On behalf of the PLRA Board, we extend our warmest welcome and wish you all an enjoyable and pleasant spring and summer at Percy Lake with friends and family.

Cell Towers Rogers – EORN (Eastern Ontario Regional Network)

https://celltowers.ca/?lat=45.172961&lon=-78.424702&zoom=12

• Percy Lake a site at the south end of the lake [Bryson Trail]
• North Lake [Bishop’s Rd]
• Haliburton Lake near the south end of Curry Road

The tower on Percy was erected late fall of 2025 and was connected to power in early 2026. That installation was identified by several people as either a really bright red light; or, in what we think was a error a flashing white light [overnight].

Peter Mills was able to connect with people at Rogers, and a crew was scheduled to make some changes [brightness in the below horizontal plane] on Friday May 8. We would like to hear if you notice a difference.

Sheds. Or Shoreline Structures By-law

Dysart township council passed the much-amended shoreline structures bylaw on Feb 24, 2026. This created a rule across the township, pretty similar to the rules we’ve had on Percy since ~2004. The biggest change is the addition of ‘gazebo’. The by-law is on the Dysart website.

https://www.dysartetal.ca/media/lbomh0n4/2026-by-law-2005-120-2026-may-5.pdf

Most of the changes are appended.

TL;DR:

• Own the road allowance
• Slope of 15%
• Prior to build: site plan agreement with municipality
  • shoreline vegetation buffer repaired to a natural state
• all structures above high-water mark
• 10 square metres,
• No vehicle storage, max height, etcetera

Backstory

In 2003-2007 as part of the effort to create a Lake Watershed plan the PLRA surveyed the residents. The 29th question was:

Are you in favour of allowing waterfront storage sheds on the “water setback” (ie: within 20 metres of the regulated high water mark) if they conformed to the following criteria: only allowed on lots with a slope of 15% or more; at least 4 metres back from the regulated high water mark; at least 1 meter from the side lot line; a maximum building area of 9.5 square metres; a maximum height of 3.5 metres; no motorized vehicles (ie: boats, ATV’s, snowmobiles, etc) allowed; no living accommodations (ie: sleeping or eating) allowed; sheds must be screened from view. 92% Yes 8% No

Possibly because the Township Official Plan was being renewed concurrently, the rule to allow sheds on the shoreline at Percy became part of the 2004 Official Plan

The current Township council tried several approaches to allow structures on the waterfront. In the end, they arrived where we began. The anomaly that the rule for sheds on Percy was in Official Plan, meant that getting approval went to the County level. Then, after both tiers had approved, there was an appeal timer that ended May 4.

Lou meets the New Conservation Officer

Family Day weekend, Sunday afternoon, I’m fishing out in front of the dock, and I get rolled up on by a couple of conservation officers on snowmobiles.

These guys just want information from locals. There was an older guy named Rob and a new young guy named Jasper, who’s our new CO. So the ministry has finally added new bodies to this program, which, for those who fish and hunt, know that for years and years like decades, that they’ve been slowly dwindling this police force, if you will, province wide, down to about, you know, 20 people to police the whole province for hunting and fishing violations.

So, we have this new guy. They asked a lot of questions. I filled them in as much as I could on the history of the lake and the issues we have with people coming in and removing bass like I won’t bore you with all the details, but our lake is famous for stories of guys who roll in in October, November, and big bass boats fill up their boats with fish, keep them alive to move them to other lakes, which is highly illegal. It’s been witnessed. It’s been witnessed a couple times by some people on the lake, but nobody’s ever done anything about it.

He asked that I take his card. One side is his contact information. The other side is the tips line, and he says, send that out to your membership and ask them if they see anything at all, you know, anytime of the year, anytime of the day or night, to call that tip of lines and report it, like people hunting on a season, people violating fishing, fishing laws, anything along those lines at all.

Power outages

~84h Mar 11-14 ice storm clean-up. Versus 108h at this time in 2025: end of March2025 [77hr] ice storm; and end of April2025 [14hr] wind.

Percy is at the distant end [25km] of a power supply coming from the transformers west of Eagle Lake. However fragile the trees may be along most of that route, the wind/ice outages seem to stem from the section along Curry Rd.

Rainfall

We have been getting less than usual rainfall/snow for a while. That pattern changed in the fall of 2025. First quarter of 2026 was on the 10-year average and Q2 is tracking on the 10-year average.

But the on-line meteorologists are talking about a La Nina pattern developing. The West is already having wildfire evacuations, so we may yet see a hot dry summer. Just must get past blackfly season first.

Lake Level / Snow 2026 vs 2025

Probably the best snow coverage in several years. [Similar to 2019, 2017, 2014]. Mostly because the temperature stayed below freezing and it wasn’t washed away. The Trent-Severn people put in a few logs a bit earlier than usual to catch the melt, then paused when it cooled again. The high level was attributable to the subsequent rain more than ground snow melting.

That ‘subsequent rainfall’ caused the businesses in Minden to do some sandbagging and it washed out the road from West Gilford to Eagle lake for about two weeks.

Garbage

If you’re new, the ‘West Bay Landfill’ is the one you drove by after passing through Ft. Irwin. [5409 Haliburton Lake Road]

But if you’ve got something ‘different’ check their website Wizard. E.g. a dead refrigerator has to go to Haliburton.

Garbage and Recycling | Municipality of Dysart ET AL

Dysart’s 2025 – 2027 Landfill Identification User Cards (they are teal blue) were mailed to all Dysart ratepayers inside the June 2025 tax bill.

UPCOMING EVENTS –SUMMER 2026

PLRA AGM

We are planning to hold our Annual General Meeting (AGM) in the afternoon after the Bass Tournament

The AGM is a time where questions can be raised for our elected officials, who are our invited guests, information is exchanged, and is a great social opportunity for you to get to know your neighbours and for the very few who haven’t already renew your annual membership!

ANGLING ACTIVITIES

A – FULL SEASON YOUTH ANGLING CONTEST – 16 Years and Younger

This contest is open to Percy Lake Ratepayers’ members and their families. Trophies will be presented at the following year’s AGM. Tight lines usually mean “fish on”, so young anglers, let’s see your photos and hear your fish stories. This contest is open for the entire legal fishing season for both lake trout and bass. (Youth can enter both contests.)

2026 Ontario Fishing Regulations Summary

Percy is on Zone 15

B – FISHING TOURNAMENT– MID AUG

PLRA’s Catch and Release Fishing Tournament are held in mid-August (from 8:00 AM to noon that day). The tournament is open to members (and family) of the PLRA. This will mark the 16th year of the Harry Winder Memorial Bass Tournament. The rules for both the Youth Angling Contest and the one-day fishing tournament can be found at: http://www.plra.net/index.cfm?page=fishing_derby.

GOLF TOURNAMENT MID-SEPTEMBER

2026 will be the 4rd annual Andrew Lindsay Memorial golf tournament

PLRA MEMBERSHIP

The annual PLRA membership fee is a modest $40 per family. These fees pay our major expenses, including membership in organizations including the Federation of Ontario Cottagers’ Associations (FOCA), the Coalition for Equitable Water Flow (CEWF), Coalition of Haliburton Property Owners’ Association (CHA), and for expenses incurred by PLRA’s annual obligations and events. We encourage you to renew or if not a member, to join the PLRA. The membership form is linked for your convenience. Membership Form 2026.docx

For a wealth of information about the history and activities at Percy Lake, check out the website: https://plra.ca/

CURRENT PLRA BOARD DIRECTORS

Anna Tilman: President

Koko Yamamoto: Treasurer

Brian Edey: Secretary

Lou Kiriakou: Fishing Tournaments –

Member at large

Diane Pearce: Member-at-Large

Mark Rechsteiner: Member-at-Large

Peter Mills: Member-at-Large

Ted Mills: Roads- Member-at-Large

Bob Wong: Golf – Member-at-Large

Have a great time this summer, and I look forward to meeting you on the lake or thereabouts, and at our Meeting (AGM) typically in August, and any other activities that may be planned.

Best regards,

Anna Tilman

annatilman@sympatico.ca

Attachments:

2026-10 February 24, 2026 General Amendments to Sections

2, 3, 5 and 9

2.54 GAZEBO (2026-10)

A detached, covered, one storey structure accessory to a residential permitted use, which is not closed, except for screening or glass, and which is utilized for the purposes of relaxation.

2.158 SHED, STORAGE (2026-10)

A detached, one storey building or structure accessory to a residential permitted use, maintained and used for the purpose of storing lawn and garden equipment or similar household related appurtenances.

3.1 ACCESSORY STRUCTURES AND USES

(b) Structures Permitted in Minimum Setback Areas (2011-83) (2026-10)

(iii) decks and patios that are not attached to a main building, and amaximum of one (1) accessory building may be located within a minimum water setback area abutting a shoreline or high water mark,restricted to a total combined gross floor area not exceeding 20square metres, subject to the following:

a) the accessory building is restricted to a gazebo, or storage shed;

b) storage sheds shall only be permitted on lots that have a minimum slope of 15% measured over a horizontal distance inland 30 metres from the high water mark;

c) the maximum ground floor area of the accessory building is 10 square metres;

d) the maximum structure height for the accessory building is 3.5 metres;

e) the minimum water setback of the accessory building is 5 metres;

f) all structures shall be located above the high water mark;

g) all structures shall comply with the minimum side lot line setback for the main building.

h) the storage of vehicles is not permitted in storage sheds;

i) the accessory building is not permitted on a shore road allowance unless the shore road allowance is held in the same ownership as the abutting, upland lot;

j) prior to the construction of the accessory building, the shoreline vegetation buffer shall be repaired to a natural state, with the exception of a 1 metre buffer, which may be cleared around the accessory building to provide access and a limited view; and

k) prior to the construction of the accessory building, the applicants shall enter into a site plan agreement with the Municipality.