Posted on: May 13, 2018 | MPPCOA News
T’is the season when Manitoba Provincial Park cottagers, all of whom have strong personal connections to their provincial park areas, are feeling the irresistible urge to make a break for their lakeside regions throughout our province. To once again savour the joys of Manitoba summers and of cottage living: loons’ early morning calls, waves lapping, opportunities to get away from workday routines and noises, occasions to reconnect with family and friends, smells of campfires, feelings of intense sleep after engaging in vigorous outdoor activity and fresh air, tranquility while waiting for a tug on a line, swimming in the lake and then sitting in the sun, peaceful feelings of watching the big night sky unfold, … sharing of an obsessive love for all things Manitoba summers bring.
We were most pleased when Minister Squires announced January 12th “ the Manitoba government has extended its moratorium on increases to park land lease and service fees for cottages in provincial parks for another two years.” A special “thank you” to Wayne McGimpsey (DMCOA Director-at-Large; Wellman/Glad) who attended this event on our behalf. This announcement was affirmed in a January 31st letter from Minister Squires included with our annual invoice.
Meanwhile, Manitoba Provincial Park Cabin Owners Association (MPPCOA) Executive Council and MPPCOA Advisory Committee members have not been hibernating. Since our November 2017 DMCOA Messenger they have been working most diligently on your behalf. During the Fall and early Winter period, while Parks and Protected Spaces Branch (PPSB) were undergoing and adjusting to a number of personnel changes (examples include: new Minister, new Deputy Minister, adapting to government mandated 15% reduction in middle management positions), Cabin Owners were busy completing our MPPCOA Discussion paper. This paper is the compilation of three separate papers that had been developed over the previous months. It provides background information, and outlines our philosophical positions on land lease and service fee matters. Lead author Dan Klass, Chair, MPPCOA Advisory Committee (a MPPCOA standing committee) was assisted by members of his committee (each member COA has representation) and all members of the Executive Committee had opportunities for input, discussion and editing. Copies were provided to Parks Branch committee members at our joint January 2018 meeting.
We were very pleased to accept new memberships from two COAs to MPPCOA. In March Booster Lake COA (Nopiming) and Long Lake COA (Nopiming) became our newest members. Robin Cadzow and Cam Neurenberg, respectively, have been active participants since that time. We held our Third Quarter MPPCOA meeting April 24th which provided them with an opportunity to delve into, to question and to comment on matters of common concern. It is our understanding other provincial park COAs are hoping to arrive at similar decisions to join MPPCOA at upcoming AGMs.
Cabin Owners Executive Committee members and Parks Branch staff have held a series of half-day meetings: December 17th, January 25th, March 22nd and April 19th. Next meeting is scheduled for May 24th.
In addition, on April 12th several members of our MPPCOA Advisory Committee and Parks Branch staff members met for one-half day to form a Working Group and to begin focused discussions. These “table officers” are tasked with developing future positions concerning Crown Land Rent and Park District Service Fees. A second meeting was held May 9th while the next meeting is scheduled for June 6th.
Please note at this time of year in Manitoba … the only reminder of whiteouts we will tolerate involves, “Go, Jets!”
Jack Elliott
Chair, MPPCOA Executive Committee
DMCOA, Director-at-Large, East Blue Lake
