October 20, 2010
2010 FORT ERIE MUNICIPAL ELECTION CANDIDATES’
POSITION ON WATERFRONT ISSUESCandidate Name: George Jardine
Position Sought: Councillor Ward 6The Ontario Shorewalk Association is seeking comments on your position regarding our public waterfront lands. Shorewalk is a non partisan association and does not endorse candidates, however your comments will be shared with the public via our website and local media.
1. Shorewalk’s priority goal has been & remains the public’s Right of Passage (walking rights) along all of Ontario’s Great Lakes shores. To that end our current FE & Niagara Regional Councils have unanimously endorsed MPP Kim Craitor’s Bill 32 calling for Right of Passage on Ontario’s Great Lakes.Will you support Shorewalk’s Right of Passage efforts during your term of office?
The Lake Erie shoreline from the waters edge 66 feet to the high water line is Federal property, does not belong to the Province or anybody else, this was enshrined in the Treaty of Ghent ratified in 1814 declaring the Great Lakes are inland seas, thus are de-militerized so no warships are supposed to be in them only coast guard, that is why the US navy was not allowed to use Lake Erie for target practise. Provincial Lakes come under a different set of rules. The Federal agreements trump any Provincial laws. Nobody has the right to sell Federal property I suspect _____ sold land that appears to be Federal property in 1982 down Barbol Street to the left, that sale in my opinion was illegal there are now homes right on the shoreline.2. Regardless of the direction that the Bay Beach property goes, will you vote at every opportunity to ensure that public access on & thru the property continues to exist?
If I am elected I will not issue a building permit I will raise hell. It was always Town policy until ____, ____ and ____ got on council, that the Town would always seek public access to the waterfront, at every oppertunity.
3. We welcome your comments regarding construction of a condo on Bay Beach property.
This is madness, an atrocity and montrocity, my wife and kids spent many happy days on that land to me it is sacrosant, period. I would not like people leering from a balcony on my daughters or anybody else for that matter.
4. Shorewalk worked tirelessly with staff to develop a Waterfront Road Allowance by-law that was enacted by Council. It calls for:
i removal of encroachments (fences, hedges, landscaping works, etc) from public road allowances.
ii prohibition of any future encroachments.
Will you continue to uphold the bylaw?
I would order the Town to bulldoze any encroachments.
5. The Town staff, with council support and funding, have initiated a waterfront road allowance enhancement program that includes;
a) welcome signs
b) directional signs from the Friendship Trail
c) line of sight demarcation
d) prohibition of vehicles on road allowances except for boat launch suitable sites
e) benches & bike racks where appropriateWould you continue to support these initiatives with adequate funding through the budget?
This should be a no brainer a long time coming.
6. Through the support of council, money has been allocated to review surveys of all road allowances to identify encroachment situations (private residents utilizing the public road allowance as addition to their property). All surveys have been completed but require staff time to review and identify encroachments.
Would you identify the completion of these reviews as a priority so that access to our waterfront can be increased?
ASAP this should be on the front burner.
7. Full public access by road to Point Abino lighthouse continues to be denied by the Point Abino Association.
What are your thoughts on this situation?
All rights and priveleges went to the Town when ownership was transferred but times of access should be daylight hours and for maintenance, no unescorted childern and no alcaholic beverages. If need summertime only or groups by appointment.
We thank you for your participation & invite additional comments on waterfront issues.
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