• Protecting Water and Farmland in Simcoe County

Innisfil council “insulted” by Greenbelt study

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In Agriculture
Jan 5th, 2018
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Mayor Lynn Dollin

by Janis Ramsay Innisfil Journal

Municipalities that get added to the province’s Greenbelt have to comply with the Greenbelt Plan, which reduces urban sprawl.

According to the ministry’s notice, the province is identifying moraines, streams and wetlands in order to protect water in the area.

The town’s manager of land use planning Tim Cane said the province wants input on what should be considered when it lists water protection features.

He added the county would be the first to respond.

“I was considerably incensed, particularly by some of the comments I read regarding the protection of water and drinking water,” Deputy Mayor Lynn Dollin said. “I was appointed by Minister Broten back in 2007 and for 10 years we have been working on protecting drinking water here.”

Dollin added $250 million was spent on studies identifying source water and significant groundwater recharge areas in the region.

“I don’t know if they’re starting over and (saying) never mind all that mapping, or if they’re going to consult all that work we have done,” Dollin said. “I don’t think anywhere else in North America has as clear of an understanding as we do here.”

The ministry’s request for information about the Greenbelt expansion is insulting to people who have spent the last decade already working on it, Dollin added.

“We need to use the information we already have in front of us.”

Mayor Gord Wauchope said the town is responding to the ministry’s request.

“I’m going to ask the government for a longer extension, because it’s supposed to be back by March 9. To me, it’s ludicrous. We just went through all this.”

 

One Response to “Innisfil council “insulted” by Greenbelt study”

  1. Allan says:

    The first sentence says it all – inclusive protection requires compliance – just as the Lake Simcoe Protection Plan does. Missing from the above article is the apparently shocked reaction by Ward 7 Coun. Rob Nicol on learning that Innisfil is in line to potentially be listed as a Greenbelt area. “It appears Innisfil is functionally obsolete by declaring it mostly a protection zone,” Nicol said. “This would be a great detriment to the entire community and we need to respond to protect our Official Plan.” Is Nicol saying that he’s in favour of urban sprawl?

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