2 | 2017 LAKE STEWARDS NEWSLETTER In This Issue At FOCA, it’s part of our mandate to communicate important information to our members. That’s why this newsletter includes callout sidebars that are colour coded by subject. Don’t miss these feature items! Tools from FOCA News from Members Policy & Calls-to-Action Environmental Updates Why Cottage Country Needs You by FOCA’s Executive Director Welcome to the latest edition of the Lake Stewards Newsletter. For twenty years this FOCA publication has been circulated annually to members, as part of our ongoing commitment to the stewardship of Ontario’s waterways by the people who live there. Thank you to all our partners and colleagues who have written articles or contributed to this year’s Newsletter. As FOCA’s Executive Director, I am very pleased to share the enclosed wealth of knowledge with you, and I encourage you to share this news with others. FOCA is the province-wide voice for waterfront residents, and we are working year-round on your behalf to support a sustainable future for our lakes and rivers. Special thanks to the more than 600 volunteer lake stewards across Ontario who collect long-term water quality data in the Lake Partner Program, and the other volunteers who do so much in their own waterfront communities. You have an important role to play! Connect with and support your local lake association, join 10,000 subscribers on the FOCA Elert (e-newsletter) list, and tell a friend at the lake about news or information you heard from FOCA. If you have leadership skills, you can contribute to your local community. I challenge you to help make a difference in cottage country by getting involved with the 2018 municipal election, hosting candidate events, or even running for municipal office in your cottage community. Please, do your part! Sincerely, Terry Rees Celebrating Canada 150 All of us are at the waterfront because of our love for the out-of-doors and nature, and the importance of these special spaces to our health and wellbeing, to our families, and to our identity as Canadians. This is the legacy of Ontario cottage country, and you are part of it!