July 6 and 27, 2020
Committee of the Whole Meeting (through electronic participation): July 6, 2020: 9:00 a.m. – 4:01 p.m. and July 27, 2020: 9:00 a.m. – 2:24 p.m.
Regular Meeting of Council: July 6, 2020: 4:35 p.m. p.m. – 4:48 p.m. and July 27, 2020: 3:05 p.m. – 3:17 p.m.
Mayor George Cornell, Deputy Mayor Steffen Walma, and Councillors Cindy Hastings, Tony Mintoff and Gibb Wishart were present at all meetings.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
- Visit the Township’s COVID-19 webpage for municipal service impacts and updates.
- Tiny Connect – Sign up now at tinyconnect.ca
- Weekly construction project updates now available on the Township website
- Passing of former Tiny Councillor, Nigel Warren noted on July 6, 2020
- Georgian Bay General Hospital Foundation – combining Georgian Bay Pops and Gala, August 22, 2020, contact Foundation office for more information
GBGLF DEPUTATION, CONTINUED FROM JUNE 15, 2020: On July 6, Paul Cowley and Mary Muter, a Director and the chair of GBGLF respectively, addressed the issue of Great Lakes water levels. They began by discussing misinformation about high water levels, then argued that “if nothing is done our record high levels will likely continue to rise to unprecedented levels.” They pointed to excess release of water from Lake Superior in December 2019, and January, February and March 2020, resulting in an impact on Michigan-Huron levels of 1.5 inches. They presented slides of the exit from Lake Huron into the St. Clair River showing sand gradually clogging the entrance to the River. They pointed to deficiencies in the calculation of acoustic velocity readings in the River. They showed a slide of the points where water enters and leaves the Great Lakes and where flow is managed from one Great Lake to another. They explained the recommendations made in the IJC’s 1993 Levels Reference Study that could be implemented right away to reduce the water level in Michigan-Huron.
Council recommended that the matter be forwarded to the Severn Sound Environmental Association to draft a resolution in collaboration with the Georgian Bay Great Lakes Foundation regarding concerns of the Great Lakes Water levels.
On July 27, Council supported the resultant resolutions. That from the SSEA focussed on shoreline resilience actions. That from the GBGLF urged “that the International Joint Commission in conjunction with both the USACE and ECCC take every measure possible to reduce water levels on Lakes Michigan Huron and Georgian Bay including the following:
- Request the International Joint Commission to direct the International Lake Superior Board of Control (ILSBC) to immediately begin to hold back the extra 360CM/s extra flow that they directed Dec 2019 to March 2020.
- Request review of the ILSBC’s Plan 2012 to ensure that at such times for example in July 2020 when Lakes Michigan Huron Georgian Bay are 33 inches above their monthly long term average and Lake superior is only 9 inches above its long term monthly average that Lake Superior discharges are reduced rather than increased as they have been since 2014.
- Require analysis to determine best methods to stabilize the St. Clair Riverbed,
Further be it resolved that the Council of Tiny Township requests that the Ontario Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry, Minister Yakabuski, issue a Ministerial Order requiring a temporary reduction in the Long Lac and Ogoki diversions as an emergency relief measure to alleviate the extreme high water levels on Lakes Michigan Huron and Georgian Bay.
NORTH SIMCOE WASTE FACILITY: This is now open Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
VIASAT SATELLITE ANTENNA: Council recommended that a Letter of Concurrence be provided with regard to the siting of the Antenna on Part of Lot 10, Concession 14 East (Part 1, 51R-19123 Concession 15 East)
MHBC PLANNING RE PROPOSED UPDATES TO GROWTH PLAN AND PROPOSED SOLAR ENERGY POLICIES: On July 27, Jamie Robinson of MHBC Planning, outlined proposals that could have an impact on the Township’s Official Plan. He felt that the changes to the Growth Plan appear to have a positive impact on long-term land use planning in the Township, particularly the extension of the horizon for population and employment projections from 2031 to the year 2051. However, specific population and employment allocations have been removed for lower tier municipalities in Simcoe County.
Staff is to provide comments, as outlined by MHBC Planning to the Province of Ontario. Renewable energy policies are to be recommended to the County of Simcoe for inclusion in the final approved Township of Tiny Official Plan and the definition of on-farm diversified uses is to be updated to recognize mounted solar.
FoTTSA Notes: We are glad to see that the Township’s declaration that it is not a willing host to industrial wind turbines remains in the approved Official Plan.
However, we also note that neither Robinson nor Council sought to include the two statements the Township had previously approved on January 27,2020 with regard to aggregate mining:
- That the Township is fundamentally opposed to the extraction and washing of aggregate in environmentally sensitive areas.
- That there is presently a groundwater study being undertaken by Dr. Cherry, et al and that the findings of this report be taken into consideration by the Province prior to the issuance of any further licenses.
Robinson mentioned that the province has removed the prohibition on the establishment of new mineral aggregate operations, wayside pits and quarries from habitats of endangered and threatened species within the Natural Heritage System for the Growth Plan. The Provincial permitting process would still apply for development that is proposed in habitats of endangered and threatened species: it may restrict development or enable development to proceed with the inclusion of mitigation measures, compensation, monitoring or any other requirement prescribed by the permit. This is not reassuring given the failure of the MOE and MNR to monitor other permits.