Our Work

FOCA is the Federation of Ontario Cottagers’ Associations, a not-for-profit organization representing volunteer associations and individual property owners all across Ontario. We are your provincial voice.

50+

# of years of FOCA’s legacy
500+

# of FOCA Member Associations located across Ontario
50,000

# of waterfront property-owning families represented by FOCA

Our Mission:

To protect thriving and sustainable waterfronts across Ontario.

Read about our most recent accomplishments, in our 2017 Year in Review.

Our Vision:

FOCA will continue to be the pre-eminent Ontario-wide organization representing cottagers and permanent waterfront residents. FOCA will be responsible for promoting vibrant and sustainable waterfront communities through effective communication, education and advocacy. FOCA will:

Encourage and empower positive environmental stewardship by providing information and tools
Promote and provide leadership for sound public policy on key issues
Align with other key partners that support like goals and objectives

Our Organization:

FOCA operates under a governance board structure, and directs strategic priorities through a number of Committees that report to the Board of Directors.

For more about the Staff and Board, see: Our Team.

For an overview of current Board Committees, see: FOCA Committees in brief (PDF, 1 page; current at April 2018)

Our Bylaws:

FOCA Bylaw #10 – Approved March 2016 (PDF, 6 pages)

Our Strategic Plan:

The Board of Directors has approved an updated Strategic Plan for FOCA – read it here:

FOCA Strategic Plan 2015-17 (PDF, 4 pgs)

Our Privacy Policy:

FOCA Privacy Policy – Approved June 2016 (PDF, 4 pages)

Our Priorities:

FOCA acts as an information bridge between policy-makers and property owners on significant issues, including:

The long-term environmental integrity of Ontario’s freshwater resources
Fair property taxation
Effective land use planning
Risk management for volunteer groups
Rural safety and emergency preparedness in the face of extreme weather developments in recent years

For over 50 years, FOCA has played a key role in waterfront Ontario.

Join FOCA!

Why does FOCA matter?

FOCA sits at the table where individuals cannot:

on the Hydro One Customer Advisory Board (since 2005) and at the Ontario Energy Board hearings (2014) to lobby for fair energy rates, prior to regulated price changes for 2015-19
at water level management meetings with the Ministry of Natural Resources, Trent Severn Waterway and other stakeholders concerned to enhance communications and emergency preparedness following Spring 2013 flooding in rural Ontario
on the Algonquin Land Claim Committee of External Advisors, prior to the release of the Preliminary Draft Agreement-in-Principal in 2013

on the Ministers Mining Act Advisory Committee for many years, to secure Mining Act changes that enhanced rural property owners’ land rights
on the Provincial Policy Statement Review – Northern and Rural Working Group, to ensure waterfront interests were considered in drafting the new PPS 2014.
at Parliament Hill, speaking before the 2012 Budget Subcommittee against the closure of the Experimental Lakes Area and changes to the Fisheries Act