Gull Lake Plan

The Gull Lake Plan is a public document reflecting the collective wishes of property owners for the preservation and maintenance of Gull Lake’s environment

Read the GLCA Lake Plan

Photo credit: Doug Thompson, 2022 Photo Contest Winner

Photo credit: Katie Donnelly O’Neill, 2022 Photo Contest Winner

What We’ve Achieved:

  • Improved measures to maintain Gull Lake's water quality

  • Improved overall lake health and lake ecosystems through the shoreline naturalization project

  • Monitoring and maintenance of fish population 

  • Protection of wildlife against invasive species 

  • Minimizing light pollution

  • Regulation of proper land use

  • Educating property owners on new noise bylaws to keep the tranquility of the lake

  • Educating and encouraging property owners on “boating etiquette”

Lake Plan Purpose

  • to engage community members to identify and protect the unique characteristics of the lake. 

  • to recommend land use policy and stewardship approaches to ensure long term protection, sustainability, maintenance and restoration of natural, social and physical features

  • affords the opportunity for all of Gull Lake cottagers to document the values which we deem important and create a vision of what we would like Gull Lake to be for future generations

  • the plan is shared with local governments, and serves as a tool to help municipalities develop future plans and direction

How We Keep the Lake Plan Updated

  • the Lake Plan is a living document that is constantly updated to reflect the current wishes and concerns of the Gull Lake community

  • a Steering Committee, will re-visit the plan periodically. Lake planning is a strategic process that engages all people, governments and business operators to develop and implement actions to maintain or improve the natural and social qualities of life of our lake community.  The process embraces the principles of other planning activities for forests, water and natural resources, plus municipal planning. The process is open and transparent, and engages all stakeholders of the lake.

We are not alone in undertaking the lake planning process. The Federation of Ontario Cottagers Associations (FOCA) has prepared a handbook for the process with considerable reference material to provide us sources of information and examples of each step in the planning process. Also, numerous Lake Associations have already completed their Lake Plans including both Mountain and Kennisis. We are drawing on these examples as we move forward.