GBA - Summer 2019

15 ≥ www.georgianbay.ca GBA UPDATE Summer 2019 GBA’s primary concerns are that any changes to the Act should not compromise the protection of SARs. For example, the regulations should not be relaxed to favour industry and development, but instead improved to assist SAR recovery and deal with the shortfalls in implementation that have been evident since the Act’s introduction. The implementation problems we identified were primarily a result of insufficient resources provided by various Ontario governments to comply with the wide range of obligations laid out in the Act, along with a lack of transparency. Given the continued deterioration in funding from the Ontario government, our recommendations included better systems and protocols for partnering with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in order to achieve the objectives and efficiently leverage private sector resources. We will follow up to determine the changes resulting from this review and provide details for you. Amalgamation and Planning As we mentioned in our previous UPDATE issue, it looks as though the Ford government intends to reduce the number of rural municipalities throughout Ontario to achieve efficiencies and effectiveness in local government structures. The immediate issue for GBA is the potential for the Township of Georgian Bay to be merged with all of the District of Muskoka municipalities, which we believe will lead to a loss of control over planning regulations and oversight for our coastal communities. It is more than likely that similar amalgamation moves will impact all other Georgian Bay and North Channel municipalities and communities in short order. These developments have led to discussions on how we could use this as an opportunity to improve protection of these areas by being proactive rather than reactive. The pace of expected change is a challenge, given the timetable set out in the Ontario government’s January announcement on regional government reviews. Our goal is to see if we can find a way forward that achieves the government’s objectives, while maintaining and improving the planning and other protections we need to safeguard the future ecology of Georgian Bay. Given the logistical issues that affect the provision of services in largely water-access-only communities, it makes sense to consider ways to realize efficiencies amongst coastal communities. Unlike their inland neighbours, these water-adjacent municipalities are only able to provide a limited number of services, such as planning and waste management, to their water-access constituents. This allows them to keep municipal costs low, and good management of the limited services provided will be both efficient and effective. The Township of the Archipelago proves that this can be achieved. We expect to communicate with you regularly on this matter over the coming months and seek your opinions on the best options to pursue. Going forward In addition to these issues and others covered in this issue of UPDATE , GBA’s activities throughout the summer will include: ≥ Assembling, publishing and distributing lists of pertinent questions for prospective candidates for the upcoming federal election scheduled to take place on or before October 21, 2019 – please note that Tony Clement has decided not to run ≥ Assisting the International Joint Commission on the agenda and arrangements for a public meeting on water quality, currently planned for August 6 in Collingwood No doubt new issues will arise that require GBA’s attention, as we strive to advocate on your behalf on all issues that affect the Bay and its protection. Rest assured, and as always, we are Your Voice on the Bay. info@normerica.com • 1-800-361-7449 • normerica.com NORMERICA T imber H omes & C oTTages CELEBRATING 40 YEARS