Casino debate to take place November 12
With time ticking toward the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation’s “sometime-in-November” deadline for the four municipalities in Zone C7 to decide their position on a local casino, Clearview Deputy Mayor Alicia Savage announced at Council Monday night that she will bring a motion on the subject to Council’s November 12 meeting.
The motion, which Savage distributed to the press on Tuesday, reads as such:
“Whereas OLG has created Zone C7 which encompasses four separate municipalities and the County of Simcoe for the purpose of considering a possible host community for a new slots facility;
“And whereas OLG has confirmed that if only one of the four municipalities expresses interest it will continue the process directly with that municipality;
“And whereas through a Memorandum of Understanding entered into by all four potential host communities it has been acknowledged that establishing a slots facility in Zone C7 affects the entire region;
“And whereas significant concern has been expressed by members of the health care community regarding problem gambling and its potential impact on families and supports in our municipalities;
“Be it resolved that the Council of the Corporation of the Township of Clearview does not support a slots facility in this municipality;
“And further that the Council of the Corporation of the Township of Clearview does not support a slots facility in Zone C7;
“And further that should a slots facility be approved within Zone C7, the Council of the Corporation of the Township of Clearview will seek financial compensation as per the Memorandum of Understanding;
“And further that recognizing the transportation challenges in the area, OLG and the C7 Municipalities take specific steps to ensure additional resources are made available within the zone to respond to the increased incidents and resulting issues of problem gambling in the four municipalities.”
Over the past few months, Savage has made her opposition to a casino clear. Councillors Thom Paterson and Brent Preston have echoed her views for the most part; what the rest of Council thinks remains to be seen.
The one question that remains is whether Council will engage the public for any direct feedback on the subject before debating the issue on November 12. While the four municipalities in Zone C7 (Clearview, Collingwood, Wasaga Beach and Springwater) held a joint public meeting two weeks ago, Collingwood and Wasaga Beach have since held their own public nights within their municipalities.
Councillor Thom Paterson told the Echo after Monday’s meeting that he has been working on achieving a consensus among Council members regarding the need for public input. With no legislation bounding them to an official public meeting in this situation, Paterson said the input could take several forms, such as an online survey, an opportunity for ratepayers to send emails to the Township stating their position, or even an extended public participation period at the outset of the November 12 meeting. No decision has been made at this point.
Library Strategic Plan
Clearview Public Library CEO Jennifer LaChapelle presented Council with that organization’s new strategic plan Monday night, which focuses on the building of a new Stayner branch.
The plan has five main goals: to develop a capital fundraising campaign for the building of the new branch; to initiate the design and construction of the new branch; to advocate and plan for additional funding for staff, board and volunteer training; to seek partnerships and funding that ensure a sustainable future for the library; and to work towards making the Clearview library system as “green” as possible.
This is the third strategic plan for the Clearview library since amalgamation. The first was instituted in 2006 and the second in 2009. This one covers the time period from 2013 to 2016.
Amended Licence for Walker Quarry
Council voted unanimously in favour of submitting a letter to the Ministry of Natural Resources, supporting a proposed amendment to the licence for the existing Duntroon Quarry that would permit the extraction of 600,000 additional tonnes of aggregate. In order to do this, Walker Aggregates plans to extract a lower bench of material that was initially left intact at the north end of the quarry. The activity will result in a vertical rock face in that area, rather than the existing 2:1 slope.
Planning Director Michael Wynia said that 600,000 tonnes is a “modest year’s worth” of aggregate for the quarry, and will enable Walker to stay in business while its expansion application goes before a judical review.
