Ontario Cottagers to Meet March 6

John Curran | Feb 24, 2021

Waterfront property owners – cottagers and year-round residents alike – will gather online next moth for the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Federation of Ontario Cottagers’ Associations (FOCA).

To be hosted on the morning of March 6, the webinar costs $30 and you must preregister in advance at https://foca.on.ca/product/agm-spring-seminar-2021-register-here/.

In addition to the business portion of the AGM, the program includes program updates, a presentation of FOCA’s 2020-2023 Strategic Plan, presentation of the FOCA Achievement Award for 2020 as well as other information sessions hosted by the association and its partners.

“We are largely an association of associations,” said Terry Rees, FOCA’s executive director, during the group’s recent fall webinar. “We’ve been operating for more than 55 years serving 520-plus lake associations and more than 50,000 unique member families.”

In addition to already widely popular benefits, like group insurance coverage for associations and their directors, FOCA has online toolkits aimed at everything from stopping the spread of invasive species, to cottage ownership succession planning, to improving member engagement for lake associations looking to replicate already proven strategies and event models.

“It is a great resource for cottage associations trying to get more active in their respective communities,” said Michelle Lewin, FOCA communications co-ordinator.

Deanna Forgie, FOCA’s Membership Coordinator, explained the newest benefit available to lake association leaders that should help them rest easier with some of the tougher decisions they face on their respective boards: a new legal helpline. Offered free of charge to all existing FOCA insurance policy holders, the new service was explained by Ross Fraser, of Cade Associates, the association’s insurance broken.

“Member organizations can use the helpline to guide their board processes,” he said, adding there are limits to what the lawyers involved will do, but they offer sound advice, at no cost, when directors would feel more comfortable hearing from a legal professional before making a formal decision.

The Legal Helpline is available by calling 877-255-4269 and there is no limit to the number of times you can call. The staff supporting the line are available from 8 a.m. to midnight, seven days a week.

“There’s no contract review or document review – this isn’t like having a lawyer on retainer,” said Fraser, “but it is helpful and reassuring for directors.”

FOCA President Marlin Horst, who hails from the Baptiste Lake Association, said the association’s guiding document is really its Strategic Plan.

“We employ a three-year cyclical planning process,” he explained, adding that as part of the information gathering related to developing the updated plan, the board had heard from 581 individuals representing 127 unique lake associations. “We’ve been Ontario’s voice of the waterfront community since 1963.”

Beginning in May of last year with a detailed SWOT analysis – a high-level investigation of the association’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats – the process has already resulted in a draft Strategic Plan that will be finalized and released on March 6, “for the FOCA annual general meeting,” added Horst.

FOCA has actively been engaging on a number of fronts during recent months and some of its primary areas of advocacy and policy focus have been: the elimination of Hydro One’s seasonal rate class; coming changes to Ontario’s Environmental Assessment Act; the ongoing Algonquin Land Claim process; and, the federal plan to introduce a national water agency.

Horst closed by outlining FOCA’s six proposed priorities from the draft strategic plan: 1) Promoting healthy lands, lakes and rivers; 2) Advocating for responsive government; 3) Serving lake and road associations; 4) Championing affordable and safe rural living; 5) Fostering community; and, 6) Building FOCA’s capacity.

“Your priorities are our priorities,” he concluded.