One of the more difficult aspects of being president of our lake association is dealing with situations where the quality of life is being jeopardized by the thoughtless actions of others.  The Kennisis Lake Cottage Owners’ Association’s mandate is not to act as “policemen” for the lake, for we have no authority to do so.  However, residents do become frustrated and end up calling to vent those frustrations. Our only advice can be to either “work it out” or call the authorities or take legal action.  Isn’t that a sad state of affairs!

Here are some examples of “complaints” we receive:

v      Excessive noise, especially late at night

v      Trespassing on other people’s property

v      Trash being dumped at the gates of the Landfill Site after hours. (Dwayne spends a lot of time cleaning up the mess)

v      Unsafe/inconsiderate boating practices

v      All-terrain vehicles

v      Speeding on cottage roads

v      Allowing pets to run loose

Another problem that seems to be increasing is the number of people who think that they can use the facilities of the Haliburton Forest without paying.  The Forest has never complained to us directly, but it must surely be annoying and sometimes awkward for them to have to challenge people who knowingly trespass on private property.

The problem is not unique to Kennisis, for, in talking with other Lake Associations, I hear that some have tried to develop “Codes of Conduct” for their lakes which they hope residents would follow.

In many (but, amazingly, not all) cases, the heart of the problem lies with people who are not the owners of the property, but rather people who have rented property for a vacation.  Naturally, these people are interested in having a good time while they have the use of the facilities.  They have no real vested interest in the long-term effects their behaviour may have on the community. In many cases, they may not have even been made aware of the acceptable rules of conduct, even though one would think that common sense and common courtesy would rule the day.  It would appear that as people buy vacation properties for investment purposes, or rent out cottages to help offset maintenance costs, the number of  “renters” is steadily increasing.  It becomes extremely important, therefore, for those who rent out vacation properties to post acceptable rules of conduct and do everything possible to preserve a great quality of life on the lake.

Of course, we have to keep things in perspective. The number of great things that happen far outweigh the negative.  All in all, Kennisis is a great place to be.  It can only stay that way if we all work hard to keep it that way.

End of sermon.  I shall now turn my collar around and get on with life.