Residents of Innisfil are being spoken for

Recently, some people of Innisfil were referred to publicly as the "citizens of Innisfil."

So are we, The Residents of Innisfil Association. We've been supporters of the Big Bay Point Resort since 2002, and are very much in favour of this resort. It will mean jobs, roads, tax dollars, public transportation and a new fire hall to name but a few of the benefits for our town.

The identified citizens are for the most part, very wealthy owners of land and homes in the Big Bay Point area of Innisfil. Their sole reason for opposing this development is their unwilling approach to change, especially in their own, until now, exclusive backyard.

Make no mistake, these citizens are very used to their money buying them what they want in their neighbourhood.

Big Bay Point has, for over 100 years, been the exclusive playground of wealthy Toronto university graduates, who could afford to get away from the grimy city.

They didn't go to the cottage, they went to the lake. They played in a BBP park area still known locally as The Campus.

This group has continually tried to block the building of this world class resort, planned by Andres Duany, a famous New Urbanism architect. They have tried every method, including dragging the poor Huron Wendat Nation in Quebec into the fray. To make matters worse, they force the taxpayers of Ontario pay the bill.

Where do you think the money comes from to pay the Wendat lawyers? The government and our tax dollars.

Where do you think the money comes from to pay Environmental Defence Canada's bills? The government and our tax dollars.

Where does the money come from to pay the Ontario Municipal Board's bills? The Ontario government and our tax dollars again. These citizens are costing us a fortune.

But Queen's Park is not to blame. The government has the right to intervene in this dispute. One of their lawyers, Ken Hare of the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing's legal services branch, attended meetings of the OMB facilitator 's branch regarding this matter. In June 2007, all parties, including our group, were at the facilitator's hearing, and signed a memorandum of settlement regarding the BBP project. Hare signed for the ministry.

The opponents did not sign but chose to appeal. The appeal started, and continues to this day, with no agreement in sight. Nor do the opponents wish to agree - they continue to cause delay and now Environmental Defence has been given intervenor status (by the grace of Geranium Corporation, which did not oppose their request).

Our group is very much in favour of this resort community being allowed to proceed.

We were granted party status for the hearings and have attended every meeting, municipal, public and OMB included. We have watched the opponents use every tactic to slow the process down. We have watched their behaviour at every turn. Please, as the saying goes, give them some more rope. We await the traditional result.
Nola Wale,
Residents of Innisfil
Association President