Haley Station resident surprised at council’s approval of official plan amendment

To the Editor:
Today, sitting as an observer at our local council meeting in Whitewater Region Township, I watched, much to my surprise again, where our council supported the recommendation of the township planner to approve the Official Plan Amendment #11 (OPA). Prior to this meeting I requested they hold a public meeting because of modifications they made to the OPA#11.
These modifications came as a result of the recently released Provincial Policy Statement (PPS). This PPS, as quoted by the township planner, severely impacts Whitewater Twp. Why would our council choose to have important meetings such as these official plan changes during the daytime when most residents cannot attend? Why is this council hiding the truth from the public as to what this new PPS means and how it will affect all residents in this township?
All of this council, except for one member, supported this official plan amendment. The reason for their support of it was because they have been working on it for a very long time.
As quoted from the township planner in an email, “Almost all of Whitewater Region is located within Lake Simcoe-Rideau Ecoregion 6E (Ecological Land Classification Primer for Central & Southern Ontario). The 2014 PPS includes significant woodland and valleyland policies in Whitewater and other parts of Renfrew County that did not apply under the 2005 PPS. Development is not permitted within significant woodlands or valleylands unless it has been demonstrated there will be no negative impacts on the natural features or their ecological functions….studies will likely be required to justify development once these PPS policies become incorporated into the County Official Plan. The PPS places significant restrictions on the ability to develop land in rural Ontario.”
How can our council ignore this? An important section in this PPS refers to “Natural Heritage” and that there will be no development or site alteration. Most of the Ottawa Valley consists of woodlands and valleylands…in other words, “natural heritage”.
One councillor had concerns about this to not support it. What does that say about the rest of them? In my opinion, this means any property that has water or streams will be severely impacted by regulation (ie septic tanks/wells, etc) to “demonstrate no negative impacts on the natural features or ecological functions” as mentioned above. This is a huge concern that our council also be concerned about, but it appears they don’t because “they have been working on this official plan for a long time.”
Currently, the Ministry of Natural Resources has contracted Thunderhouse Forest Services from Hearst, On. to do an “ecological study” on trees in the “Ottawa Valley Forest” in the vicinity of Deux Rivieres, Pembroke, Arnprior, Petawawa, Calabogie, Renfrew, Wilno, Griffith, Foymount and Eganville. As well, the Ministry of Northern Development of Mines are seeking access to licensed aggregate operations in the County of Renfrew to do a geological survey to complete an Aggregate Resource Inventory Paper (ARIP) and will be eventually going across the entire province. These are, in my opinion, studies for future regulation against property owners.
The province, through the counties and municipalities, is attempting to stop development in rural Ontario. If allowed, we will be severely impacted by all of the above. Anyone applying for land severances will be subject to costly government “studies” before approval (if approved); or those applying for building permits for additions or expansions will be subjected to costly studies and/or strict regulations. This stems from local government implementing the United Nations document of Agenda 21, as directed from the Province.
Agenda 21 proposes that rural landowners be forced to move to “human settlements in urban areas” and shut down rural living. The province supports this by creating these new Acts (ie Endangered Species Act, the Green Energy Act, etc.). Living in the urban areas means they control your water, food and you. They cannot control those who are not dependent on water or food, but they do control essential services (i.e. hydro and gas). In other words, hit us hard in the pocket books so that living in the rural area will be not be affordable.
What concerned me the most was the statement from the mayor when he remarked that when they were working on the official plan, the Provincial Policy Statement was created from a minority Liberal government…now it is a majority government and there is nothing they can do. He is so wrong!
Unfortunately, nobody is reading the legislation. IF they read it, they would know that the Provincial Policy Statement is only a guideline to be implemented under the Planning Act…it is NOT legislation.
The Planning Act, which is Legislation, was created in 1946 and was introduced to guide municipal development. Sec. 25 states if there is an official plan, the municipality must acquire land to place a “hold” on the property. This is supported by Sec. 34 of the Planning Act – Zoning Bylaws which then refers to “Holding Provisions” in section 36.
In the preamble of the Provincial Policy Statement, it states “The provincial policy statement provides policy direction on matters of provincial interest related to land-use planning and development.” The Baldwin Act (which was the 1st Municipal Act 1849) placed restrictions on implementing bylaws on municipal properties only, it set out rules for municipal elections, it set out what the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) was actually created for…to take over a municipality that was failing financially and bring it back into the black, prior to it going bankrupt, to assist a municipality supporting fiscal prudence and security. Prior to the Baldwin Act, the province allotted lands to townships/counties through their Letters Patents, to build churches, schools, etc. These are the lands that the PPS provides policy direction on matters of provincial interest…..not private property!
It would seem the Province creates these regulations to be enforced by our municipalities because they know nobody is reading the legislation. The legislation was created to protect our rights. Legally, they do not have the right to enforce these bylaws, regulations, whatever, on our private properties without our consent or entering into an agreement with them.
It states very clearly both in the Planning Act and the Municipal Act that the land must be acquired to make it a public asset, which would then make it a matter of provincial interest. Obviously, our Planners (the paid consultants to our local councils) are not familiar with the Municipal Act and/or the Planning Act of Ontario. Our councils are required to work under the authority of both of these Acts. All this, as mentioned above, being dumped onto us by the province, the County, the municipalities is simply abuse of authority in the form of a dictatorship. It’s all about control, and it can be stopped.
Those sitting on council… please read the legislation. Your job is to represent the people…not the province.
Donna Burns
Resident of Whitewater Twp.
Editor’s Note: While Ms. Burns is correct in saying only one councillor voted against the official plan amendment, it must be noted another councillor did not vote as he was absent.