18 November, 2008
MNR Contempt for Public Involvement
An excellent letter to the editor was printed recently in the Sault This Week - "MNR Shows Contempt for Public Involvement" by Gaye Smith, Former Chairman of the Temagami Stewardship Council.
The Temagami Stewardship Council is focused on perserving and improving the natural resources and environment of Lake Temagami. I spoke with Gaye Smith earlier today and learned that unfortunately the group has really reduced their activities due to problems with the MNR in their area.
The Temagami Stewardship Council has accomplished many great things over the years. They had a very good working relationship with the MNR until a recent change in MNR management. Certain individuals in the MNR had no desire to cooperate with local citizens unless the MNR controlled the group. The group fought back, but a heavy handed backlash by the MNR essentially caused the group's demise. Similar stories have been heard about the MNR contributing to the closure of the Lake Nipissing Stewardship Council.
It seems many people are afraid of the MNR and MNR district managers. There are many stories of them abusing their power and intimidating Northern Ontario citizens and organizations if they don't fall into line.
The Temagami Stewardship Council has also experienced problems getting their Ombudsman to act on the abuses by the MNR. The Ombudsman is an officer of the provincial legislature, and independent of government and political parties. Their job is to ensure government accountability through effective oversight. Then why won't the Ontario Ombudsman even grant representatives of OntORA (NORA) a meeting?!
Clear abuse of power by government departments, and contempt for volunteer citizens who have done so much to preserve and enhance our natural resources! So much for "public input", "community roundtables" and "stakeholder meetings".
Comments on MNR Contempt for Public Involvement »
Such a familiar story that's playing out across Ontario. The town of Dubreuilville and others have been living under this cloud for years. The town of Dubreuilville estimates that roughly 85% of the prime recreational land in their vicinity has public access restrictions with MNR personel patrolling the area…all to deter the public from equally enjoying lakes used by outfitter's clients.
The Wawa MNR was brazen enough lately to announce publically that roads were closed to public vehicular traffic to prevent a conflict between big game hunters staying at remote-based outfitters and local hunters.
Although the MNR denies preventing equal public access to our public lakes and land they even published a manual on how to tear up roads or remove bridges etc to restrict the public.
OORA was formed to represent the public and fight to retain our right for equal and lawful access to our Crown land and lakes, if anyone has any questions about joining or taking an active role please contact Ont.ORA@hotmail.com
i recently had four mnr officers show up at my house with a search warrant and a video camera..they spent the whole day at my house and seized all the animal bones,skulls and and antlers i've been collecting for the past ten years…not once did they say they'd help to ensure that i would have the proper paperwork for the futrue..two of the men became aggresive and hostile and seemed to have thrown any professionalism out the door…needless to say i was terrified
I am a relatively new summer resident on Lake Temagami. I attended at two of the Stewardship council's meetings just prior to its unfortunate end. The meetings were both enjoyable and informative. It is truly a great loss to the community, the lake and the environment in general to have a group of dedicated and caring individuals such as the Stewardship council fall victim to the ever increasing pressures "volunteer" organizations are being put to by governments bureaucracy, and the personal agendas of some of their agents. The stewardship was able to provide free of charge to the government countless man hours of research and a high level of expertise and caring often seen in volunteer organizations of this type. The stake holders who were involved in the stewardship came from a near complete cross section of the community on and around Lake Temagami. From the outside looking in it appears as though there was a parting of the ways with the Ministry of Natural Resources or at least the MNR district upper level authorities, when the MNR failed to take into account that the services being provided were at no cost or very little, to the tax payers of Ontario, and not by persons with an agenda to climb the political ladder within that ministry. The same tax payers who pay the tab to have, likely the most important ministry, our government has, gutted to the point of near non-existence from its former high quality levels of service. The road blocks put in place made the tasks being undertaken by the Stewardship a near impossible task. Demoralized and defeated by the very Ministry the stewardship had partnered with, the council had no recourse but to fall. Congratulations are in order for all former members of the Lake Temagami Stewardship Council, for all the excellent work that was conducted, for us, the new and old, full and part time residents of the area of Temagami, a heart felt THANK YOU.
To the Ministry of Natural Resources, SHAME ON YOU!