Echo April 2016.Indd

VOLUME 35 NUMBER 1 PUBLISHED BY THE WHITESHELL COTTAGERS ASSOCIATION INC. WWW.WHITESHELLCOTTAGERS.COM APRIL 2016 President’s Report By Daniel Klass, WCA President Time flies when agement in the Park could benefit from collaboration between users you’re having fun. and managers. Li�le did I know that just as we were offering these his will be the last of my Presi- gestures of peace and cooperation, Tdent’s Reports for the Whiteshell in the winter of 2013, the Provin- Echo, and when I think back over the cial Government was lining up last two action packed years with their new draconian policies for the WCA, the old truism comes to fees and lease rates that precipitat- Picturing Summer mind. It hasn’t been all fun, but how ed the struggle in which we have quickly those days have gone by! Photo above by Joycelyn Litke of Block 2, Eleanor Lake, was the been engaged over the past three Second Prize winner in the Action Category of the 2015 Whiteshell But, on reflection, I realize that years. Cottagers Association Photo Contest. For details and entry form for the issues that have dominated Most memorable to me, in this this year’s contest, with more than $700 in prizes, see page 15. the agenda over the past few years light, was our first meeting in July, have li�le to do with the reasons I 2013 with senior government offi- outrageous tax grab on the part wish to subsidize the province, nor engaged with the WCA six years cials, more than three months after of the government. The NDP had do they wish to be subsidized. They ago. I had just retired from an inter- the first public announcement of mislabeled all co�agers as an elite, wish only to be treated fairly and to national career in medicine, and my the new strategy for fees in Provin- who deserved to have their pockets provide feedback on the expendi- wife and I were making the move cial Parks. A member of our Execu- picked! Surprisingly many Manito- ture of their money. we had been planning for years; a tive commented that, just as con- bans seemed to agree. To broadcast our message and to return to our favourite place in the templated in the Parks Act, Parks Our strategy, implemented from deal with the government a�ack, world, West Hawk Lake. But I rap- management might benefit from 2013 through to the end of 2015, it was first necessary for us to put idly became concerned by the poor some input on general ma�ers was straightforward. our organization into fighting trim. state of relations between “Parks” from co�agers. The response blew We stuck to a clear and straight- Fortunately, we had just hired a and stakeholders in the Whiteshell. us away ... ”Don’t ever think that forward message; new administrator, Ken Sommer, a There should have been a produc- you’ll have any role in running the 1) Co�agers are prepared to pay co�ager from the North Whiteshell tive and collaborative relationship Parks.” We didn’t even get a chance for services from which they benefit, and an experienced business man- between the managers of one of to explain that we were interested but the financial books need to be ager, who quickly put the organi- Canada’s most beautiful recreation mainly in be�er communication, transparent and the Minister needs zation on a new path to efficient areas and the individuals most af- and that control was not what we to get input from co�agers on the capability. fected by the quality of that man- had in mind! issue of benefit, just as described in We also realized that over the pre- agement. Instead, Parks workers Nonetheless, the issue of the ben- the Parks Act. vious several years, our membership were seen as enforcers of picky and efits of user input into Parks Man- 2) Lease rates need to reflect com- had grown apathetic and our num- arbitrary rules, while co�agers and agement, my issue, faded into the parable values in other recreational bers were down; at many lakes far business people were frequently background since we had now to areas, and the assessment of value fewer than 50 per cent of co�agers stereotyped as “mindless perpetra- deal with an issue that over the past needs to be fair and open. were members. So our membership tors” by Parks Staff. three years has been like a chicken 3) All payments from co�agers commi�ee, under the whip hand of In my early days on the Executive, bone stuck in our throats. should be accounted for with full our vice-president Gary Kennedy, I was a strong supporter of former The challenge to the WCA was to budget disclosure before co�agers began a recruiting campaign that President Tom Walker’s initiatives mount a vigorous response to what are accused of being subsidized has worked wonders. to open lines of communication we saw from the beginning as an by the province. Co�agers neither with Parks on issues in which man- Continued on page three Now is IN THIS ISSUE ... the time to join ENVIRONMENT CONTEST 4 TRANSFER STATION INFO 10 the WCA AGM DETAILS 5 DIRECTORS BANQUET 12 See Page 4 FIRE DEPT. REPORT 6 2016 PHOTO CONTEST 15 BOARD OF DIRECTORS 8 LAKE REPORTS 18-30 for Member PARK CONTACT NUMBERS 9 WHAT’S COOKING? 22-23 Application Publication Agreement No. 40009463 2 WHITESHELL ECHO APRIL 2016 22 APRIL 2016 WHITESHELL ECHO 3 President’s Report Continued From Page 1 Our numbers now are up suf- information for all co�agers about is time again for us to think about Ronald Smith, Tom Walker and ficiently for us to be able to say their lake lives. how we can make our organization all the Executive Team, Deborah proudly that WCA represents a Our strategy also targeted legal, a partner with Parks Management Seguin and the Communication substantial majority of co�agers in public relations and political ac- to ensure Manitoba’s Provincial Commi�ee, Doug Moberg and the Whiteshell. This campaign is tions, about which you will be very Parks, especially the Whiteshell, Alan Roberts and the Environment ongoing; in fact we hope to make familiar from previous reports. remain jewels that serve all Mani- C o m - mi�ee. And allow me to our door-to-door outreach an an- Our investments in legal help from tobans. single out my own hardworking nual event! We want to find as Mark Newman at Fillmore Riley I feel confident that the WCA will general members from West Hawk many ways as possible to ensure and in communication support remain in a strong position to make Lake, Lee Rock, and the Stevens, that the WCA works as a bo�om- from Jim Chess at Chess Commu- its case over the coming months Smiths, Cherniacks and Stephens, up organization, and annual direct nications paid back in spades. At and years. We have a strong Execu- and other West Hawk Lake Can- contact between our Directors and the end of the day, it was the sum of tive and a freshly engaged mem- vassers. And of course Bruce Al- members is an important way to our preparations for these activities, bership. I urge all of you to consider exander, my chief political advi- make sure our members feel that along with the fortuitous timing of how best you can play a role in our sor, Wayne Anderson, my other they belong. the upcoming provincial election programs. At the end of the day it is chief political advisor, the myriad Our membership campaign was that put us in a strong bargaining individuals, working in teams that intrepid le�er writers, includ- broadened to include a fund rais- position. We were able to convince make things happen. I invite you all ing Gary Coopland, Ray Rybuck, ing arm, so that we would not be the government to agree to our de- to join my list of special co�agers, Garry Parker, Neil Craton, Mark caught flat-footed with insufficient mand for a freeze in our lease fees the one that starts with my saying ... Bernstein and many others, and of resources should we need a full at 2014-15 levels. You will have ”if it weren’t for ______________we course our chief political agitator, fledged public relations, legal or seen that result in your most recent would never have go�en to where Kerry Davies. And finally, we have political campaign. In a short sum- invoices. We are also reassured that we are now.* the memory of Warren Froese, who mer campaign we raised nearly whatever the result of the provin- * This is my way of thanking; did so much in his last days for our $40,000, with promises of much cial election, the government of the Ken Sommer, Gary Kennedy, cause. more if needed. day will respect this freeze and will We also began discussions with move forward with our coalition in other similarly afflicted co�age a meaningful consultation to deter- owner associations in Manitoba’s mine a new system of fee manage- provincial parks. We met with ment in the Parks. We hope above the Moose Lake, Duck Mountain, all, that we have dialed down the Grindstone, Hecla, and Paint Lake anxiety of many ordinary co�ag- Co�agers, and we are now con- ers over forced sales of co�ages be- cluding Coalition Agreements with cause of impossibly high rents. these groups to ensure that when But while there is plenty of reason we negotiate with the Government, for us to be pleased with this out- we are doing so on behalf of all come, there remains lots of work Provincial Park Co�agers.

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