Local MP Ryan Williams is going to bat for the County’s commercial fishing families unceremoniously evicted from seasonal homes at Point Traverse at the end of the summer.

Stating that history and heritage “mean nothing” to Federal Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault, MP Williams has been working behind the scenes at the House of Commons since April to assist Linda McCormack, a long standing leaseholder at the Commercial Fishing Heritage Village.

Bay of Quinte MP Ryan Williams. (Jason Parks/Gazette Staff)

Last December, she and others who have been fishing the waters off the eastern tip of South Marysburgh  their entire lives, were told to vacate their support buildings prior to the fishing season.

Environment and Climate Change Canada did grant an extension in the spring. But on Aug. 31, federal workers with the Canadian Wildlife Service evicted the McCormack family and a few others.

The support buildings at Point Traverse are vital for weary commercial fishers, many of whom live near Picton, some 40 km away. They are used to store nets and provide temporary lodgings after long days on the water.

Those buildings are now boarded up. Former leaseholders have been warned not to go near them lest they face trespassing charges.

Minister Guilbeault sent MP Williams a letter in late August, just days ahead of the eviction date. He explained that when when the Government of Canada established the Prince Edward Point National Wildlife Area in 1978, the Department entered into 10 lease agreements with the local commercial fishers to support local commercial fishing activities as an existing economic activity of importance to the local community.

“These leases were for onsite equipment storage and short-term overnight accommodations in support of commercial fishing. Many of the leases were terminated throughout the 1980s as commercial fishing practices changed. Environment and Climate Change Canada has not entered into new leases since that time,” Minister Guilbeault stated.

 The Canadian Wildlife Service has concerns over the state of the buildings and wants to see the Prince Edward Point National Wildlife Area returned to an entirely naturalized state.

“This just doesn’t make sense. We are in a recession and these leases help residents who are trying to make a living as a commercial fishers,”  said MP Williams. “We have worked with Linda McCormack, a leaseholder. She and her family have had a lease on this land for almost 75 years. This should be grandfathered in. My team and I will continue to press the Ministry to allow this leaseholder to keep their building which is crucial to continuing their commercial fishing operation.”

Linda’s grandson Jordan, sails the waters off the point, netting ten thousand pounds of whitefish and yellow perch annually. He said the buildings are vital to the fishing operation and that without them, long days on Lake Ontario would be compounded with daily back-and-forth trips to Picton.

“My father and I stay at that cottage when the days are really long and we store our nets in the net shed. It’s vital to our operation, as is the federal dock,” Mr. McCormack said.

There’s concern that the dock will not be long for this world either. The McCormack family dredges the harbour annually on their own time to ensure there is a channel for fishing craft to safely depart and return without running aground.

“The CWS and the federal government are making it very difficult for us to continue a commercial fishing enterprise that dates back 75 years,” Mr. McCormack added.

The family and MP Williams are gathering signatures from concerned local residents to present to Minister Guilbeault, calling on Environment and Climate Change Canada to honour verbal assurances that the leases would remain in place provided commercial fishing activity continued.

The Gazette has sent questions to Environment and Climate Change Canada but has yet to receive a response.

To sign the petition, visit www.change.org/savethepoints .