A call to action to get the word out and to stop these bills in their tracks
To the Expositor:
After reading through Bill 100 and Bill 118 (Great Lakes Shoreline Right of Passage Act), one realizes that if either one of these bills passes there will be trails put through on people’s property–either by just taking the land as is the case of Bill 118, or through trickery of placing an easement against the owner’s title under Bill 100. You will not have any say because with Bill 118, they will just allow people to use your property.
I know Bill 118 says “waterfront” but they cannot discriminate and if they can do it with waterfront property then what is to stop them from doing it to everyone’s property. Absolutely nothing!
Bill 100 is the trick and states that if you have allowed someone to put a trail of any kind across your property they will have the right to register an easement or covenant against your title, and the entity (government, club, even entities from the US) which registered the easement is the only entity which can remove that easement…not the owner of the land. You may all be working in good faith with your local clubs—some know some don’t know about Bill 100—but those who do know are quite arrogant as they are telling people that come next fall you won’t have any choice and the trails will be registered so you won’t have any say.
Some municipal councillors who have rural properties are already looking to petition their councils to pass resolutions to denounce Bill 100. They should also be denouncing Bill 118 because they both effectively do the same thing. These councillors see that this affects their property and they are just as outraged as we are.
Long and short, we need to do what we can to stop both of these Bills that are so wrong on so many levels it’s crazy. And considering Bill 100 amends five other Acts, it’s one of these Omnibus Bills, we all know it’s generally a trick to remove all of our rights. Any help any of you can give, through letters to the editor, talking to people, getting this information on Facebook and the like, would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for all you do.
l will be forced to close the trail after this weekend.
Bruce Wood
Green Bay
EDITOR’S NOTE: To view the bills being referred to visit ontla.on.ca and search ‘Bill 100’ and ‘Bill 118.’
