McKay Lake

Restore Your Muskoka Shore Program 2018

The District of Muskoka in conjunction with the Great Lakes Guardian Community Fund are providing financial grants to Muskoka waterfront residents to restore their shores. This program is available for anyone interested on McKay Lake. The importance of native plants and buffers is critical to the health of McKay Lake and encourages good stewardship of our shorelines. If you are interested in the program please follow the instructions in the attachments below by August 3rd to be considered for the program.

Attached are two new graphics: one on the benefits of native plants and another on trees.

Lakes participating in the program this summer:

Three Mile Lake (ML)
Stewart Lake (GB)
Lake Vernon (HT)
McKay Lake (BR)
Ril Lake (LOB)
Muldrew Lake (GR)

July 25, 2018 0 comment

McKay Lake

2 Baby Loons on McKay Lake 2018

written by Madgemax

Amazing news! As of this morning we have confirmed photos of our McKay Lake adult loons and their two new babies. Photos are distorted slightly as they have been enlarged to enable you to clearly see the two babies.

How exciting is that!!!!!

See photos below courtesy of cottager Lyle Sadavoy.

Reminder to all boaters: Please be on the lookout for the loons when out boating. Pass this message along to your family and cottage guests . We want to insure these babies mature to adulthood.

July 25, 2018 0 comment

McKay Lake

Fire Ban still in Effect!

written by Madgemax

Fire Danger Rating – Bracebridge

Please note that a total fire ban is still in effect in Bracebridge. There was a fire on the lake earlier this month that could have been devastating to the entire community if it was not for the quick action of your neighbours to assist is controlling the fire until the Fire Department could arrive.

Please click on the link supplied to see what the fire rating is and let family, friends and renters know how to access this information because next time it could be your property.

July 25, 2018 0 comment

McKay Lake

McKay Lake Benthic Testing – Thursday, August 16, 2018

written by Madgemax

Bugs in the Mud = Benthic Testing

The way that the benthic monitoring program works is:

Pick a sampling site on the lake
Schedule a day to do the sampling
The District of Muskoka will provide all the equipment
Request a minimum of 5 volunteers to help count and process the sample
The sampling and processing part usually takes 4 or 5 hours depending on how successful – plan for a good couple of hours at least

When: Thursday, August 16, 2018 – 10:30 am to approximately 2:30 pm

Where: 1009 McTeague Lane – at the beach

Please call Karen Maxwell at 705-645-4903 or email madgemax@gmail.com if you are interested in taking part.

Samples are being collected at 10:00 am from both a natural and developed location for comparison. The volunteers will need to sort through the mud to pick out the bugs. The bugs are then categorized and sent to the Dorset Science Centre for analysis. Based on what kind of bugs and their numbers, McKay Lake will establish a baseline for future testing. This will provide another factor to determine the health of our lake.

Benthic Monitoring Info

Why Study Benthic Macroinvetebrates

July 25, 2018 0 comment

McKay Lake

McKay Lake – A Bird’s Eye View!

written by Moxy

A great video submitted by Joel Gregory.

October 17, 2016 0 comment

Loons McKay Lake

Baby Loon!

written by Moxy

Good news this week!

One of our cottagers was kayaking and we saw a baby loon with the parents! It is extremely tiny so they think it was just born.

Please advise all boaters in your family to boat accordingly with a watchful eye for the loons. It takes several weeks before baby loons can dive under the water to avoid an oncoming boat or seadoo.

Wonderful that we have a new baby. Please keep an eye out for them!

July 22, 2016 0 comment

McKay Lake

Snakebite First Aid

written by Madgemax

Based on a lake-wide alert email distributed Monday, August 17, 2015

Hello McKay Lake Cottagers,

This is an alert to all cottagers at McKay Lake.

Last week (August 2015) one of Ken and Ann Babey’s dogs was bitten by a snake either while at their cottage on Lovell Island ( large McKay Lake Island ) or at their Fraserburg Road cottage.

Their dog became very ill and was taken to a Bracebridge veterinarian for diagnosis. It appeared the dog had been bitten by a venomous snake. ( Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake )

Ken then took his dog to Guelph Ontario, for further confirmation. The bite marks and symptoms the dog was experiencing confirmed the snake bite and the necessity to treat the dog with a suitable anti-venom.

Fortunately their dog is now recovering from this ordeal.

The purpose of this note is to make you aware of this incident and caution you as to the possibility that this type of snake appears to be in our area.

I personally know very little about snakes in general and suggest you do your own research.

The following “First Aid For Humans” and “First Aid For Pets” was taken off the internet and is for your general information.

FIRST AID FOR HUMANS

WHAT TO DO IF YOU ARE BITTENSnakebites are a medical emergency and should be taken seriously. Within 15 minutes, most bites are recognizable by the development of discolouration, swelling, and pain at the site of the bite. Hospitals and doctors now receive specialized training in snakebite treatment and have quick access to a network of snakebite experts. With appropriate hospital treatment, no one has died from rattlesnake bites in Ontario.IF A SNAKEBITE OCCURS THE MOST IMPORTANT ACTIONS ARE:

Do not panic. Remain calm. Reassure the bitten person. Remember that the person may have been bitten, but NOT envenomated. The calmer the person is, the better he/she can assist the hospital in ensuring a full recovery.
A calm person can assist doctors by answering questions about the incident and the snake in question – important information doctors will use to assess your condition and appropriate treatments.
Staying calm is essential! The spread of venom, development of shock, and other medical reactions will be slower if the person stays calm. Call emergency services to request transportation to the hospital. Remember, there is time. Although a medical emergency, a doctor may opt for one or two hours of observation before deciding on treatment. Do not endanger yourself, the person who was bitten, or others by the reckless operation of a vehicle or boat in order to get to a medical facility or transfer point. To secure transportation to a hospital, one should call an ambulance or an emergency service.

FOLLOW-UP ACTIVITIES

If possible, carry the patient or assist them in reducing activity. Ensure they are laying down while waiting for transportation. Remaining calm and inactive will slow the circulation of venom throughout the body.
Wash and cleanse the wound.
Remove any jewellery from the bitten limb in case of swelling.
Splint the limb to reduce movement.
DO NOT apply a tourniquet.
DO NOT apply ice; DO NOT cut the bite area and apply suction.
Identify the snake (if possible). Take note of the snake, its colouring, pattern, and
size. You will be asked to describe the snake when you reach the medical facility.
This will aid doctors in determining whether you were bitten by a rattlesnake, and whether you have been envenomated. Often snakes will not envenomate prey which is significantly larger than they are (such as humans), and you will not require anti-venom.
DO NOT try to catch the snake!

FIRST AID FOR PETS

Encounters with rattlesnakes are infrequent. Rattlesnakes are shy and so well camouflaged that passersby rarely notice them. Rattlesnakes often lie motionless when they sense danger and may rattle a warning when approached. When the snakes are given some space, conflicts are easily avoided. However, dogs often wander into areas not well traveled by people, and they tend to investigate unfamiliar sights and sounds. When some dogs discover a snake, they stand their ground at a safe distance and bark. Other breeds run in to challenge, grab, or kill the snake.

Bites occur to the legs, but more frequently to the face, since dogs use their nose to investigate their surroundings. If the dog is bitten on the head, the situation is serious due to the speed with which the venom can impair the dog’s respiratory functions. Dr. Hilary Turnbull, of the Georgian Animal Hospital in Parry Sound, confirms that small dogs (especially terriers) are particularly at risk if bitten on the face, since the swelling can encompass a good part of their head.

FIRST AID FOR DOGS

What to do if you know or suspect your dog has been bitten:

If your dog surprises a rattlesnake and is bitten, he/she may exhibit swelling, pain, or signs of discomfort. Watch for these signs;
It is important to keep your pet calm and restrict his/her movement;
If possible, splint the bitten extremity, and keep the limb below heart level. DO NOT let the dog walk;
DO NOT apply tourniquets, ice or suction to the limb;

June 15, 2016 0 comment