President------------------- Anna Pellizzari
Vice President--------- To be elected
Treasurer-------------- Randy Gulliver
Secretary ------------- Christine Gillies
Water Steward------- Doug & Pat Jackson
Water Level Subcommittee---- David L. White
Web Site---------- Randy Gulliver
Members attending online: 46 members
Meeting began 7:31pm
Anna welcomed Members and reminded the Group that we still need a Vice President. Any Member who would like to volunteer should contact the Executive.
She then introduced Mayor Milt McIver and gave him the floor.
Mayor's Comments
Road construction on Hwy 6: That is the purview of the Province. Municipality advocated for bike lanes. Fencing near Tobermory is for turtles and small animals. The Municipality repaired some bad spots on East Rd/County Rd 9, south of Lion's Head.
Garbage Collection System Transition
Milt explained that the Municipality switched to a cart system for garbage pickup due to concerns about bears and missed collections, with Waste Management now responsible for recycling pickup. That will transition to bi-weekly collections for recycling. Residents will receive new recycling carts from Waste Management, but garbage will continue using regular bags, and the current bear-proof dumpster system will remain in place for garbage storage.
Several residents raised concerns about the new system, particularly regarding bear safety and the practical challenges of managing recycling with the new schedule. The Mayor acknowledged that, while there may be some cost savings, the transition could initially cause some service disruptions.
Re-alignment of Tammy's Cove Rd.
This project would correct an unsafe intersection near 164 Tammy's Cove. Property owners affected were presented with 3 options for new road design, and chose one. Since this intersection involves a ramp down to the original route of TCR, those properties at the lower level will be cut off from the main road, and new steep driveways will be installed connecting them to the main road.
Randy asked the Mayor what's the cost of this construction, and it's $1.5 million. Carol Schultz commented that the current route involves a dangerous curve and it would be good to straighten out. Milt agreed that such an expensive project deserves another look by Council, and suggested Members make a presentation regarding their concerns.
Andrea Murphy expressed confusion about the order of requests to Council regarding road improvements, noting that the petition for paving had been overlooked in favor of addressing road straightening first. Milt suggested approaching Council with concerns and mentioned that budget discussions and a road tour in April would provide opportunities for resident input.
Other Items from the Mayor
1) Eastlink: Any progress on the work? No updates from Eastlink. Still many areas that lack cell service.
2) Short term rentals and BnBs as of 2027 will be inspected and registered.
3) Municipality bought a 15 acre parcel of property in Lions Head after some flooding at the arena for future recreational use. Now discussing possible uses, such as library, or expanding community centre.
4) Affordable housing is a major concern, but is a county level issue. Municipality helps when we can.
Treasurer's Report
Randy presented the treasurer's report, highlighting major expenses including water testing and FOCA membership, and noted the addition of dike repairs as a future consideration. As of Sept. 1, 2026, the Miller Lake Association has a balance of $5065.47.
Water Level Subcommittee - David White
David White provided an update on the Miller Lake water levels and dike maintenance on behalf of the Water Level subcommittee team. He explained that the lake is losing about 2 inches of water per week in summer due to evaporation and outflow, and noted that the dike has been in place since the late 1980s to slow water flow and manage spring runoff.
The lake is approaching a new record low due to reduced rainfall this year compared to 2025.
David emphasized the importance of keeping away from the dike to prevent damage, as its sabotage in the past caused an 8-inch water level drop in a week.
David demonstrated how to look and use the data on the website. The subcommittee also tracks and records rainfall amounts. You can download the chart from our website. Click here: Water Level Comparison Chart
Currently a 37-inch drop in water level because of a very high water level in the Spring and then much less rain this year.
Questions from floor:
Q: Is there anything to restrict outflow even more?
A: Could make it deeper and more robust, but we don't have authority to do that because it affects what happens downstream.
Q: Is there a sign to remind visitors to stay off dike?
A: No, but good idea.
Q: Is there an impact on the ecology of the lake from the dike?
A: Good question. Wildlife uses it. Higher water levels help protects the lake against algae and E.coli growing, since it doesn't get as warm. Higher water helps fishing as well.
Q: Why not use concrete so it's more permanent?
A: It's too heavy and too expensive to deal with for volunteers
Q: There are holes in the lake?
A: Yes, the lake has lots of crevices, cracks and other outflows
Q: What are the inflows to the lake?
A: Spring run-off, natural springs, Britain Lake outflow, precipitation
Water Testing Results - Doug Jackson
Water Steward Doug Jackson discussed this year's E.coli tests. FOCA will compile the calcium and phosphorous tests and send the results later this year.
The most recent testing procedure is:
1) deep-water testing done monthly for calcium and phosphorous levels
2) annually for E. coli
FOCA monitors, collects and shares info on calcium and phosphorous levels. MLCG has requested a 5 yr report with robust amount of info. In general, lake is healthy. The calcium is strong, and that's generally good.
The E. coli levels were higher in Tammy's Cove end this year.
Q: Are there any hotspots, year over year? Should we look at septics, waterfowl, etc? Maybe testing the hotspots a few more times a year to see if there are areas of concern.
A: Good idea. See if there's money to re-sample.
Final Comments
Randy thanked Paul Mundy for organizing and producing new Miller Lake member signs, both stickers and plexiglass for property signs.
He also thanked Paul Schelhaas for fixing up the name board at the head of TCR, and for creating name signs for new owners.
Anna mentioned holding a possible in-person meeting that needs to be organized by volunteers. Zoom has been successful getting more people, and finding a location and date is difficult to suit everyone. Paul Mundy pointed out that it didn't have to necessarily be an AGM; it could just be a sociable get-together for MLCG Members. If someone is willing to organize it, please contact us.
Anna closed the meeting at 8:50 PM.