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In Memory of Donna Claire Steen

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August 30, 1939 – May 27, 2022

Donna Steen, 82, passed away peacefully at Sunnybrook Hospital surrounded by family and friends on May 27, 2022. Donna was born in Orillia, Ontario to Mary and Ernie Collinson. She was the loving mother to Michelle Marlin (Dennis Callahan) and Chris Marlin (Maria) and grandmother of Ryan, Jacqueline, Gregory and Parker.

Donna was a Sturgeon Pointer since 1964 when her mother bought the little cottage on Second Street.  The cottage was her beloved place for the remainder of her life; long after she couldn’t remember the names of her children and grandchildren, she remembered her cottage. The last half century she could be found walking and swimming with friends, gardening, and introducing her four grandchildren to the many charms of Sturgeon Point. A lifelong learner and educator, she was a graduate of Notre Dame High School in Toronto and Loyola University of Chicago. She began her teaching career in Chicago before moving back to Toronto where she taught elementary grades and French at the Scarborough Board of Education.

She had many interests – reading, languages, music, art and travelling.  She travelled the world and made lifelong friends in France and Japan but her happy place was always at Sturgeon Point. A celebration of life for family and friends is planned at the Point over Civic weekend.

Kawartha Conservation Landowner Grants

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SPA would like to let our community know that there are two funds (free money!) available from Kawartha Conservation to help landowners implement projects that better the water and/or provide habitat for fish.

Water Fund

Kawartha Conservation’s Water Fund is a grant program that provides financial and technical assistance to landowners and community groups for undertaking environmental projects that have a positive impact on water quality.

Visit Kawartha Conservation landowner grants land to apply.

Bring Back the Fish

Kawartha Conservation is seeking landowner projects on urban rivers within the City of Kawartha Lakes for our Bring Back the Fish program.

This program offers a guaranteed minimum of $4,000 to eligible landowners who want to protect, enhance and restore fish habitat.  

Check out the poster and visit kawarthaconservation.com/bringbackthefish for more information.

If you are interested, please contact Danielle Marcoux-Hunter, Landowner and Community Support, at [email protected] or 705-328-2271 x 242

Tree Seedling Sale is now open

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*from the Kawartha Conservation website 

DECEMBER 21, 2021 – Kawartha Conservation’s 2022 Seedling Sale is now open, offering a great selection of evergreen and deciduous trees, as well as shrubs and several advancing species that are not currently found in the Kawartha Watershed, but are migrating from the south as the climate warms and the Kawarthas become a more suitable habitat for new species.

The seedling sale is open to landowners throughout the Kawartha Conservation watershed, which includes portions of Kawartha Lakes, Trent Lakes, Brock and Scugog Townships, Clarington, and Cavan Monaghan.

“The seedling sale is a great opportunity for landowners across the watershed to improve the biodiversity of their property while making a positive impact on the environment,” said Taylor Frederick, Kawartha Conservation’s Forestry Technician. “New forest growth can help mitigate climate change by creating carbon sinks that absorb more carbon than they release, which is a great step forward in the fight against climate change.”

For watershed residents with open areas, coniferous trees (evergreens) can be some of the easiest species to grow, generally in areas with lots of sun and wind exposure. It is recommended if you are planting a large number of trees, that you plant 70-80% coniferous trees. 

Deciduous trees, or trees that lose their leaves in the fall, are generally less hardy during the seedling stage, and prefer areas of low exposure. An already forested area is a great place to plant additional deciduous seedlings. With extra care and protection, they can be nurtured to become large, beautiful shade trees. 

Shrubs, typically shorter than trees, offer a great way to provide diversity and habitat on your property. They are an option where hydro wires and other overhead utilities are a concern. 

“We are thankful for the support of Forests Ontario for this sale, who subsidize a portion of the cost per seedling,” said Frederick. “Through them, we are able to help landowners make their property, greener, healthier, and more sustainable for years to come.”

Landowners can contribute to the health of our watershed by establishing and managing forest cover through our low-cost seedling sale. The seedlings can be ordered and paid for online at any time through our online order form and will be available for pickup at Ken Reid Conservation Area on Friday, April 29 and Saturday, April 30, 2022.

The deadline for tree seedling orders is Friday, March 18, 2022.

For more information on the tree seedling sale, planting or species information, contact Taylor Frederick by email at [email protected] or by phone at 705-328-2271 ext. 249.

Fireworks – Love ’em or Hate ’em

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Editorial by Cat Medici, President, Sturgeon Point Association

Is it just me or does it seem like there are more private fireworks displays these days?  Every occasion seems to be a cause worthy of celebrating with pretty explosives: it’s a holiday, it’s a weekend, Sandra got a promotion, little Joey took his first steps… 

There was a time that I looked forward to fireworks; a time when we got to see them twice a year, at Victoria Day and Canada Day.  Now I shake my head every time I see them across the lake or coming from my neighbourhood park on a seemingly uneventful day.  Not because I’m against fireworks but because it has become too much. 

What has also recently come into my awareness is how fireworks, especially large fireworks displays, affects wildlife.  I don’t know why I didn’t think of it sooner, because my own dog shakes and finds a place to hide deep in the basement when he hears fireworks.  I consider myself a smart, empathetic person and I never made the connection that wildlife may respond as negatively as my dog. 

Ontario Nature Magazine has a blog about fireworks written by Enid Mallory called “Protecting Ontario’s Lakes From Fireworks” that was published in advance of NYE.   

I’m not advocating for a total fireworks ban on behalf of myself or as the voice of SPA.  I am advocating for education on all things environment so people can make educated choices about issues that affect the welfare of the Kawartha Lakes and broader environment.  There will always be opinions on both sides that can be backed up or refuted with studies and facts and everyone is entitled to their own opinion. 

Love ’em or hate ’em, it’s definitely a subject to think about.