By James Matthews
Environmental groups and cottagers associations are hoping Queen’s Park will continue to be partners in the maintenance of freshwater lake health.
The Federation of Ontario Cottagers’ Association (FOCA) and its partners are encouraging a letter-writing campaign in support of a new five-year agreement with the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation, and Parks to continue the Lake Partner Program (LPP).
The association is providing a letter template campaign participants can use to show support for continuing the program.
FOCA has worked with the province since November 2024 to confirm a new five-year agreement. Efforts were shelved by the onset of the provincial election campaign.
Ron Parkinson, president of the Cedar Lake Cottagers’ Association in Wilberforce, said the previous LPP agreement ended in March and it is now a critical point in the lake water sampling cycle which puts the 2025 data at risk.
Sampling kits have already been distributed and water samples will soon be returned for lab analysis.
“Time is of the essence,” he said.
The program allows the monitoring of 546 lakes at 917 sites across the province. The LPP provides immense value to the public and to Ontario as a whole, he said.
It’s been happening for about 30 years, conducted by volunteers. Lab analysis of the water samples is done by the ministry and FOCA provides financial support.
Parkinson said it is one of the largest long-term databases on water quality for freshwater lakes, and the data is essential for research and analysis conducted by universities, government, community groups, and scientists.
Test results informs policy, tracks changes over time, and enables science-based decision-making about the environment.
“There are times when you hit some peaks and water quality is not as clear as it was before and that’s when you start to look at that summer,” Parkinson said. “Whether there was heavy rain or what have you.”
The LPP allows crucial information about the health of freshwater lakes to be shared. Otherwise, people will be living in their cottage cocoons oblivious to what’s being done to the water.
“It’s an awareness thing,” Parkinson said.
Cedar Lake, which is also known as Little Esson Lake, at Wilberforce is a small 26 cottage community surrounded by Crown forest. Parkinson said it is known that there are various invasive species in the lake, and that’s an important reason to be involved with FOCA and to participate in the LPP.
Parkinson was also involved in the establishment of Highlands East Lake Properties (HELP). There’s probably about 40 lakes in that area with roads leading to them. And maybe some of the residents on those lakes aren’t aware of water quality testing, he said.
That’s another motive for continuing the lake testing program.
“It’s not a huge amount of money,” he said. “We’re not talking millions and millions of dollars in this thing. It’s water testing. We’re hoping that the influence will be more voices can be heard.”
