ONTARIO ๐ฅ๏ธ Ontario Protecting Provincial Waterways
Friday, 30 June 2023 10:21.AM
- Province clarifying restrictions on floating accommodations -
The Ontario government is prohibiting floating accommodations from docking overnight on provincial waterways. The regulatory change will come into effect July 1, 2023 and will protect Ontarioโs lakes and rivers by preserving access to public lands and ensuring fairness for recreational users. The regulation will not impact anyone exercising their right to navigate, including reasonable mooring, or anyone exercising Aboriginal or treaty rights.
โWe heard a number of concerns about the use of floating accommodations on Ontarioโs waterways, including their potential effects on the environment as well as concerns about safety,โ said Graydon Smith, Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry. โWith these changes, we are taking action to protect our waterways by preserving access to lakes and rivers, ensuring access for recreational users, and reducing the potential for pollution of lakes and rivers.โ
Floating accommodations, such as rafts and barges, contain buildings or structures equipped for overnight accommodation, but unlike watercraft, they are not primarily designed for navigation.
The regulatory changes follow consultations with the public, boaters, cottagers, municipalities and Indigenous communities which expressed concerns that floating accommodations have a risk of damaging the environment. Concerns were expressed that floating accommodations could disturb local fish and wildlife by disrupting the natural environment and increase the risk of pollution from garbage, greywater disposal and spills.
These changes, which clarify the difference between floating accommodations and watercraft, only apply to public lands in Ontario managed under the Public Lands Act and will not address floating accommodations located on private water lots or on waterways under jurisdiction of other governments and ministries (e.g., portions of Trent Severn Waterway).
"Our region is home to many waterways of tremendous importance to the area's geology, biology, history, and culture, and they deserve protection so residents can continue to enjoy them for generations to come. Working with our communities and looking at the impacts of floating cottages, these changes are essential to protect our waterways that play a vital role as drainage outlets, providing habitat, nourishment, and means of transport to countless lifeforms, offering travel routes for business and recreational boaters, and that create the majestic scenery that is such an integral part of our landscape."
- Jill Dunlop,MPP for Simcoe North
"I would like to thank Minister Smith for taking time to consult the public including boaters, cottagers, municipalities and Indigenous communities to address floating accommodations. This resolution will protect our water eco systems and allow for the continued enjoyment for all wishing to utilize public lands."
- Laurie Scott,MPP for Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock
SOURCE: Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry
-
Related materials:
- 04-May-2024 06:27 PM ONTARIO ๐ต๐งด Ontario Funding Innovative Microplastic Capture Project in Thunder Bay ๐๏ธ๐๐
- 04-May-2024 12:00 PM ONTARIO JOBS ๐ง๐๐ต Ontario Supporting Local Cultural Tourism Events
- 03-May-2024 10:11 AM ONTARIO ๐ต Ontario to Establish New Regional Office in Ottawa
- 03-May-2024 09:26 AM ONTARIO JOBS ๐ง๐ Ontario Helping Jobseekers and Cracking Down on Exploitative Employers โ๏ธ
- 02-May-2024 02:29 PM ONTARIO ๐๐ฆ๐ง๐ต Ontario Increasing Funding to Boost Reading, Writing and Math
- 02-May-2024 10:27 AM ONTARIO โ๏ธ๐ Protect Yourself from Tick Bites This Summer ๐
- 01-May-2024 06:33 PM ONTARIO ๐ต Ontario Connecting Communities with Essential Infrastructure ๐ง๐ฒ๐๐ฆ
- 01-May-2024 12:00 PM ONTARIO ๐ฎโโ๏ธ๐ต Ontario Marks Sexual Assault Prevention Month ๐ซ
- 01-May-2024 10:23 AM ONTARIO๐๐ Ontario Exploring Options to Reduce Electricity Rates for Public EV Chargers ๐
- 30-Apr-2024 12:00 PM ONTARIO ๐๐๐ฆ๐ง Ontario Cracking Down on Cellphone Use and Banning Vaping in Schools ๐ฑ