As the late evening sun streamed through Port McNicoll Community Centre’s windows, residents from across Simcoe County gathered with a shared concern: the health of Georgian Bay’s southeastern shoreline. The annual Severn Sound Environmental Association (SSEA) open house last Thursday transformed from a typical community meeting into something more urgent – a rallying point for citizens worried about their watershed’s future.
“We’re seeing changes in our water that weren’t happening even five years ago,” said Ellen Thompson, a Midland resident who brought her two grandchildren to the event. “The kids need to understand what’s happening in their backyard.”
The SSEA staff had arranged interactive displays throughout the community hall, showcasing everything from invasive species specimens to water quality testing demonstrations. Children clustered around touch tanks containing native aquatic insects, while their parents discussed shoreline preservation techniques with environmental scientists.
Executive Director Julie Cayley moved through the crowd of nearly 80 attendees, stopping frequently to answer questions about the organization’s watershed monitoring program. “What makes tonight different is the level of engagement,” Cayley told me. “People aren’t just concerned – they’re showing up ready to take action in their own communities.”
The SSEA, which serves Midland, Penetanguishene, Tiny, Tay, Severn, Oro-Medonte, and Georgian Bay Township, has expanded its educational outreach considerably since 2021. Last year alone, they conducted over 40 school programs and community workshops reaching more than 1,200 residents.
One corner of the hall featured a striking before-and-after demonstration of shoreline naturalization projects. Photos showed stark, lawn-to-water properties transformed into vibrant buffer zones of native plants. Watershed Monitoring Coordinator Rebecca Willison explained that these naturalized shorelines filter pollutants, reduce erosion, and provide critical habitat.
“A healthy shoreline is your first defense against declining water quality,” Willison said as she guided visitors through a display of native plant options. “The good news is that even small changes by property owners can have significant positive impacts.”
Many attendees expressed concerns about climate change impacts they’re witnessing firsthand. Warmer water temperatures and fluctuating water levels have created ideal conditions for harmful algal blooms and invasive species proliferation.
Tay Township resident Michael Kowalski brought water samples from his waterfront property. “Twenty years ago, you could see straight to the bottom. Now we’re getting this cloudy water and weird algae growth by mid-July,” he said, gesturing to a jar of greenish water. “I’m here because I want to know what I can do about it.”
The open house wasn’t just about identifying problems. SSEA’s habitat restoration specialist Dawn Woodruff led a workshop on creating “rain gardens” – landscaped depressions that capture stormwater runoff from roofs, driveways, and yards.
“Each rain garden might seem small, but collectively they prevent thousands of liters of untreated water from reaching the bay,” Woodruff explained. “We’ve helped install over 30 community rain gardens in the watershed since 2019.”
According to SSEA’s latest watershed health report, phosphorus levels in Severn Sound have largely remained below target thresholds since the area was delisted as a Great Lakes Area of Concern in 2003. However, new challenges including road salt contamination, microplastics, and climate-related impacts require ongoing vigilance.
Local municipal leaders also attended, including Midland Councillor Bill Gordon, who chairs the SSEA board. “Environmental protection isn’t a partisan issue around Georgian Bay,” Gordon noted. “Our economy depends on healthy water – from tourism to property values to quality of life.”
The evening featured a citizen science component, with SSEA launching an expanded volunteer monitoring program for 2024. Participants can choose from several initiatives, including shoreline cleanup events, invasive species mapping, and water quality sampling.
“We simply can’t be everywhere at once,” said Cayley. “By training community volunteers, we multiply our effectiveness and build environmental stewardship across generations.”
For many younger attendees, the interactive elements proved most engaging. Eleven-year-old Zoe Parker enthusiastically described identifying aquatic insects under microscopes. “I found three different kinds of mayfly nymphs! They’re really sensitive to pollution, so finding them means the water is pretty clean where they collected these samples.”
The SSEA team emphasized how individual actions contribute to watershed health. Simple changes like reducing fertilizer use, maintaining septic systems, and planting native species can collectively improve water quality throughout the region.
As the event concluded, attendees filed out with native plant seedlings, educational materials, and sign-up sheets for upcoming volunteer opportunities. The community response suggests growing recognition that environmental stewardship requires both institutional efforts and individual commitment.
“What gives me hope is seeing three generations of families here tonight,” Cayley remarked as she helped pack up displays. “When grandparents, parents and kids all understand what’s at stake, that’s when real change happens.”
The SSEA plans to host additional workshops throughout the summer, focusing on topics from septic system maintenance to shoreline naturalization techniques. Their website lists upcoming events and resources for property owners looking to improve their environmental practices.
As Thompson and her grandchildren headed home, she summarized the evening’s impact: “They’ll remember catching those water bugs and testing the pH levels long after they’ve forgotten what they learned on their iPads this week. That’s how we build the next generation of stewards.”
