Until the year 2000, our lake and area was unorganized, and as a result, our planning guidelines largely resided with various provincial ministries (e.g., the Ministry of Housing and Municipal Affairs). We are now part of the Municipality of Whitestone, and our Association has contributed significantly to the development of the Municipality's Official Plan. Land use planning is very important to Lake Wahwashkesh, and the outcome of good planning must be to safeguard our beautiful waters and natural shorelines. Because of the diverse spectrum of interests in cottage country, some cottage associations are developing Lake Plans, which take into account diverse interests on the lake, history, special characteristics of the lake, water quality matters, and a host of other matters. We presented the Lake Plan approach to Association members in 2002, and Association Directors asked that the Whitestone Official Plan 
contain language that would allow us to take the Lake Plan approach in the future, if we so choose.
For more information about land use planning in Ontario, see the Federation of Ontario Cottagers' Association 
(FOCA), or more specifically FOCA's Land Use and Planning Committee .