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Dear Members,
A warm welcome to all members of the Dillon Cove Association as we look forward to another wonderful summer on the beautiful shores of Georgian Bay. It is always a pleasure to reconnect with friends and neighbours and enjoy another season in such a special place.
Our association began as a group of 37 families brought together by concern for the future of our local marina. While that issue has now been resolved and the marina is on stable footing, we believe there remains real value in keeping our group together for both social and practical reasons. As you will see throughout this newsletter, your Board remains active in supporting a number of benefits for members, including social connections, township advocacy, high-speed internet information, and working with the marina to help enhance services.
We would also encourage existing members to reach out to friends and family on the Bay, not just islanders, who may be interested in joining. A larger membership helps keep costs lower for everyone, and it also gives our organization greater strength and a broader voice when dealing with matters that affect our community. We are not in competition with the West Carling Association or other local associations, but rather working alongside them while keeping our focus on the more local issues that matter most to our members.
Membership renewal is free of charge this year. For anyone who knows of new members who may wish to join, there is an initiation fee of $300, which includes both initiation and the first year of membership.
We encourage all members to check whether they are properly registered for the upcoming municipal election, as there have been changes to how voting information is managed. Full details are available on our website here: West Parry Sound Municipal Elections – Voters List, and you can check your registration directly at: https://www.registertovoteon.ca/. In addition, our association is participating in a working group with representatives from West Carling, Deep Bay, and Pengally to encourage candidates who share our values and concerns to run for office, help organize an All Candidates meeting in late August, and interview candidates publishing their responses in a newsletter. More information will follow, so please keep an eye out for updates.
We are also pleased to share a number of community notices on our website, including a summer student employment opportunity at Killbear Provincial Park, a Bell broadband notice, and a request for support regarding the Jones Island Rear Lighthouse. Please visit the website for full details and links to each item: https://dilloncoveassociation.com/.
We have received an update regarding the Jones Island Rear Lighthouse. Unfortunately, DND has confirmed that it is maintaining its position on the eventual demolition of the lighthouse, so a request to increase our efforts in support of saving it.
For those interested in supporting our neighbors we encourage you to visit and like the new Facebook page, Save Jones Island Rear Lighthouse, and to sign the petition, which can be found by clicking HERE. They are asking our members to please sign the petition and share it with others who may be willing to do the same. They will need at least 250 signatures to make the impact they are hoping for.
Finally, please mark your calendars for our Annual General Meeting on July 25th in the afternoon. As in the past couple of years, we look forward to gathering the membership together to socialize and enjoy time with one another. Guests are welcome as well, and more details about the event will follow. For now, please save the date.
Sincerely,The Board of DirectorsDillon Cove Association
The Township of Carling has contacted us directly to request our help getting the word out about an important gap in the 2026 voters' list. Because the new provincial registration system relies on driver's licences and health cards, many seasonal property owners in Carling may not appear on the preliminary list. Deputy Clerk Mackenzie Taylor is asking cottage associations to share this notice with their members. If you own or rent property in Carling, please verify or add your information at registertovoteon.ca before July 31, 2026. After that date, the online system closes and corrections will require a more time-consuming in-person process.
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The Dillon Cove Association has received a request for support from a group of concerned citizens advocating for the preservation of the Jones Island Rear Lighthouse. The Canadian Coast Guard has announced plans to demolish this 130-year-old structure and replace it with a modular metal tower. Built in 1894, the lighthouse is one of only two remaining combined dwelling-light stations in Canada, and the only one on an island. The request below outlines the case for preservation and asks associations like ours to add our name in support of a pause on demolition pending a full review. We are sharing this with our members for your awareness and consideration.
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With the 2026 Municipal and School Board Elections set for October 26, West Parry Sound municipalities are urging all eligible property owners to confirm their voter registration. This is the first municipal election in which Elections Ontario will maintain the voters' list, a role previously held by MPAC. The new system draws primarily from provincial records, which means some seasonal residents may not yet appear on the list. The deadline to register or update your information online is July 31, 2026. The following notice was prepared by the West Parry Sound Clerks' offices for distribution.
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The Dillon Cove Association has been asked to help distribute the following notice on behalf of UTS Consultants, acting for Bell Canada. As part of a provincially and federally subsidized program, fibre-optic broadband infrastructure is planned for construction in our area beginning in 2026. Property owners whose land falls within the construction zone will need to provide permission to proceed. Please review the attached notification letter and civic address list, and respond directly to UTS Consultants if your property is included. The response deadline is April 10th.
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Does your background include maintenance, landscaping, operating and maintaining small powered equipment? Do you prefer to work outside, and have some autonomy in your daily routine? Do you possess a strong work ethic, the ability to manage multiple tasks and a commitment to teamwork? If so, this position with its variety of duties will interest you.
Learn more.
Killbear Provincial Park is now accepting applications for summer 2026 student positions. Each year, Ontario Parks employs a team of students to support park operations, and they are especially interested in hearing from students who have summer residences or cottages in the Carling and Parry Sound area.
Staff housing at the park is very limited, so applicants are encouraged to clearly note in their application if they have local accommodations.
Important dates:
First application window closes: February 16, 2026
Final application window closes: June 1, 2026
Applications must be submitted online through the Ontario Public Service Careers portal.
Apply here: https://www.gojobs.gov.on.ca/Preview.aspx?Language=English&JobID=239382
Please feel free to share this opportunity with students who may be interested in working at Killbear Provincial Park this summer.
Happy 2026, everyone! Summer will be upon us before you know it and there have been important updates to Canada’s Pleasure Craft Licence (PCL) program that we should all be informed about. Read on for more information.
Important updates to Canada’s Pleasure Craft Licence (PCL) program are now in force, following publication in the Canada Gazette, Part II in December 2025.
What’s new
If you operate a powered recreational boat, here are the key changes you should be aware of:
Five-year licence term
All new, transferred, and renewed licences are now issued with a five-year expiry. Previously, “lifetime” licences will be phased into this system over the next several years. You can check your licence expiry date online using your pleasure craft licence number here.
$24 service fee
A $24 fee now applies to new, renewed, transferred, or replacement licences. (Updating your personal information remains free.)
Shorter update window
Licence holders must update changes to name or contact information within 30 days.
Expanded cancellation requirements
Licences must now be cancelled if a vessel is no longer seaworthy, along with other criteria set by Transport Canada.
Future change – 2027
Wind-powered pleasure craft over six metres will require a licence beginning December 31, 2027 (human-powered craft remain exempt).
You can read more about this from the West Carling Association news post here.
For full details — including how expiry dates are being assigned to older licences — Transport Canada has published comprehensive guidance.
As always, these updates are intended to strengthen safety, accountability, and environmental protection across Canada’s waterways. Staying current on your licence status ensures you’re compliant — and helps emergency services do their job when it matters most.
This year’s Outer Island Project report celebrates volunteers, partners and paddlers working together to keep Georgian Bay’s islands cleaner, safer and fire free for everyone.
The 2025 Outer Island Project (OIP) Annual Report highlights a season of quiet, determined stewardship on Georgian Bay. From Head Island to the McCoys and Franklin, volunteers, local paddlers and partner groups worked side by side to pick up garbage, dismantle unsafe fire pits and install or repair thunderboxes at heavily used campsites. Final Oip Report 2025 (2)
With the Georgian Bay Biosphere stepping up mapping and field support, the OIP team was able to reach more remote, high-pressure sites like Agassiz Island and Chicken Liver Channel, where overused facilities and overflowing boxes were threatening the health of these fragile shorelines. Final Oip Report 2025 (2) The Franklin Challenge paddle once again rallied more than 100 paddlers and raised over $20,000, keeping fuel in the tanks and shovels in the sand for another year of hands-on conservation. Final Oip Report 2025 (2)
Download the report to see the full season’s work logs, photos, volunteer stories and site-by-site progress, and learn how you can help keep “the only Bay we’ll ever have” clean and fire free.
Download the full report