A group of concerned people and organizations committed to preserving the environmental integrity and wildlife habitat of the wetlands on Grass Lake in Haliburton Ont. It is defined by rare, untouched shoreline and large, vital wetlands that are important habitat for a wide range of species – including fish and turtles – many of which are diminishing in number, and one of which – the Blanding’s Tu
rtle – is classified by the Ontario government as a “threatened species.”
Grass Lake is significant for its location in the Village of Haliburton Urban Area, notably as the lowest catchment point for all the contaminated runoff from nearby commercial businesses, the roads and highways that run too close to its perimeter, the village landfill, the industrial park, and the sanitary sewage plant. Functioning as filters, the wetlands provide a service to human communities that is irreplaceable. Grass Lake is already in distress and if a balance between the environment and development is not restored then complete ecological collapse is on the horizon. The lake is grossly over capacity at 71 lots (44 is capacity) and with the proposed addition of 88 condo units, will in a single stroke double the number of residences and doom this lake. It’s a tragedy in the making unless concerned people stand up for the environment and demand environmentally sound planning decisions. The Friends of the Grass Lake is a group dedicated to working with the Grass Lake watershed communities to permanently protect the wetlands. To achieve these goals, all proposals for development of the thin ribbon of property adjacent to the wetlands must be recognized for the unacceptable risks they pose to the full functioning of the wetlands. The highest and best uses of this site are its current and priceless functions of wildlife habitat, absorbing and filtering contaminated runoff from surrounding human habitation, cleaning and recharging the aquifers and discharging runoff from the spring thaw and torrential rain events. When alternative land better suited for commercial and residential uses exist, such proposals appear particularly short sighted and one-sided. And consider, too, that the approval of the owner’s plans for new lots on a lake at overcapacity will set a precedent for development in Haliburton County that will forever affect the character of our communities, the ecological integrity of our lakes and wetlands and the quality and quantity of water we all depend on. These goals may require that The Friends engage environmental, planning and legal assistance. Email [email protected] to be added to The Friends of Grass Lake list serve. DONATING to Friends of Grass Lake
To donate to FGL, you can make an e-transfer to [email protected]
Please note: If you are making an e-Transfer, we ask that you include your contact information (name, tel. and email address or mailing address) in the area provided for a message. LETTTERS OF SUPPORT: Have you written yours? In response to requests we’ve had for help in writing letters to your local council and County, we offer the following primer, including:
• Reasons why letter writing is so important,
• A list of email addresses for key local council members and County Planners,
• Some examples of effective letters (coming soon.) We hope that these letters will provide a helpful framework for your own letters, and we encourage you to include a personal angle. Why do we write letters?
1) We do it to alert our local councils to our opposition and specific concerns.
2) As well, if a person does not make oral submissions at a public meeting or make written submissions to Dysart et el in the event the proposed official plan amendment is adopted, the person or public body is not entitled to appeal the decision to the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB). Recipients:
Stage One: Dysart et el Council is hearing the application for change to the Official Plan and zoning bylaw. A public meeting has not yet been announced. Subscribe to our e-list and we’ll let you know as soon as we do. Stage Two: Should the application be approved the proponent will submit a Plan of Condominium to the County of Haliburton. The mayors and deputy mayors of all four townships – Dysart et el, Minden Hills, Algonquin Highlands and Highlands East – sit on the County Council, and will have a vote in the 2nd stage of the approval process –the Plan of Condominium if it proceeds this far. Please join our e-list and we’ll keep you posted:
One letter addressed to Kris Orsan, Senior Planner with a c.c. to Mayor Andrea Roberts, Steve Stone will put you on the public record. Their email addresses are below. You can share your views with Dysart and the County of Haliburton by sending a letter to:
Kris Orsan, Senior Planner [email protected]
c.c. Mayor Andrea Roberts [email protected]
c.c. Councillor Larry Clarke [email protected]
c.c. Councillor Nancy Wood-Roberts [email protected]
c.c. Steve Stone, Director of Planning, County of Haliburton, [email protected]
c.c. Planning Assistant, [email protected]
Send us a copy as well, Friends of Grass Lake c/o [email protected]
FRIENDS OF GRASS LAKE WORKING GROUP
Sandre Daoust
Steve Belanger, [email protected]
Karen Guthrie, [email protected]
Carolyn Langdon, [email protected]
Don Ross, [email protected]
Catherine Swift, [email protected]
Lynda Williams, [email protected]
Facebook: www.facebook.com/friendsofgrasslake
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