Who we are

Our Region

The Bayfield-Nares Islanders’ Association (BNIA) is a non-profit organization that represents the cottagers and residents of Nares and Bayfield Inlets. This area on the eastern coast of Georgian Bay extends from the Pointe au Baril lighthouse (southern limit), to Head Island (northern limit). It includes several hundred islands and the adjacent mainland, with more than 200 seasonal cottages.

The BNIA meets annually in midsummer. Directors are elected annually and meet several times a year to address issues affecting our area.

Our Mandate and Functions

The primary objective of the BNIA is to protect, maintain and improve the natural environment of Bayfield-Nares. The main functions of the Association are to:

• keep members informed on a variety of topics, such as zoning, the environment  (water quality, fire and fishing), and services (garbage, roads, and emergency services)
• represent the area and work with other cottagers’ associations under the umbrella of the Georgian Bay Association (GBA)
• work through the GBA to lobby various government and regulatory agencies on topics that affect our members
• provide information, coordination and direct support to cottagers and residents in emergency situations
• communicate to members via the Directory and Yearbook and winter/spring newsletters
• organize the annual regatta, marathon canoe race, and sailing race

Our History

The BNIA was incorporated on April 19, 1962 by letters Patent issued by the Province of Ontario. It was the continuation of an unincorporated association — Bayfield Inlet Islanders’ Association — that was formed on August 2, 1958 after a spectacular fire on the McTavish/Dulmage Island in Bayfield Inlet. For more about our origins, see the History menu.