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Township Watch

The role of the Township Watch committee is to:

  • Attend council meetings regularly as well as the district council
  • Report on ongoing issues
  • Monitor changes in the township by-laws and regulations.

What happened in the Township - September 2011

COUNCIL MEETING – Monday September 19th. – 9:00 am:

  1. The first presentation was made on behalf of a number of residents with property on Still’s Bay – Lake Joseph. It appears the Oviinbyrd Golf Course has two boat landings on this long and narrow bay. The residents are concerned with the problem of safety as many children and adults swim, canoe, etc. while these large and fast boats go back and forth on their way to and from the golf course. A dangerous situation. No resolution.
  2. A return delegation of Dr. Geist and Mrs. Wellman to further protest the use by the Snowmobile Club of the old Oka Colonization Road at the south end of Bala. Although 3 ecologists were there with concerns about endangered species, it seems they were unable to find any species to verify the concerns. Another new resident wants council to do a full review and would like the issues removed from the Public Works Department. The resident admitted that he was aware of the winter trail use when he bought the property.
  3. Heritage Designation is being sought by the Mayor and Council for six sites – all in Bala. They are as follows:
    • The Shield parking lot
    • The cenotaph
    • Portage Landing
    • Township Dock on Lake Muskoka
    • Township Dock on the Moon River
    • Bala Museum
    There have been many objections, which means the request for the designation has to go to a Board for decision. More later.
  4. Nursing Station – this is the best and most exciting news. Councillor Alan Edwards is spearheading an initiative to acquire a Nursing Station in our Township. Such stations are mostly staffed by Nurse Practitioners. With the scarcity of Doctors and with an overloaded Emergency Department, this would make accessibility better for our year round residents and summer people. We commend Alan and hope you will all give this project your full support.

COMMITTEE of the WHOLE MEETING – Tuesday September 20th. – 9:00 am:

  1. Delegation of neighbours concerning the property at the corner of Hwy. 118 and Ferndale Road in Port Carling. Neighbours are still very concerned with a stream and its rerouting, preservation of a buffering wooded lot, noise, parking and a proposed retaining wall. Council was sympathetic to these concerns. A very frustrated Dan Bornstein responded to these issues and will return with updated plans.
  2. OMB decision re Port Carling Official Plan and Boundary expansion. The OMB decision was in favour of the proponents (Township, District, Hanna’s Landing) and there is no appeal to OMB hearings. Some fine tuning of the wording is required, which normally would be done by the planners and the lawyers for all five parties involved. However, the Mayor objected saying this would leave the Council out and she wishes to be involved. What could have been simple gets complicated? More to come.

ROSSEAU NURSING STATION:

On September 8, 2011, the Rosseau Nursing Station held an Open House for our Township and Alan Edwards asked our Ratepayers’ Association if we would do light refreshments. This was a great success with 50 or 60 people being present to see what a Nursing Station is all about. And the one in Rosseau is marvellous and very busy. They spent the first several years in a trailer raising the money for their present beautiful and useful building. Now, we are just starting, but Rome was not built in a day.

We invite and encourage you to tell us how you feel about all this.

You can contact us at:

Muskoka Ratepayers’ Association
Box 336, Port Carling,
Ontario, P0B 1J0

Email: muskokaratepayers@vianet.ca

Or call: 705-765-0022

Last Updated: November 19, 2011