Buckeye Marine is a dry land dealership near Bobcaygeon in the Kawartha Lakes, begun and operated by the Poole family for more than 60 years.  The company represents five leading boat manufacturers and four top engine manufacturers.  Carly Poole is Marketing Manager and says they are very proud.  “To be once again named in the Top 10 dealerships on the continent is an amazing accomplishment,” she says, “one that we share… with our team here at Buckeye… and our top notch customers… manufacturers… and vendor partners.”

To get into the running for the annual awards, dealers complete an application form from Boating Industry Magazine.  They outline business practices, financials and future plans.  Those who make it into the top 100 are invited to an annual awards gala that concludes the Marine Dealers Conference and Expo.  As part of the celebration they count down the top 100, giving a short bio for each dealer.  Buckeye was singled out for its marketing initiatives, service practices and expense savings.

The problem may have been alewives.  These silver fish of the herring family is not natural and when it got into Lake Ontario the population exploded.  But there was a dark side to this baitfish… thiamine.  An enzyme in alewives destroys thiamine AKA vitamin B1 and the salmon need it to reproduce.  Poor fish could get fat but couldn’t make little fish… and the alewives continued to thrive because lake trout also dwindled.

Chinook and coho were brought in to stem the alewives’ tide… then brown trout and steelhead and the sport fishery was born.  But still no natural Atlantic salmon.

Enter the round goby.  This is another invasive species, probably introduced by freighters that discharged ballast water picked up in the Black Sea.  In addition to eating the invading zebra and quagga mussels, the round goby is food for the larger fish… and… it turns out… they are very high in thiamine.  This may offset the ill effects of the alewives.

Are you still with me?  I am getting to the point!

Now it appears the wild Atlantic salmon population is coming back to Lake Ontario.  After more than a century, this is the third year in a row that researchers from the US Geological Survey have found young Atlantic salmon in the aptly named Salmon River in central New York.  They will use eggs from these fish to try to establish breeding stock in other rivers.

Now people come from all over to the Salmon River - well over 100,000 last year - to tie into a natural Atlantic salmon as well as the other game fish that are abundant in the river.

BTW… do you know why alewives (the fish) are so named?  Apparently, their deep belly shape recalls the generous bosom and portly shape of the stereotypical corpulent female tavern worker.

New Comfort and Convenience for Skaters on the Rideau

Denial works for only so long.  The WaterWays are going to freeze whether we like it or not so let’s like it.  The Rideau Canal is getting ready.  In preparation for skaters on the world’s largest rink, the NCC (National Capital Commission) is replacing the old change rooms with seven new chalets.  Not only do they look better, they will provide added comfort, convenience and accessibility.

There’s more room, better lighting, more washrooms, and their structure and shape reflect the exposed trusses of the bridges over the canal.  Still… we’d rather be floating on the canal than skating on it.

Got a boat in mind?  We have contacts across North America and can find one for you.

Got a boat to sell?  We have many clients looking to upgrade and are short of good boats to sell… right now.  Get your boat in on the action!

Looking for professional service?  Rene Blanchet has been helping boaters for more than 40 years.  He has the knowledge, experience and skill to give you the best value for service.

Improvements that particularly caught the judges’ attention were the engine’s light weight, fuel efficiency and performance.  Mercury trimmed 24 pounds off the engine, yet it has a 3 litre, four cylinder in line block that, according to Mercury, creates superior power.  It is suitable for single or twin applications.

“We listened to what boaters were asking for and then set out to build the ultimate 150 horsepower outboard,” said Mark Schwabero president of Mercury Marine.

Alternate routes include the McFarlane Street Bridge, Warsaw Road swing bridge, Hunter Street under the Peterborough Lift Lock, and Lansdowne Street East.

Parks Canada says it is committed to completing the work as quickly as possible to restore normal traffic flow.

According to their release, “Parks Canada is working … to maintain the heritage assets of the Trent-Severn Waterway National Historic Site, ensuring that the canal system and surrounding watershed is safe and will endure for future generations”.

According to the Ottawa Citizen, (Read the full article) Brian Cowper is a financial planner from Kanata, a regular visitor who is one of those concerned about the state of the Rideau.

“We can physically see the ugly patches, emergency and temporary repairs on 30-year-old gates whose life expectancy is about 15 or 20 years, to simply make them safe for the passage of recreational craft,” he wrote.

Susan Bordhin is a fair weather live-aboard in Seeley’s Bay, points out that while Parks Canada worked hard to win the World Heritage designation 4 years ago, are not keeping up the maintenance.

Hunter McGill, chairman of the Friends of the Rideau, said it’s clear that “the Rideau Canal office of Parks Canada is operating under some very difficult budget conditions” and has been doing so for years.

“We think that’s really quite unfortunate,” said McGill. “This is a treasure. It’s been recognized as such internationally by UNESCO, and that’s not an insignificant achievement.”

Next year, Canada will mark the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812, the event that triggered the canal’s construction, McGill noted. Yet “one of the lasting reminders of that war is really coming under a huge amount of pressure.”

One longtime lockmaster, who spoke on the condition that he not be identified, said wood-and-iron canal gates used to be changed every 15 years.

“Now, the gates here are 30 years old,” he said. “They keep saying they’re safe, but we’ve had six emergency shutdowns this year in our area. I can never remember one in the years I’ve been in this area.”

Boaters also report that lockstation staff have been telling them they fear Parks Canada might shorten the boating season and shave an hour a day off the canal’s daily hours of operation.  They say Parks Canada is considering delaying the opening until June and shutting the canal down after Labour Day. The canal opened May 20 this year and closed Oct. 12 operating 11 hours a day during the peak summer season.

Simple lettering for the license.  More artistic treatments for the transom… or on T-shirts for you and the crew.  Tonner’s artists will have lots of creative ideas for you.

How about a gift?

Let Tonner create a banner or sign for the boathouse or “man cave”.

We’ve been serving businesses (and boaters) since 1977.

Geologists will tell you the Thirty Thousand Islands form the largest freshwater archipelago in the world.  It’s more than a hundred miles long, part of what was once a mountain range, much older than the Rockies.  Peaks of towering mountains collapsed and broke apart as glaciers marched and retreated across the land.  In the millennia since the last ice age, these pink, black and white crystal islands have been frozen and baked, scoured by wind, polished by water, moulded into rugged and breathtaking shorelines.  For 200 million years, a great tropical sea washed these shores, leaving fossils of mollusks, corals and crustaceans on the sea floor.  Erosion of the limestone has formed caves and the odd shapes that give Flowerpot Island its name.

Windswept trees and rugged shores

The scene is ever changing… partly because the Thirty Thousand Islands actually number closer to 60,000.  The count varies from year to year because as the water level falls and rises again, islands appear and disappear under the waves (one very good reason, by the way, to stay in the channels, keep your eyes open and make sure your charts are up to date!).  You’ll see white pines windswept into shapes to inspire bonsai masters, their massive roots wrapped around granite rocks.  You’ll see sand beaches, rocky shores, and hardwood forests.  The main reason for the diversity is that the islands lie on the cusp between southern deciduous woodlands and northern boreal forests.  In this transition hardwood trees such as sugar maple, beech and elm overlap with the much hardier red oak, juniper and white pine that can grow on thin rocky soils and there is a greater variety of plants and animals.

When you cruise the Thirty Thousand Islands and you’ll find yourself in places that look like they might have centuries ago.  On misty mornings, it’s easy to imagine birch bark canoes, laden with furs, picking their way through the maze of islands.  Many of the channels through these islands roughly follow the paths discovered by the first inhabitants.  Even today, canoes and kayaks are common sights.  This is a favourite area for paddle-powered treks.

Cottages cling to granite islands

Approach the Thirty Thousand Islands from the big open waters of Georgian Bay and you’ll find it difficult to differentiate one island from another.  The large islands near Penetanguishene are easier to distinguish.  Hope, Beckwith and Christian islands are also easy to approach because they’re surrounded by deep water with open anchorages and long sandy beaches.  Large boats often anchor here.

If you do want to explore the channels woven through the island chain, you’re safer to stay between the channel markers.  The small craft route runs from Killarney to Port Severn is about 175 miles long.  You can also stay in the outside channels and join the small craft route at a couple of different places - Barnard Bank or O’Donnell Point, for instance.  If you dare to venture off the marked route, go dead slow and keep a sharp look out or you might discover how much harder granite is than your propeller.  If you stick to the channels where you know there’s enough water, you will wear out your camera taking pictures.  Sunsets, in particular, are stunning because the view to the west is open water.

The light at sunset and sunrise is stunning

Georgian Bay Islands National Park takes up 59 of the 30,000.  By national park standards it is very small, a narrow ribbon just 50 kilometres long, but it is the only national park accessible only by boat.  Over the centuries it has had many visitors.  Archaeological excavations on Beausoleil Island have unearthed artefacts, dwelling sites and roasting pits that date back at least 5000 years, encompassing thirteen different cultures including Ojibwa, Kitchee, Huron and Iroquois and today, many of the islands are still owned by Beausoleil First Nations.

The national park has sheltered anchorages and eight different locations for docking, just 90 slips in all, so it’s wise to call ahead and reserve.  One of the most scenic anchorages is on the northeast side of Beausoleil Island.  This thumb-shaped Ojibwa Bay is large enough for large boats.  The shoreline is forested with rocky outcrops that appear untouched by civilization.  You might see a great blue heron fishing for its dinner.  In the evening or early morning, a raccoon or fisher might venture to the water as well.

Some of the docks have campsites nearby and you should reserve these, too, to make sure you have a place.  The sites vary in size, some have views of the bay, others are more forested, and two are accessible to people with physical disabilities.  The majority are primitive - campsites only and no services - but there are sites with washrooms and showers.  There is a $10 non-refundable reservation fee over and above the camping fee.  If you just want a shore lunch every campsite has a picnic table and Beausoleil Island has a picnic area with tables, a rain shelter, and playground.  Park rangers encourage people to picnic only in designated areas and help preserve this Canadian heritage.

You can go ashore and stretch your legs on a dozen walking trails that range from less than a quarter mile to nearly five miles long.  Some will take you uphill to stunning views of the water; others inland, through forests of beech and maple, but no matter how far inland or uphill you go, you’re never far from the sparkling water.  The water around these islands is extraordinary - clear enough to see down 15 feet and more.

In some areas you can pick wild raspberries and blueberries in season.  While you’re on shore, look down and you might encounter any of thirty-five different reptiles and amphibians here - more than anywhere else in the country - including some that are very rare.  This is one of the few remaining habitats for Canada’s only true lizard - the five-lined skink.  The spotted turtle, hognose snake and the tiny ring-neck snake are here, too, the last resplendent in cobalt blue.  So is the massassauga rattler so be aware.

For all the wilderness you’ll find, civilization is not far away.  Many towns and small cities cling to the rocks on shore.  Their names alone can pique your curiousity - Honey Harbour, Waubaushene, Pointe au Baril Station…  You’ll find marinas and services, restaurants, food and supplies within an easy walk of town docks.  You’ll also find great entertainment.  In midsummer the Festival of the Sound brings jazz and classical music to many different venues throughout Parry Sound.  In Penetanguishene, live summer stock comes to the stage at King’s Wharf Theatre and Discovery Harbour brings to life the early 19^th century, when Britain and the U.S. were at war, complete with a pair of sailing ships.  At Port Severn, you can leave big waters and take your adventure on a different route, down the Trent Severn System to Lake Ontario.

You don’t always have to go ashore to dine.  Henry’s Fish House on Fryingpan Island draws boaters from all over to savour fresh caught perch, pickerel and other delights.  Though on an island in Sans Souci, Henry’s is often packed.  It’s in the top of many “must do” lists, so one of the things you “must do” is call ahead and reserve your place at the dock and the table.  Another choice, by the way, is to dock in Parry Sound and take a floatplane to the island.  There’s a service right at the dock that can take you right to Henry’s dock.  Henry’s also has a mainland location, at the Doral Marine Resort in Midland.

Cruising the Thirty Thousand Islands is an awesome experience in the true sense of the word.  Cozy anchorages, open water… fine dining or shore lunches… granite beauty and sand beaches… and when you’re safely anchored in a little cove, sitting on the aft deck after sunset, watching the northern lights ebb and flow across the sky, remember the lights are Manitou’s way of lighting the path for Kitchi-Kiwana… and listen for his footsteps.

If you’re not aware of the beginnings of the Asian carp infestation, catfish farmers in the southern states brought the fish in to control the weeds in their ponds.  During the floods, the rivers overflowed into the ponds and many carp escaped.  They’ve been spreading every since.

So let’s talk about food.

Lake Erie is one lake that may have the conditions to support a population of  Asian carp.  It is shallow and warm enough.  It has also been plagued by the toxic blue-green algae this past summer, blamed primarily on fertilizer in the runoff from farmers’ fields.  Algae sinks to the bottom when it dies and produces dead zones.  Plus the majority of this alga is microsystis which produces a liver toxin.  So it’s poisonous.

Here’s the problem.  Asian carp eat algae, among other things.  A large population would likely control the toxic blue green algae.  Hmmm.  Mind you, it might be better if farmers would make a greater effort to keep fertilizer on the fields where it belongs.