To the Editor,
Chetwynd Lane in Lion’s Head is a narrow, single-lane gravel road with no shoulders, no sidewalks, no parking, and no turn-around. It is also a main footpath for Bruce Trail hikers and families with young children. Despite this, the municipality is allowing commercial advertising to funnel weekend traffic and daily delivery trucks down this very narrow lane.
The result? Potholes, congestion, and dangerous conditions for residents and pedestrians. Meanwhile, the business in question has a perfectly functional driveway and parking access from the main road. There is absolutely no reason for commercial traffic to be directed down a residential footpath.
The municipality has a clear bylaw: home-based businesses are permitted only a single small sign. Instead of enforcing this bylaw, council has chosen to hire a lawyer—at taxpayers’ expense—to defend inaction. Why should residents’ safety take a back seat to protecting a business that is openly breaking the rules? Why is the municipality more interested in avoiding confrontation than in enforcing the laws it wrote?
This is not just a bylaw dispute. It is a question of priorities. Do our leaders stand with residents, children, and visitors’ safety, or with a single business operating outside the rules? Ratepayers deserve better than excuses and legal bills. They deserve action.
Sincerely,
James Kevin Carson
Lion’s Head
