Spring 2022 Thunder Beach Association Newsletter

May 29, 2022

President's Message

Welcome to the Summer of 2022 Thunder Beach! 

Everyone is excited for this summer! 

First and foremost, I hope all the children of the community are excited to get back to the Thunder Beach Camp as well as Thunder Beach Baseball and Flag Football!  Thunder Beach is about the kids.  See below for updates from Christie Lundy (Camp Director), Doug Jones (TB Youth Baseball)  and from the Santi and Smeaton families (2022 Luke Santi Memorial Flag Football Tournament). 

With the difficulties of the last two years, has also come new ideas and a reinvigorated sense of community and volunteerism.  If you have input or would like get involved, please let us know.  You can always contact me at jsphilpott@gmail.com.  We are putting out a survey shortly to get everyone’s feedback on what you want this community to be and how you would like to be involved.  We look forward to your input. 

In regards to the promise of new ideas, this past May 24 holiday weekend, George Traini and other volunteers put together a Thunder Beach Art Exhibit.  It was absolutely fantastic.  Special thanks to George Traini for organizing, including the special exhibit on Jack Bush, and to all participating artists – Marcee Ruby, Gord Smellie, Diane St. Amant, Kathryn Taylor, and George Traini. 

We are also excited to bring back Basil Lafreniere and the Red Hot Stove Pipe Band for another Thunder Jam this August 20, 2022.  This event will include the Labatte Homestead Rendezvous, which was previously held in June.  This will mark a coming together of the Metis community, Labatte descendants, and the Thunder Beach Community.  Funds will again be raised to support the Big Brothers, Big Sisters North Simcoe!  Stay tuned for further details. 

While we are excited to bring in these new cultural events, there will also be a return to the tried and tested joy of Thunder Beach: Field Day, the Thunder Beach Children’s Camp, Lobsterfest and the August Themed Event Night.  Stayed tuned for email updates regarding when tickets go on sale for the events.

Also keep an eye out to sign up for all the adult sports events, including the tennis tournaments, 3 X 3 basketball tournament, volleyball tournament, Thunder Run, Home Run Derby, and the Under/Over Baseball Game.  All dates and calendars will be published in the online 2022 Thunder Beach Summer Guide (coming soon). 

Our team is also dedicated to improving our community assets and infrastructure.  Please review Geoff MacGregor’s Property Report to learn about the ongoing work and plans regarding the field, Clubhouse, fencing, and playground.  There are some significant expenditures which will be paid for by incremental increases to fees as well as periodic fundraisers, such as the recent Thunder Beach Art Exhibit.  Thank you to all our members for buying your memberships and continuing to support the community.  If you have not purchased it yet, it is not too late. 

It promises to be an incredible summer.  Put on that stylish Thunder Beach Apparel (see below for purchasing options), and head out to participate in our community and the expanding sporting, cultural and social events.  We hope to have something for everyone!

John Philpott, President, Thunder Beach Association  

Thunder Beach Art Exhibit to Benefit Sports Field Repairs

We hope you had the opportunity to attend the recent Thunder Beach Art Exhibit.  It was truly wonderful to have the opportunity to see our local talent up close and in person.  Thank you to the organizers and to our local artists for sharing their work.

We continue to accept donations towards much needed improvements and repairs to the Thunder Beach Sports Field.  Your donation will go towards payment for the remediation of the drainage problem in the baseball outfield between 2nd and 3rd base and overall improvement of the sports field turf. 

Donate to contribute towards our Thunder Beach Sports Field improvements today!

Camp Update

I am excited to announce Thunder Beach Camp is fully staffed and ready to open Friday July 1st! Our Head Counsellor this summer will be Olivia Blythe-Wolf and the Assistant Head Counsellor is Cle Cle Murphy-Ives. They have both been working hard behind the scenes to make camp a memorable one! 

Welcome Back Field Day. It has been way too long, so let's get our running shoes prepped and our egg tossing skills ready to go! Hope to see everyone on the field at 10am July 2nd. 

We have some new activity night programs with Slim the Night Away where kids can make different slimy slims and Wilderness Night learn to tie different knots and make marshmallows and much much more! Save the date (July 20th) Carnival Night is Back! 

Below I have provided a reminder of times and cost for camp throughout the summer. *Please remember flip flops, crocs or sandals are not permitted during camp. We also encourage campers to bring their own labeled water bottle. 

PLAY SCHOOL AND SPORTS CAMP

Play School – ages 4-6 (6 is included in Play School as the 6 year olds have the option of being in Play School) Junior Sports Camp – ages 6-9 (6 is included in Junior Sports Camp as the 6 year olds have the option of being in Junior Sports Camp) Senior Sports Camp – ages 10 and up

TENNIS CAMP

*Ball play is physical activities promoting hand-eye coordination and gross motor movement leading up to tennis play.

CAMP PRICING

The “Flexible Family Plan” will remain in effect for the 2022 season.  This package allows families to purchase in advance 10 days of camp for the price of $130. This package will continue to be available throughout the summer. Just a reminder that this package must be purchased in advance, may only be used by children within an immediate family whose names have been registered in advance, and are non-refundable and non-transferable and cannot be carried over from one summer to the next. 

All of the information from this letter is available on the Associations’ website at www.thunderbeach.org.  Camp scheduling information will be listed as part of the Children’s Summer Calendar which accompanies your roster.  Please feel free to contact me with inquiries or feedback at: crudics@rogers.com

Looking forward to seeing everyone at the beach!

Christine Lundy

Camp Director

Youth Baseball and Football Leagues

Thunder Beach Youth Baseball

Batter up! Thunder Beach Youth Baseball returns for our 30th season.

Five teams will play Tuesday and Thursday afternoons from 4:00 to 6:00 beginning July 5th and the final tournament on Friday July 22nd.

Thunder Beach Youth Baseball involves children from 6 to 15. Core values are safety, community building, leadership, kindness and having fun! No baseball experience is required…….. we have not had a strikeout for over 25 years!

We need volunteer coaches and assistant ‘playing’ coaches. Please contact Doug Jones:

djones000@sympatico.ca

2022 Luke Santi Memorial Flag Football Tournament

We can’t wait for the 19th year of exciting Flag Football at Thunder Beach. The tournament, renamed in memory of Luke Santi in 2008, has enabled hundreds of boys and girls aged 10-15 to participate, learn the sport of football and have fun.  

Luke thoroughly enjoyed every summer with his family at Thunder Beach.  He played in the inaugural TB Flag Tournament in 2003 and participated each year until his cancer diagnosis in 2007 (when he coached, age 16). Luke had a passion for research and discovery.  He earned top marks with 1st class honours in his academic studies while enjoying robotics, reach for the top, science and engineering fairs and captaining the high school basketball and volleyball teams.  He was a humble, well-liked leader and friend to many.

The Tournament will be played Monday, July 25th to Friday, July 29th.  Of course, plans are also in place for the Tailgate BBQ (TBD) & Adult Game on Friday!  All tournament details are on the TBA website.

If you are interested in Playing, Coaching or Refereeing, register ONLINE on the TBA website by Friday, July 22nd.

We look forward to seeing you this summer!

   Gordon, Martha, Quinn and Matthew Smeaton

   Luigi, Shelagh, Andrea and Janelle

The Return of Event Nights

Property Update

It has already been a busy off season at the TBA properties with a few more exciting things on the way. 

Right before the first snow we had the roof on the clubhouse redone. The old roof was leaking and at the end of its life.

Thanks to the recent donations, the sports field has received some weeping tile to help with water drainage. The tile runs from the baseball outfield and empties near the tennis courts. In the last couple seasons we've been unable to fully utilize the field due to safety issues caused by the ponding so we're hoping this solves the problem. Huge thank you to Doug Jones, Gord Smeaton, and George Traini who spearheaded this initiative and to everyone who donated. 

We have a couple other projects in the pipeline. We'll be replacing all the fencing from the parking lot and playground. We'll also be doing playground upgrades. This will start this year as we'll be pulling out the old wooden rockers which are old and damaged. We will also be ordering new equipment. The lead time for new equipment is currently about 1 year so hopefully this will be completed for Spring 2023. Stay tuned for a fundraising announcement. 

Geoff MacGregor

Thunder Beach Gas Dock

Greetings to all Thunder Beach Gas Dock Members!

Subject to COVID-19 restrictions, we are planning to open the Gas Dock on weekends in the second half of June (weather permitting) and on weekdays and weekends from July 1 through to Labour Day. Our hours of operation will be as follows: 

• Saturday, Sunday and holidays:  10 am to 4 pm
• Monday to Friday:  11 am to 2 pm (as of July 1)

The Dock membership fee this year will be $200 per family, the same as last year. Revenues will be used to cover our insurance costs and to fund the next instalment of the much-needed skirting repair/replacement on the north side of the Dock.

We are also looking for 2 or 3 staffers – contact Bill McNamara (wmcnamara@torys.com) if interested.

Please do not forget to renew your Dock membership.  Your support is an essential component of the Dock’s financial viability. 

We look forward to seeing you on the water!

John Burns, Todd McCarthy, Bill McNamara

Thunder Beach Apparel 2022

We are continuing to provide Thunder Beachers with a variety of apparel items for the 2022 season. This year, items such as T-shirts, Long Sleeve shirts, Crew Necks, and Hoodies will be available with two familiar logos. We are pleased to also items available including Joggers, Vests, Jackets, Hats and more!

We will once again offer purchasing through online ordering through this link: https://exclusiveimprint.com/thunder-beach/

Items will be available to pick up at Field Day on July 2nd!  Orders must be placed by June 3rd!

Road Safety

SPEED LIMIT 

The speed limit on most of the roads at Thunder Beach was reduced to 30 kph last fall. New signage is now in place. 

HELMETS     

We want to remind everyone about the need to wear an approved bicycle helmet. While it is the law that all children under 18 must wear a helmet, adults an also suffer head injuries if an accident happens. 

Be smart, be safe, wear a helmet.

GOLF CARTS/OFF ROAD VEHICLES            

A reminder from the Ontario Provincial Police that golf carts are not permitted on any Tiny Township roadways. Off Road Vehicle use is prohibited on roadways within Tiny Township, with some very limited exceptions: https://www.tiny.ca/Pages/Motorized-Machines.aspx

TRUCKS ON OUR ROADS

Increasingly, we are seeing more and more large trucks on our roads. Feedback from Association members indicates that these vehicles are often travelling well over the posted speed limit. There are a couple of ways to handle this issue. If you are contracting businesses to provide services to your property, inform them of your wishes that they adhere to the limit. There are a lot of businesses  competing for your business, let them know if you are unhappy with their service. And secondly, only if we inform the OPP will we get their intention So pick up the phone once or twice this summer and complain about speeding on your road. 

The number is : 1-888-310-1122 and is in our Roster.

Obituaries

Evan Smith

ABOUT EVAN SMITH.   2003-2021

Evan's family, friends and the community at large are devastated by his sudden and tragic death in Sept 2021 at the age of 18.

His insatiable curiosity and passion for science as well as a love of the great outdoors led him to pursue Engineering through the UBC Faculty of Applied Science.  

Evan had a thirst for adventure and took on challenges with persistent determination.  He was an avid rock climber, camper and hiker.  An experienced paddler, he relished the opportunity to canoe up the Missinaibi River to Moosonee Ontario, followed by a dip in the frigid waters of James Bay.

Through his involvement with Scouts Canada he served the community in countless ways, including helping those in need during the holidays and cleaning up parks and conservation areas.  He fostered his passion for drumming and successfully completed the Regional Arts Music Program at Cawthra Park Secondary School in Mississauga, Ontario.

For over 16 of his 18 summers, his time spent at Thunder Beach was filled with laughter, friendship and fun-filled memories.  We are so grateful he experienced the countless Thunder Beach Association's organized activities, including field day, camps, movie nights, baseball, football and Halloween. 

Overall, Evan made an indelible mark on everyone he met with his positive attitude, playful competitiveness, hearty laugh, kindness and “down to earth” demeanor.  He was an award-winning student, loyal friend and a wonderful son and brother. He will be remembered with full yet broken hearts.

https://give.ubc.ca/memorial/evan-smith/

Linda Ann Rudics

Until We Meet Again

Those special memories of you will always bring a smile. If only I could have you back just for a while. Then we could sit and talk again just like we used to do. You always meant so very much and always will do too. The fact that you’re no longer here will always cause me pain, but you're forever in my heart until we meet again.

By Zohaad Irfan

Linda Ann Rudics, passed away peacefully on January 20th at the age of 76, after a courageous battle with cancer. Linda was a dedicated wife and mother. She treasured her family and embraced every moment with them. She especially loved her role as grandma.  She always made people around her laugh and made friends everywhere she went. One of her biggest joys was spending time at Thunder Beach. Since coming to the beach in 1964, Linda cherished each new season. Always to be seen walking her beloved dogs over the years.  She was active in the community where she volunteered on the Thunder Beach executive board as the Social Director and helped out with township water test samples for many years.  

She will forever be missed by her loving husband John. Cherished by her children, Jancsi (Holly) and Christine (Patrick). Proud grandma to Zander, Erin and Lauren.  

Terry Lane

It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of Terence (Terry) Bruce Lane on Thursday, February 3rd., 2022. Terry was in his 76th year.

Terry had been a member of the Thunder Beach community since he was 6-months old when his parents Bob and Gladys Lane purchased ‘Glad Days’ on Centre Beach Road. Terry and his family later renovated and moved into ‘Dockside’ on West Shore Drive.

Terry was born and raised in Georgetown, Ontario where he worked with his father Bob, at Lane’s Transport Ltd. Terry later went on to own his own interior design business.

Terry lived with partner Howard MacDonald in Toronto and once retired divided his time between the city and Thunder Beach.

Terry will be remembered as a true gentleman with generosity, charm and grace. He had the unique ability to embrace everyone he came to know and when you were in Terry’s company, he made you feel special.

Terry was a chef par excellence; a true gourmet and his special ‘Terry Touch’ went into all his delicious creations. Friends and family will cherish all the memories of cocktails and conversations on his dock, overlooking Georgian Bay. Terry knew how to put happy in Happy Hour.

Terry will be deeply missed by his loving sister Carole Lane, his cousin Jack (Chris) and their family, and by so many dear friends in both Toronto and Thunder Beach.

James (Jim) Scott

James Scott, of Whitby Ontario, passed away peacefully, surrounded by his family, on Sunday, February 6, 2022.

Jim lived in Branford for 20 years and spent many summers and his retirement at Thunder Beach on Georgian Bay. Jim enjoyed a long and successful career with Rogers (formerly Jarmain) Cable, retiring after 31 years in 1997.

He is survived by his beloved wife Arlene, his children Derick (Jamie), Michelle and Nancy (Luke). Loving grandfather of Cassidy, Reid and Marc.

Lesley Joan Smellie

Lesley Joan Smellie passed away peacefully at Hospice Huronia, Tomkins House on February 14th, 2022. Lesley is survived by her husband Gord and her sons Cameron (Courtney) and Jamie. She will be missed greatly by her granddaughters Bay and Beckwith.

Lesley cherished her role as Mom and Grandma. She shared a deep connection with her boys and enriched her granddaughters’ lives with baking, tea parties and snuggles on the couch.

Lesley loved and embraced life with her true love and partner Gord; boating on Georgian Bay, making memories in Mexico and appreciating every sunset.

Lesley worked as a home economics teacher at Midland Secondary School for thirty years. She was often stopped around town by past students, wanting to share memories and give thanks to their former teacher.

Lesley’s cooking brought loved ones together at beautifully set tables. Her flare for interior decorating translated to gorgeous spaces that reflected both her personal taste and the environments in which they were set.

Lesley cared deeply for others and had a gift of making those around her feel special. Her warmth and empathy was felt by her many friends, relatives, Thunder Beach community and everyone she met.

Agnes Ford

June 26, 1934 - February 17, 2022

It is with heavy hearts we share the news of the peaceful passing of Agnes on Thursday, February 17, 2022, at the age of 87. Beloved wife of Earl for 68 memorable years. Predeceased by mother Lucia Graham and father John Graham. Cherished mother of Regan, Erin (Jerry), Kevin (Judith). Fun-tastical Noni to Graham, Leigh (Trevor), Tyler (Angelika), Michael, Hilary (Justin), Hollie (Fraser). Exceptional GiGi to Kayleigh and Noah Howes. Grandmother to Aralyn, Davin and Ryker Quinn.

To know Agnes was to love Agnes. She was an intelligent, fashionable and unstoppable woman. Our dear Aggie was a friend to all, a lover of laughter and good times with friends. Agnes Madeline rest in peace knowing you will sing, dance and decorate our hearts forever.