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Essa candidate rebuked for allegations about NVCA

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In Nottawasaga Valley Conservation Authority
Jul 26th, 2010
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By Kate Harries AWARE Simcoe July 26 2010
Archie Duckworth, candidate for Ward 1 in Essa Topwnship, has picked up on Mayor David Guergis’s campaign against the N|ottawasaga Valley Conservation Authority

But his attacks did not find favour with two Essa residents – Rosslyn Danby and her mother Anah Leclair – who organized a meeting in Camphill last Thursday so others could hear from the NVCA and get answers.
And, on Friday, the Township issued a strongly worded rebuttal of claims made by Duckworth in a yellow sheet distributed to residents alleging a “serious problem” involving areas newly regulated by the NVCA “which WILL impact the VALUE of your home and hold back prosperity in the Township of Essa.”
The yellow sheet (it’s printed on yellow paper) also attacks Deputy Mayor Terry Dowdall (running for mayor against Guergis) and Ward 3 Councillor Ron Henderson (seeking re-election) for supporting the new regulations and failing to report back to council.
Several of around 50 people who attended the Camphill meeting said they became fearful for their property values after receiving the Duckworth flyer.
But realtor Bill Forsyth, who was in the audience, had reassuring news. In 1993, the most expensive home for sale in Angus was $149,900. Now, he said, you’d be hard-pressed to find a residence at that price, and a $300,000 house in Angus would be worth less if it was in Barrie.
Fred Nix, an NVCA board member from Mono Township, said a lot on the river, within the floodplain, could not be purchased in Mono for less than $300,000.
“The claims made in this campaign flyer are unsubstantiated and aimed only at eliciting alarm,” says the news release issued by Essa Township. It explains that the regulation referred to was enacted by the province and applies throughout the NVCA watershed, not just in Essa. It adds that Duckworth’s flyer falsely attributes to the township responsibilites for a regulation that was lawfully made by the province and that the NVCA is mandated to administer.
The provincial regulation exists to prevent the loss of life and damage to property that can be expected when development is permitted on hazardous lands, due to flooding or erosion.
“In Ontario, there’s still a lot of property available for development,” NVCA executive director Wayne Wilson told the Camphill meeting. “Generally, you do not want new development in hazardous sites because if Hurricane Hazel comes again, all of society pays.”
In its release, Essa states that council was able to convince the NVCA to eliminate or reduce some permit fees for minor work like decks and sheds, the flyer states. An independent review of the |NVCA’s planning program is underway. Council is also investigating Special Policy Area status for Angus, which would allow greater flexibility for development.

 

 

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