Aug 25, 2020

Many Boating Industry Canada News Week Digest readers are doing business with boaters, marinas and yacht clubs in the Great Lakes Basin. We have been following the discussions around high water levels and shoreline damage to businesses, property owners and boaters.

The group we hear from most often is called United Shoreline Ontario.
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They are a grassroots community-based organization with the mandate of uniting the residents and municipalities of the north shore of Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River in one voice.
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United Shoreline Ontario’s objective is to engage governments and private home owners towards the protection of lakeshore homes, families, businesses, emergency responders and municipalities from violent or wide-spread lake surge flooding. This flooding is predicted with the implementation of Plan 2014.
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United Shoreline Ontario are partners with United Shoreline USA, Save Our Sodus, and the Lake Ontario St. Lawrence River Alliance.

The previous communications thrust was called “COALITION TO FIGHT PLAN 2014” This has now been re-named “COALITION TO PROTECT GREAT LAKES SHORELINES”. Their reasoning is:

1. This better reflects the progress they are achieved in getting the IJC (International Joint Committee) to recognize that Plan 2014 as administered is no longer working.  
Evidence of that progress:

– An expedited review process of Plan 2014 and how it can be better administered
– The creation of a Public Advisory Group to liaise with the public during that review, 3 members of which are associated with our cause
– GAO investigation of the efficacy of Plan 2014
– The successful addition of a riparian representative on the Control Board (Bill Reilich)
– The hiring of a Washington D.C. firm to lobby for a more balanced application of Plan 2014

2. This new name allows them to build a broader coalition of Great Lakes partners dedicated to finding a better water level balance for riparians throughout the system – from Lake Superior through the St. Lawrence River. 

For our readers who want to follow this situation, visit the United Shoreline Ontario website or contact: collaborator@unitedshorelineontario.ca