By Emily Stonehouse

This is a story about nothing.

Normally, we choose to write stories about updates and events, new businesses and recent developments.

But this is a story about nothing.

Because there are no updates.

And perhaps, that’s a whole story unto itself.

In September of last year, we wrote an article about the Loon Lake community seeking a speed reduction along their highway. The stretch of road is a hotspot for vehicular accidents, with the most recent occurring a few short weeks ago.

For years, the Loon Lake Property Owners Association (LLPOA) has been making every effort to work alongside the Ministry of Transportation Ontario (MTO) to limit the speed down from 80 kilometres an hour to 50 kilometres an hour.

But their pleas have fallen through the cracks. “We’ve been bounced around, everywhere you can go,” said Doug Harper, a resident of Loon Lake on the eastern side of Dysart, “but we still haven’t gotten anywhere.”

In June, 2023, Harper went with the LLPOA to Dysart council, requesting support in connecting with MPP Laurie Scott. “Dysart et al Council supports the request from LLPOA to reduce the speed limit along the Loon Lake shoreline of Highway 118,” reads the now three-year old resolution.

Council then directed the resolution to be forwarded to MPP Laurie Scott, and the former Minister of Transportation, Caroline Mulroney. At the time of press, the LLPOA have not heard of the resolution being received from either.

Fed up with a lack of communications from the province, Harper sought support from the Ontario ombudsman, an independent official who investigates complaints, helps resolve disputes, and promotes fairness in organizations. He also put forth a Freedom of Information (FOI) request to see if the issue had been progressing at a provincial level.

And once again, was met with a dead end.

Through choppy communications, Harper noted that Laurie Scott’s office stated that the issue was out of their hands, and directed Harper and the LLPOA to take the issue up directly with the MTO.

According to Dysart staff, an email was received from the MTO in May, noting that they will be installing ministry-owned portable speed message signs on Highway 118 in the area of Loon Lake.

And while the signs have remained up, no effort has been made to change the speed on the stretch of road.

The area in question houses 24 driveways, as well as three entry/exit points to roads, including Gregory Lane, serving 35 residents, Loon Lake Road, serving approximately 60 residents, and Trappers Trail, which the LLPOA believes supports over 200 individuals.

But this story is about nothing.

Years and years of dedication through their community, and nothing but dead ends.

Kathy Jolivet and Adrienne Patterson are another two locals who call the stretch of 118 home. Jolivet has been coming to the cottage since she was young, and has been discouraged at the lack of interest in ensuring safety for the area. “It’s completely different than what it used to be,” said Jolivet, carrying in her years of experience in the area. “People are just racing now … we can’t even go for a walk (along the road) without feeling like we’re in danger.”

Patterson is a longtime resident, and notes that the increased speed isn’t isolated to the summer months. “If I want to pull out of my driveway, I have to roll the window down,” she said. “That’s the only way we can hear if someone is coming, and coming in fast.”

While the Loon Lake locals note that speed reductions merely provide guidelines for drivers, the consequences change based on the limits set. Last year, OPP Constable Hillary Newman noted that if the speed limit is set to 80 kilometres, drivers have to notch 50 kilometres over that limit to be considered stunt driving. But if the limit is set to under 80, anything 40 kilometres over that is considered stunt driving. “And the penalties for that are pretty severe,” she said.

In 2025, according to the OPP Detachment Board annual report, there were 983 charges for speeding last year, down from the 1,030 in 2024. The OPP recorded 38 speed related collisions last year, with two fatalities in total.

Alcohol-related collisions were up from the previous year, with 17 registered, and animal-related collisions remain the highest risk, with 211 noted in 2025.

After following up with the MTO on July 9, 16, and 21, this paper never received a comment from the organization on the LLPOA’s request. Harper noted that they have never been assigned a specific contact within the MTO, and every request has ended in a dead end.

A story about nothing. Years of work, and nothing to see.

But the LLPOA will keep going. While they feel discouraged and disheartened by their requests falling flat, the group remains hopeful that some changes may be made in the future. “We have to do it,” said Harper, “we’ve come too far now. We’re a dog with a bone. We have to see it through.”