Dear Editor:
An open letter to Whitewater Region Councillor Charlene Jackson.
Dear Councillor Jackson:
The intent of this email is to correct the misinformation that you stated in the council meeting on February 15, 2017 and set the record straight as to what steps are necessary to improve the situation in Muskrat Lake.
Just to be clear, I personally support the studies that Algonquin College is doing on behalf of the Muskrat Watershed Council. To have more data will be helpful so that when we do send the ” Application for Review ” to the provincial government we will have lots of data.
As you may or may not be aware, the Muskrat Lake Association(MLA) has agreed with the Muskrat Watershed Council that the MLA will be submitting the Application for Review. That document is required in order to get a “Protection Plan” and hopefully a “Protection Act” for Muskrat Lake from the Government of Ontario.
That’s what Lake Simcoe has, and without those documents Muskrat Lake will continue to deteriorate.
The Application for Review requires lots of data describing the problem, i.e. Muskrat Lake, as well as a believable, comprehensive, credible remediation plan.
Without that plan, as advised by the Environmental Commissioner of Ontario, our Application for Review will be rejected. If it’s rejected we cannot re-apply for another five years.
The Environmental Commissioner of Ontario advised that the government does not want its agencies running around the province solving problems. It’s up to us to develop our own solution i.e Township of Whitewater Region!
As advised by the MWC in December 2015, they support the Michalski Proposal that would develop a remediation plan for Muskrat Lake.
Why won’t our own elected politicians support it?
When the MLA got permission to do a presentation to the Renfrew County Development and Property Committee on October 11, 2016 concerning Muskrat Lake and the Michalski proposal, I personally sent a request to Karen Coulas to attend with us on behalf of the MWC.
There was no response from either Ms. Coulas or the MWC.
Therefore, I made the presentation on behalf of the MLA with Gary Younghusband, secretary of the MLA.
The reason the MLA is active is because we know what has to be done to get Muskrat Lake on the remediation path.
Unfortunately, Whitewater Region council and Renfrew County council are more interested in wasting taxpayers money on purchasing rail corridors, dog tag litigation, bicycle lanes for Ottawa cyclists, etc. than they are in helping the taxpayers of Whitewater Region and those around Muskrat Lake.
You need to have a reality check!
As you are likely aware, the MOECC has several requirements for Whitewater Region to show an improvement in Muskrat Lake prior to removing the ” At Capacity” designation for Muskrat Lake.
Funding the Michalski proposal would be the correct step in the right direction.
Regards:
Donald W. Deer., P. Eng.
Cobden
