Oakville Fishing Ban- petition help

[dwrecks]

Oakville has decided to enforce a ban of shore fishing after 20 years of no enforcement. One few places to fish for families, people with disabilities and older residents.

wondering if TGN community would help out.

Please sign and share with your networks! http://chng.it/vjwS8vZZwV

[synergy]

It would be prudent to present the other side of the argument. The Town of Oakville has always banned fishing at the waterfront parks, but hasn’t really enforced it. With the surge in people congregating down there this summer, they deemed it necessary to stop the fishing for safety reasons. Albeit a low risk IMHO.

It would be great if the Town could find some compromise for you and your fellow anglers though. Are there other options?

[dmcdam]

Signed. Absolutely idiotic decision they've made. Needs to be reversed. Such a popular spot where many learned to fish for the first time.

[mpare]

Wouldn’t the closure of these waters to fishing have been effected by the provincial regulator? If so, what is the City’s role with respect to that and with respect to the enforcement of the ban? If these questions are silly, that may be because I haven’t fished in Ontario.

[Weirfan]

It would be prudent to present the other side of the argument. The Town of Oakville has always banned fishing at the waterfront parks, but hasn’t really enforced it. With the surge in people congregating down there this summer, they deemed it necessary to stop the fishing for safety reasons. Albeit a low risk IMHO.

It would be great if the Town could find some compromise for you and your fellow anglers though. Are there other options?

Im thinking the same reason may be in play.

I am an avid fisherman and fully support access but like with golf this summer, fishing has seen a huge resurgence in participation as it is easy, outside and relatively safe.

since the ban on fishing has always been in place but the city didn't enforce it, it might well be that this becomes an issue of overcrowding and safety on top of already busy parks ?

[dmcdam]

Im thinking the same reason may be in play.

I am an avid fisherman and fully support access but like with golf this summer, fishing has seen a huge resurgence in participation as it is easy, outside and relatively safe.

since the ban on fishing has always been in place but the city didn't enforce it, it might well be that this becomes an issue of overcrowding and safety on top of already busy parks ?

That's probably the case - larger numbers of people fishing, along with larger numbers in the parks in general due to COVID. If the parks are that busy that people can't fish like they always have, then the parks are clearly overcrowded. That could make it difficult to enforce social distancing in general. I'd say a better solution might be to caps the numbers of people in the parks, but still allow them to fish. There are so few places people can fish from shore due to development. It's a shame for the town to cut off one of the only places it can be done safely.

[steveooo]

Banning fishing...this is beyond ridiculous.
Just stand in the water and fish.You are no longer in the park.

[Benz]

I'd say a better solution might be to caps the numbers of people in the parks, but still allow them to fish.

It might be a tough sell to limit the number of people allowed into a park so that some people can continue to do something that had already been banned but not enforced.

Does anyone know the rationale behind the original ban? That is, if it hasn't been enforced for years, then why is it there at all?

[dmcdam]

It might be a tough sell to limit the number of people allowed into a park so that some people can continue to do something that had already been banned but not enforced.

Does anyone know the rationale behind the original ban? That is, if it hasn't been enforced for years, then why is it there at all?

I'm sure it was an overreaction to someone getting hooked at some point in time. Or possibly inconsiderate trout/salmon fishermen leaving garbage around during the fall runs. If it hasn't been enforced then in my mind it should have been off the books a long time ago.

[dwrecks]

It would be prudent to present the other side of the argument. The Town of Oakville has always banned fishing at the waterfront parks, but hasn’t really enforced it. With the surge in people congregating down there this summer, they deemed it necessary to stop the fishing for safety reasons. Albeit a low risk IMHO.

It would be great if the Town could find some compromise for you and your fellow anglers though. Are there other options?

The plan is to work something out that is a compromise. The signs started going up prior to Covid, so my sense there are groups of that had been against fishing as the town was placing signs in the winter. They likely lobbied the town, using the ban I place to make the town take a tougher stance in enforcing the rules.

[dwrecks]

I'm sure it was an overreaction to someone getting hooked at some point in time. Or possibly inconsiderate trout/salmon fishermen leaving garbage around during the fall runs. If it hasn't been enforced then in my mind it should have been off the books a long time ago.

Just as much garbage that is left by all park users. When the town started to seal off benches, it go really messy with Tim's cups.

[dwrecks]

Wouldn’t the closure of these waters to fishing have been effected the the provincial regulator? If so, what is the City’s role with respect to that and with respect to the enforcement of the ban? If these questions are silly, that may be because I haven’t fished in Ontario.

It's actually a Regional park where the town is responsible for by-law enforcement. The West Pier was damaged and it was repaired by the Federal government over the summer. So there is City, Provincial and Federal government in play here.

[dwrecks]

It might be a tough sell to limit the number of people allowed into a park so that some people can continue to do something that had already been banned but not enforced.

Does anyone know the rationale behind the original ban? That is, if it hasn't been enforced for years, then why is it there at all?

The original ban is a mystery, Bronte is actually called the fisherman's Wharf. https://www.oakville.ca/assets/gener...nsMemorial.pdf

[dwrecks]

Signed. Absolutely idiotic decision they've made. Needs to be reversed. Such a popular spot where many learned to fish for the first time.

Thanks!

[dwrecks]

Oakville has decided to enforce a ban of shore fishing after 20 years of no enforcement. One few places to fish for families, people with disabilities and older residents.

wondering if TGN community would help out.

Please sign and share with your networks! http://chng.it/vjwS8vZZwV

The MNR rules state that fishing is open south of Lakeshore year round. The season for all other fishing is based upon species.