Wasaga residents want politicians to rethink Eastdale residential proposal

From left, Linda Feldpusch, Dave Feldpusch, Renate Koenig, Mario Nobrega, and Klaus Koenig are part of a group of residents in Wasaga east end lobbying to preserve a section of wetland from development. -Wasaga Sun photo

By Ian Adams Wasaga Sun

A group of east-end residents hope their pleas to preserve a neighbouring wetland are heard at Simcoe County council.
here are about 100 members in the Protect Wasaga Beach Wetlands group, which has now packed Wasaga Beach council chambers on three occasions in the hope local councillors would have said no to an official plan amendment to allow up to 150 homes in an area along Eastdale Drive.

The homes would occupy an area of five hectares fronting Eastdale. The OPA submission needed to get past council, and then on to the County of Simcoe before Jan. 19 in order to get a piece of an additional 20,000 population allocation given the county under Places to Grow.

Of chief concern is the future of the wetland area, which residents say acts as a filter and helps to control flooding. It’s also habitat for deer and the eastern hognose snake, which is considered a ‘threatened’ species in Ontario.

In September, an engineer told councillors stormwater management practices could mitigate any major storm peak flows from the property.

The residents aren’t convinced.

“Our objective is to protect the wetlands. Nothing that we have seen gives us any assurance that the development will be able to protect the wetlands,” said Mario Nobrega.

According to the residents, water comes off the land and into a deep ditch on the north side of Eastdale, and heads west into a creek that flows directly into Georgian Bay. During the spring, most of the property is under water, and the ditch is close to overflowing.

The wetland, they say, also provides a filter for whatever may be coming from further upstream.

“It’s so important as a filter because of the farms (uphill from the site),” said Klaus Koenig. “To me, it’s it’s very important that it stay that way.”

“In essence, we are destroying our water, we are creating more opportunities for floods and erosion. It’s a big issue and unless we come to grips with it … not in my generation, but 25 years from now, what’s going to happen?” Nobrega questioned. “If you don’t have the purification functions that (a wetland) performs, that stuff is going to end up in Georgian Bay.”

The residents have written to the ministers of Environment, and Natural Resources and Forestry, asking them to review the opinion of the Nottawasaga Valley Conservation Authority that the OPA could go ahead.

They are still waiting on a reply.

“We want a higher authority to look at this and say, ‘yes, we’re satisfied the decision made was based on sound science, the protocols were followed, and they are legally entitled to do what they did,’” Nobrega said. “If that’s the case, then we have to move onto another issue.”

Nobrega said he hoped county council will deny the amendment and “protect the wetlands.”

Failing that, the group hopes the county will refer the matter for an independent study.

The group is scheduled to make a presentation to county council on Nov. 22.

“We go on our knees and plead our case,” he said.

Nobrega was unsure of the group’s next step should the county allow the amendment, acknowledging that challenging the decision at the Ontario Municipal Board was an expensive proposition.

“We don’t have the financial resources. We depend on our politicians to really understand the issues, and while they may listen to the engineers … to be prudent, think this thing through, and make sound decisions,” he said. “We’re not against development, it’s just that (it should be asked) whether this is the place for it.”