STEENBURG LAKE

COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION

Gilmour, Ontario, Canada



Photo by Nate Johnston on Unsplash

Share your Steenburg winter photos with us

Paid members of the SLCA are invited to your winter photos to the photo gallery  below. Just log into your paid member account at the top right of this page in order to upload. If you haven't previously logged in to the new site, we urge you to review your personal info and privacy settings once you are logged in. If you have trouble logging in please email us. Watch for our SUMMER PHOTO CONTEST launching this spring! It's a brand new format and yes...there will be prizes!!!

3 photo(s) Updated on: 8 Jan 2025
  • Smoothing the Ice
  • Preparing the Ice Rink
  • Snowy Sunset

DID YOU KNOW?

There is an app for snowmobile trails supported by the Ontario Federation of Snowmobile clubs? Read about the app and snowmobile safety on our website.


Do you have a story to tell? 

We have a wealth of knowledge within the SLCA, you are invited to share your story with us.

How tos such as: How to prepare your boat for winter, How to keep deer out of your veggie garden, How to recognize poisonous mushrooms, How to make bread in your smoker.

Wildlife sightings, Things to do with the grandchildren at the cottage, the Pros and Cons of floating docks ... the possibilities are endless.

Email your submission to inquiries@steenburglake.com, max. 400 words. You are welcome to include a photo you have taken to accompany the story.

About our lake:

Steenburg Lake is in the Trent River and Lake Ontario drainage basins in the townships of Limerick and Tudor & Cashel, Hastings County, Ontario, Canada, 28 kilometres south of the town of Bancroft. The lake is about 3.2 kilometres long and 2.8 kilometres wide and lies at an elevation of 316 metres.  

Let's Chat

Members CLICK HERE to post to the Chat

Upcoming Events

Wow, those Northern Lights!

Late summer 2024 saw dazzling displays of the Northern Lights above Steenburg Lake. The Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights, are usually more visible in Earth's polar regions such as Iceland, the Scandinavian countries, Alaska and Northern Canada, but heightened solar activity meant these dancing displays of coloured light could be seen with the naked eye as far south as the southern United States. This may not be the end of our good fortune: the strong light shows come ahead of a forecasted jump in solar activity between late this year and early 2026 when space weather forecasters are predicting an increase in sunspots and geomagnetic storms. So, keep your eye on the sky!

Eurasian Water-Milfoil subject of 2025 education program at Steenburg Lake

Joanne Burghardt, SLCA President
Alastair Gorman, SLCA Lake Steward

Eurasian Water-Milfoil (EWM) is an invasive water plant present in Steenburg Lake. We are not alone; the invasion is widespread throughout Ontario. And while it is nearly impossible to eradicate, we can minimize or halt the spread.

The SLCA Board voted at the January meeting to take the following actions aimed at halting the spread of EWM, including:

  1. Continue the Clean, Drain & Dry campaign.
  2. Launch an EWM education program to assist our members in identifying EWM and understanding how to remove it by hand.
  3. Invite a representative from the Invasive Species Centre to present a workshop for lake members.
  4. Remain vigilant to the appearance of a 'floating mat' which would require further attention.

Watch for more information on identifying and controlling EWM in our Spring newsletter. There are also reading materials in the Invasive Species section of steenburglake.ca.

BACKGROUND:

In 2018, an invasive species survey, conducted by the Federation of Ontario Cottage Associations (FOCA), identified EWM in several spots on Steenburg Lake.

EWM readily propagates by way of stem fragmentation and has likely fostered the subsequent spread throughout the lake.

In August 2024, several property owners reported EWM in the area of their docks. We don’t know how long it has been there, but to date we have not seen it breaking the surface and forming the dense floating mats it is known for, nor any reported evidence of flowering.

See our Invasive Species page for helpful materials

The Invasive Species Centre put us in touch with Jeff Berthelette, Invasive Species Awareness Program Outreach Liaison, Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters (OFAH).  

Jeff’s observations:

  • EWM is an aggressive invasive species. Once you have it in your lake it will be there indefinitely. Almost impossible to eradicate. It will come back. 
  • EWM is widespread in the area lakes.
  • EWM has bloom and fallback years. It will grow exponentially and then die off when it has absorbed all the nutrients it needs to survive. It will come and go.
  • Jeff echoed what we already knew: management strategies are not easy, and they are very expensive. Lake-wide herbicide treatment can only be done by a licensed professional, under strict conditions, and it is prohibitively expensive.
  • The weed can be removed manually under strict conditions but there is a high risk of spreading it if bits and pieces float away and root themselves. 
  •  EWM generally grows in up to 3 metres of water but can root itself in as much as 30 feet.

Jeff’s recommendations:

  1. Large crops of EWM can be roped off to keep boat traffic away, avoid chopping it up and spreading it.
  2. Floating mats of EWM can be roped off to keep boat traffic away.
  3. Clean, Drain & Dry boats to avoid spreading to other lakes.
  4. Launch a program on the lake to educate owners on what EWM looks like and how to safely remove it by hand from their shoreline. You do not need a work permit under the Public Lands Act, if you can follow all of these rules:
  • you are the waterfront property owner or conducting work on behalf of the property owner
  • minimize the removal of native aquatic vegetation (e.g., wild rice)
  • dispose of the plants/material you remove on dry land to prevent it from re-entering the water
  • use, operate or store any wheeled or tracked machinery/equipment on dry land, or on a barge or vessel
  • only use mechanical devices (e.g., rake, cutter bar) or your hands to remove plants, and do not dredge the bed of the waterbody
  • do not carry out work during fish spawning season or during the time of other critical fish life stages, as set out in the In-water Work Timing Window Guidelines (May 1 – July 15 and October 1-May 1).

For SLCA Members only!

Our latest 'mini' e-newsletter

- January 2025 - is here!

CLICK HERE!

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new lake sign installed

We have a new Steenburg Lake sign at the beach, installed Oct.  28 and 29 by SLCA past-president Pat Stallaert, Heather Stallaert and long-time lake friend Bob Gibson. Weather permitting, the second sign will be installed soon on the South Road. The new signs were paid for by the Steenburg Lake Community Association. Many thanks to Pat for his work on this project - and to his helpers! Read more.

Photo by Pat Stallaert

Ice fishing on Steenburg

To ice fish in Ontario, you need to:

  • have a valid fishing licence (such as sport or conservation)
  • follow the rules when ice fishing, including local open and closed seasons, possession limits and size restrictions indicated in the Recreational Fishing Regulations Summary
  • register your ice hut – only in Fisheries Management Zones (FMZ) 9-12 and 14-20. Steenburg Lake is in FMZ 15.
  • clearly display your registration number on the outside of your ice hut
  • remove fishing huts in FMZ 15 (Steenburg Lake) by March 31. All ice huts must be removed before ice breakup, even if no removal date applies.

“The removal of an ice hut does not indicate the end of ice fishing in that location. This is a safety measure to ensure all huts are removed before thawing occurs.” – Ontario.ca

For more information on fishing huts:  https://www.ontario.ca/page/ice-fishing#section-4

Source: Ontario.ca


our mission

To source and make available relevant information to the Membership regarding political and environmental changes that impact cottage ownership and take appropriate action on behalf of the Association when deemed necessary by the executive; to promote, educate and encourage responsible lake stewardship and to provide opportunities to meet and socialize at events throughout the year with fellow cottage owners.

Become a member

Your annual membership fee helps the Steenburg Lake Community Association achieve their mission on behalf of the residents of Steenburg Lake. Fees fund fun activities throughout the year, they support our Lake Stewardship program, Newsletters, Website, and Government Relations. Your membership is appreciated, and required, in order to continue as an association.

Join us


Find us

THE BOARD

inquiries@steenburglake.ca

  • President Joanne Burghardt
  • Secretary Kelly Ellis
  • Treasurer David McDonald
  • Membership Lorie Butkus-Hill
  • Social Selena Bruni
  • Municipal Affairs Frank Pinder
  • Lake Stewardship Alastair Gorman
  • Newsletter Lannie Johansen

Rock Markers Keith Fletcher


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