With ice huts set to return to area lakes, including hundreds on Nipissing, here’s a timely reminder.
Three Temiskaming Shores area men have been fined a total of $1,000 for leaving garbage on the ice of an area lake.
Justin Dallaire, Jordan Sterling and Samuel Runnalls pleaded guilty to depositing material on to ice covering public land, contrary to the Public Lands Act.
Dallaire was fined $500 while Sterling and Runnalls were each fined $250.
Court heard that in February, conservation officers got a tip from the public regarding a sofa that had been abandoned on Sutton Bay of Lake Temiskaming.
On March 31, Runnalls was contacted by an officer as Runnalls was removing an ice hut located near the sofa.
Runnalls denied any knowledge of the ownership of the sofa.
The officer returned later to remove the sofa and discovered more garbage nearby that had previously been buried in the snow.
Evidence from the garbage led officers to Sterling, who admitted that the three men had placed the sofa near their ice hut in January.
They then moved their hut to another location but neglected to remove the sofa and garbage.
Anglers who place fishing huts on the ice are responsible for removing not only the hut, but all material associated with the hut.
To report a natural resources violation, call the MNRF TIPS line at 1-877-847-7667 toll-free any time or contact your local ministry office during regular business hours.
