From John Watt: Good Afternoon all. Please consider this my written proposals for the Rideau Canal. Let me first say, Mr Brown, I hold you and your conservative Government accountable for whats happening on the canal today. I give you full marks for the upcoming meeting but the rest of your Blue Brothers in ridings which touch the Rideau have shown a total disregard for its plight and issues something I hope they are sorry for the next time we go to the polls I say this as I have corresponded with them all and none have replied except you. Next, I do have contempt for Parks Canada and its senior management because they have never grasped the importance of canals to the local economy and the loyalty shown by its users and communities. Parks Canadas lack of caring and understanding of canals is best demonstrated by trying to run them like an ordinary Historic site or Park with their new operational model which is destined to fail and is failing as I write today in some work units there is no accountability. Its lack of caring is best demonstrated by combining the two Ontario canals as Parks canada would never consider combining Banff and Jasper and they shouldnt , show canals and their communities the same respect. The project that is underway is good but a total waste if the following is not done .Lockage fees must be reduced if you want to increase user ship back to the levels the 1990s which I think is important as user ship brings relevance and relevance is key in this day and age with your conservative brothers to keep the canal open. This price decrease in price would be consistent with pricing in National Parks .I can roll up in my 40,000 dollar truck and buy a season family pass with unlimited use for a single national Park for less than a hundred dollars but I arrive in my 10000 dollar 20 foot pontoon boat with my family and you want 32 dollars a day or 176 dollars for the season why the price difference .I wrote Parks Canada and asked them the same question but they havent even acknowledged the letter let alone respond to my sincere questions .I guess they want to treat me as a disgruntled former employee/union rep rather than a loyal customer with genuine questions of service offer. Parks Canadas unrealistic pricing policies over the last 20 years have driven the small local and trailer able boat market away, this is best reflected in Andrew Campbells famous ground hog letter to me and a huge email train of current users where he talks about the elasticity of price and boat size and the significant drop in traffic from Narrows to Davis which has dropped almost 50 percent since 1990 and marine operators in the area have said small boat sales have been up or consistent every year in the same time frame so with all those new small boats sold you would think usership would be up. Next hours of operation need to be restored to 2012 levels and have the canal opening co-inside to the first Fri of May .Boaters want to be out ,house boat rentals have demand and tour boat operators have demand .it makes no sense not to be open then .You need a market strategy to get old users back ,retain the users you have and bring new users to the canal ,the plan we are here they will come isnt working .Current users from this year have already departed to the St Lawrence and more are planning to leave as they cant boat on weekends like they use to. Marinas on the Rideau up until this year use to have waiting lists now they all have vacant slips .Like the senate scandal you and your government colleagues have to realise this isnt going away and you have to fix it not just put band aids like a three year lockage fee freeze This canal can be the vital tourist corridor it was with lower lockage fees,better hours and a commitment from Parks Canada to have a comprehensive marketing plan without these three things you my as well close it now rather than let it twist on a hook and die a slow death . .Ps to Brian and my other friends please copy this and post it on face book or other sites and email it to others as I lost my old email account and dont have a lot of addresses left see everyone on Thurs john
Posted on: Tue, 03 Dec 2013 21:26:42 +0000
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