A call for resignation of the council
To the Expositor:
Last year, an article was written by a very astute gentleman who detailed the very things that would come to pass (regarding short-term rentals) at that time.
Perhaps it’s time Manitoulin councillors started listening to its constituents. And not just the Haweater ones. They would realize that the province is powerless and that municipalities had power when it was still moms and pops operating (short term accommodations). But instead of listening, you bullied them.
It’s now becoming clear that large international corporations have millions allocated to lobbying and legal fees. They will swallow any regulatory fees, pay legal teams to find any loopholes and utilize them and still buy up properties for short term rentals because the buying of properties grows their portfolio.
If they failed, they could liquidate and come out very well with the hundreds of thousands of properties they own globally—highly profitable and wanted properties, mostly lakefront homes with gorgeous views.
Plus, there are so many loopholes to get around any regulations. That even Lionel Hutz (an incompetent lawyer) of the Simpsons could come up with a solution. I’m sure their high paid lawyers are already absorbing all scenarios and have come out with strategies for whichever way it goes. Need an example of that happening already? Look at how they bullied moms and pops out with their aggressive threatening tones. (And now look at how it didn’t work.)
But municipalities did manage to bully moms and pops out of the market. Good job there. You attacked your own voters thinking you had the solution when all you did was create a problem you can’t handle. Moms and pops who would have worked for you more than the faceless corporations, you’re now running to the province to help you with. Those moms and pops now sold their properties to these corporations—and will continue to do so. The buying and selling of properties will always be profitable to investors. I know I’m selling mine to Airbnb. The way it’s going, anyways, only large corporations will be able to afford to buy properties anyways.
Central Manitoulin council should resign because it was too obtuse to recognize in time those things it was warned about. They should be embarrassed that they let it get this far and they should apologize to its constituents for being wrong on their policies.
Same with any municipality who rushed to bully in short-term rental regulations.
You were wrong.
Jeff McDowell
Mindemoya
