TICKED OFF AGAIN
Deer Tick Removed from Dog
Dr. Brian Laing removed a tick from a dog that had picked it up in the back of Coultice Park. Here is a good article by him on ticks and how to prevent them.
Dr. Brian Laing removed a tick from a dog that had picked it up in the back of Coultice Park. Here is a good article by him on ticks and how to prevent them.
10 Apr
Comments Off on Planning any Shoreline Improvements?
Past summers a few lakeshore owners ran into issues by performing shoreline work without permits.
Before commencing any work, please check with with Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority.
By clicking on their logo below, you will find the most up to date information on their regulations as well as any funding that might be available to you.
15 May
Comments Off on We Need Your Help! – Invasive Species invade Musselman Lake
It was brought to our attention in July 2019 that some person, in an act that defies logic put 7 large KOI fish into Musselman’s Lake.
No doubt you have seen these large colourful fish in the shallows of the water.
We have been trying to remove them from our Lake but to date we have not had a lot of success in getting help with this.
WE NEED YOUR HELP. These large KOI are carp that have been bred for their colour, and are considered to be an extremely invasive species and will upset the delicate ecology of our Lake quite quickly.
They do like to hang out in the shallows and although they are bottom feeders they will come to the surface for food and apparently like, corn, bread, peas and watermelon. The good news is that they don’t breed until late in the spring and early summer as they like to wait until the water warms up. We have contacted different agencies to try and get a team out to trap this fish, but none of them will assist us so we need your help.
Please try and catch these fish in any manner you can. If you do manage to catch one, let us know so we can keep track of the remaining numbers.
Lets get these extremely invasive fish out of our Lake!
25 Mar
Comments Off on COUNCIL APPROVES $88.9 MILLION BUDGET
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25 May
Comments Off on Successful Community Teamwork
On Friday May 11th the house at 18 Coultice Drive was removed from the property. What happened?
Last year the MLRA was contacted through our website by a very concerned member of the public. The party involved had seen pictures of a house for rent on VRBO and were drawn in by the beauty of Musselman’s Lake and wanted to spend the weekend away. What they found when they arrived was a house occupied by numerous families, no running water and no hydro. The prospective renters were appalled at the living conditions and reached out to the MLRA for help.
The MLRA in turn contacted our local Councillor Maurice Smith to see what the Town could do. As it turned out the Town was very familiar with the owner of this property as there had been numerous by-law infractions with police also involved over a span of many years.
Our Councillor knew that intervention was needed immediately and had the Fire Prevention staff involved to assess the safety of the situation. Using their expertise they deemed the house unfit for occupancy.
After nine long years of the residents in the area having put up with everything that has gone on at number 18 Coultice, with the combined resources of the Fire, Police, By-law departments and Town Staff working so hard behind the scenes, an uninhabitable house owned by someone who felt the rules did not apply to him, has been taken down. Lets hope it’s a fresh start for the residents of the area.
Sometimes it is easy to get frustrated with the speed that the Town moves, but the determination of Councillor Maurice Smith to keep pushing the ball forward and through the court system is greatly appreciated.
A big THANK YOU goes out to Councillor Maurice Smith, our Fire Dept.and Police, By-law Dept., and Town Staff for a job well done!
02 May
Comments Off on VICTORIA DAY FIREWORKS
The safest way to enjoy Victoria Day fireworks is not in your backyard, but at the Town’s fireworks display. It is being held at the Ballantrae Community Centre, 5592 Aurora Rd on Sunday May 20th from 8 – 10 pm with a Rain Date of May 21st.
18 Apr
Comments Off on April Snow Forces Cancellation
The MLRA has been running fantastic annual Earth Day events since 2006. Back in 2013 we held our Earth Day Community Spring Clean even despite a light dusting of snow but for the first time in our history, we have been faced with unprecedented weather that will not allow this event to take place. Although the weather this weekend will be some of the best weather we have seen this year, the area has not yet recovered from the ice and snow storm from a couple of days ago. With the ground still covered in a heavy layer of snow and ice, we won’t be able to see the litter to clean up and we are concerned about the safety of everyone involved.
This will be the first time that this event has been cancelled.
The Earth Day event has grown over the years and has become the largest Earth Day clean up in the region. The best part is that you really can see a difference walking around the lake after the day has passed.
This year, as always, we had dedicated sponsors who showed their commitment to the community by supporting this very special event. We would like to thank the following organizations for their continued support. United Soils has been a devoted sponsor over the years with supplying free food and their street sweeper. The street sweeper lifts tons of sand off our roads before it can wash into the lake. Lake Simcoe Conservation Authority was also excited to be back with their children’s education program and their teams on hand to answer questions for the residents. Tim Hortons from Stouffville once again stepped up and was going to be on hand with their coffee, hot chocolate and Timbits to get us going in the morning.
Our Councillor Maurice Smith has been an integral part of the planning of this event and was once again on board with full support from the Town of Stouffville providing the garbage bins, vests, gloves and bags that are so important for this event. Councillor Smith coordinates the police that are on hand to make sure everyone is safe while we walk the roads.
Last, but not least, Mike Feld from Most Excellent Productions and Cedar Beach Resort were once again going to provide all of their equipment and people free of charge so that this event could take place.
This is truly an amazing community that we live in and we are so very grateful for the continued support we receive from the residents and local business owners. We will never be able to thank you enough for all your help and support through the years.
We may not be able to host a formal Earth Day event this weekend, but once the snow melts, please get outside and take a moment to help Spring Clean our community.
Thank you,
MLRA
Link
Earth Day Clean Ups Cancelled Due To Uncooperating Weather
16 Apr
Comments Off on Join The Fun…Meet Your Neirghbours
04 Aug
Comments Off on Great Canadian Shoreline Clean Up Comes to Musselman’s Lake
Hello Everyone, we hope you are having a safe and fun summer so far.
Even though we have our very successful annual Earth Day Community Spring Clean Event every spring, we jumped at this offer from the great people at Desjardins Insurance to include Musselman’s Lake in the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup. It is much appreciated!
Cedar Beach Resort has once again stepped up and will be managing all the garbage/recycling from this event as they have been doing for us annually on Earth Day. Thank you Kyle Jenkin and the whole Cedar Beach Resort team for their continued commitment to the betterment of our community.
More information below.
On August 22, from 1:30 – 3:00 pm, employees of Desjardins’ office in Aurora will be walking along the banks of Musselman’s Lake to help take action against shoreline litter. They will be participating in “The Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup”, a conservation initiative by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF-Canada) and the Vancouver Aquarium, which encourages people across Canada to remove shoreline litter and help create healthy waters for everyone, including the wildlife and communities that depend on them.
Last year, this program collected 445,915 cigarette butts, 25,045 beverage cans, 31,541 plastic bottles, 16,860 plastic grocery bags, and 35,005 plastic and foam containers.
There will be approximately 20 volunteers from Desjardins visiting our community, and they will be walking by our lake’s sand banks and roadways while cleaning up litter that can have a devastating impact on our wildlife and local ecosystem. When you see them outside during the afternoon of August 22, please do not hesitate to say hello!
Desjardins, a leading cooperative financial group in Canada, has a stated mission to contribute towards improving the economic and social well-being of local communities”
12 Jul
Comments Off on Musselman’s Unofficial Official Flower
By Charlene Jones (Originally posted July 2014)
Two kinds of brilliant orange, strikingly tall lilies can be identified around our lake. They both bear the name “Ditch Lily” from their shared preference for growing around ditches.
The first variety, called Common Wildflower Lily, or Day Lily is not really a lily at all. It belongs to the Latin group Hemerocallidaceae and if you can pronounce that, come over and teach me, too!
These plants are nearly indestructible. If you have an area in need of strong, I mean really strong, roots, such as a hill, or part of your garden where other kinds of foliage fail, try the Common Wildflower Lily.You will notice it growing in large clumps, dotting the roads and by ways with its plain orange blossom. The single blossom, on top of a long, woody stalk with many buds, but only a single blossom, lasts one day and has no scent. These blossoms with their trumpet shape and striking color are known to attract hummingbirds. Dig down in spring or fall where you find these flowers growing wild, wash and transplant, covering their roots with enough soil to keep them dark, then watering fully. They like company and enjoy being planted together, much closer than many other flowers like. But beware. The roots on this plant grow thickly and will not be easily disturbed. For more on this google Ditch Lilies and read laments from many who have tried to release their soil from the clutches of this determined plant!
The other variety is called Oriental Lily. This is the true Tiger Lily although it too is called Day Lily. If you think the names are confusing so far, consider this: Tiger Lilies do not have stripes. They have spots and so are sometimes referred to as Leopard Lilies!
Tiger Lilies bloom orange or reddish orange with dark brown speckles covering the petals. The petals curve backwards and the bloom faces downward. The blooms form in clusters where several bloom at one time resting on the tip of a heavy stalk that is covered with short spiky leaves. This kind laces the garden air with the smell of lily, lily, lily. Their reddish tinge and brown speckles no doubt gave rise to the superstition that if you smell a Tiger Lily, you will receive freckles!
These lilies need more gentle handling in the beginning. The Oriental Variety require you to separate small bulbs called bulbits from the axils of leaves of a thriving plant. Remove the bulb scales from the bulbits and grow them in moist peat, in a cool, dark place until small bulbs form. Start them in a nursery and later transfer them outside. Once the Oriental Variety are established and thriving, theyʼll drop their own bulbs with no help from you.Caution
Although both Oriental and Common WIldflower Lilies are extremely hardy and seldom suffer from insects or disease themselves, both may carry diseases that affect other lilies and flowering plants, so if you are going to transplant from a wild group, you might consider carefully washing their roots before bedding them in your soil.
These plants are also toxic to cats, who may vomit, demonstrate lethargy, even develop kidney failure from eating them. On the other hand, rabbits and deer find the orange flowers a delectable treat! To keep these wild animals from eating away at your prizes, or nibbling on other treats from your garden, try mixing a solution of 20% egg with about 80% water, and spraying this over your lilies. Deer and rabbits hate the smell of eggs!
13 Apr
Comments Off on TICKED OFF AGAIN