Innisfil Committee want answers about drainage costs
by Michelle Minnoch

Marisa Demarco, a member of the Innisfil Resident Advocacy Committee made a delegation to council Wednesday night, regarding the South Innisfil Creek Drain.

Demarco said she and Kerry Yamamoto formed the committee “in order to help resolve the insistent questions relative to how such a process transpired, without anyone’s intervention.” She stated some residents are facing fees from $100 upwards to $100,000 in regards to the cost of the drain.

She stated in 2002, Horodynski Farms Inc. appealed to the Drainage Referee due to a “lack of response” from the Town. The Drainage Referee then ordered the Town to make improvements to the drain, at the landowners expense, for a cost of just over $4 million.

The last repair and improvement to the South Innisfil Drain and Branches took place under an engineers report in 1956. According to a Dillon Consulting Report from February 2006, “The Main Drain has been a municipal drain for over 100 years starting from the former township boundary in Concession 1 (at Simcoe County Road 89 bridge) and heads up stream in a northeast direction crossing the 5 Side Road, Highway 400, 2nd Line, 10th Side Road, 3rd Line, 4th Line, 5th Line. All the above drains are entirely situated within the Town of Innisfil”.

She said affected landowners were under the assumption the Town represented their best interests. She added it would be expected the detrimental effects would not be limited to personal financial loss.

Demarco presented the clerk with over 400 letters by landowners, copies of which were being sent to the Drainage Referee, MP and MPP.

“Although payment, in this case, has yet to be levied, assessed landowners, are nevertheless, ‘strictly responsible for costs applicable under the Drainage Act’”, she said, quoting the Drainage Act.

Mayor Brian Jackson said Demarco brought up some very interesting points in the delegation.

Councilor Dollin commented how well written and researched Demarco’s delegation was.

“We as a council have been dealing with the Municipal Drainage Act for years,” she said. “We should ask the province to look at this particular Act for the future,” she said, adding and act like this is like “killing a fly with a sledgehammer.”

Councilor Wardlaw said

he would bring a resolution to council this week to ask the Drainage Referee to attend a public meeting with affected landowners.

Mayor Jackson said a preliminary report should be brought to council in January, which would be of some assistance.

Demarco said the decision makers and stakeholders should work towards a viable means of accountability.

“It is our position that these project costs should not and cannot be forced upon us in the manner in which the Town of Innisfil, and the Province, have proceeded to dictate, despite what is termed as ‘Provincial Jurisdiction’.”