MPP Dunlop – GEORGIAN BAY LEVELS DEMAND ATTENTION

Recently, I was pleased to be invited to a Rotary Luncheon hosted by the Midland Rotary Club.

The guest speaker at the luncheon was Ms. Mary Muter who is a cottager on Georgian Bay, a member of the Georgian Bay Association and a person who has devoted endless hours on the ecology and water levels on Georgian Bay and Lake Huron.

I found her presentation to be most informative and I came away from the presentation feeling that government at all levels and of all political stripes need to pay far more attention and invest in our Great Lakes.

The Georgian Bay Association, through its foundation, paid for, at a cost of $250,000.00, a report named the Baird Water Level Report. The report concluded that erosion and the continual and ongoing dredging of the St. Clair River is causing water levels on Lake Huron and Georgian Bay to drop at greater rate than ever before.

The Baird report convinced the International Joint Commission that the erosion of the St. Clair River is in fact a major cause of low water levels on Lake Huron and Georgian Bay.

In Simcoe North we have a lot at stake with water levels that continue to decline.

To begin with, the property values of shoreline properties are impacted because the high water mark keeps moving further away from the property lines and buildings making it at times almost impossible for dockage.

Secondly, with thousands of boats and marinas on Georgian Bay, some marinas are finding it more difficult to access their locations by larger boats.

Third, with the drop in water levels our precious wetlands are also in jeopardy as many have begun to actually dry up putting a strain on our natural heritage system and wildlife.

It is now very well documented that Georgian Bay and Lake Huron are approximately 40 centimetres lower than the levels recorded in 1918.

I was thankful that I was able to receive data and listen to the presentation by Ms. Muter. I intend to work very hard at the provincial level to draw attention and funding assistance to this very significant problem.

Georgian Bay is a part of the culture of our region. We need to address the concerns raised in the Baird Report so that future generations can enjoy the natural beauty of beautiful Georgian Bay.