CARA reports on development activities at AGM
CARA held its Annual General Meeting June 22. President Greg Young praised the contributions of Tony Fry, who had been a director
of CARA for more than a decade. Tony was always extraordinarily helpful, full of energy, and he offered great advice to the board over the years. He had an amazing way of making friends with everyone around him and he seemed to know everyone in Creemore. We will miss him.
The guest speaker at the AGM was David Scoon, a director of the Escarpment Corridor Alliance (ECA), who provided an update on some of the activities of the ECA and how an ecological corridor could affect the Creemore and Mulmur areas.
CARA continues to monitor local development applications. Tribute received Draft Subdivision Plan approval from council last November, and approval of Official Plan Amendment 1 in March 2025. The need to provide adequate stormwater, municipal water and sanitary services is still an issue for Tribute which they will be required to resolve with the Township and finance. Tribute continues to work on their zoning bylaw.
The Zeng development at Edward and George received draft plan approval in March 2025. The Zeng Subdivision will contribute to the East Creemore Drain, infrastructure such as the wastewater treatment plant and the expansion of the municipal water system, and also contains linear servicing blocks designed to convey stormwater from the Tribute lands south. Development of these aspects of the Zeng Subdivision are critical to the overall development of the Tribute lands and other developments within Creemore.
There are no formal development applications on file for the Creemore school property, the Lamb lands or the Gordon feedlot.
Representing CARA, Young sits on the Steering Committee for a Creemore streetscape study sponsored by the township, the Creemore BIA and the Creemore Community Foundation. The study is being conducted by ERA Architects. The study has been examining several interesting issues such as streetscaping, traffic and road safety, parking, community character and identify, beautification, sustainability, and economic development. There is also a small contingent who have been working with ERA to examine various ways of preserving and respecting Creemore’s architectural and built heritage.
ERA will be holding a public meeting on July 20. CARA encourages everyone interested to attend that event.
At CARA’s recent AGM, we were pleased to have as guest speaker, David Scoon, Director of the Escarpment Corridor Alliance (ECA). As context, it is worth noting that the Niagara Escarpment is recognized by UNESCO as a World Biosphere Reserve which has the oldest forest ecosystem and trees in eastern North America. It is home to more than 300 bird species, 55 mammals, 36 reptiles, 90 fish and 100 varieties of special interest flora.
Since the early 2000s, local residents have been concerned about the impacts of large scale developments on the Niagara Escarpment. These include a development application at Talisman, which proposes 370-unit townhomes and an 800-room hotel, as well as one at Castle Glen at Blue Mountains, which proposes 1,600 homes, three golf courses, two hotels and an extensive retail development. In 2022, ECA was formed to help address these “hot spot” issues as well as to help promote a broad vision “to create a permanently protected and connected ecological corridor across the Niagara Escarpment of South Georgian Bay, for nature, for people and for good.”
An ecological corridor is: “A clearly defined geographical space that is governed and managed over the long term to maintain or restore effective ecological connectivity.” Various studies have shown ecological corridors provide significant advantages helping to protect wildlife, butterflies, birds and plant species. David noted the need to create corridors not only to help protect wildlife but also to promote ecological diversity and conservation more broadly.
There are several areas prioritized in the Federal Government’s National Program for Ecological Corridors, including South Georgian Bay. In the near term, ECA will be working on identifying Phase One priority land projects (2025-2030) and launching a Community Land Trust. David answered several questions from attendees. A copy of his presentation is available at CARA.ca.
It is heartening that a locally based organization is taking steps to help protect what UNESCO has recognized since 1990.
New members of CARA are welcome to sign up at CARA.ca.
Correction: CARA is not aware of any sale of the Gordon feedlot lands as reported in last week’s Echo.
CARA Corner is authored by Greg Young and Val Dyer, and submitted on behalf of the Creemore Area Residents’ Association. Visit, creemoreresidents.ca.
