The Rural Voice, 1978-08, Page 7was organized to fight the land use controls proposed by the
commission.
One proposal which causes deep concern would allow
government expropriation of private land for the Bruce Trail
when "all reasonable efforts to acquire trailway lands on
interests therein by negotiations have failed."
In the past, the trail was largely a footpath running through
property but the NEC proposals recommended expanding the
trail to a 66 -foot wide easement through properties, an easement
which farmers feel might eventually revert to the ownership of
the commission.
Another matter
which concerns land owners on the
escarpment is the indication that the NEC can over -rule local
government policies on land use and can exert too much control
over development in the escarpment area.
Fred Davenport, a farmer and president of the Northern
Ratepayers Association. said Bill 129 takes away local autonomy
and the NEC.by being allowed to put a freeze on development
along the escarpment. can "supersede elected officials."
James Rogers. secretary of the association. is also concerned
that NEC zoning will over -rule that of the local municipalities.
He said w hen land owners ,l nagree now with a zoning decision
made by their (coal council. they can elect different council
mem bers in the next municipal election.
However, this option isn't available with the NEC, since the 17
commission members are appointed by the provincial
government.
Many property owners feel the NEC is advocating policies
which take away the basic democratic rights of land ownership.
Mr. Rogers said the ratepayers group in the central area of the
escarpment was founded after a group of German farmers
became concerned that the proposals in Bill 129 were advocating
the same kind of land control implemented by Hitler in Germany
before the last war.
The association secretary said the farmers came to Canada
because it offered freehold rights to the land and now they
seemed to be threatened with the same kind of land control they
fled.
Robert Merritt, also a farmer, heads up another large
ratepayers group opposed to the commission and its
recommendations.
He said in a recent letter published in Farm and Country that
the issue between the NEC and land owners has become a
struggle for power - "the power to confiscate, the power to
regulate. the power to harass and the power to destroy
everything a farmer has worked most of his life to achieve."
Legal Right?
"What was formerly a neighborly agreement overnight was to
become subject to mandatory easements of expropriation a legal
right for stangers to invade privacy, bring their dogs. scare
livestock, invade vineyards and peach orchards."
Roger Cunningham, who chairs the Ontario Federation of
Agriculture's committee on the Niagara Escarpment, said
sections of Bill 129 which state farmers will be "encouraged" not
touse fertilizers or pesticides on their land and '
open their land for public use. are making '
owners very nervous."
He said he has personally lost all faith
planning.
At a recent meeting. the committe_ passed a resolution asking
that the provincial government rescind the Niagara Escarpment
Planning and Development Act or Bill 129. passed in 1973.
The three ratepayers groups will be taking the same request to
parliament in the fall, and are now contacting M.P.'s on an
individual approach to gather support for this idea.
When the federatiencommittee passed the resolution. the
only mem ber to object was the member from the Niagara
region.
Farmers living. in the Niagara fruit belt. which is threatened
by urban sprawl, have proved in favor of the NEC land control
since the controls are tougher when set down by a provincial
commission rather than local municipal councils.
The Ontario Federation of Agriculture as a whole hasnt
endorsed the committee's resolution, since the parent body is
waiting to see the results of the NEC meeting with officials from
municipalities affected by commission proposals.
Private Bill
In May• Bob McKessock, the Liberal M.N.P. who represents
Grey riding. submitted a private members bill to reduce the
planning area outlined in Bill 129. Although members of
various ratepayers groups supported the bill, it was defeated on
its second reading in the house.
Gary Harron. an Allenford farmer and warden of Bruce
County. and a member of the NEC•was appointed to represent
the public at large and hopefully in his own words.
representative of the "rural voice."
Mr. Harron said the NEC is now close to full agreement with
local municipal governments in Bruce County, after the
commission decided to reduce the planning area
Mr. Harron said commission proposals are veru close to
Federation of Agriculture proposals - that class one to three land
be retained for agriculture and class four to seven land be used
for recreational proposes.
He added 85 per cent of development applications to the
commission have been approved. although a few land owners
have been asked to make modifications. such as moving their
buildings back further from the road.
Mr. Harron said the commission is considering "not even
showing the Bruce Trail on our next maps" since the
commissions doesn't want to force anything on private land
owners that they don't want.
The commission member said despite the opposition of the
Northern Ratepayers Association, he has never been asked to
attend either a ratepayers meeting or a Federation of Agriculture
meeting personally to present the commission's viewpoint.
In the meantime. many farmers in both Bruce and Grey have
notified the Bruce Trails Authority that they want the trail
removed from their land.
Norman Seabrook. of Holland Township, said ratepayers
groups in Holland,Euphrasia. Sydenham and Keppel Townships
have started a shutdown campaign.
Mr. Seabrook, a reporter for the _Northern Ratepayers
Asso ciation. said in his area. the NEC proposals were the
reason for the shutdown.
Mr. Seabrook said he doubts if the full 430 miles of the trail
will ever be opened again.
Fear Threat
He added farmers fear the threat of a permanent right-of-way
across their fauns would lead to expropriation. a fear initiated by
Section 18 of Bill 129.
Mr. Seabrook said his organization isn't concerned with the
NEC - "they're doing what they have to do" - but with
development control of the land which is restricting the land's
saleability and affecting many farmers in Grey County.
1UE RURAL VOICE/ AUGUST 1978 PG. 7
'encouraged" to
'us as property
in government