Lake-living in the heart of the City was the best of both worlds for me – a house, and a camp wrapped up in one, but without the hassle of maintaining two places.
I was familiar with Nepahwin Lake growing up, visiting the Plavins’ home on Nepahwin Ave. in my teens for saunas, midnight swims, and occasionally dinner too. I knew this tranquil place on the lake would become my home…
In 1996, I purchased my first home, an older home (built 1949) on Nepahwin Lake owned by Grace Rumball, who was well-known for her television show called “Today” on CKSO. Grace had lived in the family home on Nepahwin for many years. The location was perfect for me – a mere 5 minute drive to the office, Muirheads on Elm Street at the time, and a 5-minute walk to the golf club where I had spent most of my summers growing up.
In 2005, I built a new home on the property to take advantage of the beauty of lake-living and all its amenities. Large south-facing windows provide a great view of the lake and the morning summer sunrise. And a dock was a must to take advantage of the waterfront. Waterskiing became my new passion.
Soon, the weeds started appearing in the inlet. We were victims of Eurasian water-milfoil. Early eradication efforts seemed futile, and the weeds continued to multiply. Of course, harvesting only made matters worse. In 2016, I turned to a group, the Greater Sudbury Watershed Alliance where people from across Sudbury-area lakes would gather to discuss common lake-quality issues, and draft plans of action. A sub-committee was struck (AIS-EWM: Aquatic Invasive Species – Eurasian Water-Milfoil) and was successful in initiating a pilot-project (LAICS Program, Lake Aquatic Invader Control in Sudbury) to investigate the best means of controlling Eurasian water-milfoil. I’ve recently joined this sub-committee with the desire to initiate similar testing on Nepahwin Lake. The hope is a lake in the heart of the City free of EWM and blue-green algae ….a beautiful lake that we can enjoy for many years to come.
- Bill