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

Candidate Name: John Teal
Position Sought: Regional Councillor

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 support MPP Kim Craitor's effort to resolve water access issues at the Provincial level.

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?

I am expecting public access to the beach area to continue.

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

The condo construction issue and decisions surrounding it is a horse that has already left the barn. I am pleased that the matter will be before the OMB so that both sides get a full and fair hearing.

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?

Since, if elected I would not be a mamber of the local Council I would not have a vote as to weather to uphold, amend or rescind this Municipal bylaw.

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?

I think you realize that, if elected, as Regional Councillor I am not a member of local Council and have no vote on these matters.

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?

As above since I would not be a member of local Council, I have no voice in setting Municipal priorities.

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?

I would have to be fully informed on the history of negotiations to determine why a compromise has not been reached. In order to pass over what is private property a personal license would be required.

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

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