MESSAGE FROM YOUR PRESIDENT

In this year’s edition of our Newsletter You will find articles and reports from our Executive regarding our Annual General Meeting, Boat Launch, other interesting articles and links that we hope you will find informative. If you have suggestions regarding content for next year’s newsletter, please email us at; horseshoecrotchlakepoa@ gmail.com. We wish you all a safe and happy cottage season!

STRIKE a drum! RAISE a glass! SOUND a cheer! Congratulations are in order!!!

It’s official, The HCLPOA is now the proud owner of the Boat Launch! Thanks to everyone who helped over the last few years to make this happen: Geoff Michie; Doug Rutherford; David Sparrow; Executive members present and past; Catherine Lane; Bill See; Tom Dewey and more. Your efforts have helped secure access to the lake system for all HCLPOA members by protecting this property from sale or interference for many, many decades to come. We have also been able to purchase proper liability insurance for our use of the boat launch and the dock, similar to that which we have on the common roads.

Most of us will notice no change as we launch our boats this spring, as nothing changes in the physical layout of the launch. However, as a group we are in a better position to protect and care for our shared property. All HCLPOA road and water access property owners continue to have access along Horseshoe Lane and across the Boat Launch for purposes of launching a boat. A reminder that parking is for water access property owners only. Please work to keep the property clean of debris, practice proper boat hygiene and check out the notice board for local events.

IMPORTANT: The AGM will be held on Saturday, July 19, 2025 at 10:00 AM at the Boat Launch. The rain date is Sunday, July 20, 2025 at 10:00 AM, same place.

Many thanks to the Executive that are passionate about keeping the Horseshoe and Crotch Lakes community healthy, safe and fun for all to enjoy. Your volunteer work does not go unnoticed. Thanks also to Glenda Baker who, with assistance from our newish HCLPOA Secretary, Jennifer McEachern, graciously puts this newsletter together to help keep everyone educated and informed.

Remember, only members in good standing, through the payment of their annual dues by the time of or at the AGM, are able to vote on important initiatives.

David Sparrow HCLPOA President

Annual General Meeting

Saturday, July 19 2025 10AM

Elections

In order to provide continuity and overlap, half of the Executive will run for office each year, for a 2-year term. Candidates filling an existing position will run for a two-year term or for the remainder of the term of the board member spot they would be filling. If you’d like to put your name forward to help on Executive, send an email to [email protected] and we’ll talk.

This year, the current candidates are…

Treasurer: Doug Rutherford 2yr

Dock Steward: Currently Vacant 2yr (See note below.)

Member at Large: Neil Maxwell 2yr

Member at Large: Sil Jacobs 2yr

Member At Large: Geoff Michie 2yr

Note: We are seeking a water access cottager to replace the excellent and long-serving Tom Greenis. Tom has agreed to mentor the new Dock Steward for the first year. Youth Member at Large: Currently Vacant

Township of Central Frontenac By-Law Updates Geoff Michie

The Township has made it a key objective of their 2024-2028 Strategic Plan to enforce by-laws, update some of the existing ones, create new ones etc, and have hired a full time employee to complete these duties.At the outset, It is important to note that by-laws apply to all property owners, whether permanent or seasonal, and if you are using your property for short term rental purposes, you are responsible for any non compliance by your guests.

Explaining the Township By-laws within the confines of the space in the newsletter is very difficult, so I will attempt to direct you as to where to find information and updates.

To find any bylaw, go to the Township of Central Frontenac website, and look for the heading of “By-Law Enforcement”. Unfortunately you need to search by year to locate the applicable by-law.

Here is the most recent updated by-laws, that will impact any dog owner or any guests with dogs. Go to 2024, and find 2024-41 ByLaw for the Licensing of Dogs & Canine Control, and 2024-43 By-Law to Establish Monetary Penalties. This is a complex by-law which mandates licensing, vaccination, length of leash, walking on leash at all times when dog is anywhere in the Township off Dog owner’s property.

Currently in process is the “Safe Yards” By-Law, that when approved by Council you will want to understand. Hopefully, many of our association property owners reviewed the draft and submitted their comments to the Township. Other current by-laws that you are likely wanting to know are:

2021-39 Noise By-law

2021-27 Fireworks By-law

2021-21 Burn By-law

And the great news is that Council is working with staff to create an easier format to keep property owners updated… hopefully coming soon!

Quinte Conservation Authority – Update on Regulations Geoff Michie

The Upper Salmon River Flood Plain mapping was approved last fall and the new regulations are now in effect. What does this mean to you? Instead of the high level mark on the 1969 survey for this development, the new regulated flood plain level is identified on the “Property Regulation Map” which is situated in the Quinte Conservation website page( in the permits and planning section). Locate your property on the map, and if you see “yellowish/green”, then your property is considered regulated. ( I don’t see any that are not, but I could have missed a few)

The website will identify when and how to apply for a permit but these are some of the reasons:

any building construction
any shoreline work
any change of use of building or property
importing or exporting of fill
any filling or grading
any installation of a culvert

Failure to obtain the required approvals/permits is not a suggested option. For further information, visit the Quinte website as an initial step in the planning of any project on your property in the regulated area. For individual information, email [email protected] or [email protected]

Lastly, confirm whether a building permit from the Township of Central Frontenac is required…see their website for details of when a permit is required. A brief list is included in the letter with your tax bill, but always a good idea to confirm prior to starting any project. I would suggest an email rather than a phone call.

Financial Report January 1, 2024 – December 31, 2024

Last year was the first year we were able to accept payment of membership fees by e-transfer. This new payment option has proven to be the preferred method of payment by the membership, followed by credit card, cheque and cash. The number of payments has stayed constant over the last few years. Consistent annual payments would help increase our revenue. I urge property owners who do not pay on an annual basis to consider supporting the association every year. To be a member in good standing comes with so many benefits to you and your association.

Our income was higher due to the increase in dues for 2024, but we also had an increase in our expenses. Always the big variable in our annual expenses are the roads, but there are also three expenses included in this report that are related to the purchase of the boat launch. These three expenses were not paid from the GIC.

Before we could attempt to purchase the boat launch, the association was required to become a Registered Not-For-Profit organization. The legal fee is for services rendered by our lawyer to complete the necessary paperwork to become a Registered NotFor-Profit. Their services were provided in 2022 but we received the invoice in 2024.

As a Not-For-Profit we are now required to file an annual T-2 with the CRA. To ensure the filing was completed properly the services of an accounting firm were used for the first filing. A second appraisal of the boat launch was done after a new flood plain map was completed by Quinte Conservation Authority and the Township of Central Frontenac confirmed that a building permit could not be issued for this lot. Because of these changes to the property, the second appraisal of the boat launch was much lower than the first one completed in 2022. The second appraisal was less than the first appraisal which offset the cost of having the second appraisal done.

The GIC was redeemed on the renewal date of November 15, 2024. A portion of the funds from the GIC were used for the purchase of the boat launch and to pay the fees associated with the purchase. The remainder of the funds from the GIC have been reinvested in a redeemable GIC.

We offer four easy ways to pay:

by e-transfer to [email protected]. Please include your name, lot # and/or your lake address in the memo section. Important: You must choose a Question and Answer/ Password to allow the HCLPOA to complete your e-transfer. Please send your e-transfer ANSWER/PASSWORD in a separate email to [email protected]
through our website at https://hclpoa.ca/
by cheque
in cash

Your financial support is greatly appreciated.

Doug

Doug Rutherford

Membership Fees Received in 2024 11,985.00

Expenses

Bank Service Charge 30.25

Bank Fee for new Cheques 162.37

Boat Launch 54.45

Boat Launch Appraisal 710.77

FOCA Membership 819.25

General Liability Insurance 1,665.36

Legal Fee 657.51

Office Supplies 23.72

Postage 78.31

Printing (Newsletter) 67.45

Accounting Fees (Filing of T-2 with CRA) 565.00

Property Taxes (Boat Launch) 929.89

Road Maintenance 8,282.90

Signage 135.60

Stripe Fees

(Payments received through website) 178.90

Website (Hosting Fee) 158.20

Total Expenses for 2024 14,519.93

Net Income/Loss – 2,534.93

Interest earned on GIC Nov. 16, 2023 to Nov. 15, 2024 was $652.55

GIC $16,006.76 redeemed and transferred to chequing account on November 15, 2024

Chequing account balance as of December 31, 2024 was $19,981.61

Road Maintenance Breakdown

May 17, 2024 – Grade Roads 932.25

July 202 – Brushing 683.65

August 28, 2024 – Gravel & Level 5,175.40 September 20, 2024 – Gravel & Level 1,491.60

HCLPOA Signage Display Sil Jacobs

Cottage Agreements Amanda Groves What are they and do we need them?

Land transfer from one generation to the next can be a complicated issue. On the death of a landowner, the easiest step forward is to sell the property to a thirdparty for fair market value and split the proceeds in accordance with the will. However, cottages are often home to years of wonderful family experiences that make the owners keen to pass these properties down to their children and grandchildren. While negotiating issues of shared cottage ownership may be simple enough for the first generation, as the generations and descendants increase exponentially, so do the potential problems. Once the next generation steps into the role of shared land ownership, they should consider entering into a Cottage Agreement. A Cottage Agreement, also called a Cottage Sharing Agreement, is simply an agreement that sets out the rules of land ownership.

Cottage Agreements can govern a variety of topics, but here are some of the main issues to consider: How will time be shared amongst the owners?How will operating costs be split?Who will maintain the cottage?Who determines when a major repair needs to be done?What happens if one owner wants to sell? Or gets divorced? Or dies?How will problems be solved if the parties are fighting? As they function like a prenuptial agreement, Cottage Agreements are best entered into at the beginning of ownership, before problems have a chance to arise. If there is no agreement in place that contemplates disagreements

amongst owners, a co-owner may apply to the court under the Ontario Partition Act to sell the land, even if the other co-owners are not in agreement. A Cottage Agreement is not required for coowners but they are a good idea to keep families harmonious and focused on enjoying the important bits of life.

Boat Launch Report

Tom Greenis

Last year we had low water levels after the spring ice melt and ended up with high water levels for most of the summer and fall. This proved to be a challenge for all using the boat launch and reduced parking because of the highwater levels. Let’s hope we have more normal water levels this year. The lake was clear of ice as of the week of April 14th, the last ice being in the bay the boat launch is in.

For those new to the cottage association and those who have renters or family and friends coming to visit please pass the following information below to them.

Remember to always be safe when on the dock and please warn family and friends of this as well. There is a posted sign near the launch dock to remind users of this. Please no diving off the boat launch dock.

Please clean and remove all garbage from the boat launch area that you may have from your cottage. Also please remind all guests to remove their garbage as well.

Parking is limited with the number of owners using it so please park responsibly so there is enough room for all to park. Eg. Vehicles with an empty trailer attached parked in the boat launch and road parking area take up too much parking space.

Please remove the trailer from the vehicle and park according to the posted signs. Please remove any trailers not needed once your larger boat has been put into the water for the season to help keep as many spaces available for car parking and boats needed to get to their cottage.

The boat launch is private property to be used by Horseshoe and Crotch Lake association members only. The launch is not open for public use. I would also like to thank those who regularly keep an eye on the boat launch area to help protect our boats and equipment throughout the year. I hope all using the boat launch and dock have a safe and wonderful cottage season.

Roads Report Dave Johnson

During the 2024 cottage season your property association invested almost $8,300 in roadway maintenance and repairs. This represents 69 percent of the associations’ revenue generated through our fees. It also represents 57 percent of the associations’ operating expenses. I’m sure that this comes as no surprise to those of you who observe our annual financial reports.

Maintenance activities included: multiple inspections and surveys of our roadways throughout the spring, summer and fall; a grading of each of our roadways in the spring; cutting the low brush and vegetation at the roadsides, and; placement and grading of gravel and crushed limestone at specific locations on the roads in the summer and fall. The grading, cutting and gravel operations were all carried out by GE Matson & Sons Construction in Arden.

These private roadways are important to us all. They provide access to the places that we love, and where we live. Something to keep in mind about our gravel roads is: they are built to be inexpensive; they are not built to be durable.

So, while we allocate a good portion of our annual budget to roadway maintenance, we can all reduce or minimize our maintenance activities by driving slowly. As well, your neighbours who are out for a walk will thank you.

Safe Gardening on the Dock: Protecting our Lakes Robert Paul

As spring approaches, many of us are looking forward to spending more time by the water. A popular trend is decorating docks with potted flowers or using them as spots to grow summer vegetables. While these ideas certainly add beauty and practicality, they can unintentionally harm the delicate ecosystem of our lakes.

One of the primary concerns is the use of fertilizers, which contain high levels of nitrogen. While nitrogen is beneficial for plant growth, it also feeds weeds and algae in the lake. During the warmer summer months, this excess nitrogen can promote the growth of toxic algae, leading to health hazards and clogged, weed-choked lakes.

As part of my water testing, one of the key factors I monitor is the nitrogen content. High nitrogen levels indicate poor water quality, and too much of it can disrupt the balance of the entire ecosystem.

Another important issue arises from the use of manure in gardening. Whether composted or not, cow manure can harbor harmful bacteria, including E. coli. Any runoff containing E. coli can spread rapidly in warm lake water, posing serious health risks, including skin rashes and infections for anyone who swims in the lake.

If you decide to garden on or near the water, it’s crucial to be mindful of how you fertilize your plants. Choose a plain outdoor potting mix and avoid using water-soluble fertilizers unless absolutely necessary. If possible, bring your pots ashore to limit the risk of fertilizer leaking into the lake. Another simple yet effective solution is to use lake water itself for watering your plants—it’s full of nutrients and will help nourish your garden while keeping chemicals at bay.

Let’s keep our lakes clean and our gardens thriving in harmony with nature!

Protecting Your Cottage Retreat: A Lyme Disease Prevention Guide Neil Maxwell

Nestled among the forests and lakes of Eastern Ontario, your cottage is a sanctuary—a place to unwind, explore nature, and create memories. But as black-legged ticks (also called deer ticks) expand their territory across the region, Lyme disease has become a growing concern. These tiny pests, no bigger than a sesame seed, can transmit the Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria when they bite, leading to flu-like symptoms, joint pain, and, if untreated, long-term health issues. For cottagers, the key to peace of mind lies in balancing adventure with smart prevention. Here’s how to safeguard your family, pets, and property while enjoying the great outdoors.

Understand the Risk: Ticks Thrive in Cottage Country

Ticks love the same environments you do: wooded areas, tall grasses, and the edges where forest meets lawn. In Eastern Ontario, warming temperatures and milder winters have allowed tick populations to flourish, especially in rural and waterfront areas. Adult ticks are active year round—even in winter—but are most active in spring and fall, while nymphs (young ticks) pose the greatest risk in sum mer—their small size makes them easy to miss. Knowing where ticks lurk is half the battle. After a day of hiking, gardening, or gathering firewood, assume you’ve encountered them.

Dress Smart and Repel Invaders

Before heading outdoors, treat your clothing like armor. Light-colored, long-sleeved shirts and pants tucked into socks create a physical barrier, making it harder for ticks to latch on. For added protection, spray outdoor gear, shoes, and pants with permethrin, an insecticide that kills ticks on contact. Pair this with a DEET-based repellent (20–30% concentration) on exposed skin—it’s your best defense during buggy sunset canoe rides or trail walks. After outdoor chores or play, toss clothes into a hot dryer for 10 minutes to zap any hitchhikers.

Make Your Cottage Property a Tick-Free Zone

A well-maintained yard reduces tick habitats dramatically. Start by mowing lawns short and raking up leaf litter, where ticks thrive. Create a buffer zone between wooded areas and your cottage by laying down gravel or wood chips—ticks dislike crossing dry, open spaces. Keep firewood stacks neat and elevated, as mice (common tick carriers) love to nest in messy piles. If deer frequent your property, plant deerresistant shrubs like lavender or sage, or install fencing to deter these tick-carrying visitors.

Your HCLPOA Executives will be holding a Puzzle and Board Game Swap at our Annual General Meeting

Tired of that same old puzzle, out grown that old board game? We think we may have a solution for you.

An old fashion swap

We are asking that our members bring their used, complete (no missing parts please) jigsaw puzzles and board games to the AGM meeting for swapping with other members.

Stay Connected with our website, Facebook group and emails!

Did you hear about all the recent commotion?

Downed trees blocking our cottage roads, a paddle boat found, the Arden road flooded, and thefts in the area!

And all that was during a single week in April!

If not, you are missing important information from our Association!

Join Our Facebook Community!

All those information updates were posted on our Facebook page. Search for “Horseshoe and Crotch Lake Property Owners Association” on Facebook. Members are encouraged to comment on any post and message the modirator with content they’d like to see added to the FB page.

Check out our Website! We post important updates on the lakes and our Association at https://hclpoa.ca including:

Current and Past Newsletters and AGM Minutes
Environmental, Road, and Boat Launch Updates
Links to Information from Other Sites (burn bans, water and snow levels)
Financial Statements
History of the Lakes and Surrounding Area
Contact Links

Pay Your Membership Online! At the bottom right of the website homepage, you’ll find “Looking to pay online?” Just follow the links. Subscribe to Our Email Notices! We know that people get swamped by emails, so we send them out only when there’s information our members need to know.

Membership in HCLPOA Jen McEachern

In taking on a position on the HCLPOA executive, I figured it was about time I get to know just what the HCLPOA does, who makes up the amazing team running it, and how the Association fits in with other nearby lake associations, the Township of Central Frontenac, and other support organizations. Never having had a cottage property before, I was clueless.

I invite you to visit our website and our Facebook page and check out for yourself; who the HCLPOA is, why it’s important, the wonderful sense of community it promotes, and the many affiliations and benefits, old and new, that it provides to members.

On the HCLPOA executive, we have a dedicated team of individuals looking after things that matter most to us, including:

Setting and adhering to the legal rules and regulations of our internal operations (e.g., our recently updated by-laws)• Association finances (e.g., payment of boat launch property taxes) and maintenance of appropriate liability insurance coverage
Relationships and membership with government agencies and support organizations like the Federation of Ontario

Cottagers’ Association (FOCA), which extend many benefits and network connections to lake associations like ours • Improvements to infrastructure, common access road and culvert monitoring and maintenance where roads are not serviced by the Township, for ease of member access

Stewardship of our lakes, working with Quinte Conservation Authority (e.g., flood plain mapping), and ongoing water quality testing in conjunction with the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks
Care and maintenance of the dock and boat launch property and parking area,
Communicating information and updates and interacting with members on social media through Facebook and the Association website
This, our Annual Newsletter keeping members informed and up to date on Association matters
Signage, necessary for both insurance purposes and to protect member safety and access on the roads and at the boat launch, a bulletin board of local community event posters, as well as signs and annual stickers indicating our proud HCLPOA membership in good standing!

Below are links to some websites I found really helpful in explaining who we are, what we do, and the many organizations we interact with, and from which we obtain a great deal of support:

https://hclpoa.ca/ – Horseshoe Crotch Lake Property Owners’ Association (HCLPOA) website. As a paid member you can raise concerns and vote at the AGM.
https://foca.on.ca/ – HCLPOA membership provides access to FOCA (the Federation of Ontario Cottagers Association) giving members access to many offers and benefits.
https://www.centralfrontenac.com/en/index.aspx – Township of Central Frontenac
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1484608775146817/ – Kennebec Recreation Committee Facebook page (local recreational activities held in Arden including exercise classes, ice rink, pickleball, corn hole, Euchre, youth activities and more)
https://www.quinteconservation.ca/ – Quinte Conservation, watershed management programs
https://ca.voyent-alert.com/vras/client.html#!/registration – Voyent Alert communication system has recently been rolled out to Central Frontenac. You can download it to your phone from your app store. The app is designed to notify you about local fires, floods, road closures and maintenance, community events, service outages, etc., for your trips up to the lakes.