The webcams continue to function and have provided some great views of the lake, as well as turkeys, deer, and wolves. View #4 is temporarily off-line but should return later this week. We are in for our first deep freeze of the winter with temperatures in the -20F range the next few mornings. The snow depth seems to be stuck around 8 inches. It has not reached the first round of tape on the pole in View 5 which would be one foot deep.
Some snowmobile trails are open in the area. I saw photos of groomers out over the past few days. EOTA and OFATV multiuse trails are closed as the OFSC opens snowmobile season. Do not drive wheeled vehicles on the OFSC trails.
There is no January municipal council meeting as councilors and the mayor attend ROMA this week. I am hoping there is a final outcome announcement regarding Limerick Estates at the February 19th council meeting. Note that the meeting is Wednesday as Monday the 17th is Family Day.
The municipality is planning a public information session on Invasive Species in April. Probably at the April 21st council meeting.
Finally got confirmation from a cottager with a Rogers device that the new tower on Sutton Rd. is on. Hopefully the Rogers / FOCA special pricing plan is still available next spring. If it is, that will be the best internet service for us on the lake.
The St. Ola Station general store now has fuel sales. They have all grades and pay at the pump. We have been without a local gas station for just over two years since Trudys closed. Two thumbs up to the owners for managing their way through a mountain of red tape. Please support them and buy your fuel locally. Looked like a good crowd at the pumps this past Saturday. The store is located on the south-east corner of St. Ola Road and Hwy. 62. For snowmobile riders, they are just a few feet off the Hastings Heritage Trail at MM 102.
The municipality is on winter burning rules. Daytime burning is allowed with fires up to 6 feet by 6 feet. This continues through March 31.
The dump is on winter hours. It is open Wednesday, Saturday, Sunday and holiday Mondays from 11AM to 4:30PM.
The 2025 fishing regulations are available on the Ontario.ca website. The Limerick chain of lakes remains at the very south end of fisheries zone 15. Pages 104 to 114 of the regulations book. Bass season opens June 28, 2025, and closes November 30. Lake trout season opened January 1 and closes September 30. The Limerick chain of lakes has a "slot size" for lake trout that MUST be returned to the lake if caught. It is roughly 16 to 22 inches. It is also a "one line" lake when ice fishing.
