02/05/2026
PAR February 3, 2026 General Meeting Update - by Karen Wolfe
We want to extend our thanks to everyone who came out to the PAR General Meeting on February 3 at the Pefferlaw Lions Hall. Our agenda was jam-packed full of great information.
Fixed Link
Lee Simpson from the Lake Simcoe South Shore Residents Association provided an update on the fixed link project which is proposed to include a combination of a bridge and causeways stretching 2.6 km from the mainland to Georgina Island.
Mr. Simpson shared the news that the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada (IAAC) has decided that an environmental assessment of the project is not required and with no process available to appeal this decision, Mr. Simpson said the group has retained a lawyer to initiate a judicial review of the IAAC decision.
Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority (LSRCA)
Mark Critch from the LSRCA gave the audience an update on the changing landscape for Ontario’s 36 conservation authorities. Recently the province has announced that these regional authorities will be amalgamated into seven regions. As a result, the LSRCA will now encompass 70 different municipalities into its conservation mandate with one as far away as Thunder Bay. Although many questions about the operations of the new structure still need to be answered, Mr. Critch said the Newmarket office with its full complement of knowledgeable staff, will continue to make Lake Simcoe a local priority.
Reducing perch limits in Lake Simcoe
PAR vice president Rocky Madsen led a discussion regarding the current 50 perch limit in Lake Simcoe. Bill Viveen, a local fish hut operator was present and said a reduction in the catch limit would protect the perch fishery in Lake Simcoe going forward. A motion was presented and seconded and passed by the membership present to lobby the Ministry of Natural Resources to reduce the perch limit in Lake Simcoe to 25.
Advocacy Issues Update
1. Advocacy chair Karen Wolfe provided an update on various issues within Ward 5. With the news that the federal government would not intervene and prevent the development of a proposed aerodrome on Old Homestead Road, Ms. Wolfe said the organization is investigating the option of launching a judicial review. PAR has reached out to a number of potential partners to find the funding needed to support a review.
2. After witnessing several trucks dumping a mountain of snow on the communications tower property on the south side of Old Homestead Road, PAR contacted the Town of Georgina to find out what the risk could be to local area wells. Initially, the Town responded saying that this Pefferlaw site was only one of the sites the Town manages to store snow but when asked where the others were, the response was that the Pefferlaw site was the only site being used. That means that all of the snow removal and storage of snow containing road salt and other contaminants is being trucked into the site from across Georgina. The response said the site was MECP (Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks) approved and identified a number of mitigation measures that have been implemented – (Installation of perimeter containment (berm) and/or grading to control runoff; a compact settling basin with controlled discharge to manage melt water; silt sock and silt fence installation; and a monitoring program focused on discharge quality and visual inspections.) Ms. Wolfe recommended that property owners in the area test their wells now and then again after the spring thaw to determine if their water sources have been compromised. Research by PAR into the subject of dumping snow containing salt on property surrounded by wells is not recommended.
3. An application has been made to the Town to amend zoning by-law 500 which is required to construct a marina (Anchor Point Marina) on the east side of Holmes Point Road. The project plans to provide 307 open air boat slips with required parking. A residents group has submitted their comments to the plan and have identified a number of issues that could negatively impact traffic flows, the environment, the Pefferlaw River plus quality of life impacts. The issue is expected to come back to council sometime this spring.
4. Council approved the Pefferlaw Secondary Plan amendment and zoning bylaw amendment that was required to permit the development of an storage facility with RV parking capability with sanitary pump outs on the old drive-in property on Hwy. 48. The land use designation was changed from commercial to industrial and work can start anytime this year.
5. Council has amended the current dirt bike by-law which restricts the use of dirt bikes on all roadways in Georgina. The amendment that changes the by-law makes it not only illegal to “operate” a dirt bike on all roadways, but it is also now illegal “to cause” a dirt bike to be operated on a roadway. This means that parents will now be liable if their kids are found to be operating a dirt bike on the roadways. Fines will be $500.00.
6. Since 2021, Ms. Wolfe said she has been actively lobbying for a train stop in Pefferlaw for the Northlander train. Over the years, countless letters have been sent to Premier Ford, Minister of Transportation, MPP Caroline Mulroney, Minister of Economic Development Minister Fedeli and the Northlander organization. Ms. Wolfe contends that Pefferlaw already has the infrastructure (main line, siding, parking etc.) and badly needs the economic shot in the arm a train stop would attract. Currently, the last stop before Pefferlaw is Gormley and the stop past Pefferlaw is Washago which ignores the potential market and revenue along the south shore and east shore of Lake Simcoe.
Certainly, a letter writing campaign to these decision makers would not hurt the campaign to bring a stop to Pefferlaw.
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