The province will pause increases to land rents for cottages in Manitoba’s provincial parks but will continue to phase in increases to park district service fees to ensure cottage owners pay the full cost of actual services received. This announcement was made by Conservation and Water Stewardship Minister Tom Nevakshonoff.
“All Manitobans value the beautiful parks, lakes and rivers that our province has to offer,” said Minister Nevakshonoff. “We’ve heard from a number of cottage owners as we continue to consult on the process to ensure all cottage owners pay their fair share for the services they receive. We’ve listened to the Whiteshell Cottagers Association and other groups and that is why we will be freezing rents until the new assessment system is established.”
Cottage owners in provincial parks pay two types of fees – land rent and park district service fees. Land values were updated in 2013 and land rent increases, which were to be phased in over ten years, will be paused until a new assessment model is developed. Park district service fees are moving towards full cost recovery for things such as water and wastewater treatment, road maintenance, and garbage and recycling services over the next two years. In 2012 this fee recovered less than 45 per cent of service costs. This year it will recover about 80 per cent.
There are more than 6,000 cottages in Manitoba’s provincial parks. Consultations regarding fees have been ongoing and input has been received from cottage associations across the province. Bills reflecting the changes announced today will be sent to cottagers early in the new year. Cottagers will also be consulted in the development of further changes to the system, the minister said.
“The Whiteshell Cottagers Association, along with our partners at other provincial park cottager associations, are very pleased that an agreement to freeze the land rent has been reached with the province,” said Daniel Klass, president, Whiteshell Cottagers Association. “We look forward to constructive participation with the province in a process that will ensure that Manitoba parks continue to thrive as a resource for all and that the tradition of family cottaging remains affordable.”
Changes to the fee structure and land rents since 2012 produced $5.5 million in additional revenue. The minister noted pausing the escalation in land rent will defer increases of approximately $1 million per year, adding he is looking forward to working with the Whiteshell Cottagers Association and other groups in the new year to finalize details of the changes. He noted Manitoba’s eight-year, $100-million park strategy continues to build great park experiences for all Manitobans.
