11/13/2025
I have written a number of articles on issues that PAR has been working on to update the community. These include: 1) a new marina on Holmes Point Road; 2) Changes to the Official Plan and Zoning bylaw to allow Additional Residential Units; 3) Northlander Train schedule; 4) Changes to septic tank pump outs; 5) Aerodrome; 6) YR Transit.
Please take a look at these updates and if you have any questions please feel free to contact me at [email protected] or (705) 437-1216. Happy reading...I have one other article to write regarding the 2026 draft budget and will post that separately.
#1. Anchor Point Marina
By Karen Wolfe
The Town has received an application for a marina on Holmes Point Road in Pefferlaw that will consist of 300 docking slips in addition to various amenities including parking, an office and a children's play area. The marina, known as Anchor Point Marina on the Pefferlaw River will be located on 32 acres of riverfront property about half way up Holmes Point Road on the east side.
The project will take advantage of a 1970s excavated marina site that was never developed when the Marina Estates subdivision on Hwy 48 in Pefferlaw was completed. The new marina will offer 300 open-air boat slips, a covered building for boat storage, 144 parking spots for boat owners, a public launch, portable washrooms and a children's playground. Entrance to the facility will be from the east side of Holmes Point Road south of Holmes Point Beach.
The slips will not be covered and no pump out facilities will be available.
The proponents of the development are Kamran Rz and Moe Sajadi. They are being assisted in the project by Michael Smith, a planning consultant and DevNEX Solutions Inc.
According to the consultants DevNex and planner Mike Smith, preliminary environmental studies and discussions with the Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority (LSRCA), the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP), Department of Fisheries and Oceans and the Town of Georgina have already been initiated.
Local area residents attending an information session last summer were not opposed to the economic benefits the project would bring to the area but were concerned about traffic congestion, parking, security, light pollution and noise in an already tourist congested area. Several attendees called for a traffic study to be conducted to assess the impact of a new marina on the current level of beach traffic at Holmes Point Beach and the Peninsula Resort.
Since then the developers conducted a traffic study and delivered the results via a zoom meeting with neighbours. The results suggested that the new marina would cause a minimum impact on the current traffic patterns. Those attending the meeting were not convinced that the results were representative of the reality of traffic problems on Holmes Point Road during the busy summer season.
There will be more to come on this issue when it comes back to council in the New Year.
#2 Changes to Official Plan and Zoning bylaw to allow Additional Residential Units
Changes to Official Plan and Zoning by-law to add Additional Residential Units
by Karen Wolfe
The Town’s proposal to change the Official Plan and approve Zoning By-law Amendments to facilitate new Additional Residential Units (ARUs) on a mature residential lot are two extremely important pieces of legislation. These changes will result in a dramatic paradigm shift that will impact our daily lives and the makeup of our individual neighbourhoods.
The rationale behind these initiatives is to increase the supply of affordable and supportive housing and both are worthy causes. We have all seen the rise of tent cities and the negative impact those settlements have had on our society and on the people who have no other housing alternative. And we hear the pleas of the unhoused as they search for an affordable home for themselves and their families.
Everyone who has an interest in the plans to reconstruct our neighbourhoods should want to be included in the discussion. However, few people are aware of what is about to happen and so they haven’t been engaged.
It must be pointed out that nine members of the public attended a community engagement session on the subject at the Link and the consultants, with the support of the Town, held an on-line public information event on October 15. These two open houses provided an opportunity to find out how the addition of more housing units in a mature residential area would benefit you and your neighbourhood.
It was a little surprising to learn that only six members of the public logged into this online information session to hear how the Town planned to use their allotment of $5.8 million of Federal funding to address the housing crisis. The on-line conference room showed several members of staff in attendance, a number of consultant team members, and two council members. They definitely outnumbered the representatives of the public in both meetings and their low attendance means the most important voice on the matter was conspicuous by its absence.
It is hard to believe that a subject as important as this one did not resonant higher on the barometer of concern for Georgina residents. So it could be that the only reason the public was not engaged at the levels that would have been expected, was because they did not know about these meetings nor were they made aware of the transformative nature of what is being planned.
And if that is the case, the Town has missed a golden opportunity to communicate with an audience that can help them shape the future of Georgina neighbourhoods. They will not benefit from the value of lived experiences and the knowledge that kind of engagement brings to light. Without their input, the Town risks passing legislation that neither meets the objectives of the exercise nor is acceptable to those impacted by the changes.
The lack of public turnout suggests that the awareness level of this issue is not where it needs to be, so the Town should be encouraged to prepare another communications plan that will result in a more fulsome outcome in terms of community engagement. This issue is too important and too transformative to go forward without their collective thoughts, concerns, support and direction.
Karen Wolfe attended the council meeting when this issue was being discussed and here are questions she posed to the Town...
1. ARUs may increase the supply of rental housing but how will they guarantee the increased supply of affordable rental housing. Even apartment rentals run from $1,800 a month and up and require an annual income of $72,000 plus. Many individuals here in Georgina looking for housing make substantially less so they still won’t be able to afford the cost of a two or three bedroom ARU. (It was agreed that these changes would not increase the supply of affordable rental housing.)
2. What other options in addition to the intensification in mature neighbourhoods have been explored?
3. The Town has various vacant lands available that may be suitable for affordable/supportive housing initiatives. Has that been explored?
4. Why can’t the current Civic Centre been considered as a supportive housing option when the new Civic Centre comes on line? (It is already scheduled for demolition.)
5. I may not be interested in becoming a landlord but some of my neighbours might. How will my concerns about the impact on the character of my neighbourhood be addressed during the application process?
6. Would individual ARU applications come to council for comment before approval by the planning/building department? In other words, will neighbours be made aware of an ARU application before it is approved? (The answer was "no".)
7. Development charges are used to pay for growth. Will the growth coming from ARUs be subjected to development charges? (That is undetermined.)
8. What will the impact of an ARU be on the homeowner’s property taxes? (This will be handled by MPAC and is unknown since each property is different.)
While no decisions were made at the council meeting, another meeting has been scheduled for November 19 to move and potentially pass the changes.
#3 Northlander Train Schedule
PAR has lobbied for Northlander stop in Pefferlaw since 2021
by Karen Wolfe
In 2021 I started lobbying for a Northlander train stop in Pefferlaw when I heard the service would be resumed. I have continued to follow up and push for a stop in Pefferlaw. Since then, a number of other groups have started to lobby.
Here is a map of the 16 Northlander stops that have been approved and the last stop before Pefferlaw is Gormley and the next stop after Pefferlaw is Washago. As you can see there is a large slice of potential train traffic that has been overlooked along the east side of Lake Simcoe.
Here is just a sample of appeals we have made to have a Northlander train stop in Pefferlaw since 2021...
Dear Mr. Malczewski: My name is Karen Wolfe and I am the Advocacy Chair for the Pefferlaw Area Residents (PAR) ratepayers organization.
When I first learned of the Initial Business Case for the Northlander in 2021, I contacted my MPP and then Minister of Transportation Caroline Mulroney and asked her to advocate for a stop along the route at Pefferlaw, a small community located on the south east corner of Lake Simcoe. Pefferlaw has a main CN rail line running through it from Toronto with a siding. It is a major route for freight trains coming and going from Toronto to western Canada.
Pefferlaw has had rail service since 1906 but daily passenger service stopped in the 1970s and the station was dismantled.
Here is why I believe reinstating passenger rail service in Pefferlaw is a good idea...
a) the proposed route completely and totally dismisses the passenger market on the south east side of Lake Simcoe. The last stop before Washago is Gormley.
b) it would be the only stop on the route that would service the north east part of York Region; the north west area of Durham Region; the north east part of Georgina; the north west area of Brock Township; the north east shore of Lake Simcoe which includes the Chippewas of Georgina Island.
c) it would provide an economic development boost for the Pefferlaw area that recently has experienced the closure of our bank, the closure of Bodley's furniture (a 100 year plus old business); the closure of the local Kibbles retail store, the closure of Templemans chocolates, the closure of Spice of Life hot sauce supplier.
d) it would offer people in the area the option of travelling to Toronto or north via rail opposed to commuting by car--a boost for the environment and it would lessen congestion on the highways
e) there is sufficient land requirements where the former station was located for a new modern ticket kiosk and ample user parking (100 + cars)
f) there is currently NO passenger rail service for the east side of Lake Simcoe --only on the west side.
I am seriously disappointed that we have been left out of this exciting new rail service and I expect that you can advise me of the reason behind this and what can be done to rectify the situation.
Sincerely, Karen Wolfe
Advocacy Chair
PAR
Dear Karen Wolfe,
Thank you for your question about a passenger rail stop in Pefferlaw and your interest in the return of passenger rail to Northern Ontario.
The government recognizes the importance of improving passenger connections in Northern Ontario. Through the Ontario Northland Transportation Commission, the Ministry of Transportation is working to restore passenger rail service to Northeastern communities. The Northlander will extend from Toronto to Timmins, with a rail connection to Cochrane where there is a connection to the Polar Bear Express.
The preferred route will provide service from Toronto to Timmins and will include 16 stops. The preferred route and stations were identified as part of the Updated Initial Business Case, which was released in 2022. The preferred route aligns with forecasted ridership demand and reliable travel times. To accommodate a launch of service in the mid-2020s, additional stops along the route will only be considered as part of ONTC’s longer-term operational plan. To learn more and keep up to date on progress, please visit Northlander Passenger Rail Updates | Ontario Northland.
Happy New Year, Caroline. This email follows up on former emails which asked you (when you were the Minister of Transportation) to advocate for a passenger train stop in Pefferlaw when this ministry was planning the reinstated Northlander route. https://www.ontario.ca/page/passenger-rail-north -3
I still contend that a stop in Pefferlaw makes sense especially after I have read the report which justifies the decision to move forward with the reinstated Northlander.
A stop in Pefferlaw would meet all of the criteria all other stops along the route offer...
a) it would be the only stop on the route that would service the north east part of York Region; the north west area of Durham Region; the north east part of Georgina; the north west area of Brock Township; the north east shore of Lake Simcoe which includes the Chippewas of Georgina Island.
b) it would provide an economic development boost for the Pefferlaw area that recently has experienced the closure of our bank, the closure of Bodley's furniture (a 100 year plus old business); the closure of the local Kibbles retail store, the closure of Templemans chocolates, the closure of Spice of Life hot sauce supplier.
c) it would offer people in the area the option travelling to Toronto or north via rail opposed to commuting by car--a boost for the environment and it would lessen congestion on the highways
d) there is sufficient land requirements where the former station was located for a new modern ticket kiosk and ample user parking
e) there is currently NO passenger rail service for the east side of Lake Simcoe
I am seriously disappointed that we have been left out of this exciting new rail service and I expect that you can advise me of the reason behind this and what can be done to rectify the situation.
Cheers, Karen Wolfe
Advocacy Chair
PAR
#4 Changes to Septic Tank pump outs
Residents could experience increased costs for septic tank pump outs
By Karen Wolfe
Changes to the protocols surrounding the dumping of septic tank waste at the York Region waste station on Black River Road are expected to increase the cost of pumping your septic tank.
It seems the capacity of the plant and its ability to handle different densities of waste is the issue. The Black River Road plant was shut down for six weeks for maintenance this fall because it was experiencing fails in its operations.
According to Richard Walker, Director for Water and Wastewater Operations at York Region, the plant is relatively small and in addition to dealing with increased residential sewage flow from new subdivisions, the strength in density of material being brought in by the waste haulers from their septic system customers is very challenging. Mr. Walker said the flow from the residential sewer system is easily handled by the plant because it is quite liquid compared to the material coming from septic systems. "We are trying to figure out how to smooth out that high strength sewage," he said.
Mr. Walker said his staff is working on coming up with an answer to the "strength" processing issue but in the meantime, they have adjusted the plant's use by companies providing septic and holding tank pump out services. With a total capacity of 31 cu. m. a day by these users, these companies are now restricted to using the facility at Black River Road four days a week instead of the customary five. The number of visits to the facility by individual haulers on a weekly basis has also be reduced to once a day from the former unlimited use arrangement. Those restrictions simply mean that some waste haulers cannot service as many customers on a weekly basis as they did before or they will have to bear the extra cost of travelling to Aurora to unload there.
Each hauler carries a swipe card to record their load at the plant and Mr. Walker says on light days when the 31 cu. m. of capacity is not met, he would like to develop a system that alerts haulers to the fact that there is increased capacity.
But right now, with a reduced dumping schedule for septic tank service companies--the cost of having your septic system pumped will probably increase. As septic haulers adjust their bottom lines to reflect the limited number of systems they can service in a week, they may ultimately need to make up for that loss of revenue with higher fees. Mr. Walker said that although the Region has not increased the dumping fees at the plant yet, they will be looking at the sewage use bylaw rate and he encourages the septic waste haulers to work with York Region staff on all of their issues.
What isn't so clear now though, is why the Region has not moved their upgrading plans to increase the capacity of the plant from the year 2037 to something more immediate.
#5 Aerodrome
Update on the Aerodrome
by Karen Wolfe
Well, here we go again. We have another new Minister at Transport Canada, Mr. Steven MacKinnon. This is the seventh Minister that we have dealt with since this issue began in November 2021.
Before I provide an update, here are the coordinates for the new Minister and I highly recommend that you again send your cards and letters to him to remind him that it is in the realm of his authority and responsibility to cancel this project because IT IS NOT IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST.
You can reach him at:
[email protected]
Update:
As we have done with every other Minister at Transport Canada, we prepared a package of information for Mr. MacKinnon that details our arguments around why this project needs to be cancelled. We also sent the multi-signatory letter that was initially sent to the Ministry in February 2023 asking the then Minister to make an order to cancel the project because it was not in the public interest. That letter is listed below. But we have never been given an answer and we continue to lobby for one.
Here is a letter I received on June 23, 2025 from Transport Canada in response to another inquiry from me on the status of our cancellation request:
Dear Karen:
Thank you for your correspondence of June 9, 2025, to the Minister of Transport and Internal Trade, regarding Baldwin East Aerodrome.
Safety in the vicinity of aerodromes is one of Transport Canada’s top priorities. When considering an aerodrome prohibition request, we must consider the perspectives of all interested parties, including the relevant communities, the aerodrome proponent, local land-use authorities, and Indigenous communities. Consideration must also be given to other legislative and regulatory instruments that may apply.
Transport Canada has completed an assessment of the prohibition request, and the Minister is currently reviewing that assessment. A decision is expected in the near future.
Thank you again for writing.
Sincerely,
Christine
Executive Correspondence Unit
Transport Canada/Government of Canada
Then, Chrystia Freeland was given the Transportation portfolio and we started all over again. At least she responded to me personally which gave me some hope that she would take a serious look at our request to get the project cancelled. No such luck. She was replaced by Minister MacKinnon
Although Scot Davidson is no longer our MP, he is still a resident of Georgina and continues to lobby for us at the Federal level. He has been a huge advocate for us all along and I spoke to him recently after a face to face meeting he had with Minister MacKinnon. Scot reminded him of his obligation and authority to cancel this project because it is not in the public interest. Even though the letter above indicates that all of the assessment has been completed, Minister MacKinnon asked for additional information.
Alas, to be continued again...
#6 York Region Transit
By Karen Wolfe
York Region Transit has checked all of the boxes for residents needing transit in and around the Pefferlaw area. Erin Strong and her team at York Region Transit were at the Pefferlaw Lions Hall on Tuesday, November 11 when they presented a plethora of transit services to meet the needs of customers across all ages and special needs.
Since there is no designated transit route in the Pefferlaw area, riders need only contact York Region Transit to schedule a pick at their home to travel to the closest designated transit route in Sutton. From there, the algorithms built into the scheduling system at York Region will determine any transfers and connections, if necessary, to get you to your destination on time. Each scheduled trip permits the rider to spend two hours at their destination before they will need to pay again for the ride home.
An additional benefit of the on-demand system is the direct ride to a destination within the Pefferlaw area. Ms. Strong gave an example of a teenager who wants to visit a friend within the on-demand area. She said they need only call to schedule a direct pick up, drop off and return ride home.
The fares begin at $4.50 for adults and can be paid at the time of pick up by cash, credit, debit and with the use of a Presto card. Reduced fares are available for seniors, children and Ontario Works and Ontario Disability Support Program riders. This means that an adult rider in Pefferlaw can travel as far south as Richmond Hill and back home for as little as $4.50 or less if you have a Presto card.
For those riders who require special consideration, accessibility vehicles can be dispatched and these also include vehicles equipped with seating for small children. Customers can also apply for an assistant card that permits a friend or family member to travel with them free of charge.
Ms. Strong detailed the partnerships York Region Transit has with neighbouring transit systems and how easily a rider can transfer from one system to another using their Presto card.
A program that is unique to York Region Transit is the Transit Training program that will teach customers how to use the system. Staff will respond personally on-site to inquiries and ride with customers to and from a specific destination of their choice to demonstrate how and when to make any required transfers. Ms. Strong said this is the only transit training system in Canada.
Currently, in excess of 2,000 riders in the Pefferlaw area use the on-request transit system on a monthly basis and Ms. Strong said her team is always eager to receive feedback from users. She said this helps York Region plan for changes that will meet the needs of their customers going forward.
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