I support the three-year…

I support the three-year lease extension under ERO 019-0907.

I am aware that some 'comments' are going to be factual, backed by hard evidence and collected data. However, I believe as humans we have the obligation to look past facts and rely on our moral compass for guidance when it comes to tough decisions, like this. As Canadians, we should practice our individual social responsibility, and try to understand the impacts that the final decision will have, not only based on economic factors, but how this will effect the lives of the hundreds of families and friends alike that rely on this community as a source of happiness and stability.

I have being going to my families cottage that resides in Rondeau Provincial Park since I was born. I attended lessons the Rondeau Yacht Club for 12 years, and I was an instructor there for three years. My time in Rondeau has taught three very important lessons other than knowing how to sail, swim, and fish. Rondeau has taught me the importance of family, nature, and community.

Life has changed for most of us in the modern world, I am almost certain that who ever is reading this has at least once in their life felt the overwhelming pressures of school, work, bills, or any other stressful demand. Through this, it can be easy to disregard the importance of family. Family dinners are often forgotten, and the traditional family life style is barley present in our current society. Thankfully my relationship with my family is very strong, and I can thank the time spent in Rondeau for this. I am very lucky that I have been able to spend my summers cooking and eating with my family in our cottage, swimming and fishing with them at the beach, and biking and walking along the many trails Rondeau park has to offer. By spending time in Rondeau, I have been able to understand the significance of family and I hope that one day I will be able to raise my family, the same way my parents have with me, bringing them to Rondeau, escaping the pressures of the outside world, and creating life long memories.

Coming from a big city, I know first hand, it is easy to lose touch with nature. Growing up in Rondeau, each summer I was able to learn about and enjoy nature with first hand experience. Some of my most vivid memories come from watching monarch butterflies hatch from their chrysalis, making sure turtle eggs were not eaten by raccoons, and searching for blue-tailed skinks in the dunes. I am confident that any growing child who has ever had the opportunity to spend a summer in Rondeau has developed a deep respect for nature. Most of my childhood friends would spend the summer in the city, sitting inside watching T.V or playing video games. Like most cottages in Rondeau, where my cottage is located we have absolutely zero cell service, meaning all iPhones and technology is put down once we enter the cottage. This alone allowed myself, along with my siblings and summer friends to enjoy summer as it was in the past. If you wanted to catch your friend up on the latest gossip, you had to ride your bike down to their cottage. Online chat rooms were abandoned and traded for beach-glass hunting and bonfires. As a millenial myself, I see the disconnect that my generation has with the environment, i've been fortunate enough to now be able to appreciate what the earth has to offer and that would not have been possible without my summer cottage. One of Rondeau's greatest gifts to its residents is the connection with nature that it provides, for many young and old a relationship with the outdoors has been formed.

Finally, I would like to discuss the community in Rondeau. 'Rondonians' as some like to say, are the heart of Rondeau Park. Rondeau in itself is a family, no matter the season a Rondonian is a friendly face that you are able to have a good time with. Even when spending 10 months away from your cottage pals, the second you meet again its like noting ever changed. What I also find very unique about the Rondeau community is the way the young and the old interact, at any party you will find an age range from new borns to whatever the age of the oldest Rondonian might be, yet there is never a lack of conversation or fun. Each cottager is welcoming, no matter who you are, what you look like, or how you got there, there is always a place set for you at the table. My best friends come from Rondeau, and I am confident they are the people that will be there by my side no matter the circumstance. Through my time teaching at the Yacht Club I have seen many new families welcomed with open arms, finding a place within the community and then inviting their friends into the growing Rondeau family.

Therefore, Rondeau has not only been a crucial part of my development but I truly believe it touches the lives of anyone that steps foot into the park. More than a decade ago I was made aware that my summer home may be forced to close it's doors forever. It's hard to believe but even when I was that young I used to imagine what I would do to prevent such a tragedy. Although never sent, I would write letters to the 'government' and plead my case as to why Rondeau is so important to me. It's scary to think that such a time has come, and I am currently pleading my case once again. I realize it's difficult to understand if you haven't actually had the opportunity to experience what these cottagers have, and even this letter does not do Rondeau justice, but by ending the lease, or raising taxes to the planned amount, you are forcing the displacement of a family. You are separating loved ones. You are destroying the opportunity of future generations to experience what I have been so lucky too. Rondeau has become its own entity, loved and cared for by its hundreds of cottagers. If you wouldn't separate a mother from its child, you would not force these cottagers to leave, or push outrageous taxes that most are unable to afford. There comes a time that the Canadian government should stop focusing on regulations, obligations, and finances. This is that time. There is a chance to preserve a community, unlike any-other, one that has escaped the outside world and able to live in harmony without distractions from technology or corporate life. We as Canadians should realize the importance of such a magic place, and use are moral compass.

I will end with one last thought to the reader. Last year, I had the opportunity to live in Switzerland, I traveled to more than 10 countries, and visited over 50 cities/villages. I assure you that I saw the most amazing places. I was able to hike up the Swiss alps, walk the streets of Belgium, dine in the heart of Italy, sail along the coast of Spain and watch the sunset on a greek islands, but I never missed home. The harsh truth is that I did not miss my home town once, and I barely missed anyone from my old school, job, and community. However, anytime that I got a slight glimpse of a lake, a forest, or even a monarch butterfly, I couldn't wait to be back in Rondeau. Although I've been lucky to travel across the world, visiting many beautiful landscapes, nothing has been able to compare the sunset over the Rondeau bay, no air felt as fresh, and no community has been as welcoming. No matter where I go in the world Rondeau will always be my true home.