Dear Editor,
I’m not sure the Township deserves the criticism it received in the recent wetland letter. We all live here because we appreciate the environment. The recent letter on wetlands even quoted the MNBP official plan, “recognize that development must be planned in an effective and fair manner”.
By definition this means that not all areas that some people rather arbitrarily describe as wetlands can or should be “preserved”. The various permit structures by the Municipality attempt to strike a balance. This would seem to be a reasonable approach for various reasons.
A large percentage of the relatively small land mass of the Bruce Peninsula is already under Conservation Groups or Parkland. Exactly how much do we want to remove from the private/our sector? Forever removed from the private property/cottage use of our grandchildren and great grandchildren.
The letter speaks extensively of resort residential whereas the Township has to look at the area as a whole. Resort Residential zoning is largely private property. Access to private property was the main principle on which our Country was built. My ancestors came here for the freedom to farm their own land and not be serfs to Barons, Earls and Kings. My Uncles died in WW part 2 defending these rights. Herein lies the need for Municipalities to be “fair”. In sum, if you can’t build on your lot it’s essentially worthless.
It would almost seem the negative connotations associated with “developers” in this context is misplaced or possibly misunderstood? So let’s be clear. New cottages are built for our children, our grandchildren and for New Canadians. We have cottages but no one else can have them? We invite New Canadians to our shores and then refuse them the right to build cottages?
We can’t have it both ways – receive applause from the world for opening borders and then imprison the new folks in the hot odorous city core. Likewise we can’t say “have them build their cottage somewhere else” – there is nowhere else as good as here as I’m sure everyone agrees.
And finally, I’ve held farmland in Bruce County all my life. I was not consulted and I’m not totally happy with this UNESCO designation as there is no strict definition of what it means. From their site I read, “Biosphere reserves are learning places for sustainable development”. Fine. I hope the designation is not used to impose the views of one group of society upon another group of society as is done in third world countries.
Regards,
Kevin Doyle,
Dorcas Bay
