Midhurst residents bring concerns to Springwater councillors

By Ian McInroy Barrie Examiner

Springwater Township council held a special meeting Wednesday night to hear from residents about Phases 3 and 4 of the Midhurst Secondary Plan (MSP) water, wastewater and transportation class environmental assessments.

Residents voiced concerns about the assessments around the MSP, which could be as large as 756 hectares and, at some point, be home to almost 25,000 new residents.

Issues about wastewater management and roads required for the development were raised as well as concerns for water, streams and wetlands and impact on land use.

Hydrogeologist Tim Lotimer, who spoke on behalf of the Midhurst Ratepayers’ Association, said a lot of good work has been done on the part of the township.

“But I think there are some critical issues that haven’t been addressed yet,” he said, including the well-head protection areas for the proposed (at this stage of the process) 11 wells required for the development.

“The Clean Water Act provides the authority to control and manage certain land-use activities. The new wells will result in these well-head protection areas and peoples’ use of their land may well be impacted,” Lotimer said. “You want to know that now. People need to (know) how that could affect their properties. If you have a well-head protection area on your farm, you can expect to have some restrictions on what you do and what you don’t do on that farm as a result.

“Now is the time to really delve into some of the impacts that are going to happen, not later on in the process.”

Kate Harries, of AWARE Simcoe, said current water treatment and wastewater standards do not keep pace with research.

“That research is pointing to the detrimental effects of untreatable contaminants as well as changes in flow and water temperature on sensitive ecological features,” she said. “Measures must be in place to guard against the release of high volumes of water to Willow Creek at times of spring flooding and summer storms.”

Harries called on councillors to make the right decisions at this stage of the process and not down the road.

“This is not a situation that calls for mitigation. Systems need to be in place to provide for no impact on the waters,” she said.

Springwater Township Mayor Bill French said council has provided many opportunities for public input throughout the environmental assessment process.

“This meeting is an additional opportunity for our ratepayers to provide comments to council before our consultant completes the Environmental Study Report (ESR),” he said. “The consultant is now preparing the ESR that includes all the background reports and options for water, waste water and transportation that have been developed based on these reports and the public’s comments on the options.”

French said over the next three to four months, the consultant will prepare a draft ESR, council will have input on it and once the report is complete it will be sent to the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change for review and potential approval.

Sandy Buxton, president of the Midhurst Ratepayers’ Association, said area residents can hear Lotimer’s presentation in its entirety at an association meeting on Sunday at the Midhurst Community Hall, 74 Doran Rd., beginning at 7 p.m.