Pine Beach Landowners Association Articles

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS!

Fri, 09 May 2025 00:34:07 GMT

Many Thanks to Melissa Taylor Team for again sponsoring one of our Maintenance Days!

We really appreciate you!

https://www.melissataylorteam.ca/

Maintenance Days 2025-26 Season

Sun, 27 Apr 2025 12:22:39 GMT

Below is the list of the 12 maintenance days for this summer season. We've heard your suggestions and we've varied the weekend days as well as introduced more weekdays than last year. You are required to come to only one maintenance day, there are very light things to do all the way up to more physical work. You can register for the day you want from the 12. Or like many other you can do more than 1.

Just show up and we will assign according to your abilities and restrictions. If you need to be seated, we can accommodate.

As an example of "where there's a will there's a way" -one of our members who was having surgery last year asked her daughter and son in law to do her part since they are her frequent guests and have enjoyed the park. You can take attendance, get bags for other, rake and let others pick up, we can go on. One Day for a couple of hours is the requirement.

For those who plan on coming to 3 or more scheduled maintenance days there will be a 20% discount on next year's fee, for 4 or more it will be 30%.

Saturdays : 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Sundays :10 a.m. -2 p.m.

Weekdays :6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m.

Saturday May 10

Tuesday May 27

Sunday June 8

Thursday June 19th

Saturday July 5th

Wednesday July 23rd

Sunday August 3rd

Tuesday August 19th

Saturday Sept. 13th

Wednesday Sept. 24th

Sunday October 12th

Thursday October 23rd

Help with the sand delivery and dock set up Date TBA

Large tasks become small when divided between many hands!

When you get an RSVP email for maintenance, if you don't intend on joining -just delete the email, don't hit No. Only when the date suits you hit Yes to complete your registration. If you've already done your required day-just delete as we can't exclude -we have to send to all.

VERY IMPORTANT: PLEASE DO NOT BRING YOUR FAMILY DURING MAINTENANCE HOURS. IT CAN BE DANGEROUS AS WE ARE USING TOOLS, RIDING MOWER ETC. PLEASE RESPECT THIS- WE WILL TURN YOU AWAY. YOU ARE WELCOME BEFORE AND AFTER MAINTENANCE HOUR

Thank you for your cooperation and care for the park.

Your PBLOA Board

Saturdays : 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Sundays :10 a.m. -2 p.m.

Weekdays :6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m.

Saturday May 10

Tuesday May 27

Sunday June 8

Thursday June 19th

Saturday July 5th

Wednesday July 23rd

Sunday August 3rd

Tuesday August 19th

Saturday Sept. 13th

Wednesday Sept. 24th

Sunday October 12th

Thursday October 23rd

Maintenance 2024-2025

Thu, 20 Jun 2024 18:05:10 GMT

Below is the list of the 13 maintenance days for this summer season. We;ve heard your suggestions and we've varied the weekend days as well as introduced more weekdays than last year. You are required only one, there are very light things to do all the way up to more physical work.

Just show up and we will assign according to your abilities and restrictions. If you need to be seated, we can accommodate.

For those who plan on coming to 3 or more scheduled maintenance days there will be a 20% discount on next year's fee, for 4 or more it will be 30%.

Tuesday May 14

Saturday May 25

Wednesday June 12

Sunday June 23rd

Thursday July 4th

Saturday July 20th

Tuesday August 6th

Sunday August 18th

Wednesday Sept, 4th

Saturday Sept. 14th

Thursday Sept. 26

Saturday October 12th

Sunday October 27th

Large tasks become small when divided between many hands!

When you get an RSVP email, if you don't intend on joining -just delete the email, don't hit No. Only when that date suits you hit Yes to complete your registration.

Thank you!

Your PBLOA Board

About the Community Garden

Mon, 12 Jun 2023 19:56:47 GMT

Last year we had some wonderful members who planted and took care of the gardens, more about that in another email.

This year, we want to thank Sean and Kate for volunteering and getting started with a great idea for the gardens. Here's a message from them:

Hello fellow members of Pine Beach

In the south garden we have planted a "Three Sisters" garden. A "Three sisters" garden is an Iroquois interplanting gardening method, where corn, pole beans, and squash are planted together, and the three plants help each other to grow stronger.

Corn is planted first in the middle. Pole beans are planted around the corn, and the corn provides support for the pole beans to grow up. The Squash is planted along the outside, and the broad leaves keep the soil shaded (and hopefully keeps the critters away from the beans and corn). This is the first time we've planted a three sisters garden, so we are excited to see how it turns out!

The north garden is full of volunteers from last year! We found the tomatoes, onion, mint, and parsley all growing in the spring and just spread them out. There is still plenty of space in the north garden if anybody wants to plant anything else.

If you are at the beach and everything is looking dry please give the plants a drink. Once the vegetables are ready for harvest, please feel free to enjoy!

Thanks,

Sean & Kate

Message from the President 2023-2024

Sat, 10 Jun 2023 16:40:01 GMT

I would like to welcome all new and returning members to Pine Beach Landowners Association 2023. We have a few things in store for this summer that we hope you all will enjoy. You will be able to view the planned events along with scheduled maintenance day on our website.

(https://pbla.wildapricot.org/).

Park Maintenance

We need your help! All maintenance and clean up at the beach is done by our member volunteers. We have maintenance days on the website (https://pbla.wildapricot.org/Events); these days are set up to keep our Beach/park neat, clean and well maintained for everyone to enjoy. Please register for at least one maintenance day. So far this year we’ve had a small group of volunteers doing most of the work. MANY HANDS MAKE FOR LIGHT WORK, your support is needed to keep the park in great shape. Anyone attending four or more of these maintenance days will benefit next year with a discount to their fees.

Events

July 1^st- We have smores and fireworks planned. Last year this was a very enjoyable evening. Donations are welcome to make the fireworks show amazing.

August 5^th - We have planned to do a games day. This should be fun for all members. Games will be set up for kids, as well as adults. There will be something for everyone. Even if you can’t take part in the activities it should be fun to watch.

September 2^nd- We are also planning to do a BBQ. We did the BBQ last year and it was a great hit!

Event volunteers needed-as with our board and maintenance, our events are volunteer run as well, we need support: Planning the event, Helping at the event, Getting community support of the event. Please reply to this email or reach out to any member of the board ( Myself, Paul, Gilaine, Yassi, Paul) if you are able to help in any way.

Fees

A quick note on the fees we collect. Membership fees cover the park’s major costs: Insurance, Locks/keys, lavatory service, sand, tree work as required, equipment and fuel for beach upkeep, as well as any improvements that are made. We depend on sponsorship for many projects. Fees do not cover labour or maintenance, that is entirely done on a volunteer basis by your fellow members. Previously the board had explored professional landscaping/maintenance and it would incur a major increase in our expenses (requiring significant fee increases), we want to keep our fees affordable. And at this point we still maintain the lowest fees in the area.

We all have busy lives, but we are so lucky to be blessed with a beautiful private waterfront to meet friends and neighbours, enjoy time with family and the amazing sunsets.

Large tasks become small when shared between many people.

Let’s do this together!!

Thanks for your support , and enjoy the summer,

Shelley Milanowski

(PBLOA Board President)

PARTIES AT PINE BEACH

Sun, 14 Aug 2022 18:09:00 GMT

BIRTHDAY PARTY RULES

Pine Beach Landowners Association

We’re happy to accommodate your party

· We need a minimum 2 weeks’ notice to request approval. We want to make sure we don’t have 3 parties happening at the same time or other activities.

· Event limit is a 15 people maximum gathering for 3 hours, on an exception basis and with prior approval by the Board of PBLOA.

· Please be respectful of others and keep music, if any, at an acceptable level

· Please supervise young children during your event at all times and if going into the water, bring all safety gear with you. Water shoes are strongly recommended.

· The Park Member will be present and responsible for their guests

· You must bring your own tables and chairs, please do not move the existing tables at the park.
· You have to set your tables and chairs on the grass side of the park only
· You are welcome to enjoy the beach and the fire pit with others also enjoying the park
· No guests’ dogs or pets during parties, members can bring their dogs pursuant to the rules.
· Please take all the trash, food, and decorations with you when you leave.
· Please do not use any confetti or other decorations that are impossible to pick up and can pollute the water.
· All rules and regulations from the website apply.

Pine Beach LOA Board

Smoking and Dog Poop

Tue, 08 Jun 2021 17:59:48 GMT

SMOKING

Enhancements to the Smoke-Free Ontario Act came into effect on October 17, 2018. It is now illegal to smoke or vape on or within 20 metres of the perimeter of playgrounds or publicly owned sports field surfaces that host activities such as soccer, baseball, basketball, cricket, skating, swimming, skateboarding and beach volleyball.

Report smoking or vaping in areas restricted by the Smoke-Free Ontario Act (SFOA) and other tobacco-related violations by contacting:

Health.Inspectors@york.ca
York Region Health Connection at 1-800-361-5653, TTY 1-866-512-6228

DOG POOP

We are still finding bags of dog poop left at the beach or just dog poop left-no bag. Last year was the trial year for allowing dogs at the beach, this year we have more members and it seems there is a misunderstanding of the rules. The dog poop bags are on the fence for those who may have forgotten their own bags or need extras, it is not to bag and leave. PLEASE take your dog poop home (and your trash) with you! If you see other members leaving poop that belongs to their dog, please speak up. If this continues, we will have to reconsider having dogs allowed in the Park.

BOAT LAUNCH AT PINE BEACH - NORTH END

Wed, 19 May 2021 18:54:15 GMT

BOAT LAUNCH AT PINE BEACH - NORTH END

If you are interested in using the boat launch - it is allowable. However, you do so at your own risk.

If you are taking a canoe or kayak or other manual non-motorized watercraft into the lake from the launch area, please use caution as the ramp and rocks can be slippery.

If you would like to use the boat launch for any motorized watercrafts that require a trailer (ie, fishing boats, seadoos etc) then please email pinebeachloa@gmail.com to indicate such intention.

There is a 'waiver' or ‘release from liability’ form that needs to be signed prior to access and obtaining a key for the north end gate. We are not responsible for any damage to your watercraft.

There is a concrete barrier in the water off the shore in front of the launch and you will need to assess the area on the safety and possibility of launching your craft on your own, prior to usage.

Please park your vehicle and trailer outside of the property gate along Lake Drive or on an adjoining street (where space permits). Please lock the gate after you exit and after you have re-entered.

No watercraft over 18' is allowed at this time (2021-22)

It’s highly advisable to plan to have 2 persons for launch purposes as there is currently no dock or tie off option.

FISHING AT PINE BEACH - NORTH END ONLY PLEASE

Wed, 19 May 2021 16:49:13 GMT

FISHING AT PINE BEACH - NORTH END ONLY PLEASE 2022-2023

You are welcome to fish at Pine Beach. Please follow these considerations to keep the park safe and enjoyable for all members.

Please do not fish near the swimming beach, rather fish from the land, rocks or the boat launch on the north side of the bush line.

Please clean up all of your bait and tackle before you leave.

Please do not ‘clean’ your catch at the beach, take them home if you are not catching and releasing.

Please be aware of and accommodating to anyone who may be enjoying the water, using a kayak, canoe, stand up paddle board or any other floatation device in the water space in front of our property.

Please be accommodating of anyone who may be swimming or snorkeling along the shoreline also, this may mean that you cannot fish while people are already enjoying the space.

While we are willing to allow fishing, the act of fishing is not the primary function of our waterfront space for membership use, please keep this in mind.

Please be aware of your surroundings and other people when ‘casting’.

Be sure you are abiding by all requirements with provincial licensing and adhering to the appropriate fishing seasons rules, we are not responsible to do this.

Of course this is only allowed during the regular park hours.

Please do not do anything that will pollute or contaminate the water in any way.

If you have any other questions about fishing please email us at pinebeachloa@gmail.com

Introducing the PBLOA Board

Sat, 15 May 2021 02:44:01 GMT

Shelley Milanowski (Treasurer)

Hi my name is Shelley MIlanowski. I was born and raised in Richmond Hill, I moved to Keswick December 2019, when my husband and I decided it was time to downsize and prepare for retirement.

We trailered every year for the last 35 years, but we decided to give that up since when we moved so close to the lake and had this amazing beach to enjoy.

We have met such nice people since we've been here. I know we made the right choice, moving here. Looking forward to meeting so many more great people this summer.

Introducing the PBLOA Board

Fri, 14 May 2021 14:24:04 GMT

Paul Greiciunas (Vice President)

Hey Pine Beach members!

My name is Paul Greiciunas and I’ve been living in Keswick for about seven years, and I love it here. I’m semi retired from almost 3 decades of driving for UPS, now driving for Uber. My interests include almost anything outdoors, working with wood and encouraging others in the Judeo-Christian faith. Pine Beach Park has been a treasure to my wife Wendy and I for its beauty, serenity, and its community building potential. Introduce yourself to me if you see me, but I have a terrible memory, so please don’t be offended if I forget your name, because I will!

Introducing the PBLOA Board

Fri, 14 May 2021 01:36:19 GMT

Gilaine Schneider (Secretary)

Hi I'm Gilaine, I moved to Keswick in 2018 with my Mom and 3 adult children. I love it here. I love going down to the water to watch the sunset or sit near the fire and chat with neighbours. The views are never the same, God's handiwork is evident.

I am the technology person, intent on making things simpler and easier, especially now that we have over 100 members. I'm enjoying my new gardening hobby and love to also sit on my porch, always full of flowers during the summer. Like the other board members, my passion is to make the park a place all members can enjoy with their families and occasional guests. A place to relax, breathe and be present. Hope to see you there!

Introducing the PBLOA Board

Fri, 14 May 2021 01:32:37 GMT

April Humphries (President)

I’m April Humphries and I’ve lived in Keswick on Pineway Avenue since July 2019.

I’ve been volunteering with Pine Beach LOA Board since moving here.

I have 3 adult children and 2 grandsons who love to visit our beach, especially in the summertime!

Some of my favourite things to do at the beach are to wade around the shallow water, enjoy a campfire and watch

the sunset over the bay.

You may even see me whipping down there on my scooter to catch the final few moments of sunshine and capture a photo of the beautiful colours in the sky.

The thing I’m looking forward to the most this year is the opportunity of a community garden. I’m very hopeful that it will come to fruition and will provide a chance for us to work together and enjoy some yummy food too!

I’ll see you at the beach!

Message from the President

Wed, 12 May 2021 12:51:42 GMT

Our mission: To create and maintain an outdoor community-based space where members can appreciate, experience and contribute to a variety of enjoyable nature-based activities!

Pine Beach is a private member's only waterfront property! We welcome everyone to enjoy our space in a fun, safe and responsible manner.

Whether you are taking in the beauty of a sunset across the lake, splashing in the water on the sandy beach, playing at the playground with your kids or sitting by the campfire; we are certain that you will enjoy your time at Pine Beach.

In the past year we have been very fortunate to experience a significant increase in membership! This is extremely exciting for our neighbourhood and our association. We've had the opportunity to meet even more residents and others who are close by but not in our immediate area. There are many families whose children have made new friends and many people who may have tried something new or made a new connection because of their common interest in our beach. These new connections are very special especially during the difficult past year.

I'd like to thank everyone from last season who helped to clean up our park, keeping the grass and landscape maintained and those who kept our beach area cleared for everyone to enjoy. We added fresh new sand last year and intend on doing the same again this year. It was so great to see beach toys that stayed there for anyone to play with.

Some new things you'll notice this year: newly cleaned up/painted sign, more tree trimming and removal, even tidier spaces around the campfire and shed, plans for a composter and a community garden, possible horseshoe pits and maybe even some new/updated seating. We've also got a *NEW* Pine Beach lanyard for every member! Even easier to keep track of that precious key!

We are very hopeful in this upcoming year that we will be permitted to host some events and 'gatherings'. We will keep you posted on those details by our Facebook page and more predominantly on our website!

There will be some fundraising events coming up soon! Watch for those as we are getting creative with some online ideas and incorporating the fundraising opportunities into our 'maintenance days' too!

Our dedicated volunteer board members are here to support the members by ensuring that we are making decisions that continually support our mission statement. Our desire is to have every member participate in any way they can, feel comfortable, included and heard. If you have ideas, suggestions or comments we would welcome you to share. If you would like to see something changed or implemented, we would encourage you to become even more involved by volunteering for one of the Pine Beach Committees. We run solely on volunteers to contribute their time, efforts and sweat to make our beach the best it can be!

Thank you everyone! I'm looking forward to meeting each of you!

See you down at Pine Beach!

April Humphries – President – Pine Beach Landowners Association