Provincial Parks Cabin Owners’ Association ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING October 23, 2010 – 9:15 a.m. Four Seasons Sheraton Hotel, Saskatoon, SK

SUMMARY OF THE MEETING

In attendance: Representatives from the following provincial park cottage association: Greenwater PP; Howe Bay-MLPP; PP; Greig Lake-MLPP; Sask. Landing PP; Kimball Lake-MLPP; Pike Lake PP; Narrow Hills PP; -Moose Mountain PP; Jeanette Lake-MLPP; Madge Lake-Duck Mountain PP; Lac LaRonge PP; Flotten Lake-MLPP; Delorme’s Beach-Battlefords PP. Regrets: Good Spirit PP; Lac des Iles Lake-MLPP

1. The President, Judy Riou, welcomed everyone who traveled to Saskatoon for the meeting

2. Agenda adopted with changes.

3. The minutes of previous AGM were read.

4. The Treasurer’s report was presented by the Secretary-Treasurer, Ian McNaughton

5. 1. New Business: a) A review of Association constitution took place. Changes were made and carried. b) Annual Membership Fees – The annual fees were reviewed and will remain the same. Reminder that annual fees must be paid prior to the AGM each year or the member delegate is ineligible to vote. c) SPPCOA website. Judy encouraged more usage. At the very least each association should send her their current executive contact information each year. d) President’s Report was given by Judy with an overview of the year. She reviewed all correspondence she received. She read a report provided to her from Bob McEachern, Manager, Parks Service with an overview of Parks for 2010. Discussions ensued.

5. 2. Review of Appeals and Appeals process. Of the 28 appeals heard, 21 were successful and 7 were not. Documents on Post Appeal results for the applied land rates for each park and subdivision were handed out. The Lease Fees Committee had brought up with Parks Branch that allowing only 1 year to appeal the new land assessment, prior to a cottager even receiving their lease fee invoice, is unreasonable. Parks Branch will look into the possibility of having a 2nd year to appeal. 5. 3. An overview of the lease fee discussions between the SPPCOA Committee and Parks Branch ensued. Documents were distributed to delegates. The SPPCOA Committee Chair (Judy) had kept in contact with cottage association delegates via email throughout the discussions. Each delegate had an opportunity to discuss their own park’s individual Direct Service fees with their own Park Supervisors prior to implementation. TPCS had a 4-year goal to collect $2.1 million from the 12 parks. The increases to fees are phased in over the first 3 years. The fees are made up of the direct service cost and land lease fee. Discussions ensued. 5. 4. A discussion took place on when to elect the new lease fee committee prior to the next 4-year lease fees, which would be implemented in 2014/2015. It was decided by delegates that we would wait until the assessment process is in place and elect the new committee at our AGM in that future year. 5. 5. A review on RPR’s (Real Property Reports) took place. A 21 year lease will be not renewed without the submission of an RPR and an inspection of the property to ensure nothing from the original RPR has changed. The RPR is also required (if prior to a 21 year lease renewal) if the cabin is being sold or if another name is being added to the lease. The RPR will only be required once, unless significant changes have been made to a lot upon inspection by parks staff. Parks Branch staff say they are to work on reasonable solutions and may grandfather some situations if warranted. They will deal firmly with true violations by a lease holder that was done with no verbal permission or permit. A discussion ensued. 5. 6. A discussion took place on the 21-year lease and potential problems with obtaining financing for buyers if the lease only has a few years left. 5.7. Problems with Parks Branch lease transfer documents. A discussion paper was distributed to delegates and discussion ensued. 5.8. The director from Cypress Hills gave an overview of the Friends Of The Park program that has been implemented at Cypress Hills. The Friends of Cypress Hills Park Inc.was incorporated in Saskatchewan and registered with CRA as a not-for-profit charitable corporation in 2003. The objective of the organization is to work cooperatively with Park management and staff to enhance the educational, recreational and interpretive programs in the Cypress Hills Park as well as facilities in the park. Information was provided and a discussion ensued. For further information go to their website: www.friendsofthepark.ca 5. 9. Proper lake management is important to our parks. A director from Pike Lake cottage association spoke on the current lake management at that lake. Their association has been working hard to get the lake cleaned up. They have even purchased their own machine for removing algae, etc. from the lake. They are in ongoing discussions with all users of the park, Parks Branch and Fisheries Branch to work together for the betterment of the lake. 5.10. Election of Officers. Judy announced that she is stepping down as President after being in the position for 6 years. She will remain on as Past-President. The Vice-President position was vacant last year as well. The election ensued. After much time, a new slate of officers was elected. Ian McNaughton was elected for another 2-year term as Secretary-Treasurer. Reed Burton was elected for a 1-year term as Vice-President. Bill Duke was elected for a 1-year term as President. Judy Riou is the Past-President and will help and mentor when requested.

6. Other Business: a) Discussion ensued on the unreasonable amount of time it is taking for Parks Branch to renew a lease. It is taking a minimum of 14 weeks and in some cases up to 6 months to process. In future discussions, the Officers need to discuss the options with Parks Branch to get leases out quicker. A discussion ensued. b) A delegate pointed out that there have been changes to park regulations. The total combined sq. footage of outbuildings such as a garage, shed, etc. has now been limited to being no larger than the sq. footage of your cabin. Discussion ensued. c) A Roundtable discussion took place on the happenings in each park. Some of the highlights were:  Battleford – New underground power lines are complete  Cypress Hills – An ongoing cougar watch program is happening in their park. Discussions on trailers being parked on cottage lots ongoing. (See Moose Mountain)  Sask. Landing – Parks have implemented a firewood purchase program. Irrigation site ongoing and costs rising. Cottages are concerned and monitoring.  Pike Lake – Ongoing lake management program  Narrow Hills – A new wier in place there for a cost of $300,000. ATV use banned in core area and allowed on trails. A new ATV club has been formed. Would be good to have a storage area at the park. Ongoing discussions with Parks Branch.  Moose Mountain (Kenosee) - Capital improvements in the campground this year with 3 shower houses and 3 playgrounds built. A huge issue arose this year on camper trailers being used or stored on a cottage leased lot. This is not allowed and Parks Branch is starting to implement the rule. This is causing a lot of angst with some cabin owners. Parks will be changing regulations to charge the normal camping permit fee to any trailer parked on a cottage lot and that a trailer can only be parked on a cottage lot no more than 14 days in total per summer season. The issue has pitted cabin owners against each other. (Cypress Hills mentioned that this issue is ongoing at their park as well and the same rules will be applied there next summer on purchasing permit, etc.) Second dwellings on leased lots at Kenosee are also being questioned and this is causing problems as well because there are two opposite opinions on this. Expect more discussions on this in the coming year.  Lac LaRonge - Sask. Water Corp has upgraded the damn at Rapid River. Water levels remain constant. The marine railway was repaired at Rapid River so they can get boats in. The portage railway covers 500 meters between LaRonge and Hale Lake and gives lightweight boats access to Rapid River and Iskwatigan Lake. Cottagers don’t take their docks out as most cottages are located on the various islands.  Greenwater - There has been problems with speeding in the subdivisions. Speed bumps were put up in one subdivision which has helped a bit, but still problems. Appeals were successful in the one subdivision last year. Problems with the Government granting private enterprises around the park to cut into park forest on crown land to cut wider roads, etc. This should not have been allowed. Government was also going to allow a private enterprise to put in a private campground. Everything is halted when cottage president pointed out that the proper due process must take place and request for proposals should go out to all parties that may be interested in future park development of any kind. A process is now in place with ongoing discussions. ATV’s not too much of a problem in the summer.  Greig Lake-Meadow Lake PP – Lake levels are down with new culverts in place. Ongoing beaver control. Winter storage of docks an ongoing problem. Emergency siren is in place for any problems so all can be alerted.  Flotten Lake–Meadow Lake PP - Security is an ongoing problem. Parks staff shut down a road heading north so criminals can’t get out other than the way they came in. Parks Branch won’t deal with the cabin issue as there are lots of squatters. Cormorant birds still an ongoing issue in reducing the fish populations.  Kimball Lake–Meadow Lake PP - Water levels are good. Parks staff are trying to get cottagers to haul their docks to their cabins for the winter, but they can’t do it as it is too difficult, so they won’t. There is a stand-off at the moment. ATV’s not much of a problem and generally not around in the summer.  Jeannette Lake-Meadow Lake PP - The fishing is great now as they have stocked the lake. Problems are arising because the Park Gate staff are telling tourists the best fishing is at Jeannette, but there are no facilities of any kind there. Cabin owners are getting very annoyed because tourists are knocking on their doors asking is they can use their bathrooms. ATV’s are not allowed in the park. If seen on highways, etc., RCMP should be called. Many have been seen without licenses on them.

7. Judy declared the meeting adjourned.