Residents pack school gym for meeting about changes to Burl’s Creek

By Roberta Bell, Orillia Packet & Times

A group of residents who live near the soon-to-be-expanded Burl’s Creek event park want to “save Oro” and aren’t going to give up without a fight.

That was the consensus at a public meeting hosted by the group, which goes by the same name, and its supporters Thursday night at Guthrie Public School.

“They have no idea what’s coming,” Al Sinclair, a member of Save Oro, said to the people who packed the gymnasium at the small Line 5 school — it was standing room only — of referring to Oro-Medonte Township council members. “We know what’s going on and we don’t want it.”

During the meeting, audience members repeatedly raised concerns about the process by which Burl’s Creek is growing.

Stan Dunford bought the 350-acre Line 8 property off Highway 11 from Don Hanney in the fall. Since then, he has added 350 adjacent acres to it, including the former Barrie Speedway.

This summer, the now-700-acre Burl’s Creek will host two large camping and music festivals: WayHome July 24 to 26 and Boots and Hearts Aug. 6 to 10.

WayHome is expected to draw 35,000 people and Boots and Hearts, 40,000, though a spokesperson for the park said it can now handle up to 80,000.

Ryan Howes, vice-president of venue operations for Burl’s Creek, previously told The Packet & Times  he had contacted the group and offered to attend the meeting to speak to any concerns and “clarify … misinformation that has been in the media.”

Howes, who was unavailable for comment Friday, said before the meeting he was told he was welcome to attend, but not welcome to speak.

Boots and Hearts was held in 2014 in Clarington in Durham Region.

“Why are they leaving Clarington?” asked a woman from the audience.

Neighbours near the event ground complained about the disturbances it caused, responded Save Oro’s Wendy MacKay, as photos from the event of litter, fireworks and rows of campers passed by on the overhead projector behind her.

Burl’s Creek was originally zoned in 1994. Its uses include agricultural fairs, antique shows, an automotive flea market, country festivals, vehicle shows, highland games, auctions and craft and hobby shows.

“How can the high-density camping be held without rezoning? It can’t,” said MacKay, repeating the text on a slide behind her.

In July 2014, when Hanney still owned Burl’s Creek, council approved a 15-month temporary-use bylaw for portions of it that allows more parking and camping spots in 2015.

For the past few months, Wayne Lintak said he has been emailing township staff (and copying council members) about construction work at Burl’s Creek, questioning whether it’s in accordance with the Oro-Medonte’s bylaws and municipal code.

He said many of his emails have gone unanswered and the responses he got “dodged questions.”

In January, Howes told The Packet & Times crews were on the property, putting in some additional roadways and “enhancing some areas.”

Howes said then: “Currently, no additional infrastructure is going to be needed.”

Last week, a new temporary-use application was filed by consultants on behalf of the new ownership for parts of the expanded venue not included originally.

A mandatory public meeting will be called as early as April to discuss the application. After that meeting, township staff will report with a recommendation to council, which will make a decision. Anyone dissatisfied by the outcome can appeal to the Ontario Municipal Board.

A press release sent by the township Feb. 12 said since a formal planning application had been filed, “council is not in a position to provide opinions or render decisions until input from the public and agencies, which may be submitted during the consultation process, has been received and considered.”

Ward 2 Coun. Scott MacPherson attended Thursday night’s meeting. He was the only council member there.

“I came here to listen,” said MacPherson, noting he was not there on behalf of council.

He said what he heard during the meeting was “valuable” and spoke briefly to the unanswered emails Lintak brought up.

“We can’t possibly respond to all of these emails. I hope you understand that,” MacPherson said. “We read them.”

Sinclair said a big issue is the volume of traffic the large music festivals will bring with them.

There is room for about 1.7 miles of traffic backup before Highway 11 and its nearby overpasses plug, he said, noting the festivals will likely cause between 4.4 and 8.8 miles of traffic backup.

“Either way, we, as citizens … won’t be able to move,” Sinclair said.

A woman in the audience who lives on Ridge Road said a few years ago, when there was a large, one-night concert at Burl’s Creek, a carful of young adults pulled up to her house.

She said they asked to pay to park in her driveway. She said she had to explain the park was kilometres away and they would have to walk there in the dark.

A man who also lives on Ridge Road said he remembered that concert. It was The Tragically Hip.

He said during it, he was trapped in his home for hours.

“We just don’t have to support this,” Sinclair said. “Essentially, we’re going to be prisoners in our houses all weekend and it’s not fair.”

Ann Honeywood, also a member of Save Oro, is a nurse. She travels around the community, moving between patients, administering cancer treatments and tending to those nearing end of life.

She said she’s worried about emergency-service access if and when traffic volume skyrockets near the event park.

“When it comes to stroke and heart attack, time is of an essence,” Honeywood said.

Area resident Jackie O’Reilly Dupuis said she attended Guthrie Public School as a child. Harry Hughes, now the mayor of Oro-Medonte, was the principal.

She said she believed then he would protect her. She said she believed the same thing when he was elected mayor.

Hughes declared a conflict of interest when it comes to items before council pertaining to Burl’s Creek. His grandson, who lives with him, was employed by former owner Hanney and some of the events Hanney held at the park are expected to continue in summer 2015.

“He left on the first lifeboat …” O’Reilly Dupuis said of Hughes, comparing him to a captain of a sinking ship.

“Our council has left us to cross our fingers and hope all is all right,” she said.

— With files from Patrick Bales

Official responds to residents’ concerns

By Patrick Bales, The Orillia Packet & Times February 19 20115

Fears of 80,000 country music fans descending on Oro-Medonte Township this August are unfounded, say the organizers of the Boots and Hearts music festival.

The fourth annual event, taking place at Burl’s Creek for the first time this year after three years at Mosport Park in Clarington, is expected to draw 40,000 revellers to enjoy the sounds of Brad Paisley, Florida Georgia Line and Lennon and Maisey from Aug. 6 to 9.

The other festival at Burl’s Creek this summer, WayHome Music and Arts, will have 35,000 tickets available. The inaugural WayHome, taking place July 24 to 26, will feature Sam Smith, Run the Jewels, The Decemberists, Sloan and more.

“We’re going with those numbers because it’s a manageable number when it comes to traffic control, security, policing and alcohol licensing,” said Ryan Howes, vice-president of venue operations at Burl’s Creek.

General-admission tickets for Boots and Hearts have sold out; VIP packages are still available. The tickets available at the first pricing tier for WayHome sold out in about 36 hours. Tier 2 tickets went on sale Thursday at noon.

“The positive reaction, not just in Canada, but in the U.S. and internationally, has far exceeded our expectations,” Howes said. “Everyone is very happy with the speed that tickets have been sold.”

Save Oro, a group that is concerned about an expansion of Burl’s Creek and the festivals that could come with it, was to hold its first public information session Thursday night at Guthrie Public School. See Saturday’s Packet & Times and Examiner  for coverage of the meeting. Also check online.

Howes said he emailed the group last week to indicate his willingness to both attend and speak to the group at the meeting “to answer any of their concerns” and “clarify … misinformation that has been in the media.”

Howes was told he was welcome to attend but not welcome to speak at the meeting.

Organizers of Boots and Hearts and WayHome will hold the next in their series of information meetings March 11 at the Trinity Church on Line 7, beginning at 6 p.m.

Concerns justified, but group’s warning over the top

By Dave Dawson, Orillia Packet & Times February 18 2015

Residents in Oro-Medonte Township have legitimate concerns when it comes to the massive events planned for an expanded and redeveloped Burl’s Creek in the coming months and years.

The venue, which has grown to more than 600 acres, is hosting the 2015 Boots and Heart Festival and the recently announced WayHome Music and Arts Festival, among other events that will draw, potentially, hundreds of thousands of people to the region.

And that, in part, is what has sparked concerns; many residents are worried about traffic chaos, upset about the massive influx of people and the ripple effect that will wash over the peaceful, quiet countryside. Some also claim they’re concerned about the effect of the park and its events on precious farmland in the sprawling township with deep agricultural roots.

Those issues sparked the creation of a citizens group, Save Oro, that has created a website and, last week, sent pamphlets to township residents prophesying a doom-and-gloom future. “Warning Oro-Medonte,” the pamphlet states in bold, capital letters, punctuated with several exclamation points. “Your quiet rural lifestyle and property values are about to be destroyed.”

Group member Ann Honeywood told The Packet & Times the group is composed of “long-term residents that have chosen to live in a rural community. Our role is to have the Oro-Medonte council look at all of our concerns.”

In that respect, she is absolutely correct. Oro-Medonte council must carefully consider how large-scale events might impact the community, traffic flow and agricultural interests. And council, of course, is doing just that. Last summer, council approved a temporary-use bylaw for portions of Burl’s Creek, allowing more parking and camping spots for the 2015 season.

In addition, a new temporary planning application was filed last week for parts of the expanded park not already zoned to permit events in 2015. Requests for future, permanent zoning-bylaw changes, official-plan amendments and site-plan agreements are to be submitted at a later date.

That process triggers a mandatory public meeting, which could happen as early as April, where residents can express any concerns they might have.

The point is the new owners are navigating the proper channels; they are investing time, effort and money to create a long-term destination. On top of that, the township holds the hammer; it must ensure Burl’s Creek meets proper planning standards and upholds the letter of the law.

While Save Oro claims to have noble intentions, its very name is divisive and inflammatory. Its claim Burl’s Creek — a 600-acre park in a large, rural township that encompasses more than 150,000 acres — will destroy residents’ lifestyles and devalue homes is ridiculous.

It will, without a doubt, be an inconvenience for some. It will also mean millions of dollars being pumped into the region, creating jobs and putting the area on the map, drawing people to Lake Country.

Save Oro-Medonte? It just might.

— Dave Dawson