August News

Kukagami Environment Watch Area News
www.KEWatch.blogspot.com August 2008

"I would rather wake up in the middle of nowhere than in any city on earth"
Steve McQueen

Blueberry Report:
There isn’t really very much to report. All around the lake, blueberries are hard to come by. “Blueberry Hill” has nothing to offer. Islands once rich with berries are barren this summer. However, there seems to be more berries some places along the road, and at the tracks – if the number of folks parked there is a good indication….
The scarcity of berries was likely caused by the two nights of –2 temperatures in the middle of May that would have killed the blossoms. Maybe next year!

Lakeshore Clean-up
KEW once again will work with the TD Canada Trust Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup project. Last September we concentrated on an old dumpsite on a point across from Lion’s Head narrows. We took out two boatloads of garbage. This year, we will revisit that site on September 6th, at 10 am. If enough people sign up, we will also begin clean-ups at the mid lake dumpsite, and on the old lodge island in the north end. The locations will be published on a map in the next newsletter. Let us know you are interested by dropping a note to KEW@kukagami.infosathse.com
All though the summer, we ask all our Kukagami neighbours to take a few minutes to pick up stuff you find while boating along our beautiful shoreline.

The Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup project welcomes opportunities to add more lakes to its roster. Anyone with a strong interest in restoring any lakeshore to its natural beauty is encouraged to contact them at www.vanaqua.org/cleanup. You can go to this site to see a list of lakes that already have organized clean-up dates, as well as to register new lakes.

Bears at Kukagami
There have been more than a few bear stories at Kukagami this summer; lots of torn screens, lots of scattered garbage. Is it because of the poor berry year? Did the cancellation of the spring bear hunt have an impact? Is the transfer station is too close to the camps? Were the bears happier to stay at the dump when it was open all the time?
Some shots have been fired at the bear, MNR has placed a trap at a camp on Fox Road. Neighbours need information! If the bear is caught or killed, KEW will post this on the web at www.kukibears.blogspot.com you can go to this site to find information, and to post new information. Once we know the bear who rips screens is gone, we can all sleep better at night.
Meanwhile, keep your garbage locked up in a secure outbuilding, take it to the dump twice a week. Clean outdoor food areas with PineSol – it will reduce the smells that attact bears.
Go to the MNR website to learn more about living in peace with bears.

Free Canoe Lessons for all ages and skill levels will be offered by request this summer.
We’ll come to your camp, or we can arrange a date with you for larger groups at the beach at Sportsman’s Lodge. Beat the high gas prices and get closer to nature in a canoe or kayak this summer! If you don’t own a canoe, we’ll provide them for the lessons, along with advice for what to look for in a canoe that will suit your needs. Drop a note to KEW@kukagami.infosathse.com

Looking for a new Home
A well-used and well-loved wood cookstove is looking for a new home. Contact kmgs@sympatico.ca , or call 691-0727. Asking $100.


Keep Our Water Clean!
(Tips from Cottage Life website)
Don’t soap in the lake, ever! Even if a soap says it’s phosphate-free and biodegradable, don’t assume it’s safe for the lake. The soap can be harmful to fish and other aquatic animals; all “biodegradable” means is that it’s capable of breaking down (with the help of soil bacteria) into its constituent parts. However, do use this type of soap if bathing on land, and dump the washwater well back from the lake, so it doesn’t filter down as runoff.






Keep our land clean too!
A lot of brush has been dumped over the years just off the road past the Heliport. Brush is probably OK, but old building materials are not. Painted and treated wood create toxic runoff, which no one wants leaching into the soil and water that flows into our lakes. Please take you old building refuse to the landfill off Moonlight drive in Sudbury!

Bears at Kukagami
There have been more than a few bear stories at Kukagami this summer; lots of torn screens, lots of scattered garbage. Is it because of the poor berry year? Did the cancellation of the spring bear hunt have an impact? Is the transfer station is too close to the camps? Were the bears happier to stay at the dump when it was open all the time?
Some shots have been fired at the bear, MNR has placed a trap at a camp on Fox Road. Neighbours need information! If the bear is caught or shot, KEW will post this on the web at www.kukibears.blogspot.com you can go to this site to find information, and to post new information. Once we know the bear who rips screens is gone, we can all sleep better at night.

City of Sudbury staff recently reviewed the revenue and cost of services to our area. This report was done to “provide Council with an update on service delivery and community issues in the area of Kukagami Lake”. You can read the report online by clicking here.

Website and Newsletter
The KEW newsletter is published online, and sent by email to any interested person. Paper copies can be provided to residents upon request. Drop a note to Kukagami Environment Watch, 432 Fox Road, Wahnapitae, ON, P0M 3C0. The Website is updated randomly through the month – so check KEWatch.blogspot.com to post your own messages, photos, or to see what’s new between newsletters.


Our Stories
GOD'S COUNTRY!
Over 15 years ago, the previous owners of our place left a hat prominently displayed on the fireplace mantle. It said "God's Country".
While they are a little rarer now, back then these hats were plentiful & could often be found at yard sales & flea markets in large numbers. They promoted places like Muskoka, Georgian Bay, Kukagami Lake etc. Just how could all these places lay claim to being "God's Country?"
I never thought much in the ensuing years about that now long gone hat, and even less about what "God's Country" really meant.
One night not long ago that phrase came to mind as I reached my own determination of its definition from my perspective. It was a clear,
Cloudless late spring night, not too cold & the lake was like glass. I have a tendency to pass up opportunities like this in favor of some job that needs doing--------------but, something told me "NOT TONIGHT"!
I grabbed a jacket, my fishing gear & the dog & headed out to try my luck. I slipped through the small opening into the north end of Kukagami. Loons called to each other in the background as the trolling motor slowly propelled the boat along the water, So still except for the boat's ripples, so quiet except for the odd loon call or the gently panting of the dog.
The stars turned on their twinkling lights one by one & all of a sudden a glance to my left made the picture complete. A beaver swam quietly alongside the boat about five feet away.
What a perfect, peaceful night! The words "God's Country" flashed to mind. Now I too know what "God's Country" means to me!
I.G.T.

One of the main objectives of Kukagami Environment Watch is to serve as a source of accurate and timely information for residents and friends of Kukagami Lake and area. Ask you neighbours of they are receiving this newsletter! Offer to forward it to them, or ask them to send their address to KEW@kukagami.infosathse.com.