To Whom it may concern, We…

To Whom it may concern,
We are writing to inform you of our opposition of the proposal to amend area specific Crown land use policies for Lac Seul General Use Area ( G2518) and Red Lake General Use Area (G2514) to allow potential sale of Crown land for the purpose of cottage lot development within the boundaries of the Township of Ear Falls.
We are opposed to developing cottage lots on Lac Seul for a number of reasons. We realize that Ear Falls would benefit from the increased tax base from such development, but the other benefits would be limited. Presently, U.S. citizens appear to be purchasing waterfront properties and businesses more often than Canadian citizens. Often most of their building materials and labour come from the U.S., which would be of no benefit to local businesses. Canadian purchasers could do the same because of the savings. Also, there is a very big chance that these cottages would turn into summer rentals through the owner, placing more pressure on the lake, which would be unmonitored, and likely untaxed. We see this currently with cottages located on Lake Wenesaga. These lots would not produce any revenue for the local economy during the off season months as they would sit empty. Also, with increased dwellings along the lake, water activities will increase during the summer, which will be detrimental to the serene wilderness experience that we presently enjoy. According to the ministry, area 1 of Lac Seul has been overfished for years. The additional cottages would have a negative effect on the fish stocks too.
As long standing members of the Ear Falls community, we understand the desire of the town council to increase revenue by creating new taxable properties, but we view further lake development as being a harmful long term move. The tourist industry creates a good portion of the local income through not only resort property taxes, but also from the large number of tourists that we bring into the community. It is dangerous to risk harm to the fishery, as well as changing the serene wilderness environment that the tourists travel so far to enjoy. Hopefully, the Ministry of Natural Resources will see the benefits of keeping the laws as they are so that the local lakes can remain the unique vacation destination that they have always been.