From the Editor, September, '24

Our neighbour, Dr. Tim, came over one morning recently and said, "You know it’s not good when the butter is cold on the counter." He is so right. We have already had a couple of fires in the fireplace insert, and the Fall duvet is on the bed!

This month we have 11 articles by 10 authors, since I wanted to make sure that the 6,000-word historical information relating to the Rebellion of 1838 was presented as a whole. For those of us who have a passion for the history of the region, you too will appreciate this one.

I had the pleasure of meeting Robert Chitty and learning about his book – Garden of the Great Spirit – which will be officially launched on board the City Cruise ship out of Gananoque on September 28th, 2024.

The rest of the articles are fun, informative, and I hope enjoyed by all. Let me know if you have topic suggestions – we are not running low, but the more ideas the better, for the long, cold, winter ahead!

Deviating from Plan 2014 (Water Levels)

Nothing makes an islander stand up and take notice than the words "Water Levels."  This month, several news outlets have reported what some consider good news: "The International Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence River Board will deviate from Plan 2014 flows this fall."

Each news item explains that waiting to lower the water level until later in the season will allow recreational boating to continue on both Lake St. Lawrence, and the upper St. Lawrence River areas. The Board's announcement reads in part:

"In consideration of the current and projected conditions, the International Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence River Board plans to use its minor deviation authority to deviate from Regulation Plan 2014 through October 18, 2024. This minor deviation is expected to provide more predictable water levels on Lake St. Lawrence and the upper St. Lawrence River for recreational navigation, while having minimal impacts on other interests throughout the system. The Board also plans to use its minor deviation authority to conduct a temporary flow reduction in early September to facilitate in-water inspections of Hydro-Quebec facilities.

Several marinas and local islanders welcomed the news allowing us to plan our end-of-season closures.  However the weather, with easterly or westerly winds can make a difference.

“Therefore, the Board will use its authority to deviate from Plan 2014 and adjust flows through October 18, 2024, to target a minimum weekly mean water level of Lake St. Lawrence of 73.1 (metres).” [ see: Brockville Recorder and Times. August 30, 2024. River board to deviate from Plan 2014 | Brockville Recorder & Times]

We encourage readers to continue to check in to the The International Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence River Board website as well as the local press. In addition, the Thousand Islands Association (TIA) provides a monthly water level review in their RiverTalk, also available online.

Special Thanks

We learned of two special fund raising initiatives that are certainly appreciated.

The first was announced on The Grindstone Island Forum Facebook page. Erica Robbins shared two photographs, saying:

"All done!!!  The kids have packed it in they will be donating $100 to the Peyton Lane S. Morse Legacy Foundation!!!  Thank you to everyone who stopped by and said hello or bought something."

"The kids have been crafting all summer bracelets, key chains, necklaces.  They've got lemonade and jib bits for crocs.  All proceeds to benefit the Peyton Lane S. Morse Legacy Foundation 💛💛

The second was announced through the Watertown Daily Times, NY360 on September 9th reporting that the 2024 1000 Islands Charity Poker Run raised $250,000 for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. We encourage those who have a subscription to NY360, to read the article that explains this amazing good news story. And at the end of the article they announce the 2025 Poker Run will take place July 17-19, so mark your calendars.

Photographs this month!

Capturing the Thousand Islands in photographs is just what we want. And remember to save your best to enter our 13th Annual Photo Contest in December. The notice will go out in November with a submission date of December 6.  

This month we received a series of the Aurora Borealis photographs taken in the Islands by Lisa Trimble.  Lisa wrote: My photos were taken on August 11th, 2024, between 11:00pm-12:00am. They were taken from Boundary Island overlooking Prince Regent Island in the Lake Fleet.

I used my iPhone 15 in night mode (no flash) to capture the photos. The light rays and some color was visible with the naked eye. The 3 second night mode definitely made the colors more vivid.  I follow NOAA space weather for the forecast.

Conclusion

Please leave comments or questions or send them to me to post (there is a glitch using some web browsers.)

Enjoy our fall season and if you are driving south, stay safe!

By Susan W. Smith, Editor, info@thousandislandslife.com

And the TI Life Team:
Elspeth Naismith is the "Real Editor"; Georgia Barker, Dane Zabriskie, and Rick Taylor are our proofreaders. In addition, Jennifer Caddick has taken over social media; Dan Mathias posts events; Beth Lavos is posting books; Marie-Anne Erki is our illustrator; and last but not least is Mike Cox, our IT Magician.

Header photo by Roberta D. Calhoun-Eagan, The Thousand Islands Bridge, 5 September, 2024. That sliver of a moon is spectacular, right!