Worth the price?

Dear sir:
Recently I had the opportunity to chair a meeting in Sioux Narrows-Nestor Falls and to attend the open house meeting in Kenora with regards to the proposal to expand the boundaries of Kenora, Sioux Narrows-Nestor Falls, and the township of Lake of the Woods.
These meetings were well attended, with many valid and interesting comments . However. I don’t think anyone should be under the impression that this is anything other than the first step in an ongoing process to protect the environment, land, and water of our beautiful lake.
There is no such thing as status quo in this matter. If nothing is done, the lake—and ultimately all of us—lose.
Until this initiative, I don’t believe there have been any proposals to protect our lake by any one or group. Yes, the KDPOA has undertaken a study to determine the pollution and its source, and for this they absolutely deserve to be commended.
But we can study the lake forever and lose.
If the proposal is successful, we would have three communities to lobby for the cleanup of the rest of the watershed.
The government organizations, Ministry of Natural Resources, and the Northwestern Health Unit have neither the time nor financial means, nor in some cases the will, to do what must be done to protect Lake of the Woods.
We could, I suppose, lobby these organizations, but how long will that take? We have the mechanism available—now is the time to get moving. Many of our residents from the U.S. and southern Ontario will tell you what their experiences have been when they delayed. It has been disastrous.
This will not be without a price. We have a wonder at our doorstep; is it not worth the price?
(Signed),
Bill Thompson
Sioux Narrows-Nestor Falls