On July 15, BPEG (Bruce Peninsula Environment Group) sent the following letter to Council about the value of a functional water bottle filling station for Tobermory. It seemed the letter was needed because inquiries about reinstalling the station that began in the spring got no response.
“Dear council members,
In 2015 and 2016 Council approved the installation of two water filling stations, one in Tobermory and one in Lion’s Head. Council approved the filling stations after a presentation by the Bruce Peninsula Environment Group about the need for public access to safe drinking water, and the need to provide an alternative to single use plastic water bottles.
The Tobermory station had operational problems from the start, mainly caused by a poor water supply and no signage. The unit was removed at the end of the 2019 season and was not reinstalled during and after COVID. The Lion’s Head station has operated yearly during the warm seasons and is very well used.
The original reasons for which Council decided to install these filling stations have not changed or gone away. In fact, increasing summer heat makes access to water more important than ever.
And we now know that microplastic pollution is becoming widespread even in Georgian Bay, and that objects such as water bottles, plastic bags and other debris are the main cause of this problem. Installing a viable and visible filling station makes more sense than ever, especially when we know that there is a safe drinking water source that is supplied to the ferry and tour boat operators.
BPEG would like to know what is happening with the Tobermory filling station.”
On Tuesday, July 23, BPEG received a note from the Clerk that “Council directed to staff, to add a new wall mount unit to consider during 2025 budget negotiations. The previous unit was a free-standing unit and had to be removed during the off season, due to maintenance. The proposed wall mount unit would be placed closer to the potable water source.”
It is good to know that a wall-mount unit is still under consideration and may possibly be approved for 2025. Presumably, putting off an installation to 2025 is because Council can’t afford to spend the required $4 to $5K this year. The message is clear that the issue just isn’t that important. In the meantime, people with no alternative will continue to use and throw away single use bottles, a practice which Council seems to approve of as it uses these same bottles at Council meetings.
Rod Layman, Chair
Bruce Peninsula Environment Group
