Dear Sir: I am reluctantly…

Dear Sir:

I am reluctantly in favour of the two-year lease extension because the present leases expire in a few weeks. For all parties involved, a final resolution for cottagers to buy their lots outright is the best decision. I note the change in wording from the last ERO “to find a long-term solution” and I object to that wording change because a solution was agreed upon with Chatham-Kent and promised by the Minister; we should be allowed to buy the cottage lots at fair market value and Ontario Parks gets a net increase in protected land from Chatham-Kent (something that those speaking out against the purchase evidently do not understand).

The revenue that the cottagers bring year after year supports at least seven other provincial parks, the surrounding CK municipality and supports to endless local businesses. This ERO is really an attempt by Ontario Parks to take control over other parties; parties that see value is sharing resources and sharing responsibility for the other’s successes. The commerce industry is evolving. Companies like Cisco and Ford Motors are reshaping their business because they realized that if they want to survive, decisions must benefit all concerned. It's called the human network effect and if Ontario Parks continues to fail to take this into consideration with our lease predicament, a heritage landscape of Provincial significance would be lost, Chatham-Kent will suffer and the revenue that we give to Ontario Parks to support other provincial parks will be lost and other parks will suffer. I don’t believe that Ontario Parks has the slightest idea about the human network effect. Why is it deemed necessary to have an ERO consultation over this minor administrative change when there is already legislative authority to extend leases to 2038? Isn’t Ontario Parks not only making it hard for cottagers and CK municipality but also making its own job harder? Let’s take care of each other for once and reap the rewards together.

Without cottages, Rondeau Provincial Park wouldn’t even exist; it was chartered for cottaging. Therefore, Rondeau cottagers are integral to the culture, the natural history and the preservation of Canadian, Ontario’s, Chatham Kent’s and most important, Rondeau Park heritage. If the cottages are eliminated a few could be moved out of the Park, but most of them will be demolished and sent to a landfill site by the thousands of tons. The damage to the Park’s precious land and habitats of their animals would be severe. Yes, the cottages provide habitat for endangered species! It would take years upon years (if ever) for natural restoration of the damage; the argument about environmental benefits of cottage removal does not stand up to scrutiny.

The Ministry needs to revisit the purchase offer from the Municipality of Chatham-Kent and help protect the cottaging history that was founded and built when Rondeau first became a park in 1894.

Sincerely,

Alexandra Colby, Chatham ON