kahshelake.ca and they will be added to the web site record. The contest will end at
4:00 pm on July 21, 2023. All winners will be notified by e-mail.
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FOCA Report by Sandra Moad |
Here is a list of topics discussed at the November meeting of FOCA. Many of these topics can be accessed on the FOCA website which is currently being updated and is not presently available. As soon as it is up and running again (sometime before the end of January) we will send out an e-blast to let you all know.
If you want any more information I can answer questions at mailto:info@kahshelake.ca. Be sure to indicate that your question id to be forwarded to me.
Septic Systems - New Septic Smart brochure Bill 23 "More Homes Built Faster" Flood Risk in communities Total residential flood risk in Canada estimated at $2.9 B Great Lakes Public Forum Wake Awareness - Reached out to Marinas to spread the word about wake impacts and etiquette Short Term Rentals Rural Road Resources Invasive Species monitoring Programs and Education ie. phragmites, Asian Carp Shoreline preservation
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Watch this space for news of the products that will be on sale at the Kahshe Boutique in 2023 |
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Councillors' Corner a new feature where our political representatives can report on what is happening in and around Gravenhurst and Muskoka, and what they are doing that will maintain or improve the quality of life on Kahshe. |
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from Peter Johnston
District of Muskoka Councillor
I have been appointed to the following as a member of the Muskoka Watershed Council, the Muskoka Watershed Communication Committee, the Board of Directors for the Muskoka Tourism Marketing Board and the District Finance and Corporate Services Committee.
I have already had discussions with Peter Sale, the Chair of the Muskoka Watershed Council, about the vigorous role I plan to play during the term of my appointment. I am currently reviewing all past minutes of the MWC. and background material, in order to acquaint myself with the activities of the MWC during their past four-year term. I have met with MWC staff at the District to discuss current issues prior to the Annual General Meeting which will take place on January the 20th 2023.
I will be sending regular update reports on developments in all the committees I will be serving on to the various Lakeside associations (including the KLRA) with whom I have communicated during the campaign and I have provided my contact details below. This will enable the associations, and individual members, to contact me in order to provide information or make inquiries. I have made it clear to everyone that residents who live on waterbodies in Gravenhurst and Muskoka will be my eyes and ears in developing an effective strategy to protect and preserve our natural environment. Who better to tell me what the condition of our waterbodies is than people who actually live on the shore?
Please feel free to contact me at any time with observations, concerns or questions. Peter Johnston
To see Peter's full report click here. |
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from
Randy Jorgensen
Ward 4 Councillor
Gravenhurst Deputy Mayor
I would like to thank the voters of Ward 4 for putting their trust in me to represent them on Gravenhurst Town Council for the next 4 years.
I have been appointed to serve as the Deputy Mayor, and I’m also the Council representative on the Municipal Heritage Committee, the group that recommends designation of Gravenhurst properties of cultural heritage value as well as heritage conservation and education in general in our Town.
My other appointment is as Chair of the Town’s Committee of Adjustment, the body that rules on Consents as well as Minor Variances to the Zoning Bylaw . The Province’s newly passed More Homes Built Faster Act affects the Committee of Adjustment in several ways, one of which is that Lake Associations are no longer permitted to appeal decisions of the Committee of Adjustment to the OPT. Anyone may still participate at the monthly Public Hearings held by the Committee (typically the third Friday morning of the month).
The Act has also removed the ability of the municipality to impose Site Plan Control (like re-vegetation, retention of runoff, etc.) on waterfront residential properties through a Site Plan Agreement. Town staff have been reviewing other mechanisms that we may be able to use to help preserve the water quality of our lakes.
The major order of business that the new Council is embarking on immediately is the review and passing of the Town’s 2023 Operating and Capital Budgets. The Budget gets tabled at Council this week on Wednesday January 18th at 1PM. It looks as though a tax hike of about 2.8% will be levied this year -- about $15 per $100,000 of assessed value of your property. Council may adjust the Budget through the deliberations that will take place on January 31 and February 1. Your comments are encouraged, either at the Public Meeting to be held on January 18th, or by email to myself (see below) or Town staff. The Budget document is available online on the Town’s Budget page at https://www.gravenhurst.ca/en/town-hall/budgets-and-financials.aspx#2023
Of interest to lake residents also is the implementation of the Town’s new Short-Term Rental Licensing Bylaw that was passed during the previous term of Council. Details can be found on the Town website here: https://www.gravenhurst.ca/en/town-hall/short-term-rental-accommodations.aspx
I look forward to hearing your comments on these topics and any others that may interest you. Municipal government is our closest level of government, and municipal services affect us all every day. It’s important to me to understand how they are working… or not working… for you. You can reach me through my Council email randy.jorgensen@gravenhurstcouncil.ca or by phone at (705) 646-4392.
Randy Jorgensen
Gravenhurst Ward 4 Councillor To see Randy's full report click January 2023 Update – Randy Jorgensen |
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What's on at the Opera House Tuesday February 7 Movie "The Good House" with Sigourney Weaver and Kevin Kline Doors open 6:30 Show starts at 7:00 $10 tax incl. Wednesday February 15
Songs and Stories host Sean Cotton with Bel Smith and Neil Hutchinson Doors open 6:30 Show starts at 7:00 $5 min, more if you can. Friday February 24 ABBAMania Doors open 7:00 Show starts at 7:30 $49 plus tax
For more information about these and other shows, click here. |
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As we head into a new year with a more relaxed and positive post-covid outlook, I hope that we can all begin to enjoy Kahshe the way we all did before the epidemic came along. I, for example, am hoping to be able to host a get-together barbecue (for all the Quest 4 participants) at which results will be announced, prizes distributed, sausages served, photos taken and new friends made. And after the upcoming KLRA Board meeting on January 25th, we will know better what plans are afoot to celebrate our 100th birthday.
On a somewhat different note, I would like to thank District Councillor Peter Johnston who sent me an update on his activities since being elected in November. This initiative on Peter's part prompted me to introduce a new column in the Krier -- Councillors' Corner -- in which our local representatives are invited to let us know what is happening in the Town and District and how they are helping to maintain and improve the Kahshe experience. Ward 4 Councillor and Deputy Mayor, Randy Jorgensen, has submitted an update and Ward 3 Councillor, Michelle Robinson has also been invited to contribute.
If any of you were a little concerned to hear of the new vacant residence tax and wonder whether it might impact you as only part-time residents of your cottage, Randy Jorgensen assures me that there is no such tax in Muskoka nor are there any plans to introduce one.
On the subject of 2nd home ownership, I hope you have all completed the District of Muskoka Anyone Home online survey, details of which should have reached you by snail mail three or four weeks ago. You have until February the 17th to complete it, but don't procrastinate--- do it now. This is your chance to let the District know our wants and needs. To find out more visit www.muskoka.on.ca/SHS .
Enjoy the rest of the winter Keith Price
Editor |
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Keith Henry Barker (1925-2020)
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Keith and his wife, Irene, spent many happy weeks at their cottage on Kahshe Lake near Housey’s Rapids from 1970 onward. Their family of four children grew to include fourteen grandchildren and twenty-one great-grandchildren. All looked forward to Keith blowing the whistle at 3:00 p.m. and doling out ice cream through the kitchen window.
They enjoyed all the traditional cottage activities such as taking slow boat rides, towing the kids skiing, and catching a few fish dinners. Keith came to the cottage to relax and putter, whistling while he worked. Some of his notable ‘chores’ included culling poison ivy plants, planting green onions in the flower beds, and keeping the beach clear of clam shells.
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On rainy days you would find him slurping instant coffee while reading and re-reading Reader’s Digests. On sunny days he would wander the bush lot searching for a few blueberries to add to his cereal, saplings to strip and varnish for walking canes, and mossy tree stumps to ‘decorate’ the nooks and crannies near the buildings.
Kahshe Lake was definitely Keith’s favourite summer spot. |
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Copyright © 2020 Kahshe Lake Ratepayers' Association 1994 Inc. All rights reserved.
Postal mail: KLRA, PO Box 1318, Gravenhurst, ON, P1P 1V5
 
This email was sent to {Contact_Email}. You can change your email preferences here{Member_Profile_URL} |
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