Hello, I am writing this as…

Hello, I am writing this as someone who has visited Rondeau Park almost every year for the last 20 years and the grandson of a proud Rondeau Park cottage owner. Ever since moving back to southern Ontario, visits to our family cottage at Rondeau Park were a regular occurrence whether it was for Thanksgiving, family gatherings or just as a quiet getaway. My family deeply believes in conservation and preservation of nature and has many members either currently, previously or are working towards being an active part of the conservation of nature.

I write this comment to request that not only a renewal for the cottage leases be made, but also that the cottage owners be given the opportunity to have ownership of their cottages and continue to act as the stewards of Rondeau Park. It is well past time that the many families who have been attending the park for years be able to no longer worry about whether another 2 year lease is in the works or if the parks are going to take away the cottages that so many of our family members have spent time and money fixing, maintaining and enjoying visits over the years.

Visits to Rondeau Park have always had a special place in my memory as it was a way to bring our family together and be able to get away from our busy lives and be closer to nature. Not once in the many years of visiting the park have I noticed disrespect for the park or people creating issues for the wildlife. Rondeau park has always been a park that is free of garbage and bustling with wildlife. I do understand that human activity in any form can cause disruption to natural environments and have negative impacts but it could also be said that the cottage owners of Rondeau Park help keep the park in it's great condition. Many other provincial parks in Ontario (and other provinces) have privately owned cottages within park boundaries (Algonquin, Kawartha Highlands, Sandbanks and many others!) and have not had the same lease renewal issues as Rondeau. Rondeau Park is 8000 acres and of this 8000 acres, only 46.6 are occupied by cottage lots, that is less than 1% of the total park land (0.56% to be exact). It was actually discovered that some species thought to be extinct (Five Lined Skinks and Fowler's Toads) were no longer in the park only to be discovered using the decks, outdoor sheds, and other structures on cottage properties as their homes! Ontario Parks biologists have credited the health and success of many species-at-risk populations to the shelter that human presences has provided.

Many of the cottage owners are now elderly and have visited the park with their families for decades. None of the cottages are overly flashy or have expansive, pristine lawns or yards filled with garbage and debris. Although many may be in subpar condition, this is driven by the uncertainty on whether their cottage will exist every couple years. What reason would someone spend thousands of dollars and/or time into beautifying their cottage if that very cottage could be taken away with the signing of a policy? Allowing cottage owners to own their property will only improve the appearances and maintenance plans for the existing cottages. The rules will not drastically change and the cottage owners will still be contributing their money (in the form of cottage fees, property tax, entry fees and others) towards maintaining the park. Cottage owners not only support the park but also the local economy in Rondeau and the surrounding areas, we all buy groceries, visit the restaurants and stores and participate in recreational activities every year at the park. Along with this, many cottage owners also provide support for local tradespeople, employing them for repairs, maintenance and any additions to their cottages. Removing cottages completely would damage the economy in the area and potentially remove jobs.

It has been brought up that the park is for the public and not for entitled cottagers, which I believe to be a weak argument. The cottage owners and any family/friends visiting the cottages still pay the same entry fee as the general public. The existence of cottages does not impact the public availability of the park as taking less than 1% of the area, there is room for everyone. If anything I would think that those with cottages have introduced many new people to Rondeau and shown them how beautiful it is. I have brought many friends along with me to visit the beaches and enjoy nature and have heard that many of them have also brought others as well. Rondeau will always have it's campsite and trails that are open to all and having cottages does not restrict the public availability of the park.

There are a multitude of other comments and supporting information I can share in support of renewing the lease for cottages and finally coming to a decision on permanent ownership for cottage 'owners' as I can not see many strong, well supported arguments against having cottages in Rondeau Park. Please consider perusing the URL I shared in the supporting links for additional information and clarifications on a number of myths that have been spread regarding Rondeau cottages. I hope that we can come to a fair and reasonable decision as I know that the many cottage owners would appreciate not having to go through the stress of uncertainty for much longer. Again, please strongly consider extending the proposed lease and executing a plan for permanent cottage ownership in Rondeau Park. I appreciate anyone who has taken the time to read my comments and the many others regarding this issue.