Hi friends, it has been a very busy few weeks for us at the Keep Keewatin Home Campaign. The following is an update, please click on the button to see the full post and also for some ways you can further help to keep the Keewatin where it belongs in Port McNicoll.
Our MP Bruce Stanton now has enough signatures to table the issue in federal parliament, but we need to provide as many signatures as possible. If you have not yet signed this second petition please do so: https://petitions.ourcommons.ca/en/Petition/Sign/e-3034
Federally, we learned that a policy official from the Heritage Minister's office has been dedicated to the Keewatin issue. Bruce will be meeting with this official regarding the status of the vessel. We will also be offering a Town Hall meeting to local residents with Bruce in March (more info to follow on this).
On the Provincial level, MPP Dunlop has requested meetings on our behalf with Attorney General Doug Downey and Tourism Minister Lisa MacLeod, which we expect to take place next week.
Municipally, Tay Council - after a delegation from our campaign - unanimously approved a plan to investigate heritage designation for the Keewatin which would provide provenance and require a necessary notification if the current owner, Skyline Investments, were to alter or move the vessel.
Things are moving very quickly, and we appreciate your continued support.
In the meantime, signs have continued to go up across North Simcoe. We have started a GoFundMe page for donations to pay for these signs (big and small) and other campaign materials, advertising, and potentially legal fees. https://ca.gofundme.com/f/keep-keewatin-home-in-port-mcnicoll
We know many of you have given through Change.org and we would like to sincerely thank you for your donation. If you have not yet offered a donation, however, please consider one (even $5 or $10 would help) to the GoFundMe page. Any remaining funds at the end of the campaign will be passed on to Friends of Keewatin for preservation and maintenance of the vessel.
Once again, please make sure you share the petitions with your network, email the minister, download a window sign. It all helps. With your support we can keep Keewatin home.
Dan T. and all the team at #keepkeewatinhome