DRONE CAMP

SPRING BREAK EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITY MARCH 13TH - 17TH

9:00 AM - 1:00 PM

Grades 8 - 12 - Extremely Limited to 6 Participants. Learn to build your own drone. Learn flying regulations. Learn to fly your drone.

Each participant will build and fly their own drone.

$1,125 + Tax the County and the member municipalities have relied on their expertise to review Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) and provide comments relating to natural heritage. The recent amendments to the Act prohibit conservation authorities from commenting on proposals or applications under prescribed Acts, including the Planning Act, that are not part of their current core mandate (natural hazards and source water protection). Conservation authorities can still review applications to submit comments relating to natural hazards and source water protection but may not provide comments relating to natural heritage. Due to the historic knowledge of natural heritage matters, including the creation and maintenance of natural heritage mapping and databases for the member municipalities, this is a tremendous loss to the County. County Planning along with the member municipalities will now be responsible for meeting Provincial, regional and local policy pertaining to natural heritage regarding all new development proposals, establishing the terms of reference for the studies, and obtaining peer reviews where ERCA previously provided this service economically to the development community. This change will place additional burden on the County Planning Division and the member municipal planning departments.”

All equipment (including a drone), tools and materials included.

Several members of county council noted they have already voiced concerns, including LaSalle Mayor Crystal Meloche. She questioned how much the province cares about their concerns and believed the county should not wait to deliver a strong response.

“Think about how this was done,” said Amherstburg Mayor Michael Prue. “This was done in the midst of a municipal election. This was done on purpose to preclude all of the municipalities, the elected officials, from having any say.”

Prue said he has had discussions with Essex MPP Anthony Leardi on the issue and claimed Leardi denied the impacts of Bill 23, which Prue said will result in less funding to the town from development charges as well as OCIF funding.

Provincial changes have had a four per cent budget impact to Amherstburg, Prue maintained, adding MPPs are doing what Premier Doug Ford’s office are telling them to do.

“They are doing what the whiz kids in the premier’s office are telling them to do,” charged Prue. “Nothing else than that.”

MacDonald said Leamington waived development charges and over a five-year period, she said that didn’t result in any changes as compared to neighbouring Kingsville. Kingsville Deputy Mayor Kim DeYong said they have been able to comfort residents who don’t prefer growth by stating “growth pays for growth,” adding that is now being taken away and negatively impacting their budgets to boot.

MacDonald said groups like the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) voiced concerns and “they were just ignored.” LaSalle Deputy Mayor Mike Akpata added “if you have to go in (to a meeting with MPPs) spicy, you have my full backing.”

Amherstburg Deputy Mayor Chris Gibb added there are still a number of unanswered questions due to Bill 23. He didn’t believe any minds would be changed but “we can’t be sitting here and having our planner say, ‘I don’t know’,” adding decisions still have to be made.

Essex Mayor Sherry Bondy said she has concerns over wetland and heritage issues resulting from the Act, adding “I do think we need to send a strong message” to the province.

“We’ve got to be strategic,” MacDonald added, but said during the meeting she would be respectful yet firm.

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