Midhurst appeal to Kathleen Wynne: we need a partner

CORRECTION: In an earlier version of this post, MRA president Sandy Buxton was incorrectly quoted as saying that Springwater is being “sued” by developers.  The wording she used in her letter (full text below) is that the MSP developers have taken Springwater to the OMB. The introduction has been changed accordingly.

OMB Costs Leave Residents Virtually Silent at Upcoming Hearing

The Midhurst Ratepayers Association has made a direct appeal to Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne, asking for a meeting with her and relevant ministers.

MRA president Sandy Buxton points out that the proposed Midhurst Secondary Plan will not only “manufacture a city on 1,900 acres of prime farmland,” but will also discharge its treated wastewater a mere kilometre upstream from the internationally significant Minesing Wetlands.

“Your Liberal government allowed this plan to proceed, despite its failure to comply with 16 key components of your much-prized Growth Plan.  It did this by creating a special rule JUST for Midhurst,” Buxton writes.

Presently, she explains, the Township of Springwater is being taken to the Ontario Municipal Bard  by developers who want to force the rezoning of disputed farmland for residential use. The MRA wants to support the township by being a party to the case before the OMB but cannot, because of the high cost of retaining a lawyer and planner in order to stand a chance against the well-paid, well-resourced developer lawyers.

“Basically, Midhurst residents are forced to watch from the sidelines as the future of their village, its farms and water and its way of life are decided by people who don’t even live there,” Buxton writes.

Full text of the letter to Premier Wynne from MRA president Sandy Buxton:

Honourable Kathleen Wynne,

We are appealing to you today to do something about a very serious issue affecting hard-working, responsible, community-minded people all over Ontario – we are constantly behind the eight ball when trying to do right by our communities.  It is time for all levels of government to recognize that local residents have the right to shape their communities – how they grow, what they provide etc. – because WE are the ones that live in it, make it thrive and pay for it.  Despite this immense responsibility, we are unfortunately, and sometimes inadvertently, left out.

The amount of money, time and expertise required to succeed in an supposedly accessible and quasi-judicial OMB process is just too much for most people.  As a result, we are at an extreme disadvantage when we fight to be taken seriously and consulted properly in planning matters that affect our everyday lives.  This unequal situation results in what David Donnelly calls “bake sale justice”.  Concerned residents scrape together funds to make their voices heard, only to find they receive the justice they can afford, which isn’t much.

The Midhurst Story

As you may know, the Midhurst Ratepayers’ Association has been working with various levels of government for the past 3 years to stop a massive mega-development in our village of 3,500.  The Midhurst Secondary Plan (OPA 38) will not only manufacture a city on 1,900 acres of prime farmland, but will also discharge its

treated wastewater a mere kilometre upstream from an internationally significant,RAMSAR identified and Provincially significant Class 1 wetland – the Minesing Wetlands.

This plan will create a small city of 30,000 in an area that has no industry or infrastructure, beyond a handful of stop signs and two traffic lights.  Your Liberal government allowed this plan to proceed, despite its failure to comply with 16 key components of your much-prized Growth Plan.  It did this by creating a special rule JUST for Midhurst.

We stand against this plan, and are supported by many allies

including the Simcoe County Federation of Agriculture, Brereton Field Naturalists, Council of Canadians, STORM Coalition, AWARE Simcoe as well as influential Canadians Maude Barlow, Margaret Atwood, Michael Ondaajte, MPP Jim Wilson, MP Patrick Brown and GPO Leader Mike Schreiner.

Our cause is true and just.  Although our requests for meetings with you or your ministers have elicited no replies to date,

we still hold out hope that your government will recognize the very dangerous precedent the Midhurst Secondary Plan (MSP) sets for the rest of central Ontario, and that you will work with us to find a better growth solution for our community.

Current Issue

The MSP developers have now taken our local township [Springwater] to the OMB to force them to rezone all the disputed farmland (1900 acres) for residential use.  This is being done before the environmental assessment has been completed or Springwater Township has had a chance to conduct a thorough financial impact analysis of this mega-development.

We want to support our local township’s right to follow due process at the OMB by being a party to the case.  Sadly, the high cost of retaining a lawyer and planner in order to stand a chance against the well-paid, well-resourced developer lawyers, leaves us out in the cold.

We must settle for participant status: we can see and hear everything in open session, but can’t call experts, cross-examine witnesses or participate in closed-door meetings.  Basically, Midhurst residents are forced to watch from the sidelines as the future of their village, its farms and water and its way of life are decided by people who don’t even live there.

Is this how we define real community engagement – only available to those who can afford it?  Is it reasonable to expect a village of 3,500 to spend every waking minute fundraising to accumulate the $20,000+ we’ve been quoted to even start preparing our case for the OMB – the “cheaper” option for ordinary citizens?  Even our own township is wondering how it will be able to afford to defend itself.  How long will it be before our township caves in order to save money?

This is how democracy is stifled.

This is how a community’s voice is silenced.

The government has created a mechanism for property justice that is touted as accessible to everyone.  But that very process is so technical, so time-consuming and so expensive that it excludes the little people it is supposed to serve, all while expecting them to pay for it through their taxes.

We can’t believe this is the intent of the OMB.  We have faith that government truly serves the people and we want to send you the message that the people aren’t being served.  We are not looking for a scapegoat.  We are looking for a partner, so that, together, we can find solutions that respect our community’s desire to grow responsibly while protecting our farms, water and wetlands. These resources belong to Midhurst and all of Ontario – they must be preserved for future generations.  Our children and grandchildren deserve no less.

Again, we formally request a meeting with you and relevant Ministers to discuss how government can work with its citizens, rather than against them, in matters that affect how and where they live.

Respectfully,

Sandy Buxton

President, Midhurst Ratepayers’ Association

Reaction from Midhurst Landowners Group