Frontenac Politicians Seek To Change Provinces Mind Over Conservation Authority Role

by Jeff Green

Much of the conversation at the May meeting of Frontenac County Council (May 16) centred around the implications of some of the changes to provincial rules around land use planning that are part of the government’s target of 1.5 million new housing units, in the province, by 2031.

As part of his monthly briefing, Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Kelly Pender talked about attempts that Frontenac County politicians and planning staff are making to address changes that came from Ontario Bill 23, the More Homes Built Faster Act, which was approved late last year, and is now into the implementation phase.

One of the provisions in the act, that is of concern to planning departments in rural municipalities across the province, is one that prohibits Conservation Authorities from commenting on the implications of land use proposals on ‘Natural Heritage Features’, which include water quality in lakes and streams, shoreline erosion, and habitat preservation.

The townships, who are the approval authority for planning applications, still need to consider these issues, but especially in the case of smaller municipalities like those in Frontenac County, they do not have the resources within their own staff to complete the necessary studies. They have been left scrambling to find consultants who are able to complete them in a timely and cost-effective manner.

As CAO Pender pointed out, the extra costs will end up being paid by the applicants, people who are seeking to build new homes in Frontenac County, the very group that the province is seeking to encourage in the More Homes

Built Faster Act.

“In Frontenac County, we do about 195 planning applications per year that require comment by the Conservation Authorities for ‘Natural Heritage Features’. South Frontenac County put together a motion around this that has been approved by all of the township and was also approved by the Eastern Ontario Wardens Caucus last week, and is on our agenda today,” Pender said.

“The point is that we don’t have the staff to respond to those issues, the information and reports rest with the Conservation Authorities, and it’s going to be a significant burden on applicants having to pay for a consultant to do the work. North Frontenac has gone out and sought some quotes from different firms to do the natural heritage consultations. So where it used to cost us about $500 per application, it’s going to be about $2,000 per application, and that’s if they don’t have to do a site visit. It’s going to have a significant impact on applicants because they will be paying the freight.”

Pender added that Frontenac County politicians raised the matter when they met with MPP John Jordan in April.

“We expressed the position to him that what works in Toronto doesn’t necessarily work in rural Ontario, that we are different. Frontenac has four different Conservation Authorities, and although they’ve removed the ability of Conservation Authorities to comment, but haven’t adjusted either the timelines or the requirement to comment on natural heritage features.”

Bill 97 and the new Provincial Planning Statement

A little later in the meeting, Dmitry Kurylovich, a Community Planner with Frontenac County, addressed council about some very recent changes coming down the pipe from the province.

He talked first about the Provincial Policy Statement (PPS), which is being renamed the “Provincial Planning Statement” (PPS). As he described it, the PPS is a background document that all municipal Official Plans and Zoning Bylaws must conform to. Last month,a proposed new PPS was released by the province, who are seeking comments from stakeholders, including municipalities, before adopting it sometime later this year.

Kurylovich said that most of the changes to the PPS are designed for urban planning and development issues, and are not of great concern to Frontenac County, but among

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In Loving Memory of Clinton Julian

Since 1936 clinton (clint) Julian, a dedicated employee at sharbot Lake Home Building centre and cherished member of our community, sadly and unexpectedly passed away on Friday May 19th,2023 at the age of 63. it is with profound sadness that we announce the loss of a remarkable individual who played an integral role at sharbot Lake Home Building centre for 14 years. He joined sharbot Lake Home Building centre in May of 2009 and quickly became an indispensable part of our close-knit team. the loss of clint leaves an indescribable void in our small business and in the lives of all who had the privilege of knowing him. His legacy will continue to inspire us, and his warm presence will be deeply missed. we extend our heartfelt condolences to Clinton's family and loved ones during this difficult time. May they find solace in the memories of his remarkable life and the lasting impact he made on all of us. you will truly be missed.

Love: Jass & sukhi Kaillon, and his friends/colleagues at sharbot Lake Home Building centre.

A reception will be held in Almonte, Ontario on Thursday, June 1st 2023 from 12:30 pm- 2:30 pm a the Almonte Legion (100 Bridge Street, Almonte, Ontario K0A 1A0) on behalf of the Julian Family.