Lake lovers teach each other to pivot at FOCA

John Curran | Nov 25, 2020

The Federation of Ontario Cottager Associations (FOCA) held its fall webinar on Nov. 21, with a broad range of topics to appeal to the online crowd of more than 100.

The title theme was “Learning to Pivot: Lake Associations in 2020,” and while all participants found the sessions quite informative, some 27 per cent of those online got a true introduction to the association as they were first-timers at any FOCA-hosted activity. One of FOCA’s core philosophies is to help members exchange ideas that work so that its 520-plus lake association members can benefit from each other’s experience to enrich the lakefront experience of their 50,000-plus member families around the province and beyond.

The organization’s 2020 Member Survey revealed that some 53 per cent of lake associations had to cancel or dramatically reimagine the events they traditionally hold each summer due to the pandemic. While some in our region that are naturally socially-distanced managed to go ahead, like the Devil Lake Canada Day Boatilla and the Buck Lake Battle of the Branches Golf Tourney, the vast majority of the calendars in cottage country got whipped clean by COVID.

“Because of COVID we had no Picnic this year – it was to be the 59th annual,” said Keith Price, representing the Kahshe Lake Ratepayers’ Association. Kahshe is the fourth largest and southern-most lake in Muskoka and the association has about 400 of the lake’s 600 families signed up as members. “We also had to cancel our 15th Kids’ Derby, 37th Craft Show and 21st Regatta – all of these events disappeared this year and that was sad.”

Undeterred the Kahshe Lake group introduced a pair of safer events: A Night at the Drive-In; and, a photo-based scavenger/treasure hunt known locally as “the Quest”. In the case of the latter, 78 people signed up and were given six weeks to find 46 locations – split between a boat section and a road section – and take selfies as proof that they found the right spots. More than 30 people managed to complete the inaugural Quest, though Price joked that two of them were infants and probably didn’t understand the significance of their achievement.

“Everyone who completed it got a ribbon and a certificate saying they survived the Kahshe Lake Quest,” he added.

Cheryl Elliot-Fraser, of the Gloucester Pool Cottagers’ Association, shared a similar experience having had eight events severely impacted by COVID-19, including its: Spring Dinner, AGM, the Kennedy Marine Motor Museum Open House, Family Fun Day, Kids’ Fishing Derby, Swimming and Kayak Races, Canoe for Cancer, and the Fall Dinner. Fortunately for its 375 members, it was able to pivot the way volunteers ran the Kids’ Fishing Derby and that one went ahead.

“Normally we do a half-day event with fishing until about 10:30 a.m. and then other contests and games, and a picnic lunch,” she said. “This year we took it virtual.”

The derby was extended to four days – from a Saturday to a Tuesday – and participants were asked to upload photos of their catches and creations for challenges like the Fishing Hat Decorating Contest. Extending it into the start of the next week allowed some people without reliable internet access at their cottage to send in photos after they returned to their home cities and towns for the week.

“We had 42 children register for the derby this year and most posted photos or videos,” she said. “We had a consent form … and only shared photo in our secure Members-Only area on our website to address any privacy concerns.”

The third and final success story highlighted by the FOCA team was that of the much smaller Sayers Lake Ratepayers Association, which represents 169 members who have property between Haliburton and Minden. Director Susan Bardwell talked about their Music on the Water event.

It featured a band playing on a member’s dock with spectators watching from other docks in the area or from boats double-anchored, front and back, in the bay out front of the stage/dock.

“We even engaged the local health authority to ensure everything was safe,” she said. “It was the best turnout for an event that we’ve ever had.”

For anyone who would like to see the full session, or any of the other presentations from the FOCA webinar, the event was recorded. The association expects to have the video available to members for online viewing sometime in December.