This Association was formed to engage residents and encourage their involvement to help preserve the uniqueness of our special lake community.  To address key issues that are of importance and concern to residents of West Lake, Sheba’s Island, Wesley Acres and other small communities situated around the shores of West Lake, and act on the issues in a ‘unified community voice’.

Most notable, and not necessarily in order of priority...

All residents (permanent and seasonal), including local businesses, Artisans, Agricultural producers, STA’s shall be given the opportunity to become involved in the Association as a Regular, Board or Committee Member to ensure the Association gets involvement from as many people as possible living around the shoreline areas of West Lake.

The Association’s name has been amended to West Lake Community Association (WLCA), which is so defined as being more inclusive of the smaller communities around West Lake’s shoreline, and separate from the more densely populated Wellington area.

The Board of the Association will provide Members with any updates to actions they have undertaken on behalf of the Membership.  Also, when safe to do so, an informal meeting of all members will be held to discuss the key issues of concern in the area (refer to initial list above, as well as, any other issues that have been submitted in the meantime) and updates on any actions taken to-date.  Unfortunately, during the COVID-19 restrictions, Board and Members Meetings are being handled differently than what is stated in the Association’s set of By-Laws.  Records/Minutes will continue to be kept of all meetings by the Association Secretary.  A Schedule for future Board Meetings was agreed upon at the first Board Meeting of the new year (January 27, 2021). A schedule of General Members Meetings will be set once the current stay at hone order is lifted.

The following individuals volunteered to take on the three (3) Executive positions, and were installed as such at the first meeting (May 18^th/20) of the West South Shore Association (later amended to West Lake Community Association) - Cathie Coultis - Chairperson, Angela Welsh – Secretary, and Treasurer – Laura Loader.  David Cormican, Don and Leslie Walcott and Sarah Clark (representing Isaiah Tubbs Resort) have volunteered to serve on the Board of the Association as Directors for the current two (2) year term.  Greg Emm has agreed to serve on the Board for the current two (2) year term as a Director-at-Large. 

A permanent full-time resident shall serve on the Board.  Any seasonal resident is encouraged to volunteer on a sub-committee.

Operating as simple ‘Ad Hoc’ Residents Association, there is no expectation of submitting records (or other requirements) to the Canada Revenue Agency.

Having spoken with two (2 ) local  Councillors over the Winter months, this was the information they provided: (1) Councillors are supportive and happy to ‘sit in’ on a meeting but not ‘serve on the Committee’, and not get involved other than to bring the group’s concerns (in the form of a Proposal/ Report) to a Council Meeting for review and consideration, (2) due to the situation dealing with COVID-19, it will be unlikely that any potential funding from the County would be available for the next one (1) to two (2) years to initiate any actions on issues of concern  that could potentially require funding (this doesn’t mean though that some groundwork could not be initiated!), and (3) registering the group with the County’s Community Development Dept. is not required.

An update to the above:  After three (3) local Councillors attended a recent WLCA Board meeting (by Zoom), they have been back in contact to provide updates to the questions the Board submitted to all of them in advance of the meeting, and subsequent discussions at the meeting.  The Board has received some encouraging news regarding progress being made with the County concerning the excessive speeding issue.  The serious and disturbing tourist issue pertaining to the volume of tourists travelling through the community to the Sandbanks Provincial Park, improperly disposing of garbage and disregard to private property was also discussed.  More information and details pertaining to those issues will be forthcoming from the County.

A Committee Work Plan has been created to address each of the issues identified (refer to list above).

A Constitution:

Is a written agreement of what our Association is going to do, and how it will go about doing it.  It is important because…

The Mandate of the Association is to encourage interest and engage residents to help preserve the uniqueness of the West Lake community by:

Additional Notes:

Even In this current time of isolation due to the spread of COVID-19, and though we are not able to meet ‘in person’, we can still take this opportunity to thoughtfully proceed, and plan for the future.

Thanks to Journalist and West Lake resident Jennifer Lester Mulridge, we have a Community Newsletter the ‘West Lake Warbler’.  Not only has Jenny been gathering and formatting the content for this newsletter, Jenny was initially paying the expense out of her own pocket to do the printing of about 250 copies.  The Association is now a main sponsor of the Warbler.  A portion of the revenue generated from Membership fees and donations goes towards this expense.  Copies of the Warbler are delivered to residents’ mailboxes by West Lake and Sheba’s Island residents.  If you would like to help with deliveries, please contact myself or Jenny.  Thanks! The Tambo and also, McKibbon’s Garage keep a small number of the current edition on hand for their customers.  If a resident prefers to receive an electronic copy of the Warbler, a back issue or lives outside the free delivery area and would like to subscribe, that can be arranged by contacting Jenny at jennifer@thelestergroup.ca. 

A couple of years ago a private “Neighbours’ facebook group page ‘West Lake Neighbours PEC’ was created. In order to join, one must be a resident (permanent or seasonal) of West Lake, Sheba’s Island or Wesley Acres, is employed in this community or has family here.  If interested, please send a ‘Request to Join and answer the security question.  This is a separate group from the West Lake Community Association. Not all Association information will be available to those on the ‘Neighbours’ facebook group, which wouldbe to members of the Association.  For example, the Minutes from the Association’s Board and Members meetings are emailed only to members of the Association.  Notices for special community meetings will be posted on the WLCA website, the Neighbours facebook page, and an announcement in the Warbler.

A website for the Association is currently in the works. The Friends of Sandbanks have very kindly offered to share a number of their digitized historical images that we can post on our website. 

The Village of West Lake Community event held within the last few years was a bi-annual Community Bake & Yard Sale, with proceeds from the Bake Sale going to Hospice PEC.  This event would have taken place on the May long weekend in 2020 and again in 2021 on the same weekend, if such events had been allowed.  Unfortunately, with the restrictions in place to keep everyone safe during the COVID-19 pandemic, this very popular event was cancelled.  The WLCA Board is hopeful that we can plan to hold this and other events later in 2021! 

Thank you very much for taking a little time out of your day to read through this information.  Please give some consideration to supporting the WLCA by becoming a Regular Member of the Association or a Committee Volunteer.

If you would like to bring any issues of concern to the attention of the WLCA Board or would like additional information about becoming a Member or Volunteer, please contact Cathie Coultis by phone/text (613) 847-7579 or email westlakeca.pec@gmail.com  or coultisjc@gmail.com  (or catch me outside in my gardens!)

The WLCA Board and I look forward to seeing our neighbours out ‘n bout when the COVID-19 restrictions are eased!  In the meantime, please keep healthy, strong and safe!!  ^~

Cathie