The following letter was sent to the Municipality of Northern Bruce Peninsula Mayor and Council.
Dear Mesdames and Sirs,
I have written to Council in the past expressing my concern about the proliferation of parking lots in the village of Tobermory, in particular the proposal to develop a parking lot for 170 vehicles at the site at 12 Brock Street. Accordingly, I am shocked to see that Council is now considering facilitating the development of two lots for more than 750 vehicles merely to serve the interests of two local businesses. As I have noted before, there are already several parking lots in Tobermory and each one has involved the destruction of the natural fauna and reduced the habitat of the wildlife in the area. Ultimately, the continued building of parking lots will destroy what remaining charm the village of Tobermory possesses. It is a sad comment on this Municipality that the local history book is called “Parking Lots and Flowerpots.”
I am concerned about the imbalance between the contributions to the Municipality of the majority of residents, who are not here to ride on tour boats, and the latitude given to tour boat operators to wreck the local environment in order to enlarge their profit margins. As you must all be aware, more than 90 per cent of the Municipality’s tax revenue comes from the residents and a mere 3 per cent from all the businesses. When you allow two businesses to wreck so much of the environment you are clearly not acting in the best interests of the people of Tobermory.
I will not raise the issue of congestion, especially at the Hay Bay/Hwy 6 intersection. I have raised it before and it is a problem that will be obvious even to a child. However, I have noticed this summer a large number of “near misses” between pedestrians and cars in the congested area in Little Tub harbour. By actively increasing this congestion and offering no plan to manage it you are being reckless with human life.
I am concerned that the proposed change to the Zoning By-law is the latest attempt to prejudice the Village of Tobermory by a Mayor and Council that consistently favours the quiet enjoyment of the Town of Lion’s Head and other areas. In particular, I would refer to the efforts by the Council and the Sustainable Tourism Advisory Group to cap parking spaces and set capacities and limits in other areas of the Municipality (i.e. Moore Street and March 8 Special Council Meeting). Why is there no similar concern for the Village of Tobermory?
Councillor Megan Myles has raised a number of serious issues respecting the proposed changes. I would like to express my full support for her concerns and her efforts to bring them to the public’s attention.
May I ask that, when this issue comes up for discussion, you will give some thought to a better use of this property than merely creating a magnet to bring still more vehicles into the village.
Yours truly,
Ruth Bainbridge
