Originally published in Lake of the Woods Area News, Volume 55, Number 5, Winter 2025
Where your money is going and why you should keep your membership current
Over the last few years, the rising costs of doing business have put a financial strain on our Association. We recognize that the rising costs of everything from streaming services to groceries has put a strain on our members personally as well.
In the last year and a half, LOWDSA has made significant upgrades to better serve our members, including building a contemporary website and new membership database.
We felt that these changes were important for the future of the Association and its membership. The investment in these updates, along with expansion of our programing and rising operating costs, led to last year’s membership fee adjustment to $80. This isn’t a cost, though—your membership is an $80 value, and it includes the following perks:
- Environmental outreach offered as one-on-one, customized, on-site visits with our LakeSmart team, providing information on living green at the lake
- Members-only savings on events such as IISD-ELA tours and Pine Seedling sales
- Free initiatives like our Metal and Electronic Waste Collection Day
- Free-to-members classified advertising on our website and in the Area News
- Easy access to lake life resources about almost anything you want to know; and if we don’t know the answer we’ll help connect you to those that do
- Monthly issues of the eNews emailed to you, keeping you connected to the lake year-round
- Five issues of the Area News magazine each year, mailed to you and/or available digitally.
Your $80 membership puts our wonderful Area News magazine on your coffee table, but more importantly it fuels real change and is an investment in protecting Lake of the Woods and supporting our vibrant community. Your membership allows us to maintain a dedicated team of staff working behind the scenes to chase down funding opportunities, pioneer lake stewardship programs, and bring services to all areas of the watershed.
Your membership works in conjunction with our sponsors—Copperfin Credit Union, Nature Conservancy of Canada, Lake of the Woods Water Sustainability Foundation (LOWWSF), Richard McKenzie Insurance, Mosswood Adventure, Titan Contractors, Health in a Cup, and Woodlake Marine—and granting partners to provide lake stewardship. Our sponsors and granting partners provide us the opportunity to bring key resources to the community, including our mobile boat wash station, which we will be launching for the 2026 season.
LakeSmart is the face of stewardship and environmental education for LOWDSA. Our LakeSmart team brings discussions to your dock, provides information at farmers markets, and supports sustainability work with other organizations, including Grand Council Treaty #3 and IISD-ELA.
Lake of the Woods District Stewardship Association began as an association advocating for the property owners of the area. Today, we are the voice for cottagers, visitors, and locals alike in the continued commitment to preserve the lake life that we all enjoy. The challenges we face have changed but our dedication to the people and the region has not.
If you’ve been a LOWDSA member for a while you already know the importance of keeping your membership current and your dedication to the Association has not gone unnoticed. Thank you for your support of LOWDSA and the ability your support affords us to keep our programs running.
Share the value of being a LOWDSA member and encourage your neighbours, your friends and your family, including your next generation to join!
Help us grow our lake-loving community so that we may all ensure Lake of the Woods remains a treasured place for generations to come.
