County council debated the future of its shoreline bylaw and will hold another special meeting to address an increasingly fraught debate over the legislation.

Council decided to schedule a special meeting Jan. 27 to examine the bylaw and its upcoming public consultation, which will include both an online survey and a public meeting in February or March. Councillors weighed whether the document – which would restrict development within 30 metes of the shoreline – should be slowed in the wake of increased outcry.

Warden Liz Danielsen lamented the spread of misinformation and council receiving some vitriol.

“Disappointed to see the number of people who are willing to cast aspersions about us and our work,” she said. “About the thought that this is being sprung upon them and we’re doing this under the cloak of secrecy. This is a topic that’s been under discussion for 2.5 years and longer.

“It is unfortunate that people feel they need to start calling us names and giving members of council a difficult time … The raft of emails we have received in the last couple of weeks, I believe are reactive of the misinformation.”

She said they must find a way to combat the misinformation. She indirectly referenced the Haliburton County Home Builders Association (HCHBA) estimating a $750,000 cost to enforce the law and advertising that. However, that figure is inaccurate. The County’s current 2021 draft budget features $115,000 towards enforcement, including $88,000 for a new officer to assist the one already on staff.

The HCHBA and others have also pushed to delay the changes until after the pandemic is over to allow for an in-person public meeting. But Coun. Brent Devolin said he opposed that because the pandemic could linger for the rest of the term.

“For us to delay it because of COVID … I don’t think (the bylaw) will be dealt with in this term of council and I think that would truly be a mistake,” he said.

However, deputy warden Patrick Kennedy said they should hit a pause button on the document and it is not yet good enough to move forward.

“I’m not in anybody’s back pocket on this. I am as much in love with the water as anybody at this table or in this County,” he said. “I don’t feel this bylaw is at that stage yet, to the point it can be taken out to the public for comment. I fully endorse a step back … I feel like we have lost the public trust on both sides of the issue.”

Kennedy suggested an external consultation group or committee examine the document, but Coun. Carol Moffatt pushed back on that.

“Ultimately, it’s our job as the people who are elected to listen to the public,” Moffatt said. “Our problem right now is, I think, all the noise that’s out there. We can’t address the misinformation without a competing information campaign, and we can’t do that without dedicated resources.”

She added council needed to provide input into what is going out to the public and what questions will be asked.

Danielsen said people should be more specific about what parts of the bylaw should be addressed, which she said it not being seen in messages lately.

“We’re hearing a lot from all angles and we need to work hard to try and get it right.”

CanoeFM is donating $50,988 to five local charities after record-breaking fundraising numbers from its radio bingo program in the past six months.

Station manager, Roxanne Casey, said they raised more than $100,000 in that time, the highest total since it began. Half will go to CanoeFM, while the other half will be split amongst donation recipients, with $10,000 each going to Fuel for Warmth, the Central East Heat Bank and Minden Community Food Centre, and $10,494 each to the Abbey Retreat Centre and the Friends of the Haliburton County Public Library.

Every Tuesday at 6 p.m., CanoeFM reads out bingo numbers, with cash prizes on the line. Casey said the pandemic has contributed to the event’s greater popularity, with the station selling 736 sheets this past week, more than double this time last year.

“Radio bingo became almost like a household word,” Casey said. “It’s just become like a fun thing to do and you don’t need to go anywhere to do it.”

The fundraising runs in six-month intervals, based on the lottery licence. The January-June 2020 period raised approximately $63,550, with half that going to Minden Community Food Centre. But Casey said with dollars rising, it made sense to start sharing the wealth.

“COVID hits people really hard, so we felt it was really important to make sure we were supporting those organizations,” Casey said.

Fuel for Warmth executive director, Joanne Barnes, said the donation is greatly appreciated.

“I was so surprised to be given such a lovely donation of funds … It will certainly allow us to assist more families in need,” Barnes said. “I give my most sincere thanks for the money, but also for the trust of the community who recognize our commitment.”

Casey said the funding is also a boost on the radio side, allowing them to cover broadcasting expenses such as equipment and licencing fees. However, the money is disallowed for operational expenses. She said she expects the game to keep its popularity.

“The next run will be as good, if not better,” Casey said. “People are not going anywhere. They’re still at home and it gives them something to do. Even once this is over, I think it will still carry on.

“We really appreciate people supporting radio bingo.”

Tickets are available at the station or grocery and convenience stores throughout the County.

The debate around the County’s shoreline protection bylaw is intensifying as the municipality prepares to put the current draft up for public discussion.

County council completed a review of the bylaw Nov. 23, with the municipality planning a public meeting later this winter and enforcement starting in April. Cottage, environmental and building associations alike are examining the bylaw, with outcry from some groups about the current draft.

The proposed rules aim to curtail shoreline degradation and thus preserve lake health by limiting development within 30 metres of shorelines. But the Haliburton County Home Builders Association (HCHBA) is asking for changes and said the setback goes too far.

“We feel some of the items required for the site alteration plan are excessive and, in the end, it could negatively affect local businesses,” spokesperson Aaron Galbraith said. “We just want to work with them to get to a common ground.”

The Coalition of Haliburton Property Owners Associations (CHA) has driven the concern around shoreline health. It has pointed to research about shorelines needing 75 per cent naturalization to maintain water quality and help prevent algae blooms. A CHA assessment of 60 local lakes found only 47-48 per cent of their shorelines were natural.

Galbraith said the HCHBA wants the bylaw delayed until after the pandemic, to allow a proper public meeting instead of an online one. But Environment Haliburton! vice-president Terry Moore said they want to see it finalized as soon as possible due to the pandemic creating a “building frenzy” on shorelines.

“That is translating into a lot of development pressure that is doing so much damaging stuff,” Moore said.

Galbraith responded that many in the landscaping sector such as him build responsibly.

“Unfortunately, in any trade, there are going to be people that try to skirt around the rules. But a lot of us follow the rules and we’re actually helping our lake systems by securing our shorelines,” he said.

The County is also opening discussion on mandating shoreline renaturalization, which is not in the current draft. CHA chair Paul MacInnes said his organization is concerned adding that would slow the process too much.

“If the bylaw is passed, we should all work together to convince property owners to voluntarily renaturalize our shorelines,” MacInnes said. “With 10 suspected algae blooms reported this year, more and more people realize that we need to act urgently.”

Galbraith said the HCHBA would like the requirement and it makes sense by the CHA’s own report.

“They want to achieve 75 per cent (naturalized shoreline),” Galbraith said. “There’s no way to attain that without making past offenders remediate their properties.”

The HCHBA has begun advertising on the issue. They claimed a landowner could need to spend $10,000 for project approval with no guarantee of success, which Galbraith said was based on a talk with a local professional surveyor. The HCHBA also estimated it could cost $750,000 per year to implement the bylaw. In the first draft of its 2021 budget, the County projects a $115,000 cost for two staff to enforce the bylaw. Galbraith said the HCHBA feels it will take more.

In a Facebook post, Moore said the HCHBA’s points are “extreme exaggerations” adding heat to an already polarized debate.

“With healthy lakes being so essential to a healthy, sustainable future for the members of your association, why is the HCHBA focused exclusively on drumming up opposition to a bylaw aimed at preserving that future?” Moore asked.

Galbraith said the HCHBA wants to find a solution which works for the environment, property owners and local businesses.

“We are not ‘exclusively trying to drum up opposition’,” Galbraith said. “We are simply trying to ensure that all lakefront property owners in Haliburton County are aware of the proposed bylaw and the possible impacts.”

Dysart council agreed to pause any major road projects within Haliburton village until it makes decisions on future sewer line expansion.

Staff presented its proposed slate of road resurfacing projects for 2021 at a special budget meeting Jan. 11. The slate is not finalized but featured more than 30 kilometres of roads receiving surface treatment for $1.5 million in total.

Included in the list were several roads within Haliburton village, including parts of Highland Street, Mountain Street, Park Street and Pine Avenue.

But Coun. John Smith said such work should be delayed, given the possibility of future sewer line work.

“The ghost of my dad is going to say, ‘my God, don’t resurface those roads and then go out in a year or two and tear it up,’” Smith said. “People will think we got nothing but money.”

Dysart’s service delivery review presented last September proposed long-term planning on the sewer system and an expanded line. Council has yet to make any decisions on the idea.

Mayor Andrea Roberts said regular maintenance could continue in the meantime.

“We’re still patching, we’re still fixing potholes,” Roberts said. “But we really should have a full investigation into the sewer.”

Council directed staff to adjust the project list to remove roads within the village that could be in included in a sewer expansion.

More funding for roads

Council also agreed to put more dollars into the road budget to contract prep work for resurfacing projects.

Council agreed to a figure – potentially in the $50,000-$100,000 range, based on staff recommendation – for more brushing and ditching, a needed step in some areas to convert roads from gravel to hardtop.

Smith questioned staff’s struggles to get planned brushing and ditching done in-house at areas like Kennisis Lake Road.

“We have all sorts of good intentions to get this work done, but it all boils down to limitations,” director of public works Rob Camelon said. “We only have so many people.”

Council asked staff to bring back an exact figure they would like to contract some of the workload.