Dear editor:
Please accept this open letter to Natural Resources minister John Snobelen and Finance minister Jim Flaherty.
Dear ministers:
I have received a number of letters from tourist lodge owners throughout Northwestern Ontario complaining that cabin owners are operating unlicensed underground tourist resorts.
The tourist lodge owners point out that in order to be in the tourism business, they must purchase tourism licences, and business licences, and they must pay PST, GST, income tax, and commercial property tax.
Finally, they must comply with the MNR fish and game regulations, and water and septic system regulations of the MoE and the Northwestern Health Unit.
Meanwhile, the owner of a private cabin who operates it as an unlicensed, underground tourist cabin pays no taxes, has no licence, and operates without regard to MoE, MNR, and health unit rules.
As well, the unlicensed underground tourist operations significantly increase the pressure on fish stocks.
I have enclosed a few examples of private cabins in Ontario being advertised as tourist resort accommodations by Americans and Manitobans.
I am told that in the case of private cabins owned by American residents, the financial payments are almost always made in the United States so there is no business activity benefit or taxation revenue benefit to Ontario or Canada even though it is an Ontario resource (access to the fish stocks) that is being sold.
What is your government prepared to do about activities like these, which constitute tax evasion and/or abuse of our natural resources? Please reply to my Dryden constituency office.
Sincerely,
Howard Hampton, MPP
Kenora-Rainy River
CC: Hon. Elizabeth Witmer, Minister of the Environment
CC: Hon. Dan Newman, Minister of Northern Development and Mines
CC: Hon. Tim Hudak, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Recreation
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
