The Lac Le Jeune FireSmart Committee is looking for a representative from Walloper Lake to join community FireSmart efforts! Please contact Bruce Mitchell (brucej53@telus.net) or Colleen Kennedy (colleenkennedy.apple@icloud.com) to learn more!
Saturday, May 14, 2022
Tuesday, May 10, 2022
FireSmart: Zoning Out!
In the last post, we explored FireSmart Zones 0 and 1. So...you've got the area immediately around your house cleaned up and the yard closest to your house is golden, now is the time to move a little further out in your yard to the 10-30m area (or Zone 2 in FireSmart)!
In this zone, you really want to think about tree spacing (3m apart for coniferous trees) and pruning the tree branches within 2m of the ground. This step may involve removing smaller coniferous trees that could allow fire to move into the treetops. You don’t need to clear cut your yard here, this is about selectively removing trees to protect your home, while still maintaining Lac Le Jeune’s natural beauty!
Not sure how to prune your large trees? The FireSmart guide even provides tips and tricks for that! There is also a wonderful landscaping guide and hub to help shape your future choices!
Note: Don’t want to wait until our next FireSmart Tip? You can go right to the FireSmart site and download the FireSmart Begins at Home Manual.
This manual outlines the steps you can take at home to reduce the potential impacts of wildfire. Watch for a print copy on your door step in the coming weeks – if you we haven’t already reached your house!
Friday, May 6, 2022
Handyperson Wanted
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| "Toolbox" https://flic.kr/p/c4QJzC |
Preferably someone who lives at Lac Le Jeune or the surrounding area.
If you are interested or would like more information, please contact Brian @ 604 841-9572.
Lake Monitoring: All the Cool Kids Are Doing It! Training Date Set!
We are delighted to report that the LLJ Lake Monitoring program is back in action! The probe is working and we were able to get measurements on the big lake in January and February, but we need your help. We are still looking for volunteers to assist with this important program to ensure our lake stays healthy.
With a few more volunteers,it will only be a teeny, tiny commitment to participate! We have a training date set (Thursday, May 12, 2022 @ 7:00 pm - 3840 Rainbow Drive on the lakeside lower deck) and will provide all the resources you need. All you need to do is volunteer a few hours of your time!
Come on out, join us and learn more (and we promise there will be treats). As an added bonus, you have an excuse to get out on the lake (either summer or winter)!
Please contact Colleen Kennedy (colleenkennedy.apple@icloud.com or 778-921-0095) if you are interested in learning more! Can’t make the orientation on the 12th? No worries, we can also provide 1:1 training at a later date. If you are signing up, please advise if you have access to an ice auger for the winter monitoring. For those who have already signed up – we’ve got you!
Tuesday, May 3, 2022
Help wanted at Cowan Pond log cabins
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| "We are hiring" by focusonmore.com |
The log cabins on Cowan Pond (formerly Woody Life Resort) are now under new ownership and doing vacation rentals. We are looking for a supervisor to assist in managing 22 – 30 cabins. We are also looking for someone to do minor repairs and painting for both cabins and our amenity building.
For more information, please contact Mona Murray – mona@mcmrealestate.ca or phone 250-319-0813.
Saturday, April 30, 2022
Want to Play in the Lake?
Are you looking for an excuse to get out on the lake? If so, we hope you will join us and volunteer for the Lac Le Jeune Lake Monitoring Program. This initiative helps measure the health of our two lakes by lowering a probe into the lake to capture information like temperature and dissolved oxygen!
The old adage rings true - many hands make light work! So, with just a few more community volunteers, the time commitment of each person will be less than 2-3 hours per year! The good news is that the fabulous Hugh Burton is planning a brief orientation session in the coming weeks (date and times to be finalized) and he will teach you everything you hoped to learn and more!
If you are interested in joining us, please e-mail colleenkennedy.apple@icloud.com with your phone number and preferred e-mail address and we will notify you when the orientation is happening!
Sunday, April 10, 2022
FireSmart Colouring Contest
For those with kiddies at home, the TNRD library has partnered with FireSmart for their April colouring contest for kids 12 and under! The contest features Ember, the FireSmart BC mascot! You can pick up colouring sheets at your local branch and enter for a chance to win an Ember plush toy by showing a completed colouring page to staff at the library desk.
Friday, April 8, 2022
FireSmart: It Starts at Home!
At a community level, we are working to reduce the risk of wildfires, but did you know that FireSmart offers helpful steps that you can take right in your own back yard? As we are all itching to get outdoors this time of year, we thought there was no better time to walk you through each of the four FireSmart zones (Fig.1).
Figure 1: FireSmart Zones - Credit FireSmart - Click image to enlarge
Over the coming weeks, we will be sharing simple steps in each of the zones to help reduce your wildfire risk. This week we’re starting with the non-combustible zone - this is the area 0 – 1.5 m from your home. Why worry about this zone? Well, those embers falling from the sky might seem small, but did you know that 50% of home fires caused by wildfires start with sparks and embers? Regular work around your home (e.g., cleaning up wood debris, leaves and other flammable items) can make all the difference! FireSmart invites you to consider things like your roof, chimney, gutters, eaves & vents, siding, windows, doors, decks and fences/outbuildings and offers some simple, low-cost steps you can take to reduce your risk (Fig. 2 below)!
Well, that should keep you busy for a few weeks! Stay tuned for more tips from FireSmart.
Don’t want to wait until our next tip? Check out the FireSmart site and download the FireSmart Begins at Home Manual (PDF) and get all the juicy details yourself! The manual outlines the steps you can take at home to reduce the risk of wildfire and even offers a FireSmart home assessment.
Sunday, March 20, 2022
March 2022 Update from the Lac Le Jeune FireSmart Committee
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| Province of British Columbia Fuel Management Demo CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 |
The Lac Le Jeune area now has a FireSmart Committee with 11 members who represent all areas of our community. This should assist us in accessing government funding and assistance to prepare for any future wildfire events in our area. The Committee includes Bill Miller, Colleen Kennedy, Brian Gordon, Glen Sparrow, Clay Govett, Jim Philips, Rod Faust, Scott Alan, Bruce Mitchell, Chris Murray, and Brad Smith. Tim Cole, a LLJ resident who is also a Professional Forester, has agreed to participate in an advisory role.
So far we have had two organizational meetings and we have gathered important information to get us started toward being a FireSmart community. Activities completed or initiated so far include:
- Recruiting of committee members from most neighbourhoods of the Lac Le Jeune community. Our Committee includes members with fire suppression and fuel management experience.
- Checking in with the LLJ Resort owners to see what level of involvement they would like to have with our FireSmart initiatives.
- Planning regular FireSmart informational updates to share with Lac Le Jeune residents. These articles will describe how we can all make our properties more FireSmart and, therefore, more likely to survive a wildfire event. The first of these bulletins was shared on the Community Facebook page in February, 2022.
- Reviewing Forest Ministry maps of our area to see where timber removal and fuel management activities are planned on Crown and private lands near our properties.
- Visiting with Doug Wilson, the Chief of the Logan Lake Fire Department to get advice on how to become a designated FireSmart community, as well as what is the best fire suppression equipment for our residents, as well as for the community at large, to have on hand in case of a wildfire.
- Checking in with Ronaye Elliot, our area representative on the TNRD, to access what funding available to assist us in educating our members, purchasing supplies or renting necessary equipment. We are currently putting together a budget to submit to the TNRD so that funds can be provided to us.
The FireSmart committee are now looking for a Forestry Professional who can assist us in developing a FireSmart Community Action Plan that will guide us toward becoming a designated FireSmart community. The Forester will survey our entire community and assist us in getting maximum protections with focused fuel management activities and astute equipment acquisitions.
Please watch the Lac Le Jeune Community blog, the Lac Le Jeune Conservation Association Facebook page, and the neighbourhood bulletin board (by the mailboxes) for more FireSmart suggestions. If you would like more information on FireSmart, check out www.firesmartcanada.ca. If you would like to assist with future projects, or have expertise to share with our Committee, please contact Bruce Mitchell at brucej53@telus.net or call me at 778-257-0855.
Sunday, February 13, 2022
FireSmart in Lac Le Jeune: Join Us!
FireSmart practices, along with forest management, are key to reducing the threat of wildfire. Logan Lake is considered a model of how adopting a FireSmart plan should be done. The collective and individual efforts made by Logan Lake residents helped save the town.
We are taking action and invite you to join us! The newly formed Lac Le Jeune FireSmart Committee is looking for action-oriented individuals to assist in developing and implementing plans to help our community prepare for the future.
Current memberships includes:
- Bruce Mitchell (Chair)
- Clay Govett
- Rod Faust
- Colleen Kennedy
- Bill Miller
- Jim Phillips
- Glen Sparrow
To join us, please contact Bruce Mitchell (brucej53@telus.net).
Image: Wildfire by Laymik from NounProject.com
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