A Pickering man appeared in Minden court last week, pleading guilty to illegally building a dam in the Bancroft area. Mike Hanna was fined $1,000 under the Lakes and Rivers Improvement Act for constructing the dam without the minister’s written approval. The court says the man dug a trench on his property overlooking Baptiste Lake and then built the dam to make water flow into the trench. Land owners are reminded that permits and ministry approval may be needed if you plan on changing the course of water on your property.