Decision on road allowance near Ramara airport expected to be deferred

Proposed new  runway at Orillia regional airport 

‘Our understanding of the regulations that govern aerodromes and airports is that this (clear cutting) should not have happened,’ says forester

By: Nathan Taylor Orillia Matters

Ramara’s mayor is hoping council will defer a decision to declare an unopened road allowance surplus in light of unauthorized work that has taken place at an airport in the township.

The committee of the whole voted Monday to declare the road allowance surplus. The Orillia Rama Regional Airport wants to purchase it so a new runway can be created.

Stop-work order issued over clear-cutting of Ramara wetland

That decision is up for ratification this coming Monday, but Mayor Basil Clarke said he will be tabling a motion to defer.

“I’m quite confident council will support that motion,” he said. “We want to hear the concerns from the locals.”

There are many concerns that have already been aired since it was learned trees were cut down on a large part of a wetland and fill had been trucked to the site.

That led both the township and the County of Simcoe to issue stop-work orders.

“We want to make sure all the permits are in place,” Clarke said, adding airport owner Clayton Smith “jumped the gun” by having the work completed on the site.

He said trees were cut down on both township- and airport-owned property, while excavation that took place was not on township property. He also said soil was not disturbed in the wetland and the tree stumps remain.

“At least the flood plain has not been damaged,” he said.

Clarke has praised the work Smith has put into the airport beside Lake St. John since he purchased it in 2017, but said the tree cutting done without a permit went too far.

“Whenever Ramara Township enters into a partnership or any business dealings, especially one like this that has been an asset to the community, we want to give that business the benefit of the doubt, but we had to slam on the brakes,” he said. “Once that happens, we are very cautious. As they say, once bitten, twice shy.”

As for potential penalties that could be imposed due to the work that’s been done on the property, no one seems to know. Both the township and the county are trying to figure out who has jurisdiction, since airports are federally regulated.

“We’ve stopped the bleeding. Now we have to figure out how we fix it,” said township CAO John Pinsent, adding legal and planning teams are involved. “We’re trying to understand under what authorities (Smith) can or cannot continue work.”

County forester Graeme Davis is also involved in the process.

“Woodlands are generally protected, unless there’s approval to remove those woodlands,” he said. “Our understanding of the regulations that govern aerodromes and airports is that this should not have happened.”

With the stop-work orders in place, “it’s an opportunity for everybody to pause and figure out what happens next,” Davis said.