Muldrew Real News

We are focusing on what is happening that directly affects us.  No fluffy stuff here. 

We've joined The Greater Gravenhurst Residents Association. Their activities cover important issues for all of us like: Your taxes...Your building codes...Bylaw  enforcement...Join them for $15 bucks a year.   Now that's a deal and is a lot less than the cost of joining any lake association.    

Composed of people from Town and people who are on the Lakes, they send a person to go to every Town Council meeting.  This is then reported to their membership on their website which is: www.ggra.ca  click here to go there.  They also watch and report on other activities of the Town that whether we like it or not, are  important to all of us.  Needless to say, some of Town don't exactly like them,  but the GGRA asks the right questions and then reports on their findings via their website and direct e-mails to their membership.

During the summer of 2007,  the issue of boating on Muldrew came up again.  After a little research, we wrote an editorial in response to many questions. It's just below.

A MULDREW EDITORIAL  THIS IS OUR OPINION AND YOU ARE WELCOME TO IT.

FOR MORE THAN A HALF A CENTURY NOW THE SHARING OF LAKE RESOURCES HAS BEEN FRAUGHT WITH CONTROVERSY.  IF IT HAS NOT BEEN THE  POWER BOATS MAKING TOO MUCH NOISE THAT DISTURB CANOEISTS, THEN IT WAS NOISY RADIOS BOTHERING PEOPLE WHO WANTED TO LISTEN TO BIRD CALLS.  MY LATE PARENTS TOOK FLACK FOR HAVING A OVERPOWERED BOAT. IT WAS A 25 H.P.  IT SEEMS THAT THIS TYPE OF DISAGREEMENT CONTINUES TO THIS DAY.

FIRST,  THE LAKE IS FEDERALLY REGULATED. SOME OF THIS AUTHORITY HAS BEEN DOWNLOADED TO THE PROVINCES,  BUT EVERY BIT OF WATER IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE FEDS.  THE CHIEF ADMINISTRATOR OF THE LAKES IS THE CANADIAN COAST GUARD.  WHAT THEY SAY RULES! THEY ARE THE LAW...NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH ANYTHING ANYONE ELSE SAYS, ALWAYS ASK "DID THE COAST GUARD SAY THAT?"   IT HAS THE EFFECT OF WOLF BANE ON THOSE NOT FULLY INFORMED.

SO LETS APPLY THIS TEST TO SOME RECENT MULDREW LAKE ISSUES.  IT SEEMS THAT SOME IRRESPONSIBLE COTTAGERS HAVE TAKEN TO "OBSTRUCTING NAVIGABLE WATERWAYS"  WITH RAFTS. IN ONE CASE, BETWEEN KERR ISLAND AND THE MAINLAND, THE COAST GUARD WERE CALLED IN BY THE COTTAGER WHO OWNED THE RAFT. THE COAST GUARD TOLD HIM IN NO UNCERTAIN TERMS THAT HE WAS  TOTALLY LIABLE FOR DAMAGES SHOULD ANYONE OR THING STRIKE HIS RAFT REGARDLESS OF ANY INFRACTIONS THAT THEY MAY OR MAY NOT  BE CAUSING. YOU SEE "RIGHT OF WAY" IN LAW, TAKES PRECEDENCE.

THEY ALSO MEASURED THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE SHORE AND ISLAND AND DETERMINED THAT NO SPEED REGULATION SIGNAGE WAS REQUIRED. IN FACT, IF ANY SIGN ALLEGING TO BE A SPEED LIMIT (OR INFORMATIONAL) TYPE DOES NOT HAVE THE CANADIAN COAST GUARD OR EQUIVALENT NAME ON IT.  IT IS BOGUS.

IT SEEMS THAT PEOPLE LIKE TO MEASURE NARROW PASSAGES. ONE POPULAR WAY IS TO USE G.P.S.  BUT THE ERROR FOR NON-MILITARY  EQUIPMENT IS ABOUT PLUS/MINUS 5 TO 7 PERCENT.  MEANING IN A 60 METER CHANNEL THE ERROR COULD BE  14  FEET!  THAT'S A LOT ON A NARROW PART OF THE LAKE. AGAIN IF THE COAST GUARD HASN'T MEASURED IT....IT MEANS NOTHING.

FINALLY,  THERE IS A VERY DANGEROUS LIABILITY TO THOSE PERSONS OR ORGANIZATIONS WHO MIGHT ADVOCATE RADICAL CHANGE TO THE LAKE THAT WOULD AFFECT PROPERTY VALUES.  BEWARE THE LEGAL WRATH OF A LAND OWNER WHO HAS HIS PROPERTY VALUE NOT GROW OR GO DOWN IN VALUE.  EVER HEARD OF CLASS ACTION SUIT? 

CANADA DAY, 2007

That's all for now, but we'll be posting other interesting stuff here soon.