NWOTA wrestles with possible changes

Area tourists camp owners were left pondering how changes coming down from government would effect how they run their businesses in the future.
At last Thursday’s meeting of the North Western Ontario Tourism Association (NWOTA) in Nestor Falls, those on hand wrestled with a multitude of changes on everything from gun control to boating licensing and water quality.
NWOTA vice-president Geoff Gillon said it was a “good” meeting because it allowed camp owners to absorb some ideas for potential change by the government.
“In the last 10 years [of meetings], there are always issues, sometimes they’re fish issues, but this year it involved more of how they will be running their camps,” Gillon said yesterday.
“There were quite a few issues on the plate, and the camp operators are expected to do business in an environment that continues to change,” he added.
But NWOTA president Donna Hanson said this year was basically the same as every other one. In fact, she noted it appears to be a “continual process” of at least six different agencies asking for change.
Hanson said the most contentious issue was that involving the electronic registering of guns from U.S. hunters making the trek up to Canada. She noted there has been an onslaught of negative feedback from Americans concerning this new law which will take effect in 2001.
“It’s unfortunate because [the hunters] realize there are other places to go [hunting],” she stressed, noting many hunters simply would be adamant against having to go through the process.
The cost would be $50 per gun.
Hanson said the new law may have serious implications on those tourist operators who offer big-game hunting, and hinted it may be a struggle for them to avoid losing clients.
But a “borrower’s licence” option will be put in place whereas an American can leave his guns at home and use a Canadian’s gun (during 60-day intervals) to hunt. That licence would cost just $30.
Meanwhile, Ross’s Camp owner Pat Howard said she was concerned about the new law, which takes effect in January, that will require lifejackets to be put on board for every person on a watercraft (as well as a cushion).
She noted being forced to provide lifejackets for each individual (which could cost upwards to $100 each) could prove costly for many camp owners.
“When you have larger adults who require an extra large [size] and then kids, it could become fairly expensive,” she stressed.
Howard said another issue brought up was the idea of a flashlight having to be on board if the boat is expected to drift one nautical mile off shore.
But Howard noted they were not given any indication if, or when, the government plans to implement this change.
Howard added the issue of water quality was one that simply was brought forth “out of the blue” when the health department sent out letters to tourists camps.
“Most of the water is checked on a regular basis, and most of the time it passes with flying colours,” she remarked.