Dear editor:

My husband and I have rented Marrakech Mansion for a week three out of the past four summers. While I very much sympathize with residents who are disturbed by loud and thoughtless visitors to their town, I would like to urge a reconsideration of the proposal for short-term rentals to be operated from principal residences only.

We used to come to NOTL only for day visits but after years of searching for a perfect summer retreat, we realized that it was in our best interest to splurge on a week at Marrakech Mansion. We are a family of seven and that house is the right size for us.

We could never afford hotel rooms in NOTL for an entire week, nor would we want to stay in a place with little space, little privacy and no room for the whole family to gather. Our short-term rental allows us to live like we are at home in a home that is considerably nicer than ours – and in a town that is considerably nicer than ours, too!

We are also able to host a few extra friends. Despite the size of our group, we are quiet tenants and care very much about the comfort of our neighbours. We are responsible visitors and are grateful that we can come to a place that offers such beauty and respite.

We love the history of NOTL, the greenery, the architecture, the waterfront and we love that it is close to, but far enough away from, Niagara Falls. We love pretending, for even just the week, that Niagara-On-The-Lake is our home, too. 

I believe we contribute much more to the economy of Niagara-on-the-Lake than if we were just coming for day visits. We attend the theatre at least three times during our stay and we always bring our friends and sometimes our kids. We visit the wineries for meals and tours and purchases. We love Fort George.

We shop at Hendrik's Valu-mart for the meals we can make at “home” and frequent a number of restaurants from the Sunset Grill to  Zee's. We shop for fine foods (Greaves, Oliv), for fantastic clothing (Frankie Sez, Beau Chapeau, Allure, The Scottish Loft), and for lovely housewares (Serendipity and the Butterfly Gallery).

We support many more shops than those that I have mentioned but I don't know their names. I don't need to know their names because we have become so familiar with the shops on Queen Street that we find them by feel rather than by signage.

I do very much appreciate the need for NOTL residents to have peace and quiet in their own homes. Our “real” home is in a university neighbourhood and we have certainly had our share of unruly behaviour coming from student houses.

We have a student house right next door to us and for a few years I was in the position of having to call the bylaw officers. Luckily, due diligence on the part of landlords, improved communication between the residents and the university, and bylaws that set a very low tolerance for noise issues can make a great difference. (I have visited university towns in which the students are ghettoized into one particular part of town and that is NOT a good solution.)

I know that income from local businesses is important to the town and I can honestly say that my family would not come, stay for a week and spend as much as we do in NOTL if we were confined to a hotel or to a residence where the owner was present.

We want to imagine that while we are in NOTL, we are actually staying in our own home. It's a lovely fantasy and one which Marrakech Mansion has been able to provide for us. 

Please reconsider the proposal and find ways that would curb the noise and thoughtlessness of some visitors without limiting the visits of those who truly love and respect your town. 

Anne Pollard

Hamilton