LAKE HURON–When Stop the Drop went live on May 1 of this year, nobody knew what would happen. “Most people were skeptical that we would reach our goal of 20,000 members by Labour Day (’20K by Labour Day’),” said Colin Dobell, executive director of Stop the Drop. “We were unsure ourselves just how powerful the public’s feelings might be on this subject. There’s no doubt about that anymore. Now it’s just a matter of reaching enough people fast enough.”
By the end of the day last Friday, Stop the Drop registered its 18,700th member after only 116 days of existence. The campaign has been active all around Georgian Bay, trying to reach all lake users of every background. It has been active in all communities from Manitoulin to Tobermory.
“This past week has seen a surge in registrations,” Mr. Dobell said. “More than 5,000 members have joined our ranks, many referred by other members but others registered face-to-face on the streets or at events. As we work in the field, our representatives are struck by how clear and passionate individuals are about their concern for what’s happening with water levels. For most, this worry has been eating away at them, but they’ve had no way to express it in a constructive way.”
If you haven’t taken the time to register at www.stopthedrop.ca, but are concerned about low water levels, now is the time to stand up and counted. The campaign must sign up the remaining members it needs to meet its target by Labour Day. At that time, it will publish an overview of the demographics of all of it members. The community is designed to make it easy for members to “get informed, get heard and get involved” in support of long-term action on water levels. Stop the Drop also make public opinion on this issue visible so that our leaders can understand how many people care, and how members think and feel about water level issues.
For more information, contact info@stopthedrop.ca.
