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Proposed: Commercial Light Industry and Storage Sites at Star Lake

Letters of Opposition sent to Manitoba Parks

To:  Honorable Sarah Guillemard, Minister of Conservation and Climate

To:  Dale Sobkowich, Head of Commercial Policy, Planning and Programming

To: Deputy Minister, Conservation and Climate

CC:  Honorable Brian Pallister, Premier of Manitoba

 

Dear Minister, Deputy Minister and Dale,


I am corresponding to you to make my objection of the above proposed site at Star Lake MB being even considered. I am opposed to the whole idea. My main reason is SAFETY! 

  1. The road from PTH #301 to Star Lake is not maintained properly; the washboard is unbelievable and there is absolutely no dust control done. Everything is covered in dust - the trees, the grass, the children, the dogs and the cottagers walking. The people that live here know to drive slow, to watch for humans as half the time you can not see them, but the day trippers come flying down the road like it is a freeway. With the the added traffic turning out and going into that site, causing even more dust, how long it would take for someone to be hit and seriously injured or worse.

  2. In the letter from Dale the statement was made “That the intent of these Commercial Light Industry and Storage Sites is to provide light industry and storage opportunity for registered CBB’s away from cottage subdivisions, thus reducing the conflicts between cottagers and CBB owners.” Obviously no one from any of your offices have driven out here to inspect that site. If you had you would have instantly noticed that as the crows fly through the bush the site is approximately 300 meters from the first group of cottages. On your map that you attached it makes it look far away, but the REALITY is that it is not far away at all. So the conflict between cottagers and CBB owners would in no way be rectified. 


  3. Once this site are up and occupied there will be no one managing what is being stored at these sites. Please do not insult the intelligence of all us cottage owners and tell us that they will be managed as we all have 10 - 60 years of experience to know that they will not be. Will there be toxic chemicals being spilt at these sites, which drain into the soil thus working its way into the lake and water wells that cottagers have dug for their water supply? When the old dump had been there years ago there was an article on one of the government archived sites stating that the mercury levels in the lake were higher than they should have been and it was believed that it was caused by toxic chemicals being dumped at the old dump site. And now you want to start this all over again? I think not! That site is just beginning to return to its natural habitat state with sacred lady slippers beginning to grow again and many of the other flowers, trees and berries coming back. People enjoy this area every day with their families, going for walks, bike rides and berry picking. 


  4. The thought of toxic chemicals and combustable solvents being left at that site really terrifies me - just (September 10, 2020) a person at Falcon who has a small commercial business had a fire start in the bed of his half ton truck. Thankfully the winds were not crazy that day and that the fire department got there very quickly or the area could have had a major fire problem on their hands. The fire department felt it may have been started by rags with solvents on them and possibly a small gas chair saw. That is just how easy a debilitating fire can happen. Secondly, years ago when the dump was at that site, a fire was started by propane tanks being left at the dump and exploding. It was then that it was decided that the dump was too close and dangerous to be left at that site and that is when the dump was removed. Now you are saying we should do this again. The answer is definitively NO!

  5. This road from PTH #301 is our only way in and out to our cottages; which if I am not mistaken should not be allowed for fire reasons alone. We would be totally trapped should a serious fire start in the middle between us and PTH # 301. If this area was managed by a Rural Municipality there would be no way that one  road in & out would be allowed or even considered.

  6. Back in 1959 when this area started its development, the cottages were small and only used in the summer. Over the last 60 years the area / park has evolved tremendously. The cottages are bigger, newer and all season. More and more people of my generation are choosing to retire and live full time in this little piece of heaven on earth. So too are the commercial businesses growing - they are no longer a half ton truck with a wheel barrow and a lawn mower. They are huge dump trucks. bob cats, back hows, trailers and equipment. With that said the policies that the parks used then do not and cannot even apply to the situation here now. The parks Master Plan is from 1983! 1983!! Did we even have computers then? The policy book has been is a state of revision for at least 6 years or longer, brought on by cottagers trying with all their might to convince the powers that be that it is desperately needed. It is not lost on any cottager that many of these problems have been handed down to you by the previous political party, but with that said your government has been in power for 5 going on 6 years now and we know that you have had your challenges and other important agendas that needed to be tackled such as the deficit and now of course COVID-19. But someone needs to finally take the bull by the horns and make upgrades to the parks Master Plan before the so said bull does not even have any horns to grab. Maybe now it is time that an educated / experienced community planner is hired and starts to implement these changes. I did notice a job advertisement for your department for a community planner but am not sure that with the pay level that it was advertising is high enough to entice the level of experience and knowledge that is needed. Maybe it is time that our parks had proper Development Plans and Zoning By-laws as all Manitoba Parks are growing and changing. We can no longer continue on with the Willy-Nilly system that is being used because there are NO REAL policies to even follow. 

Sincerely With Best Regards,
Nadine Gustavson
Block 5, Lot 25
Star Lake MB

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