• Protecting Water and Farmland in Simcoe County

LSRCA board fails to act on wetland protection

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In Agencies
Jan 17th, 2014
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Back Row: New Tecumseth Councillor Bruce Haire, Regional Councillor Jack Ballinger, BWG Councillor Del Crake, Mayor Geoffrey Dawe, Councillor Dave Kerwin, Mrs. Gayle Wood (CAO), Oro-Medonte Councillor Dwight Evans, Barie Councillor Barry Ward, Councillor Ken Ferdinands, Ramara Councillor John O'Donnell, Barrie rep Eric Bull

Front Row: Councillor Stephen Strangway, Innisfil Councillor Maria Baier, Councillor Avia Eek, Mayor Rob Grossi, Regional Councillor Debbie Bath (Chair), Mayor Virginia Hackson, Regional Councillor Bobbie Drew (Vice Chair) Missing: Councillor Phil Craig

From Jack Gibbons
 North Gwillimbury Forest Alliance

Today the Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority (LSRCA) board of directors decided to delay making a decision on our request that it repeal the Maple Lake Estates (MLE) Loophole, until after the October 2014 municipal elections.

This needless delay is just more evidence that the LRSCA board simply doesn’t want to face up to the facts: Its policy to automatically approve development in provincially significant wetlands is indefensible, morally and legally.

Specifically, the LSRCA board directed its staff to complete a comprehensive review of its entire watershed development policy document, the Loophole included, for consideration at its December 2014 board meeting. That means almost 12 more months of the door being left wide open to developments where they don’t belong, a policy approach in effect in no other conservation authority in the Greater Golden Horseshoe.

Furthermore, the LSRCA defeated Georgina Councillor Phil Craig’s sensible motion that the MLE Loophole be suspended until the policy review is completed.  Only Councillors Maria Baier of Innisfil and Avia Eek of King Township supported Councillor Craig’s motion.  Instead, the LSRCA accepted a verbal promise from Metrus that it will not seek a Section 28 permit to proceed with its MLE development before the December 2014 board meeting.

The MLE Loophole would appear to give Metrus Developments automatic approval for a 500 acre, 1073 unit residential development on the Paradise Beach-Island Grove provincially significant wetland in the North Gwillimbury Forest in the Town of Georgina.

According to our lawyer, Leo Longo, Senior Partner, Aird & Berlis LLP, the MLE Loophole is simply illegal and should be repealed immediately.

On May 13, 2013 the David Suzuki Foundation, Ontario Nature, Environmental Defence, the Rescue Lake Simcoe Coalition, AWARE Simcoe and the North Gwillimbury Forest Alliance asked the LSRCA to eliminate the MLE Loophole. For the fourth time, the board has simply delayed a decision on our request, despite its clear mandate to act in the interests of watershed integrity, not developers.

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