Man fined $100,000 for contravening MNR work permit

A property owner on Lake of the Woods was fined $100,000 for violating the conditions of a work permit in an area designated for protection of its lake trout population.

According to information released by the Ministry of Natural Resources, Robert Platford of Clearwater Bay built a new cottage in 2020, but failed to remove his old cottage, as required by the permit.

This resulted in the property exceeding the 20 per cent development limit established by the Clearwater Bay Development Guidelines under the terms of a restricted area order.

The older building was later dismantled and removed.

The Public Lands Act allows the MNR to issue a restricted area order to ensure development does not threaten significant resources including natural heritage values, wetlands, or fisheries.

In this instance, the ministry said, the order for Clearwater Bay is in place to safeguard lake trout populations by ensuring their habitats are not overdeveloped.

A permit is required to erect any buildings or make any improvements to existing structures, whether the work is on public lands or private property. – nwonewswatch.com

article website here

The problem with a cash fine is that people’s financial situations vary.  $100,000 may be equal to several years of income for one person or a month’s income for another.  For billionaires, it might equal to a few minutes of income.

That is why banks getting fined millions for committing crimes/frauds that net them billions in profits is meaningless.  At the very least, cash fines need to be geared to income.

Personally, I would like to see jail time for the bankers.  A good long jail term.   A punishment that would be a REAL deterrent.

Get rid of cash fines and require jail time and/or community service instead.