Mississagua-Gold Lake Cottagers' Road Group

Reminder for the Holidays

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If you are considering going to the cottage over the holidays, please be aware that it is each member’s responsibility to check local weather and road conditions and to make their own judgement as to its condition. It is expected that people driving the road have winter tires and a four wheel drive vehicle.

As a reminder, the road is plowed and sanded as soon as is feasible for the vendor to do so and that can mean delays. Please prepare accordingly.

The road group posts when the road was last plowed or sanded on the website along with links to local weather and highway conditions: http://mglakeroadgroup.com/road-conditions/

All the best for a safe and fun holiday season!

Member Newsletter December 2019

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Message from the Chair

Old Man Winter has arrived early this year.  As such, I remind everyone to drive slowly on the Road.

Please continue reading below for updates from your Board.


Please actively remind your friends, family, contractors, and suppliers to drive slowly and with caution. One of our members was involved in a collision with a supplier who was driving too fast. Our number one priority is safety and it is each member’s responsibility to inform your suppliers and guests to drive slowly on our shared road. The maximum speed is 20 km/hr.

Also, several contractors have had difficulty navigating the road recently. Please remind all contractors, delivery personnel, and guests that they also require four wheel drive and winter tires, and should use caution when using our road.

Finally, please note that if we are experiencing a rain or freezing rain event, the roads cannot be sanded until after the rain has stopped or it will simply be washed away.

As we enter the holiday season, I wish you all a wonderful and safe holiday with your family and friends,

Katie Tingley

Report from the Finance Committee
All members of our Road Group have now completed their current and past due payments, with the exception of one member owing 2019 Maintenance. Thank you for your ongoing support and prompt payments over the past three years.

At the Annual General Meeting in August, the members voted to approve an increase in Maintenance fees for 2020, from $515.00 to $530.00, in keeping with the recommendation of a 3% annual increase approved at the AGM in 2018.

The invoices for 2020 Maintenance fees will be sent out in the new year.

Please continue to notify the Board of any changes in property ownership and/or email address or mailing address changes.

Report from the Road Committee

Winter has arrived quickly this year with early snow and significantly colder weather.  We were able to grade the road just before the snow arrived.

Please keep in mind that everyone using the road from November to April is expected to have winter tires and 4-wheel drive. 

We have received comments from members about two-gate hill. We are putting a plan together to address this area and did have some work done this fall. Other work will have to wait until the spring given the cold temperatures. Please note that drivers should use caution on all hills.

If you have questions or concerns about the road, please submit your comment through the Get In Touch page.

If you wish to set up a contract for plowing your driveway, Wesley Lake can be reached at 705.657.7552  or thelakes@live.ca.

Spring Reminder: There will be a half-load restriction in place from March 1st – April 30th.  Please make sure any heavy trucks servicing your property are aware.  And, if you are bringing any heavy loads yourself, please postpone them until later in the season. Adhering to the restriction will go a long way to maintaining our road and avoiding the ruts we experienced last year.

In Memoriam
On a sad note, Roy Carswell passed away on October 31, 2019. Many of you will remember Roy and Gladys, and their daughter, Annie, owners of the Trappers Inn for many years. They provided not only space for parking our vehicles and boats, but also an opportunity to greet one another at the docks, develop friendships, and also enjoy time in the restaurant and store.

2019 AGM Highlights

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This year’s AGM was well attended with 70 attendees representing 43 properties. The Board would like to thank all those who came out on Sunday morning of the long weekend to hear about their road.

Maintenance Fees

Maintenance Fees were approved at $530 for 2020.  Invoices for fees will be sent out early in 2020 given our new year end of May 31st.

New Board

A new Board of Directors was ratified at the AGM: to see the names of all members of the Board, please view our Your Board page.

Financial Statements & 5 Year Review

The financial statements were reviewed and approved for the fiscal year, August 1, 2018 – May 31, 2019. They can be viewed at the following link. Readers should note that they represent only 10 months given the new year end and that significant expenses that would have been incurred by the previous July 31st year end are not reflected.

To help members better understand the expenses incurred versus the revenue received, our Treasurer compiled a 5-Year review of fees vs. expenses as well as a summary of Summer and Winter expenses. We are posting this information to enable members to better understand the cost of various activities and ask that they review the information holistically and not focus on individual items. The 5-Year review can be seen at the same link as the Financial Statements.

New Business

There were three orders of new business addressed: The Task Force Report; Changes to the By-law; and a Member Submission.

Task Force Report

The Task Force Report on the road system was approved by the members with a vote of 16 in favour and 10 opposed.  There were also 7 abstentions. There was significant discussion regarding the report with two members from Spur 3 making comments regarding the stated length of their Spur.  The Board has committed to investigating the concerns outlined by the members and will report back to the members following their review. (By-law 9.07, “Business arising at any Members’ meeting shall be decided by a majority of votes of Members present” and “An abstention shall not be considered a vote cast”).

By-law Revisions

Proposed revisions to the By-law to simplify the Director election process and to adopt the road system description in the Task Force Report were passed by the members with a vote of 23 in favour and 6 opposed. There was also 1 abstention. The changes to the election process will remove the need for paper ballots to be distributed prior to the AGM, saving money and simplifying the process for our volunteer Board. Elections will now take place in person at the AGM. (By-law 12.07, “The Members may from time to time amend this By-law by a sixty-six (66) percent majority of the votes cast.”)

Member Submission

As outlined in the By-law, a group of members submitted topics for discussion regarding summer and winter maintenance, half-load restrictions during March-April, the composition of the Road Team, and the maintenance of the Bridge. As a result of the submission and discussion, the Board has agreed to post the Summer and Winter maintenance policies on the website. They can be found on the Resources page. The Board also reminded members of the half-load restriction from March 1st – April 30th and explained that they had posted the restriction on the website and had individually reached out to members they were aware were building to ask them to remind their contractors. However, not all spring damage is done by contractors and the Board reminded members that the road is theirs and that any damage to the road will ultimately be paid for by them. Therefore, members should remind their contractors, suppliers, and be mindful themselves of their loads as the frost comes out of the ground in the spring. Finally, the Board explained that the bridge is inspected every two years as required by the Ministry of Natural Resources with the last inspection taking place in 2018.

Thank Yous and Certificates of Appreciation

Murray Kline and Ted Vandevis were thanked for their service on the Board.  Mike Jansen and Norma Houle were both given Certificates of Appreciation for their decades of service to our road. 

Reminders

The Board members are all volunteers who give their time and expertise to help manage the road we all enjoy, including our appointed Treasurer, Ruth Marshall.  Please do keep in mind that managing the road takes a lot of time and effort and that given the voluntary nature of the Board there may be delays in responding to individual concerns.

Finally, this is your road.  Please drive at a reasonable speed, use caution when using it in the winter months, and be respectful of the other members.

If you would have a question or a comment for the Board, please use our Get In Touch form and your submission will be responded to accordingly.

Follow Up to AGM

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Thank you to all members who attended this year’s Annual General Meeting. As discussed, highlights of the meeting will be posted on the website once approved by the Board at their next meeting.

Please also note that the next Municipality of Trent Lakes Council Meeting will take place on Tuesday, August 13, 2019 at 6:00 pm.

Notice of Meeting

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NOTICE OF MEETING

MISSISSAGUA-GOLD LAKE COTTAGERS’ ROAD GROUP

JULY 14, 2019

This notice serves to inform you, the members, of the upcoming Annual General Meeting which will be held at the Cavendish Community Centre on Sunday, August 4, 2019, at 10:00 am.

The following is the Agenda for the meeting:

  • Welcome and Chairperson’s Remarks
  • Appointment of Scrutineers
  • Minutes of the 2018 Annual General Meeting
  • Ratification of acts and proceedings, etc.
  • Financial Statements
  • Treasurer’s Report
  • Approving the 2020 Maintenance Fee
  • Appointment of Accountant
  • Report of the Road Committee
  • Election/Appointment of Directors
  • New Business:    
    • Task Force Report
    • Revision of the By-law (August 5, 2018)
    • Member Submission regarding Road Maintenance
  • Final Comments
  • Adjournment

Enclosed Documents

Board Recommendation on Road System DefinitionDownload
Recommended Changes to By-lawDownload

By order of the Board,

Katie Tingley

Chair of the Board of Directors

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