With a packed house of passionate supporters, the Rondeau cottages were given heritage designation last night by Chatham-Kent council.
South Kent Coun. Art Stirling entered the successful motion, which added on to a previous motion by Wallaceburg Coun. Jeff Wesley, to add the Rondeau cottages immediately to the heritage registry with Chatham-Kent and to look into the possibility of creating a heritage conservation district.
“This community deserves protection,” Stirling said.
The situation is unique, as the province owns the land at Rondeau, while the cottage owners own the actual physical structure of the cottages themselves. The leases are ending for the cottages in 2017… and the future of them at this point is unclear.
Wesley said it was time for council to do something to help the situation.
“There has been enough screwing around with this file, we just need to get on with it,” he said.
Chatham Coun. Anne Gilbert said she supported the overall motion of investigating the possibility of creating a heritage conservation district, but couldn’t support immediately adding the cottages to the heritage registry.
“The Heritage Act doesn’t allow you to do that,” Gilbert said. “It is a jurisdictional issue… it should be up to a judge to decide.”
David Colby, president of the Rondeau Cottagers Association, provided a passionate deputation before council debated and voted on the issue.
“If we’re gone, we don’t contribute to the economy,” he said. “We pledge to support all of your efforts. We want to preserve the gem that is Rondeau.”
