I am writing to you…

I am writing to you regarding:

"Proposal to amend Ontario Regulation 161/17 to the Public Lands Act to change the requirements for camping on water over Ontario’s public lands."

Under the,

"Proposed changes to Ontario Regulation 161/17"

there is a provision,

"adding a new condition to prohibit camping on water within 300 meters of a developed shoreline, including any waterfront structure, dock, boathouse, erosion control structure, altered shoreline, boat launch and/or fill.

The intent of these changes is to minimize the impacts of camping on water and ensure camping on water remains a temporary activity. None of these changes would impact a boater’s ability to navigate, including reasonable mooring. Camping within 300 meters of shore would be allowed in front of vacant land."

We live in Port Dover and recreationally boat, primarily in Lake Erie.

Along with many recreational boaters we, several times a season anchor off of the Port Dover Shoreline, west of the Beach area. We anchor at a depth that is within the 300m distance from shore so that family and friends may enjoy swimming and playing in the water at a depth that is conducive to those activities. There are residences on the shore and erosion control structures on the shorelines in this area. Some boaters do anchor overnight in this location but rarely.

Will the changes included in the proposed changes affect the present activities of recreational boaters in this and other similar areas, ie. Turkey Point Beach and the shorelines of the hundreds of Ontario Lakes that are used similarly?

The present anchoring practices of multitudes of boaters, that has been the norm for at least many decades, may be seen as bothersome to some shore residents and perhaps the time limit for being in one spot is a reasonable change, but the added limit to the distance from shore is, in my opinion, unreasonable.

This move to deeper water for anchoring purposes can be seen as creating a danger to younger children and non-swimmers.

Please express my concerns to the officials who are making this recommended change.

Thank you,