1 00:01:59,920 --> 00:02:02,000 Mhm. 2 00:03:01,160 --> 00:03:07,720 » What do we do as an organization on a regular basis? We observe and report to 3 00:03:05,560 --> 00:03:11,400 members of on the work of our municipal councils. 4 00:03:09,519 --> 00:03:14,400 And as with today's meeting, we often share important work with these 5 00:03:12,640 --> 00:03:18,840 councils. We hold regular town hall meetings on key community items and for 6 00:03:16,920 --> 00:03:23,160 many years have presented informational meetings open to the public on issues 7 00:03:20,760 --> 00:03:28,680 that are critical to our communities, often on environmental concerns. And in 8 00:03:26,239 --> 00:03:32,400 2026, we will continue our tradition of working with council candidates in 9 00:03:30,680 --> 00:03:37,640 holding all candidate meetings in the run-up to October's municipal 10 00:03:35,280 --> 00:03:42,360 council election. We have also participated in hearings on 11 00:03:39,880 --> 00:03:46,640 various threats to the community. This past year, we've been very active in 12 00:03:44,239 --> 00:03:51,400 reviewing and responding to a major aggregate proposal in Melancthon, close 13 00:03:49,080 --> 00:03:56,520 to the Mulmur town line, a project which has raised concerns across the county on 14 00:03:54,200 --> 00:04:02,280 water usage, flow of our main rivers, and potential serious air contamination 15 00:03:58,880 --> 00:04:06,480 arising from explosives usage. MC Squared operates with a board and a 16 00:04:04,160 --> 00:04:10,120 very dedicated group of volunteers, many of whom are here today. 17 00:04:08,360 --> 00:04:15,560 Currently, we have a membership of 90 households reflecting a total membership 18 00:04:12,480 --> 00:04:18,920 of approximately 300 citizens. We are always interested in attracting 19 00:04:17,200 --> 00:04:22,360 new members to support the important work that we are doing. You'll notice 20 00:04:21,040 --> 00:04:27,040 that we have a table in the back of the room with more information on MC 21 00:04:24,680 --> 00:04:30,200 Squared. We invite everyone here to join us as members. 22 00:04:28,560 --> 00:04:34,600 We are currently in the process of updating our website, a project that 23 00:04:32,800 --> 00:04:38,360 will be completed in June and will provide a more detailed information 24 00:04:36,480 --> 00:04:43,720 about our current projects and opportunities for volunteer engagement. 25 00:04:42,040 --> 00:04:47,640 All right, let's get started with uh today's agenda. 26 00:04:45,320 --> 00:04:52,040 Um perhaps first of all, I'll introduce uh the council members that are here 27 00:04:48,960 --> 00:04:56,760 today. We have counselor Capes. We have uh Deputy Mayor Nix. We have 28 00:04:55,320 --> 00:05:02,613 Mayor Creelman. We have counselor Mactalo and counselor 29 00:04:58,919 --> 00:05:07,240 Davey. Thank you all for being here. >> [applause] 30 00:05:04,520 --> 00:05:12,560 » Our keynote speaker today is Mr. Andrew McCammon. He is executive director of 31 00:05:09,760 --> 00:05:16,800 the Ontario Headwaters Institute. Following a career that included working 32 00:05:14,360 --> 00:05:21,360 as a consultant to or employee of agencies on four levels of government in 33 00:05:18,919 --> 00:05:25,520 Ontario, federal, provincial, municipal, and a conservation authority, 34 00:05:23,440 --> 00:05:29,840 Andrew became the executive director of the Ontario Headwaters Institute in 35 00:05:27,640 --> 00:05:33,640 2008. Since joining, Andrew has guided the 36 00:05:31,600 --> 00:05:38,960 institute through a change of focus from headwaters to full watershed management 37 00:05:36,520 --> 00:05:43,080 and more recently to promoting watershed security. He will share with us today 38 00:05:41,600 --> 00:05:47,320 why that happened and provide observations about how it relates to 39 00:05:44,880 --> 00:05:51,240 safe and sustainable water for Mono's future. Andrew? Thanks. 40 00:05:55,200 --> 00:05:59,760 That was my error. Yes. Council Capes we 41 00:06:09,240 --> 00:06:15,320 Sat on? Ooh, there you go. Good morning, everybody. 42 00:06:15,319 --> 00:06:19,720 » [snorts] >> We would like to begin by respectfully 43 00:06:17,640 --> 00:06:26,000 acknowledging that the town of Mono resides within the traditional territory 44 00:06:22,440 --> 00:06:30,520 and ancestral lands of the Tionontati, Attawandaron, Haudenosaunee, and 45 00:06:28,320 --> 00:06:34,640 Anishinaabe peoples. We also acknowledge that the town of 46 00:06:32,520 --> 00:06:40,200 Mono resides within the treaty lands named under Treaty 18, the Nottawasaga 47 00:06:37,680 --> 00:06:45,480 purchase of 1818. These traditional territories upon which 48 00:06:42,480 --> 00:06:50,280 we live and learn are steeped in rich indigenous history and traditions. It is 49 00:06:48,320 --> 00:06:55,440 with this statement that we declare to honor and respect the past and present 50 00:06:52,640 --> 00:07:00,520 connection of indigenous peoples with this land, its waterways, and resources. 51 00:07:05,800 --> 00:07:12,520 And now, I give you Andrew. >> [applause] 52 00:07:10,080 --> 00:07:12,520 » Thank you. 53 00:07:15,160 --> 00:07:19,480 I'm just going to 54 00:07:17,600 --> 00:07:23,880 try to make that a lectern. 55 00:07:21,720 --> 00:07:26,640 Try to not have my backs to anybody. I apologize. 56 00:07:25,400 --> 00:07:31,560 Um and 57 00:07:27,800 --> 00:07:35,440 the audience, thank you for coming. Um this is too much information, but there 58 00:07:33,080 --> 00:07:41,320 won't be too much information. Uh I was at a conference 2 weeks ago and I had to 59 00:07:38,960 --> 00:07:47,200 look at a screen to the side and I came home with a crick in my neck. 60 00:07:44,680 --> 00:07:47,200 And 61 00:07:47,280 --> 00:07:56,080 They don't want to hear this. And the next day I got food poisoning. 62 00:07:52,760 --> 00:08:01,720 Now, I will just tell you this. The human body wasn't designed 63 00:07:59,160 --> 00:08:05,040 to have a crick in the neck while you're retching, okay? 64 00:08:08,635 --> 00:08:10,655 » [laughter] 65 00:08:11,880 --> 00:08:17,320 » So, thank you so much for the introduction, 66 00:08:15,919 --> 00:08:21,760 the land acknowledgement, and it's a pleasure to be here today. I want to 67 00:08:19,440 --> 00:08:27,919 thank Stephen in particular. Um he saw a version of some of this uh a 68 00:08:25,560 --> 00:08:34,520 couple of weeks, well, 4 weeks ago now. And um stop that. Stop it. Um 69 00:08:32,000 --> 00:08:39,880 and the projector didn't work. So, it was kind of a 70 00:08:37,120 --> 00:08:46,720 a tap dance between what I wanted to say and Oh, this side was going to tell you. 71 00:08:42,800 --> 00:08:53,600 Um I try not to read my slides. Um this is a 1-year course, university course in 72 00:08:49,960 --> 00:08:58,480 watershed management in 20 minutes. So, I try I'm going to try to do a 73 00:08:55,480 --> 00:09:02,200 narrative that will open up some issues for you, underscore other issues you're 74 00:09:00,400 --> 00:09:04,560 probably familiar with. Um 75 00:09:03,560 --> 00:09:07,480 but uh 76 00:09:05,480 --> 00:09:12,080 the slides, and there's a copy of the complete PowerPoint on the table. And if 77 00:09:10,480 --> 00:09:16,360 you want me to email you a digital version, tell me your email address and 78 00:09:14,480 --> 00:09:20,400 I'll send it to you. A lot of the bullets in these slides I could speak to 79 00:09:18,400 --> 00:09:26,440 you for an hour. We're not going to do that, and there won't be a test. Um so, 80 00:09:24,400 --> 00:09:32,560 uh uh uh hopefully I can get this covered in a in a entertaining fashion 81 00:09:29,120 --> 00:09:37,240 in in 20 minutes. Okay. So, I've always been a water baby. 82 00:09:35,680 --> 00:09:40,480 I don't know if anybody else has water babies, but they're the kids that want 83 00:09:38,960 --> 00:09:43,880 to stay in the bathtub all the time and when you take them to swimming class at 84 00:09:41,880 --> 00:09:47,360 the Y, they want to do the length of the pool underwater. 85 00:09:45,680 --> 00:09:52,120 They don't want to learn how to crawl. And I've always been interested in 86 00:09:48,960 --> 00:09:56,680 water. I love fog. I love rain. I love back country canoe tripping and swimming 87 00:09:54,440 --> 00:10:01,600 six times a day. I've always been interested in water. And then I got 88 00:09:59,480 --> 00:10:05,160 somewhat interested in the science, which this covers. 89 00:10:03,240 --> 00:10:12,280 Uh but I ended up in the policy wrong side. Um and and so people just don't 90 00:10:09,440 --> 00:10:16,280 understand water. Most people until you get a crisis that's like the several 91 00:10:14,080 --> 00:10:20,360 that your community is facing with uh development and arsenic and quality and 92 00:10:18,960 --> 00:10:23,360 quantity, um you you 93 00:10:21,800 --> 00:10:27,760 suddenly people get interested in water, but we take it for granted. A lot of 94 00:10:25,400 --> 00:10:31,320 people don't know where water comes from. 95 00:10:29,200 --> 00:10:36,240 Water is life and it's the defining feature of our planet. Yes, the pictures 96 00:10:33,880 --> 00:10:42,120 from the moon showed clouds, but by and large it was a blue bobble with the 97 00:10:38,520 --> 00:10:48,400 oceans. Um but where did it come from? Well, this planet was a dead rock. 98 00:10:45,839 --> 00:10:53,200 And it was as it condensed, there were volcanoes for millions of years, 99 00:10:50,920 --> 00:10:57,240 probably hundreds of millions of years. Those volcanoes ejected the water 100 00:10:55,440 --> 00:11:01,160 particles in the rock into the atmosphere. What was an atmosphere? It 101 00:10:59,000 --> 00:11:04,800 was toxic, poisonous, wouldn't call it an atmosphere, but it was too hot to 102 00:11:03,400 --> 00:11:08,920 rain. So, 103 00:11:06,600 --> 00:11:13,520 all the water that we have now in the oceans was suspended. And finally, the 104 00:11:11,400 --> 00:11:18,440 planet cooled down enough for it to rain, and the rain covered the planet. 105 00:11:16,280 --> 00:11:23,520 That was before the continents emerged. So, then some of the land that was now 106 00:11:20,280 --> 00:11:29,480 submerged by that water arose. And in those um areas that got wet a 107 00:11:27,200 --> 00:11:35,680 couple of times a day, those are where we feel life began. 108 00:11:32,880 --> 00:11:39,200 And cyanobacteria invented photosynthesis. 109 00:11:37,440 --> 00:11:42,800 And the photosynthesis, the most of those those plants were for 110 00:11:40,840 --> 00:11:50,520 the most part in the water. There's no plants on land. And those plants 111 00:11:46,680 --> 00:11:56,680 put all the oxygen into the atmosphere. So water is not just key for life now 112 00:11:54,000 --> 00:12:01,640 for us, but water in fact is where life began and created our atmosphere. So we 113 00:11:59,760 --> 00:12:04,640 need to respect it a lot more than we are right now. 114 00:12:05,920 --> 00:12:12,800 Currently we have a synergistic kind of relationship. Water circulates the 115 00:12:10,880 --> 00:12:18,240 planet in what's called the hydrological cycle. I'm sure you're familiar with it. 116 00:12:15,280 --> 00:12:23,120 Um and and it's amazing, but I I just love teachers and talking to kids. 117 00:12:20,760 --> 00:12:27,040 Uh I sometimes talk about uh the hydrological cycle, which is 118 00:12:24,800 --> 00:12:31,000 accumulation, water flowing across the land, 119 00:12:28,120 --> 00:12:33,800 um transpiration, the sunlight evaporating it and the trees breathing 120 00:12:32,720 --> 00:12:39,480 it out. Uh that water vapor rises, condensation, 121 00:12:37,280 --> 00:12:44,400 and then precipitation. And I was doing this for some class and some kid went, 122 00:12:42,080 --> 00:12:48,480 "Yeah, yeah, yeah. Accumulation, transpiration, condensation, and 123 00:12:46,080 --> 00:12:52,640 precipitation." Like they had all these signs for it. They knew exactly what was 124 00:12:50,360 --> 00:12:56,120 going on. And and that's what we're currently jeopardizing with the 125 00:12:54,560 --> 00:12:59,640 greenhouse gases we're putting up into the air. We're affecting the 126 00:12:57,520 --> 00:13:04,120 hydrological cycle, the intensity and duration of storms, uh longer droughts, 127 00:13:03,280 --> 00:13:08,839 uh longer heat waves, longer intense rain 128 00:13:07,160 --> 00:13:13,360 as Ontario just found out and we've got all this flooding all over the place 129 00:13:10,240 --> 00:13:16,880 such as in uh Minden Mills right now and other places. Um 130 00:13:15,160 --> 00:13:19,560 so stop it. 131 00:13:20,040 --> 00:13:26,160 So our hydrological cycle, to me it's somewhat similar to the formation of the 132 00:13:24,040 --> 00:13:32,680 planet and the formation of water. It's still water's still going everywhere. 133 00:13:29,800 --> 00:13:37,560 Once it rains, it flows across the land. It creates our headwater areas, our 134 00:13:35,320 --> 00:13:41,560 surface water streams. It percolates into the ground and and can be 135 00:13:39,680 --> 00:13:45,560 groundwater and or aquifers or aquitards, which a lot of is very 136 00:13:43,880 --> 00:13:49,800 important here with your arsenic and other problems. 137 00:13:47,200 --> 00:13:53,480 We started as the Headwaters Institute. Headwaters are very simply first, 138 00:13:51,240 --> 00:13:56,560 second, and third order streams. A first order stream is one with no tributaries. 139 00:13:56,444 --> 00:13:59,840 » [snorts] >> Two first come together, they form a 140 00:13:58,000 --> 00:14:04,000 second. Two seconds 100 ones could come in, it's 141 00:14:02,520 --> 00:14:08,840 not going to change. Two twos come together, it's a third. 142 00:14:06,240 --> 00:14:13,800 So, these things grow exponentially. The biggest watershed in the world is 143 00:14:11,640 --> 00:14:19,240 the Amazon. It's a 12th order stream. 144 00:14:16,040 --> 00:14:23,440 It's not 100, it's not 47, it's 12. And it has the only two 11th order streams 145 00:14:21,320 --> 00:14:29,200 in the world. The McKenzie is a 10th order stream. So, as they get bigger, 146 00:14:26,360 --> 00:14:32,720 it's a it's it's geometric progression. Um 147 00:14:30,600 --> 00:14:36,640 and it infiltrates into the ground and it exfiltrates out of the ground. Our 148 00:14:35,000 --> 00:14:40,880 cold water fisheries, such as the Credit, where you have great trout 149 00:14:38,680 --> 00:14:45,280 fishing, it's a cold water stream because there's so much percolation of 150 00:14:42,880 --> 00:14:50,560 groundwater that goes into the karst dolomite of the Niagara Escarpment. And 151 00:14:48,320 --> 00:14:56,160 when it comes out, it's chilled to ground temperature at 58°. That's why 152 00:14:53,160 --> 00:15:01,280 there's cold water fisheries. Um and of course also, because it infiltrates, 153 00:14:58,920 --> 00:15:05,880 that's how we get our arsenic and other chemicals, either naturally from the 154 00:15:03,360 --> 00:15:11,200 soil or from when people get in and start disturbing that soil. 155 00:15:08,000 --> 00:15:11,200 There's no clock. 156 00:15:12,480 --> 00:15:16,160 Um so, 157 00:15:16,600 --> 00:15:21,680 what I'm going to do today, I wanted to give you that as just some common 158 00:15:20,200 --> 00:15:25,000 background about how much we love and respect water. 159 00:15:23,360 --> 00:15:28,720 Um this is kind of I said mentioned earlier, this is kind of a very 160 00:15:26,480 --> 00:15:33,480 condensed expression of the whole nine yards of watershed management 161 00:15:31,280 --> 00:15:37,000 um and our desire to shift to watershed security, which I'll get into. 162 00:15:35,600 --> 00:15:40,600 Um so we're I'm going to provide a framework 163 00:15:38,760 --> 00:15:44,440 of what watershed management is right now. There's lots of bullets on the 164 00:15:42,560 --> 00:15:48,680 pages, that's why I handed them out. There are things you can research, you 165 00:15:46,320 --> 00:15:53,240 can ask me, email me if you have any questions on those elements. Then we're 166 00:15:50,920 --> 00:15:58,520 going to get into recent and future challenges. So just imagine a picture of 167 00:15:55,560 --> 00:15:58,520 Doug Ford up there. 168 00:15:59,520 --> 00:16:04,120 And then uh we'll talk about what Mono can do. 169 00:16:11,320 --> 00:16:16,640 So as per some of the things we've handed out in the introduction and I 170 00:16:15,240 --> 00:16:21,960 don't want to repeat it over and over again, but we are a registered charity 171 00:16:19,160 --> 00:16:29,800 that promotes watershed security. Um and and that includes water security. 172 00:16:27,680 --> 00:16:34,839 There's a lot of consternation right now because there's a bill 173 00:16:32,680 --> 00:16:38,920 I think it's 100 uh which is introducing the prospect of 174 00:16:36,720 --> 00:16:45,480 municipally owned water um corporations. 175 00:16:42,360 --> 00:16:49,160 And 10 days ago that was in included the prospect of of 176 00:16:47,720 --> 00:16:53,440 uh municipal private partnerships where 177 00:16:51,480 --> 00:16:57,800 they could sell shares to water companies. And that's been taken out of 178 00:16:55,960 --> 00:17:02,280 the draft legislation. Only municipalities will be allowed to own 179 00:16:59,880 --> 00:17:06,079 the shares. Um so they've they've kind of putting a little lid on water 180 00:17:04,480 --> 00:17:11,920 security, which is your municipal water supply, but we're still uh but watershed 181 00:17:08,880 --> 00:17:15,640 security includes water security because it's the water flowing across the 182 00:17:13,319 --> 00:17:22,120 landscape and going into our aquifers that feeds the water security issues. 183 00:17:18,760 --> 00:17:25,839 And we believe, and this is our um struggle 184 00:17:24,240 --> 00:17:30,120 uh with all of our environmental organizations that we work 185 00:17:28,000 --> 00:17:33,640 with so strongly in three land use planning coalitions. 186 00:17:31,720 --> 00:17:38,400 Um they are so angry at Doug Ford and the developers and the appearance of 187 00:17:36,000 --> 00:17:44,720 corruption from the Greenbelt scandal um that they are just absolutely frothing 188 00:17:42,520 --> 00:17:52,160 at the mouth. We've been telling them for 5 years, it's all about water. 189 00:17:48,880 --> 00:17:56,040 If you use water as the key metric for land use planning, 190 00:17:54,800 --> 00:17:59,920 the land use planning issues are going to go away. 191 00:17:58,120 --> 00:18:03,520 So, we're still a voice in the wilderness. We haven't been able to 192 00:18:01,240 --> 00:18:07,960 break through. I think we're starting to finally see that. The the crisis in 193 00:18:05,840 --> 00:18:11,480 Waterloo where there is a moratorium on development permits, 194 00:18:09,600 --> 00:18:15,560 um there's emerging crises in other communities, hello Mono. 195 00:18:13,720 --> 00:18:20,640 Um there's farmers that are having incredible difficulty trusting the water 196 00:18:18,000 --> 00:18:26,160 that's uh that they have uh to irrigate their crops. Some of that is quantity, 197 00:18:23,120 --> 00:18:31,440 some of that is salt from on the roads. Um so, we we have to do a better job 198 00:18:28,880 --> 00:18:35,720 both with our land use planning. If we don't cut down all the trees, if we 199 00:18:33,480 --> 00:18:42,840 don't drain all the wetlands, if we don't shove concrete pavement everywhere 200 00:18:39,360 --> 00:18:48,160 to adjust to to reduce the flow of storm water, we wouldn't have so many water 201 00:18:45,480 --> 00:18:53,080 problems. And so, currently in all of our planning mechanisms, water is taken 202 00:18:50,480 --> 00:18:58,520 for granted, it's kicked down the policy uh tree to the implementation phase. 203 00:18:56,000 --> 00:19:02,480 It's not planned from the beginning. So, we get into these problems. So, that's 204 00:19:00,000 --> 00:19:06,640 that's who we are. Um Ontario, I don't know if you are 205 00:19:05,080 --> 00:19:11,240 familiar with this. Um I speak to a lot of 206 00:19:08,760 --> 00:19:16,640 uh crowds that are intense policy wonks like myself. So, we know all about the 207 00:19:13,680 --> 00:19:21,320 Conservation Authorities Act 1946 and the beginnings of the 208 00:19:18,960 --> 00:19:25,280 Ontario led the world. No organization in the world had conservation 209 00:19:23,200 --> 00:19:31,480 authorities. Ministries of the environment were formed until the 1970s. 210 00:19:29,160 --> 00:19:35,920 Ontario was one of the first in 1970 and that was because of the Rome conference 211 00:19:33,680 --> 00:19:40,680 on sustainable development. All the governments in across the world, Canada, 212 00:19:38,080 --> 00:19:45,800 Ontario, Canada, the US, Europe, they started to create ministries of the 213 00:19:42,520 --> 00:19:50,560 environment. Ontario was 14 years ahead of that, 1946, 214 00:19:48,280 --> 00:19:56,480 creating conservation authorities. And that influenced a whole shaft raft of 215 00:19:54,200 --> 00:20:00,080 elements of the planning regime. These are those bullets that we're not going 216 00:19:57,920 --> 00:20:04,240 to talk to. The Niagara Escarpment Plan was the first water planning commission 217 00:20:02,520 --> 00:20:08,680 in the world. We have a really good planning act and a 218 00:20:06,160 --> 00:20:11,520 provincial policy statement which guides development. 219 00:20:10,120 --> 00:20:15,640 The Environmental Bill of Rights, another almost world leading. But water 220 00:20:14,680 --> 00:20:20,600 was very much the focus of the Lake Simcoe 221 00:20:18,840 --> 00:20:24,800 Protection Act, the Oak Ridges Moraine, the Greenbelt, the Place to Grow, the 222 00:20:22,760 --> 00:20:30,160 danger everything. It was it was inculcated throughout all these acts 223 00:20:27,160 --> 00:20:35,400 because we had done such a poor job with water in the 30s and 40s, cutting down 224 00:20:32,600 --> 00:20:38,440 trees and creating erosion and flooding conditions. 225 00:20:36,920 --> 00:20:42,320 Hurricane Hazel would not have been so bad had we not cut down all the trees on 226 00:20:40,480 --> 00:20:47,680 the Oak Ridges Moraine. So, all of these things are connected. 227 00:20:46,120 --> 00:20:53,600 However, since 1946, 228 00:20:49,800 --> 00:20:58,880 with all of these things, the watershed management has become just 229 00:20:56,520 --> 00:21:02,800 very complex. There are all these interacting 230 00:21:01,400 --> 00:21:07,720 agencies. There are all these interacting bits of legislation. There 231 00:21:05,520 --> 00:21:11,200 are all these committees of government people who got together and decide who's 232 00:21:09,520 --> 00:21:14,960 going to do what. Um and so it really is an Excedrin 233 00:21:13,000 --> 00:21:18,600 headache. I think everybody in this room remembers the old Excedrin headache 234 00:21:16,480 --> 00:21:21,280 commercials on TV. It's not just a regular headache, it's an Excedrin 235 00:21:20,160 --> 00:21:25,120 headache. Um 236 00:21:21,880 --> 00:21:31,160 and so we have unequal policies, in ad it very very different resources. Some 237 00:21:28,040 --> 00:21:34,440 municipalities support and contract their conservation authorities to do 238 00:21:33,000 --> 00:21:40,320 really good work to help them with their official plans. Which is now outlawed. 239 00:21:38,040 --> 00:21:43,960 Thank you, Mr. Ford. As he outlawed green development standards. 240 00:21:42,880 --> 00:21:49,800 Um so there's there's all these things that 241 00:21:46,200 --> 00:21:54,440 have become very very complex. Some CAs ensure that mis- some municipalities 242 00:21:52,240 --> 00:21:59,000 ensure their municipal- their CAs get good levies and so they have resources, 243 00:21:57,120 --> 00:22:02,560 but some people's water is protected better than other people's water. And 244 00:22:01,080 --> 00:22:07,720 and we don't think that's right. Water is fundamental right. It's a global 245 00:22:04,680 --> 00:22:12,760 commons and we need to respect and protect water more uniformly across the 246 00:22:10,400 --> 00:22:17,480 landscape. So um 247 00:22:14,960 --> 00:22:21,640 blasting right along. And I still don't have a time. Oh, there's a clock. When 248 00:22:19,080 --> 00:22:27,920 did I start? At Did I start at 9:40? 249 00:22:25,040 --> 00:22:32,760 Nailed it. Okay, perfect. God, I'm good. Thank you very much. 250 00:22:29,360 --> 00:22:36,920 Um so I want to talk a little bit about what the current problems are. 251 00:22:34,720 --> 00:22:41,800 For the most part, the system has become fragmented. 252 00:22:38,760 --> 00:22:47,120 Because we have too many agencies, too not enough resources, and and things are 253 00:22:44,640 --> 00:22:50,560 different in different geographic areas. So one outcome 254 00:22:52,760 --> 00:22:57,840 You won't be able to see this and if I printed it on an 8 and 1/2 by 11, you 255 00:22:56,160 --> 00:23:03,960 wouldn't be able to see it at all. But we have this amazing map. Sorry that 256 00:23:00,560 --> 00:23:08,960 it's so hard to see. This depicts over 40 257 00:23:06,000 --> 00:23:14,840 water management organizations just in South Central Ontario. 258 00:23:11,280 --> 00:23:18,720 36 of them are conservation authorities. There's others like the Severn Sound 259 00:23:16,520 --> 00:23:24,280 Environmental Association. There are areas covered by the Ministry 260 00:23:21,440 --> 00:23:28,480 of Ministry Natural Resources where there's no conservation authority. 261 00:23:26,440 --> 00:23:33,880 There's the Lake Simcoe Protection Act and the Oak Ridges Moraine Greenbelt 262 00:23:30,520 --> 00:23:38,880 Act. And some of the CAs and part of the Lake Simcoe 263 00:23:35,720 --> 00:23:43,080 uh area are within the Greenbelt. So, right away you've got three overlapping 264 00:23:40,800 --> 00:23:49,000 geographic areas with different policies and priorities. So, we've been trying to 265 00:23:45,280 --> 00:23:54,200 tell the Ministry for for 5 years that this is needs is fragmented and 266 00:23:52,240 --> 00:24:00,160 needs to be standardized. So, we're not opposed to the harmonization of policies 267 00:23:57,480 --> 00:24:05,120 for conservation authorities as proposed under this 268 00:24:01,640 --> 00:24:09,400 uh the the the draft act to consolidate them and impose a provincial 269 00:24:07,040 --> 00:24:14,480 conservation agency to tell them what to do. We're not opposed to a coordinating 270 00:24:11,720 --> 00:24:19,280 agency. In fact, 7 years ago we proposed the creation of regional water boards. 271 00:24:17,000 --> 00:24:24,200 So, we're not opposed to the concept, but what this government is doing is 272 00:24:22,080 --> 00:24:29,520 it's trimming rather than consolidating to the highest 273 00:24:26,600 --> 00:24:33,880 standard. It's reducing the cost. The government province hasn't paid a 274 00:24:31,680 --> 00:24:39,760 provincial fee to conservation authorities for 15 years. They're now 275 00:24:36,280 --> 00:24:44,520 talking about $3 million to 36 CAs to help them consolidate. 276 00:24:41,600 --> 00:24:49,040 Thanks very much. Um so, we're not get this this is going to be worse. Um but, 277 00:24:47,240 --> 00:24:51,760 that's the situation. That's why we're fragmented. 278 00:24:50,560 --> 00:24:56,680 Um the the next one is that with so many 279 00:24:54,920 --> 00:25:01,080 agencies involved and I mentioned that people sit around a table. If you want 280 00:24:59,280 --> 00:25:05,320 to bring an issue to the attention of CVC for example, and I'll give you the 281 00:25:03,480 --> 00:25:09,880 example of the Aaron sewage treatment plant, and the concern there is that the 282 00:25:07,680 --> 00:25:14,160 effluent discharge is going to be above the temperature in which brook trout can 283 00:25:11,680 --> 00:25:14,160 live. 284 00:25:14,600 --> 00:25:20,400 When this was brought to their attention in a dramatic 285 00:25:18,440 --> 00:25:24,280 manner, not by me, um 286 00:25:21,200 --> 00:25:27,200 in a serious manner to say, you know, what is 287 00:25:25,280 --> 00:25:30,600 Suddenly, the agencies started talking to each other. They didn't know Well, 288 00:25:28,880 --> 00:25:35,200 I'll talk to the Ministry of Natural Resources. I'll give MECP a call. We're 289 00:25:32,920 --> 00:25:39,520 having a meeting next week. Somebody should be in charge of some 290 00:25:37,280 --> 00:25:42,920 simple things, which I'll get to later. But with this 291 00:25:41,280 --> 00:25:48,120 fragmentation, we get agencies saying, well, I'm not 292 00:25:44,880 --> 00:25:51,800 sure, let me get back to you. I run a business. I don't run my 293 00:25:49,840 --> 00:25:56,320 business that way. And the other one is, and I said I 294 00:25:53,640 --> 00:25:59,280 wasn't going to read very much, but one of the outcomes of what we have right 295 00:25:58,040 --> 00:26:02,920 now from this 296 00:26:01,120 --> 00:26:08,600 is that the conservation authorities do watershed report cards. We have 886 297 00:26:06,640 --> 00:26:13,480 watersheds under the jurisdiction of the 36 298 00:26:10,920 --> 00:26:19,240 conservation authorities. We forest conditions are fair, 299 00:26:16,800 --> 00:26:23,760 poor, or very poor in 64% 300 00:26:21,080 --> 00:26:23,760 of those. 301 00:26:25,000 --> 00:26:29,720 While the surface water, and this is quite interesting, I would have thought 302 00:26:28,600 --> 00:26:32,920 it would have been worse. I would have thought the surface water would be worse 303 00:26:31,200 --> 00:26:37,800 than the forest conditions. There's science reasons I've been 304 00:26:34,800 --> 00:26:42,040 educated on. The surface water quality in those categories, 305 00:26:39,880 --> 00:26:46,760 fair, poor, or very poor, 52%. 306 00:26:44,440 --> 00:26:51,760 And if we did a map of where those very poor were, you could probably pretty 307 00:26:49,560 --> 00:26:54,560 well identify them without doing any science. 308 00:26:52,880 --> 00:26:59,480 because it's downstream of Richmond Hill. It's downstream of Brampton. It's 309 00:26:57,480 --> 00:27:04,480 down It's It's It's where the agglomerations are because we have too 310 00:27:01,920 --> 00:27:09,600 much concrete and poor such poor stormwater treatment. So, we're we're 311 00:27:06,760 --> 00:27:15,240 not in good condition and this really applies to to Mono. 312 00:27:13,280 --> 00:27:21,120 Given the increase of sprawl and the Ford government has imposed sprawl on 313 00:27:18,000 --> 00:27:26,040 some communities like um Caledon and Halton, they wanted to intensify their 314 00:27:23,320 --> 00:27:33,280 downtowns and build up. And the Ford government imposed 9,000 acres of 315 00:27:30,200 --> 00:27:37,920 farmland in there in Halton to be converted to housing. 316 00:27:36,160 --> 00:27:43,200 They didn't want that. They were opposed to it. So, given the 317 00:27:40,040 --> 00:27:47,520 increases in urban sprawl and the and the changing climates, 318 00:27:45,200 --> 00:27:50,920 we can predict that these numbers will deteriorate. 319 00:27:49,800 --> 00:27:55,520 And there would be more and more moratoriums on development similar to 320 00:27:52,880 --> 00:28:01,120 there are in Waterloo. And some of the material from some of your counselors 321 00:27:57,800 --> 00:28:05,280 and members of MC squared that Steve so kindly forwarded me so I could get a 322 00:28:02,720 --> 00:28:08,920 background, the issue of water quantity that was raised several weeks ago and 323 00:28:07,520 --> 00:28:14,920 the report was then released from the source water protection committee where 324 00:28:10,880 --> 00:28:18,840 there's a mid-term quantity concern. You're on it. It's not imminent. It's 325 00:28:16,920 --> 00:28:25,920 not going to happen tomorrow. People have time to responsibly work on it. But 326 00:28:22,280 --> 00:28:30,240 you'll end up like Waterloo if if that's not dealt with. Waterloo is not They're 327 00:28:28,560 --> 00:28:34,800 actually houses that are built. They won't give them water. Those developers 328 00:28:32,640 --> 00:28:38,120 are threatening to sue. Um there's other developments won't 329 00:28:36,840 --> 00:28:43,560 start yet cuz they haven't got their water allocation. Developers 330 00:28:41,160 --> 00:28:47,240 are going to lose their workforce. If you can't keep the framers and the 331 00:28:45,320 --> 00:28:51,960 electricians and the plumbers and the concrete pores engaged, they're going to 332 00:28:49,800 --> 00:28:55,480 find a job in another community and eventually move. Then you're going to 333 00:28:53,640 --> 00:28:59,720 have to re-attract your workforce. So there's this multiplier effect from 334 00:28:58,000 --> 00:29:05,920 stupidity. And whereas Walkerton was caused by poor 335 00:29:03,400 --> 00:29:11,040 water quality monitoring, in fact criminally poor, 336 00:29:08,000 --> 00:29:15,400 Waterloo is being caused by poor water quantity monitoring. They weren't 337 00:29:13,280 --> 00:29:19,200 monitoring their wells. And the fed the provincial government 338 00:29:17,480 --> 00:29:24,320 was issuing permits for aggregate pits with no 339 00:29:21,840 --> 00:29:30,320 consideration at all for water and below water table aggregate pits. So these are 340 00:29:26,760 --> 00:29:34,415 all things that act together 341 00:29:31,800 --> 00:29:37,560 and I'm way on to the next page. >> [laughter] 342 00:29:35,520 --> 00:29:40,920 » So that's why we're very concerned and I'm thrilled to see that you're on this, 343 00:29:39,280 --> 00:29:45,600 that you're planning in advance and the report, the actual report that was 344 00:29:43,520 --> 00:29:49,680 tabled, I think took away a lot of the concern that people had when they first 345 00:29:47,280 --> 00:29:53,840 heard there's a water qual quantity crisis in Mono. I think it's not 346 00:29:52,160 --> 00:29:58,600 imminent. I think you've got time to work for it and the report's very 347 00:29:56,120 --> 00:30:03,280 encouraging on those fronts. So those are the fragmentation issues. 348 00:30:01,240 --> 00:30:08,720 This is what happens when we have this over 40 agencies involved in in 349 00:30:06,760 --> 00:30:12,600 watershed management. The other one that's happened, go away. Go away, I 350 00:30:11,160 --> 00:30:18,840 don't want you there. Is dilution. 351 00:30:15,520 --> 00:30:24,680 The provincial government has wants to take the planet back to the 352 00:30:21,640 --> 00:30:30,640 volcanic rock it was with no water on it. They just don't like water. The 353 00:30:27,880 --> 00:30:35,400 housing action plan, we're on like we're on like version seven right now cuz they 354 00:30:33,160 --> 00:30:41,240 can't get it right. They keep taking away laws and regulations encouraging 355 00:30:38,200 --> 00:30:46,400 the developers to build. Zero condo starts in the first quarter of this year 356 00:30:44,160 --> 00:30:49,600 in Toronto. Um 357 00:30:47,760 --> 00:30:53,800 the developers just don't have the right conditions. And the government's trying 358 00:30:51,520 --> 00:30:59,760 hard to encourage housing. We need housing. We need affordable housing. I'm 359 00:30:56,000 --> 00:31:04,920 not against that, but when you give away so much, way back when they were first 360 00:31:02,400 --> 00:31:12,800 elected, they actually the first bill that they proposed had a section in it 361 00:31:08,080 --> 00:31:17,800 to to establish special bylaw areas. Where municipalities were alleviated 362 00:31:15,280 --> 00:31:22,000 from the responsibility of honoring the the Clean Water Act. Well, that's a good 363 00:31:20,600 --> 00:31:25,920 thing to do. Who needs to honor the Clean Water Act, which is what sets up 364 00:31:23,880 --> 00:31:32,000 the Source Protection Committees. That we beat them back. Environmental 365 00:31:27,840 --> 00:31:36,280 Defense, thank goodness, spent $150,000 on a campaign that we supported. That 366 00:31:34,320 --> 00:31:39,920 bill was withdrawn from the house. We've had virtually no similar successes 367 00:31:38,600 --> 00:31:45,840 since. Uh and now that's not special bylaw 368 00:31:42,520 --> 00:31:49,160 areas, it's special economic zones. Uh which is why they're going to they're 369 00:31:47,440 --> 00:31:51,880 going to steal the airport. It's what they're doing with Ontario Place. It's 370 00:31:50,640 --> 00:31:56,120 what they're going to do in the Ring of Fire. Um obviously they streamline 371 00:31:54,760 --> 00:32:03,000 approvals. Uh this is a biggie. Bill 185 372 00:31:59,840 --> 00:32:07,120 if in the past you were downstream of a development and you were concerned about 373 00:32:05,440 --> 00:32:11,560 the stormwater plan and and the volume and the sediment what 374 00:32:09,640 --> 00:32:15,680 you were going to get downstream water and the sediment gets deposited on the 375 00:32:13,400 --> 00:32:22,600 gravel beds where the fish breed and the temperature changes. Um those were 376 00:32:19,920 --> 00:32:27,240 reasons to be able to appeal the Ontario Land Tribunal. 377 00:32:23,920 --> 00:32:32,640 Now you can only appeal if you're on a contiguous property 378 00:32:30,880 --> 00:32:36,160 and oh by the way, you had to be involved in the public meetings from the 379 00:32:34,320 --> 00:32:41,360 very beginning or else you weren't allowed to appeal. 380 00:32:37,800 --> 00:32:46,400 So, the it's just this horrible table of development at any cost. 381 00:32:44,040 --> 00:32:50,720 Um I won't get into section 4.2 of the PPS, but that's directs municipalities 382 00:32:49,480 --> 00:32:54,080 to they actually have to embrace the 383 00:32:52,320 --> 00:32:58,480 watershed at the meaningful level for planning and they have to protect, 384 00:32:56,160 --> 00:33:02,840 restore, or improve water through their planning. No municipality is doing that. 385 00:33:00,960 --> 00:33:06,840 I've made 12 presentations in the last year. They want no part of it and the 386 00:33:05,440 --> 00:33:11,520 government's not going to force them to do it. Right now and we have omnibus 387 00:33:09,000 --> 00:33:15,280 bills with no consultation, no committee meetings, and closure. So, this 388 00:33:13,520 --> 00:33:20,320 government really doesn't want to talk about water. On Thursday nights 389 00:33:18,360 --> 00:33:23,920 Steve Clark, who was forced to resign from the Greenbelt scandal, where he was 390 00:33:22,520 --> 00:33:29,840 taking land out of the out of the Greenbelt, he is now proposed that Bill 391 00:33:26,880 --> 00:33:34,240 97 be voted on in the house and never mind the committee hearings. Well, Bill 392 00:33:31,720 --> 00:33:37,920 97 happens to be the consolidation of conservation 393 00:33:35,760 --> 00:33:43,480 authorities. Oh, and by the way, it has freedom of information changes. 394 00:33:40,640 --> 00:33:47,480 And if they if we get access to all of the papers, maybe somebody's going to 395 00:33:45,800 --> 00:33:52,040 jail. So, they're they're trying to rush Bill 396 00:33:49,360 --> 00:33:56,400 97 to the floor of the house without any committee hearings whatsoever. This is 397 00:33:54,120 --> 00:34:00,920 our government. There are other aligned reductions encouraged by the Housing 398 00:33:58,440 --> 00:34:04,280 Action Plan. The Endangered Species Act has become a joke. 399 00:34:02,960 --> 00:34:10,080 Uh you used to be able to have to protect um the habitat, the range of a 400 00:34:07,520 --> 00:34:16,280 species. Now, you only have to you only have to protect the den. 401 00:34:13,879 --> 00:34:20,720 So, like where a turtle lays their eggs, you have to protect it. Where the turtle 402 00:34:18,520 --> 00:34:25,760 can live and eat, you don't have to. Um and on and on and 403 00:34:23,480 --> 00:34:31,280 on. I call it the pitiful aggregate policies because our pits can now get 404 00:34:29,440 --> 00:34:33,960 they're just below water table's not a problem. 405 00:34:32,320 --> 00:34:37,240 So, it used to be uh 406 00:34:35,560 --> 00:34:41,120 it used to have to have municipal approval. 407 00:34:38,840 --> 00:34:44,960 Because below the water table can impact municipal water, and the counselors have 408 00:34:43,159 --> 00:34:48,919 a legal obligation to protect the health of their municipality. 409 00:34:46,639 --> 00:34:53,639 They took it away. So, you don't you don't have a say now 410 00:34:50,600 --> 00:34:58,960 in below water table pits. And on and on, I'm going to go 411 00:34:55,879 --> 00:35:02,160 I'm just about need to wrap up. Um and then of course I mentioned 412 00:35:01,040 --> 00:35:10,240 earlier the twin climate and biodiversity crisis. So, these are the 413 00:35:04,320 --> 00:35:14,560 really big challenges on on water. So, we think watershed management has had 414 00:35:12,600 --> 00:35:21,280 its day. Thank you, world-leading, fabulous, 415 00:35:18,040 --> 00:35:28,200 fragmented and diluted. Uh and we think it should be changed for 416 00:35:25,320 --> 00:35:33,440 a system based on watershed security with aspirational goals and 417 00:35:31,040 --> 00:35:38,360 science-based outcomes. I'm going to give you two. 418 00:35:34,920 --> 00:35:42,640 The provincial targets should mimic something in a federal 419 00:35:40,280 --> 00:35:46,640 guideline called how much habitat is enough. 420 00:35:43,680 --> 00:35:52,480 The federal guideline suggests that you you should protect a minimum of 30% of a 421 00:35:49,560 --> 00:36:00,240 watershed in natural heritage, 40% is better, and 50% is opt 60 50% is 422 00:35:55,600 --> 00:36:04,200 optimal. We have no targets at all for maintaining natural heritage in Ontario. 423 00:36:02,560 --> 00:36:09,400 We have the Greenbelt, thank you very much, that's great. But every watershed 424 00:36:06,640 --> 00:36:13,600 should If you cut down all the trees and drain all the wetlands, that watershed's 425 00:36:11,920 --> 00:36:16,920 going to deteriorate. So, we need prevent And all those are in how much 426 00:36:15,080 --> 00:36:21,400 habitat is enough. The percentage of wetlands that should be there, the 427 00:36:18,760 --> 00:36:27,680 percentage of treed edges along streams for for 30 m, uh, 428 00:36:25,920 --> 00:36:31,360 overall natural heritage for the watershed. We 429 00:36:29,320 --> 00:36:36,920 don't have any aspirational targets. Here's the second one. Um, we have 430 00:36:33,720 --> 00:36:42,080 something called the Ontario provincial water quality objectives. 431 00:36:39,840 --> 00:36:47,160 That's what sets it. There are there it's not exactly the same as 432 00:36:44,880 --> 00:36:54,040 um, the arsenic and selenium issues that you have here, but for 433 00:36:50,280 --> 00:37:00,000 scores of chemicals um, like E. coli in the water there are targets that you 434 00:36:56,960 --> 00:37:03,560 should not go over for which start to impact fish health, 435 00:37:02,120 --> 00:37:09,760 the other creatures that live in the water, and of course drinking water. We 436 00:37:06,520 --> 00:37:09,760 have targets. 437 00:37:09,920 --> 00:37:13,200 There's no triggers. 438 00:37:13,800 --> 00:37:21,880 We know of streams that have exceeded E. coli and other key 439 00:37:19,560 --> 00:37:27,080 objectives in the water in the provincial water quality year after year 440 00:37:25,120 --> 00:37:32,440 after year. No agency is tasked with addressing it 441 00:37:30,280 --> 00:37:36,120 from what level. That's um, 442 00:37:34,720 --> 00:37:41,320 what I meant earlier by science-based outcomes. 443 00:37:39,880 --> 00:37:44,760 That's what I meant earlier when I talked about the temperature of the fish 444 00:37:43,520 --> 00:37:49,200 where these people are meeting in committee to determine whether or not 445 00:37:46,840 --> 00:37:52,400 the effluent coming out of the Erin STP is going to kill the brook trout. And 446 00:37:51,566 --> 00:37:57,440 » [laughter] >> and at one point somebody from CV said, 447 00:37:54,840 --> 00:38:01,000 "You know, you're right, but we're we it's microclimate and we have we have 448 00:37:59,640 --> 00:38:05,800 other streams that are above this temperature and we have brook trout. So, 449 00:38:03,160 --> 00:38:09,360 if if we kill the brook trout in this tributary of the Credit, we'll just go 450 00:38:07,520 --> 00:38:15,240 get some from another from another creek." And I said to them, 451 00:38:11,680 --> 00:38:20,386 "Oh, which sci- which international science journal did you report that to? 452 00:38:17,760 --> 00:38:25,600 Cuz I haven't seen that." >> [laughter] 453 00:38:21,880 --> 00:38:30,080 » So, uh, we need standards, targets, and and people should be responsible, not a 454 00:38:28,120 --> 00:38:33,560 committee meeting, but maybe the conservation authority should be 455 00:38:31,280 --> 00:38:38,520 responsible for this, the municipality for that, the provincial government for 456 00:38:35,480 --> 00:38:43,640 this, and uh you know who to call. So, that's we believe shifting to watershed 457 00:38:40,720 --> 00:38:48,680 security. And um that's why we have the big poster. 458 00:38:45,840 --> 00:38:54,480 Uh watershed security, and that's why we have a handout handout 459 00:38:51,920 --> 00:38:58,240 and a little poster which is the municipal lens for 460 00:38:56,360 --> 00:39:01,960 watershed security. We're Within a month, we'll have a whole slew of these. 461 00:39:00,400 --> 00:39:05,880 We have the watershed security, the municipal, the provincial had was held 462 00:39:04,240 --> 00:39:10,480 up. The provincial guidelines are coming out next week. Um and then we're going 463 00:39:08,400 --> 00:39:14,000 to get to agriculture and aggregates. We'll have sectors and targets, 464 00:39:12,240 --> 00:39:18,840 science-based targets for every sector so we can treat our water better. 465 00:39:17,240 --> 00:39:23,640 I hope I'm near the end. Oh, look at this. 466 00:39:20,920 --> 00:39:23,640 Magic. 467 00:39:25,120 --> 00:39:30,640 I was encouraged when the Michael? 468 00:39:28,840 --> 00:39:35,240 There's too many new names. I'm Doug. Doug, sorry. My apologies, Doug. 469 00:39:32,720 --> 00:39:40,840 He reminded us of what the goals of MC Squared are. You know, that's absolutely 470 00:39:37,200 --> 00:39:47,360 perfect. Monitor and meet and publish and and get the citizens engaged. Um 471 00:39:44,200 --> 00:39:52,160 that's absolutely perfect. We believe that what Mono needs to continue doing 472 00:39:50,400 --> 00:39:56,720 is through all the emails that I was sent, again, thank you, Stephen, on 473 00:39:54,360 --> 00:40:02,160 what's happening, whether it's the uh the new developments, 474 00:39:59,040 --> 00:40:06,800 uh the inability to turn on the um sewage treatment plant, uh the growing 475 00:40:04,720 --> 00:40:10,560 arsenic, um those you're you're on it. You're doing 476 00:40:09,080 --> 00:40:16,560 the right things. You're looking at the reports. You're engaging people. We 477 00:40:12,960 --> 00:40:22,360 would suggest that this needs more engagement. 478 00:40:18,480 --> 00:40:27,560 Um that you need to build allies. Go to the meetings. Uh 479 00:40:24,960 --> 00:40:30,960 who's there? Talk to the funny guy in the red shirt. Oh, wait. Wait a minute. 480 00:40:29,320 --> 00:40:34,920 Not me. Um and find out what they do and what 481 00:40:32,640 --> 00:40:39,920 resources they have, what they know. Uh build allies. And the most important 482 00:40:37,640 --> 00:40:44,680 thing is, other than I'm I'm going to touch on these in a minute, is 483 00:40:41,560 --> 00:40:49,480 concentrate on the policies, not the politics. 484 00:40:47,160 --> 00:40:54,360 We are a registered charity. We're not allowed to lobby. 485 00:40:52,680 --> 00:40:58,280 But And people say, "How can you write that stuff, Andrew?" Well, this is this 486 00:40:56,080 --> 00:41:02,400 on the policies. It's not political. I'm not saying vote for the left-hand 487 00:41:00,560 --> 00:41:07,560 party over the right-hand party. We're saying we want these policies. And you 488 00:41:05,000 --> 00:41:13,640 can do that without any fear at whatsoever. Um so, I encourage you to 489 00:41:10,400 --> 00:41:17,920 understand the local policies, uh sort out the 490 00:41:14,880 --> 00:41:22,720 uh concrete the sensitive, compassionate elected leaders. Find those allies there 491 00:41:21,200 --> 00:41:26,520 and ask You were mentioning uh you know what's 492 00:41:24,200 --> 00:41:32,920 going on in Caledon. Uh Caledon is trying to put in 35,000 homes on 7,000 493 00:41:30,320 --> 00:41:38,160 acres north of a particular road, and they put forward 12 bylaws, 494 00:41:35,960 --> 00:41:45,680 uh and Democracy Caledon has spent so far over $200,000 on a judicial review 495 00:41:41,880 --> 00:41:49,160 that those bylaws are illegal. Um and you need to find You need to get way 496 00:41:47,840 --> 00:41:53,440 ahead of that. You need to do that at the official plan. Need to do that at 497 00:41:51,240 --> 00:41:58,360 the block at the uh secondary planning. You need to be involved, um and uh 498 00:41:56,560 --> 00:42:03,520 concentrate on the policy, not the politics. Uh Rural Democracy Caledon is 499 00:42:01,720 --> 00:42:08,200 being slagged uh as a as a bunch of wannabes who want 500 00:42:06,040 --> 00:42:11,920 to be elected, and that they're hurting Caledon. It's just the the the 501 00:42:09,840 --> 00:42:16,920 temperature up there is horrible. The elected politicians are being political, 502 00:42:14,680 --> 00:42:22,480 but the charities can't be political. Concentrate on the policies. So, those 503 00:42:18,840 --> 00:42:24,920 are the the big takeaways. Uh 22 minutes. 504 00:42:23,960 --> 00:42:29,720 Um Support the conservation authority. 505 00:42:27,240 --> 00:42:34,400 Consider how you can integrate land use and watershed planning at the municipal 506 00:42:31,280 --> 00:42:40,240 level. Map and include your significant source water contribution areas, locally 507 00:42:37,000 --> 00:42:44,320 significant wetlands in official plans. And then defend them. Sometimes 508 00:42:42,280 --> 00:42:51,200 significant wetlands get filled in accidentally by sediment 509 00:42:48,120 --> 00:42:54,440 and gravel trucks. Um And then they're not a significant 510 00:42:52,400 --> 00:42:58,160 wetland anymore. And all the wildlife's gone, and they're not filtering water 511 00:42:55,960 --> 00:43:02,760 very well. So, you've got to map them and defend them. Um same with the key 512 00:43:00,560 --> 00:43:06,400 source water protection areas, uh and exclude them for site alteration 513 00:43:05,080 --> 00:43:09,400 planning. That's where you don't pay attention in 514 00:43:08,120 --> 00:43:15,040 a a motion goes to council to approve it. If 515 00:43:12,240 --> 00:43:18,440 Wait a minute. Isn't this on a protected infiltration zone from the source 516 00:43:16,640 --> 00:43:22,880 protection committee? Oh, well, we're going to put down some special 517 00:43:20,800 --> 00:43:26,560 low-impact development, permeable pavement. It's okay. Don't worry about 518 00:43:24,560 --> 00:43:30,400 it. Ain't. They need to be excluded from site 519 00:43:28,120 --> 00:43:35,800 alteration planning. Uh the rest I've already spoken to. I'm sorry went a few 520 00:43:33,440 --> 00:43:41,995 minutes over. I hope you find the handout helpful for further details. 521 00:43:39,280 --> 00:43:44,015 Thank you very much. >> [applause] 522 00:43:46,600 --> 00:43:53,560 » You're welcome, Andrew. Thank you. Thank you, Andrew. Uh we have time for a 523 00:43:51,640 --> 00:43:57,520 couple of questions if anybody had anything for uh for Andrew. 524 00:43:59,040 --> 00:44:02,680 All right, behind you, Stephen. 525 00:44:03,040 --> 00:44:10,840 Hi, Andrew. I have a question about uh how many municipalities in Dufferin 526 00:44:07,120 --> 00:44:10,840 County have you presented to? 527 00:44:11,440 --> 00:44:18,760 What was the question? How many municipalities in Dufferin 528 00:44:16,280 --> 00:44:21,400 County have been uh 529 00:44:19,520 --> 00:44:24,520 has this uh been received so 530 00:44:26,480 --> 00:44:32,400 Um we We're we're 531 00:44:30,560 --> 00:44:37,880 didn't get to plug our organization very much. Um we rely tremendously on the 532 00:44:35,560 --> 00:44:42,160 fabulous legal and planning resources of the B's. 533 00:44:39,120 --> 00:44:46,080 Uh Terra Nature, Environmental Defence, um 534 00:44:43,800 --> 00:44:49,080 Canadian Environmental Law Association. Those organizations 535 00:44:48,200 --> 00:44:53,280 um are the leaders in the intellectual 536 00:44:50,760 --> 00:44:58,280 capital. We steal and borrow their stuff. 537 00:44:56,520 --> 00:45:04,800 We're different They they don't get above Highway 7. We have 50 partner 538 00:45:01,280 --> 00:45:10,400 organizations north of Highway 7. So, we we depute when our neighbors call 539 00:45:07,520 --> 00:45:17,560 us in. We were in Pickering, uh we're in Haliburton, we're on Lake 540 00:45:12,880 --> 00:45:21,200 Simcoe, we're in in on the Credit. So, Halton Region, Peel Region, 541 00:45:20,480 --> 00:45:24,320 uh Dufferin? 542 00:45:22,640 --> 00:45:29,120 No. We're Dufferin. I always do that. Um 543 00:45:27,800 --> 00:45:36,600 Durham. Durham. So, we it's just we we I get 544 00:45:32,720 --> 00:45:40,400 paid 12 weeks a year. So, I think we we hit above our batting 545 00:45:38,600 --> 00:45:45,560 average. We're we really Our batting average is above our IQ. Let me say it 546 00:45:42,440 --> 00:45:50,440 that way. Um but we we go where somebody's seeded the ground, we get 547 00:45:47,560 --> 00:45:53,880 called in to help. To to show up at a council meeting uninvited, they say, 548 00:45:52,000 --> 00:45:57,880 "Well, who's this guy? He doesn't live here." 549 00:45:55,760 --> 00:46:02,960 And then the way it's it would be you'd be amazed. We deputed to 550 00:46:01,040 --> 00:46:05,680 uh Muskoka. 551 00:46:06,000 --> 00:46:13,080 And we're on the watershed uh Muskoka Watershed Council for about a year. And 552 00:46:11,360 --> 00:46:17,520 And we It was like uh we were like wearing the wrong color 553 00:46:15,320 --> 00:46:19,640 shirt, I tell you. They We We didn't live there. They didn't want to hear 554 00:46:18,640 --> 00:46:23,640 from us. So, it's really nice to be invited. 555 00:46:21,920 --> 00:46:28,680 We're happy to be in a collective effort. Uh we'll funnel 556 00:46:26,680 --> 00:46:32,960 you the stuff we uh beg, borrow, or steal from the Big East. Uh keep you 557 00:46:30,960 --> 00:46:38,000 informed. Make sure policy recommendations are accurate. But we 558 00:46:35,480 --> 00:46:41,480 just don't have the resources to depute all over the place. 559 00:46:39,640 --> 00:46:45,240 Sorry for the long answer. Yeah, if you could uh come up here, use 560 00:46:43,000 --> 00:46:47,720 the microphone. Oh, I got a microphone for you. 561 00:46:49,920 --> 00:46:58,280 Thanks for your presentation, Andrew. Uh it's good to see this happening uh 562 00:46:56,080 --> 00:47:03,640 because our our county really really needs it. And uh have to 563 00:47:01,080 --> 00:47:06,560 examine what we're doing and and plan better for what's coming up in the 564 00:47:05,480 --> 00:47:13,520 future. Uh I have two questions. One is uh 565 00:47:10,160 --> 00:47:17,680 where does water fall in the uh Charter of Rights and Freedoms in 566 00:47:15,120 --> 00:47:17,680 Canada? 567 00:47:20,000 --> 00:47:22,520 Hello. 568 00:47:25,920 --> 00:47:32,280 And while you're thinking about that >> a movement. Uh you know, the Council of 569 00:47:30,440 --> 00:47:36,320 Canadians has been arguing for years that um that water is part of the global 570 00:47:34,760 --> 00:47:42,240 commons and we have should have a right to water. But it's it's not made any 571 00:47:38,640 --> 00:47:42,240 progress constitutionally. 572 00:47:43,080 --> 00:47:51,240 Wouldn't it make sense if if if it was included in the Charter of Rights, if we 573 00:47:48,200 --> 00:47:56,480 had the right to clean water? Would it not wouldn't uh a lot of these 574 00:47:53,360 --> 00:48:02,640 problems be taken care of or be addressed. 575 00:47:58,400 --> 00:48:07,800 Oh, Virginia, there is no Santa Claus. Um, are you a journalist? No. Well, good 576 00:48:06,200 --> 00:48:14,320 questions and you're taking notes, which always make me very afraid. Um, 577 00:48:10,800 --> 00:48:19,880 so, here's a little bauble that people might not be aware of. Um, the 578 00:48:16,720 --> 00:48:25,320 Constitution separates responsibilities for the feds and the province. So, the 579 00:48:22,440 --> 00:48:30,400 feds have uh international waters, waters that cross boundaries. Um, 580 00:48:28,800 --> 00:48:37,160 so, uh and and the um the Great Lakes, uh 581 00:48:34,040 --> 00:48:40,840 navigable waters, which is where larger, not your your uh 582 00:48:39,120 --> 00:48:46,840 eight horsepower, nine horsepower boat goes, but navigable waters. 583 00:48:43,440 --> 00:48:51,240 Um, and fisheries. That's their responsibility. 584 00:48:48,440 --> 00:48:59,040 They don't have a constitutional responsibility for watershed management. 585 00:48:55,520 --> 00:49:03,400 They Health Canada has obligations to protect drinking water and they work on 586 00:49:01,360 --> 00:49:06,640 the Interprovincial Council on Drinking Water through the Canadian Council of 587 00:49:05,160 --> 00:49:13,240 Ministers of the Environment in Winnipeg, uh so that there's some common 588 00:49:09,400 --> 00:49:19,320 standards. But, Ontario owns the lake bed under the Great Lakes, under on our 589 00:49:16,200 --> 00:49:26,320 side of the line. The feds don't. Um, and Ontario is very territorial with 590 00:49:22,520 --> 00:49:31,200 respect to its actions or non-actions on water. Um, 591 00:49:28,800 --> 00:49:35,880 under the under a provincial-federal 592 00:49:33,320 --> 00:49:38,560 agreement, there are huge efforts underway right now 593 00:49:37,960 --> 00:49:44,080 uh to address algae in Lake Erie. 594 00:49:42,160 --> 00:49:48,240 And um and so there's one of those committees I 595 00:49:46,440 --> 00:49:52,640 was talking about, there's federal, provincial, conservation authority, 596 00:49:49,920 --> 00:49:58,320 municipalities, farmers' organizations working on reducing the nitrates to 597 00:49:55,200 --> 00:50:02,680 reduce the algae in Lake Erie. Um and it's a big target for the 598 00:50:00,320 --> 00:50:05,680 International Joint Commission. There's 599 00:50:03,840 --> 00:50:09,520 there's no written mandate for that committee. 600 00:50:07,000 --> 00:50:14,280 We can't get a list of who from which agencies are on that committee, and 601 00:50:11,880 --> 00:50:18,920 there's no budget for that committee. We have suggested to the federal 602 00:50:16,360 --> 00:50:24,680 government that this exercise be a model to write watershed 603 00:50:22,440 --> 00:50:31,720 management into the agreement that I mentioned. I didn't do that. Um 604 00:50:28,320 --> 00:50:36,800 and so these things move very slowly, and there's because the province wants 605 00:50:34,760 --> 00:50:40,280 to have control over the water that it's not protecting, 606 00:50:38,440 --> 00:50:45,080 uh these collaboration efforts are really, really tough. So, it's a good 607 00:50:42,520 --> 00:50:49,840 question. I really don't have a a solid answer for you. I'm sorry. Okay, and 608 00:50:47,080 --> 00:50:52,880 part two has to do with a relatively new phenomenon, 609 00:50:51,160 --> 00:50:59,120 uh and I want to know if it falls in the same bucket as aggregate, and that is 610 00:50:55,840 --> 00:51:03,400 uh data mana- data centers. And are there do to your knowledge, are 611 00:51:01,160 --> 00:51:08,160 there any data centers proposed for Ontario? And if one is proposed, does it 612 00:51:06,400 --> 00:51:14,320 get treated the same way that aggregate gets treated, and the public has no say? 613 00:51:11,800 --> 00:51:21,240 It's too It's too It's too early. Um there are huge organizations and and um 614 00:51:18,480 --> 00:51:26,400 collaboratives in the US um because they're far more prevalent there, and 615 00:51:23,800 --> 00:51:29,960 they have less water there. Um and and so our American colleagues are leading 616 00:51:28,120 --> 00:51:35,480 the charge on um against uh 617 00:51:31,880 --> 00:51:40,600 these data centers. The big guys, like Zuckerberg, have pledged that they're 618 00:51:37,640 --> 00:51:44,920 not going to take any local energy to make the energy rates go up. Um so, 619 00:51:42,960 --> 00:51:50,480 they're talking about small nuclear reactors to power their data centers. 620 00:51:48,200 --> 00:51:56,160 Yay, let's do that. Um and and the other issue is water to cool 621 00:51:53,280 --> 00:52:01,440 um to to cool the the heat generated by these uh data 622 00:51:58,160 --> 00:52:05,000 centers. Um we're not near that here. I don't know of any data center that's 623 00:52:03,080 --> 00:52:09,560 been proposed yet in Ontario. The concern is the 700 acres that is being 624 00:52:08,560 --> 00:52:14,280 ex- um 625 00:52:11,840 --> 00:52:19,880 What is that legal term? Expropriated? in Wilmot County. All prime agricultural 626 00:52:16,960 --> 00:52:23,280 land, 700 acres, and the town says the province wants it. The province says, 627 00:52:21,880 --> 00:52:28,960 "No, no, the town wants it for employment." Nobody knows what it's for. 628 00:52:26,000 --> 00:52:35,480 Is it a Chrysler EV plant? Is it another Amazon warehouse? 629 00:52:32,080 --> 00:52:42,120 Is it data centers? Nobody knows. And what's going on in Wilmot County, it's 630 00:52:38,040 --> 00:52:47,880 so bad and it ties into um the Waterloo water shortage because within the last 631 00:52:44,520 --> 00:52:54,000 couple of weeks, Waterloo canceled its 1981 agreement with Wilmot County that 632 00:52:52,120 --> 00:52:57,840 it would never come and take any of Wilmot County's water. 633 00:52:55,840 --> 00:53:02,120 Now with the water moratorium and they need water, they have ripped that they 634 00:52:59,960 --> 00:53:06,160 have informed Wilmot County that that agreement is null and void. So we're 635 00:53:04,200 --> 00:53:10,360 waiting for the next shoe to drop. Really good questions. These things are 636 00:53:08,000 --> 00:53:13,480 unfolding in real time. Elaine, did you have comment? 637 00:53:13,920 --> 00:53:22,920 One comment and then one quick question. So I may be misremembering this, but I 638 00:53:20,120 --> 00:53:27,640 thought that water was declared a human right at the UN. 639 00:53:29,800 --> 00:53:35,680 I wish I could answer that. Well, I'm just putting that out there so we can 640 00:53:33,640 --> 00:53:42,520 all look it up on Google. Anyway, but I I I did think that that was the case. 641 00:53:39,280 --> 00:53:46,920 Um also, my question is because all the hydrologists that come 642 00:53:45,240 --> 00:53:51,280 and tell us that drilling below the water table is no big deal, take all the 643 00:53:49,320 --> 00:53:55,880 cap off the water and nothing's going to happen. 644 00:53:52,960 --> 00:54:01,640 Is that true? What is the impact to the water after you take all the gravel away 645 00:53:59,080 --> 00:54:06,040 and just have a big open pond? 646 00:54:03,520 --> 00:54:06,040 Thank you. 647 00:54:06,120 --> 00:54:08,920 Tough crowd. 648 00:54:09,120 --> 00:54:11,720 There 649 00:54:12,080 --> 00:54:18,880 So, the first thing I would say is that um 650 00:54:17,080 --> 00:54:23,880 part of this goes back to the Wellington Water Watchers and the the big battle 651 00:54:21,280 --> 00:54:32,200 they had up there with um Nestlé and their water bottling plant. 652 00:54:26,920 --> 00:54:37,320 Um and uh it it gets into two things. At what level 653 00:54:34,240 --> 00:54:40,720 at what depth is is the groundwater? Um and Nestlé was maintaining that they 654 00:54:39,440 --> 00:54:44,560 were down like 600 ft. 655 00:54:42,480 --> 00:54:49,360 That they weren't taking water from the near surface aquifers that the town was 656 00:54:47,840 --> 00:54:53,440 going to be using. Um and they were so, you know, it was 657 00:54:51,560 --> 00:54:58,000 the largest number of submissions on the environmental registry of Ontario ever 658 00:54:55,840 --> 00:55:03,440 at that point in time. People wanted them out and Nestlé sold their plant and 659 00:55:00,480 --> 00:55:07,640 left. Um and they felt that it was a lack of science knowledge by the 660 00:55:05,120 --> 00:55:12,320 community. It was misinformation and political campaigning. That's their 661 00:55:09,640 --> 00:55:16,240 position. The other thing that I was working with the Wellington Water 662 00:55:13,640 --> 00:55:20,320 Watchers and I I asked them, "W- What's the What's the discharge What's the 663 00:55:18,720 --> 00:55:25,200 drawdown? And what's the recharge rate?" 664 00:55:23,240 --> 00:55:28,800 They They had no idea. And so, that's why it's so important to 665 00:55:27,040 --> 00:55:32,720 do the monitoring. That's why what's happened in Waterloo is a crime. They're 666 00:55:30,880 --> 00:55:36,400 supposed to do the monitoring. They should know the recharge rate and the 667 00:55:34,440 --> 00:55:39,760 withdrawal rate. And you you say, "Well, we'll have water for 30 years or we have 668 00:55:38,040 --> 00:55:45,320 water for 12 months. Nobody's allowed to water their grass anymore." Right? And 669 00:55:41,680 --> 00:55:52,800 that didn't happen there. So, the the question of Now, but but aggregate pits 670 00:55:49,680 --> 00:55:57,520 don't necessarily flow to municipal reservoirs. 671 00:55:54,760 --> 00:56:02,800 Aggregate quarries, uh a lot of that water 672 00:56:00,000 --> 00:56:06,200 goes into back into the If it's on the Niagara Escarpment, for example, 673 00:56:04,120 --> 00:56:10,120 Dufferin The Dufferin pit, when you drive on the 401, you see the bridge 674 00:56:08,600 --> 00:56:14,880 through the broken gap in the escarpment, um they 675 00:56:13,160 --> 00:56:18,840 That's on dolomite. It's fractured dolomite. Horrendous recharge rate. 676 00:56:17,080 --> 00:56:23,400 That's why those rivers are still cold water streams with cold water fishing. 677 00:56:21,160 --> 00:56:28,840 Because of that. So, what they're doing is they have 27 pumps. They pump the 678 00:56:25,920 --> 00:56:34,240 water back underground. Um so, where is the Where does the water 679 00:56:31,680 --> 00:56:38,200 go? Um Those issues need to be mapped, and 680 00:56:35,600 --> 00:56:42,080 groundwater is really difficult to map. Um 681 00:56:39,600 --> 00:56:46,800 Uh but so, there needs to be a better job of saying, "Well, what is the risk?" 682 00:56:44,960 --> 00:56:50,440 If we don't know the risk, we need to We need to make rules based on the risk. 683 00:56:48,680 --> 00:56:58,440 But, one of the challenges in the aggregate is that it's fire and forget. 684 00:56:54,800 --> 00:57:02,600 If If you are on a well, and a new pit goes in or a pit gets expanded, and 685 00:57:00,840 --> 00:57:07,840 suddenly you've got to drill another 100 ft for water, 686 00:57:05,320 --> 00:57:11,000 and you want to think what maybe has something to do with the expansion of 687 00:57:09,200 --> 00:57:15,160 this pit, it's on you. 688 00:57:12,760 --> 00:57:20,440 You have to hire a hydrogeologist. You have to pay for the studies. You have to 689 00:57:17,200 --> 00:57:25,920 prove why the water table dropped, and it was related to their activities over 690 00:57:22,360 --> 00:57:30,720 there. And so, this reverse onus, that's like guilty until proven innocent. 691 00:57:28,320 --> 00:57:35,480 Right? And And so, the aggregate pits are getting away with a lot of 692 00:57:33,480 --> 00:57:39,680 activity without the science and without the responsibility. And and I just think 693 00:57:37,600 --> 00:57:42,600 they need to be more responsible human beings than than they are now. 694 00:57:41,040 --> 00:57:47,040 Currently, there's a uh there's a huge more 695 00:57:45,040 --> 00:57:51,560 couple of organizations are demanding a moratorium on any new gravel pits 696 00:57:49,680 --> 00:57:57,040 opening in Ontario. We think that's a bit extreme. We just 697 00:57:55,000 --> 00:58:02,560 think that you should open no aggregate pits below the water table. 698 00:57:59,480 --> 00:58:05,600 So, but they don't like our suggestion. Okay, I'm going to have to call it 699 00:58:03,600 --> 00:58:09,520 there. We've got 2 minutes for our coffee break. Just a warning very 700 00:58:07,400 --> 00:58:13,360 quickly, the UN declared water a human right in 2010. 701 00:58:11,520 --> 00:58:19,160 There you go. Quick fast uh breaking news. Bonus. Um 702 00:58:16,240 --> 00:58:22,440 Andrew, thank you again. Folks, we have 5 minutes for coffee, then we're going 703 00:58:20,880 --> 00:58:26,200 to come back here for the rest of the program. 704 00:58:23,760 --> 00:58:26,200 Fantastic. 705 01:01:24,760 --> 01:01:26,920 » Mhm. 706 01:03:19,760 --> 01:03:21,920 » Mhm. 707 01:05:14,760 --> 01:05:16,920 » Mhm. 708 01:07:13,880 --> 01:07:17,400 » Hear me now? >> [laughter] 709 01:07:15,400 --> 01:07:20,480 » Okay. So, um 710 01:07:18,120 --> 01:07:24,560 My name is Cherish Armstrong, and I come to you as a member of the town's climate 711 01:07:23,080 --> 01:07:29,000 action committee. This committee was formed in December of 712 01:07:26,120 --> 01:07:33,280 2025 at the direction of council to guide the implementation of the town's 713 01:07:30,800 --> 01:07:37,840 climate action initiatives. Due to some unfortunate bad luck and 714 01:07:35,600 --> 01:07:42,080 some even worse weather, we finally had our inaugural meeting at the end of 715 01:07:39,520 --> 01:07:46,960 March. The committee hopes to continue the tradition that the town of Mono has 716 01:07:44,600 --> 01:07:52,280 had in trying to mitigate the effects of the emissions that cause climate change. 717 01:07:49,920 --> 01:07:57,040 All the lights in this building, and as all of Mono's buildings, are LED. We've 718 01:07:54,760 --> 01:08:01,120 installed solar panels on the top of the public works building, and the town has 719 01:07:59,240 --> 01:08:05,240 just ordered its first electric pickup truck. 720 01:08:02,480 --> 01:08:09,520 We've identified our initial project as areas and assigned them to 721 01:08:06,720 --> 01:08:14,360 subcommittees. These project areas are public education campaigns, options for 722 01:08:12,120 --> 01:08:18,759 green energy production like solar panels for the municipality and private 723 01:08:16,480 --> 01:08:24,080 residents, agriculture and home gardening initiatives, and an updated 724 01:08:21,240 --> 01:08:26,759 energy audit. These are ideas identified as 725 01:08:24,720 --> 01:08:31,640 by committee members for the initial work for the climate action committee. 726 01:08:29,319 --> 01:08:35,720 Members of the public are always welcome to attend meetings and join 727 01:08:33,720 --> 01:08:41,200 subcommittees to help in this important work. Solving climate change requires us 728 01:08:38,759 --> 01:08:45,240 all to work together. But, in honor of Earth Day next week, I personally would 729 01:08:43,240 --> 01:08:50,359 like to encourage you to do whatever you can because every little bit helps. 730 01:08:48,640 --> 01:08:53,920 Whether it's carrying a reusable coffee cup, getting the kids involved in 731 01:08:52,040 --> 01:08:56,880 recycling as much as you can, or investigating the possibilities of 732 01:08:55,520 --> 01:09:03,040 switching your heating and cooling systems in your home, your actions add 733 01:08:59,560 --> 01:09:03,040 up in the long run. Thank you. 734 01:09:03,577 --> 01:09:06,640 » [applause] >> Thanks, Chair. 735 01:09:08,120 --> 01:09:14,799 Thank you, Chair, for that. Okay, it's time for the main event. It is your 736 01:09:11,640 --> 01:09:18,680 opportunity to ask questions of your council. 737 01:09:16,120 --> 01:09:23,839 Um I would ask that you use a microphone so that to everyone can hear you. Uh you 738 01:09:21,279 --> 01:09:29,400 state your name and to at least to start off, if I could ask just one question to 739 01:09:26,960 --> 01:09:32,640 per participant and then we can uh make sure that we hear from all who wish to 740 01:09:32,040 --> 01:09:37,759 uh seek some answers. 741 01:09:35,040 --> 01:09:41,040 Do I have anybody coming to the on at bat circle? Here we go. 742 01:09:44,839 --> 01:09:52,799 Hi, my name is Marion Heron. I live in uh on Blind Line. 743 01:09:49,839 --> 01:09:56,360 Um my question is always not always. Uh I'm interested in water and so I really 744 01:09:54,520 --> 01:09:59,880 enjoyed this presentation. So, thank you. 745 01:09:57,240 --> 01:10:04,680 Um I'm wondering about Watermark the development there. Uh 746 01:10:01,760 --> 01:10:10,280 one, the water treatment plant when the when the it was built, they had 747 01:10:07,280 --> 01:10:14,640 problems with the water treatment and I wondered if that's been finalized, 748 01:10:12,120 --> 01:10:19,320 finished, and is it now working okay so there's not trucks going back and forth 749 01:10:17,280 --> 01:10:24,680 with effluent problems? And the part of the uh what is happening 750 01:10:22,080 --> 01:10:29,040 to the land use? The developer wanted to put a lot of townhouses in there and I 751 01:10:27,200 --> 01:10:34,200 haven't heard anything about what's happening to that land and what happened 752 01:10:31,000 --> 01:10:37,920 when it went to the tribunal or some review by the Ontario government and I 753 01:10:36,400 --> 01:10:43,760 haven't heard anything more about what's happening to that land. 754 01:10:40,440 --> 01:10:43,760 So, it's a two-part question. 755 01:10:45,720 --> 01:10:50,920 Could we just clarify, Marion, are you asking about the water treatment plant 756 01:10:49,520 --> 01:10:54,840 or the sewage treatment plant? >> Sorry, sewage treatment plant. Forgive 757 01:10:52,640 --> 01:10:58,320 me. Yeah. I'm I'm the best person to speak to 758 01:10:56,280 --> 01:11:01,520 that. I know they're working very hard to fix the There are problems. But she's 759 01:11:00,720 --> 01:11:05,560 talking about water. >> The the 760 01:11:03,360 --> 01:11:10,080 Oh, the Watermark one. They're all They're all 761 01:11:07,160 --> 01:11:13,400 The water The Watermark one? Yes. Well, I think there's still problems there. I 762 01:11:11,560 --> 01:11:19,440 haven't heard I mean, that's owned by a condo organization, not by the town. So, 763 01:11:16,400 --> 01:11:23,720 there's no cost to the town on that. No, okay. 764 01:11:21,880 --> 01:11:27,960 Eric Grielman? [clears throat] Um as far as I know, the Watermark plant 765 01:11:26,400 --> 01:11:33,640 is functioning. Um you will always have some truck 766 01:11:31,240 --> 01:11:38,200 movements because it needs to be cleaned out every once in 767 01:11:35,560 --> 01:11:41,880 a while apart from you know, the simple operation. 768 01:11:39,760 --> 01:11:48,160 Uh as for the the developers' land, uh we were 769 01:11:45,280 --> 01:11:53,880 successful in in getting that before both the Ontario Land Tribunal as well 770 01:11:51,240 --> 01:11:59,560 as the Superior Court. I would say that it is in limbo at the present time. Uh 771 01:11:57,120 --> 01:12:05,440 there's nothing to report, but the plan that they submitted to the 772 01:12:02,040 --> 01:12:11,480 town of of Mono was found to be questionable in our in our view, and we 773 01:12:08,040 --> 01:12:17,480 went to the Ontario Land Tribunal, and it also peeled off to the Superior 774 01:12:13,240 --> 01:12:17,480 Court, and we won in both venues. 775 01:12:21,920 --> 01:12:29,360 Do I have to press something? I don't think so. Okay. It's magic. Uh Signy 776 01:12:25,800 --> 01:12:33,080 Ball from Mono Waste Centre. Um about I 777 01:12:30,840 --> 01:12:36,960 Well, let me preface by saying I have driven through Caledon recently a fair 778 01:12:35,520 --> 01:12:41,480 bit and been 779 01:12:38,320 --> 01:12:45,240 pretty horrified by the houses monster homes that are going up there 780 01:12:43,160 --> 01:12:48,080 sitting on the side of the road sprinkled [clears throat] all through 781 01:12:46,160 --> 01:12:53,440 the town. Three years ago, Mono discussed 782 01:12:54,120 --> 01:13:04,720 figuring out how to manage monster homes in our town, 783 01:13:00,360 --> 01:13:10,080 um including sightlines, setbacks, maximum square footages, 784 01:13:07,120 --> 01:13:16,000 and also possibly lowering the minimum square footage on other homes. 785 01:13:13,720 --> 01:13:18,600 So, I'm just wondering where that might stand. 786 01:13:20,320 --> 01:13:29,800 What a great question. In fact, I raised this at our own council meeting just 787 01:13:25,280 --> 01:13:34,600 this week. So, we have on our unfinished business list, which is a list of items 788 01:13:32,120 --> 01:13:38,600 that we've brought forward at the table, and that we've needed to assign to 789 01:13:36,520 --> 01:13:43,880 staff, and staff have all their other duties to do, and then we come up with 790 01:13:40,200 --> 01:13:46,840 these brilliant ideas. And so, there is an outstanding, 791 01:13:45,640 --> 01:13:55,440 um item to review and create a large homes 792 01:13:52,800 --> 01:13:59,760 bylaw. So, that is being worked on. And now, I don't have 793 01:13:58,160 --> 01:14:04,120 the dates in front of me to say, but it will be um 794 01:14:02,120 --> 01:14:08,440 in the coming up quarter, I I believe. So, it's with our planning group. 795 01:14:06,560 --> 01:14:12,520 And so, they're looking at where does that belong in our official plan and in 796 01:14:10,480 --> 01:14:16,760 our zoning bylaws, and it's it's complicated. Um 797 01:14:14,640 --> 01:14:21,720 and so, they're working on that. So, it's it's it's there, and it's on my 798 01:14:19,000 --> 01:14:25,440 radar, and our radar. So, thank you for that question. 799 01:14:23,920 --> 01:14:30,840 Councilor Mantello? Uh thank you, Elaine. And in further, 800 01:14:27,720 --> 01:14:35,120 the uh actually, we did get a a plan, which was presented to us Sydney, 801 01:14:33,160 --> 01:14:39,920 and um we didn't like it, so it's been sent back, and we're asking for them to 802 01:14:37,200 --> 01:14:44,200 redo it again. In all fairness, that was from a 803 01:14:42,200 --> 01:14:49,240 previous planner, and it was a while ago, and it wasn't what we were looking 804 01:14:46,320 --> 01:14:53,520 for. So, now it is back with planning to come back with 805 01:14:51,040 --> 01:14:58,520 we gave them more direction. So, yes, that's correct. 806 01:14:56,440 --> 01:15:02,600 We have a question that came in online just prior to the meeting from Jacob 807 01:15:01,360 --> 01:15:06,400 Bennington. Does the town have a program for 808 01:15:04,240 --> 01:15:10,640 managing invasive phragmites in the area? If not, is the town aware that 809 01:15:08,720 --> 01:15:15,800 there is funding by the MNR through the Ontario phragmites action program to 810 01:15:13,560 --> 01:15:21,600 support new existing initiatives to prevent, manage, and control this 811 01:15:18,160 --> 01:15:24,040 invasive species? Councilor Nix. 812 01:15:22,920 --> 01:15:27,880 Um Okay, 813 01:15:25,680 --> 01:15:31,360 the answer is is multi-layered. We we have a volunteer committee called the 814 01:15:29,600 --> 01:15:36,680 Headwater Streams Committee. Karen Morrison back there is the chair. We do 815 01:15:33,640 --> 01:15:40,240 a bit of work on phragmites. It's total volunteer labor. 816 01:15:38,440 --> 01:15:43,000 Uh if someone's got phragmites on their property, 817 01:15:41,400 --> 01:15:47,080 we can go out there and show them how to remove it or help 818 01:15:45,360 --> 01:15:50,680 them remove it. We we've tried it in several locations. 819 01:15:48,680 --> 01:15:55,000 Backing up a few years earlier than this, and I'm not sure it's still in the 820 01:15:52,040 --> 01:16:00,360 budget, we did have uh some money in our municipal budget to 821 01:15:57,480 --> 01:16:04,760 look at phragmites in our in a few of our um stormwater management ponds and 822 01:16:03,120 --> 01:16:09,280 ditches. I'm not sure that's still running. We did it the same year the 823 01:16:06,400 --> 01:16:14,360 county was trying to handle phragmites. On a broader scale, and I sit on the 824 01:16:12,040 --> 01:16:19,720 board of Credit Valley Conservation, um we did put in a request for a grant, 825 01:16:17,880 --> 01:16:22,640 uh fairly large grant for a 5-year program to handle phragmites at Island 826 01:16:21,640 --> 01:16:28,120 Lake. Um it it's serious at Island Lake. We've 827 01:16:25,200 --> 01:16:32,600 mapped it. We have a management plan, but we didn't get the grant. So, uh we 828 01:16:30,600 --> 01:16:36,400 don't have any we being the CVC, Credit Valley 829 01:16:34,560 --> 01:16:41,880 Conservation, doesn't have any sort of spare change itself that it can spend on 830 01:16:38,880 --> 01:16:46,040 phragmites. It it I'm going on memory. I think we needed 831 01:16:44,640 --> 01:16:49,960 Yeah, don't quote me on this. Half a million dollars for a 5-year program to 832 01:16:48,440 --> 01:16:53,000 handle the phragmites at Island Lake. I think it was half half a million. 833 01:16:51,840 --> 01:16:57,240 Anyway, we didn't we didn't get the grant. We'll keep trying though. 834 01:17:01,760 --> 01:17:07,760 Can't hear you on the recording if we don't. All right. Okay. Hi. I know most 835 01:17:06,600 --> 01:17:12,080 of you. Um just a quick question. What are your 836 01:17:09,880 --> 01:17:17,520 council doing to support Melancthon council with the strata aggregates Corey 837 01:17:14,560 --> 01:17:17,520 situation? 838 01:17:20,640 --> 01:17:23,320 Mayor Gilman? 839 01:17:23,520 --> 01:17:30,560 Uh we're very aware of the the threat that Melancthon is under and in fact 840 01:17:28,200 --> 01:17:38,360 adjacent municipalities are under with proposal to mine beneath the the the 841 01:17:33,960 --> 01:17:43,080 water table. Um explosively mine, not simply dig. 842 01:17:40,160 --> 01:17:46,400 Uh we have supported them with a motion. We've talked about it at county council 843 01:17:45,200 --> 01:17:51,560 as well. Uh it's it's truly truly disturbing, 844 01:17:49,680 --> 01:17:55,480 frankly. And Melancthon has been through a lot. 845 01:17:52,920 --> 01:18:00,280 This isn't this isn't the the first proposal. There was one a number of 846 01:17:57,120 --> 01:18:05,040 years ago uh by a hedge fund out of Boston to create a mega mega gravel pit 847 01:18:04,000 --> 01:18:10,560 up there. Uh they had the effect of buying 848 01:18:08,280 --> 01:18:15,040 properties, tearing houses down, destroying the assessment base, 849 01:18:13,120 --> 01:18:18,040 and then they were chased out of out of town. 850 01:18:16,360 --> 01:18:22,760 Uh Just so you know, I'm sorry to interrupt. We chased them out of town. 851 01:18:20,880 --> 01:18:29,240 We chased them out of town because of a federal environment assessment. Yes. So, 852 01:18:26,920 --> 01:18:34,120 my question to you guys is and to everyone, the province isn't going to 853 01:18:31,600 --> 01:18:38,960 help with this. If anyone has connections 854 01:18:35,800 --> 01:18:45,280 or please write. Carney's office is very good in supporting me and fisheries and 855 01:18:42,680 --> 01:18:50,600 Kyle. I'm I'm not I'm looking at the people, not the party. Okay? Um 856 01:18:48,760 --> 01:18:56,600 I would really appreciate everyone in this room writing Carney's office about 857 01:18:52,800 --> 01:18:59,920 the situation and fisheries and Kyle. I'm sorry to interject. 858 01:19:00,640 --> 01:19:05,880 Perhaps the premier could fly in on his new jet. 859 01:19:03,800 --> 01:19:08,840 Well, actually I I just want to May I just 860 01:19:07,040 --> 01:19:12,840 tell my quick story? [laughter] So, Doug Ford called me on a Sunday 861 01:19:11,000 --> 01:19:18,760 morning and said he doesn't make deals, De 862 01:19:15,280 --> 01:19:22,280 Gasperis is not his friend, and asked who our MPP was. 863 01:19:23,240 --> 01:19:26,320 Okay. Thank you. 864 01:19:27,480 --> 01:19:29,960 Nancy, could I just add to that? >> Oh, yeah. 865 01:19:29,764 --> 01:19:34,000 » [laughter] >> Could I just add to that answer what 866 01:19:31,440 --> 01:19:39,320 Nancy said? Going back to the mega pit that we defeated 10 Corey 10 years ago. 867 01:19:37,720 --> 01:19:43,680 Here's the difference and and Andrew, you you're probably aware of this. 868 01:19:41,360 --> 01:19:47,400 Under the old rules, the lead agency there in terms of getting the study the 869 01:19:46,040 --> 01:19:52,360 technical studies that were done and having them peer reviewed was the 870 01:19:49,120 --> 01:19:55,000 conservation authority, the NVCA. Today, 871 01:19:53,720 --> 01:20:00,280 conservation authorities don't have that power. At Credit Valley, we're facing a 872 01:19:57,160 --> 01:20:03,760 very giant pit that and we as a conservation authority 873 01:20:02,040 --> 01:20:07,760 don't even have a say. We do we we are not even a commenting agency on on that 874 01:20:05,960 --> 01:20:11,120 one because the province has taken away our power to talk to talk to 875 01:20:09,720 --> 01:20:13,680 municipalities about natural heritage features. 876 01:20:15,960 --> 01:20:23,840 All right, we've got a couple of questions that 877 01:20:19,400 --> 01:20:28,320 MC Squared came up with over time. Um is council planning some evening council 878 01:20:26,600 --> 01:20:34,120 meetings to facilitate our large commuting population to participate in 879 01:20:30,520 --> 01:20:37,800 council affairs in person. Anyone like to 880 01:20:35,520 --> 01:20:43,080 Councilor Maglone? I'll answer that because I'm sort of responsible for 881 01:20:40,080 --> 01:20:47,200 initiating the change about 8 years ago or so. 882 01:20:44,120 --> 01:20:50,080 Nobody was coming in the evening. So 883 01:20:48,240 --> 01:20:52,960 we had a number of blurry-eyed counselors and others 884 01:20:52,040 --> 01:20:57,480 that were felt they could deal with their 885 01:20:55,760 --> 01:21:01,240 their brain would be functioning better in the morning and we've gone to 886 01:20:58,920 --> 01:21:04,720 mornings for that reason. The recognize what you're saying but the 887 01:21:03,120 --> 01:21:10,000 other thing that we've done which I think is really quite fantastic is that 888 01:21:07,080 --> 01:21:13,280 all of our meetings are on YouTube. 889 01:21:11,480 --> 01:21:16,440 And the meetings are itemized so that you can go in and you can pick out item 890 01:21:14,840 --> 01:21:19,920 number seven sort of thing click on it without having to listen to everything. 891 01:21:18,480 --> 01:21:24,320 And you can do that anytime that you want and that's the way a lot of people 892 01:21:22,760 --> 01:21:26,600 are picking up on our council meetings now. 893 01:21:28,000 --> 01:21:35,080 Thank you very much. I was just going to add to that that yes you brought it up. 894 01:21:32,400 --> 01:21:39,400 When I joined we were doing them afternoon and morning through and then 895 01:21:37,720 --> 01:21:42,960 looking at how who's coming. This is terrific that you're all here today but 896 01:21:41,400 --> 01:21:46,160 you guys don't come on Tuesdays whether it was in the evening or in the morning 897 01:21:44,480 --> 01:21:51,680 because it's Tuesday right? Like there's everybody's got stuff to do. So at the 898 01:21:48,760 --> 01:21:56,120 same time that that we we said there were there weren't enough people and 899 01:21:53,440 --> 01:21:59,560 what when do we as a as a group function? Of course the staff you have 900 01:21:57,800 --> 01:22:02,600 to if they're here in the evening then you get them they're in loose so then 901 01:22:01,720 --> 01:22:06,360 they're not going to be here on a Wednesday afternoon when you need them 902 01:22:04,200 --> 01:22:11,200 cuz we've had to give them time off. So we there was a lot of reasons but it was 903 01:22:08,240 --> 01:22:17,440 also because of the of this electronic world that we live in now that we could 904 01:22:13,920 --> 01:22:21,360 have them on the not only is it recorded and you can look at it later which 905 01:22:19,040 --> 01:22:25,520 without question generates questions from the public. We get we we get a lot 906 01:22:23,880 --> 01:22:32,000 of emails from people saying I just watched the meeting Here's my question. 907 01:22:28,920 --> 01:22:37,480 Um and and also the the um being able to phone in and participate or computer in 908 01:22:35,600 --> 01:22:40,480 and and participate during even if you're at work. So many people work from 909 01:22:39,200 --> 01:22:44,640 home and so they can be using their computer and so on. So I think certainly 910 01:22:42,800 --> 01:22:49,840 there's a new council coming. I guess I I would be open I'd be open between now 911 01:22:47,320 --> 01:22:55,520 and and the end of this term to to entertain trying a trying again just in 912 01:22:52,320 --> 01:22:59,680 the spirit of the question, but um it's not it's not necessarily going to 913 01:22:57,040 --> 01:23:03,560 get more people out I don't think by the the time of day. It's more getting the 914 01:23:01,640 --> 01:23:08,520 information of what's going to be discussed and what has been discussed 915 01:23:06,240 --> 01:23:12,760 out to the public. Mr. Truman? Oh. I was just going to say 916 01:23:10,840 --> 01:23:18,200 that we did reserve the right to hold night time meetings on uh particularly 917 01:23:15,160 --> 01:23:22,680 contentious issues. And uh we have done that uh notwithstanding the fact that uh 918 01:23:21,280 --> 01:23:27,080 vast [snorts] majority of our meetings have been held during the day. I'm open 919 01:23:24,640 --> 01:23:33,000 to the idea of uh the new council reconsidering and uh anyone considering 920 01:23:30,240 --> 01:23:38,280 a run for a a seat on Mono Council should be aware that the status quo 921 01:23:35,320 --> 01:23:38,280 could change. 922 01:23:40,120 --> 01:23:46,000 I'm just going to be a little bit cheeky here. 923 01:23:43,440 --> 01:23:49,840 How many of you will come if we host the meeting on Tuesday nights? 924 01:23:51,000 --> 01:23:56,840 Depends on the agenda. Well, yes, true. We we need to make the 925 01:23:54,960 --> 01:24:01,040 agenda exciting, but I just wanted to ask you that. And I just wanted to let 926 01:23:59,160 --> 01:24:07,560 you know I'm wearing my sunglasses because I have a sensitivity to these 927 01:24:03,560 --> 01:24:11,320 lights. So it's not cuz I'm blurry-eyed. I'm cool. This is cool. 928 01:24:08,920 --> 01:24:15,280 I'm cool. Bill Monroe. 929 01:24:12,760 --> 01:24:19,560 I object to Councillor Mike Tulo saying there were bleary-eyed people at the 930 01:24:16,840 --> 01:24:25,000 meetings. I used to come and I was you know, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. 931 01:24:22,400 --> 01:24:28,360 He us council members, so just to be clear. 932 01:24:26,440 --> 01:24:32,280 Well, that's taken for granted, isn't it really? 933 01:24:30,080 --> 01:24:35,920 I'd like to talk about water actually, but in a different sense. 934 01:24:34,960 --> 01:24:40,520 Uh a few years ago there was a report from 935 01:24:38,280 --> 01:24:47,160 Watson about the drinking water in Cardinal Woods and Master's Creek. 936 01:24:43,360 --> 01:24:52,080 And as a result the costs per month to those who use it went up 937 01:24:50,080 --> 01:24:57,840 quite high, not dollar wise, but percentage wise. And it was to pay for 938 01:24:55,600 --> 01:25:01,520 a few things. One of them was a an arsenic 939 01:24:59,120 --> 01:25:05,960 problem at Island Lake. And the other thing was a tower round 940 01:25:03,680 --> 01:25:11,880 about Cardinal Woods. And these things cost something like 10 millions each. 941 01:25:09,400 --> 01:25:15,760 This money that's been paid in from the people who use it 942 01:25:14,040 --> 01:25:21,480 every month. I haven't seen any 943 01:25:18,040 --> 01:25:25,960 tenders out for the the tower or the the arsenic plant. 944 01:25:23,600 --> 01:25:30,440 Is the money put in a another account? It doesn't go straight 945 01:25:27,800 --> 01:25:35,680 into the general account. And when are we going to get movement on the arsenic 946 01:25:33,080 --> 01:25:38,920 plant and the tower? Because every year you put it back, it's going to cost 947 01:25:37,680 --> 01:25:41,320 more. Thank you. 948 01:25:42,160 --> 01:25:50,400 If I can If I can, Bill. Um Uh our our water rates as well as our 949 01:25:47,760 --> 01:25:54,240 sewage rates uh over in uh uh the other part of the part of the 950 01:25:52,240 --> 01:25:59,280 town, those those monies collected are segregated. Uh it's a user pay system. 951 01:25:57,440 --> 01:26:04,840 And some of the money that is collected goes into a reserve for future works. 952 01:26:02,400 --> 01:26:11,240 And uh the rest goes into the operation of the system so that the uh taxpayer uh 953 01:26:08,040 --> 01:26:16,480 does not actually uh fund the operation of water and or sewage. It's the users 954 01:26:14,480 --> 01:26:20,240 who in fact are responsible for those costs. 955 01:26:17,480 --> 01:26:25,760 Uh as for the the tower, uh that was a suggestion of the ministry. 956 01:26:22,400 --> 01:26:30,400 I am not personally convinced that we need that kind of storage given the fact 957 01:26:28,800 --> 01:26:35,760 that there's very little growth anticipated over in that part of the 958 01:26:32,240 --> 01:26:42,480 town. And for the arsenic, there is a study ongoing or a process ongoing that 959 01:26:40,280 --> 01:26:45,480 will give us a series of recommendations to consider as to how we proceed with 960 01:26:44,200 --> 01:26:49,520 that. And and Bill, that study on the arsenic 961 01:26:50,520 --> 01:26:56,000 that's going forward. We got a grant to cover that. So, the the water users are 962 01:26:54,480 --> 01:26:58,560 not paying for that. We We did get a grant. 963 01:27:08,040 --> 01:27:13,080 But it was a good size grant. I forget the exact amount. 964 01:27:15,760 --> 01:27:23,040 Okay. Excuse me, just one more question. You 965 01:27:19,800 --> 01:27:28,000 know, actually talking this rhetoric. User pay for the water, that's great. 966 01:27:25,600 --> 01:27:30,840 What about user pay for the calcium when you don't use it? 967 01:27:31,850 --> 01:27:35,180 » [snorts] [clears throat] 968 01:27:38,200 --> 01:27:44,280 » Hi, Elaine Kehoe. Um 969 01:27:42,480 --> 01:27:46,880 when are we going to have a heritage committee? 970 01:27:50,800 --> 01:27:58,720 Um I can answer that. Uh next term. We've got We just recently in this past 971 01:27:57,400 --> 01:28:05,600 meeting made a motion to support extend which it 972 01:28:03,040 --> 01:28:09,480 hasn't particularly happened for sure, but to support the the drive for the 973 01:28:07,840 --> 01:28:14,480 heritage committee was that the our new government has made 974 01:28:11,640 --> 01:28:21,280 changes to the um ability to designate and the timing on 975 01:28:17,640 --> 01:28:27,800 that. And they there is a a push to um push that date out to 2030 as opposed to 976 01:28:24,320 --> 01:28:31,640 2020 eight, I think it was 2027 or 28. So, right? 977 01:28:29,760 --> 01:28:34,680 Yeah, 2030 is the new one, but I mean I think it were we were only pushing it a 978 01:28:33,320 --> 01:28:38,360 little bit, but we were pushing it nonetheless. 979 01:28:36,120 --> 01:28:42,000 Somebody's got their hand up. A- A- And did you did you want to 980 01:28:40,080 --> 01:28:47,840 interrupt her with or for another question? So, so that the um there's 981 01:28:44,880 --> 01:28:51,960 time to for us to constitute because as we had Cherish come this morning and and 982 01:28:50,240 --> 01:28:56,960 make a comment, I'm sure she's here, I just can't see her. Oh, there you are. 983 01:28:53,560 --> 01:29:00,200 Um the that um that we struck a struck a new we get an idea to have a new 984 01:28:58,480 --> 01:29:03,800 committee, we strike the new committee, we interview and everything, but the 985 01:29:01,480 --> 01:29:07,800 actual, you know, takes weeks to get things off the ground. We're we're 986 01:29:05,480 --> 01:29:11,120 running very short, which is uh you know, it's going to be campaigning time 987 01:29:09,160 --> 01:29:15,920 soon. So, it'll be next year, but there's no question but that Mono needs 988 01:29:13,640 --> 01:29:19,600 a heritage committee and we've could because we've got a lot of more good 989 01:29:18,080 --> 01:29:24,200 work to do that that committee was doing. 990 01:29:21,640 --> 01:29:31,040 Just if I could add to that. We had the best heritage committee I 991 01:29:28,560 --> 01:29:37,280 know in Dufferin County and probably beyond our borders and they were 992 01:29:34,040 --> 01:29:42,440 well-known in other areas for all the great work that they did. 993 01:29:40,160 --> 01:29:46,200 And we went into an unfortunate situation 994 01:29:44,040 --> 01:29:48,320 and right now we don't have the heritage committee, 995 01:29:47,680 --> 01:29:55,920 um but as Melinda said, we did support uh 996 01:29:52,680 --> 01:30:02,760 the argument to push to 2030 for moving any 997 01:29:59,120 --> 01:30:07,400 properties that are on a registry cuz we we have a registry that lists all of the 998 01:30:05,040 --> 01:30:12,640 potential designations that we could make and there are quite a few on that 999 01:30:09,920 --> 01:30:18,240 list but there wasn't enough time to allow any of those designations to go 1000 01:30:15,640 --> 01:30:25,000 forward because of the change in the policy downtown. And so now that's been 1001 01:30:21,240 --> 01:30:31,440 pushed out so we supported that with the hope that with a new council 1002 01:30:28,760 --> 01:30:36,640 when the new council is here that the heritage committee will be 1003 01:30:33,640 --> 01:30:36,640 reconstituted. 1004 01:30:37,320 --> 01:30:44,320 Clarification also on how committees work that all committees are struck by 1005 01:30:41,680 --> 01:30:49,440 the council when a new council comes in for the idea that they'll be around for 1006 01:30:45,960 --> 01:30:52,520 that term and even if everything was all hunky-dory and all the all the people 1007 01:30:51,160 --> 01:30:55,880 want to be on the committee that's not necessarily that the new council's going 1008 01:30:54,320 --> 01:30:59,480 to going to strike those same committees or strike 1009 01:30:57,560 --> 01:31:02,280 the same and or populate them with the same people, 1010 01:31:00,840 --> 01:31:06,360 right? It is a it is a beast of the of the 1011 01:31:04,880 --> 01:31:09,920 sitting council. So. 1012 01:31:07,760 --> 01:31:14,760 And the second part of that, approximately a year and a half ago 1013 01:31:12,000 --> 01:31:21,440 myself and another realtor in the area spent a substantial amount of time 1014 01:31:16,800 --> 01:31:27,680 putting together guidelines for realtors as a whole Toronto, Dufferin Caledon 1015 01:31:25,320 --> 01:31:32,720 with guidelines that they would use when selling properties in different county. 1016 01:31:30,160 --> 01:31:37,680 Nothing ever came of that, at least nothing that the Toronto Real Estate 1017 01:31:34,800 --> 01:31:41,800 Board has been advised of. And now without the heritage committee, 1018 01:31:40,080 --> 01:31:46,720 I've been getting comments that this is the time to buy in Mono 1019 01:31:44,600 --> 01:31:50,720 and there's no rules in place. I know that there are rules, don't get me 1020 01:31:48,040 --> 01:31:56,480 wrong. I'm just hearing comments to that effect. So 1021 01:31:53,200 --> 01:32:01,960 was anything ever implemented with the guidelines that we had set out? 1022 01:31:59,200 --> 01:32:06,720 And I want to if I could because I was part of that 1023 01:32:03,600 --> 01:32:13,800 group and and appreciate the work that you did and that another realtor did for 1024 01:32:10,120 --> 01:32:18,680 that and it is on our website and Andrew can confirm that I hope. 1025 01:32:16,320 --> 01:32:23,760 Yes, yes, and yes. And did we take the next steps 1026 01:32:22,040 --> 01:32:28,280 to distribute to because I know you kindly provided us 1027 01:32:26,800 --> 01:32:32,720 the list. I can't answer that question. I would 1028 01:32:30,760 --> 01:32:35,840 have to go back to check on that for you. 1029 01:32:36,760 --> 01:32:45,840 There ended up being some some issues with respect to how the town is entitled 1030 01:32:41,920 --> 01:32:48,400 to to broadcast things out right which is why we don't have a 1031 01:32:47,000 --> 01:32:52,520 Facebook group and all those kinds of things. There's there's regulations. So 1032 01:32:52,680 --> 01:32:58,680 I know that it's on our on our website for our local realtors, but you're 1033 01:32:56,840 --> 01:33:03,320 right. If you get a realtor coming up from someplace else who's not 1034 01:33:00,720 --> 01:33:08,520 particularly looking few pages deep into our 1035 01:33:04,880 --> 01:33:13,280 website then then we've it appears to be for not but no but 1036 01:33:10,480 --> 01:33:17,200 yes, we'll have to look into how to bring 1037 01:33:14,760 --> 01:33:22,200 bring that up to the to the front of our of our website 1038 01:33:19,240 --> 01:33:26,240 and and that the problem with Council is of course Council can direct staff to do 1039 01:33:24,280 --> 01:33:29,600 things but then we don't always we don't always get back from staff. So we'll 1040 01:33:27,720 --> 01:33:34,880 have to find out that whether it's possible to send that to the realtor 1041 01:33:32,560 --> 01:33:40,680 board. Thank you. Right. Thank you Melinda and so 1042 01:33:37,680 --> 01:33:46,080 we will look into where that went from the suggestions 1043 01:33:43,080 --> 01:33:52,960 that were made by that group to put forward that document out into 1044 01:33:49,120 --> 01:33:57,320 the real estate world and we'll we'll get 1045 01:33:54,560 --> 01:34:02,360 an answer. I think I think our CAO may be able to 1046 01:34:00,480 --> 01:34:06,560 um elaborate on the issue of whether we did uh disseminate that 1047 01:34:04,400 --> 01:34:11,040 that document. The document was created and it has been put on the website. I 1048 01:34:08,920 --> 01:34:17,200 just say that we get phone calls every single day from realtors 1049 01:34:13,440 --> 01:34:23,920 uh on behalf of uh clients uh in in the uh form of a due diligence inquiry uh 1050 01:34:20,600 --> 01:34:28,840 with regard to a property. Um and we try to answer those questions as best we 1051 01:34:25,680 --> 01:34:32,760 can. Uh sometimes we don't get those calls because people think they can 1052 01:34:30,480 --> 01:34:36,280 shortcut that process with a title insurance. That is not a wise thing to 1053 01:34:35,360 --> 01:34:41,400 do. Uh but uh we we do our best to inform 1054 01:34:39,240 --> 01:34:47,240 potential buyers of uh what the um uh the rules of engagement 1055 01:34:44,120 --> 01:34:47,240 are in the town of Mono. 1056 01:34:47,320 --> 01:34:52,760 Sorry, Your Worship. I have my mic on because of feedback. 1057 01:34:51,160 --> 01:34:57,720 It's controlling the feedback a little bit uh but yes, we do push all real 1058 01:34:54,840 --> 01:35:04,320 estate to our website. Um we do have a process now um where everybody can uh 1059 01:35:01,080 --> 01:35:09,120 can uh put in a service request to uh to get on the list of of the many questions 1060 01:35:06,720 --> 01:35:13,400 that we do receive and uh and it seems to be working fine. Um but yes, and we 1061 01:35:11,440 --> 01:35:17,680 do have a lot of counter inquiries as well and those would include uh Mono 1062 01:35:15,800 --> 01:35:22,720 Plus, not so much Mono, but uh yeah, they are out of uh out of boundary uh 1063 01:35:20,000 --> 01:35:26,720 real estate uh properties and uh and we find uh that generally 1064 01:35:25,400 --> 01:35:29,520 uh they're they're getting answers pretty quickly. 1065 01:35:32,320 --> 01:35:37,360 Hello, I'm from South 25 Sideroad. Um 1066 01:35:36,320 --> 01:35:42,280 just a comment before my question. It uh really 1067 01:35:40,360 --> 01:35:47,600 I hopefully there'll be a DEI committee next term as well as a heritage 1068 01:35:44,320 --> 01:35:52,320 committee. I just wanted to maybe uh ask that the heritage committee talk 1069 01:35:50,200 --> 01:35:57,560 to the DEI committee so that the heritage of Aboriginals may be 1070 01:35:54,560 --> 01:36:02,480 considered within the scope of the mandate of the heritage committee. That 1071 01:36:00,720 --> 01:36:10,400 was my one comment. My question is more concerning water. Um 1072 01:36:07,520 --> 01:36:18,920 Is there any policy within Mono to address 1073 01:36:14,240 --> 01:36:24,400 agricultural infiltration or runoff? Um especially people who may 1074 01:36:21,840 --> 01:36:31,720 lease out their land to farmers who then get a tax break for doing that. 1075 01:36:27,400 --> 01:36:35,680 Maybe a farmer might I would say exploit the land for their own usage and 1076 01:36:34,400 --> 01:36:39,040 revenue. And then 1077 01:36:37,600 --> 01:36:44,560 um then there might be this um 1078 01:36:41,320 --> 01:36:47,920 synthetic fertilizer or high tillage rate that would then affect the soil 1079 01:36:46,960 --> 01:36:53,120 that that would then would affect the water. 1080 01:36:50,080 --> 01:36:58,680 So, my question is is there any policy within Mono that addresses that at all? 1081 01:36:56,200 --> 01:36:58,680 Thank you. 1082 01:36:59,800 --> 01:37:05,520 I'm I'm not aware of any policy. I mean 1083 01:37:03,960 --> 01:37:09,840 and I know of one situation now where I'm pretty sure a particular farmer 1084 01:37:08,160 --> 01:37:13,200 has a manure storage site that's too close to a stream 1085 01:37:11,560 --> 01:37:16,640 that's causing problems downstream, but I know of no 1086 01:37:14,480 --> 01:37:21,080 power that the town has and I'm not aware of any town that the 1087 01:37:18,120 --> 01:37:25,320 conservation authority has to do anything about it. We can say 1088 01:37:23,560 --> 01:37:32,080 tisk tisk that you shouldn't do that, but I I'm not aware of any policy 1089 01:37:28,200 --> 01:37:35,960 or regulatory powers that exist if a farmer wants to till too close to a 1090 01:37:33,960 --> 01:37:41,600 stream or till too much or use too much fertilizer or spread septic on a on a 1091 01:37:38,960 --> 01:37:44,120 it's it's it's it can be a problem. I I agree. 1092 01:37:44,160 --> 01:37:47,840 Well can I ask you Yeah, just 1093 01:37:48,320 --> 01:37:51,720 What about the drainage superintendent? 1094 01:37:51,840 --> 01:37:58,360 So, drainage superintendent would only be called in as far as I know where we 1095 01:37:56,200 --> 01:38:02,760 have a municipal drain and we've only got 1096 01:38:00,520 --> 01:38:07,320 three or four municipal drains in the town of Mono. One of them 1097 01:38:05,440 --> 01:38:11,920 by the way is Yeah, it's going to be cleaned out. I don't know if the 1098 01:38:09,040 --> 01:38:16,600 drainage superintendent has the power to tell a farmer to 1099 01:38:13,920 --> 01:38:20,280 uh to keep you know, x number of meters away from the municipal drain. You You 1100 01:38:19,240 --> 01:38:24,400 probably know more about that than I do, but uh 1101 01:38:22,840 --> 01:38:29,280 I mean conservation authorities have the power 1102 01:38:26,760 --> 01:38:33,240 to limit development within 30 m of a provincially significant 1103 01:38:31,680 --> 01:38:36,880 wetland. So, if it's a provincially significant wetland, but that's only 1104 01:38:35,120 --> 01:38:40,640 development. That's not stopping a farmer from from plowing right up to the 1105 01:38:38,880 --> 01:38:46,240 edge of the stream or quite frankly right into the stream. I Andrew, you may 1106 01:38:42,960 --> 01:38:46,240 know more about this than I do. 1107 01:38:46,440 --> 01:38:53,720 No, but I don't want to open the time. Sorry. 1108 01:38:50,560 --> 01:39:00,440 Um I think it's a large subject. Um there are regional 1109 01:38:57,200 --> 01:39:02,960 individual superintendents and there are um 1110 01:39:01,440 --> 01:39:08,440 collections of the drainage superintendents of Ontario that do 1111 01:39:05,200 --> 01:39:13,560 proactive programming on keeping fencing the cattle out of the streams, uh having 1112 01:39:10,960 --> 01:39:18,040 a buffer to the stream, um and that water's got to go somewhere and 1113 01:39:15,720 --> 01:39:21,720 eventually it might end up in something that's part of their mandate with 1114 01:39:19,640 --> 01:39:25,840 respect to washing out a culvert under a main tra- uh artery. So, there are 1115 01:39:24,400 --> 01:39:30,560 creative ways that the drainage superintendents might become an ally, 1116 01:39:28,840 --> 01:39:35,400 but it's it's like in Simcoe County, they're very proactive. Uh Holland 1117 01:39:32,760 --> 01:39:38,800 Marsh, they're very proactive, but I think it's very regional. It's It's just 1118 01:39:37,400 --> 01:39:44,560 It's an asset that you might want to make an inquiry about. 1119 01:39:41,880 --> 01:39:49,240 Thank you. I If I can, uh my family has been leasing land for farming for over 1120 01:39:47,320 --> 01:39:54,000 70 years now. And we are very careful and I know 1121 01:39:51,440 --> 01:39:59,560 others are very careful to specify what can and cannot be done on that land. We 1122 01:39:57,920 --> 01:40:04,280 for instance have said we don't want soybeans. 1123 01:40:01,040 --> 01:40:10,600 Winter wheat's great, oats are great. But we have some control over what kind 1124 01:40:07,920 --> 01:40:15,120 of farming goes on on that 20-acre parcel. 1125 01:40:12,440 --> 01:40:19,760 And I would encourage landowners to to do the same thing. They don't always. 1126 01:40:17,720 --> 01:40:24,240 Very frequently they just have a an agreement that their laneway 1127 01:40:22,440 --> 01:40:27,720 gets plowed out frequently and then return for that the 1128 01:40:26,040 --> 01:40:31,400 farmer can do anything they want. I think those days should be over. 1129 01:40:32,720 --> 01:40:42,000 I think the OFA also has programs. The Ontario Farming Association cuz I 1130 01:40:39,840 --> 01:40:47,720 know I have one of those signs on my property because we were careful about 1131 01:40:45,040 --> 01:40:52,320 riparian setback around the the creek and the 1132 01:40:49,920 --> 01:40:56,120 manure pile being set back away from running into the creek. 1133 01:40:54,200 --> 01:41:01,360 And so most 1134 01:40:58,240 --> 01:41:07,560 farmers, good farmers will have an OFA certificate and by doing that there's 1135 01:41:05,120 --> 01:41:13,800 programs that are run through different agencies to educate people on what goes 1136 01:41:11,200 --> 01:41:17,840 on to those lands. But we do all know that 1137 01:41:15,600 --> 01:41:22,640 mass production and massive yield are the priority to 1138 01:41:20,760 --> 01:41:26,560 make massive money and that impacts the bee 1139 01:41:25,040 --> 01:41:30,680 population and then that impacts us and there's a 1140 01:41:28,920 --> 01:41:34,920 statistic that I don't have off the top of my head, but after all the bees are 1141 01:41:33,640 --> 01:41:40,560 dead within about 7 days the planet will be 1142 01:41:37,280 --> 01:41:44,600 gone. Like it's it's really like 1143 01:41:41,760 --> 01:41:48,080 crazy this number, but we do need to take care of those things, so. 1144 01:41:49,440 --> 01:41:56,080 I think it's provincial jurisdiction, not municipal, but I will I'll look it 1145 01:41:54,320 --> 01:41:59,240 pretty sure, but I'll look it up and get back to you. 1146 01:42:01,440 --> 01:42:06,840 Go ahead. Hi, I'm Karen. Um 1147 01:42:05,280 --> 01:42:10,840 Municipal drains are an interesting thing 1148 01:42:08,000 --> 01:42:17,920 because some they're not all equal, and so I do wonder if they're even needed if 1149 01:42:13,560 --> 01:42:21,720 we allow significant riparian and buffer zones 1150 01:42:19,320 --> 01:42:25,680 around where water drains to happen naturally 1151 01:42:23,280 --> 01:42:30,200 instead of channeling it cleaning it out with 1152 01:42:28,400 --> 01:42:34,280 big equipment that goes in and rips out everything. It's it's not selective. 1153 01:42:32,200 --> 01:42:39,880 It's not fine surgery where they just go in and just do the drain, but they need 1154 01:42:37,280 --> 01:42:43,480 zones on either side to actually clean the drains, so 1155 01:42:41,520 --> 01:42:49,480 you know, I like Andrew's thing about, you know, land use, focusing on water 1156 01:42:46,200 --> 01:42:54,600 first because maybe the education then can be the importance of these zones 1157 01:42:52,680 --> 01:42:59,240 to prevent um having these drains 1158 01:42:57,520 --> 01:43:01,520 you know, maybe we need some, do we need all of them? 1159 01:43:00,651 --> 01:43:06,040 » [clears throat] >> The cost of cleaning out a drain, the 1160 01:43:03,520 --> 01:43:11,440 cost to the to the climate the cost of uh losing trees and natural 1161 01:43:08,880 --> 01:43:14,840 vegetation like dogwood and willow that's a huge cost because, you know, 1162 01:43:13,080 --> 01:43:21,160 you talk about bees um it's uh land should not be a 1163 01:43:17,440 --> 01:43:24,886 commodity. It should be a community. So. 1164 01:43:22,720 --> 01:43:26,906 Thank you. >> [applause] 1165 01:43:28,840 --> 01:43:36,400 » Uh I just I wanted to uh add a comment to your question. It's a good question 1166 01:43:33,960 --> 01:43:39,080 with uh agricultural chemicals and fertilizers, etc. 1167 01:43:38,240 --> 01:43:43,560 Uh a couple of months ago I attended the 1168 01:43:42,040 --> 01:43:48,600 uh Horning's Mills Community Hall. There 1169 01:43:45,920 --> 01:43:52,560 was a presentation by Gary Hunter, who is the hydrogeologist that did the study 1170 01:43:50,680 --> 01:43:57,960 for the Strata Quarry, proposed Strata Blast Quarry, etc. And 1171 01:43:56,400 --> 01:44:01,640 although the the uh 1172 01:43:59,760 --> 01:44:07,080 initiative of that meeting was to discuss aggregates and and uh the the 1173 01:44:04,800 --> 01:44:11,880 figures were there for silica and other uh chemicals or possible 1174 01:44:10,120 --> 01:44:16,400 contaminants that could come up from blasting, 1175 01:44:13,440 --> 01:44:21,360 what also was included was the aggregate or pardon me, the agricultural 1176 01:44:19,080 --> 01:44:25,360 input into the Pine River and the Boyne River. And what to look at those 1177 01:44:24,080 --> 01:44:29,520 figures, it's an eye-opener. 1178 01:44:27,480 --> 01:44:32,200 And you think, that's a big problem. And that's definitely a definitely a 1179 01:44:30,680 --> 01:44:35,880 discussion for another day because it is a it's a big issue that's not being 1180 01:44:34,360 --> 01:44:40,920 addressed and uh it does need to be. 1181 01:44:38,560 --> 01:44:44,560 Can you can you clarify a little bit more on that? You mean that it was 1182 01:44:42,320 --> 01:44:48,600 brought up that not only as we as a as a quarry, we're not going to do as much 1183 01:44:45,880 --> 01:44:53,640 damage as the agriculture? Like how did how did they get how how did the two If 1184 01:44:50,560 --> 01:44:56,600 you were there to hear about the the Why is it doing it? 1185 01:44:55,280 --> 01:45:00,800 Um could you just clarify a little bit more 1186 01:44:57,960 --> 01:45:03,280 for me? Okay. Um the the report that he was doing 1187 01:45:03,137 --> 01:45:07,600 » [snorts] >> had everything to do with with the uh 1188 01:45:05,720 --> 01:45:13,240 with the aggregate pit being converted to a quarry. So, his the 1189 01:45:10,720 --> 01:45:18,520 uh the statistics that he had presented were uh aggregate related, but also in 1190 01:45:16,560 --> 01:45:23,720 those water tests were also included, you know, what what 1191 01:45:21,160 --> 01:45:29,120 other components there were. And the agricultural chemicals and fertilizers 1192 01:45:26,320 --> 01:45:33,240 were included there. So, it was just happened to see it and everybody went, 1193 01:45:31,120 --> 01:45:35,800 "Wow, that's that's a huge huge problem." 1194 01:45:38,960 --> 01:45:42,360 Near the questions. 1195 01:45:45,080 --> 01:45:48,880 Not yet. Dale hasn't spoken. 1196 01:45:50,040 --> 01:45:53,960 Dalton Hardy, a Mono resident. 1197 01:45:54,200 --> 01:45:59,360 We have started a new uh recycle program. 1198 01:46:01,520 --> 01:46:08,680 How is that going? One of the thing that uh 1199 01:46:06,520 --> 01:46:12,720 hit me is that now we can recycle plastic bags. 1200 01:46:11,000 --> 01:46:15,920 Are we going to recede the bylaw that we have in the town of Mono? 1201 01:46:14,400 --> 01:46:20,680 Or we don't need that anymore because they're recyclable? 1202 01:46:18,680 --> 01:46:26,080 You mean where we can have plastic bags again cuz they're recyclable? Yes. Yes. 1203 01:46:23,840 --> 01:46:31,400 For the groceries. There's no plans to recede that. 1204 01:46:28,360 --> 01:46:34,560 But but to be honest, Dale, it I don't think there's ever been a case 1205 01:46:32,520 --> 01:46:38,560 of that bylaw being enforced because it we we would rely on someone coming to us 1206 01:46:36,480 --> 01:46:41,600 to report it and I don't think there's ever been a report of 1207 01:46:42,760 --> 01:46:48,560 If I'm saying there's as far as I know there's no plans to recede the bylaw 1208 01:46:46,240 --> 01:46:53,480 that we have on the books that says in the retail business you can't use 1209 01:46:50,840 --> 01:46:58,600 plastic bags. Do we get any feedback from the how the 1210 01:46:55,520 --> 01:46:58,600 No, just we we 1211 01:46:58,920 --> 01:47:06,360 Dale Dale, if I can um just on the recycling bins. 1212 01:47:03,840 --> 01:47:11,840 Uh this is an initiative of the Ontario government in conjunction with their 1213 01:47:08,960 --> 01:47:16,080 uh their um provider of service which is called uh 1214 01:47:13,120 --> 01:47:22,080 uh circular materials. Uh I call them circular arguments. 1215 01:47:18,040 --> 01:47:27,240 And uh it is delivered to us by our um county uh, contractor, which is Green 1216 01:47:24,560 --> 01:47:30,514 for Life. I've got a lot of calls. We've all got a lot of calls about the size of 1217 01:47:29,440 --> 01:47:31,720 these bins. >> [laughter] 1218 01:47:30,920 --> 01:47:36,840 » Uh, the mayor of Orangevale and myself, uh, 1219 01:47:33,760 --> 01:47:41,160 joined forces to push back, and we were successful in two regards. Number one, 1220 01:47:38,920 --> 01:47:44,400 the start date was going to be January 1st, which of course is is absurd. 1221 01:47:43,840 --> 01:47:49,000 Uh, and we got that pushed back, but we also 1222 01:47:46,600 --> 01:47:53,480 got the option of a smaller bin. It's not that much smaller, but it's better 1223 01:47:51,240 --> 01:47:57,920 than the really big bins. And we're still getting complaints about bins 1224 01:47:55,400 --> 01:48:01,200 blowing over, and that that's not even getting into the issue of the 1225 01:47:59,080 --> 01:48:04,280 unsightliness of those bins at the end of people's driveways. 1226 01:48:05,040 --> 01:48:09,520 Oh, I was just going to make, sorry, I was just going to make one more comment 1227 01:48:07,600 --> 01:48:13,640 on, but they're here to stay. They're here to stay, and so we need to only put 1228 01:48:12,120 --> 01:48:17,280 them out. I think that blowing over thing, I was it it was remarkable the 1229 01:48:15,320 --> 01:48:20,480 number of large bins that had been blown over, cuz I think they've only got three 1230 01:48:19,000 --> 01:48:24,120 or four little cans in the bottom of them, right? I think that we need to 1231 01:48:22,160 --> 01:48:29,120 wait to put our put them out until they're heavy enough, because they 1232 01:48:26,160 --> 01:48:32,480 themselves are are, um, get airborne easily. 1233 01:48:30,880 --> 01:48:35,280 Hi. I'm Melissa Hayward. I'm a resident of 1234 01:48:34,080 --> 01:48:39,720 Mono. Um, I think we 1235 01:48:37,440 --> 01:48:45,680 we all have opinions on the size of the bins, and it's lovely that we can 1236 01:48:42,520 --> 01:48:50,800 supposedly put more things in them. My question is, how much of it how much 1237 01:48:48,240 --> 01:48:57,400 of it actually does get recycled, which may be beyond the scope of this meeting, 1238 01:48:54,120 --> 01:49:02,080 but I've spoken to a number of people who are in the industry, 1239 01:49:00,400 --> 01:49:05,490 um, and I think this is an issue that goes way beyond us. So, no, I don't 1240 01:49:05,080 --> 01:49:08,080 think we should >> [clears throat] 1241 01:49:05,640 --> 01:49:14,560 » bring back plastic bags. It's that I think a lot of it is being used 1242 01:49:11,400 --> 01:49:19,720 by the plastics industry to convince us to use more plastic, cuz the production 1243 01:49:17,080 --> 01:49:23,720 of plastic has exploded in the last decade. 1244 01:49:21,040 --> 01:49:27,920 I mean, I know very much um 1245 01:49:24,360 --> 01:49:32,280 that it's really being recycled. So, that I mean, it's not perhaps this 1246 01:49:29,920 --> 01:49:37,680 isn't really a question, but maybe just something that we all need to think 1247 01:49:34,640 --> 01:49:41,920 about and maybe not get caught up in the excitement [cough] that oh my gosh, I've 1248 01:49:40,000 --> 01:49:44,720 got this great big bin and I can put even more things in it than I could 1249 01:49:43,480 --> 01:49:48,680 before. They're not really getting diverted. And 1250 01:49:47,280 --> 01:49:53,480 these are excellent. Can I make a comment? They're Those are excellent 1251 01:49:50,480 --> 01:49:57,160 comments and and um I personally only ever put out my little recycling bin 1252 01:49:55,200 --> 01:50:00,040 every 3 weeks or 4 weeks. Like, I don't I don't generate that much. So, I'm 1253 01:49:58,800 --> 01:50:03,760 certainly not going to put the big thing out very very often. And you know, 1254 01:50:02,160 --> 01:50:07,360 everybody's having to tuck the real We're having to figure out how do we 1255 01:50:05,000 --> 01:50:11,240 tuck it so away so that we can't see it. And of course, in in our urban settings, 1256 01:50:09,520 --> 01:50:13,600 it's like they're here and this is the way it's going to be cuz you there's no 1257 01:50:12,880 --> 01:50:17,280 re Put the recycle bin in your garage or 1258 01:50:15,720 --> 01:50:21,120 put the car in the garage. Which which are you going to do, right? 1259 01:50:19,520 --> 01:50:25,160 So, that and that and I think what's going to come eventually will also be 1260 01:50:23,360 --> 01:50:29,480 the big bin for garbage because if the truck already has the ability to pick 1261 01:50:27,120 --> 01:50:33,360 up, then you know, to to send out for the garbage to have two men doing it. 1262 01:50:31,120 --> 01:50:38,200 It's it's wasteful, right? But you're absolutely right. This was brought about 1263 01:50:35,440 --> 01:50:41,040 by the plastics companies because that's the whole point of the government 1264 01:50:39,680 --> 01:50:44,840 saying, "Well, we'll put it on to the producers." 1265 01:50:42,320 --> 01:50:49,040 But it but still, one day, even if there is still stuff cuz I think it's bigger 1266 01:50:47,240 --> 01:50:52,360 than it was before. That was the catch thing. As Dells told us about the 1267 01:50:50,800 --> 01:50:55,080 plastic bags, there's a few other things too that were okay, great. I can put 1268 01:50:53,680 --> 01:50:59,480 them in. They may not be recycled now. They may 1269 01:50:57,200 --> 01:51:02,280 We know that. We've seen behind the the CBC Marketplace behind the curtain 1270 01:51:01,400 --> 01:51:08,480 there, right? We've seen [clears throat] that. But the at least it's separated 1271 01:51:05,480 --> 01:51:12,160 from garbage so that when it it's going to wherever and that if it one day you 1272 01:51:11,480 --> 01:51:16,560 would does spend the money on having the 1273 01:51:13,920 --> 01:51:20,040 ability to process this plastic now and cuz it's the sorting of it apparently is 1274 01:51:18,320 --> 01:51:25,840 the difference, right? That of the plastic. That I don't think it's that 1275 01:51:22,160 --> 01:51:29,120 bad of an idea to continue to to recycle cuz I almost want to with your comment I 1276 01:51:28,040 --> 01:51:33,240 almost want to say yeah, you're right. Just let's put it all in the garbage. 1277 01:51:30,640 --> 01:51:36,360 And I don't Yeah, I think Well, right. Yes. 1278 01:51:42,560 --> 01:51:49,200 Yeah, that's a good idea. Just in response, I I just wanted to add 1279 01:51:47,480 --> 01:51:52,600 a little anecdote to this. I totally agree with you. 1280 01:51:50,560 --> 01:51:56,320 I I'm probably a bit older than you are and I grew up in the Fraser Valley in 1281 01:51:54,280 --> 01:52:01,000 British Columbia back in the late 1940s and early 50s. We didn't have garbage 1282 01:51:58,360 --> 01:52:04,400 pickup. We had a 45-gallon drum out the back. 1283 01:52:02,040 --> 01:52:09,400 And when we finished because our food came the the butcher was wrapped in 1284 01:52:06,400 --> 01:52:14,920 paper. Our our produce came in a paper bag. We didn't have any plastic at all. 1285 01:52:11,920 --> 01:52:20,600 Milk came in a in a glass bottle. We did have tin cans and as as kids when the my 1286 01:52:18,640 --> 01:52:25,000 father had lit the fire after the fire, we got to pick a few tin 1287 01:52:22,720 --> 01:52:28,520 cans out of the 45-gallon drum. But we handled all our garbage on site just by 1288 01:52:27,000 --> 01:52:32,880 basically by burning it and it was basically some paper and maybe 1289 01:52:30,320 --> 01:52:36,760 occasionally at Christmas a wooden box of oranges from Japan. We could burn the 1290 01:52:35,040 --> 01:52:39,440 wood in there, too. But we didn't have plastic. 1291 01:52:40,200 --> 01:52:43,440 Burning wasn't the answer though, really. 1292 01:52:42,040 --> 01:52:47,520 » Right. No, yeah, [clears throat] that's not good for the atmosphere, but that's 1293 01:52:44,880 --> 01:52:53,040 okay. But I love your term greenwashing. I like that. Um I don't know how many of 1294 01:52:50,600 --> 01:52:59,120 you subscribe to Environmental Defense, but their most recent newsletter is 1295 01:52:55,200 --> 01:53:04,440 about plastic. And MC Squared has done in the past a few years ago a whole 1296 01:53:01,880 --> 01:53:08,200 session on plastic to educate people about how many 1297 01:53:06,120 --> 01:53:12,520 balls of plastic they've gotten floating around in their bodies because it 1298 01:53:09,960 --> 01:53:21,598 they're ingesting it through everything. Um and um there are islands 1299 01:53:16,720 --> 01:53:24,040 massive islands of plastic in our oceans >> [snorts] 1300 01:53:21,800 --> 01:53:29,960 » killing our fish going into the fish so that we eat it. 1301 01:53:26,560 --> 01:53:34,480 So, it it's a huge issue. So, where is it being recycled and what's happening 1302 01:53:31,800 --> 01:53:39,560 in with it? I don't know. Has anybody seen the movie Wall-E? 1303 01:53:37,400 --> 01:53:45,120 Oh, yeah. We'll be shipping it into space and plugging up the atmosphere up 1304 01:53:41,760 --> 01:53:51,480 there with this stuff, too. Anyway. Yeah, I know. It's so it's it's a 1305 01:53:47,840 --> 01:53:53,920 it's a lesson for us to use less if we can. 1306 01:53:55,160 --> 01:54:01,720 Just Just one quick comment to add. Uh yeah, I think it's obvious to 1307 01:54:00,040 --> 01:54:06,400 everybody that just cuz you put it in a recycling bin it doesn't necessarily get 1308 01:54:03,560 --> 01:54:10,320 recycled. Um there are I mean, there's a plant in Niagara 1309 01:54:08,440 --> 01:54:13,360 Falls, New York that Canada was shipping plastics to because they couldn't 1310 01:54:11,680 --> 01:54:16,680 incinerate it for power. So, that's one way of getting rid of it. We've had 1311 01:54:14,720 --> 01:54:20,040 containers of plastic show up in foreign country in other countries. 1312 01:54:18,480 --> 01:54:24,120 Uh that's embarrassing as nationally, I think. Um 1313 01:54:21,600 --> 01:54:29,320 but I do I do support the new program because it puts a cost to the producers 1314 01:54:26,240 --> 01:54:32,960 of those and I think the hope is that it leads to a reduction in the production 1315 01:54:31,200 --> 01:54:37,720 of them if it becomes more costly and less That That may be naive on my part, 1316 01:54:36,040 --> 01:54:42,360 but I hope. [laughter] But I haven't heard anything about any new recycling 1317 01:54:40,520 --> 01:54:47,440 initiatives to actually use the plastic bags that we put in our blue bin. And I 1318 01:54:43,880 --> 01:54:47,440 just wondered if anybody else had. 1319 01:54:49,040 --> 01:54:54,280 Only seeing the list of the new things that you get to put in it, right? Which 1320 01:54:52,240 --> 01:54:58,320 is the assumption. But you know that the increased cost to the producer really 1321 01:54:56,400 --> 01:55:02,469 just means increased cost to the consumer, right? Like 1322 01:55:00,360 --> 01:55:05,040 » raspberries for seven bucks? >> [laughter] 1323 01:55:02,920 --> 01:55:10,760 » Uh just a quick one. Being a person who suffers from significant paranoia, 1324 01:55:08,320 --> 01:55:15,440 I uh I'm assuming that the big bins are 1325 01:55:13,280 --> 01:55:20,080 moving towards bi-weekly or bi-monthly or once a month 1326 01:55:18,160 --> 01:55:24,360 pickups. The other That's So that's the 1327 01:55:22,160 --> 01:55:29,000 the question I had. When I saw the propaganda come out at the beginning, 1328 01:55:26,800 --> 01:55:33,840 one of the things that struck me is my 93-year-old 1329 01:55:30,680 --> 01:55:38,120 neighbor who lives on a half-mile long driveway. 1330 01:55:35,840 --> 01:55:43,800 And she could live in that thing instead of having to wheel it down to the 1331 01:55:40,720 --> 01:55:48,640 And And so I I was They did say that if you had that problem, they would send 1332 01:55:46,360 --> 01:55:54,800 someone to pick it up at your house, which I assumed was a lie, which is 1333 01:55:51,480 --> 01:55:58,600 again my paranoia slipping out. But I was just wondering if anyone had heard 1334 01:55:56,560 --> 01:56:01,960 about that because what these people are doing or what I'm 1335 01:56:00,080 --> 01:56:05,640 doing, and I'm not 93, fortunately. We'll never make it. But anyway, 1336 01:56:04,280 --> 01:56:08,680 it it lives down at the end of my driveway. 1337 01:56:07,000 --> 01:56:13,600 And I have a nice little place to tuck it in so people going over 60 on my road 1338 01:56:11,720 --> 01:56:17,680 won't notice it. The people going the speed limit will say, "Oh, Don's got it 1339 01:56:15,520 --> 01:56:23,360 out." I went down Main Street, Shelburne, the other day on garbage day. 1340 01:56:20,960 --> 01:56:26,720 And it reminded me of Toronto. The only difference is my kids in Toronto have 1341 01:56:25,120 --> 01:56:31,760 four of these. In In Shelburne, they only have one. 1342 01:56:29,120 --> 01:56:36,320 But give us time. But this is my I think you're you're all nodding. 1343 01:56:33,720 --> 01:56:42,360 To think that that Green for Life truck would go up my driveway to pick up my 1344 01:56:38,800 --> 01:56:46,680 bin is beyond credibility, which was a lot of the other stuff I saw as well. So 1345 01:56:44,680 --> 01:56:51,880 paranoia lives. I'm glad to hear that it's shared, and I'll pass this back. 1346 01:56:49,720 --> 01:56:57,960 And that's that's a good point. But But they they have politely offered that you 1347 01:56:54,920 --> 01:57:02,040 can keep it at the end of your driveway and then we'll be driving around here 1348 01:56:59,800 --> 01:57:07,080 and before no time there'll be more blue boxes than trees. 1349 01:57:05,160 --> 01:57:12,480 If Yeah. If if I can, I think it's an 1350 01:57:09,840 --> 01:57:16,840 apocryphal tale that they'll drive up your driveway. I've heard that by the 1351 01:57:14,440 --> 01:57:21,920 way. You're absolutely right. And and that that may have been an 1352 01:57:18,720 --> 01:57:27,080 accommodation under the old system that was presumed to continue under the 1353 01:57:23,840 --> 01:57:30,440 new system. Um as far as I know the frequency of pickup remains the same in 1354 01:57:29,200 --> 01:57:34,840 Dufferin. It has not in other jurisdictions such 1355 01:57:32,880 --> 01:57:40,080 as Simcoe County where they've gone back to the bi-weekly 1356 01:57:37,600 --> 01:57:44,120 as opposed to weekly. But you know as far as far as we're 1357 01:57:42,400 --> 01:57:46,920 concerned it's probably going to go out once every 3 weeks. 1358 01:57:46,000 --> 01:57:50,760 And [snorts] heavy enough that it won't blow over. 1359 01:57:54,040 --> 01:57:57,760 Canute, the last comment. 1360 01:57:58,600 --> 01:58:04,360 Well, I I I think personally that that as long as 1361 01:58:02,320 --> 01:58:09,960 countries are willing to start wars to maintain the oil industry, I think we 1362 01:58:06,960 --> 01:58:14,440 are dreaming for the short term. In the meantime, paranoia continues. 1363 01:58:18,160 --> 01:58:24,480 Well, I think we're coming to a natural conclusion. I first wanted to thank 1364 01:58:23,120 --> 01:58:28,640 everyone for coming out and participating and asking some some good 1365 01:58:27,360 --> 01:58:33,720 questions. I thought we had some wonderful dialogue. I want to thank the 1366 01:58:30,720 --> 01:58:38,840 members of council for coming up here and I wanted to thank staff for taking 1367 01:58:36,320 --> 01:58:44,400 time out of their weekend to be here. I have one last comment that our special 1368 01:58:41,000 --> 01:58:44,400 speaker would like to make. 1369 01:58:44,680 --> 01:58:53,560 Thank you. I just wanted to thank everybody here. I attend a lot of 1370 01:58:50,760 --> 01:58:59,520 council meetings. The ones in Caledon go to 1:00 a.m., but I leave at 9:30. Um 1371 01:58:57,200 --> 01:59:06,360 I've never seen this kind of a respectful dialogue. Uh normally people 1372 01:59:03,200 --> 01:59:11,040 are angry as bees nest cuz something hasn't been done. And I just want to 1373 01:59:08,520 --> 01:59:15,957 congratulate you all for the community relations that you have. It's really 1374 01:59:12,600 --> 01:59:17,977 extraordinary. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. >> [applause] 1375 01:59:25,000 --> 01:59:31,480 » AND JUST JUST ON BEHALF OF COUNCIL, I'D like to thank everyone who who came out 1376 01:59:29,480 --> 01:59:36,320 on a Saturday morning. Uh we we love these town hall meetings, 1377 01:59:34,080 --> 01:59:40,000 and this will not be the last one that we hold. Thank you very much. 1378 01:59:40,192 --> 01:59:42,212 » [applause]