About LVA

OUR PURPOSE

The Lake Vernon Association (LVA) was established in 1970 and from the beginning there has been a focus on the health of Lake Vernon and its shoreline. In 2003, the Lake Vernon Plan was created to identify the values most important to LVA members, and develop long term strategies to protect and conserve them.

Top Values:
– Peace and Tranquility
– Water Quality
– Undeveloped Natural Shorelines and Beauty
– Wildlife and Fish

The LVA works to ensure all seasonal and permanent residents, commercial operators and all levels of government understand their impact on the lake. This is accomplished through education and recruitment efforts, stewardship programs, and liaison with local governments and planning committees.

Through regular meetings, social events, LVA newsletters and this website and other social media platforms (e.g. Facebook and Twitter), the LVA seeks to involve its membership in the life of the community, and provide them with information to help ensure their enjoyment of all Lake Vernon has to offer.

LVA Mandate

Lake Vernon Association Mandate Last Updated: May 11th, 2017

The mission of the Lake Vernon Association is to protect the natural environment, health and beauty of Lake Vernon, and address issues affecting the lake as well as its membership, while promoting a supportive community. Our mandate, on behalf of the membership, is as follows:

1. To monitor and promote water quality. The LVA conducts a variety of water monitoring initiatives to ensure the continuing health of our lake and, when necessary, works with relevant stakeholders to address areas of concern. We also engage in advocating the maintenance and creation of natural shorelines that support a healthy lake environment and combat unnecessary erosion of the shoreline.

2. To advocate environmentally responsible land development. We review building variance applications on or near Lake Vernon to promote responsible development on and around the lake. The LVA also engages in discussions with local government, relevant stakeholder groups, and lake associations on proposed initiatives that may impact Lake Vernon and its surroundings.

3. To host fun, social activities for our membership. The LVA manages a number of events that provide our membership with opportunities to engage in a social setting with their lake neighbours. We seek to hold a variety of events that are of interest to our members and appeal to the broad demographic that we represent.

4. To communicate meaningfully with and on behalf of the LVA. The LVA maintains regular communication with local government and stakeholders to identify issues and opportunities that will affect our lake community. We utilize multiple communication channels to hear from and share information with our membership.

5. To prudently manage the finances of the Association. As a not for profit organization, the LVA generates required revenues from annual membership fees, donations, and periodic project-specific fundraising. The Association works conservatively to ensure that funds are available to meet operating needs, and that adequate reserves are maintained to meet unexpected financial requirements.

6. To conduct outreach and manage membership to maximize representation. The LVA would not exist without its members, and a healthy membership supports the breadth of our activities. It also enhances our credibility and effectiveness in representing the interests of Lake Vernon residents. We have an active policy to welcome new members to the lake.

LVA Policy for Donating Monies

LVA Policy for Donating Monies to a Charity or a Not-for-Profit Organization

This policy was established to provide direction to the Board when a donation request is received from a Board member, an LVA member, or a charity or not-for-profit organization.
When determining whether a donation may be made, the Board must first determine if the donation directly supports LVA’s stated mandate i.e., to “protect the natural environment, health and beauty of Lake Vernon”. The questions that need to be asked when a request is received are:

Does the donation support the monitoring and promotion of water quality?
Does the donation support environmentally responsible land development?

A charitable donation request that does not meet one or both of these criteria will NOT be funded.
If the charitable donation request does meet one or both of these criteria, then the approval of a quorum of Board Members is required to approve the donation.
The risk of making a donation that does not support LVA’s mandate is that members may not approve of their membership fees going to another not-for-profit or charity that they did not choose. This risk exists no matter how worthy the charity/organization may be. Also, a donation from the LVA has no tax advantage, whereas a donation directly from a member to a charity is tax deductible.
There are so many worthwhile “charity events” in Huntsville. As a way of indirectly supporting these events (charities) and also keeping the membership informed of upcoming events in our community, charity and community events may be listed on the LVA website.
This Donation policy reflects LVA’s mandate “To prudently manage the finances of the Association”.

Lake Vernon Plan

LVA-lake-plan Download

HISTORY

Lake Vernon has a very rich and vital history.

More LVA History

In 1860, surveyor John Dennis made the first recorded visit to the lower Big East River. Dennis named Lake Vernon after his student assistant Vernon B. Wadsworth. The lake was officially opened for settlement through the Free Grants and Homesteads Act of 1868, giving free 100-acre parcels to settlers. Early settlers included Charles and Janet Hood, who constructed a dam and water-powered sawmill. By 1879, the Hoodstown community had a post office, 3 stores, 2 churches, a hotel and 12 homes. Further growth of the community was halted when it was decided that the railway would run through Huntsville in 1886. By the late 1890’s, tourism was an important part of the local economy. Huntsville’s growth, along with development of better roads and the availability of personal motorboats, made Lake Vernon an ideal cottage market.

As part of the Lake Vernon Plan, 27 areas of social, cultural or historic sites were identified through the Resident Workshop and Survey.

Our community lake association, now known as the Lake Vernon Association, was originally called the “West Lake Vernon Cottage Association”. The inaugural meeting was held on August 2nd, 1970, and the Association started with 28 member families, including two businesses. The first elected President was Ken Wade of Toronto; the Vice-president was Bill Cope of Huntsville; and the Secretary Treasurer was Mrs. Don Hunter of Hagersville. Interestingly, the very first regatta was held on the previous day, August 1st, at Peacock Bay Marina (est. 1970; now operated as Ruthven Marine), and was deemed to be quite successful, thanks to the planning and organizing of the Peacock family. The West Lake Vernon Cottage Association operated for many years, but unfortunately in the 80’s became inactive for a period of time. On August 19, 1989, Janice Parrott organized a meeting of Lake Vernon property owners at Ravenscliffe Community Centre. Janice felt it was important for families on the lake to have a voice in the affairs of Lake Vernon and those who attended the meeting were in full agreement. Thanks to Janice Parrott and the attendees, the lake association became active once again. The name of the association was changed to Lake Vernon Association (LVA) and Janice was elected as the President. Over the past 50 years, the LVA has managed numerous water quality programs and used our collective voice with the Town of Huntsville and the District of Muskoka to advocate on your behalf, in the best interests of the lake.

OUR BOARD

The LVA is a volunteer-driven organization. Board Members are elected at the Annual General Meeting for two-year terms, and are supported by other member volunteers in executing plans. The association’s work is diverse, from collecting water quality samples, to producing electronic communications, monitoring development on the lake and recruiting new members. The board of directors normally meets 4 times a year.

Volunteers are always needed! If being on the board would be too time-consuming, please consider volunteering to help out with one of our committee activities. If you’re interested in getting involved or would like to recommend someone, please email us at lva@lake-vernon.ca

LVA Board Role Descriptions

Lake Vernon Association Board Role Descriptions

President
The President has overall responsibility for providing a vision, guidance and direction within the Lake Vernon Association (LVA) Board. In this capacity, the President engages in the following:

setting dates and agendas for and presiding over LVA meetings including the Spring and Fall Board meetings and the Annual General Meeting (AGM)
conducting meetings and other Board affairs in a manner that complies with the LVA Constitution, ensuring that all queries, action items and issues are assigned to the appropriate Board Member(s) and that action items and issues are addressed in a timely fashion
providing support to the Lake Vernon Environmental Association (LVEA) and to the leads for the LVA activities and initiatives including Environmental projects, Merchandise Sales, Family Fun Day, BBQ and the Golf Tournament
assisting with the review of building/zoning applications and, in the case of larger developments, obtaining input from the Board Members and making submissions to the Town of Huntsville
acting as the primary LVA spokesperson, contributing to relevant Town of Huntsville and District of Muskoka bylaws, policies, etc.
liaising, when appropriate, with other area lake associations and environmental agencies
initiating and overseeing LVA communications
responding to e-queries from the public
reviewing and approving all association-related communications to the members prior to posting on LVA’s website or mass mail out
along with the Treasurer, has signing authority for LVA financial accounts and works with the Treasurer to ensure that funds are spent in the best interests of the LVA

Vice President
The Vice President is in line to assume the role of President when the President resigns or completes their term. The Vice President supports the Board/President by:

assuming the President’s responsibilities when the President is not available
assisting the President with organizing Board and AGM agendas and meetings as requested by the President
assisting the President with answering member correspondence and reviewing member and website communication
providing ideas and feedback on items discussed at Board meetings, as well as providing status updates on meetings attended
assisting Board Members who are leading LVA activities (e.g. the Family Fun Day, the BBQ, the Golf Tournament activities Membership drives) by providing ideas and helping to resolve issues in a timely manner
attending meetings and public input sessions, as requested by the President
providing ideas and suggestions to improve the effectiveness of the LVA
becoming familiar with the expectations and responsibilities of the President

Past President
The Past President supports the Board by:

attending Board Meetings and actively participating in discussions
providing advice to the President and the Board, based on experience gained as President
forming a Nomination Committee and presenting a slate of Board Officers for election for the following two year term

Treasurer
The Treasurer manages and reports on the financial aspects of the LVA and supports the Board by:

attending Board Meetings and actively participating in discussions especially as it relates to financial matters
managing all financial matters of the LVA
preparing and signing all cheques for disbursement of funds and ensuring that alternate cheque issuing arrangements have been made when unavailable
providing an annual financial statement and presenting the statement at the year end Board meeting and the AGM
along with the President, ensuring that funds are spent in the best interests of the LVA

Secretary
The Secretary is responsible for maintaining a record of the LVA’s official meetings and supports the Board by:

attending Board Meetings and participating in discussions
recording and maintaining minutes from the Spring and Fall Board meetings and the AGM
ensuring that the minutes accurately reflect the discussions and decisions at the official meetings by circulating minutes for review among the LVA’s Board

Membership Chair
The Chair responsible for Membership manages and reports on elements of the Membership and supports the Board by:

attending Board Meetings and actively participating in discussions, especially as it relates to membership matters
establishing and managing the LVA’s system of member registration data (collaborating with the Treasurer on financial matters)
maintaining a database of LVA Members, including contact and payment details
initiating and overseeing Member payment reminders
presenting ideas to the Board for enhancing LVA membership through membership drives, marketing, etc.
providing Membership status updates at Board Meetings and the AGM
liaising with Propane and other suppliers on participating members

Environment Chair
The Environment Chair addresses environment-related issues consistent with the LVA’s mission, and supports the Board by:

attending Board Meetings and actively participating in discussions, especially as it relates to membership matters
leading an Environment Committee to manage and execute the LVA’s environment-related initiatives. This involves:

implementing new and ongoing water quality monitoring
ensuring accurate interpretation of water quality data collected and recommend required action
working with relevant stakeholders to address areas of concern related to the environment
creating and implementing education/awareness programs for Environment Committee initiatives (e.g., Dark Sky Bylaw or shoreline restoration)

sharing progress on and obtaining authorization/consent from the Board and/or the President, as relevant, for environmental activities
communicating environmental information through newsletters, social media, and events with support from the Communications Chair
liaising with the LVEA, when needed to obtain project funding
assisting other committees/members, as relevant (i.e. sustainable land use and development)

Communications Chair
The Communications Chair supports the Board by:

attending Board Meetings and actively participating in discussions especially as it relates to communication matters
managing and updating the LVA website, which includes posting upcoming activities and events and ensuring that the website is kept up-to-date (e.g., minutes, articles, events, lost or found)
maintaining social media channels (i.e., facebook, instagram, twitter) and adding new relevant content, as available
managing the PayPal links on the LVA website, and coordinating with the Treasurer and respective lead for Board initiatives/activities

E-Newsletter Coordinator
The E-Newsletter Coordinator supports the Board by:

attending Board Meetings and actively participating in discussions especially as it relates to newsletter matters
coordinating articles from relevant Board members for the LVA e-newsletter and for periodic “e-letters”
managing the distribution of the e-newsletter and e-letter communications in collaboration with with the Communications Chair and Membership Chair

Planning Review Coordinator
The Planning Review Coordinator supports the Board by:

attending Board Meetings and actively participating in discussions especially as it relates to building applications
reviewing building/zoning applications received from the Town of Huntsville and providing timely feedback for consideration
in the case of larger developments, obtaining input from the President, the Board Members and relevant stakeholders
making submissions to the Town of Huntsville at the request of the President
ensuring that feedback to the Town of Huntsville on applications is provided in a timely manner

Board Member at Large
Members at Large support the Board by:

attending Board Meetings and actively participating in discussions
acting as the lead for or assisting with one of the LVA activities or initiatives (i.e., Family Fun Day, BBQ, Golf Tournament, Merchandise Sales and any other initiative or activity approved by the Board. This may include:

developing a plan of action which involves obtaining input from the President and the Board Members
managing the initiative, which includes liaising with the Treasurer on financial matters and the Communication Chair for website postings
providing status updates to the President and the Board

Lake Vernon Association Board of Directors – 2021