OP comment: Sandy Agnew, AWARE Oro-Medonte

By Sandy Agnew AWARE Oro-Medonte July 28 2012

The greatest weakness of the OP is its failure to provide a vision of a long term stable society in Simcoe County. Twenty years is much too short a time span to establish population targets.  Those of us over 50 have seen rural municipalities in the GTA growth from populations of 15,000 or 20,000 to become large cities with a collective population of 4 or 5 million people. This has happened in our lifetime. Do we want Simcoe County/Barrie/Orillia to look like the GTA in 2060?

The geographic area of Simcoe County includes the Cities of Barrie and Orillia and the cities must be included in a vision for the future of the area. The three political entities must work cooperatively to develop the long term goals for the area. How will Simcoe County work in cooperation with Barrie and Orillia to develop a clear, long term vision for the region?

There are no targets for a long term stable, sustainable society i.e. stable population, absolute preservation of foodland, ecological functions, heritage features.

Agricultural land classification is outdated and not adequate to identify all foodland that requires preservation. Schedule 5.1 sets out natural heritage features inventory on which to base the required lands required for preserving ecological functions, renewable resources and biodiversity for the long term. But what population levels can be sustained by these features?

Ultimate population numbers will depend on the carrying capacity of the land. What populations in other areas (i.e. GTA) will depend on Simcoe County for food and other resourcers?

The OP indicates compliance with the Oak Ridges Moraine Act and cites the Oro Moraine as a natural feature and resource. Surely the Oro Moraine deserves the same level of protection. How will the Oro Moraine be protected?

Growth Management Strategy Section

Population is to be directed to settlement areas, emphasizing primary settlement areas. What happens 

to all the current approved plans of subdivision that do not comply with the terms of this OP? 

The OP indicates compliance with the LSPP but fails to mention the Lake Simcoe and Nottawasaga 

Assimilative Capacity study. How does the OP address the findings of the Assimilative Capacity Studies 

for Lake Simcoe and the Nottawasaga River?