Comments on: Jet Boats Will Continue To Ply Or Plague The Lower Niagara River – Depending On Your View – Thanks To An Ontario Court Decision

By: Margaret Torrance

Margaret Torrance — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 00:13:25 +0000

Dear Mr. Draper,
Re recent article on Jet Boats.

I was moved to tears reading your earlier tour with Robert Ritchie. This may be one of the finest pieces you have written. Having read earlier pieces, your basic sense of the common good has impressed me. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
You mention the International Joint Commission. I am mailing you a copy of a letter I sent to the Hon. Herb Gray, Chair of the IJC and member of the Privy Council, before the June, 2009, 100 year celebration. It had to be sent through the Liberal Office in Toronto (no address given out). It is self-explanatory. I did not get a reply.
Gratefully, Margaret Torrance

By: Alice Duc Triano

Alice Duc Triano — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 00:02:39 +0000

Good morning Mr. Draper,

Congratulations on the very fine article which you have written
regarding the jet boats on the Niagara River (Jet boats Will Continue
to Ply..).

Your article has been read by many people and everyone who has read it
says “Bravo” to you. I don’t know if you hear all that is being said
but I can assure you people are just saying over and over again “Have
you read the article by Doug Draper?” You have hit the nail on the
head with your intelligence, reasoning , observations and your
convictions.

We in Queenston have just finished a year long hearing with the
Niagara Escarpment Commission regarding the legalities and use of the
Queenston Sand Dock which is under the Niagara Escarpment Development
Control. We are waiting for the decision at this time.

Queenston stands to lose a lot. Thousands of tourists could be
transported through this tiny historic village to board the jet
boats. I needn’t say anything to you about the environment and its
natural habitat as you are fully aware of the impact of these boats on
this environment. There is nothing to stop this operation. We have
pleaded to the Municipal, Provincial, Federal Governments, agencies
such as Riverwatch , International Joint Commission, Sierra Club ,
Audubon, Niagara Parks Commission, Niagara escarpment Commission etc.
No one seems to want to help or stop this operation.

This company, the Whirlpool Jet Boat Tours rule!!

Alice (Duc Triano)

By: Tom and Joan Busbridge

Tom and Joan Busbridge — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 19:14:04 +0000

It seems that what the residents want – our (Niagara-on-the-Lake) council is determined to go the opposite route.
There are numerous other examples of this.

Ton & Joan Busbridge, NOTL

By: John Bacher

John Bacher — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 02:21:36 +0000

To add to Doug’s insights the court treated the opponents of the jet boats as if they were a narrow NIMBY group, expressway the views of only a few condminum owners irritated by noise. Rather than as claimed a “special interest group”, the Niagara River Coalition represents many who are deeply concerned about the river’s ecosystem, especially the disruption the jet boat operation has on bird populations such as the Black Crowned Night Heron. The Ontario Court of Appeal in misrepresenting these dedicated environmentalists displayed profound bias. Alhtough evidence was presented on ecosystem disruption this was with diabolical cleverness, omitted from the decision. It is to be hoped that the Niagara River Coalition uses this bias to appeal this outrageous decision to the Supreme Court of Canada.