Manitoba Association of Cottage Owner What new

Province Ignores Existing Rules As published in the Winnipeg Free Press Feb 18. '03

At the Feb.18 Fresh Water Forum, Conservation Minister Steve Ashton extolled the virtues of the Manitoba Government in its attempts to save Lake Winnipeg, protect our drinking water and tighten rules for septic fields. The problem is, the words coming from Mr. Ashton, do not match the actions of his department.

While it is great to have new legislation and wise to have new rules for septic fields, the minister is not ensuring the present rules and regulations are enforced. There are saturated septic fields and leaking holding tanks all over the province. (Check the number of boil water advisories in effect in different areas of Manitoba)

Not far from my rural Manitoba home, a property owner lodged a complaint with Conservation Manitoba regarding a foul odour emanating from a saturated septic field in a neighbouring yard. The complainant requested an inspection. It took two weeks for the inspector to arrive, and when she did, she refused to take any soil samples, indicating to the complainant that the foul smell came from the stack of a neighbouring cottage, or a nearby well. The complainant took soil samples and had them tested at his own expense. These tests showed ground contamination from raw sewage.

Manitoba is home to many varieties of domesticated farm animals. In many areas these animals urinate and defecate in our streams, rivers, and lakes. The practice of spreading too much manure on small areas of land causes runoff during heavy rainfall onto neighbouring water systems. This all adds to the pollution.

Legislation and rules need to be enforced. It is apparent there is a need for more inspectors who will enforce the rules currently in place. If the rules the province already has had been enforced on a permanent, continuing basis, Lake Winnipeg might not be in the shape it is in today.

Doug Neal
Pres., Manitoba Association of
Cottage Owners
Winnipeg

INDEX of Current Affairs

• Jan 10, 2003        MACO adds buy and sell forum to cottagers web network (click here)
• Feb 18, 2003         Winnipeg Free Press Minister Steve Ashton Free Press Editorial by MACO, Doug Neil President (Present Page View)
• March 27,2000      Boating noise new rules in Canada researched by Shirley Nixon (click here)
• October 15,2003 Conservation Minister Steve Ashton to attend AGM Nov 1, 2003 (Click Here)
• Feb 2004              Marine Boating Meeting YOU ARE INVITE (click here)