Motion passed to lobby province to keep Springwater Park going

By Ian McInroy, Barrie Examiner February 28, 2013  

SPRINGWATER TWP. – Simcoe County councillors approved an amendment to a motion Thursday morning to lobby the province to keep Springwater Provincial Park open for another year with its current amenities and attractions intact.

They also voted to offer the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) in-kind assistance from the county and Springwater Township to better market the 193-hectare park, located north of Barrie.

Springwater Mayor Linda Collins added the motion’s amendment.

“This motion is basically asking (the MNR) to let it remain in its present form for one more year. The location of the park in relation to the city of Barrie, current residents and any future development makes it extremely well situated,” she said, adding having the park near the Simcoe County Museum is another bonus.

While the township and the county realize the importance of the park, Collins said its future lies with the MNR.

“We have been drawn into a decision over land we don’t control and will never own,” she said. “We need to keep the lines of communication open. I found out (about the impending change from operational to non-operational) through the media. We were not apprised.”

Since then, however, the county and township have been in communication with the MNR.

“To the MNR’s credit, they’ve been good to work with. They’ve arranged meetings and accommodated us with information,” Collins said. “We asked (if they) could possibly give us more time. I’d like to see them give us another year,” she said. “It would give us time to gather statistics and work on a business plan. We have two citizens’ coalitions who are working heartily.”

Two groups are working to keep the park’s status operational: the Springwater Park Citizens’ Coalition and Friends of Springwater Provincial Park.

The motion also stated the one-year extension would allow the park’s supporters the opportunity to organize, raise money and establish partnerships that could prove the viability of the park’s operation beyond March 31, 2013, the date when the MNR wants to change the park’s status from operational to non-operational.

As of April 1, it would remain a protected area, but there would be no vehicle access. People can continue to walk in and enjoy the park for day use, free of charge.

“We’ve got the message. We understand the concerns and we’re doing what we can,” Collins added. “(Park supporters) still need to advocate through the local MPP and directly to the MNR.”

 

Barrie Advance by Laurie Watt March 1 2013 

Local governments are banding together to ask Ontario to keep Springwater Provincial Park open for another year.

Simcoe County council approved a motion petitioning the Ministry of Natural Resources to keep the park operational until March 31, 2014, to enable partnerships to be found.

And Monday, Barrie is to consider a recommendation also asking for a one-year reprieve.

“It augments the hope we all have for Springwater Park,” said Springwater Township Mayor Linda Collins, who noted there’s strong regional support for the park.

“With the number of emails and calls we’ve been receiving, we get a lot of people from outside the municipality coming to use the park. We have heard from a lot of residents from Barrie and Wasaga Beach,” she added.

Ward 5 Coun. Peter Silveira said the province should have consulted the community – including many families in Barrie, about a park that’s just a short drive from his north-end ward.

“(The province) should know that public parks embody the Canadian tradition of preserving public lands for the benefit of all. Queen’s Park must understand parks are not civic frills. It’s a right and a necessity, especially now when we see that more than half of our population now inhabits urban centres,” said Silveira.

Last week at the Ontario Good Roads Association conference, Springwater and Simcoe County lobbied Minister of Natural Resources David Orazietti for a one-year reprieve before the animals – a main attraction – are moved out and the park’s amenities boarded up or removed.

Two citizens groups have sprung up to advocate for the park, raise awareness and find partnerships – the Friends of Springwater Park and the Springwater Park Citizens’ Coalition.

The closure, effective March 31, was announced last October.

Simcoe County offered to buy or lease the park, said Warden Cal Patterson, but the MNR wouldn’t consider those possibilities.

“So we offered to support them in-kind,” he said. “We’ll work to promote the park through our economic development, tourism and communications departments.”

Collins said the county considered the park strategic, because so many residents expressed support for it, and it’s so different from the three other provincial parks in the county.