I am opposed to the proposed…

I am opposed to the proposed development of three residential lots on Upper Shebandowan Lake. The lot location is directly adjacent to one of the deepest areas of the like (eastern point of Anderson Island) and most likely to serve as refuge habitat for the remaining at-risk lake trout population.

Additional development poses several risks:

Nutrient loading from septic systems – even properly functioning systems can leach phosphorus and nitrogen into groundwater and nearshore waters. Over time, nutrient breakout accelerates algal growth, depletes oxygen, and directly degrades coldwater habitat.

Loss of riparian buffer – vegetation removal for lots reduces natural filtration, increases runoff, and destabilizes shoreline soils.

Cumulative pressures – the lake is already experiencing nutrient runoff and buffer loss from the addition of the Waasigan Transmission Line, and further stress could push the ecosystem past a tipping point.

The Shebandowan Lake Management Plan and Restricted Area Order were created to prevent precisely these kinds of risks. Lake trout populations are uniquely sensitive; once their habitat is degraded, recovery is virtually impossible.

The short-term benefit of three private lots cannot outweigh the long-term ecological cost to Shebandowan Lake and its remaining lake trout.