Please help Toronto keep our fishing access!

[Ken]

Dear all,

Please read below and sign the petition (even if you are not a Toronto resident)!

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/sayn ... ishingban/

Toronto needs your help!

I do not know if you have been following the fishing access issue along the Toronto harbourfront area. Initially, it was the Harbourfront Center security who overstepped their authority and cited rules under the Toronto Port Authorities (TPA) that these securities had no jurisdiction to enforce.

Initially, we had the backing from TPA and a reaffirmation that fishing is allowed along the waterfront (since there were no areas where areas were not specifically signed as No Fishing, nor were there any designated fishing areas. This fishing access issue along the harbourfront was also brought up as a motion (Gone Fishing motion) in the City of Toronto counsel to formally allow fishing access along the harbourfront and public areas in Toronto. This motion had been "held" and was supposed to go back for discussion and voting.

However, recently, my friend Dave noticed that the entire waterfront was signed with No Fishing signs! This is a ridiculous action from the City of Toronto and Toronto Port Authorities! The Gone City motion was further deferred to June 12, 2012! The city had restricted fishing access undemocratically without justification and public consultation!

As you know, I fished both at the Toronto Islands and along the Harbourfront quite a bit. I have shown you reports where I've taught young people to fish and helped them catch their first fish. The Toronto Islands, Tommy Thompson Park, Ontario Place and the entire Inner
Harbour falls under the jurisdiction of the Toronto Port Authorities. It is possible that all these shore access can be stripped away by the City of Toronto!

We CANNOT allow this, especially since many fishing leaders, including Bob Izumi, Mariko Izumi, Dave Mercer, Angelo and Reno Viola and even Wil Wegman highly promoted the shore fishing access along the harbourfront, the Toronto Islands, Tommy Thompson Park and Ontario Place in the past. We need to show a force at the Toronto City Hall that we CANNOT tolerate this atrocity committed by the City of Toronto and the Toronto Port Authority!

Please, if you can help us connect with fishing industry leaders to our group as a show of force and resistance against this crime that City of Toronto is committing against Torontonians, it will be greatly appreciated!

Here are more articles on the issue.

http://www.globaltoronto.com/city+counc ... story.html

http://www.openfile.ca/toronto/blog/201 ... -desk-week

http://www.torontosun.com/2012/06/10/fi ... waterfront

This issue has also appeared on various news radio shows and local TV new channels thanks to the work of my friends who has contacted the media. I'm spreading this through all the forums to help with the petition. I hope all of you can show some support for us.

Sincerely,

Kenneth Tse

[Ken]

Thank you, thank you, thank you guys!!!

This is the decision in City Council today! I was at the Lake Ontario Fishery meeting tonight when Councillor Fletcher showed up to share the good news. We gave her a good cheer and a loud round of applause! Let's not be fooled though...we have just won a battle, but the war continues. My friends and I, and I would invite all interested persons, to participate at the Fishing Summit to represent our interest! More work is still needed in the near future.

http://app.toronto.ca/tmmis/viewAgendaI ... 12.EX21.33

1 - Motion to Amend Item moved by Councillor Michael Thompson (Amended)

Delete the recommendations set out in the item, and replace with the following:

"1. That City Council request the General Manager of Parks, Forestry and Recreation, with assistance from the Waterfront Secretariat and Waterfront Toronto, to arrange a "Fishing Summit" on shoreline fishing within the central waterfront, with representation from local anglers, the TRCA, the Ministry of Natural Resources, the Harbourfront Centre, Ontario Place, the Toronto Port Authority, the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters, the Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport, and other relevant stakeholders, to:

a. Celebrate and encourage shoreline fishing on the central waterfront.

b. Determine if there are any locations which are not suitable for shoreline fishing and take appropriate action.

c. Report these results to the appropriate Committee.

2. That City Council request the General Manager of Parks, Forestry and Recreation remove the no-fishing signs recently installed along the Toronto's Waterfront."

2 - Motion to Amend Motion moved by Councillor Norman Kelly (Carried)

Amend recommendation 1c in Motion 1 by Councillor Thompson to read:

"c. Report these results to the Parks and Environment Committee."

3 - Motion to Adopt Item as Amended moved by Councillor Michael Thompson (Carried)