If ecological integrity is…

If ecological integrity is truly the first priority when planning and managing within parks and conservation reserves, as laid out in the new legislation of 2005, then an extension of these leases will not occur. Though the park's ecological value may not have been fully recognized when it was created in 1894, it now stands as one of the few remaining islands of rare habitat, including tallgrass prairie and Carolinian forest. This is known. It is also known that within the parks' boundaries there are numerous species at risk, seeking refuge from the development and human activity that exists in Southern Ontario. Considering the immense pressure that these species face outside of the park boundaries, it cannot be justified to allow the continuation of a cottage community to exist within the park.

It is impossible to deny the impact these building lots have on the ecological integrity of the protected area. The cottage leases were never permanent, and those who own the cottages signed their leases with an acknowledged expiry date. There was no promise made that their existence was indefinite. With the knowledge that we now have of the the immense ecological value of Rondeau Provincial Park, these leases should not be extended.

[Original Comment ID: 128731]