Cottagers hope lease support is in the cards ! Posted on 2008-07-31 20:48:17 Rondeau Provincial Park cottagers are giving South Kent merchants more than money -- they are handing business owners something to think about. By ERICA BAJER, THE DAILY NEWS "A Rondeau Provincial Park cottager has just supported your business . . . Please support our lease extension campaign," the card reads. Brian French said the cottagers' lease extension ends in less than 10 years, at the end of 2017. "We want to remind all the merchants in the entire South Kent area just how important our presence is," he said. "It's a little card but it carries a big message." French said there are nearly 300 cottages inside the park and each year the cottagers spend millions of dollars in the area. He said it's estimated that $10,000 is spent in the local economy per cottage per year. Dr. David Colby, president of the association, said the cards aren't being handed to businesses right outside of the park, which obviously benefit from the park visitors. They are being passed in the other areas where cottagers shop. "It's to create awareness of the situation," he said. French noted that the majority of cottage owners at the park don't live in Chatham- Kent. "This is all free money that is coming into the economy," he said. Businesses from pizza parlours and shops to trades people benefit from business created by cottagers, French and Colby said. Mark Carter, of Carter's Home Hardware in Ridgetown, said cottagers definitely impact his business. He couldn't put a monetary value on the impact. "It's a significant summer total, that's for sure," he said. Carter said he hasn't yet seen one of the cards at his store. On the card, the cottagers ask that merchants show support for the lease campaign by phoning, faxing or e-mailing politicians, who are listed on the flip side with all their contact information. Colby, who is passionate about keeping his cottage in the park, said Rondeau holds a special place in his heart. "It's a magical place that gets into your soul," he said. "I would give up my house and everything that I own before I'd give up Rondeau." Reprinted with permission of the Chatham Daily News back to main