It is time to end cottage…

It is time to end cottage leases in Rondeau Provincial Park.

Rondeau Provincial Park (RPP) is a very unique landform, set of ecosystems, park, residence and so much more. Since I was a small child I have always known that the dense, mostly untouched Carolinian Forest, surrounded by wetlands, bays and Great Lake Erie is a place of healing, a place of retreat, a place of reconnection to nature, a place of discovery, a place of wonder, a muse, a friend, a support system, and a very special place. It is also a small, yet still sustaining, habitat for many creatures who depend upon the park remaining a protected place.

Earlier in my life I thought that places like this would always be protected, and would always exist. During the last 10 to 20 years of my life I have witnessed several political, administrative and development actions in this, and other countries, that have threatened the long term existence of protected areas such as RPP. At the same time I have watched conservation organizations cobble the funds together to protect new tracts of sensitive lands. I am both very concerned about long term protection of currently protected lands, and I have hope that we humans are waking up to the fact that we need to protect many places from future development if we want to stop the extinction of species and protect our quality of life.

In the RPP case I do think that the purpose and practicality of the long term leases in the park have to come to an end. This extension after extension pattern, given mostly to privileged people who have political and financial clout in the region, is no longer serving the health of the ecosystems within RPP. As a child I camped in the South Point campground, that has not existed for years because of climate change rising water levels, and bicycled in the pesticide laden fog that was spread to reduce mosquito numbers (YIKES!). Times have changed dramatically since then, and our ways and policies for managing natural ecosystems have changed too, as our understanding of best practices (mostly hands-off is best in my opinion) deepened.

The recent covid pandemic awakened many people to the healing benefits of spending time in Nature. Provincial park reservation numbers have skyrocketed and day use activities have increased dramatically too. This additional human interaction in RPP will place stress on the systems within the park, and reducing the cottage life ways will help to balance some of that out. I do think it is also vital to improve trail management in ways that will entice visitors to stay on trails, create stricter parking methods and maybe increase parking availability in already developed areas of the park. Better yet, offering an in park transit system (similar to Point Pelee National Park) during peak seasons might be considered.

I am not adverse to introducing small footprint eco-shelters in some areas of the park, similar to Pinery Provincial Park and Point Pelee National Park. These dwellings can offer accommodations to those who may want to spend longer times of Nature immersion in more secluded and private ways than the mostly open campgrounds of RPP, as long as their planning and implementation is done with great care and caution to long term effects. I also suggest that programs be developed so that some of these shelters be made available from time to time to families who do not normally have the financial means to visit and stay in them.

RPP and its Carolinian Forest, wetlands, dunes, beaches etc. is a jewel, a gem, a treasure in SW Ontario that needs care and management that changes with the times and understanding of natural settings. In park cottage leases are a way of the past when settings such as RPP were considered playgrounds to be used without consideration of their effects on the environment. RPP has been considered a natural environment park for a long time now, and it is time to manage it that way. The end of leases will mean the end of a way of life for some who call RPP home, and this will be a shock to them. I do believe that a schedule and systematic way of helping these occupants transition to new accommodations can be developed in a mutually respectful way. Extending the leases only prolongs the inevitable eventual outcome and stress that some leaseholders are living with. I am not against allowing some residents to remain in the park if they have shown long term care and understanding of natural ecosystems, and have been friends of the park and not natural habitat destroyers.