THE STORY AS IT UNFOLDS

The $5 million contract let by the town  in August for the Wild Life Refuge is what spurred me to  write. the blog again. It’s taken till now to get back in the saddle

The main issue  is cost and where funds are coming from?

First let me say, I’ve known David Tomlinson since weeks of his arrival in Aurora. The Wild Life Refuge is his idea and his alone. It has taken decades for it to seem to have come to fruition. I was a member when he brought a video to Council to illustrate the merits. It represented seasons and  hundreds of dawn-breaking hours to record nesting habits of birds in aparticular  area.It was monumental. It was beautiful.

There were obstacles . Much of the land was in private hands. The ConservationAuthority did not and were not likely to approve damming  the creek to create on-line ponds.Cost of the project would be prohibitive. That the area would be fenced to deny public access would not sell well.

The obstacles were huge. Aurora is urban with an urban population.

A phone call this morning establishes though the contract has been awarded the problems remain.the same.On line ponds are not approved by the Conservation Authority. Cut -and - fill to permit an offline pond is still not resolved. . Trails and boardwalk are being constructed  as we speak...so to speak.People and their dogs will have access . Ground nesting birds will not be protected.  Extinct species will not return..

BOARD WALKS AND TRAILS MAKE FENCING REDUNDANT.

$5 MILLION DOLLARS ARE COMMITTED ...$1MILLION A YEAR FOR EACH OF FIVE YEARS...TO CREATE A WILD LIFE REFUGE WHICH SHALL NOT BE..

The money is coming from Lot Levy Reserves. It’s a system  instituted by the Province that allows a municipality to exact a fee for every permit issued to pay for increased demand for facilities. It must be reviewed every year . Master Plans for various facilities must also
be reviewed to establish need.

The town’s website has current particulars. Funds for the Refuge are being taken from lot levy reserves collected from development, other than residential, in lieu of funds for parkland.

Some years ago, when Canadian Tire was still on Yonge Street,they added  a gardening centre, They paid a huge levy . In your wildest dreams you could not imagine the  expansion increased   demand for parkland, ice arenas, community centres, skateboard parks , firehalls or a Refuge for extinct birds.

Yet the town took it and tucked it away in a reserve fund . ..waiting for a purpose.

I think taking these feses is legalized theft.It shows complete disrespect to a taxpayer we are sworn to represent.

JUST BECAUSE WE CAN, DOESN’T MEAN WE SHOULD.

75% of  public service budgets are payroll. When new facilities are built,they have to be staffed.
and maintained. Operating costs swell the annual tax bill.

PEOPLE ARE DRIVEN FROM THEIR HOMES.

Capital costs may becovered by lot levies