The Rondeau Cottagers…

The Rondeau Cottagers Association represents the vast majority of cottage owners inside Rondeau Provincial Park. We are the group primarily affected by this ERO Posting. As an Association we support this 14-year lease extension proposal with the understanding that discussions to make our cottage community PERMANENT will begin in a timely manner. As you know Rondeau Park was chartered for the purpose of cottaging in 1894 making us Ontario's original cottage community.

As per former Minister of the Environment, Conservation & Parks Jeff Yurek the province's preferred solution is to sell the existing cottage lots to the Municipality of Chatham-Kent as a single transaction. The lots would then be sold to the individual leaseholders. Although this plan was initiated it appears that certain persons within Ontario Parks ignored the Minister's directive and now we are back to yet another lease extension. Please see the attached email from Minister Yurek confirming same. As per Minister Yurek at the end of his term as Minister this policy has never been withdrawn or changed and still remains Ontario's official policy on Rondeau.

The Rondeau Cottagers Association looks forward to restarting discussions towards the goal of a lot sale to ensure the permanence of our unique-in-Ontario Heritage Cottage Community and fulfilling the Minister's now five-years unfulfilled promise to our members. In the meantime we support the proposed change to the Park Management Plan to facilitate the community remaining intact while these discussions are initiated.

For additional information on our community please see:

www.rondeaufacts.ca