It is my pleasure to warmly welcome back our residents, cottagers, and friends for another memorable summer season on Big Basswood Lake. The summer is off to a fabulous start, as families reunite at the lake we all hold so dear.

I would like to begin by acknowledging the contributions of your passionate, all-volunteer board, which has worked throughout the winter and spring to address a range of issues impacting our shared quality of life. From engaging in municipal efforts to address environmental concerns and working with local authorities on Harris Dam water level management, your board remains deeply committed to protecting and enriching our lake community for generations to come.

The BBLA is a binational community organization, with members hailing from across Canada and the United States. As an American with deep family roots in Canada, I would also like to take a moment -in a year of unprecedented challenges to Canada-U.S. relations- to express my heartfelt gratitude to all Canadian members of our lake community for the continued friendship and hospitality they extend to their American neighbors. I, for one, sincerely hope that brighter days lie ahead.

Now please mark your calendars: our Annual General Meeting (AGM) will be held on Thursday, July 17, 2025, at 7:00 p.m. at the 12-Sided Barn on Big Basswood Lake Rd. It's a wonderful opportunity to meet new neighbors, reconnect with old friends, and learn more about our work. Your input helps shape our priorities and strengthens our collective efforts. We strongly encourage all new and renewing BBLA members to attend.

Other summer events worth noting this year include the third annual Goose and Gander concert on Wednesday, Aug 6th at 7:00 p.m. at the 12-Sided Barn and the piper concert on Huntings dock on Saturday, July 26th at 4 p.m.

While we continue to work on upgrading our website to streamline membership sign-up and renewals, we encourage all members to renew and pay their annual membership dues by PayPal. You can also sign up for membership or make your annual contributionby cheque or cash directly at the July 17 meeting.

Let's continue to protect the place we all treasure, and here's to another fantastic summer on Big Basswood Lake!