Rumours and elections go hand in hand
by Patricia O’Driscoll
At election time in Tiny, many rumours spring up and blow around like autumn leaves. Do you remember one of the rumours in the autumn of 1991? — “if Rowntree won the lawsuit, the back lot owners would never again put their towels on the beach.” Of course, that was nonsense, but many people swallowed it. The lawsuit is over and back lot owners are still putting their towels on the beach. Why? Because their access to the beach did not change; the lawsuit was about OWNERSHIP of land. The lawsuit was not about access to beaches. The lawsuit did NOT change Ownership. The lawsuit did NOT change any Access rights.
In 1821, the government of Canada owned all land in Tiny Township. The Township was surveyed in 1821-22. After the survey, the Crown (government) promoted settlement and sold lots to various purchasers. The trial judge’s reasons in AG v RBA, which, by the way, were not appealed by the Province, state that the Crown had no claim to the shoreline of Tiny because when the shoreline lots were sold, the Crown sold the land to the water’s edge. The judge ruled that the Crown did not reserve, retain or hold back any land on the shore when it sold the land in the 1800’s. The ‘line of the wood’ was found to be a myth it just never existed.
The home owners on the shores of Tiny should be relieved that the court has said that there was no validity to the Crown’s claim against their land and their homes and now all owners in the shoreline areas should take pride in and work to maintain and protect their community beach. All Tiny township residents should be happy that the court decision has removed the threat of an extension of Wasaga Beach up to their front door.
Two members of Council (Barrie and Hastings) enjoy family waterfront cottages outside of Tiny. Both properties are privately owned to the water’s edge. Is this a double standard when both councillors aggressively promote a public “Wasaga Beach” development in front of your community?
For more than 60 years, high level MNR personnel have told one and all that “Tiny’s beaches are owned by the Crown.” Over that period of time, many of Tiny’s municipal officials (and developers and many other people in Tiny) accepted, without question, MNR’s propaganda that “Tiny’s beaches are public”. The judge’s reasons said: “it isn’t so”. Moreover, internal departmental memos found in the Archives of Ontario show that high level provincial personnel were aware of this for many, many years but, to quote from one internal memo: “to admit this position would throw the whole issue into prominence along Lake Huron”.
The accompanying sketch reflects a plan of subdivision similar to most of the plans of subdivision along the western shore of Tiny Township. Each owner has title to his or her parcel of land — his or her cottage lot. Along most of the western shore, between the cottage lots and the water’s edge, there are beach blocks (similar to Block “O” in the sketch). The beach blocks are for the use of the property owners in the subdivisions (back and front lot owners equally). The court decision retained the community’s access to the beach. There are those in Tiny township who refuse to accept the court’s decision of mid-March 1994; they refuse to accept the fact that the Crown does NOT own any waterfront land in Tiny Township (except Awenda Provincial Park, which the province purchased). These same people are trying to lay a guilt trip on Tiny’s waterfront owners because the Crown sold all the waterfront land away back in the 1800’s.
What false rumours are rampant this election year?
*In 1994, we hear: “the waterfront owners are trying to ‘privatize’ Tiny’s beaches”. They were never all public as claimed by MNR when they misled the people. Again, the lawsuit was about OWNERSHIP; the judge’s decision did not change OWNERSHIP; it confirmed the existing ownership and validated existing deeds.
*Another rumour we hear in 1994 is that the waterfront owners will fence their lots to the water’s edge. This is impossible. Look at the sketch of subdivision. There is a block of land in front of the cottage lots; this beach block is for the benefit of that shoreline community. Lot lines cannot arbitrarily be drawn through it.
WWhy do false rumours blossom at election time? It is called Politics.
The “rumour mongers” of Tiny are running true to form. They try to manufacture a problem and then, as part of their election posturing, promise that they are the heroes and heroines who will solve the “problem”.
The lawsuit is “tout fini”. However, be aware that the “rumour mongers” will try to stir up trouble and spread false rumours. They are looking for an election platform. Remember they espouse have one goal — try to get elected — how? by dividing and conquering.
