Our family has been owners…

Our family has been owners of a cottage in Rondeau Provincial Park since 2006 and have family that have had cottage(s) inside Rondeau for multiple generations. We are very fortunate to have the opportunity to have a cottage that has been in existence since the early days of the park and to understand our responsibility to continue the stewardship of the park that has been passed on to us by all the former owners dating back to the early 1900's.

We view Rondeau as a unique place. A place that has had cottages and nature living in harmony since its inception. One that survives because of this symbiotic relationship. The large amounts of lizards living under our deck or the Fowler toads we see in nooks and crannies around the cottage is a testament to how we cottagers help nature while nature gives us what it has, beauty and tranquility. Neither side imposes on the other and in fact we help and enhance each other. Provincial parks (in my opinion) are created for the people of Ontario to enjoy in all manners, be it Rondeau with cottages, Yacht Clubs and Big Docks, Quetico where we flew in on a vintage float plane to start our canoe trip or Algonquin where we took part in a wolf howl. They are all designed in one way or another for the people of Ontario to enjoy. Allowing cottages in Rondeau is no more harmful or negatively impactful than flying into Quetico and camping for a week or parking our car on HWY 69 along with hundreds of others on a peaceful night in August to communicate with the wolf packs.

Thank you for for allowing me to say my piece and with that I want to formally register my support for the continuation of the Rondeau cottage community for the long term future.

I wholeheartedly support the three-year lease extension as described in ERO Policy Proposal 019-0907 and in my opinion, the lease extension should be granted automatically to all existing cottage leaseholders. I also strongly believe that the best solution for the local business community, the day visitors and the campers of Rondeau is to reach a permanent solution in place of government leases that will ensure the cottage community remains in Rondeau forever. Lastly, given the years of uncertainty with government leases, I support that if permanent solution is found before the end of the three year deadline, the government should enact it immediately to lessen the chance of future government manipulation.