September 28, 2004
Province Begins Second Round of Cottage Lot Draws
Province Begins Second Round of Cottage Lot Draws- - -
Majority of Cottage Lots Are Lakefront Property in Northern and Western Manitoba
THE PAS—Manitobans have until Oct. 22 to enter the second round of a public draw to qualify for the lease or purchase of 125 newly-offered cottage lots in northern and western regions of the province, Conservation Minister Stan Struthers announced here today.
“This second draw will provide more opportunities for Manitobans to enjoy our great outdoors and the spectacular natural wonders of our province. While the draw is open to all Manitobans, it features lots in northern and western Manitoba,” Struthers said. “In the meantime, we are continuing to work on opening more lots in areas that are closer to Winnipeg and we hope to have those available for our third draw in the spring of 2005.”
The second draw will take place Nov. 2. The draw will be for 205 cottage lots on Crown land and in provincial parks for sale or lease to Manitoba residents. This draw includes 125 newly-offered lots and 80 sites left unclaimed from the previous draw. Approximately 140 of the 205 available lots are waterfront property.
The fall draw supports efforts to provide a total of 1,000 new cottage lots across Manitoba. It follows the spring draw, which offered 375 lots and resulted in 206 being claimed. There were more than 2,287 applications received. Applicants who were not selected in the first draw can re-apply for the second and third draws.
In this draw, cottage lots will be offered on Crown land and in provincial parks, including Eden Lake, Burge Lake, Woods Creek, Red Deer River, Big Island, Lake Athapapaskow, Wekusko Lake, Clearwater Lake, Liz Lake and Wellam Lake. Provincial park lots made available in the draw are for lease only.
“Real estate figures show that this province has the highest per capita ownership of summer cottages and vacation homes in the world, with approximately one in eight Manitoba families owning one,” said Struthers. “Opening these new properties to public use will generate economic activity and continue to promote Manitoba's image as an affordable recreation destination.”
A $100 deposit will be required with all application submissions. Unsuccessful applicants will have their money refunded. Details of the available lots and the upcoming draw are available at the Cottage Lot Draw 2004 website at https://www.gov.mb.ca/conservation/cottaging. The site has information and important dates regarding the application and draw process. Information and application forms can also be obtained at Manitoba Conservation's regional offices at 200 Saulteaux Cres. in Winnipeg or by calling 204-945-6784 or (toll-free) 1-800-214-6497.
“We all know autumn in Manitoba can be quite unpredictable, so to ensure that Manitobans have ample opportunity to assess their chosen site and survey other potential sites, I strongly encourage everyone to go out as soon as possible to visit the cottage lot site that is of interest to them,” Struthers said.
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