Quinte Fishing

Please take the time to read the article in the link I've posted. I encourage all to participate an open discussion about this newly designed "revenue sources" idea. I'd post the whole article but it is quite lengthy.

Here is a few excerpts from the article.

"PETERBOROUGH - A group of MPs looking into the future of the Trent-Severn Waterway will likely recommend a user fee that would apply to cottagers, PERMANENT residents, day users and visitors.

The idea was discussed at a meeting of stakeholders, mostly business owners from the four federal ridings that comprise about 90 per cent of the TSW, at Trent University’s Wenjack Theatre Friday afternoon.

The meeting was not open to the media."

"“I agree with the concept. If you want to ride your motorcycle on the road or ride your snowmobile on the trail, you have to pay a fee. I think a user fee would work and if that’s what it takes then I am all for it.”

Here is the link..

http://www.trentonian.ca/2012/06/18/mps ... ent-severn


Discuss.....

i have not read the link, but would ask... do you know how the collected user fee will be used.. will the money be put in a general fund or will it be used to maintain and upkeep the waterways involved.... if the latter then i would say yes to a reasonable fee.. if going into a fund for all kinds of other projects that have nothing to do with the water ways i would say no.. just another disguised tax it would seem.. also would it be fair to charge a fee to say a elderly couple who own a home along the waterway but do not boat..... be interesting to hear more imput from folks here as well as the goverment people..

9iron,
I hear your point about the elderly couple with no boat however if you consider the TSW also takes care of the water levels throughout the season including putting in and taking out ice booms, managing water quality issues and I'm sure numerous others items, all to the benefit, of the that elderly couple that chose to live there.

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Dan Elliot - A bad day on Quinte is better than a good day at work !!!
http://www.quintefishing.com

thats exactly right by the time most is eaten up in administrative costs commity and sub commity there wont be enough left to buy barbed wire to stop the dam crossings lol ......... what would be next a special permit to fish any body of water in Ontario, one for quine one for lake ontario one for salmon river, one for each lake on the map ?? where would it end if its allowed to start? we already pay for a fishing licens we pay tax for the gas for a boat now they want a water usage tax, what next ? a tax for the air we breath?

I'll tell you one thing about our government. "IF" they get away with this new "revenue sheme" you can bet your a$$, ALL waterway's in Ontario will become subject to "User Fees". I live on the Trent and I'll be damned if I'm paying any further fees to fish from my back yard!!!!

"I hear your point about the elderly couple with no boat however if you consider the TSW also takes care of the water levels throughout the season including putting in and taking out ice booms, managing water quality issues and I'm sure numerous others items, all to the benefit, of the that elderly couple that chose to live there."

Dan, I do not understand this point of view? Just because an "elderly couple that chose to live there", they should have to pay extra fees because they live on the water and you don't?? Are you insane?

Folks that have waterfront property are already being "raped" by Property Taxes..

You can also bet your a$$, that all the "revenue" generated from these "fees" will NOT be going back into the Trent Waterway System but rather to the "Administration Groups", so that they can CONTINUE to TELL You what is Best for You and our Children,if you know what I mean.

Here is the full article...........

PETERBOROUGH - A group of MPs looking into the future of the Trent-Severn Waterway will likely recommend a user fee that would apply to cottagers, permanent residents, day users and visitors.

The idea was discussed at a meeting of stakeholders, mostly business owners from the four federal ridings that comprise about 90 per cent of the TSW, at Trent University’s Wenjack Theatre Friday afternoon.

The meeting was not open to the media.

Simcoe North MP Bruce Stanton, the meeting chairman, confirmed afterwards that the user fee concept was discussed and that the MPs will likely recommend the measure to the federal minister of environment later this summer.

“There are a massive number of people who visit and live on the Trent-Severn Waterway from which there is currently no financial contribution,” he said.

“We have recreational boaters who pay for lockage passes and fees, but a great number of users of our lakes and rivers and some of the built canal system may never go through a lock, and yet they still derive a tangible benefit from it with no additional fees. We have 386 kilometres of waterway and you’ve got lakes and rivers on which there could be literally thousands of users.”

Quinte West Mayor John Williams was also at the meeting. Williams is spearheading a group of municipal leaders opposed to the cuts.

“I think it (user fees) is something we should look at ... instead of cutting services along the waterway,” he said Monday.

Williams and a group of other municipal leaders are meeting in Haliburton Thursday.

“While nothing has been decided, hopeful we can come up with some other ideas,” said Williams.

Like other branches of the federal government, the TSW is faced “with some deficit reduction issues,” Stanton said. “The initial proposal was that we were going to find some of those savings by reducing service in terms of the number of days and hours of operation on not only the Trent-Severn but on the Rideau system as well.

“We were able to forestall that for 2012, but it really is just a short time commitment to give us the chance as MPs to speak to people who have a vital interest in the economic benefit of this waterway and toss some ideas around as to how we as MPs can go back and make recommendations to the minister to say, ‘Here is a way that we cannot interrupt service for 2013, ’14 and ’15 and down the line.”

Stanton said the group doesn’t want to see cuts to service on the waterway. “We believe it’s too important. But we also accept that the government has its fiscal responsibility as well to the taxpayers of Canada, so we have got to find a way to come up with some creative ideas on how we can have the government realize its fiscal objective and at the same time not reduce service on the Trent-Severn.”

In addition to Stanton, Peterborough MP Dean Del Mastro, Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock MP Barry Devolin and Northumberland-Quinte West MP Rick Norlock were at the meeting. Del Mastro left shortly before the meeting ended and could not be reached for comment.

“I think we all left with a positive impression,” said Peterborough County Warden J. Murray Jones, who was at the meeting and said he supports the user-fee concept.

“The meeting gave the message loud and clear to the federal members that everyone from the whole cross section of the region is extremely concerned about the impacts of cutbacks to the waterway.

“The secret is coming up with some added revenue sources to keep the service vibrant. The waterway is the ribbon of life through the region and we can’t cut it any thinner than it is right now.”

He said fees would help decrease the deficit and increase revenue.

According to Jones, fees were bantered around the meeting and they got a lot of support.

“ A business plan would have to be developed to take those ideas into consideration and I think there is ever possibility that they would work,” he said.

“I agree with the concept. If you want to ride your motorcycle on the road or ride your snowmobile on the trail, you have to pay a fee. I think a user fee would work and if that’s what it takes then I am all for it.”

Friday’s meeting, Stanton said, was the first step in a process that will end with a recommendation to the government some time in August. Between now and then, each MP will hold meetings in their respective ridings, he said. “We are going to be reaching out to the public on this.”

How much tax money do we already generate on the gas, tackle, eating out, gear, maintenance and everything we buy to go fishing? Pretty soon we'll all have license plates, one year stickers and a pass for each body of water we want to go to on our boats.
Anybody care to figure out how much tax and licenses they've generated directly from fishing this year alone?

Just another tax grab scheme. I just wish more of us would jump up and down and scream enough is enough already.

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HUNT, FISH and RIDE

I am not interested in paying anymore taxes, for this or cause or for any other, period. The amount of taxes we pay in the Province of Ontario are among the highest in the world. It is to the point of financial repression. As mentioned, the revenue will likely go to "socially" subsidizing someone elses's interests, cause or way of life. I pay a small fortune in property tax for a cottage on an island on Rice Lake. For what, I have absolutely no, none, zero municipal service for anything, well, except tax collecting.

If these clowns want additional revenue, then, put a fence around the Peterborough lift lock and charge admission.

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K. Hynes

Uh guys, MP's are federal, so this is not an Ontario thing it is an all of Canada thing. If this goes ahead it will set a standard that no one should be allowed to have a good time on federal property without paying a tax, or a federal outdoors card that you must have to be outdoors. If the businesses want a tax, tax the businesses.

The real problem here is there is no political pay back for a gov. to do maintenance as opposed to new shiny new stuff with a big sign on it and everything is about getting elected.

Fortunately we have enough lawyers in big boats and along the shoreline that I doubt this will go far.

If a user tax is permited it no doubtably will used else where weather it be federally, provincally or municipally, it's a revenue source that is attractive to any cash strapped governing body. Should not the hydro electric that is produced from the trent pay for the trent? That's the way it should be.

"That's the way it should be."

No come on, there's no room for common sense and intelligent thinking when we're talking about politicians decisions here. After all, they're only looking out for what is best for us. You know, like putting up barb wired fences and taking our money every way they can dream of.

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HUNT, FISH and RIDE

The problem with Canadian politics is that it is becoming all to much like American politics. "Financial Terrorism" has to STOP !!!