The Coalition and it’s advocate associations have been collectively working hard for 3 months, and there are three key processes that must be continued to ensure success:
1) Speak with your local mayors; determine if they connected to the coalition and if not inform the
coalition team. Mayor Peter Koetsier of the Township of Georgian Bay will reach out to the mayor.
2) Strongly encourage your members to speak to their local MP’s in both their cottage and home
residence constituencies to ensure MP’s are made aware of the issues and are advocating for
change on our behalf.
3) Sharing of information is crucial to ensure a consistent message. Keep your membership
informed.
The focus in Phase 2 is to facilitate and participate in multiple political conversations with engaged
mayors, MP advocates, the agents of change in the multiple supportive government ministries and the
media that will direct their communications to the Minister of Transport and demand a change in the
classification of floating homes from “vessels” to “float homes”. We’ll accomplish that with multiple strategies, as follows:
i. Aggressively build our mayor coalition so that the volume and number of municipalities engaged
demands the Minister’s attention and action.
ii. Engagement and political pressure directed to and within the ministries of Environment (federal
and provincial); Parks Canada; Ministry of Municipal Afairs (Ontario); Oceans and Fisheries
(federal); Minister of Resources (federal); Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (provincial).
iii. Continued updating of our coalition of cottage associations to have their members speak,
communicate, demand their respective MPs at home and cottage pay serious attention to this
issue.
iv. Continued and accelerated use of media resources including messaging through the FOCA
platform; more frequent interviews of mayors and politically recognized resources in the press
(CBC, Global, Toronto Star).
v. Sourcing and implementing lobby resources on a pro bono (volunteer basis) to increase our
effectiveness and penetration of key targets.
vi. Continued use of videos and pictures to these target agencies to continue the message that
these things are not going away.
vii. Based on the complexity of federal control over the TSW and Rideau Canal, a focused reach out
to all municipalities that border each of these federally controlled waterways.
Phase 2 will occur over the fall and winter of 2023 and early 2024.
Attached are the detailed and summary versions of this report from the Float Homes Not Vessels Coalition.
Summary Update Float Homes not Vessels Aug 2023
Float Homes not Vessels Update August 2023
