The Provincial Whitewater and Sports Association

Wednesday November 6, 2019

An Open Letter to Whitewater Regional Council,

We are very pleased that your council values the importance of public river access and paddling tourism within your municipality.

Our President, Dave Gillespie, has corresponded with Mr. Tremblay of your council’s Strategic Plan, and possible Action Items. As you have identified earlier, continued recreational opportunity and tourism around the whitewater asset in your jurisdiction is paramount to your economy.

In our own survey in 2016, members within our provincial sports association identified the River as the #1 recreational venue for whitewater kayakers and canoeists in Eastern Canada. As such we would like to do more than just voice our collective concern - we would like to be a partner in the process.

Acquiring, planning, and developing a property that can act as a point of entry and exit along the whitewater section is within our scope of priorities, thereby we can assist Whitewater Region in realizing public access.

As a stakeholder and partner in two other internationally-recognized venues in Ottawa and Minden over the past 40 years, we have a proven track of working with municipal and provincial agencies to develop these properties. Aspects we have provided in acquiring and developing property include: • leveraging expertise and skillsets within our membership • meeting with municipal staff & coordinating efforts • generating funds • writing and endorsing grants (government and N.G.O.) • contributing to marketing and public education • boots on the ground site development

If council wishes, we can work together to achieve Whitewater Region’s Strategic Plan and Actions, such as securing and developing appropriate property. This will support the needs of your local residents, and distant visitors, as well as serve our Whitewater Ontario members and the broader paddling community.

I am sorry we could not be in Council Chambers in person, but do have general members of the whitewater paddling community who will be attending.

Should you have any questions, or would like to discuss this further, please do not hesitate to have Mr. Tremblay reach out to us. We can then arrange a delegation of representatives to meet with your staff and discuss opportunities.

In Service,

Dave Gillespie - President - Whitewater Ontario Eric Betteridge – Vice President Whitewater Ontario & Runners club Ryan Wodham – Whitewater Ontario - Advocacy Director Paula Czarnik – Whitewater Ontario - Director & WO Advocacy Committee Eric Chaplin – Kawartha Whitewater Paddling club & WO dvocacy Committee Juan Pablo Lavlin – Carleton University Kayak Club & WO Advocacy Committee

cc. Whitewater Ontario membership