2022 End of Year Newsletter
President's Message
Thankfully, 2022 represented a safe return to normal at Thunder Beach. Not only did we have our full calendar of events and sports, we also added a number of arts and cultural events. From the art show to the speaker series, there’s more than ever to do at the beach.
First, a special thank you to our outgoing president, John Philpott. The hundreds of you who have interacted with John in both his formal capacity as TBA President, or his informal capacity as The Friendly Corner Store ambassador will know just how much energy, wit, and passion he brings to our community.
For over a decade John has been a stalwart of the TBA. He has held many roles, culminating in an extra long term as President. Thank you John, for your many contributions to the TBA from expertly navigating the association through the pandemic to the introduction of the new arts and cultural programming. John’s legacy will continue (four more years?) in his new role as Past President.
We have four additional departing executive members we will dearly miss:
- Judy Dunstan who did an incredible job with the roster
- Teresa Morneau who ran an incredible tennis program (one of the few activities that kept the beach moving during COVID) and tournaments
- Sue Inwood who finally won over the township in making our roads safer
- Christie Lundy who ran an amazing, safe children's camp, a difficult job made nearly impossible with COVID
And thank you to all of our returning executive members who make all the wonderful activities of the TBA possible.
We also want to once again thank our members who participated, purchased memberships and contributed their time and efforts this year. While we certainly can’t mention everyone by name, your contributions don’t go unnoticed and the beach simply couldn’t function without such a passionate membership. This year our members took on some big projects for which we’re eternally grateful:
- Sports Field Flood Mitigation: Led by Doug Jones, Gord Smeeton, and George Traini.
- The Art Show: Led by George Traini with art from Marcee Ruby, Gord Smellie, Diane St. Amant, Kathryn Taylor, George Traini, and Jack Bush
- Speaker Series: Brainchild of Nancy Hargrave with speakers Tim Tully from Awenda, Dan Travers from the Museum of Water, and Shannon Laurin and Dr. Jeff Golisky from Georgian Bay Physician Recruitment
- Metis Day Speaker: Led by Basil Lafreniere, Marg Raynor, and Teresa Fama presenting and providing a discussion
- Sports: So many sports heroes, Tyler Richard (Volleyball, basketball, and kids basketball), Matt Leverty (basketball), Doug Jones (Baseball), Santi’s and Smeaton’s (Football), Burkett’s and Sasha Gollish (Thunder Run)
Finally, as you all know, October 24th was municipal election day in Tiny. We hope everyone got out to vote. A huge thank you to Barb Reidl who organized the candidate information at the clubhouse. For those who were unable to attend, all Candidates running for Mayor, Deputy Mayor and Councillor in Tiny Township were invited to share their platforms and meet with constituents. We had an incredible turnout which shows just how important our Thunder Beach community is to Candidates. We look forward to hosting similar events for future elections.
Looking forward to 2023!
Best,
Geoff MacGregor
President, Thunder Beach Association
gamacgregor@gmail.com
416-371-8560
Children's Program Report
We are very excited about the upcoming summer programming for all of our Thunder Beach campers. Along with many traditional events, we are incorporating some new features into the program.
CAMP HOURS
Monday, Wednesday and Friday
9:30am - 12:30pm Junior, Intermediate and Senior Camp
Tuesday, Thursday
9:30am-11:00am Junior and Intermediate Tennis
11:00am-12:30pm Senior Tennis
CAMP STAFF
Calling all leaders! Summer 2023 brings more leadership opportunities to Thunder Beach Camp! We are looking for enthusiastic, organized individuals who are ready to take initiative. The creation of the new Camp Director position to assume much of the administrative, training and overseeing tasks, will enable our counsellors to focus more on the daily needs of campers. Applicants for the new Camp Director position must be 18 years or older. We are also introducing a new layer of leadership in order to enhance programming in each area of camp. Head Counsellors must have at least one year of experience as a Counsellor. Finally, we are inviting interested 14 year-olds (must be age 14 by July 1st 2023) to become CITs. Applications for the Camp Director position are due by January 6th and all other applications are due by February 3rd. We will be scheduling short virtual interviews with each candidate. A brief job description and sample interview questions will be made available upon request by any applicant, parent, or caregiver.
Camp Positions for 2023:
- Camp Director
- Head Counsellor – Junior camp (4-6 year olds)
- Head Counsellor – Intermediate camp (7-9 year olds)
- Head Counsellor – Senior camp (10-13 year olds)
- Head Counsellor – Tennis
- Counsellors
- Counsellors in Training (CIT)
The success of the TBA Children’s Camp and the overall experience of each camper is directly related to the exceptional group of counsellors. We are confident that 2023 will bring meaningful and memorable experiences to both campers and staff!
To apply, please email Cate to request an application form Catesp9@gmail.com
CAMP FEES & COUNSELLORS SALARIES
With the longer camp hours, and a general need to update the fee structure, price increases will be implemented. In tandem with this fee increase, we are also reviewing the remuneration for our counsellors. Stay tuned for more details.
GOING GREEN
Next summer, there will be a greater focus on the environment and we hope to move away from purchasing single use, non-recyclable craft materials. We invite you to save clean household items such as egg cartons, corks, paper bags, unwanted paper/crayons/chalk/pencils, tissue boxes, aluminum pie plates, etc. so that these supplies can enjoy a “second life” in our stock cupboard. If you have any ideas for age appropriate “green” crafts/projects, please pass them along to Cate (Catesp9@gmail.com). For our energetic tennis players, please keep those used tennis balls for our Tennis Camp.
Keep safe and healthy…..summer will be here before we know it!!!!
Ashley and Cate
Treasurer's Report
It was a fantastic summer at the beach! We ran a full slate of activities for the first time in 2 years. The social events were back in full swing, and the children’s camp was very well attended. The increased activity resulted in higher revenues and expenses for the year. We expect to end 2022 with net income from operations of $17,000 (2021 - $22,000).
We allocated capital to build a new fence around the playground and anticipate more capital projects in 2023. We continue to track the amount of money we earn from tennis for future tennis court maintenance.
The year end for the Thunder Beach Association is December 31, 2022. Annual financial statements will be available for distribution at the 2023 Annual General Meeting in August.
Corey MacGregor
Treasurer
A Look Back at Sports - Summer 2022
Tawny Richard Memorial Volleyball Tournament
This summer we had what felt like a true return of group activities highlighted by the return of the Tawny Richard Volleyball tournament and we had a great turnout of players! With a big thanks to our gracious hosts who put a whole lot of the beach in front of their summer homes in the Butlers, Bolts, Coles and Philpotts, we wouldn't be able to have this tournament without your support. We saw some terrific matches and a highly competitive championship match! It was a very special event and it's truly an honour to continue with this tradition every summer. This is truly a community event and we couldn't have it work without the amazing teammates who organize the games and schedule, and our amazing volunteers who help referee the games throughout. They say "it takes a village" and this tournament is a true representation of the community we have and what makes Thunder Beach so special. Thank you so very much!
Basketball Recap
The 2on2 tournament which started up as some country club counter programming, has become a real fun and pretty physical battle ground of competition where we have seen amazing skill and competitive intensity take place throughout the day and it's been a blast to watch how it has evolved to become what feels like could become a staple of summer competition at Thunder Beach. The following week we also introduced a kid's tournament where we had 3 teams and some really amazing basketball being played. For next summer we will shift the Adults tournament to a Sunday in order to allow some tennis players who will want to play in both, find the opportunity to play both tennis and basketball in their tournaments. There is also a dialogue on having a regular weekend "drop in basketball" time on non event weekends where people can feel confident there are other players there to shoot with or play with.
Adults Over/Under 40 Softball
The game this year didn't happen as not enough players registered or came out. We may try again next year to get it rolling once more.
Thank you for a great summer and feel free to reach out with suggestions or feedback,
Tyler Richard
tylertrichard@gmail.com
Thunder Beach Youth Baseball
This year marked 31 years since the Youth Baseball program began in 1992 - 30 years of play due to 2020 when the season was suspended due to Covid-19.
Over 85 children participated including coaches and player coaches. And this year we welcomes parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles and all the other fans back to the benches to cheer on their favourite players.
Thanks to everyone for keeping the Youth Baseball core values as compass points on our journey: Kindness, Inclusivity, Integrity, Safety, Leadership and having FUN!!
A special thanks to my three amigos and fellow umpires Dave, Brad and Don Butler for making all the tough calls and also for not calling out my 6 year old grandson, Sam when he made it home with an infield hit.
Thank you also to Gord Smeaton and Luigi Santi. Together we accomplished the field drainage project in the early spring. This worked extremely well, leaving the field without wet and slippery spots. George Traini had a hand in this too. Posters from the May long weekend art exhibit were provided as gifts to people donating to the field drainage program. Over $6,000 was collected making the project no cost to the TBA.
Thank you to ALL for yet another successful Flag Football season – our 19th season. More than 40 players and their families created fun summer memories. Congratulations to the STEELERS on winning the Tournament Championship.
George Traini also helped out when home plate needed additional crushed stone to establish proper grade and drainage. George spent more than a few hours with his tractor moving stone and grading the diamond. Since 1992, George has been a very good friend to Thunder Beach Youth Baseball.
Thank you to the coaches and playing coaches of the 2022 Youth baseball season. They are our future leaders! Chloe Butler, Sam Grezewski, Jack Turner, Cle´Cle´ Murphy-Ives, Nico Delarue, Emily Graham, Magnolia Conacher, Olivia Blyth-Wolf, Danielle Telfer, Harlyn Grenier, Ava Grenier, Josh Cole, Riley Moynes, McKenzie Graham, Michael Dion, Tavia McLenahan, Sofie Butler
2022 Luke Santi Memorial Flag Football Tournament
Thank you to the Smeaton and Santi families for organizing and convening. Special thanks to head counsellors Cle Cle Murphy-Ives and Olivia Blythe-Wolf for their time, leadership, and enthusiasm. Thanks to the coaches, which included returning alumni, for their time and energy in leading the young football players. Thanks to Don Butler, Dave Butler, Greg Telfer, Bryan Grenier and Tom Hebbes for their refereeing/chain gang help and especially for their expertise during the inaugural Training Camp/Clinic on Monday of tournament week. Thanks to the Houston family for storing the equipment! And finally, thanks to Doug Jones, who was integral to the completion of the successful off-season field drainage project. The annual co-ed adult game was enjoyed by many Flag alumni. We look forward to next year, the 20th season! Same time in July. Watch for exciting details in the Spring TBA Newsletter.
Thunder Run
The 38th Annual Thunder Run was another smashing success with a record turnout this year. The race started early on Saturday of the August long weekend and all runners were across the finish line in advance of Field Day.
We are particularly excited to continue to grow the next generation of Thunder Runners with the 2km Fun Run option (see start line photo below)! Huge thanks to Ariel Burkett & Sasha Gollish for help with planning & race day operations support! And as always, thank you to Tyler Richard for his continued support through his role at Saucony. And new this year – thank you to BioSteel for the race day product & prizing. A big shout out to all competitors and to those who cheered them on along the race route!
Tennis
Thank you to Teresa Morneau for once again running 3 successful and FUN doubles tennis tournaments. Congratulations to the winners Julie Coleman and Teresa Morneau (Womens), Mathieu Delarue and Dave Butler (Mens), and Brad Butler and Julie Coleman (Mixed).
We are looking for volunteers to run the 2023 tennis tournaments. We have an opening for a tennis director on the TBA executive committee and are open to having different organizers for each tournament. Please reach out to Geoff MacGregor (gamacgregor@gmail.com or 416-371-8560) if you’re interested in taking on one or all of the tournaments.
Social Update - Events Volunteers Needed
We are looking for volunteers for the event nights this summer!
Whether you would be interested in lending a helping hand in volunteering your time to help before, during and / or after the event. Or as an individual or a family, who would be interested in executing the event and theme (with my assistance 🙂) from start to finish.
I look forward to hearing from you!
Melissa McGuire (melissa.mihaichuk@gmail.com)
Municipal
Happy winter from a snowy beach. We have been watching an increase in small stones wash from the ditches along West Shore, into the bay for the last few years. We have spoken to the Township and the Ontario Ministry of the Environment (“MOE”). The MOE has confirmed the source of the issue and has advised the Township of their findings to prevent this problem from recurring.
Cars along our roads, both residents and workers, continue to drive at unsafe speeds. Please be respectful and inform any visitors including workers on your property that we have permanent residents walking our roads year round. Drive Safe!
Obituaries
Deborah Anne Jordan
Debbie Jordan passed away on September 2, 2022.
Debbie enjoyed cottaging on Centre Beach and will be missed by many friends at the beach.
With sympathy and caring thoughts from the Thunder Beach community to her husband Todd Godin and their sons Andrew and Matthew, her father Pat Jordan and her brothers Bill and Lawrence and her extended family on their loss.
A link to Debbie’s obituary:
https://humphreymiles.com/tribute/details/6691/Deborah-Jordan/obituary.html
John Herold
John Herold, father of Kristi Herold (Centre Beach) and her brothers Cameron and Todd, passed away on September 16, 2022 in Sudbury at age 80.
John vacationed at Thunder Beach as a teenager, and later enjoyed cottage time here with his own young family and then grandchildren.
With sympathy and caring thoughts from the Thunder Beach community to Kristi and her children, Cassidy, Andie and Dax Miller, and to John’s siblings, Cas, Donna Lauber, Susan Wyatt and Marian Magrane and the entire Herold family on their loss. (including John’s nephew Buddy Herold on Silver Birch Drive)
A link to John’s obituary follows:
Mary McCarthy
Sharing the sad news that Mary McCarthy passed away in Lindsay on November 24th, 2022 at age 87. Mary was a long time cottager at Thunder Beach.
With sincere sympathy from the Thunder Beach community to Todd and Kathy McCarthy and Meaghan, Brendan and Jake (West Shore); John and Joan McCarthy; and Gerry and Sheila McCarthy on the loss of their Mother and to Mary’s siblings, Ray and Frank Switzer, and to the extended McCarthy and Switzer families
A link to her obituary: https://www.mackeys.ca/memorials/mary-ccarthy/5079979/obituary.php
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