Updates

SHOREWALK
SUMMER UPDATE
JULY 31, 2006

1. Membership continues to grow
and now stands at 360.

2. On July 10 the Fort Erie Town Council passed a revised by-law for Lake Erie Waterfront Road Allowances (2006 improvements). It is included here and we invite your comments. Although there are some setbacks based on the original Oct. 2005 proposal it still shows the town is committed to lakefront improvements. For that we applaud them.

3. The Town is planning a major drainage project for the Thunder Bay residential area. We support the project of course but object to the proposed exit route for storm water. It is proposed to empty it via a drain pipe that would stop at the high water mark at Thunder Bay Beach (Bernard Road) then drain over the sand beach and into the lake. Look to Bertie Bay Beach to see the potential results: severe erosion of the beach, children playing in contaminated storm water, and the addition of a variety of chemicals and coliform bacteria into the swimming area. We suggest an enhanced ditch on the south side of Thunder Bay Rd. to carry water eastward to Six Mile Creek.

4. Encroachments: The Town has completed surveys of Windmill Pt. and Bertie Bay and found multiple examples of fences, hedges and buildings that occupy public land, some by as much as 16 feet. The Town’s proposed encroachment policy would allow most to stay upon a one time fee of $500 and an annual fee of $150. A random survey of town residents leads me to conclude that it’s almost unanimous that the public wants the public land and not the dollars and that should be the basis of any policy. When it comes to houses that would be very expensive to move or remove we will be advocating other alternatives but not a payment to permit encroachment.

5. Right of Passage: Our major objective is to expand walking rights along the shoreline. To that end we are making contact with the shoreline property owners associations to request a “Bruce Trail like” handshake agreement system that would open up the shorelines to walkers.

We also are maintaining contact with MPP Kim Craitor in hopes of furthering this agenda through the provincial legislature. A meeting with him is scheduled for this week

6. Mayor Wayne Redekop and the Town’s CAO, Harry Schlange have continued to be very helpful to Shorewalk. We don’t always agree but they have always been co-operative and accessible.

7. The Town’s final draft of the Official Plan is due out soon. Chief Planner Dave Heyworth has also endevoured to be helpful and the new OP will include a section dedicated to shoreline policy.

8. Shorewalk Port Colborne president Lisa Ciolfi and I met with Port Colborne’s Special Projects Planner Dan Aquilina recently. We have initiated through him and Recreation Department manager Tom Lannin a useful dialogue for future study of their shoreline.

9. Wainfleet Shorewalk will be developing a study of their shoreline features over the next months under the guidance of Colin Krueger.

 

 

 

 

No Rest at Ridgeway Fest / Stephen Passero to Lead Shorewalk

Enchroachments Must Go!! FE Council Passes By-Law...
June 2007

Winter Update
January 2007

Fall Update
November 2006

Summer Update
July 2006

Spring Update
April 2006

End of Year Report
Dec. 2005

Shorewalk
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