By Tessa Swanton, Bruce Peninsula Press
Council received a delegation at the February 10th Council meeting from Mike Haythorne, Big Tub Road resident. Desperate for change and relief from the many negative effects of Big Tub Road being neglected in the summer months, Mike requested that Council, at the very least, implement a parking reservation system and limit unnecessary traffic.
Haythorne noted that the Big Tub Lighthouse is advertised online as being open 24/7, although the site closes at 9 p.m. Additionally, municipal by-law staff leave the site at 5 p.m. resulting in chaos. The greatest problem seems to be with disgruntled tourists who cannot find a parking spot, causing disappointment, frustration, and anger, which are sometimes directed at Big Tub Road property owners, or shown through erratic behaviour and driving causing harm to pedestrians. Haythorne said, “two people got hit last summer on the July first weekend” and this is “a continuous thing day after day for almost ninety days.”
During emergencies, Haythorne advised that emergency personnel cannot access the site due to congestion, leaving them to park in his driveway.
Haythorne’s partner, Joyce Steadman, described the situation as unbearable. From home invasion and stolen laundry and dog, to verbal harassment and physical abuse, Steadman described feeling unsafe in her home. “Visitors, we hear, don’t want to return… we want them happy, safe and [to] desire to return,” Steadman said.
Mark Sehl, Big Tub Road resident, asked Council to delay action on the proposed Big Tub Road parking lot/parkette until further consultation occurs with the public and Saugeen Ojibway Nation (SON). Sehl provided multiple suggestions/questions to Council:
-Will reservations solve the problem?
-Should walking/biking access be prioritized over automotive?
-Could a shuttle service like Lion’s Head be integrated?
-A solution must be both fiscally and environmentally responsible
Haythorne informed Council that Big Tub Road residents feel as if they have taken the brunt of overtourism and the road should not be further exploited. Haythorne ended his delegation by quoting Canadian musician, Joni Mitchell: “Don’t it always seem to go that you don’t know what you got till it’s gone” and asked Council not to “pave paradise and put up a parking lot.”
Plan the Bruce Discussion – Official Plan Review
Bruce County is anticipating steady growth in population and employment rates for the foreseeable future. A population of 93,600 and 43,000 jobs are expected by 2046. Statistics Canada’s 2021 Census identified an enumerated population of Bruce County to be 73,396, an increase of 7.7% from 2016. Further, the County is estimating population growth of 32.6% in Northern Bruce Peninsula (NBP) from 2021 to 2046. To responsibly manage this projected growth, Bruce County is currently reviewing its Official Plan, a guiding document for long-term growth and development to 2046. The project is currently in its final stages.
At the February 3rd Council meeting, Council received a presentation from Manager of Land Use Planning, Jack Van Dorp. Wetland mapping updates proved to be a matter of contention. Councillor Laurie (Smokey) Golden expressed frustration with a property used as an example during the presentation located on Cape Hurd Road in Tobermory (see graphic). She strongly disagreed with the identified wetlands mapped on the property, and asked how mapping inaccuracies can be corrected to avoid unnecessary hardships on landowners wanting to obtain building permits in the future.
Councillor Golden said, “My property is on this map… I have walked all of it, there is not a watercourse the way that it is showing on there (referring to the map graphic). This shows features on my property that are basically not there. There’s not even a swampy area on that property.”
She also voiced concern with the credibility of the online “Plan the Bruce” survey gathering input from respondents who are not landowners or ratepayers of NBP. Expressing frustration, Councillor Golden said, “When you’re a Municipality who depends on a tax base where people are afraid their land won’t be worth anything, and they’ll have to sell it to a conservation group because they can’t do anything with it.” She continued, “It’s pretty easy for people to make comments on things when they don’t have to worry about the consequences.” The County clarified that survey respondents self-identify and there is no definitive way of knowing their residency or landownership status.
To become engaged, you can visit www.planthebruce.ca or email planthebruce@brucecounty.ca
Short Term Accommodation (STA) Licensing Program Changes
Eight potential changes to the Short Term Accommodation (STA) Licensing Program were presented to Council in a report from Deputy Clerk, Lindsay Forbes. Council discussed eliminating the Class C category of STA licence in its entirety. Class C permits 12 occupants, the highest number of occupants of all classes, and an unlimited number of rental days per year.
Mayor Milt McIver said that he is “opposed to Class C, they are a commercial operation, we can grandfather existing Class C rentals.” CAO, Peggy Van Mierlo-West confirmed that once a property is sold, the STA licence is non-transferable and new property owners must reapply to receive a lesser, Class A or B licence (if Class C is eliminated).
STA applications have plateaued following a surge of applications during initial program launch. Councillor Rod Anderson suggested lowering the number of licences issued by the Municipality from 500 to 400. He questioned, “If we think STAs are a problem, would that be a good indication that we are trying to get more control of them?”
Council will receive an additional report from the Deputy Clerk outlining changes to the STA by-law. An official vote is likely to occur at a subsequent meeting.
Proper Maintenance of Cell Towers and Mandatory Tow Hooks on New Vehicles
Councillor Todd Dowd presented a Notice of Motion regarding proper maintenance of cell towers. This motion stems from several problematic power outages in the fall of 2024 that resulted in no cellular availability in areas within Northern Bruce Peninsula. Rogers admitted to a faulty generator preventing cellular coverage and no accessible backup generator. Dowd’s motion requested that the federal and provincial governments work to improve cellular service in rural areas and ensure that faulty cellular infrastructure be repaired within 48 hours.
A second Notice of Motion was offered by Councillor Dowd proposing that all new vehicles sold in Ontario require a tow hook installation. Speaking on the late January winter storms, Councillor Dowd explained, “There were a number of cars that were blocking our roads and hindering snowplow removal, and couldn’t be towed because they were abandoned, nowhere to hook a tow strap on.”
Council supported Councillor Dowd’s motions. A copy of said resolutions will be circulated appropriately for consideration.
