Thank you for your support and for all of your shares and signatures and for helping to create community awareness about this issue. Thank you to the original people who wrote the beautiful form letter for people to sign and who got those letters signed and into the Committee of a Whole package! Its wonderful that we have reached 1000 signatures. If you would like to reach out to your Councillors or the Mayor about the Fire Ban, you can do so here either by telephone or by email: http://www.cityofelliotlake.com/en/cityhall/mayorcouncilandcommittees.asp Tel: (705) 848-2287 If you would prefer to use this form letter to convey your feelings to the Mayor and the Councillors, please feel free to use the beautiful one someone made for us here by cutting and pasting: Letter to City of Elliot Lake City Council Elliot Lakers Against A Backyard Fire Ban! To Mayor Marchisella and Councillors: Re: Campfires in residential backyards Further to the discussions at the recent Bylaw and Planning Committee meeting, I would like to support the continuance of campfires in residential backyards. As you discuss this issue, please do not take away my right to spend time with family and friends in my backyard around a warm, glowing campfire. This is a long-standing family tradition to a number of the residents in Elliot Lake. Many newcomers to the City actually consider this one of the benefits of moving to a northern community that is essentially in the bush. On our City's website we proclaim "This is a city in which we get to enjoy living an active and healthy lifestyle, whether hiking, skiing or canoeing on one of our many trail systems. With the vast surrounding northern wilderness and thousands of lakes, you can camp, fish, ATV and snowmobile at your choice of a paradise." My paradise includes enjoying a campfire in my backyard. While I appreciate that some have health concerns, I would suggest that they find alternative solutions to their issues. Even if campfires were to be restricted, there are a number of people that use wood-burning appliances as their homes heat source. These stoves produce the same kind of smoke as a campfire. Would the next step be to ban wood stoves? There are a number of people who have allergies or asthmatic-related issues. The trigger can be any number of scents and aromas including perfumes, hair spray and cigarette smoke. Trying to ban all of these things would be an inefficient use of Councils time. I also appreciate that some dont follow the backyard burning rules and burn garbage. May I respectfully suggest that these people need to be approached and reminded about the proper burning rules. When you are discussing this issue at any future council meetings, please consider my comments. Dont take away my right as a resident of Elliot Lake. Signed,