Step up and be heard

This letter is in response to the article that appeared recently in the Kenora Enterprise. As this article touches a sore spot for many of us, I, for one, would like to know what efforts are being made to put a stop to the so-called underground cabin rentals.
Knowing this was a problem a couple of years ago, I called the Ministry of Tourism as well as Revenue Canada, but was told I would have to prove this was going on–and that I would have to hire my own private investigators to obtain such proof.
There was–and is–something wrong with this picture!
We know the names and the cabins that are being used for this clandestine activity. But we do not have access to the manpower nor the funds needed to gain such things as proof.
Furthermore, I, and many others, think it is high time the governments involved with collecting taxes take the necessary steps to convict these people. Not only do the resorts feel the crunch, our tax dollars that once worked for us are no longer evident.
I personally have tried to report people, several times, and have been told I need proof each time. Do you really think these people are stupid enough to leave a paper trail? These people are using our MNR’s new regulations to their advantage–and we are losing again!
Each and every year, the government in general has not listened to our concerns, or addressed them in a manner that would satisfy the people in the tourism business. All the questions targeted at the MNR or other agencies are answered with an answer that is unacceptable. That answer is always “We don’t know.”
If that is the case, when are you going to know what is going on, and for what reason?
As Mr. Hampton has stated, and I quote, “[The] MNR has got to say, if you are not staying at a resort, it is strictly catch and release.”
But if the MNR’s response is, and I quote Mr. Farrer’s response, “Targeting people who have friends using their summer homes is beyond the scope of what the ministry is directed to deal with,” then who’s job is it to police this situation?
It sounds like no one wants to do the job so where does that leave us? The MNR is a big scam at this time, and we do more as lodge owners for effective enforcement and education than they ever will.
Lodge owners also are tired of having to explain themselves to each and every fisherman, and hunter, and attempt to make any sense. We are being laughed at, as well as being taken advantage of.
It is about time I read something on this subject from Mr. Hampton’s office on this problem as it is one that has been shelved too many times for fear of making waves!
I would encourage everybody who has been affected by this problem to step up and be heard. In most cases, your name is totally confidential so do not be afraid to report the guy who is doing it to you–right in front of your nose.
Apparently, he doesn’t care about you any more than our government does!
Sincerely,
John C. Unsworth
Sunset Cove Camp
Nestor Falls, Ont.