Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Pumpkins and bears, oh my!

We all know not to put out bird seed this time of year, but did you know that pumpkins attract bears? Be sure to bring your pumpkins inside at night. How to discard after Halloween? f you know anyone with chickens they'll appreciate the donation!



Thursday, October 10, 2019

Minutes of the LLJCA AGM - September 22, 2019

This document can also be downloaded in PDF format

Lac Le Jeune Conservation AssociationAnnual General Meeting
Sept 22, 2019
Meeting called to order 11:12
Adoption of minutes for the 2018 AGM.
Moved Hugh and seconded by Howie.
Treasurer’s Report:  
Lac Le Jeune Conservation Association 2018 Financial Report
Balance at 04/30/2018
$1,630.06
$1,630.06
Revenue
Memberships
300.00
Interest
1.10
TNRD-Conservation Projects
1,500.00
Total
$1,801.10
$1,801.10
Expenses
AGM Expenses
BC Society Annual Report
40.00
Copying - Membership/LLJCA Info
16.02
Insurance
600.00
Total
$656.02
$656.02
Balanace at 04/30/219
$2,775.14
GIC Current Value
$2,621.47

We were recently notified that our BC Lake Stewardship Society dues were past due and rectified this with a $50 cheque being mailed and received by them in August. LLJCA is now in good standing with BCLSS. This is annual fee and will appear next year on the Treasurer’s Report.
Report adopted. 
Moved by Carolyn and Seconded by Steve.
Water Monitoring:
Speakers Hugh Burton and Marge Sidney
Hugh has done a few samples this year. He is looking again for volunteers to assist with the monitor. It takes an hour and a half to do both Big and Little lakes. Consistent dates for monitoring is his desire. He would also like to sample Pasca lake three times per year. If he had support, Hugh would also like to monitor McConnell Lake. Hugh would like to see a volunteer fish measuring and tracking plan for the Park. It would be great to know the information from anglers to help determine the health of the fishing in LLJ. Discussion ensued regarding the fish-health in Pasco and recent fish monitoring which evidenced very few fish caught. The belief is that Pasca has been over-fished. There is concern for our lake regarding the fish-stocking and the size of the fishing being taken from our lake. Marge suggested Hugh contact Randy Lambright CAO in Logan Lake as new survival suites were recently purchased and could possibly be borrowed for use during testing. Two volunteers came forward but Hugh is still looking for more assistance. Please contact Hugh directly if anyone is interested. Vital information is obtained and worth the time.
Marge Sidney has retired from her 40+ years in the Ministry but now is working with the BC Lake Stewardship Society. She recently spent March working with BMIT at Pasca lake and will be doing more testing up there in 2020.  BCLSS almost folded but has recently received a $100,000 GOVT grant and amalgamated data from several GOVT agencies. This agency is looking to reconnect with lake groups like LLJ. Funding is available from an unlikely source, LUSH, and BCLSS have funds available for projects, education and collection of data. Marge reiterated the importance of LLJ continuing to collect data on the lakes. The Secchi disk is a good example of a simple testing device, used from the mid 1800’s, but is still useful today. Marge had a good example of how important our water is: BC River’s day is today (Sept 22nd). When the salmon swim upstream to spawn, they rest in the cool water of the various creeks that pour into the main river they are traversing. Because of various reasons like climate change and logging, these streams are warmer and the fish are now stopping to rest. Less salmon are making it to their spawning areas and spawning because of die off. Marge will be our contact at BCLSS and will continue to work with us. Marge wanted to notify us of the BCLSS Conference in Winfield in October. Information will be posted on the blog regarding this. (Note: already posted here)
TNRD Area J Representative – Ronaye Elliot:
Ronaye announced that this is her last term with the TNRD and the job will be up for election in 2022. Ronaye was proud of the work she’d been able to accomplish including recent funding to the Overlander Ski club for the completion of their warming hut. She also was able to provide our LLJCA $1,500 last year. “Squatters” were a concern for the TNRD and was  mentioned in the media this past week.  Basically, people are prohibited from living in their RV whether it is in a community like LLJ or in the bush.  Many of us have seen these “squatters” along LLJ road. The TNRD doesn’t want to bang on people’s RV door but it is illegal and will be address if a complaint is made. A suggestion had been made to her to look into an area that residence can take their yard waste to, close to LLJ. Ronaye said she had made a point of investigating the logistics of that and basically, it can’t be done. Residents will have to continue to deal with it on their own property or take the yard waste to Logan Lake. There had been a site available to residents during the pine beetle die off but people were dumping garbage there and it had to be discontinued. Someone brought up the poor condition of the drive way leading into the transfer station and Ronaye suggested we contact the road contractor VSA to work on that. CC Jake Devion on the request. Ronaye did mention that there might be funds available to work on the bike path around the lake; these funds were available through the gas tax and to email her. 
Clean Drain Dry Partners:
Cindy Swain had been contacted by the Clean Drain Dry Partners regarding signage of the same. Somehow we had appeared on a partner list and were eligible to have up to three signs provided to us.  The boat launch at the park now had a sign but a suggestion came in to have a sign at the main entrance to the community. Cindy had emailed Michelle Weibe at BC Parks regarding the north side of the lake but had not received a response. It was also suggested that we might as well ask for the three signs and then find spots for them. Cindy will email the program back to make that request.  Marge knew of the group.  There are various BC Watercraft Inspection Stations in BC along the boards to prevent the spread of invasive muscles. There is only one 24 monitor station in our area at Kicking Horse east of Golden.  There are now two muscle sniffing dogs. There have been 40 documented cases of the Inspection Stations detecting muscles.
RCMP Logan Lake:
Although a representative from the Logan Lake detachment could not attend the meeting, they had asked that two topics be addressed: The detachment had received complaints of quads and dirt bikes riding on the community streets. This is illegal. Even if the quad is licensed, that does not make it legal to ride on community roads and logging roads. They have driven through the community a few times lately. They are also aware of the vandalism in the summer and it was addressed. However, there have been recent issues at the Park and people are asked to be on the lookout for suspicious behavior and to report it. More volunteers are needed for the community watch/COP (Communities on Patrol) program.  The detachment has the application and applicants must agree to a background check. The minimum commitment is 2 hours per month. At present, there are three volunteers in LLJ.  
Greater Kamloops Motorcycle Association:
Because of the issue with illegal riding in LLJ, Denis Rombough was contacted regarding memberships.  Chuwels Mountain, Inks Lake, and Greenstone Mountain have 500 km of groomed, monitored and mapped trails. The closest staging area is less than 10 minutes down the road. Membership is $20 per Adult and $30 per family. This gives members access to trail maps on their smart phones. Residents of LLJ are encouraged to look into this.  
Invasive Plant Program:
No funding was available to the TNRD in 2019 but should be secured in 2020. Knapp weed is a big concern in area J. Residents are encouraged to pull the plants in your yard before it blooms and put it in your garbage. VSA are aware of the issue and are trying to mow the road shoulders prior to blooming periods. Dr Catherine Tarasoff will contact the Association in 2020 to move forward.
No other business was brought up or discussed.
Elections:
Sylvia Currie, Secretary of the Association, has decided to step aside. Sylvia has graciously offered to continue to assist with updating the blog with Association-related content. Jim Phillips has also decided to step aside as an area rep but was approached by two neighbours who have offered to take over his area as reps.
Leyla Johnson, Jacquie Brugger and Pat Carroll have agreed to let their name stand although they were not in attendance at the meeting.  
The following members were voted in:
Cindy Swain – President
Corinne Schock – Vice President
Leyla Johnson – Treasurer
Isabelle – Secretary
Meeting adjourned 12:27

Tuesday, October 1, 2019

Abandoned Truck on the Gus Johnson Trail

There is an abandoned truck on the Gus Johnson Trail/Lac Le Jeune Provincial Park boundary. It is currently being investigated by BC Parks in collaboration with the Recreation Sites and Trails BC program.

This issue was initially brought forward to government via the Natural Resource Violation website

Does anyone have information about this vehicle?  

Please comment here, in the Lac Le Jeune Facebook group, or directly to Michelle Wiebe, BC Parks Area Supervisor | 250-371-6286 | Michelle.Wiebe@gov.bc.ca .


Sunday, September 29, 2019

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Event: Kamloops Debate on the Environment

From the British Columbia Sustainable Energy Association Website: https://www.bcsea.org/events/kamloops-debate-on-environment



Transition Kamloops and the Kamloops Chapter of the BC Sustainable Energy Association invite the public to a pre-election debate on October 3 focussing on environmental issues of national and local interest.  The two groups, along with students and concerned local citizens, offer this non-partisan event to give voters in the Kamloops–Thompson–Cariboo riding a chance to hear the federal candidates speak on this important topic.
The Kamloops Debate on Environment is one of the 100 Debates campaign taking place across Canada on October 3.  For more information visit greenpac.ca/100_debates.  The goal is to create a nationwide conversation about the environment, giving voters an opportunity to learn about what is shaping up to be one of the top issues of this federal election.  All debates will be strictly non-partisan.

When: Thursday, October 3, 2019 from 7:00 – 9:00 pm
Where: at TRU in the House of Learning, Rm 190 (the “pit house”). The moderator is Mel Rothenburger.
Cost: Free!  Just show up! (Parking on the TRU Campus is free in the evenings)

Focus and Format: Each candidate will provide an opening and closing statement and will respond to questions on local and national environmental issues that have been made available to them prior to the debate.
Participation: All candidates whose names will appear on the ballot for the forthcoming Federal Election for the riding of Kamloops--Thompson—Cariboo have been invited to participate.  
Public engagement: The public may submit written questions to the moderator prior to the start time of 7 p.m. These will be grouped, triaged and presented at the discretion of the moderator.  There will not be open mic questions.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

AGM AGENDA: Sept 22, 2019

Download the agenda (PDF)

Special requests: 
  • Refer to the minutes of the 2018 AGM ahead of the meeting. A few printed reference copies will be made available at the meeting
  • Bring $10 to maintain your LLJCA membership 



AGENDA
Lac Le Jeune Conservation Association
Annual General Meeting
Lac Le Jeune Provincial Park Day Area
September 22, 2019 11:00am - 12:30pm

1.     Adoption of minutes from the 2018 AGM
2.     Treasurer's report – Leyla Johnson
3.     Lake Monitoring Program – Marge Sidney & Hugh Burton
4.     TNRD area J representative – Ronaye Elliot
5.     Clean Drain Dry Partners
6.     Greater Kamloops Motorcycle Association
7.     Community contact & mailing list
8.     RCMP Logan Lake
9.     Invasive Plant Program – Funding update Cindy Swain
10.  Other business
11.  Elections
12.  Bat House draw

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Seeking Waterfront Property for Sale on Lac Le Jeune

I am a realtor from Abbotsford looking for waterfront property on Lac Le Jeune for my parents/clients. They are very nice people. They know and love the area and are looking to retire there. They are serious buyers and I am hoping to find them a waterfront property on Lac Le Jeune as soon as possible.

If you or someone you know owns waterfront property on the lake and are looking to sell please contact me!

Ultimately they would like to build a home, so the rougher and older a home the better (or a vacant lot), but if a respectable home came up that they could make their own, that would work as well. If you or someone you know owns a property that fits the description and is looking to sell please let me know! If you are currently an owner looking to sell and are working with a realtor that is great as well. Please have them contact me directly any time.

This is not an effort to list property in the area as I live too far away! My only desire is to find my parents a home! Please help!

Thank you,
Dave Bishop
Homelife Glenayre Realty Co Ltd
Abbotsford BC

Cell 604-302-6403
Email: davebishoprealty@shaw.ca
www.davebishop.ca



Wednesday, August 28, 2019

BCLSS CONFERENCE October 4-6, 2019

BC Lake Stewardship Society CONFERENCE – UNDERSTANDING BC LAKES IN CHANGING TIMES

October 4th – 6th, 2019
Oceola Fish and Game Club, Winfield BC
Our lakes are facing a variety of pressures, including climate extremes. This conference will bring together a network of those concerned about lake health to address these challenges and discuss what can be done to preserve, protect, and restore BC lakes.
Friday, October 4 – Evening social
Saturday, October 5 – Presentations (speakers TBA)
Sunday, October 6 – Morning field trip
More information coming soon!
Please check www.bclss.org for conference details and registration.

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Lac Le Jeune Conservation Association AGM - hold the date!

Plan to attend the next Annual General Meeting of the Lac Le Jeune Conservation Association (LLJCA).

When:  September 22, 2019, 11:00 am
Where: Provincial Park Campground - picnic shelter

Membership is $10 per household, payable at the AGM or to any of your friendly LLJCA area reps. New members or those with a change of contact information should complete the membership form.

Meet your neighbours and find out what's going on in our community! 

Wednesday, July 31, 2019

Fire Smart Demonstration - August 7th


Want to know how to prepare your home for fire season?

A public Fire Smart demonstration is being held for the Lac Le Jeune community at 3757 Ridgemont Road on Wednesday, August 7th at 7:00 pm. 

Learn how to assess and identify the hazards on a property and how they could potentially affect your home in a wildfire situation. An Emergency Management Specialist will be on hand to discuss ways to mitigate these hazards, reduce the potential impact of wildfire and increase overall community resiliency.

This event brought to you by the Thompson-Nicola Regional District and the Lac Le Jeune Conservation Association.

Sunday, May 19, 2019

Vandalism

HammerIt's unusual that in our peaceful community we have yet more reports of vandalism. This time the culprits are residents of Lac Le Jeune and have been identified.

There have been a number of incidents. It's not clear if the same 3 individuals are responsible for everything on this list, but these have all occurred within the past week:

1. Eggs thrown on multiple properties and streets
2. The Little Free Library box on Lookout Road was damaged and all books thrown on the road
3. The doors of the 2 pump houses for the Lookout and Ridgemont water systems were smashed
4. Plastic bags were strewn on and around Osprey Street

In addition, a power saw was stolen from a vehicle parked in the owner's yard. I'm not clear on the status of that or if it's related to this story.

RCMP were on the scene after the pump house incident on Friday, May 17. Parents are involved and ensuring that the damage is repaired. The individuals have apologized to one or two residents. Personally, I would like to see a public apology since we're obviously all affected by this. Let's hope these juveniles get the help and support they need.

~Sylvia

Friday, April 19, 2019

Community Mailboxes

During the night the community mailboxes were knocked around and pried open. This has been reported to Canada Post and the RCMP.  



Monday, April 8, 2019

Cats for adoption!

The Animal Health Technology Program at Thompson Rivers University has some cats up for adoption. The adoption fee is $100. Contact Zelda Matthee-Johnson: zmattheejohnson@tru.ca

Click image to view full size.


Thursday, April 4, 2019

Free Dump Day

The free dump day at Lac Le Jeune is Sunday, April 28th. You can take one free load per household. This includes materials that would normally have a fee, such as tires on rims, mattresses, furniture, etc. View the flyer (PDF) for details.

Tuesday, March 12, 2019

BC Hydro Scheduled Power Outage

We received this notice for a scheduled power outage on Lookout Road. I'm posting it here in case it also affects your area of Lac Le Jeune. 
Sylvia Currie & Bob Brown


Sorry for the inconvenience. We've scheduled a power outage in your area and your electricity will be switched off temporarily.
The work we're doing is necessary to provide the most reliable service possible and we'll restore your power as soon as we can.
Scheduled power outage details (W01721681-01)
Location: 3872 LOOKOUT DR, LAC LE JEUNE
From: Sunday, March 24, 2019 12:00 AM
To: Sunday, March 24, 2019 06:00 AM
Reason: Equipment Maintenance
Midnight to 6am outage
Unplug your electrical devices
Protect electrical devices from damage. Turn off items such as lights, heaters and major appliances and unplug all electrical equipment during this time.
Don't forget that elevators and garage doors may not work during the outage.
Be prepared and stay safe
To ensure you and our work crews are kept safe while we work in your area, we need to switch off power during the times noted above. Please be aware that the start and end times are estimated.
Also note this scheduled power outage may be cancelled without notice due to adverse weather conditions or availability of crews during an emergency.
Thank you.
BC Hydro Customer Service

Monday, March 4, 2019

Mason Bees

I’ve had mason bees in new Westminster for a couple of years and had some success with them at Lac Le Jeune, so I thought I’d give some information about them.

Mason Bees are solitary bees. They don’t live in a hive, sting or produce honey and pollinate more than honey bees.

They have a yearly life-cycle. The male bee’s emerge from their cocoon’s first in the spring and wait around the “bee house” for the females to emerge. Once they do, they mate. The males die and the females prepare their “nest” which is a tubular structure natural or man-made. The eggs are left with pollen for food and the eggs are separated with a wall of mud in the tube. The eggs hatch to larva which then spin a cocoon and enter the pupal stage. They stay in the stage during the fall and winter and hatch in the spring.

To have mason bees you need a house for them to live and lay their eggs in, a natural food supply, mud and some cocoons to get started. You can get bee houses with “fixed” tubes like bamboo or tubes that you can clean out and re-use like plastic or wooden blocks. There are benefits to both types. In New Westminster I have a house with plastic blocks/tubes that come apart allowing me to clean out the tubes, take the cocoons out, clean them, then store them in the fridge until the spring. The plus to this is you get rid of potential mites and bacteria that could kill the larva. The downside is that it’s pretty gross to clean out and the house is more expensive. I clean the tubes out in the late fall. Other types you can clean out include paper tubes and wooden blocks which are split like the plastic tubes.
Paper tubes

Plastic tubes

Plastic tubes

Wooden tubes


At Lac Le Jeune I tried a bee house I bought from Costco with bamboo for the tubes. The plus to this style is you leave the tubes full and don’t have to clean them out. The downside is many of the tubes are too big for the bees to use, you may get less cocoons hatching dues to mites, bacteria etc and you will need to bring the house into a cool basement/shed for the winter. Update: Costco now has tubes you can clean yourself.

This year I will be using the plastic tubes as I prefer to clean them out in the fall and then store the cocoons in the fridge vs guessing when to bring the house in and store it. This style can be found in many garden centres.

The house should face the morning sun, it brings warmth to the bees in the morning and makes them get up and going.

The time to leave the cocoons out in the spring is when flowers start to bloom. At Lac Le Jeune the dandelions start first and that was when I left the cocoons out. A few to start and then the rest a week later.

Some bee houses have a small cavity to leave the cocoons in, or you can use a small box with a small opening in it. If you put the cocoons out too early and the bees hatch without a food supply they will die before laying eggs. I also leave a small container of clay mud out – though this isn’t necessary, the bees will find a source of mud/clay to build their nests. You will know if your bee house is going to be successful as you will see bees entering and exiting the tubes as they lay eggs. When a tube is full (usually 5 eggs) they will seal the end of the tube with mud and go onto the next tube.

At Lac Le Jeune last year I put out 10 or 12 cocoons in the spring. Over the next few weeks I saw 10 tubes filled in the bee house. I wasn’t sure when to bring the house in (I was going to leave it in either the basement or shed) – but the week we were up there in the fall I noticed all the tubes were open. I don’t know if it was the weather being suddenly cold then suddenly warm again caused the bees to hatch, or if it was flicker birds getting an easy meal. Some people recommend placing a mesh over/around the tubes that will enable the bees to enter the tubes but will keep birds from eating the cocoons.

You'll find lots of information on YouTube.  This channel that has information on harvesting and cleaning the cocoons.

I do have extra cocoons, enough for 2 people to get a start, so contact me if interested. It’s also possible to buy cocoons off craigslist, etc. 10 of them cost around $10.

Any questions, just email me: (laclejeune at laclejeune dot ca)

~ by Steve Roy ~

Monday, February 4, 2019

Sorting items for the transfer station

ATTN ALL RESIDENTS:

In the interest of Taiyler not being terminated at the Transfer Station, everyone needs to be more diligent when sorting their recyclables. I know it’s not a simple system and procedure changes constantly. Even if you think you’re sorting correctly please double check. Taiyler will continue teaching the correct sorting strategies as well as try simplifying the signage for better understanding.

The woman who works most Wednesdays (Kristy) is who you can direct all complaints to as she is an administrative assistant of sorts to the owner. So hopefully you will be heard.

And as much as I hate to say this if you know you’ve been careless with the sorting of your recyclables, for the sake of Taiyler’s employment, the company would prefer that you throw it all in the garbage bin instead.

Thank you.

Catherine Edmondson

Sunday, January 6, 2019

Reminder about snowmobiling around Lac Le Jeune

Snowmobile tracks in the park
Snowmobiles are not allowed in any Provincial Park. They are not allowed on public roads either. In our area they are not allowed on the Gus Johnston Trail or the Stake Lake Trails.

The fine for diving snowmobiles in these areas is a minimum of $575.00. Please ensure your friends, relatives or renters are aware of this law when they are here. Thanks you!

~ Jacquie Brugger ~
A disappointed snowshoe and cross country ski enthusiast with no trails to enjoy

Friday, January 4, 2019

Mobile Library schedule

The 2019 schedule for the Mobile Library is available on the Thompson Regional Library website. You can download the full brochure (PDF) or pick it up next time you visit the bus. We're BLUE Fridays on the calendar.





Thursday, January 3, 2019

Let's talk about fireworks

Photo by Alexander Kagan on Unsplash
Aside from the mention of fireworks in the context of fire bans, we haven't shared very much on the Lac Le Jeune blog about this practice. There was one post to pass along advice from the SPCA for keeping pets safe. Then there were several reminders about the dangers of fireworks, but all related to wildfires. We haven't really addressed fireworks in the context of noise pollution and the impact on humans, pets, and wildlife. Given the firework activity during the holidays, including Christmas Eve, it seems like a good time to raise awareness.

Fireworks are a common form of celebration, obviously enjoyed by many. In Lac Le Jeune we have a long-time tradition of fireworks to bring in the new year. Some years we hear fireworks on halloween night and during Canada Day celebrations if weather/wildfire situation permits. In any case, the dates and times we could expect to hear fireworks have always been fairly predictable.

This winter there has been both scheduled and random firework activity. In some cases residents have made an effort to warn others through the LLJ Facebook group. Thank you! This is helpful for those of us who need to prepare our pets.

How do you help nervous pets?

It's multi-step and time-sensitive. You can download an entire book on the subject, but here's a quick list is from my own experience.

1. Get a thundershirt or other body wrap on well before the fireworks begin
2. Ensure all escape routes are closed off -- pets may bolt and NEVER return
3. Help pets gain access to locations where they can feel less traumatized -- e.g. basement, under a bed, corner of a bathroom -- there's something appealing about tile floors.
4. Play calming/drowning music. Vivaldi works for us.
5. Stay with them!
6. Help them recuperate (which is why it's helpful to know when the fireworks are going to end). I use treats and play.

What's it like for wildlife?

This is a well researched topic. The issues are too many to list -- permanent hearing loss, nesting animals flee,  panicked and disoriented animals get separated from their young, death from impact with buildings and traffic... and so on.

Trends 

What is the appeal of fireworks? Noise for some, but there is also the spectacular light display. I don't know if we have these spectacular displays in Lac Le Jeune because I'm in the basement :) However, some cities like Banff have implemented silent light shows.

Complete bans on the sale and use of fireworks are being implemented around the world because of the negative impact on wildlife.

What's legal?

There are no no bylaws governing fireworks in the Thompson Nicola Regional District. There is a bylaw regarding "excessive and persistent" noise. I don't expect it would ever come to that but it's good to know there is some recourse. And if we do feel there should be a specific fireworks bylaw this is something we can work toward.

Other solutions?

Personally I prefer a more community-oriented approach which involves education to raise awareness about the downside of fireworks. I've contacted WildSafeBC to see if there are any resources and programs in place.

What's the ask? 

Nobody wants to be the fun police! My attitude is occasional noise in our community is fine as long as it's about having fun. Even though I don't personally understand the appeal of fireworks I appreciate that others enjoy them. A lot! So the ask is the same for any type of noise and for any day or occasion:


Consider celebrating with everyone in mind. 

In that vein, Christmas Eve is definitely not the time for fireworks. Let's not do that again, ok?

Sylvia Currie