October 20, 2010
2010 FORT ERIE MUNICIPAL ELECTION CANDIDATES’
POSITION ON WATERFRONT ISSUES

Candidate Name: R Shular
Position Sought: Councillor Ward 2

The 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?

I have for seven years and will continue. This is an important issue.

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?

The beach will allows be public and will not permit anything else and complete access must be maintained.

3.  We welcome your comments regarding construction of a condo on Bay Beach property.

The north side is the best however it may remain on the south. Care must be taken to limit the space it takes from green space and it must blend with the area to ensure green space.

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?

Yes and then some.

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 appropriate

Would you continue to support these initiatives with adequate funding through the budget?

Care must be taken in all aspects of the budget however these items can not be forgotten about.

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?

Yes and they are over-due.

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?

An argreement is in place and should not be taken lightly or things may happen the town will not like.

We thank you for your participation & invite additional comments on waterfront issues.

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