2017 LAKE STEWARDS NEWSLETTER | 27 Are You Ready to Run? The next Ontario Municipal Elections will be held in October 2018. The most important quality-of-life decisions happen at the municipal level, including recreation, roads, social services, safety and security, and planning decisions. REMEMBER: in Ontario Municipal elections, you are entitled to vote where you own property, so plan to vote at your cottage riding as well as your permanent residence. Ask your municipality about the availability of advance polls or online voting. Now is the time to check on the options that will be available for the 2018 election! Help ensure that seasonal residents’ voices are included. Find out more, here: https:// foca.on.ca/municipal-election/ Stay Informed Want to stay in-the-know about lake association and rural municipal updates like these? Be sure we have your current email on file to receive FOCA’s monthly Elert (e-newsletter). Find out more, and confirm your subscription, here: https:// foca.on.ca/elerts/ Each spring in Lanark County, the Otty Lake Association hosts a volunteer “pitch-in” clean up event. Elizabeth Allcock followed up with FOCA after the 2017 event, to say: “I would like to thank everyone who braved the cold and wet to pick up garbage around all of Otty Lake this April! We did a lot of walking and cleaned along several sections of road, although we still have some gaps that I hope others will fill next year.” From the other side of Otty Lake, John Byers reported that for Earth Day on April 22nd folks had another good clean- up thanks to the work of 22 volunteers (also despite cloudy, wet weather). In John’s words, “once again they collected a trailer-full of Gawd-Awful Trash,” and ratcheted-up the recycling this year, sorting and separating several bags of plastic, cans and glass. John and Elizabeth thank both local townships—Tay Valley and Drummond/North Elmsley—for providing garbage bags for the event, and for accepting them back at the dumps afterward, free of charge. “John and I know some of our neighbours pick up garbage year-round on their daily walks,” Elizabeth added, “and we would really like to thank them, as well.” Enjoy past editions of Captain Otty’s Log, posted here: http://www.ottylakeassociation.ca/newsletter.html Pleased to Pitch In! LOVE WINTER THE MOST HARDCORE WINTER COTTAGERS WE’VE EVER MET COLIN AND JUSTIN’S COZY CABIN WINTER 2015/16 $6.95 COOL ISSUE, EH? BOAT SHOW PREVIEW Easy-to-make FOOD GIFTS / Photo contest WINNERS / visit cottagelife.com/foca17 or call toll free 1-800-465-6183 and quote “FOCA17”