Perch Time on Simcoe!

It's almost perchin' time again
Orillia Perch Festival begins Saturday
By Lance Holdforth Special to The Packet & Times
Posted 1 day ago
Although ice still covers parts of Lake Couchiching and Lake Simcoe, the 30th annual Orillia Perch Festival will proceed hook, line and sinker.

Event organizer Doug Bunker said as one of the largest fishing derbies in Canada, boats will launch and lines will be cast "ice or no ice."

"When the ice goes, and a couple days after that, they fish come out like gangbusters," he said. "The only thing not going ahead is my fishing skills. I was out trying to catch some perch — because I have to tag the guys, and I'm not doing too well."

Opening ceremonies will commence Friday at ODAS Park, but the 22-day festival will officially start Saturday morning.

Bunker told The Packet a pre-Perch Festival contest started Tuesday to help catch and tag some last-minute perch for the event, and participants may reap the rewards.

"The first 10 anglers in with 10 perch between 7-12 inches will get a piece of paper entered into a draw for $100 worth of fishing gear," Bunker said. "I need some die-hard anglers to be out there when I can't so we have fish to tag."

Anyone participating in the early contest is asked to take their catch to the Blue Beacon Marine for measuring and tagging.

More than 70 perch valued around $500 a fish, and two sponsored by Casino Rama valued at $3,000, will be tagged and released Friday, which Bunker said will have anglers "reeling."

"We're the biggest derby in Canada and this event is really easy to do," he said. "You don't have to go by size or weight of the fish. You just go fishing, bring in a perch alive and you're automatically in all the draws."

Adults and children registered for the event will be eligible for six grand prizes, daily draws and weekly draws, Bunker said.

"If you fish for more than one day, it doesn't cost you more, but you increase your chances by the more draws you're in," he said. "If you fish three days, you're actually in three sets of draws."

Bunker said "Mother Nature rules," when it comes to the event, but participants from past years have always returned to try their luck.

"There are people coming from all over," Bunker said. "They all said it's great quality time with the kids, the fishing is easy and it's a great day out."

During past events, Bunker said the festival has seen devoted anglers return each year, but also a growing number of families participating.

"You couldn't meet a more co-operative species perch. They are so aggressive that kids don't get bored because they catch fish," he said. "I think that's the reason a lot of families participate in this event — because the kids enjoy the sport."

The festival runs from April 16 to May 7, and registration is $20 for adults and $5 for children under 16.

For more information about the Orillia Perch Festival, visit www.orillia.com.

Crates Landing Development on the Shores of Lake Simcoe Is Back on Track-Fortress Real Capital

Crates Landing Development on the Shores of Lake Simcoe Is Back on Track-Fortress Real Capital
TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - March 22, 2011) - Fortress Real Capital is pleased to announce that the Crates Landing Development is expected to proceed in the next few weeks. The project had been delayed for nearly two years because of an appeal to the Ontario Municipal Board (which has been resolved in favour of the project) as well as the economic downturn which plagued the industry in general.
"We've spent a good deal of time on due diligence, it's our primary responsibility to our investors" said Vince Petrozza, Chief Operating Officer and primary broker for Fortress Real Capital. "The principals of Brightstar have done an admirable job steering this project through some difficult times and have injected significant funds to keep it going. That's the type of commitment you want to see from a developer".
The new project developer, Brightstar Corporation, has completed a registered mailing to all current purchasers of units in the project, in order to satisfy the condition imposed by Georgina Town Council to allow water and servicing allocations to remain in place. "We have already started work on updating and fine-tuning the designs for the project", said Brightstar chairman Alan Chapple. "We are working with the municipality and the conservation authority to confirm the final requirements for shoreline improvements and external road works that will be undertaken this summer and fall."
Jawad Rathore, Chief Strategic Officer, sees a bright future for Crates Landing ahead. "This deal has seen its share of challenges and, with the latest condition from the Town now satisfied, Fortress is proud to get on board and help see it through. We're excited to help bring this project to fruition and feel it will be a tremendous landmark in Georgina and a site everyone in Keswick and around Lake Simcoe can be proud of."
Located only one hour from downtown Toronto, Crates Landing is a unique investment opportunity for Fortress Real Capital's clients, with the Highway 404 extension into the area scheduled for completion in 2012. "This unique four phase opportunity includes condominiums, commercial units and a premiere hotel" says Lance Kotton, Marketing Manager with Fortress Real Capital. "Our investors will benefit from a project that already has significant pre-sales, all approvals and a distinct vision. The amount of work and progress the developers have already put in makes Crates a very mature offering."
Fortress Real Capital is an RSP and non-accredited eligible syndicate mortgage product that allows a consumer to invest directly into the proven market of Canadian real estate development and construction. Your principal amount is fully secured against the subject property where you enjoy steady interest on your funds and, where available, profit participation at the end of your term. Fixed terms, defined horizons… investing that makes sense.

Simcoe Ice conditions deteriorating

South Simcoe police is warning the public about deteriorating ice conditions on Lake Simcoe.

As a result of the recent milder weather, the possibility of open water exists on parts of Lake Simcoe and surrounding rivers and streams. Police are warning the public that lakes and streams are not safe.

Remember, no ice or body of water is ever completely safe, according to police. Any individual enjoying recreational activities near a body of water must make a personal

decision to do so, realizing that there is a degree of risk associated with this choice. It is crucial that citizens take individual responsibility in evaluating the dangers of any recreational activity. If you make smart, educated choices on safety, accidents can be prevented.

arcel of private Uxbridge land donated to conservation authority

Parcel of private Uxbridge land donated to conservation authority


'Ecologically significant' key wetland natural habitat for wildlife
Mar 01, 2011 - 02:39 PM
UXBRIDGE -- A recent property donation by an Uxbridge landowner will go a long way to protect Lake Simcoe and wildlife in the region, said a local conservation authority.

The Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority recently announced it had received a donation of 10 hectares (25 acres) of "significant forest, ravine and wetland area" in northeast Uxbridge.

The "ecologically significant" land will help provide cleaner drinking water in Lake Simcoe, operate as a flood plain by slowing and absorbing spring run-off and provide a breeding habitat for wildlife, said Kevin Kennedy of the authority.

The area is mostly undisturbed by human activity and is home to muskrats, common snipes, least bitterns, waterfowl and several species of frogs.

Mr. Kennedy said the recent acquisition, which is situated close to the Herrema property in Leaskdale, will provide a link to other parcels of protected land in the area already owned by the conservation authority and Toronto Field Naturalists.

"This ensures the public and the conservation authority can protect it in perpetuity and keep it natural," he said.

By making the ecological gift, the landowner was also eligible for a charitable tax credit, added Mr. Kennedy.

Four ice fishers were rescued - Lake Simcoe

Four ice fishers were rescued after they became disoriented on Long Point Bay.

Norfolk OPP received a report that two male and two female fishers were missing at 6:20 p.m. on Saturday. Rescuers were assisted by a member of the public that lent his snowmobiles and ATVs for their search effort. They were able to locate the stranded fishers using cellular GPS coordinates. The four people were unharmed.

The rescued fishers reported they had become disoriented out on the bay when the weather turned for the worse during the day. Unable to see the shore, they had set out on their ATVs but could not make out their location. The fishers were able to place a distress call, but they couldn't give a specific location.

Police are reminding the public to practise safety procedures out on the ice. They should carry survival items, such as distress signaling devices, a compass, energy bars and a turned off cell phone tucked into an inside jacket pocket to keep warm. Ice fishers should also tell someone where they are going and when they are to be expected back.

Simcoe Pollution's source sought

Pollution's source sought


The City of Orillia has been conducting studies to determine where pollutants leaching into Lake Simcoe are coming from.

A report from the Ministry of Environment (MoE) released last January tells the city to address the "significant leachate" that's making its way into Lake Simcoe from the Kitchener Street landfill.


The ministry inspected the site twice in August 2009 and found high levels of phosphorous in the lake "at several sampling points."
The city has since launched studies to determine where exactly the phosphorous is coming from, said public works director Peter Dance.

"There is no sense trying to solve a problem unless you really understand the source and the pathways," Dance said on Monday. "You make sure you're solving the right problem."

Emily Moore, senior environmental officer with the MoE's Barrie district office, says the MoE has given the city the go-ahead for a one-year monitoring program to determine off-site impacts.

"As part of this monitoring work, the city will be doing a phosphorous assessment to identify potential phosphorous sources to the lake and any impacts," Moore wrote in an email response.

Following the Lake Simcoe Protection Act, the ministry has made the lake's protection a priority, she wrote. Included in the plan is a phosphorous reduction strategy.

"The phosphorous reduction strategy targets are based on a 35-year plan that will help to restore normal levels of phosphorous in the lake."

Despite the MoE's initial report, there's no proof the leachate is coming from the existing Kitchener Street landfill, Dance said.

The problem could be coming from a number of sources.

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Other possible culprits are the waste water plant, which is currently operating within its phosphorous targets, or the former dump, which was decommissioned in 1967 and lies beneath the lakeside Kitchener Park's soccer pitches.

It could also be coming from surface run-off, storm water outlets, or a nearby residential area, Dance said.

"You've got a pretty complex system there depending on which way the currents are going. There is a lot of potential."

The city expects to report its findings to the MoE in February, Dance said.

MPs Patrick Brown and Bruce Stanton, on behalf of Canada's Environment Minister Jim Prentice, will announce support for Lake Simcoe Clean-Up projects.

BARRIE, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - 07/12/10) - MPs Patrick Brown and Bruce Stanton, on behalf of Canada's Environment Minister Jim Prentice, will announce support for Lake Simcoe Clean-Up projects.


Event: News conferenceDate: Tuesday, July 13, 2010Time: 10:30 a.m. (EDT)Location: Kiwanis Picnic Shelter, adjacent to the Southshore Community Centre, 205 Lakeshore Drive, Barrie, OntarioParking: Please park at the Southshore Community Centre and follow the Waterfront Trail west towards the Kiwanis Picnic Shelter.