Ontario Waterways (TSW, Rideau...)
*see current news updates below the image at the left*
According to Parks Canada, "National historic sites are places of profound importance to Canada. They bear witness to this nation's defining moments and illustrate its human creativity and cultural traditions. Each national historic site tells its own unique story, part of the greater story of Canada, contributing a sense of time, identity, and place to our understanding of Canada as a whole.
Two of these national treasures are the Rideau Canal National Historic Site of Canada, a 202km long operational canal with 47 locks; and the Trent–Severn Waterway National Historic Site of Canada, an operational canal 386 km long, with 44 locks.
Significant reductions in the capital and human resources dedicated to these waterways puts their ability to adequately manage water, and water-related activities, at risk.
Many FOCA members are on lakes and rivers that form (or feed) the lakes and rivers of the TSW (Trent Severn Waterway) and Rideau Canal.
To get informed, and for some background about the proposals affecting the Rideau Canal, visit the Save Our Rideau website.
Click the map below to link to the Parks Canada - Water Levels online pages:
TSW Locks at Bobcaygeon
NEWS:
May 14, 2013 Parks Canada to freeze lockage fees
May 13, 2013: Review panel to meet this week; could trigger cut in waterway fee increases - read the Ottawa Citizen article...
April 2013: be aware of high water and possible flooding due to spring runoff. Read more...
April 2013 - New panel to determine fee structure for waterways - Quinte News
March 2013 - Quinte Chamber of Commerce concerned about waterway governance, fees, hours of operation
February 2013 - MP's question whether Parks should run the canals - Ottawa Citizen
Constituent comments for local MP's (contacts below) Please provide by Feb. 11.
Comment directly on Parks Canada’s user fee proposals; email droits2013.2013fees@pc.gc.ca . Input must be received before February 18, 2013
Parks Canada Proposed Fees FAQs
Devolin to Table TSW Bill by Summer - Minden Times
January 2013 - TSW proposing various pricing and operating schemes - comments are encouraged on Parks Canada’s home page
Dec.2012: TSW announces Hours of Operation for 2013 season - read the news...
Sept.2012: Make your voice heard! FOCA encouraged our associations to rally members to contact politicians with concerns about the TSW.
Need some tips? Read this letter, reproduced with the permission of the Jacks Lake Association, and consider circulating one of your own. Please remember to copy FOCA on your correspondence!
TSW MP's:
Minister of Environment Peter Kent
Media:
MP calls for new agency to manage and operate Trent-Severn Waterway
Waterway Fees on BOATERS ONLYFederal MP says "absolutely" there will be user fees (Peterborough Examiner, August 18, 2012)
Parks Canada CEO says there will be NO USER FEES (Peterborough Examiner Aug 17, 2012)
A meeting was held to get community input on TSW budget: Thursday, August 16, 2012 in Washago from 7 - 9pm. Click here to read the notice. The Midland Free Press posted some of MP Stanton's comments from the meeting - click here to read the Aug.19th online article.
Aug 2012 - read this letter from 8 retired Parks Canada managers, expressing serious concerns about the impending waterway cuts. Read the FOCA June 2012 Elert for an update about Parks Canada cuts and the anticipated effect on the waterway.
July 2012 - FOCA Director and Severn River cottager Kay Soares attended the TSW Roundtable in Bobcaygeon.
July 19 2012 - TSW issues Low Water Advisory. The crisis facing central Ontario lakes prompted an open letter from the CEWF to Parks Canada.
Water Levels across the Province remain perilously low.
June 2012 - FOCA's Executive Director was quoted in an article about the June TSW meeting held in Peterborough.
Also, read this editorial, based upon the conversation with FOCA's Executive Director, following the TSW meeting.
