By Kelly Burgess, Bruce Peninsula Press
The sentiment of Helen Keller’s quote, “Alone, we can do so little; together, we can do so much,” is a fundamental part of the Pike Bay Community Association (PBCA).
The PBCA whose membership is now around 200 households is continuously working with the people in Pike Bay to better the community. One of their ongoing projects has been renovations to the Pike Bay Community Centre which have made great progress. The washrooms have been updated including a new UV system, a new pump, some new fixtures and new flooring. They are currently working on electrical updates, hoping to have them completed by the end of March.
There is still a lot of work to be done but they are fortunate to have such a supporting community of volunteers and generous donations to get the centre up and running for future activities and events. They have already improved the outside grounds with the help of hard-working volunteers from the community and plan on doing more work inside and out in the warmer weather.
Extended Community Support
Community support is not just limited to Pike Bay as their activities and events are open to anyone who wishes to participate. With their series of on-line auctions on Facebook they have extended support from people all over the Bruce Peninsula. They have about 900 people now participating in the auctions.
Debbie Dover, President of the PBCA, explained that the auctions have grown so much with donations and support from residents in surrounding areas. “We have been able to keep sustainable with the generosity of the community,” she stated. Due to this tremendous support the PBCA was able to give back to the community with a donation of $1,500 to the Lion’s Head Food Bank from the proceeds of their November auction.
Currently they are offering a puzzle lending library with a variety of 500-to-1000-piece puzzles that can be picked up or delivered.
Debbie Dover ensures there is a weekly facebook post about the Seniors Centre Without Walls (SCWW) activities run by Sharron Colter. These activities include fitness classes, yoga, and trivia. Plans are also being made for future workshops at the community centre on art activities, technology, tai chi, and many other possibilities. They are working with the Active Lifestyle Centre of Grey-Bruce to see if they can get some of their programs to Pike Bay.
Upcoming Projects and Events
Future projects also include reprinting of the book “Pike Bay – A History of Church and Community” for anyone who missed getting a copy a few years ago.
Karen Sword, Secretary explained, “There are a lot of new people in Pike Bay and people like me who have kids that would like a copy for themselves.”
Another project is refurbishing the bathrooms at the Pike Bay Community Park located on Pike Bay Road. They also plan on replacing the current park sign and possibly creating a butterfly garden with some native plants at this location with community support.
Plans for a family fun Canada Day celebration is in the works at the park this year which will be a drop in event tentatively from 1pm to 3pm on Saturday, July 1, 2023.
Finally, one of the big ongoing projects has been working with a lawyer to become incorporated. With a generous $2,000 grant from the Municipality, the PBCA has started proceedings for incorporating the Association. There are many benefits to incorporating, such as the PBCA being able to legally put the building in their name and to be eligible to apply for more grants to help fund the association.
The PBCA is excited to announce that they will be having their Annual General Meeting (AGM) in person for the first time in years on Sunday, May 28, at 11 a.m. The AGM is open to everyone who wishes to attend and more details will follow closer to the date. To learn more about the Pike Bay Community Association or to learn more about upcoming events, visit their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/PikeBayCommunityAssociation or email to pikebay.ontario@gmail.com.
