The MNR has recently entered the 2011 CLUAH “policy proposal” into the Ontario Environmental Registry. You can review some of the details about the CLUAH Environmental Registry submission here.
Note that there are 4 options being presented in the proposal, and each option contains different recommendations for restricting public access to crown land and lakes – from one extreme to the another.
The MNR is holding five (5) public open houses, starting this week, to receive public input regarding the proposals. It is very important that everyone attend at least one of these meetings and submit comments in writing.
The five (5) public open houses will be held as follows:
Wednesday July 20th, 2011Town Council Chambers – Manitouwadge
2 pm – 8 pm; presentations at 3 pm and 6 pm
Thursday July 21st , 2011
Royal Canadian Legion – Hornepayne
2 pm – 8 pm; presentations at 3 pm and 6 pm
Tuesday July 26th, 2011
Royal Canadian Legion – White River
2 pm – 8 pm; presentations at 3 pm and 6 pm
Wednesday July 27th , 2011
Township Office – Dubreuilville
2 pm – 8 pm; presentations at 3 pm and 6 pm
Thursday July 28th, 2011
Royal Canadian Legion – Wawa
2 pm – 8 pm; presentations at 3 pm and 6 pm
After the completion of these meetings, public comments will be summarized, and a presentation with recommendations will be made to the Minister. A decision on how the MNR will proceed with access restrictions in this area will then be determined.
Comments on this entry are closed.
These meetings or comments do not apply only to the people of the Wawa district. Remember wnat our MNR minister,Linda Jeffrey siad “This cluah project will be a template for the rest of this province.
For those who recall 1983 when lakes were designated remote in the Wawa district,no one expected the virus to grow across northern ontario. GET INVOLVE and address your views to Linda Jeffrey,your member of parliament and send us at Ontora a copy of your letter.Tks for your participation.
why no openhouse in Timmins dist. do we not count there are alot of lakes and roads closed in our area of Gogama which is under Timmins M.N.R.
Copies also sent to local papers and Wawa-news.com
Ontario Crown Land and CLUAH.
I recently attended the CLUAH meeting on Crown Land (river/lake) usage in the Wawa district at Manitouwadge. Was I enlightened? Yes and no. A definite conflict!
Options A to D were presented along with handouts. Only option A included such words as “a balance” , “what locals want and need”, “equal sharing” and the catch word “sustainable”. If I did not live in the Wawa district I would not waste my time reading any of the other options. It is obvious where the MNR stands, even though they try to represent it as the interest of concerned peoples or groups in the district. It was also interesting that it was assigned as option “A”, we’ve all had it drilled into us at school that an “A” was always the best. I never took psychology 101 but after reading option A and attending the meeting I feel like I’m being treated like a patient.
This will not be just an experiment in the Wawa district it will be the model and precedent setting regulations for all Crown Land (river/lake) usage in Ontario!
In the meeting a great deal of emphasis was put on what is a remote lake? It is supposed to be one without road access, true access only being by fly-in. However, option A in the GU areas, gives the camp operators the right to build a road and restrict its usage. In the REC areas, road development comes under “special considerations”. It appears that the largest remote camp in Ontario has a road to it. So if NOTO and the remote camp operators get their way with CLUAH what’s to stop them from a class action to gain equal rights?
Also in option A under GU areas, which pretty much covers all fishable lakes/rivers in the Wawa district not already covered in the REC areas, “protections will be seasonal” that is protections for the camp operators. This special protection is to run from June 1 to August 31. A description of these special privileges was lacking both in the meeting and in the handouts. However, one major special protection was brought up by ONTORA, not denied by the MNR, is that fishing will be closed to all except for those paying a camp operator! I may be allowed to slug myself and equipment into a lake but I cannot even have so much as a shore lunch. The law being what it is I can not afford to prove that I was only carrying fishing gear for possible survival purposes or just passing through. How am I to be able to prove that I caught my fish outside the Wawa district, are they going to have inspection stations like Truckers have?
As for NOTO, they made it perfectly clear that their only real concern is their bottom line, it’s all about the money. I guess more tax is also a primary concern of the government.
So it’s about money and special fishing rights for those who can afford it.
Personally a remote experience is more about self reliance then being able to afford a Disney Land experience. The people who have slugged their way in there have more right to a shore lunch then the people having lunch prepared by a chef.
What is a sport fisherman anyway? Is it a person with a high powered motor boat and “U-boat” sinking technology, leaving an oil slick on the water or is it a person in a canoe not declaring war on the fish?
Here are a few suggestions of mine:
If the MNR or anyone else is concerned about over fishing then ban fish finders for sport fishing!
If the MNR or anyone else is concerned about over fishing then ban boat motors of 10 horsepower or more on lakes under a certain size!
If the MNR or anyone else is concerned about polluting the water then ban the 2 stroke oil burning boat motor!
Oops, sorry I forgot. It’s all about the money and tax dollars! It’s about settings areas of Crown Land aside for the well offs! Not about preserving for future generations, money will always override that!
L. Hope
Manitouwadge
Ontario
Thank you for the good writeup. It in truth used
to be a enjoyment account it. Glance advanced to more delivered agreeable from you!
However, how could we keep up a correspondence?