Growing pains

By Laurie Watt Simcoe.com Oct 12, 2010
SIMCOE COUNTY – It’s politics with real economic consequences – or more accurately, a lack of consequences.
Two years ago, developers and politicians alike called Simcoe County the Wild West.
Today, the dust literally blows across undeveloped fields – many approved projects but some stalled, caught in a planning world showdown.

Simcoe County has twice asked the provincial development facilitator to play the role of Sheriff – to solve a duel of documents and visions. It’s a showdown Barrie MPP Aileen Carroll says will be solved with an amendment to Ontario’s Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe, due any day, a move that shows Ontario’s plan will prevail.
But in the meantime, investment isn’t happening, and the clock ticks as investors look at less-uncertain counties.
“Growth has been stagnating. We can look around us and see growth in Grey County. (The province) has blocked the growth in Simcoe County – which is impacting jobs,” says Simcoe County Warden Cal Patterson.
“Our planners are working on things other than expansion and growth in the communities. Our industrial parks are on hold, especially the ones on Highway 400.”Patterson defends the county’s Official Plan – the 2008 long-term guiding planning document that sets out how the area shall grow. That document was the result of extensive local consultation and collaboration and its downfall is that it’s opposed to Ontario’s Simcoe Area Vision, unveiled in June 2009, the same day Ontario introduced legislation to expand Barrie’s boundaries. It’s that plan that sees a bigger Barrie, supported by smaller urban nodes.
Both were created as ways to control growth, which was leapfrogging over the Green Belt and driving up land values, especially in areas with easy GTA market access.
But then the showdown began.
Ontario appealed the county’s OP to the Ontario Municipal Board. That hearing – which was to have started Sept. 24 – has been adjourned, pending the discussions about the provincial facilitator getting involved and the county’s Sept. 8 letter reiterating the need for immediate action.
“Every municipality is losing money,” says Innisfil’s Deputy Mayor Gord Wauchope.
“We’re all sitting here saying, ‘What the hell is going on?’ There is a backlog. Different projects have been put on hold.  The (provincial) government is talking about getting jobs for people, but the more the delay, there are no jobs for carpenters or bricklayers. It’s a domino effect.”
The Labourers’ Union Local 183 has even gotten involved, sending a letter to Premier Dalton McGuinty. Officials refused to share the letter, though.
The Building Industry and Land Development Association (BILD)’s Simcoe County Chapter, is also concerned – and is urging McGuinty to get the provincial facilitator on the scene. It has been meeting with senior Ministry of Infrastructure and Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing officials regarding the urgency of approving the county’s official plan.
Those officials, however, told BILD last spring an amendment to Ontario’s growth plan relating to Simcoe County was “imminent”.
Carroll agrees that critical piece of legislation is on its way.
“Things are moving, and I am taking a leadership role,” she says. “The Ministry of Infrastructure and the Ministry of Municipal Affairs are presenting a Simcoe area amendment to the growth plan – that is indeed the final step.”
“This will implement a nodular urban structure and incorporate population and employment forecasts that support that.”
Wauchope, meanwhile, says the county feels betrayed. In April 2007, the two ministers – who have since been shuffled – told politicians infrastructure money would flow, if they came up with a plan to control growth.
So the county created its plan, and used it to shape its OP – but the province rejected it, starting the legal showdown that now involves developers appealing Barrie’s OP (partially on the population target, which is set by Ontario) and Ontario appealing the county OP and Innisfil’s plan for its employment hub at Innisfil Beach Road.
That hurt. It still hurts. It will keep hurting, says Innisfil Mayor Brian Jackson“They came up here and said get your plans in order and the money will flow. The county went at it. There’s a plan in place and now there’s no money and no growth.”