President's Message

Hello Neighbours! I hope that you are having a wonderful summer so far! We are now only weeks away from the annual Hudson Lakes Regatta and I am very much looking forward to attending for the first time in almost 25 years. This summer I have my niece and nephew visiting from Alberta and they are excited about attend- ing their first Regatta! I'm so eager to see a whole new generation of kids enjoying an amazing day of fun on the regatta grounds. I have so many fond memories of boat parades, regatta races, water ski shows and friends and families gathering over the August long weekend! I found this vintage regatta picture of our Vice President Chelsie McKnight and myself trying to take the tug of war victory at a Regatta sometime around 1990. I thought it would be great to share it with you here! I guess you could say that we have been working as a team for many years now and I'm proud to say that all these years later we are still working alongside each other to serve you all, our valued Hudson Lakes Association members!

Please remember that our Hudson Lakes Association Annual General Meeting will take place at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday July 26 at Hudson Hall. We hope to see you there! If you intend on joining us virtually, please email: hudsonlakes4@gmail.com to notify us of your interest in advance. We will then send vou a virtual invitation link.

A reminder that the $30 annual fee for your 2023 HLA membership is now due. You may e-transfer to: hudsonlakes4@gmail.com with the answer to your security question being "Hudson". If you would like to pay in cash or by cheque you may pay at the AGM, or bring your payment directly to any Executive Director who will pass it along to our Treasurer. If you have not looked into how being an HLA member could potentially save you money on your home insurance through the FOCA discount please reach out to me, and I would be happy to give you details on how you might qualify.

Thank you to all our young volunteers who are busy collecting donations for the Regatta as they pass out this Newsletter, and to you our generous residents for your ongoing support! Finally, a huge thank you to the whole Regatta organizing committee who will be busy in the coming weeks finalizing details for this year's festivities. Without you all, this tradition would not be able to continue.

I hope you have an amazing summer filled with memories and joy to last a lifetime.

Sarah Desmarais, HLA President

FIRE, FIRE, FIRE!

The smell of fire has become a common occurrence this year. The fire ban for Ontario started the st of June. Smoke from fires burning all around us has been a constant this spring. What should you do to stay safe, be prepared and be pro-active?

First up. NO FIRES! The fire ban covers outdoor burning. You can still use your wood stove BUT do you have a spark arrester? Could vour indoor fire cause a forest fire?

A spark arrester is any device which prevents the emission of flammable debris from combustion sources, such as internal combustion engines, fireplaces, and wood burning stoves. Spark arresters play a critical role in the prevention of wildland fire and ignition of explosive atmospheres. Wikipedia

Common causes of forest fires started by humans are:

• Smoking. Carelessly discarded cigarettes particularly along roadways are a common cause of fires.
• Campfires. Failure to properly extinguish, monitor and/or fire into tree roots which were growing under the fire area.
• ATV's! Things like dragging chains, under inflated tires which allow rims to hit rock, hot exhaust pipes are all fire starters.
• Fireworks...that's pretty straight forward...

Things you can do around your property to be fire safe include: installing spark arrestors on chimneys, inspecting fire pits and ensuring there is no root incursion (installing a fire safe base is a great addition -think concrete!) and check the tires on your ATV, side by side and vehicles!

Additional fire safety chores include: trimming pines to reduce ladder effect' (when fire climbs branches touching the ground), trim trees away from structures to keep structures safe in case of fire and follow proper lighting instructions for propane appliances such as BBQ's (OPEN THE LID, turn on tank, turn on burners, light).

And if there is a fire nearby...

• Communicate with familv members and set up an evacuation plan and meeting point
• Point vehicles facing your exit
• Move anything that could explode and combustibles awav from structures and into open areas (propane tanks, gas cans, paint, firewood)
• Plan! There are a number of planning resources available including: https:// www.getprepared.gc.ca/ent/plns/plan/ mrgnc-pln-en.aspx
• Pack important papers, medications,and essentials
• FOLLOW evacuation instructions!

IF THERE WERE AN EVACUATION ORDER, the Ontario Provincial Police would be the Lead agency and would advise residents.

Jamie Skrinda, Fire Prevention Officer, Hudson Fire Department